We must be Christ’s Light in the Darkness
The news has once again been filled with a horrific story of a mass shooting at a school. This time, at a K-8 Catholic parish/school where students, parents, teachers and grandparents had gathered for worship at the opening Mass for the new school year. Because it happened in my city, in my diocese, it hit close to home. That people in my Catholic circles knew some of the parishioners, victims and the perpetrator’s family, made it even more troubling.
People are Seeking God in the Quiet
I read an article in the National Catholic Register about the increase in vocations to the priesthood in several dioceses in the U.S. It was an uplifting piece which shows that the call is there and many are answering. However, looking at the regions from which they come defies established logic, however. The large population centers with many Catholics and beautiful churches are not on the list of these places. The percentage of young men pursuing priestly vocations in large urban areas of the United States is much lower than it is in smaller regions. In places like New York and Chicago this is apparent. Perhaps the noise of the big city is drowning out the call of God. It is easy to blame bishops and priests in these areas, or to point to difficulties in the seminaries, but perhaps the root cause is deeper than that. These troubling statistics reinforce the concerns of many, including the Holy Father and his recent predecessors, that the distractions of our present world obscure the call of God. He whispers, He does not shout.
Confronting the Technological Revolution
After his election to the papacy last month Pope Leo XIV gave insight to his selection of the name he chose. He referred, as I expected, to Pope Leo XIII’s focus on the well-being of working-class people in the rapidly changing socio-political environment of the late 19th century. Just as Pope Leo XIII saw the dangers that the Industrial Revolution posed and the looming specter of the Marxist ideology, which was looking to control the working class, Pope Leo XIV has stated he sees the dangers of out-of-control technology in the present day as a great threat to our humanity. Both of his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, also referred to the potential dangers in these technologies.
Habemus Papam!
On Easter Monday we woke to the news that the Holy Father, Pope Francis had died. Although not surprising after his long illness it still was unexpected news that morning. Immediately we said a prayer for the repose of his soul. The seat was vacant as the world mourned his passing. Dorothy and I travelled back […]
United Around the Fatima Message
We just returned from a beautiful pilgrimage to Fatima. The past eight days were spent with the members of the Apostolate for Family Consecration who are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their founding. We congratulate them and are honored to have shared this time with them. We appreciate that they came to us to organize […]
Sister Lucia was a Martyr to Daily Duty
If there is anything we can learn from Venerable Sister Lucia, it is heroic patience and perseverance, which she embraced fully as each day unfolded – one to the next – until her death at age 97 on Feb. 13, 2005. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of her holy passing, Lucia is a good reminder of how to become a saint through what she called “the long, hard road of martyrdom that has to do with daily living.”
Blue Army on the March
As we gathered under the towering presence of the Washington Monument, the excitement of the Pro-Life Marchers was palpable. For many in our country it seemed that the great pro-life victory achieved by the overturning of Roe vs Wade in 2022 marked the end of the Pro-Life movement on the national stage. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our drive to transform the culture of death into a truly pro-life generation and to end the victimization of the most innocent in our society has only increased, as political support and a great awareness of the sanctity of life continues to spread. Listening to the Vice President of the United States address the captivated crowd we could feel the winds of change stirring above our nation’s capital.
When Christmas Preparations Truly Matter
It all began the day after Thanksgiving, on Black Friday. Navigating the sales and offers for material goods, many of which will be discarded the next day I was buried in the confusion of the season which hadn’t even started yet. The police were on high alert as the potential for violent clashes at retail outlets across the country was high.
Extra, Extra! Read All About It – In More Ways Than One
Times change. The institutions that seemed to be enduring without extinction are, in fact, showing a new face. The free press is a necessary piece of the social political structure in a democratic representative society. Newspapers and broadcast news were traditionally the trusted sources of information, and a window to the events of the world. Everything evolves, and as change can be unnerving to some, it must be looked at as inevitable and, in some cases, exciting. I remember the big three networks as the only source of major broadcast news, with a few local channels in large cities. Cable TV and talk radio began the downward spiral of influence for these legacy institutions. The introduction of the news channels with their 24-hour cycle brought constant coverage which also led to fatigue.
Peace is Found in Unity – Which Comes from God
St. Paul said that we are going to win. Our Lady promised that in the end her Immaculate Heart will triumph. Like most of us I look around and wonder how this will come about. Doom and gloom are fed to us daily. By watching the news and following the flow of pessimism that rules the day it is easy to understand why despair is on the rise. A priest once suggested that I stop watching the news. It is said that “no news is good news.” I often think of former Vice-President Spiro Agnew’s famous depiction of the press, referring to them as the “nattering nabobs of negativism.” Obviously, we cannot totally ignore world events, but obsessive focus on things that we cannot directly affect is counterproductive. Strong devotion leading us to proper action is how we effect change.
