Holy Cross students do their part to help out soup kitchen
Luke Taylor/The News-Gazette
CHAMPAIGN — Holy Cross School students braved the cold for a few minutes on Wednesday morning to fill three SUVs with 170 knapsacks packed with basic toiletries, snacks, and gifts. Those SUVs were headed to Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, adding to the piles of gifts going to its guests this Christmas season.
Teacher Judy Crull took lead on organizing Holy Cross students this year and was happy to use the volunteer tradition as a learning experience. “We were put here on earth to do God’s will, and this is one way we can teach them to do that,” Crull said. This is only one way Holy Cross students volunteer, but Crull said it’s a good way to get them all involved because they don’t need to leave the school grounds to help out. She said she feels it helps the kids understand how much they take for granted, but she also understands how big of a deal it may have been for some of their families to donate.
The school sent out shopping lists to all of the students’ families, though some people provided monetary donations instead of items. “I know things are tough for a lot of families right now,” Crull said. “We’re thankful to our parents for supporting this.” Crull’s seventh-grade class did a lot of the work on the project as they are among the older kids at the school. Students Edward C.-D V. and Kennedy S. said it was pretty simple. “We had to put stuff in the knapsacks,” C. said. “And organize everything!” S. added.
Both were happy to have helped people out but didn’t see it as much different from everything else they have to do at school. The folks at Daily Bread, on the other hand, were thrilled to receive the loads of knapsacks. While they’ll be going through each one to confirm all of the items are in there, that’s a lot less work than sorting donations and filling knapsacks on their own.
The soup kitchen’s annex is already piled high with the red and green bags for adults and more decorative ones for kids, as well as boxes of socks, toothpaste and more waiting to be divvied up. The volunteers there are just happy to have so many donations. “You bring us the stuff, and we’ll stuff the knapsacks,” volunteer Karen Pickard said.
Last year, the soup kitchen was able to give out 800 bags, and that’s the goal again this year. With the tradition now well-established, people know Daily Bread hands out these knapsacks, but the volunteers are keeping the date a secret so it will still be a surprise.
Many in the community just drop off loads of toiletries and useful items from the store, but Pickard said some donate in other ways, like a group of ladies who bring in handmade hats and scarves. Daily Bread does make sure any gifts included are new because many of the people receiving these knapsacks have had a lot of secondhand items and this is meant to be something special for Christmas.
The deadline for donations this year has passed, but Pickard said they see an “outpouring of love” each year. “This community is enormously generous,” she said. “You put out the word, and people come.”
CHAMPAIGN — Holy Cross School students braved the cold for a few minutes on Wednesday morning to fill three SUVs with 170 knapsacks packed with basic toiletries, snacks, and gifts. Those SUVs were headed to Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, adding to the piles of gifts going to its guests this Christmas season.
Teacher Judy Crull took lead on organizing Holy Cross students this year and was happy to use the volunteer tradition as a learning experience. “We were put here on earth to do God’s will, and this is one way we can teach them to do that,” Crull said. This is only one way Holy Cross students volunteer, but Crull said it’s a good way to get them all involved because they don’t need to leave the school grounds to help out. She said she feels it helps the kids understand how much they take for granted, but she also understands how big of a deal it may have been for some of their families to donate.
The school sent out shopping lists to all of the students’ families, though some people provided monetary donations instead of items. “I know things are tough for a lot of families right now,” Crull said. “We’re thankful to our parents for supporting this.” Crull’s seventh-grade class did a lot of the work on the project as they are among the older kids at the school. Students Edward C.-D V. and Kennedy S. said it was pretty simple. “We had to put stuff in the knapsacks,” C. said. “And organize everything!” S. added.
Both were happy to have helped people out but didn’t see it as much different from everything else they have to do at school. The folks at Daily Bread, on the other hand, were thrilled to receive the loads of knapsacks. While they’ll be going through each one to confirm all of the items are in there, that’s a lot less work than sorting donations and filling knapsacks on their own.
The soup kitchen’s annex is already piled high with the red and green bags for adults and more decorative ones for kids, as well as boxes of socks, toothpaste and more waiting to be divvied up. The volunteers there are just happy to have so many donations. “You bring us the stuff, and we’ll stuff the knapsacks,” volunteer Karen Pickard said.
Last year, the soup kitchen was able to give out 800 bags, and that’s the goal again this year. With the tradition now well-established, people know Daily Bread hands out these knapsacks, but the volunteers are keeping the date a secret so it will still be a surprise.
Many in the community just drop off loads of toiletries and useful items from the store, but Pickard said some donate in other ways, like a group of ladies who bring in handmade hats and scarves. Daily Bread does make sure any gifts included are new because many of the people receiving these knapsacks have had a lot of secondhand items and this is meant to be something special for Christmas.
The deadline for donations this year has passed, but Pickard said they see an “outpouring of love” each year. “This community is enormously generous,” she said. “You put out the word, and people come.”
Aquaponics in the news - october 2023
Relics At St. Patrick, Urbana - Sunday, April 23
Relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis and St. Manuel Garcia Gonzalez will be available to view and venerate at St. Patrick in Urbana on Sunday, April 23 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991 – 2006) nicknamed the cyber-apostle of the Eucharist, was a teenager who used technology to spread devotion to the Eucharist before his death at age fifteen from leukemia. He offered his sufferings for the Church and for the Holy Father, and Pope Francis has called him a role model for young people. "To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan." -Blessed Carlo Acutis The relic of Saint Manuel González García (1877 – 1940,) helps all to reflect upon the need for Eucharistic Revival and the recognition of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. "I found myself to be a priest in a town that didn’t love Jesus, and I would have to love him in the name of everybody in that town.' – Saint Manuel González García |
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Passes Away -
December 31, 2022
“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 AM in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible. As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter's Basilica so the faithful can pay their respects." - Vatican News
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-dies-aged-95.html https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/pope-pays-tribute-late-pope-benedict-highlighting-his-gentleness |
Pioneering aquaponics tower yields first harvest at Holy Cross School, Champaign
By: Jennifer Willems - The Catholic Post - December 1, 2022
CHAMPAIGN — Lettuce might not be the top food choice for most seventh-graders, but most seventh-graders aren’t growing their own lettuce in an aquaponics lab like they are at Holy Cross School.
The technology being piloted at the Champaign school uses a water-based, nutrient-rich solution to grow food instead of soil. The lab was dedicated in March and ready for seeds to be planted as classes resumed in August. They started with lettuce and spinach.The system depends on fish — in this case, tilapia — to provide the natural fertilizer the plants require.
The students harvested their first two batches of lettuce in October. “It’s starting to take off,” said middle school teacher Judy Crull, who is overseeing the aquaponics lab. “We knew in the beginning there was going to be a lot of trial and error and we had to make some adjustments to the fish tank and the tower itself.”
Since Holy Cross is leading the way for other schools, Crull said they’ve taken seriously the challenge to make it user friendly. “That’s what we’ve been working on.” She has been running weekly tests for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite and was making plans to turn that over to the students, she told The Catholic Post. “We wanted to make sure things were done the right way, so we practiced ourselves for a while,” Crull explained. “The students have been the ones planting the seeds.”
A LITTLE WORK GETS BIG RESULTS
They started with a lettuce called Spring Mix and have also worked with Butter Crisp lettuce. They did not have luck with the spinach. “So we’ve been doing some research on why it’s not working,” Crull said. “One of the things we’ve discovered is that it’s a little bit too humid in that lab for spinach.” When it comes to something like this, however, there is no such thing as failure. “It is an experiment, so we’re going to learn from the problems that come up and then we’re going to have to solve them,” Crull said.
When they do have success, they are planning to share their produce with the school’s lunch program, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, or the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. Since no unnatural fertilizer or sprays are being used, the lettuce they harvested just needed to be washed like you would any other kind of lettuce, Crull said. “They can eat and they can share with those who don’t get fresh fruits and vegetables very often, like St. Vincent de Paul and the food pantry. That part of it is rewarding for them — they see that as a bigger benefit than anything, to be able to help others.”
“I think what (the students) enjoyed the most is that this is something that’s very doable. You can have fresh vegetables from this that actually taste really good,” she said. “A lot of them are trying things they’ve never tried before. Like we made them try the lettuce without dressing on it.” In addition to the academics of this, the students are learning that a little bit of work can result in a lot of product, according to Crull.
EVERY STEP A LEARNING PROCESS
The first aquaponics tower was donated by Dick Tryon, CEO of Tryon Technology. Made from PVC piping, it uses LED lights and eight rotating plant trays to grow the food. A second tower, made possible with a gift from the Eric Meyer family, will be set up a little differently to make the system easier for schools to work with, Crull explained. In time they will write a curriculum, she said. “It’s little baby steps for now. We knew it was probably going to take a couple years to get the whole thing figured out,” Crull added. While it’s just the seventh-graders working in the lab so far, she planned to add other classes gradually. “It’s really fascinating,” Crull said. “Every step of this is a learning process."
CHAMPAIGN — Lettuce might not be the top food choice for most seventh-graders, but most seventh-graders aren’t growing their own lettuce in an aquaponics lab like they are at Holy Cross School.
The technology being piloted at the Champaign school uses a water-based, nutrient-rich solution to grow food instead of soil. The lab was dedicated in March and ready for seeds to be planted as classes resumed in August. They started with lettuce and spinach.The system depends on fish — in this case, tilapia — to provide the natural fertilizer the plants require.
The students harvested their first two batches of lettuce in October. “It’s starting to take off,” said middle school teacher Judy Crull, who is overseeing the aquaponics lab. “We knew in the beginning there was going to be a lot of trial and error and we had to make some adjustments to the fish tank and the tower itself.”
Since Holy Cross is leading the way for other schools, Crull said they’ve taken seriously the challenge to make it user friendly. “That’s what we’ve been working on.” She has been running weekly tests for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite and was making plans to turn that over to the students, she told The Catholic Post. “We wanted to make sure things were done the right way, so we practiced ourselves for a while,” Crull explained. “The students have been the ones planting the seeds.”
A LITTLE WORK GETS BIG RESULTS
They started with a lettuce called Spring Mix and have also worked with Butter Crisp lettuce. They did not have luck with the spinach. “So we’ve been doing some research on why it’s not working,” Crull said. “One of the things we’ve discovered is that it’s a little bit too humid in that lab for spinach.” When it comes to something like this, however, there is no such thing as failure. “It is an experiment, so we’re going to learn from the problems that come up and then we’re going to have to solve them,” Crull said.
When they do have success, they are planning to share their produce with the school’s lunch program, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, or the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. Since no unnatural fertilizer or sprays are being used, the lettuce they harvested just needed to be washed like you would any other kind of lettuce, Crull said. “They can eat and they can share with those who don’t get fresh fruits and vegetables very often, like St. Vincent de Paul and the food pantry. That part of it is rewarding for them — they see that as a bigger benefit than anything, to be able to help others.”
“I think what (the students) enjoyed the most is that this is something that’s very doable. You can have fresh vegetables from this that actually taste really good,” she said. “A lot of them are trying things they’ve never tried before. Like we made them try the lettuce without dressing on it.” In addition to the academics of this, the students are learning that a little bit of work can result in a lot of product, according to Crull.
EVERY STEP A LEARNING PROCESS
The first aquaponics tower was donated by Dick Tryon, CEO of Tryon Technology. Made from PVC piping, it uses LED lights and eight rotating plant trays to grow the food. A second tower, made possible with a gift from the Eric Meyer family, will be set up a little differently to make the system easier for schools to work with, Crull explained. In time they will write a curriculum, she said. “It’s little baby steps for now. We knew it was probably going to take a couple years to get the whole thing figured out,” Crull added. While it’s just the seventh-graders working in the lab so far, she planned to add other classes gradually. “It’s really fascinating,” Crull said. “Every step of this is a learning process."
Growing Disciples: Empowering Evangelization
What does "evangelization" really mean, and how are we called to evangelize as Catholics? What does this have to do with the Growing Disciples Pastoral Planning initiative? In this video, Bishop Lou Tylka and Father Adam Cesarek, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac, Ill., discuss their perspectives–and address common challenges and questions–related to evangelization and Growing Disciples.
Feast Week Living Rosary 2022
Holy Cross School becomes pioneer in the study of aquaponics
By: Jennifer Willems - April 7, 2022
With the snip of an oversized pair of scissors, Holy Cross School took a giant leap into the future as a new Tryon Aquaponics Tower and lab was blessed on March 24. It is only the second such tower in the country and the first one in Illinois.
Aquaponics is a method of growing plants using a water-based, nutrient-rich solution instead of soil. So rather than being “farm to table” the goal is to be “tower to table.”
The new tower is built from PVC piping and uses LED lights, rotating plant trays, and fish tanks that will house tilapia. “The plants and the fish work together to give nutrition to one another,” said middle school science teacher Judy Crull. “It is the whole nitrogen cycle.” The pioneering effort, which is based on an idea that is said to be thousands of years old, is the brainchild of Dick Tryon, CEO of Tryon Technology. He was unable to attend the ceremony in person, but was present via video feed. “The concept of the growth of the child is what hit Dick’s heart,” according to John Calderon, retired president of DNDC Technology Co. and a steward at the Champaign parish and school who has worked with Tryon. “Dick was going to do this and I was going to make it happen no matter what,” Calderon said. “What prompted Dick to say, ‘I’m going to donate it,’ is a conversation about how we educate our kids at Holy Cross.”
GETTING STUDENTS INVOLVED
“It will go across the curriculum,” said Greg Koerner, principal. “It won’t just be used with the science classes, but with the health classes, with the economics classes, with the art classes. . . . There will be a mural that shows the nitrogen cycle that the students are going to paint.”
He is eager to share what they learn with the 42 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria. And with Holy Cross serving as a feeder school for The High School of Saint Thomas More, also in Champaign, it became that much more valuable to put the Tryon Aquaponics Tower there and “keep this moving,” Calderon said.
The cost of the tower and tank is $1,500, which covers the materials needed, Calderon said. The Rotary Club sponsored the first one and the Eric Meyer family, longtime supporters of Holy Cross School, have donated the second tower that will be built by the students this summer. The lab can accommodate a third tower and that is something Holy Cross hopes to add.
SERVING OTHERS
“We are extremely excited here. My staff is extremely excited for this possibility,” Koerner said. “When we were able to announce that this was a done deal, I had five teachers step forward and say, ‘I want to be on the curriculum team.’” Taking the lead with Crull is Meghan Burgess, a fifth grade teacher who has a master’s degree in curriculum development.
Crull said they’re still researching what plants they should use and has heard that leafy plants may grow best. “We’re going to have to experiment to see what works and what doesn’t work real well,” she told The Catholic Post. “We want to tie in a nutritional aspect to it,” Crull added. “When we do start harvesting, Mr. Koerner would like to see that possibly being used in our school lunch program. If we get bigger than that, we would like to be able to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen.” As the tilapia multiply, they may provide another food source for donation,” she said. “This is still a learning process for my curriculum team.”
Before he sprinkled holy water on the aquaponics tower and the people gathered for the blessing, Father Joseph Donton, pastor, prayed that “through the work of our hands and the help of technology, we collaborate with the Creator to improve the earth as a dwelling place of the human family . . . and carry out Christ’s mandate to follow him in serving one another in love.”
With the snip of an oversized pair of scissors, Holy Cross School took a giant leap into the future as a new Tryon Aquaponics Tower and lab was blessed on March 24. It is only the second such tower in the country and the first one in Illinois.
Aquaponics is a method of growing plants using a water-based, nutrient-rich solution instead of soil. So rather than being “farm to table” the goal is to be “tower to table.”
The new tower is built from PVC piping and uses LED lights, rotating plant trays, and fish tanks that will house tilapia. “The plants and the fish work together to give nutrition to one another,” said middle school science teacher Judy Crull. “It is the whole nitrogen cycle.” The pioneering effort, which is based on an idea that is said to be thousands of years old, is the brainchild of Dick Tryon, CEO of Tryon Technology. He was unable to attend the ceremony in person, but was present via video feed. “The concept of the growth of the child is what hit Dick’s heart,” according to John Calderon, retired president of DNDC Technology Co. and a steward at the Champaign parish and school who has worked with Tryon. “Dick was going to do this and I was going to make it happen no matter what,” Calderon said. “What prompted Dick to say, ‘I’m going to donate it,’ is a conversation about how we educate our kids at Holy Cross.”
GETTING STUDENTS INVOLVED
“It will go across the curriculum,” said Greg Koerner, principal. “It won’t just be used with the science classes, but with the health classes, with the economics classes, with the art classes. . . . There will be a mural that shows the nitrogen cycle that the students are going to paint.”
He is eager to share what they learn with the 42 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria. And with Holy Cross serving as a feeder school for The High School of Saint Thomas More, also in Champaign, it became that much more valuable to put the Tryon Aquaponics Tower there and “keep this moving,” Calderon said.
The cost of the tower and tank is $1,500, which covers the materials needed, Calderon said. The Rotary Club sponsored the first one and the Eric Meyer family, longtime supporters of Holy Cross School, have donated the second tower that will be built by the students this summer. The lab can accommodate a third tower and that is something Holy Cross hopes to add.
SERVING OTHERS
“We are extremely excited here. My staff is extremely excited for this possibility,” Koerner said. “When we were able to announce that this was a done deal, I had five teachers step forward and say, ‘I want to be on the curriculum team.’” Taking the lead with Crull is Meghan Burgess, a fifth grade teacher who has a master’s degree in curriculum development.
Crull said they’re still researching what plants they should use and has heard that leafy plants may grow best. “We’re going to have to experiment to see what works and what doesn’t work real well,” she told The Catholic Post. “We want to tie in a nutritional aspect to it,” Crull added. “When we do start harvesting, Mr. Koerner would like to see that possibly being used in our school lunch program. If we get bigger than that, we would like to be able to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen.” As the tilapia multiply, they may provide another food source for donation,” she said. “This is still a learning process for my curriculum team.”
Before he sprinkled holy water on the aquaponics tower and the people gathered for the blessing, Father Joseph Donton, pastor, prayed that “through the work of our hands and the help of technology, we collaborate with the Creator to improve the earth as a dwelling place of the human family . . . and carry out Christ’s mandate to follow him in serving one another in love.”
Aquaponics arrived at HCS - March 24, 2022
Bishop Jenky’s retirement is accepted; Bishop Tylka becomes 9th Bishop of Peoria
By Tom Dermody - March 3, 2022
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation for retirement of Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, and Coadjutor Bishop Louis Tylka immediately succeeds him, becoming the ninth Bishop of Peoria.
Bishop Jenky has headed the Peoria Diocese for nearly 20 years. His resignation was announced on March 3, Bishop Jenky’s 75th birthday and the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope.
Bishop Tylka, 51, has served as coadjutor bishop for 19 months. A former priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was appointed by Pope Francis to assist Bishop Jenky on May 11, 2020, and was ordained coadjutor bishop with the right of succession on July 23, 2020. Bishop Tylka said his time as coadjutor bishop allowed him the opportunity to become familiar with the 26-county diocese, its clergy, Religious and lay faithful.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting folks in parishes, schools, and institutions and seeing the faith alive in so many wonderful ways,” said Bishop Tylka. “This gives me great hope for the future.” Noting his episcopal motto of “Go Make Disciples,” Bishop Tylka said he is “committed to work each day to bring people to an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ, to build on the communion that we share, and to give missionary disciple witness to the Gospel that brings us salvation.”
In a March 3 statement, Bishop Jenky said Bishop Tylka “has selflessly given himself in service to the people of the Diocese of Peoria since his ordination. I am confident that the faithful will find him to be a loving and dedicated shepherd.”
A native of Harvey, Illinois, Bishop Tylka was born May 26, 1970. He studied for the priesthood at Niles College Seminary of Loyola University and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, both in Chicago.
Bishop Tylka was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1996. He is a former pastor of Mater Christi Parish and the Shrine of Mary, Mother of Mothers, in North Riverside, and was pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park and chair of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Chicago when he was appointed to Peoria in 2020.
While taking necessary COVID-19 pandemic precautions, Bishop Tylka immediately embarked on a “Welcome Tour” throughout the Diocese of Peoria, meeting the priests and celebrating Masses in each of the diocese’s 12 vicariates. Last fall, he repeated the tour, inviting representatives from each parish to share their lived experience of the faith and calling it “Listening to the Faithful.” In his March 3 video, Bishop Tylka said that while the world faces many challenges, “I am convinced that if we stay focused on Christ, if we live as missionary disciples, and if we call upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, then no matter what difficulties that confront us, together we will advance on our way to the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, isn’t that our one goal?
Bishop Jenky, a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, served for 25 years at the University of Notre Dame, including two decades as rector of Sacred Heart Basilica on campus. He was ordained as auxiliary bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend on Dec. 16, 1997, and served there for five years before his appointment to Peoria on Feb. 12, 2002. He expressed deep gratitude for his 20 years as diocesan bishop. Bishop Jenky, who is now Bishop Emeritus of Peoria, leaves a legacy that includes several major construction projects, including the Spalding Pastoral Center and the diocese’s new Sacré-Coeur Retreat Center, dedicated last summer. Shortly after his arrival in Peoria, Bishop Jenky launched the sainthood cause of media pioneer and author Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a native and priest of the diocese, and worked persistently to advance it in ensuing years. In an interview with The Catholic Post last month as he approached his 75th birthday, Bishop Jenky said the Vatican remains “very enthusiastic about the cause” and that Bishop Tylka is, too. “I’m hopeful and prayerful that Bishop Lou will bring the ball across the goal line,” said Bishop Jenky of an anticipated beatification ceremony in Peoria.
Bishop Tylka celebrated his first public Mass as diocesan bishop at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 6, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria.
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation for retirement of Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, and Coadjutor Bishop Louis Tylka immediately succeeds him, becoming the ninth Bishop of Peoria.
Bishop Jenky has headed the Peoria Diocese for nearly 20 years. His resignation was announced on March 3, Bishop Jenky’s 75th birthday and the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope.
Bishop Tylka, 51, has served as coadjutor bishop for 19 months. A former priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was appointed by Pope Francis to assist Bishop Jenky on May 11, 2020, and was ordained coadjutor bishop with the right of succession on July 23, 2020. Bishop Tylka said his time as coadjutor bishop allowed him the opportunity to become familiar with the 26-county diocese, its clergy, Religious and lay faithful.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting folks in parishes, schools, and institutions and seeing the faith alive in so many wonderful ways,” said Bishop Tylka. “This gives me great hope for the future.” Noting his episcopal motto of “Go Make Disciples,” Bishop Tylka said he is “committed to work each day to bring people to an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ, to build on the communion that we share, and to give missionary disciple witness to the Gospel that brings us salvation.”
In a March 3 statement, Bishop Jenky said Bishop Tylka “has selflessly given himself in service to the people of the Diocese of Peoria since his ordination. I am confident that the faithful will find him to be a loving and dedicated shepherd.”
A native of Harvey, Illinois, Bishop Tylka was born May 26, 1970. He studied for the priesthood at Niles College Seminary of Loyola University and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, both in Chicago.
Bishop Tylka was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1996. He is a former pastor of Mater Christi Parish and the Shrine of Mary, Mother of Mothers, in North Riverside, and was pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park and chair of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Chicago when he was appointed to Peoria in 2020.
While taking necessary COVID-19 pandemic precautions, Bishop Tylka immediately embarked on a “Welcome Tour” throughout the Diocese of Peoria, meeting the priests and celebrating Masses in each of the diocese’s 12 vicariates. Last fall, he repeated the tour, inviting representatives from each parish to share their lived experience of the faith and calling it “Listening to the Faithful.” In his March 3 video, Bishop Tylka said that while the world faces many challenges, “I am convinced that if we stay focused on Christ, if we live as missionary disciples, and if we call upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, then no matter what difficulties that confront us, together we will advance on our way to the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, isn’t that our one goal?
Bishop Jenky, a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, served for 25 years at the University of Notre Dame, including two decades as rector of Sacred Heart Basilica on campus. He was ordained as auxiliary bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend on Dec. 16, 1997, and served there for five years before his appointment to Peoria on Feb. 12, 2002. He expressed deep gratitude for his 20 years as diocesan bishop. Bishop Jenky, who is now Bishop Emeritus of Peoria, leaves a legacy that includes several major construction projects, including the Spalding Pastoral Center and the diocese’s new Sacré-Coeur Retreat Center, dedicated last summer. Shortly after his arrival in Peoria, Bishop Jenky launched the sainthood cause of media pioneer and author Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a native and priest of the diocese, and worked persistently to advance it in ensuing years. In an interview with The Catholic Post last month as he approached his 75th birthday, Bishop Jenky said the Vatican remains “very enthusiastic about the cause” and that Bishop Tylka is, too. “I’m hopeful and prayerful that Bishop Lou will bring the ball across the goal line,” said Bishop Jenky of an anticipated beatification ceremony in Peoria.
Bishop Tylka celebrated his first public Mass as diocesan bishop at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 6, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria.
Father Remigius Bukuru passed away November 3, 2021
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and former parochial vicar, Fr. Remi.
A message from Fr. Leo:
To the Holy Cross Church Community, I regretfully announce the passing of Fr. Remigius Bukuru, today on November 3, 2021 at 8:00 AM (Tanzania Local Time). We all know that Fr. Remi was a wonderful and loving priest who really enjoyed serving God and his people. It is hard to accept that he is gone! But as Christians, we are consoled by our faith that God will grant him a peaceful and joyful rest; for we know that “…the souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them” (Wisdom 3:1).
In Tanzania, a funeral Mass for Fr. Remi will be held on November 5, at 10:00 (Tanzanian local time). If you can say a prayer for his soul that would be appreciated.
In case you want to send cards to his family – address them to: Fr. Remi’s family c/o Fr. Leo Mushobozi and then drop them or mail them to Holy Cross Parish office. Then I will have them mailed to his family in Tanzania.
May his soul rest in peace.
A message from Fr. Leo:
To the Holy Cross Church Community, I regretfully announce the passing of Fr. Remigius Bukuru, today on November 3, 2021 at 8:00 AM (Tanzania Local Time). We all know that Fr. Remi was a wonderful and loving priest who really enjoyed serving God and his people. It is hard to accept that he is gone! But as Christians, we are consoled by our faith that God will grant him a peaceful and joyful rest; for we know that “…the souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them” (Wisdom 3:1).
In Tanzania, a funeral Mass for Fr. Remi will be held on November 5, at 10:00 (Tanzanian local time). If you can say a prayer for his soul that would be appreciated.
In case you want to send cards to his family – address them to: Fr. Remi’s family c/o Fr. Leo Mushobozi and then drop them or mail them to Holy Cross Parish office. Then I will have them mailed to his family in Tanzania.
May his soul rest in peace.
Lent 2021
A word from our principal, Mr. Koerner... January 2021
2020 has been… a year, which makes getting a fresh start in 2021 feel super appealing. For some people, that might mean making a New Year’s resolution that helps them get the year started on the right foot. Thing is, traditional New Year’s resolutions usually fail. Turns out, our brains are just not into making swift, abrupt changes to our habits.
So instead of going for the typical diet, exercise, or financial overhaul-style resolution, why not try something a little different this year?
Pray, take time and pray. Prayer will not cost you anything except a few minutes a week. Just like any other New Year’s resolution you start off doing the small things before jumping in with both feet. Prayer is the same. Start off with just a few minutes a day. A simple prayer to start with would be the Lord’s prayer or a Hail Mary. The more time you spend praying the more your tolerance increases. Before you know it, you will be saying a rosary.
Please take the time to pray for our teachers, families, and the whole Holy Cross community. We all have had some set backs and issues in 2020. But, through prayer we can make 2021 a great year.
WE ARE HOLY CROSS!!
So instead of going for the typical diet, exercise, or financial overhaul-style resolution, why not try something a little different this year?
Pray, take time and pray. Prayer will not cost you anything except a few minutes a week. Just like any other New Year’s resolution you start off doing the small things before jumping in with both feet. Prayer is the same. Start off with just a few minutes a day. A simple prayer to start with would be the Lord’s prayer or a Hail Mary. The more time you spend praying the more your tolerance increases. Before you know it, you will be saying a rosary.
Please take the time to pray for our teachers, families, and the whole Holy Cross community. We all have had some set backs and issues in 2020. But, through prayer we can make 2021 a great year.
WE ARE HOLY CROSS!!
Holy Cross's New Principal - 2020
Catholic Post
By: Jennifer Willems
GREG KOERNER
Holy Cross School, Champaign
Greg Koerner was a familiar face around Holy Cross School and Parish long before he accepted the job as principal. Koerner and his wife, Cathy, have been parishioners for 27 years and sent their four children to Holy Cross School. Along the way he served as athletic director, cross country coach and Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 9.
His parish involvement includes being one of the “fry guys” for fish fries during Lent, planning three euchre tournaments each year, and being “a volunteer wherever they need a volunteer.” This is his fifth year on the parish council. In addition, the Koerners are extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
“It’s been a very enjoyable, a very easy transition because I’ve known a lot of staff and teachers that still work here who were here when my children attended,” Greg Koerner said. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms.”
His educational background includes an associate degree in recreational leadership from Parkland College; a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in physical education and athletic administration, both from Eastern Illinois University; a master’s degree in education from Olivet Nazarene; and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Illinois University.
Koerner comes to Holy Cross with 15 years of experience as a physical education teacher and recreation director at Cunningham Children’s School in Urbana, and 20 years with the Ready Program, the Regional Office of Education’s alternative school. While there he worked as a physical education teacher for four years, middle school dean for four years, and then principal.
When teachers from Holy Cross School came to his house and started “planting seeds” for him to come to Holy Cross, Koerner prayed about it for three years before deciding the time was right.
He said he appreciates Catholic education because “it lays the foundation for students to be successful in life and it starts early, from kindergarten all the way through their high school career.” He sought that for his own children, who attended The High School of Saint Thomas More in Champaign after graduating from Holy Cross. “I told my children — and they can probably repeat this for you — that it is my goal as a parent to give my children a strong faith, a strong education, and a strong family. I believe you can get all three of those components by a Catholic education,” Koerner said.
By: Jennifer Willems
GREG KOERNER
Holy Cross School, Champaign
Greg Koerner was a familiar face around Holy Cross School and Parish long before he accepted the job as principal. Koerner and his wife, Cathy, have been parishioners for 27 years and sent their four children to Holy Cross School. Along the way he served as athletic director, cross country coach and Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 9.
His parish involvement includes being one of the “fry guys” for fish fries during Lent, planning three euchre tournaments each year, and being “a volunteer wherever they need a volunteer.” This is his fifth year on the parish council. In addition, the Koerners are extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
“It’s been a very enjoyable, a very easy transition because I’ve known a lot of staff and teachers that still work here who were here when my children attended,” Greg Koerner said. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms.”
His educational background includes an associate degree in recreational leadership from Parkland College; a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in physical education and athletic administration, both from Eastern Illinois University; a master’s degree in education from Olivet Nazarene; and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Illinois University.
Koerner comes to Holy Cross with 15 years of experience as a physical education teacher and recreation director at Cunningham Children’s School in Urbana, and 20 years with the Ready Program, the Regional Office of Education’s alternative school. While there he worked as a physical education teacher for four years, middle school dean for four years, and then principal.
When teachers from Holy Cross School came to his house and started “planting seeds” for him to come to Holy Cross, Koerner prayed about it for three years before deciding the time was right.
He said he appreciates Catholic education because “it lays the foundation for students to be successful in life and it starts early, from kindergarten all the way through their high school career.” He sought that for his own children, who attended The High School of Saint Thomas More in Champaign after graduating from Holy Cross. “I told my children — and they can probably repeat this for you — that it is my goal as a parent to give my children a strong faith, a strong education, and a strong family. I believe you can get all three of those components by a Catholic education,” Koerner said.
Our New Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria
Pope Francis Prays for Reconciliation and Peace - June 2020
Pope Francis on Twitter: “We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form. At the same time, we have to recognize that violence is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost. Let us pray for reconciliation and peace.”
Saint Francis Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. Amen. |
Father Santa Bibiana passed May 15, 2020
FR. JOSEPH SANTA BIBIANA, SDB (1933-2020)
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
Fr. Joseph (José) Santa Bibiana Gisbert, SDB, died on the evening of May 15, 2020, at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., where he’d just been brought to the emergency room. He had been undergoing rehab related to pancreatic cancer and its treatments for a few months at Royal Palm Beach Rehabilitation Center. Although he’d been suffering from the cancer for over a year, the immediate cause of death was heart failure.
Affectionately known by students, parishioners, and confreres as “Father Santa,” he had been a professed Salesian for more than 63 years and a priest for 54 years. He was 87 years old.
Fr. Santa Bibiana was born in Valencia, Spain, on April 25, 1933, to José Santa Bibiana and Josefina Gisbert. He was baptized four days later in the family’s parish church, Our Lady of Lepanto, where he was also confirmed the day before his eighth birthday.
Although he attended public schools, José attended the local Salesian youth center and was very impressed by the young Salesians there. In an interview in 2018, he told Salesian News: “At the age of 14, I started working in a bank and going to night school. On Sundays I went to the oratory with my friends. We rode our bikes about three miles to the Salesian oratory. In the morning there would be Mass and games, and in the afternoon there would be more games, religious instruction, Benediction, and a movie or a play on the stage put on by the students and ‘oratorians.’ I would say that I came to like the life of the Salesians by ‘osmosis.’ I especially liked the way the Salesians befriended us.
“At the age of 20 I was ready to join the Salesians. I already had the idea of becoming a missionary. The Salesian magazine Juventud Misionera had a lot to do with it, as well as the visits of some Spanish missionaries like Fr. Jose Luis Carreño (missionary in India) with his accordion and missionary songs. I still remember some of them today! During my novitiate I volunteered to go to the missions, and after our first profession I was sent to our Salesian Province of St. Philip the Apostle in the U.S.”
In his vocation he was also encouraged by his confessor. He entered the candidacy program in August 1954 at Mataró (Barcelona), whence he was admitted to the novitiate at Arbos del Penedes a year later. There were 63 novices at the start of the year!
Bro. Santa made his first profession of vows at Arbos del Penedes on August 16, 1956. Then together with his newly professed companion, Bro. Allué, he came to the U.S. as a “missionary” and began philosophical (and language) studies at Don Bosco College in Newton, N.J., on October 1, 1956. He graduated with a B.A. in 1959.
Bro. Santa did his three years of practical training at the Salesian middle school in Tampa, Mary Help of Christians, in 1959-1962, where he was fondly remembered by his pupils. He made his perpetual profession in August 1962 and commenced theological studies at Salamanca, Spain, where he was ordained on March 6, 1966.
Upon his return to the U.S., Fr. Santa was assigned again to Tampa and served first as catechist (campus minister) for two years, then as principal for a further two years. In 1970 he moved to St. Dominic Savio High School in East Boston as principal for three years. In 1972 he earned a master’s degree in education from St. John’s University in New York. He was also certified as an English and Spanish teacher and as a school administrator in both Massachusetts and New Jersey.
It’s proverbial in Florida that one “gets sands in his shoes” and wishes to stay there. So Fr. Santa returned to Mary Help of Christians as principal in 1973, but after just one year was appointed treasurer of the school, serving until 1976.
During a hiatus from ministry in Florida he moved to Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, N.J., to teach from 1976 to 1978 while also engaging in Hispanic pastoral ministry on weekends at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Manhattan. In 1978 he returned to East Boston as treasurer of Savio High School for two years.
In 1980 the Salesians assumed pastoral care of 19-year-old St. Philip Benizi Church in Belle Glade, Fla., on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. Fr. Santa was sent south again as St. Philip’s first Salesian pastor. In 1987 he moved up the road (still on the shore of the lake) to Pahokee as pastor of St. Mary’s Church. He also served as director of the Salesian community staffing the two local parishes from 1988 to 1993.
In 1993 Fr. Santa was assigned to St. Anthony’s Church in Paterson as director and pastor. In 1998 he was called to serve as treasurer of the New Rochelle Province, until 2003. He ministered to Spanish-speaking parishioners at St. Anthony’s Church in Elizabeth, N.J., on weekends from 2000 to 2003.
Fr. Santa was assigned again as pastor and director in Belle Glade in 2003, remaining until 2013. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel (9/21/10), “About 90 percent of Santa-Bibiana’s parish consists of migrants who live in substandard apartments and trailers in Belle Glade, one of the poorest and most violent communities in Florida. Many leave each May for farm work in the Northeast and return in September to harvest sugar cane and vegetables.”
But during his pastorate, his two proudest material accomplishments were building a catechetical center for the youngsters, and in 2008 carrying out a renovation of the church. He also oversaw a vibrant youth ministry program (see The Florida Catholic, 4/18/08), fortified periodically by missionary service trips from some of the Salesian high schools in the New Rochelle Province and by the province’s Gospel Roads program.
When the Salesians accepted an invitation to take parochial and campus ministry responsibilities in Champaign, Ill., the province tapped Fr. Santa to be director of the three-man community there, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish, and pastoral minister to the local Hispanic community, particularly in Rantoul.
His 50th anniversary of ordination occurred in March 2016. He was feted by Holy Cross parish and parochial school. At that time he told the Peoria Diocese’s Catholic Post (2/28/16): “I thank God that wherever I’ve been I’ve been happy. I enjoy the people, especially the young people in schools. You give yourself to them. The joy is knowing that through you God gets to them. You bring God alive through your dedication to them.”
A feature article on him on his anniversary in Champaign’s News-Gazette (3/6/16) was headlined “Joyful Servant.” The article noted his difficulty with central Illinois’s winter weather, and his obedience to what God asks of him. He told the newspaper, “I’m going to do this as long as God wants. It’s God’s grace that keeps you going.” Again he commented on the youngsters: “You learn something every day, especially from the kids. That makes you change. The effort you make to be a better person, a better priest, that makes you change.”
The people of Rantoul and Champaign certainly responded to Fr. Santa and greatly regretted his leaving Holy Cross Parish in the summer of 2016. He received a tremendous send-off on July 10 (https://link.shutterfly.com/hzbIu21Fx6). He left behind a piece of his heart, keeping in regular touch with many of the people. On learning of his death, Holy Cross parishioner Dave Devall wrote: “He was a good and gentle shepherd, and I remember him loving to be around children especially ... a true Salesian!”
Indeed, the desire for warmer weather, as well as his age (83) and, perhaps, Florida’s sand, drew him back to Belle Glade as parochial vicar in his old parish in 2016. In January 2019 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he combatted optimistically, still helping when he could in the parish and maintaining contact with many friends from his former apostolates.
A former Salesian, Bob Breault, comments, “Now we can truly pray and sing: ‘Santa Bibiana, ora pro nobis.’ He always had a smile for us.” That invocation of St. Bibiana was often on Fr. Santa’s lips.
Holy Cross Parish’s former secretary, Gloria Fellers, said: “I had wished him Happy Birthday in a text and he texted back on May 1st. He said he was praying for all of us. I know he suffered but never said a word about it. He was a wonderful holy priest.”
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
Fr. Joseph (José) Santa Bibiana Gisbert, SDB, died on the evening of May 15, 2020, at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., where he’d just been brought to the emergency room. He had been undergoing rehab related to pancreatic cancer and its treatments for a few months at Royal Palm Beach Rehabilitation Center. Although he’d been suffering from the cancer for over a year, the immediate cause of death was heart failure.
Affectionately known by students, parishioners, and confreres as “Father Santa,” he had been a professed Salesian for more than 63 years and a priest for 54 years. He was 87 years old.
Fr. Santa Bibiana was born in Valencia, Spain, on April 25, 1933, to José Santa Bibiana and Josefina Gisbert. He was baptized four days later in the family’s parish church, Our Lady of Lepanto, where he was also confirmed the day before his eighth birthday.
Although he attended public schools, José attended the local Salesian youth center and was very impressed by the young Salesians there. In an interview in 2018, he told Salesian News: “At the age of 14, I started working in a bank and going to night school. On Sundays I went to the oratory with my friends. We rode our bikes about three miles to the Salesian oratory. In the morning there would be Mass and games, and in the afternoon there would be more games, religious instruction, Benediction, and a movie or a play on the stage put on by the students and ‘oratorians.’ I would say that I came to like the life of the Salesians by ‘osmosis.’ I especially liked the way the Salesians befriended us.
“At the age of 20 I was ready to join the Salesians. I already had the idea of becoming a missionary. The Salesian magazine Juventud Misionera had a lot to do with it, as well as the visits of some Spanish missionaries like Fr. Jose Luis Carreño (missionary in India) with his accordion and missionary songs. I still remember some of them today! During my novitiate I volunteered to go to the missions, and after our first profession I was sent to our Salesian Province of St. Philip the Apostle in the U.S.”
In his vocation he was also encouraged by his confessor. He entered the candidacy program in August 1954 at Mataró (Barcelona), whence he was admitted to the novitiate at Arbos del Penedes a year later. There were 63 novices at the start of the year!
Bro. Santa made his first profession of vows at Arbos del Penedes on August 16, 1956. Then together with his newly professed companion, Bro. Allué, he came to the U.S. as a “missionary” and began philosophical (and language) studies at Don Bosco College in Newton, N.J., on October 1, 1956. He graduated with a B.A. in 1959.
Bro. Santa did his three years of practical training at the Salesian middle school in Tampa, Mary Help of Christians, in 1959-1962, where he was fondly remembered by his pupils. He made his perpetual profession in August 1962 and commenced theological studies at Salamanca, Spain, where he was ordained on March 6, 1966.
Upon his return to the U.S., Fr. Santa was assigned again to Tampa and served first as catechist (campus minister) for two years, then as principal for a further two years. In 1970 he moved to St. Dominic Savio High School in East Boston as principal for three years. In 1972 he earned a master’s degree in education from St. John’s University in New York. He was also certified as an English and Spanish teacher and as a school administrator in both Massachusetts and New Jersey.
It’s proverbial in Florida that one “gets sands in his shoes” and wishes to stay there. So Fr. Santa returned to Mary Help of Christians as principal in 1973, but after just one year was appointed treasurer of the school, serving until 1976.
During a hiatus from ministry in Florida he moved to Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, N.J., to teach from 1976 to 1978 while also engaging in Hispanic pastoral ministry on weekends at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Manhattan. In 1978 he returned to East Boston as treasurer of Savio High School for two years.
In 1980 the Salesians assumed pastoral care of 19-year-old St. Philip Benizi Church in Belle Glade, Fla., on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. Fr. Santa was sent south again as St. Philip’s first Salesian pastor. In 1987 he moved up the road (still on the shore of the lake) to Pahokee as pastor of St. Mary’s Church. He also served as director of the Salesian community staffing the two local parishes from 1988 to 1993.
In 1993 Fr. Santa was assigned to St. Anthony’s Church in Paterson as director and pastor. In 1998 he was called to serve as treasurer of the New Rochelle Province, until 2003. He ministered to Spanish-speaking parishioners at St. Anthony’s Church in Elizabeth, N.J., on weekends from 2000 to 2003.
Fr. Santa was assigned again as pastor and director in Belle Glade in 2003, remaining until 2013. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel (9/21/10), “About 90 percent of Santa-Bibiana’s parish consists of migrants who live in substandard apartments and trailers in Belle Glade, one of the poorest and most violent communities in Florida. Many leave each May for farm work in the Northeast and return in September to harvest sugar cane and vegetables.”
But during his pastorate, his two proudest material accomplishments were building a catechetical center for the youngsters, and in 2008 carrying out a renovation of the church. He also oversaw a vibrant youth ministry program (see The Florida Catholic, 4/18/08), fortified periodically by missionary service trips from some of the Salesian high schools in the New Rochelle Province and by the province’s Gospel Roads program.
When the Salesians accepted an invitation to take parochial and campus ministry responsibilities in Champaign, Ill., the province tapped Fr. Santa to be director of the three-man community there, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish, and pastoral minister to the local Hispanic community, particularly in Rantoul.
His 50th anniversary of ordination occurred in March 2016. He was feted by Holy Cross parish and parochial school. At that time he told the Peoria Diocese’s Catholic Post (2/28/16): “I thank God that wherever I’ve been I’ve been happy. I enjoy the people, especially the young people in schools. You give yourself to them. The joy is knowing that through you God gets to them. You bring God alive through your dedication to them.”
A feature article on him on his anniversary in Champaign’s News-Gazette (3/6/16) was headlined “Joyful Servant.” The article noted his difficulty with central Illinois’s winter weather, and his obedience to what God asks of him. He told the newspaper, “I’m going to do this as long as God wants. It’s God’s grace that keeps you going.” Again he commented on the youngsters: “You learn something every day, especially from the kids. That makes you change. The effort you make to be a better person, a better priest, that makes you change.”
The people of Rantoul and Champaign certainly responded to Fr. Santa and greatly regretted his leaving Holy Cross Parish in the summer of 2016. He received a tremendous send-off on July 10 (https://link.shutterfly.com/hzbIu21Fx6). He left behind a piece of his heart, keeping in regular touch with many of the people. On learning of his death, Holy Cross parishioner Dave Devall wrote: “He was a good and gentle shepherd, and I remember him loving to be around children especially ... a true Salesian!”
Indeed, the desire for warmer weather, as well as his age (83) and, perhaps, Florida’s sand, drew him back to Belle Glade as parochial vicar in his old parish in 2016. In January 2019 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he combatted optimistically, still helping when he could in the parish and maintaining contact with many friends from his former apostolates.
A former Salesian, Bob Breault, comments, “Now we can truly pray and sing: ‘Santa Bibiana, ora pro nobis.’ He always had a smile for us.” That invocation of St. Bibiana was often on Fr. Santa’s lips.
Holy Cross Parish’s former secretary, Gloria Fellers, said: “I had wished him Happy Birthday in a text and he texted back on May 1st. He said he was praying for all of us. I know he suffered but never said a word about it. He was a wonderful holy priest.”
Public Masses suspended though Easter
The Catholic Post
March 25, 2020
“With great sadness” on Monday evening, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, announced that the suspension of all public worship — first implemented as a coronavirus precaution on March 14 — will continue in the Diocese of Peoria at least through Easter Sunday, April 12. “Holy Week and Easter rank as the most important moments we celebrate as believers of Jesus Christ,” wrote Bishop Jenky. “During this difficult and painful moment, we pray for the peace that only God can give.”
The bishop’s March 23 announcement was the latest local Catholic response to the COVID-19 pandemic that, in the words of Pope Francis, is making “humanity tremble.” The death toll grows daily (nearly 20,000 globally, 800 in the U.S. as of March 25) and the daily lives of millions have been changed in an effort to slow its spread.
The pandemic has affected every aspect of Catholic public life this Lenten season. In the Diocese of Peoria, for example, all Catholic schools are closed through at least April 13; all parish activities, from public Masses (including funerals and weddings) to Friday fish dinners, have been suspended; and the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria is closed until April 7. Catholic health care, however, is on the front lines of the pandemic as medical personnel risk their own well-being to care for increasing numbers of persons with COVID-19 in addition to other patients.
STAYING CONNECTED
But while complying with Gov. JB Pritzker’s “stay at home” order, Catholics are also finding ways to connect using technology, including live streamed Masses on social media. Bishop Jenky said that, in addition to those liturgies originating in local parishes, Holy Week and Easter Sunday services will be streamed live through the diocesan website, cdop.org. “It won’t be the same as being together in person,” Bishop Jenky acknowledged, “but it enables us to be united in ways that the current times make possible.
“In these difficult times when we each have to carry our own personal crosses, we do so in the hope of Easter glory,” he concluded, “I ask your prayers for me and for your priests. Please know that I am holding you close to my heart and I am praying for you daily.”
Diocese’s schools now closed through April 13; e-learning plans implemented
The Catholic Post
By: Jennifer Willems
March 26, 2020
Aimé Blankenship, a first-grader in Abby Brancaleon’s class at St. Patrick School in Washington, practices the skills she’ll need for e-learning before all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria closed at the end of the day on March 13. The schools will remain closed through Easter Monday, with online learning beginning by March 31.
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, has directed that all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria remain closed through Easter Monday, April 13. The announcement was made March 23 in conjunction with a letter from the bishop informing the faithful that public Masses would continue to be suspended through Easter Sunday. The schools are scheduled to reopen April 14, pending approval of the Office of the Bishop, updates from Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the progression of COVID-19, according to the Office of Catholic Schools.
Dr. Sharon Weiss, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Peoria, has informed the principals that e-learning or online instruction must begin by March 31. While attendance will be taken, the schools are not expected to be in session on Good Friday, April 10, or Easter Monday, April 13. Originally, the schools were to remain closed March 16-20 for deep cleaning and disinfecting to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That was extended to March 30.
In the meantime, the Office of Catholic Schools had set March 18 as a trial run for schools to implement their e-learning plan and assess the results. The schools that were on spring break at that time were asked to test their plans the following week. In addition to working on methods of instruction to see what is most effective, the schools surveyed parents to make certain they had enough devices for each child and the proper internet access.
The last two weeks had been considered “Act of God” days by the Illinois State Board of Education, where e-learning was encouraged although attendance was not taken. While some grading took place, it could not negatively impact the student’s academic standing, Weiss explained. The idea was to maintain “continuity of learning,” she said.
By: Jennifer Willems
March 26, 2020
Aimé Blankenship, a first-grader in Abby Brancaleon’s class at St. Patrick School in Washington, practices the skills she’ll need for e-learning before all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria closed at the end of the day on March 13. The schools will remain closed through Easter Monday, with online learning beginning by March 31.
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, has directed that all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria remain closed through Easter Monday, April 13. The announcement was made March 23 in conjunction with a letter from the bishop informing the faithful that public Masses would continue to be suspended through Easter Sunday. The schools are scheduled to reopen April 14, pending approval of the Office of the Bishop, updates from Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the progression of COVID-19, according to the Office of Catholic Schools.
Dr. Sharon Weiss, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Peoria, has informed the principals that e-learning or online instruction must begin by March 31. While attendance will be taken, the schools are not expected to be in session on Good Friday, April 10, or Easter Monday, April 13. Originally, the schools were to remain closed March 16-20 for deep cleaning and disinfecting to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That was extended to March 30.
In the meantime, the Office of Catholic Schools had set March 18 as a trial run for schools to implement their e-learning plan and assess the results. The schools that were on spring break at that time were asked to test their plans the following week. In addition to working on methods of instruction to see what is most effective, the schools surveyed parents to make certain they had enough devices for each child and the proper internet access.
The last two weeks had been considered “Act of God” days by the Illinois State Board of Education, where e-learning was encouraged although attendance was not taken. While some grading took place, it could not negatively impact the student’s academic standing, Weiss explained. The idea was to maintain “continuity of learning,” she said.
Monsignor Albert Hallin passed - August 26, 2019
CHAMPAIGN — A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, at Holy Cross Church for Msgr. Albert W. Hallin, P.A., whose 58 years in the priesthood was marked by leadership in education, parishes and diocesan positions. Msgr. Hallin, who in 2007 was named by Pope Benedict XVI to the highest rank of monsignor (protonotary apostolic), died on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, at St. Joseph Nursing Home in Lacon. He was 90. Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, was the principal celebrant of the funeral Mass. The homilist was Msgr. Doug Hennessy. Burial took place at St. Boniface Cemetery in Seymour.
FROM NAVY TO PRIESTHOOD
Born Feb. 3, 1929, in Chicago to Albert W. Hallin Sr. and Clara Rose (Tomaszewski) Hallin, he originally intended to join the Priests of the Sacred Heart in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He attended the community’s high school seminary in Donaldson, Indiana, and college in Wisconsin for two years, and professed vows for three years. Realizing life in a religious community wasn’t a good fit for him, he entered the U.S. Navy in 1951 and served as a hospital corpsman in Korea for four years. It was during this time that two chaplains from the Diocese of Peoria — Father John Wissing and Father Francis Cahill — recognized his priestly vocation and offered guidance. Accepted by the Diocese of Peoria, he completed studies for the priesthood at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was ordained on May 28, 1961, at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Bishop John B. Franz.
EDUCATOR, PASTOR, LEADER
Msgr. Hallin discovered his love for teaching as a seminarian and had opportunities to hone his skills early in his priesthood. While serving as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish, Peoria, he was named to the faculty of the Academy of Our Lady and, in 1964, began teaching at the new Bergan High School, also in Peoria. He was named its full-time chaplain in 1967 and served there for 11 more years.
His first assignment to Champaign came in 1978 as co-pastor of St. Matthew Parish. His other pastorates and starting years included St. Anne, East Moline (1983); St. Mary and Sts. Peter and Paul, Westville (1988); St. Columba, Ottawa (1990); Holy Cross in Champaign (1997), St. Boniface, Seymour (2005), adding St. Joseph, Ivesdale (2007). He was granted senior status and named pastor emeritus of St. Boniface, Seymour, in 2012.
Msgr. Hallin also served briefly at Sts. Peter and Paul in Chatsworth and St. Mark in Peoria, and was a resident chaplain at the motherhouse of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in East Peoria. He served periods as vicar of the Danville, Ottawa and Champaign vicariates, and for many years was the Diocese of Peoria’s Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenical Affairs. He was a former director of the diocese’s Pre-Cana program, and during his time at Holy Cross in Champaign was instrumental in the founding of The High School of Saint Thomas More.
Msgr. Hallin, who was named a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor in 1993, was a frequent lecturer on Sacred Scripture and the Catholic faith at parishes throughout the Diocese of Peoria. In a 2011 interview with The Catholic Post in advance of the 50th anniversary of his ordination, Msgr. Hallin spoke of his love for the church and the priesthood and gave credit to his mentors, saying “every milestone in my journey has the name of a priest on it.” While acknowledging there is no commitment to Jesus Christ where there are “365 days of sunshine” every year, he added “it’s been a good life — a life worth living.”
Msgr. Hallin was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Leonard, and a sister-in-law, Ann. Memorials may be made to the Scholarship Fund of The High School of Saint Thomas More or to Holy Cross School, both in Champaign, or to St. Joseph Nursing Home in Lacon.
FROM NAVY TO PRIESTHOOD
Born Feb. 3, 1929, in Chicago to Albert W. Hallin Sr. and Clara Rose (Tomaszewski) Hallin, he originally intended to join the Priests of the Sacred Heart in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He attended the community’s high school seminary in Donaldson, Indiana, and college in Wisconsin for two years, and professed vows for three years. Realizing life in a religious community wasn’t a good fit for him, he entered the U.S. Navy in 1951 and served as a hospital corpsman in Korea for four years. It was during this time that two chaplains from the Diocese of Peoria — Father John Wissing and Father Francis Cahill — recognized his priestly vocation and offered guidance. Accepted by the Diocese of Peoria, he completed studies for the priesthood at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was ordained on May 28, 1961, at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Bishop John B. Franz.
EDUCATOR, PASTOR, LEADER
Msgr. Hallin discovered his love for teaching as a seminarian and had opportunities to hone his skills early in his priesthood. While serving as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish, Peoria, he was named to the faculty of the Academy of Our Lady and, in 1964, began teaching at the new Bergan High School, also in Peoria. He was named its full-time chaplain in 1967 and served there for 11 more years.
His first assignment to Champaign came in 1978 as co-pastor of St. Matthew Parish. His other pastorates and starting years included St. Anne, East Moline (1983); St. Mary and Sts. Peter and Paul, Westville (1988); St. Columba, Ottawa (1990); Holy Cross in Champaign (1997), St. Boniface, Seymour (2005), adding St. Joseph, Ivesdale (2007). He was granted senior status and named pastor emeritus of St. Boniface, Seymour, in 2012.
Msgr. Hallin also served briefly at Sts. Peter and Paul in Chatsworth and St. Mark in Peoria, and was a resident chaplain at the motherhouse of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in East Peoria. He served periods as vicar of the Danville, Ottawa and Champaign vicariates, and for many years was the Diocese of Peoria’s Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenical Affairs. He was a former director of the diocese’s Pre-Cana program, and during his time at Holy Cross in Champaign was instrumental in the founding of The High School of Saint Thomas More.
Msgr. Hallin, who was named a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor in 1993, was a frequent lecturer on Sacred Scripture and the Catholic faith at parishes throughout the Diocese of Peoria. In a 2011 interview with The Catholic Post in advance of the 50th anniversary of his ordination, Msgr. Hallin spoke of his love for the church and the priesthood and gave credit to his mentors, saying “every milestone in my journey has the name of a priest on it.” While acknowledging there is no commitment to Jesus Christ where there are “365 days of sunshine” every year, he added “it’s been a good life — a life worth living.”
Msgr. Hallin was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Leonard, and a sister-in-law, Ann. Memorials may be made to the Scholarship Fund of The High School of Saint Thomas More or to Holy Cross School, both in Champaign, or to St. Joseph Nursing Home in Lacon.
Holy Cross Video Link - Spring 2019
Holy Cross School nourishes spirit of giving with donations to Daily Bread
Tues., 01/29/2019 - 7:00am | Mary Schenk
Photo by: Stephen Haas/The News-Gazette
Lynn Hall, volunteer coordinator at Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, left helps stack bags of fruit and vegetables delivered by Holy Cross School fourth-graders Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, at the soup kitchen in Champaign.
CHAMPAIGN — What started as a short-term Lenten project for eighth-grade students at Holy Cross School has blossomed into a prolonged feel-good relationship between the school and a local soup kitchen.
Holy Cross Co-Principal Rose Costello said the idea to donate fresh fruit and milk to the Catholic Worker House, then on Randolph Street about three blocks east of the school, came 20 years ago from now-retired teacher Colleen Madix. "They decided to take milk and fresh fruit because those were things the guests at the soup kitchen liked but were not always available for them to get, especially the fruit," Costello said. "The project went very well. The rest of us all thought what a wonderful thing. We decided we would have, every month, a different grade bring the milk and fruit."
The simple yet appealing act of chatrity continues today at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen at 116 N. First St., C, the third location to which the Holy Cross students have made their deliveries over the years. "It means a lot to us because we are running this operation on a whole lot of donated food," said Karen Pickard, a nine-year volunteer. "On a day we had planned to make macaroni and cheese, we went to the refrigerator, and there was no milk. Just about the time we were registering what is our next move, here came the kids. Sometimes, it's a minor miracle," Pickard said.
"Fresh fruit is a real gold mine. Our guests have told us they come here because fresh fruit and vegetables are out of their price range. Healthy food costs more," said Pickard, a retired Catholic grade school teacher who took her seventh- and eighth-grade students on occasional field trips to the soup kitchen to give them a taste of life for those less fortunate.
At 8 gallons of milk and at least 10 pounds of fruit each week, including the summer months, that means Holy Cross Crusaders have supplied more than 8,300 gallons of milk and 10,000 pounds of fresh fruit to those who have taken advantage of the free lunch offered at the Catholic Worker House and Daily Bread. At 200 guests a day, the milk and fruit doesn't have quite the reach of the loaves and the fishes blessed by Jesus to feed the multitude. Still, it's a blessing. "What they bring helps out," Pickard said. "It adds to our larder."
The donations start in September with the eighth-graders, the seventh-graders take their haul in October and so on until the kindergartners load up wagons, hitch on to a rope and make the multi-block trek in May. Their teachers decide which day of the week works best. Costello said for most of the year, the students walk the fruit and milk over to Daily Bread, which was housed at New Covenant Fellowship, 124 W. White St., also just east of Holy Cross, from about 2009 to December 2016, when it moved to North First Street. "We thought it was important that the children went to the soup kitchen with it and not just have parents drop it off. They would carry in the gifts and see the kitchen in operation and talk to the people volunteering there. And often our children would take the chairs down from the tables," she said.
Fourth-grade teacher Mary Tate said January is when her class delivers. "We always told them fourth grade got January because they were the heartiest souls. And I have the pictures to prove it," she said, recalling many snowy winter hikes. Tate occasionally enlists the aid of three parents to drive as many as 10 students to the soup kitchen to deliver the food due to the unpredictability of January weather. "If they don't walk, it's less than a half-hour," she said of their time investment.
Tate has expanded the donations from her class to include fresh vegetables for the cooks to put in their homemade soups. Her students bring in money at the beginning of the month, and Tate buys the milk and vegetables while the children bring in the fruit.
Pickard and Tate said the drop-off of the food is timed early in the day, so the fruit can be prepared and offered the day it's brought. It's also done then to avoid interaction between the students and the people consuming their gifts, out of respect for the guests, the women said. "Our guests would be probably delighted and happy to see them," Pickard said of most of the Daily Bread clients. "Perhaps some would not. Some might be embarrassed." Besides, Tate said, that's a lot of bodies coming and going at that time, and the students don't want to be in the way.
Holy Cross teachers continue the deliveries during the summer months. Tate said the cash collection taken during the last Mass of the school year is earmarked for the milk, fruit and vegetables.
The students also step up in a big way for Daily Bread's backpack giveaway done just before Christmas, and they get their parents in on the giving. "They have invited us to their parking lot prior to the backpack giveaway," Pickard said. There, the students load up vans with their donations of hats, scarves, gloves, toiletries and other goodies that the Daily Bread volunteers take back to the kitchen to put in the backpacks for their most popular event of the year.
"These Holy Cross kids are growing up with a spirit of social justice and reaching out and helping people. That's a huge part of them coming over here and seeing where it goes," Pickard said.
Photo by: Stephen Haas/The News-Gazette
Lynn Hall, volunteer coordinator at Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, left helps stack bags of fruit and vegetables delivered by Holy Cross School fourth-graders Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, at the soup kitchen in Champaign.
CHAMPAIGN — What started as a short-term Lenten project for eighth-grade students at Holy Cross School has blossomed into a prolonged feel-good relationship between the school and a local soup kitchen.
Holy Cross Co-Principal Rose Costello said the idea to donate fresh fruit and milk to the Catholic Worker House, then on Randolph Street about three blocks east of the school, came 20 years ago from now-retired teacher Colleen Madix. "They decided to take milk and fresh fruit because those were things the guests at the soup kitchen liked but were not always available for them to get, especially the fruit," Costello said. "The project went very well. The rest of us all thought what a wonderful thing. We decided we would have, every month, a different grade bring the milk and fruit."
The simple yet appealing act of chatrity continues today at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen at 116 N. First St., C, the third location to which the Holy Cross students have made their deliveries over the years. "It means a lot to us because we are running this operation on a whole lot of donated food," said Karen Pickard, a nine-year volunteer. "On a day we had planned to make macaroni and cheese, we went to the refrigerator, and there was no milk. Just about the time we were registering what is our next move, here came the kids. Sometimes, it's a minor miracle," Pickard said.
"Fresh fruit is a real gold mine. Our guests have told us they come here because fresh fruit and vegetables are out of their price range. Healthy food costs more," said Pickard, a retired Catholic grade school teacher who took her seventh- and eighth-grade students on occasional field trips to the soup kitchen to give them a taste of life for those less fortunate.
At 8 gallons of milk and at least 10 pounds of fruit each week, including the summer months, that means Holy Cross Crusaders have supplied more than 8,300 gallons of milk and 10,000 pounds of fresh fruit to those who have taken advantage of the free lunch offered at the Catholic Worker House and Daily Bread. At 200 guests a day, the milk and fruit doesn't have quite the reach of the loaves and the fishes blessed by Jesus to feed the multitude. Still, it's a blessing. "What they bring helps out," Pickard said. "It adds to our larder."
The donations start in September with the eighth-graders, the seventh-graders take their haul in October and so on until the kindergartners load up wagons, hitch on to a rope and make the multi-block trek in May. Their teachers decide which day of the week works best. Costello said for most of the year, the students walk the fruit and milk over to Daily Bread, which was housed at New Covenant Fellowship, 124 W. White St., also just east of Holy Cross, from about 2009 to December 2016, when it moved to North First Street. "We thought it was important that the children went to the soup kitchen with it and not just have parents drop it off. They would carry in the gifts and see the kitchen in operation and talk to the people volunteering there. And often our children would take the chairs down from the tables," she said.
Fourth-grade teacher Mary Tate said January is when her class delivers. "We always told them fourth grade got January because they were the heartiest souls. And I have the pictures to prove it," she said, recalling many snowy winter hikes. Tate occasionally enlists the aid of three parents to drive as many as 10 students to the soup kitchen to deliver the food due to the unpredictability of January weather. "If they don't walk, it's less than a half-hour," she said of their time investment.
Tate has expanded the donations from her class to include fresh vegetables for the cooks to put in their homemade soups. Her students bring in money at the beginning of the month, and Tate buys the milk and vegetables while the children bring in the fruit.
Pickard and Tate said the drop-off of the food is timed early in the day, so the fruit can be prepared and offered the day it's brought. It's also done then to avoid interaction between the students and the people consuming their gifts, out of respect for the guests, the women said. "Our guests would be probably delighted and happy to see them," Pickard said of most of the Daily Bread clients. "Perhaps some would not. Some might be embarrassed." Besides, Tate said, that's a lot of bodies coming and going at that time, and the students don't want to be in the way.
Holy Cross teachers continue the deliveries during the summer months. Tate said the cash collection taken during the last Mass of the school year is earmarked for the milk, fruit and vegetables.
The students also step up in a big way for Daily Bread's backpack giveaway done just before Christmas, and they get their parents in on the giving. "They have invited us to their parking lot prior to the backpack giveaway," Pickard said. There, the students load up vans with their donations of hats, scarves, gloves, toiletries and other goodies that the Daily Bread volunteers take back to the kitchen to put in the backpacks for their most popular event of the year.
"These Holy Cross kids are growing up with a spirit of social justice and reaching out and helping people. That's a huge part of them coming over here and seeing where it goes," Pickard said.
A Life Remembered: Former Holy Cross pastor 'a delightful person to be with'
Wed, 03/28/2018| Tracy Crane/ The News-Gazette
Photo by: Darrell HoemNewsann/The News-Gazette
The Rev. Richard Mullen, second from left, died Friday, March 23, 2018, at age 92.
As a young man growing up near Bloomington in the 1940s, the Rev. Bob Hoffman knew of Richard Mullen partly because he and his brother, "Moon" Mullen, were star athletes at Trinity High School. "He was a triple threat in football," said Hoffman, who lives in the Oakwood area now. "He could run it, pass it, kick it. I've seen him punt a football 50 yards."
Though they both graduated from Trinity, it wasn't until 1948 that the younger Hoffman got to know the Rev. Mullen personally, when they both became students at Iowa's St. Ambrose University. The future ministers were also in seminary at the same time and spent summers at St. Bede Abbey in LaSalle-Peru. "He was a delightful person to be with and a good-thinking person. Just a wonderful guy," Hoffman said of his longtime friend, the Rev. Mullen, who passed away Friday at his Champaign home at the age of 92. "One of the kindest men I've ever met — thoughtful, generous and kind. To me, those are big qualities, and he had them."
For the last 10 years, their friendship included weekly lunch outings in the C-U area with a fellow retiree — the Rev. George Remm — who came to know the Rev. Mullen during his 18 years as pastor at St. Patrick's in Urbana. "He was a humble person. Talented in many ways but somewhat quiet," Remm said of his friend, whom he picked up for weekly lunches once the Rev. Mullen could no longer drive. "One of the things I admired about him in retirement was that he had a great support system. He did not like to stay only in his home. He went out to eat with more people than most of us."
The Rev. Mullen began his college career at the UI, but after enlisting in the Naval Reserve in 1944, he continued his studies at Indiana State, where he played football. After serving overseas in the hospital corps during the occupation of Japan, he eventually returned to the UI, where he graduated in 1948 with a journalism degree.
After a short stint as editor of the Rantoul Press, he answered a calling to the priesthood, attending St. Ambrose, then continuing his theology studies at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. He was ordained as a priest on May 29, 1955. In 1965, the Rev. Mullen returned to Champaign-Urbana, serving two years as an assistant chaplain at St. John's Chapel and Newman Foundation on campus.
His path again led back to C-U in 1984, when he was appointed pastor at Holy Cross, his home parish while in the Navy and seminary. He spent about 14 years at Holy Cross, a stretch that included "demolition of the old school, the transplanting of the old rectory to The Center for Women in Transition, the remodeling of a rental property into a rectory, an addition to the school, the construction of the parish center, and the restoration of the priceless stained glass church windows," according to his obituary.
The Rev. Mullen made an impact in many other ways, as well, Remm said. For years, he was the priest in charge of helping with appointments for clergy throughout the diocese, working directly for the bishop. The bishop generally followed the Rev. Mullen's advice, Remm said. "That was one of the more significant accomplishments of his priesthood," said Remm, adding that his friend also used his writing talents and journalism background as associate editor for the diocese newspaper. "He was well-respected for his kindness in dealing with the assignment of priests through the years."
Hoffman said his friend was a true gentleman who, in addition to athletics, also played the piano and was a movie buff. "He could tell you about most of the movies that were prominent through the years," he said.
And he liked to travel. Another close friend, the Rev. Tom Kelly of Peoria, was a frequent travel companion. He said the Rev. Mullen had a big Buick that he enjoyed driving to their many destinations. "He liked to drive, and I was the navigator," Kelly said. "I had the map."
Hoffman said the Rev. Mullen remained active and sharp up until just a few weeks ago. Their weekly lunches ended then. Hoffman said he, Remm and the Rev. Mullen were on the "same page" on most things, including politics and the church. Remm said all three of them saw "eye to eye" on what was happening in the church and the world, and complemented and supported one another well.
"I think he was a great priest. And he was a great friend," Hoffman said. "We will miss him a lot."
Photo by: Darrell HoemNewsann/The News-Gazette
The Rev. Richard Mullen, second from left, died Friday, March 23, 2018, at age 92.
As a young man growing up near Bloomington in the 1940s, the Rev. Bob Hoffman knew of Richard Mullen partly because he and his brother, "Moon" Mullen, were star athletes at Trinity High School. "He was a triple threat in football," said Hoffman, who lives in the Oakwood area now. "He could run it, pass it, kick it. I've seen him punt a football 50 yards."
Though they both graduated from Trinity, it wasn't until 1948 that the younger Hoffman got to know the Rev. Mullen personally, when they both became students at Iowa's St. Ambrose University. The future ministers were also in seminary at the same time and spent summers at St. Bede Abbey in LaSalle-Peru. "He was a delightful person to be with and a good-thinking person. Just a wonderful guy," Hoffman said of his longtime friend, the Rev. Mullen, who passed away Friday at his Champaign home at the age of 92. "One of the kindest men I've ever met — thoughtful, generous and kind. To me, those are big qualities, and he had them."
For the last 10 years, their friendship included weekly lunch outings in the C-U area with a fellow retiree — the Rev. George Remm — who came to know the Rev. Mullen during his 18 years as pastor at St. Patrick's in Urbana. "He was a humble person. Talented in many ways but somewhat quiet," Remm said of his friend, whom he picked up for weekly lunches once the Rev. Mullen could no longer drive. "One of the things I admired about him in retirement was that he had a great support system. He did not like to stay only in his home. He went out to eat with more people than most of us."
The Rev. Mullen began his college career at the UI, but after enlisting in the Naval Reserve in 1944, he continued his studies at Indiana State, where he played football. After serving overseas in the hospital corps during the occupation of Japan, he eventually returned to the UI, where he graduated in 1948 with a journalism degree.
After a short stint as editor of the Rantoul Press, he answered a calling to the priesthood, attending St. Ambrose, then continuing his theology studies at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. He was ordained as a priest on May 29, 1955. In 1965, the Rev. Mullen returned to Champaign-Urbana, serving two years as an assistant chaplain at St. John's Chapel and Newman Foundation on campus.
His path again led back to C-U in 1984, when he was appointed pastor at Holy Cross, his home parish while in the Navy and seminary. He spent about 14 years at Holy Cross, a stretch that included "demolition of the old school, the transplanting of the old rectory to The Center for Women in Transition, the remodeling of a rental property into a rectory, an addition to the school, the construction of the parish center, and the restoration of the priceless stained glass church windows," according to his obituary.
The Rev. Mullen made an impact in many other ways, as well, Remm said. For years, he was the priest in charge of helping with appointments for clergy throughout the diocese, working directly for the bishop. The bishop generally followed the Rev. Mullen's advice, Remm said. "That was one of the more significant accomplishments of his priesthood," said Remm, adding that his friend also used his writing talents and journalism background as associate editor for the diocese newspaper. "He was well-respected for his kindness in dealing with the assignment of priests through the years."
Hoffman said his friend was a true gentleman who, in addition to athletics, also played the piano and was a movie buff. "He could tell you about most of the movies that were prominent through the years," he said.
And he liked to travel. Another close friend, the Rev. Tom Kelly of Peoria, was a frequent travel companion. He said the Rev. Mullen had a big Buick that he enjoyed driving to their many destinations. "He liked to drive, and I was the navigator," Kelly said. "I had the map."
Hoffman said the Rev. Mullen remained active and sharp up until just a few weeks ago. Their weekly lunches ended then. Hoffman said he, Remm and the Rev. Mullen were on the "same page" on most things, including politics and the church. Remm said all three of them saw "eye to eye" on what was happening in the church and the world, and complemented and supported one another well.
"I think he was a great priest. And he was a great friend," Hoffman said. "We will miss him a lot."
St. John Paul II's Relic - August 2017
Fri, 08/11/2017 - 7:00am | Jeff D'Alessio
Photo by: Massimo Sambucetti/AP
No pope, before or after, spent more time on American soil than JOHN PAUL II, who's credited with shaping a generation of Catholics and was canonized a saint.
Now, 12 years after his passing, a part of the Vatican's second-longest-serving chief resident is making the rounds in the U.S., with a stop scheduled for next week in Champaign.
A vial of blood — one of four extracted toward the end of John Paul II's life as he battled Parkinson's disease — will be the main attraction of a 6 p.m. Mass on Thursday at Champaign's St. Mary's Church.
Encased in a container shaped like the book of the Gospel with its pages open, the blood is part of the National Touring Relic of St. John Paul II, which will be showcased at six churches throughout the Peoria diocese over three days.
Long a Catholic tradition, the idea of traveling relics "developed out of an intention for great accessibility," says Urbana St. Patrick's Pastor LUKE SPANNAGEL, "since many of us wouldn't get a chance to visit the catacombs and honor the relics of saints — or in this case, the crypt underneath St. Peter's in Rome, where Pope John Paul II is buried." The church designates three classes of relics — first (such as blood or bones), second (clothing) and third (personal possessions).
Photo by: Massimo Sambucetti/AP
No pope, before or after, spent more time on American soil than JOHN PAUL II, who's credited with shaping a generation of Catholics and was canonized a saint.
Now, 12 years after his passing, a part of the Vatican's second-longest-serving chief resident is making the rounds in the U.S., with a stop scheduled for next week in Champaign.
A vial of blood — one of four extracted toward the end of John Paul II's life as he battled Parkinson's disease — will be the main attraction of a 6 p.m. Mass on Thursday at Champaign's St. Mary's Church.
Encased in a container shaped like the book of the Gospel with its pages open, the blood is part of the National Touring Relic of St. John Paul II, which will be showcased at six churches throughout the Peoria diocese over three days.
Long a Catholic tradition, the idea of traveling relics "developed out of an intention for great accessibility," says Urbana St. Patrick's Pastor LUKE SPANNAGEL, "since many of us wouldn't get a chance to visit the catacombs and honor the relics of saints — or in this case, the crypt underneath St. Peter's in Rome, where Pope John Paul II is buried." The church designates three classes of relics — first (such as blood or bones), second (clothing) and third (personal possessions).
Priests Pedaling for Prayers Stop in Champaign - April 28, 2017
Catholic Post - May 7, 2017
Happy 70th, Bishop Jenky!
Kindergarteners from Holy Cross School in Champaign wear "Happy birthday, Bishop Jenky" miters and display a cake for a photo the school included among cards sent to the bishop for his 70th birthday March 3. (Pictured in The Catholic Post)
Holy Cross, Champaign teacher, award recipient, sees value in Catholic Scouting
By: Jennifer Willems
Catholic Post
February 23, 2017
CHAMPAIGN — Anthony Frasca wasn’t involved in Scouting as a youth and had never been camping when he got involved as another way to spend time with his son. That was seven years ago. Both kept going and now spend more than 20 nights a year outside under the stars — even in the winter.
“A lot of kids, including my own, love winter camping more than summer camping,” said Frasca, one of the assistant Scoutmasters for Troop 9, which is based at Holy Cross in Champaign. Really? “There’s no bugs,” he said with a laugh. “And the snakes stay away.”
Frasca said his success at winter camping made him realize that he could accomplish whatever he put his mind to and he’s never looked back. His willingness to take on new challenges and help wherever he’s needed earned him a nomination for the Bronze Pelican award.
He was astonished to receive the honor from the Diocese of Peoria Catholic Committee on Scouting. “We’ve got several people here in Troop 9 that have been awarded the Bronze Pelican. None of us think that we’re doing anything other than what we should do — setting a good example of what it means to be Catholic, setting a good example of what it means to be a Scout,” he told The Catholic Post. “So it’s kind of weird for us to get an award for something we think we’re supposed to do.”
While the other awards for Catholic Scouting were presented during a diocesan celebration with Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Feb. 12, Frasca received his medal during a Mass at Holy Cross Church earlier in the month so he could help with a fundraiser at Holy Cross School. He has been the social studies teacher there for grades six, seven and eight for four years and sees Scouting and teaching in a Catholic school as going hand in hand. “I see the value in Scouting. I see the way the Scouts are able to interact with their teachers and adults in comparison to the kids who aren’t in Scouting. The kids look you in the eyes when they talk to you,” Frasca explained. “There are just characteristics there that Scouting helps to build in you.”
There’s an element of fun, too, he said. Not only does he get to spend time with his son and his friends, but they are learning new things together. “Just like in the classroom, you are helping to shape these kids in what the future holds for them,” Frasca said.
JUST DO IT
Calling himself a “jack of all trades,” Frasca is the advancement chair for Troup 9 and his local committee on Scouting, and is organizing the troop’s summer camp this year. That’s not unusual for him and the other assistant Scoutmasters, though. “If something needs to be done, we’re going to do it,” he said. “When the kids see that in us, they pick it up: ‘Well, if something needs to be done, you should just do it.’ We work hard to let our troop be a boy-led troop.”
With an activity like camping or a service project once a month and meetings every Tuesday, there’s plenty to do. One of their main projects is to hold a merit badge seminar the first weekend in March, which draws as many as 500 young people from around Illinois and Indiana. “Usually the kids can get one or two merit badges done in a weekend,” Frasca explained. “Our kids are active and we try to be an example for other troops to be active, too.”
Frasca and his wife also have a daughter at Holy Cross. He doesn’t have her in class — yet — but enjoys being able to see her during the day. He knew he wanted to be a teacher from a young age and was happy teaching in an alternative school in Decatur and at the high school level in Oakwood. Frasca said he felt like he was being called to teach at Holy Cross, however. “I love coming into school every day. I love these kids,” he said.
Catholic Post
February 23, 2017
CHAMPAIGN — Anthony Frasca wasn’t involved in Scouting as a youth and had never been camping when he got involved as another way to spend time with his son. That was seven years ago. Both kept going and now spend more than 20 nights a year outside under the stars — even in the winter.
“A lot of kids, including my own, love winter camping more than summer camping,” said Frasca, one of the assistant Scoutmasters for Troop 9, which is based at Holy Cross in Champaign. Really? “There’s no bugs,” he said with a laugh. “And the snakes stay away.”
Frasca said his success at winter camping made him realize that he could accomplish whatever he put his mind to and he’s never looked back. His willingness to take on new challenges and help wherever he’s needed earned him a nomination for the Bronze Pelican award.
He was astonished to receive the honor from the Diocese of Peoria Catholic Committee on Scouting. “We’ve got several people here in Troop 9 that have been awarded the Bronze Pelican. None of us think that we’re doing anything other than what we should do — setting a good example of what it means to be Catholic, setting a good example of what it means to be a Scout,” he told The Catholic Post. “So it’s kind of weird for us to get an award for something we think we’re supposed to do.”
While the other awards for Catholic Scouting were presented during a diocesan celebration with Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Feb. 12, Frasca received his medal during a Mass at Holy Cross Church earlier in the month so he could help with a fundraiser at Holy Cross School. He has been the social studies teacher there for grades six, seven and eight for four years and sees Scouting and teaching in a Catholic school as going hand in hand. “I see the value in Scouting. I see the way the Scouts are able to interact with their teachers and adults in comparison to the kids who aren’t in Scouting. The kids look you in the eyes when they talk to you,” Frasca explained. “There are just characteristics there that Scouting helps to build in you.”
There’s an element of fun, too, he said. Not only does he get to spend time with his son and his friends, but they are learning new things together. “Just like in the classroom, you are helping to shape these kids in what the future holds for them,” Frasca said.
JUST DO IT
Calling himself a “jack of all trades,” Frasca is the advancement chair for Troup 9 and his local committee on Scouting, and is organizing the troop’s summer camp this year. That’s not unusual for him and the other assistant Scoutmasters, though. “If something needs to be done, we’re going to do it,” he said. “When the kids see that in us, they pick it up: ‘Well, if something needs to be done, you should just do it.’ We work hard to let our troop be a boy-led troop.”
With an activity like camping or a service project once a month and meetings every Tuesday, there’s plenty to do. One of their main projects is to hold a merit badge seminar the first weekend in March, which draws as many as 500 young people from around Illinois and Indiana. “Usually the kids can get one or two merit badges done in a weekend,” Frasca explained. “Our kids are active and we try to be an example for other troops to be active, too.”
Frasca and his wife also have a daughter at Holy Cross. He doesn’t have her in class — yet — but enjoys being able to see her during the day. He knew he wanted to be a teacher from a young age and was happy teaching in an alternative school in Decatur and at the high school level in Oakwood. Frasca said he felt like he was being called to teach at Holy Cross, however. “I love coming into school every day. I love these kids,” he said.
10 of Mother Teresa’s Most Powerful Quotes
By Katie Reilly
Time
Mother Teresa will be declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, September 4, by Pope Francis, who approved her second miracle last year, a requirement for sainthood. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian became known for her work helping people living in poverty in Kolkata, India.
Here are 10 powerful quotes about her faith and philosophy:
1. “If I ever become a Saint–I will surely be one of ‘darkness.’ I will continually be absent from Heaven–to light the light of those in darkness on earth,” she said, according to Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, whose author described it as her “mission statement.”
2. “I am everything. Every country I love and I am a child of God to love the humans,” she said in a 1995 interview when asked about her nationality.
3. “I see somebody dying, I pick him up. I find somebody hungry, I give him food. He can love and be loved. I don’t look at his color, I don’t look at his religion. I don’t look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister,” she said in the same interview.
4. “Do ordinary things with extraordinary love,” she often said, according to a priest who knew her through her Missionaries of Charity.
5. “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do,” she said in her Nobel Peace Prize lecture in 1979.
6. “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love,” she also said in the lecture.
7. “We fear the future because we are wasting the today,” she wrote in Where There is Love, There is God.
8. “The future is so much in the hands of God, I find it much more easy to accept today because yesterday is gone and tomorrow has not come and I have only today,” she also wrote in the book.
9. “We have been created for greater things, to love and be loved,” she wrote in the same book.
10. “I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us, what matters is an individual,” she wrote.
Time
Mother Teresa will be declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, September 4, by Pope Francis, who approved her second miracle last year, a requirement for sainthood. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian became known for her work helping people living in poverty in Kolkata, India.
Here are 10 powerful quotes about her faith and philosophy:
1. “If I ever become a Saint–I will surely be one of ‘darkness.’ I will continually be absent from Heaven–to light the light of those in darkness on earth,” she said, according to Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, whose author described it as her “mission statement.”
2. “I am everything. Every country I love and I am a child of God to love the humans,” she said in a 1995 interview when asked about her nationality.
3. “I see somebody dying, I pick him up. I find somebody hungry, I give him food. He can love and be loved. I don’t look at his color, I don’t look at his religion. I don’t look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister,” she said in the same interview.
4. “Do ordinary things with extraordinary love,” she often said, according to a priest who knew her through her Missionaries of Charity.
5. “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do,” she said in her Nobel Peace Prize lecture in 1979.
6. “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love,” she also said in the lecture.
7. “We fear the future because we are wasting the today,” she wrote in Where There is Love, There is God.
8. “The future is so much in the hands of God, I find it much more easy to accept today because yesterday is gone and tomorrow has not come and I have only today,” she also wrote in the book.
9. “We have been created for greater things, to love and be loved,” she wrote in the same book.
10. “I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us, what matters is an individual,” she wrote.
Catholic Post - May 19, 2016
Deacon Michael Pica to Be Ordained a Priest
of the Diocese of Peoria on May 28
by Tom Dermody
Deacon Michael Pica never thought he would be called to the priesthood. “It’s the other guys in the chapel, they’re called,” the transitional deacon remembers thinking in the fall of 2008 when — as a sophomore at Bradley University in Peoria studying health science — Msgr. Brian Brownsey asked him if he had ever considered being a priest.
In truth, Deacon Pica had long wanted to ask a priest what it took to live that life. And by the end of the conversation with Msgr. Brownsey, chaplain of St. Joseph Catholic Newman Center on campus and then diocesan director of vocations, he was “ecstatic” because a door had been opened to the possibility. The question began a discernment process that led the young man who had been raised in Galesburg and Champaign to enter the seminary the following school year.
His journey culminates next Saturday, May 28, when Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, ordains him to the priesthood during a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. Father Stephen Willard, Deacon Pica’s former pastor at Holy Cross Parish in Champaign, will be vesting priest. The public is invited, and a reception will follow in the nearby Spalding Pastoral Center.
Father Pica, 27, will celebrate his first Mass at Holy Cross Church in Champaign — his family’s parish since he was age 9 — at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 29. The homilist will be Father Donald Henderson, a family friend for two decades and “a priest I’ve greatly admired in my life and as I have grown in seminary,” said Deacon Pica.
CALLED TO HOLINESS
Born on April 2, 1989, Deacon Pica is the second to the youngest of five sons of Jerry and Jane Pica. When the boys visited their Grandma Pica, she would frequently ask “Who’s going to be the priest?” “At those moments, I didn’t think it would be me,” said Deacon Pica, who went on to graduate from Champaign’s Centennial High School in 2007. In enrolling at Bradley, his plans were to become a physical therapist like his father, then get married, have children, and “change the world.”
During his freshmen year in college, he went on a Koinonia retreat sponsored by the St. Joseph Catholic Newman Center on campus. “I really got to know the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the love that God has for us,” he recalls. “It became so real to me.” He also learned he was called to holiness. And while holiness can be lived out in many ways, during his sophomore year after speaking with Msgr. Brownsey, he determined the best place to grow in holiness for him would be the seminary.
At the time, he was a resident adviser in a Bradley dormitory. In speaking about the possibility of priesthood with one of his bosses, she told him “Your eyes light up when you talk about it. It’s something you have a passion for.” “That stuck with me, and gave me a drive to say, yes, this is something I might be called to.”
SUPPORTED ON JOURNEY
He has felt support throughout his preparation for the priesthood, first at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota, then during his theology studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In the summers of his seminary years, he assisted at the diocese’s Emmaus Days vocation retreats as well as at parishes in Monmouth, Danville, Moline and East Moline. And when at home in Champaign, he has been a frequent visitor to Holy Cross School, where the prayer support and pride in him are especially strong.
“We want you to know how really, really proud we are of you and how honored we are that you have chosen this vocation in life,” said Elizabeth Kelley, religion coordinator for grades 6-8, during a presentation of cards and gifts to Deacon Pica at the close of an all-school Mass on May 13. “We have a very special place in our hearts for you,” she added, emphasizing the prayers will continue long after his ordination day.
Deacon Pica also credited several priests for their support and example, including Father Antonio Dittmer, his college seminary spiritual director. He cited Father Willard’s generosity, saying “the example of his life and the love which he gives to everyone is incredible.” And of Father Henderson, Deacon Pica said “he’s a very holy priest and I pray I may serve the people of God as he has.”
Deacon Pica said he is looking forward to the moment of ordination and then celebrating Mass with Bishop Jenky. “That’s going to be incredible,” he said, marveling at what it will be like to “enter into what is going on, the reality of being ordained a priest of Jesus Christ."
of the Diocese of Peoria on May 28
by Tom Dermody
Deacon Michael Pica never thought he would be called to the priesthood. “It’s the other guys in the chapel, they’re called,” the transitional deacon remembers thinking in the fall of 2008 when — as a sophomore at Bradley University in Peoria studying health science — Msgr. Brian Brownsey asked him if he had ever considered being a priest.
In truth, Deacon Pica had long wanted to ask a priest what it took to live that life. And by the end of the conversation with Msgr. Brownsey, chaplain of St. Joseph Catholic Newman Center on campus and then diocesan director of vocations, he was “ecstatic” because a door had been opened to the possibility. The question began a discernment process that led the young man who had been raised in Galesburg and Champaign to enter the seminary the following school year.
His journey culminates next Saturday, May 28, when Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, ordains him to the priesthood during a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. Father Stephen Willard, Deacon Pica’s former pastor at Holy Cross Parish in Champaign, will be vesting priest. The public is invited, and a reception will follow in the nearby Spalding Pastoral Center.
Father Pica, 27, will celebrate his first Mass at Holy Cross Church in Champaign — his family’s parish since he was age 9 — at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 29. The homilist will be Father Donald Henderson, a family friend for two decades and “a priest I’ve greatly admired in my life and as I have grown in seminary,” said Deacon Pica.
CALLED TO HOLINESS
Born on April 2, 1989, Deacon Pica is the second to the youngest of five sons of Jerry and Jane Pica. When the boys visited their Grandma Pica, she would frequently ask “Who’s going to be the priest?” “At those moments, I didn’t think it would be me,” said Deacon Pica, who went on to graduate from Champaign’s Centennial High School in 2007. In enrolling at Bradley, his plans were to become a physical therapist like his father, then get married, have children, and “change the world.”
During his freshmen year in college, he went on a Koinonia retreat sponsored by the St. Joseph Catholic Newman Center on campus. “I really got to know the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the love that God has for us,” he recalls. “It became so real to me.” He also learned he was called to holiness. And while holiness can be lived out in many ways, during his sophomore year after speaking with Msgr. Brownsey, he determined the best place to grow in holiness for him would be the seminary.
At the time, he was a resident adviser in a Bradley dormitory. In speaking about the possibility of priesthood with one of his bosses, she told him “Your eyes light up when you talk about it. It’s something you have a passion for.” “That stuck with me, and gave me a drive to say, yes, this is something I might be called to.”
SUPPORTED ON JOURNEY
He has felt support throughout his preparation for the priesthood, first at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota, then during his theology studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In the summers of his seminary years, he assisted at the diocese’s Emmaus Days vocation retreats as well as at parishes in Monmouth, Danville, Moline and East Moline. And when at home in Champaign, he has been a frequent visitor to Holy Cross School, where the prayer support and pride in him are especially strong.
“We want you to know how really, really proud we are of you and how honored we are that you have chosen this vocation in life,” said Elizabeth Kelley, religion coordinator for grades 6-8, during a presentation of cards and gifts to Deacon Pica at the close of an all-school Mass on May 13. “We have a very special place in our hearts for you,” she added, emphasizing the prayers will continue long after his ordination day.
Deacon Pica also credited several priests for their support and example, including Father Antonio Dittmer, his college seminary spiritual director. He cited Father Willard’s generosity, saying “the example of his life and the love which he gives to everyone is incredible.” And of Father Henderson, Deacon Pica said “he’s a very holy priest and I pray I may serve the people of God as he has.”
Deacon Pica said he is looking forward to the moment of ordination and then celebrating Mass with Bishop Jenky. “That’s going to be incredible,” he said, marveling at what it will be like to “enter into what is going on, the reality of being ordained a priest of Jesus Christ."
Mother Teresa of Calcutta to Be Made Roman Catholic Saint Sept. 4
By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on Sept. 4, Pope Francis announced on Tuesday. Last December, he cleared the way for sainthood for the Nobel peace laureate, who died in 1997 at the age of 87 and was known as "saint of the gutters."
Teresa, who was born Agnese Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia, became an international figure but was also accused of trying to convert people to Christianity. Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Church's current Holy Year. The Vatican said the ceremony would take place at the Vatican, dashing hopes of Indians that the pope would go to Kolkata, as Calcutta is now called, to perform the ritual.
Roman Catholic nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, attend a special mass held at Mother Teresa … "I am waiting to get there because it has been absolutely jubilant news, and I can’t thank God enough that it is happening in my lifetime," said Sunita Kumar, spokesperson for the Missionaries of Charity, the order of nuns Mother Teresa founded. She began the order in the 1950s to help the poor on the streets of Kolkata. The religious order spread throughout the world. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
The late Pope John Paul II bent Vatican rules to allow the procedure to establish her case for sainthood to be launched two years after her death instead of the usual five. She was beatified in 2003, a mere six years after her death. In the time since her death, some have accused Mother Teresa and the order of having ulterior motives in helping the destitute, saying their aim was to convert them to Christianity. The order rejects that, saying, for example, that most of those helped in the Kalighat Home for Dying Destitutes in Kolkata were non-Christians with just a few days left to live and noting that conversion is a lengthy process.
The Church defines saints as those believed to have been holy enough during their lives to now be in Heaven and can intercede with God to perform miracles. She has been credited in the church with two miracles, both involving the healing of sick people.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on Sept. 4, Pope Francis announced on Tuesday. Last December, he cleared the way for sainthood for the Nobel peace laureate, who died in 1997 at the age of 87 and was known as "saint of the gutters."
Teresa, who was born Agnese Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia, became an international figure but was also accused of trying to convert people to Christianity. Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Church's current Holy Year. The Vatican said the ceremony would take place at the Vatican, dashing hopes of Indians that the pope would go to Kolkata, as Calcutta is now called, to perform the ritual.
Roman Catholic nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, attend a special mass held at Mother Teresa … "I am waiting to get there because it has been absolutely jubilant news, and I can’t thank God enough that it is happening in my lifetime," said Sunita Kumar, spokesperson for the Missionaries of Charity, the order of nuns Mother Teresa founded. She began the order in the 1950s to help the poor on the streets of Kolkata. The religious order spread throughout the world. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
The late Pope John Paul II bent Vatican rules to allow the procedure to establish her case for sainthood to be launched two years after her death instead of the usual five. She was beatified in 2003, a mere six years after her death. In the time since her death, some have accused Mother Teresa and the order of having ulterior motives in helping the destitute, saying their aim was to convert them to Christianity. The order rejects that, saying, for example, that most of those helped in the Kalighat Home for Dying Destitutes in Kolkata were non-Christians with just a few days left to live and noting that conversion is a lengthy process.
The Church defines saints as those believed to have been holy enough during their lives to now be in Heaven and can intercede with God to perform miracles. She has been credited in the church with two miracles, both involving the healing of sick people.
News- Gazette - March 6, 2016
Joyful servant
Sun, 03/06/2016 - Marcus Jackson
Photo by: John Dixon
Fr. Joseph Santa-Bibiana(cq) celebrating the eucharist at Mass, at Holy Cross Church in Champaign on Wednesday March 2, 2016. Sunday is the 50th anniversary of Fr. Santa's ordination as a priest.
CHAMPAIGN — As a man of the cloth, Father Joseph Santa-Bibiana sees good in an overwhelming majority of things — from people to nature. But as Holy Cross' 82-year-old pastor looks out the window of a conference room off his office at the Catholic church, he struggles to find kind words to describe the freezing rain falling sideways on a cold, windy afternoon. "It's called obedience," he says.
Father Santa grew up in Valencia, Spain, and aside from a stint in Boston and another in New York/New Jersey, he's spent the bulk of his eight-plus decades living in warm-weather locales. These last three years in central Illinois have tested his obedience.
"People ask all the time if I'm getting used to the cold weather," he says. "I'm just used to tolerating the cold weather." Lucky for him, the forecast calls for more tolerable weather today as he celebrates his 50th anniversary as an ordained priest with a 4 p.m. mass, to be followed by a reception.
Holy Cross hasn't been home for long, but Father Santa has felt welcomed by the parishioners from the start. "They are happy, very gracious and grateful," he says. "I'm happy for that, too, that they appreciate."
These days, Father Santa, who also does mass in Spanish on Sundays at Rantoul's St. Malachy Catholic Church, is considered semi-retired, though he has no plans on stopping his work any time soon. "I'm going to do this as long as God wants," he says. "It's God's grace that keeps you going. You could be in a nursing home." Father Santa has diabetes, though he reports his overall health is good, which allows him to keep going. Does a priest have to work out regularly to keep at it for 50 years? "Don't tell my doctors. ... They want me to walk, but I don't walk as much as I ought to," he says. "When the good weather comes, I go out to the park and go a couple of rounds around the park. I don't do it every day, because you can't." What about those cold days? "Forget it, it's not happening," he says.
Good health has helped, but so has being around kids in the schools that employed him as principal and financial administrator, among other duties. "You learn something every day, especially from the kids," he says. "That makes you change. The effort you make to be a better person, a better priest, that makes you change."
From his time in Spain to Puerto Rico, Boston, New Jersey, New York, Florida and now Champaign, Father Santa has always felt like he was at home. "It's because the people have been so nice and so good," he says. But the people aren't the deciding factor in this discussion. "If you count the weather factor, Florida, here I come," he says.
Sun, 03/06/2016 - Marcus Jackson
Photo by: John Dixon
Fr. Joseph Santa-Bibiana(cq) celebrating the eucharist at Mass, at Holy Cross Church in Champaign on Wednesday March 2, 2016. Sunday is the 50th anniversary of Fr. Santa's ordination as a priest.
CHAMPAIGN — As a man of the cloth, Father Joseph Santa-Bibiana sees good in an overwhelming majority of things — from people to nature. But as Holy Cross' 82-year-old pastor looks out the window of a conference room off his office at the Catholic church, he struggles to find kind words to describe the freezing rain falling sideways on a cold, windy afternoon. "It's called obedience," he says.
Father Santa grew up in Valencia, Spain, and aside from a stint in Boston and another in New York/New Jersey, he's spent the bulk of his eight-plus decades living in warm-weather locales. These last three years in central Illinois have tested his obedience.
"People ask all the time if I'm getting used to the cold weather," he says. "I'm just used to tolerating the cold weather." Lucky for him, the forecast calls for more tolerable weather today as he celebrates his 50th anniversary as an ordained priest with a 4 p.m. mass, to be followed by a reception.
Holy Cross hasn't been home for long, but Father Santa has felt welcomed by the parishioners from the start. "They are happy, very gracious and grateful," he says. "I'm happy for that, too, that they appreciate."
These days, Father Santa, who also does mass in Spanish on Sundays at Rantoul's St. Malachy Catholic Church, is considered semi-retired, though he has no plans on stopping his work any time soon. "I'm going to do this as long as God wants," he says. "It's God's grace that keeps you going. You could be in a nursing home." Father Santa has diabetes, though he reports his overall health is good, which allows him to keep going. Does a priest have to work out regularly to keep at it for 50 years? "Don't tell my doctors. ... They want me to walk, but I don't walk as much as I ought to," he says. "When the good weather comes, I go out to the park and go a couple of rounds around the park. I don't do it every day, because you can't." What about those cold days? "Forget it, it's not happening," he says.
Good health has helped, but so has being around kids in the schools that employed him as principal and financial administrator, among other duties. "You learn something every day, especially from the kids," he says. "That makes you change. The effort you make to be a better person, a better priest, that makes you change."
From his time in Spain to Puerto Rico, Boston, New Jersey, New York, Florida and now Champaign, Father Santa has always felt like he was at home. "It's because the people have been so nice and so good," he says. But the people aren't the deciding factor in this discussion. "If you count the weather factor, Florida, here I come," he says.
Catholic Post - November 8, 2015
Members of the fourth grade class at Holy Cross School in Champaign dressed as saints for an-school Mass on Oct. 27 in anticipation of the church's celebration of All Saints.
Dr. Patricia M. McCormack, IHM - Resilient & Self-Reliant Children
8-home-habits-for-raising-resilient-self-reliant-children.pdf | |
File Size: | 116 kb |
File Type: |
Read the whole article here: Resilient and Self-Reliant Children: Born or Formed?
by Dr. Patricia M. McCormack, IHM
by Dr. Patricia M. McCormack, IHM
Complete Coverage of Pope Francis in Cuba and the U.S.A.
September 19 - 27, 2015
Extension's Flat Francis Image Helps Build Excitement for Pope's Visit
By Daniel O'Shea Catholic News Service
6.24.2015
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Francis isn't going to be visiting the United States until September, but that hasn't kept the pope from going all around the nation, if only as a simple piece of paper for the time being.
Chicago-based Catholic Extension is helping to build excitement and support for Pope Francis' upcoming trip to the United States by creating Flat Francis. The project takes some inspiration from "The Flat Stanley Project," which centers on a paper cutout of Flat Stanley, a cartoon drawing based on books of the same name, being photographed with people in numerous locations.
The idea is for people to take selfies as they hold up a Flat Francis printout. The pope is holding the Catholic Extension logo and #FlatFrancis is printed at the bottom of his cassock.
This paper pope has steadily been making the rounds and creating smiles for many weeks now. All Catholic Extension asks is that people post their photos online using Twitter and Instagram, or even just email photos directly to the organization: [email protected]. "We want to see selfies, families, youth groups, campus ministries, church ministries, choirs, service projects," Catholic Extension said in a posting about Flat Francis on its website. "Just share your experience of the Catholic Church! We will post the photos on our website and social media channels and we will also send a collage of all the photos to Pope Francis."
"Be creative and share #FlatFrancis with your church and on your own social networks. Let's show Pope Francis how excited we are for his arrival in America!"
6.24.2015
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Francis isn't going to be visiting the United States until September, but that hasn't kept the pope from going all around the nation, if only as a simple piece of paper for the time being.
Chicago-based Catholic Extension is helping to build excitement and support for Pope Francis' upcoming trip to the United States by creating Flat Francis. The project takes some inspiration from "The Flat Stanley Project," which centers on a paper cutout of Flat Stanley, a cartoon drawing based on books of the same name, being photographed with people in numerous locations.
The idea is for people to take selfies as they hold up a Flat Francis printout. The pope is holding the Catholic Extension logo and #FlatFrancis is printed at the bottom of his cassock.
This paper pope has steadily been making the rounds and creating smiles for many weeks now. All Catholic Extension asks is that people post their photos online using Twitter and Instagram, or even just email photos directly to the organization: [email protected]. "We want to see selfies, families, youth groups, campus ministries, church ministries, choirs, service projects," Catholic Extension said in a posting about Flat Francis on its website. "Just share your experience of the Catholic Church! We will post the photos on our website and social media channels and we will also send a collage of all the photos to Pope Francis."
"Be creative and share #FlatFrancis with your church and on your own social networks. Let's show Pope Francis how excited we are for his arrival in America!"
flat_francis.jpg | |
File Size: | 102 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Pope's America Schedule - September 2015
Schedule: 2015 Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to the United States of America
Here is the schedule for Pope Francis' September 2015 Apostolic Journey to the United States of America as released by the Vatican on June 30, 2015. All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time.
Tuesday, September 22 (Washington, D.C.)
Wednesday, September 23 (Washington, D.C.)
Thursday, September 24 (Washington, D.C., New York City)
Friday, September 25 (New York City)
Saturday, September 26 (New York City, Philadelphia)
Sunday, September 27 (Philadelphia)
Here is the schedule for Pope Francis' September 2015 Apostolic Journey to the United States of America as released by the Vatican on June 30, 2015. All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time.
Tuesday, September 22 (Washington, D.C.)
- 4:00 p.m. Arrival from Cuba at Joint Base Andrews
Wednesday, September 23 (Washington, D.C.)
- 9:15 a.m. Welcome ceremony and meeting with President Obama at the White House
- 11:30 a.m. Midday Prayer with the bishops of the United States, St. Matthew's Cathedral
- 4:15 p.m. Mass of Canonization of Junipero Serra, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Thursday, September 24 (Washington, D.C., New York City)
- 9:20 a.m. Address to Joint Session of the United States Congress
- 11:15 a.m. Visit to St. Patrick in the City and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
- 4:00 p.m. Depart from Joint Base Andrews
- 5:00 p.m. Arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport
- 6:45 p.m. Evening Prayer (Vespers) at St. Patrick's Cathedral
Friday, September 25 (New York City)
- 8:30 a.m. Visit to the United Nations and Address to the United Nations General Assembly
- 11:30 a.m. Multi-religious service at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center
- 4:00 p.m. Visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School, East Harlem
- 6:00 p.m. Mass at Madison Square Garden
Saturday, September 26 (New York City, Philadelphia)
- 8:40 a.m. Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport
- 9:30 a.m. Arrival at Atlantic Aviation, Philadelphia
- 10:30 a.m. Mass at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia
- 4:45 p.m. Visit to Independence Mall
- 7:30 p.m. Visit to the Festival of Families Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sunday, September 27 (Philadelphia)
- 9:15 a.m. Meeting with bishops at St. Martin's Chapel, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
- 11:00 a.m. Visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility
- 4:00 p.m. Mass for the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families, Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 7:00 p.m. Visit with organizers, volunteers and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families, Atlantic Aviation
- 8:00 p.m. Departure for Rome
Growing Preschool at Holy Cross, Champaign, to Get a New Building
By Jennifer Willems
Catholic Post
August 16, 2015
CHAMPAIGN -- Anything is possible when you ask the Blessed Mother for help, gather a group of “angels” and entrust everything to the Good Shepherd.
At Holy Cross School, doing that has made it possible to open the first Catholic preschool in Champaign-Urbana. The program started quietly last year with 17 3- and 4-year-olds and has grown to 46 pupils this year.
Two rooms at Holy Cross School have been dedicated to the preschool, but the good news doesn’t stop there. Before the year is out, the preschool will move into a building across the street that was purchased by a group of parishioners and is being renovated specifically with the preschool in mind.
“I give credit to the Blessed Mother for that,” said Father David Sajdak, SDB, pastor. “Even before I came, the owner said the parish was meant to get the building.” The finance council said the parish was in no position to take on another debt, but they didn’t count on the power of prayer. “I said, ‘Blessed Mother, if this is meant to be you have to claim that building for our kids and you have to send me someone because we just can’t afford it,’” Father Dave told The Catholic Post.
Parishioner John May came forward and said, “Father, this is the way to go. I’ll make this happen.” Father Dave said May not only purchased the building but lined up people and is raising the funds needed to retire the debt. It will be given to the parish as a gift as soon as the renovations are complete.
“Holy Cross has a kind of mantra: ‘It’s all about family,’” said principal Christine Ellis. “Parishioners are doing the electrical and the plumbing -- even the architect who is drawing up the plans, Bob Kapolnek, is a parishioner.”
LOOKING TO GOOD SHEPHERD
While last year’s program was pretty traditional at two days a week for the 3-year-olds and a three-day or five-day option for the 4-year-olds with no extended care, Ellis said Holy Cross will be have a much more flexible schedule this year. “We’re offering half-day or full-day plus extended care,” she said.
In addition, Holy Cross will be using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as the basis for the program. Taking a Montessori approach to instruction and faith formation, it emphasizes “quiet contemplation and enjoyment of God,” according to Ellis, who completed her training this summer. “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd understands how a child learns and seeks to draw out their understanding of faith exactly in the way they would understand it best,” said Robin Rentschler, who was the preschool teacher last year and will be the lead teacher this year. “It’s through play and experience that they begin to experience God.”
She noted that adults tend to impose their understanding of faith on children, who already have it. “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is good at drawing it out.”
Children will see presentations that are about the life of Jesus, the Kingdom of God, the Mass and stories from the Bible and then choose the materials they want to work with. The idea is whatever they choose speaks to them in some way and they are given the freedom to explore them, Rentschler explained. Not only does it cause the children to slow down and focus, but the program recognizes that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the ultimate lover of our souls, she said.
CATECHISTS “ON FIRE”
“I’ve been involved with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd since I was ordained,” Father Dave said. “I was amazed at how these little ones were so in tune. I would say it’s a minor miracle to get 12 4-year-olds in a room, quietly engaged for an hour-and-a-half.”
There are a number of places in central Illinois where the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is used and training has taken place each summer. The most recent session took place at Epiphany Parish in Normal.
Father Dave said it is also amazing to see how the catechists are on fire when they return from training, because it’s like they’re hearing the parables for the first time.
The preschool will incorporate as much of the atrium as possible. The parish has offered the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as part of its religious formation program outside of school hours, he said. “I’m excited. I give Chris Ellis the credit,” he said. “She put it together last year. And Robin Rentschler, Providence sent her to us. She started the preschool in Philo.”
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed in Rome by Sofia Cavaletti, a Scripture scholar, and Gianna Gobbi. For more information, look for Holy Cross Catholic Church on Facebook or visit cgsusa.org.
Catholic Post
August 16, 2015
CHAMPAIGN -- Anything is possible when you ask the Blessed Mother for help, gather a group of “angels” and entrust everything to the Good Shepherd.
At Holy Cross School, doing that has made it possible to open the first Catholic preschool in Champaign-Urbana. The program started quietly last year with 17 3- and 4-year-olds and has grown to 46 pupils this year.
Two rooms at Holy Cross School have been dedicated to the preschool, but the good news doesn’t stop there. Before the year is out, the preschool will move into a building across the street that was purchased by a group of parishioners and is being renovated specifically with the preschool in mind.
“I give credit to the Blessed Mother for that,” said Father David Sajdak, SDB, pastor. “Even before I came, the owner said the parish was meant to get the building.” The finance council said the parish was in no position to take on another debt, but they didn’t count on the power of prayer. “I said, ‘Blessed Mother, if this is meant to be you have to claim that building for our kids and you have to send me someone because we just can’t afford it,’” Father Dave told The Catholic Post.
Parishioner John May came forward and said, “Father, this is the way to go. I’ll make this happen.” Father Dave said May not only purchased the building but lined up people and is raising the funds needed to retire the debt. It will be given to the parish as a gift as soon as the renovations are complete.
“Holy Cross has a kind of mantra: ‘It’s all about family,’” said principal Christine Ellis. “Parishioners are doing the electrical and the plumbing -- even the architect who is drawing up the plans, Bob Kapolnek, is a parishioner.”
LOOKING TO GOOD SHEPHERD
While last year’s program was pretty traditional at two days a week for the 3-year-olds and a three-day or five-day option for the 4-year-olds with no extended care, Ellis said Holy Cross will be have a much more flexible schedule this year. “We’re offering half-day or full-day plus extended care,” she said.
In addition, Holy Cross will be using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as the basis for the program. Taking a Montessori approach to instruction and faith formation, it emphasizes “quiet contemplation and enjoyment of God,” according to Ellis, who completed her training this summer. “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd understands how a child learns and seeks to draw out their understanding of faith exactly in the way they would understand it best,” said Robin Rentschler, who was the preschool teacher last year and will be the lead teacher this year. “It’s through play and experience that they begin to experience God.”
She noted that adults tend to impose their understanding of faith on children, who already have it. “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is good at drawing it out.”
Children will see presentations that are about the life of Jesus, the Kingdom of God, the Mass and stories from the Bible and then choose the materials they want to work with. The idea is whatever they choose speaks to them in some way and they are given the freedom to explore them, Rentschler explained. Not only does it cause the children to slow down and focus, but the program recognizes that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the ultimate lover of our souls, she said.
CATECHISTS “ON FIRE”
“I’ve been involved with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd since I was ordained,” Father Dave said. “I was amazed at how these little ones were so in tune. I would say it’s a minor miracle to get 12 4-year-olds in a room, quietly engaged for an hour-and-a-half.”
There are a number of places in central Illinois where the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is used and training has taken place each summer. The most recent session took place at Epiphany Parish in Normal.
Father Dave said it is also amazing to see how the catechists are on fire when they return from training, because it’s like they’re hearing the parables for the first time.
The preschool will incorporate as much of the atrium as possible. The parish has offered the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as part of its religious formation program outside of school hours, he said. “I’m excited. I give Chris Ellis the credit,” he said. “She put it together last year. And Robin Rentschler, Providence sent her to us. She started the preschool in Philo.”
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed in Rome by Sofia Cavaletti, a Scripture scholar, and Gianna Gobbi. For more information, look for Holy Cross Catholic Church on Facebook or visit cgsusa.org.
Pope Francis to Visit Philadelphia in September 2015
FARGO, N.D. (CNS) -- Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said Pope Francis has accepted his invitation to attend the World Meeting of Families in the U.S. next year.
"Pope Francis has told me that he is coming," said the archbishop as he invited his fellow Native Americans to the 2015 celebration being held in Philadelphia Sept. 22-27. "The pope will be with us the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that week," he said.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said July 25 Pope Francis has expressed "his willingness to participate in the World Meeting of Families" in Philadelphia, and has received invitations to visit other cities as well, which he is considering. Those invitations include New York, the United Nations, and Washington.
"Pope Francis has told me that he is coming," said the archbishop as he invited his fellow Native Americans to the 2015 celebration being held in Philadelphia Sept. 22-27. "The pope will be with us the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that week," he said.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said July 25 Pope Francis has expressed "his willingness to participate in the World Meeting of Families" in Philadelphia, and has received invitations to visit other cities as well, which he is considering. Those invitations include New York, the United Nations, and Washington.
Top 10 Tips for Finding Happiness in Life from Pope Francis
In an interview published in part in the Argentine weekly “Viva” July 27, the pope listed his Top 10 tips for bringing greater joy to one’s life:
1. “Live and let live.” Everyone should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, “Move forward and let others do the same.”
2. “Be giving of yourself to others.” People need to be open and generous toward others, he said, because “if you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid.”
3. “Proceed calmly” in life. The pope, who used to teach high school literature, used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in which the protagonist — gaucho Don Segundo Sombra — looks back on how he lived his life.
“He says that in his youth he was a stream full of rocks that he carried with him; as an adult, a rushing river; and in old age, he was still moving, but slowly, like a pool” of water, the pope said. He said he likes this latter image of a pool of water — to have “the ability to move with kindness and humility, a calmness in life.”
4. “A healthy sense of leisure.” The pleasures of art, literature and playing together with children have been lost, he said.
“Consumerism has brought us anxiety” and stress, causing people to lose a “healthy culture of leisure.” Their time is “swallowed up” so people can’t share it with anyone.
Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children; work schedules make it “complicated, but you must do it,” he said.
Families must also turn off the TV when they sit down to eat because, even though television is useful for keeping up with the news, having it on during mealtime “doesn’t let you communicate” with each other, the pope said.
5. Sundays should be holidays. Workers should have Sundays off because “Sunday is for family,” he said.
6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. “We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities they will get into drugs” and be more vulnerable to suicide, he said.
“It’s not enough to give them food,” he said. “Dignity is given to you when you can bring food home” from one’s own labor.
7. Respect and take care of nature. Environmental degradation “is one of the biggest challenges we have,” he said. “I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?’”
8. Stop being negative. “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down,’” the pope said. “Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.”
9. Don’t proselytize; respect others’ beliefs. “We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: ‘I am talking with you in order to persuade you,’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing,” the pope said.
10. Work for peace. “We are living in a time of many wars,” he said, and “the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive” and dynamic.
1. “Live and let live.” Everyone should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, “Move forward and let others do the same.”
2. “Be giving of yourself to others.” People need to be open and generous toward others, he said, because “if you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid.”
3. “Proceed calmly” in life. The pope, who used to teach high school literature, used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in which the protagonist — gaucho Don Segundo Sombra — looks back on how he lived his life.
“He says that in his youth he was a stream full of rocks that he carried with him; as an adult, a rushing river; and in old age, he was still moving, but slowly, like a pool” of water, the pope said. He said he likes this latter image of a pool of water — to have “the ability to move with kindness and humility, a calmness in life.”
4. “A healthy sense of leisure.” The pleasures of art, literature and playing together with children have been lost, he said.
“Consumerism has brought us anxiety” and stress, causing people to lose a “healthy culture of leisure.” Their time is “swallowed up” so people can’t share it with anyone.
Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children; work schedules make it “complicated, but you must do it,” he said.
Families must also turn off the TV when they sit down to eat because, even though television is useful for keeping up with the news, having it on during mealtime “doesn’t let you communicate” with each other, the pope said.
5. Sundays should be holidays. Workers should have Sundays off because “Sunday is for family,” he said.
6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. “We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities they will get into drugs” and be more vulnerable to suicide, he said.
“It’s not enough to give them food,” he said. “Dignity is given to you when you can bring food home” from one’s own labor.
7. Respect and take care of nature. Environmental degradation “is one of the biggest challenges we have,” he said. “I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?’”
8. Stop being negative. “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down,’” the pope said. “Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.”
9. Don’t proselytize; respect others’ beliefs. “We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: ‘I am talking with you in order to persuade you,’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing,” the pope said.
10. Work for peace. “We are living in a time of many wars,” he said, and “the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive” and dynamic.
Pope Francis Declares John Paul II and John XXIII Saints
April 27, 2014
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis declared his predecessors Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII saints on Sunday — in the first dual canonization ceremony in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.In a sober address in Latin, Francis recited the words: "We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church." The massive crowd erupted into cheers and applause, flags waving nearly as far as the eye could see.
The two famous predecessors' relics sat on the altar - a drop of blood for John Paul II and a small piece of flesh for John XXIII.
Some 500,000 pilgrims from all over the world gathered in and around St. Peter's Square for the elaborate event, some queuing for up to 15 hours to stake out their precious spot in history. Nearly one million people were estimated to have descended on Rome, with hundreds of thousands watching on massive screens set up around the Italian capital. Many millions more watched the spectacle on television from the four corners of the earth.
In another unprecedented first, retired Pope Benedict XVI attended the ceremony, the first time a reigning and retired pope celebrated Mass together in public.
The entire Via della Conciliazione, the half-mile-long boulevard leading from the Tiber River to the Vatican, was crowded with the faithful. Most were Polish, having traveled from their home country or from their communities in far-flung cities in the U.S. and even Australia. "Four popes in one ceremony is a fantastic thing to see and to be at, because it is history being written in our sight," marveled one of the visiting Poles, David Halfar. "It is wonderful to be a part in this and to live all of this."
John Paul II, the Pole who reigned for nearly 27 years, witnessed the devastation of his homeland in World War Two and is credited by many with helping end the Cold War and bring down communism.
John, an Italian often known as the "Good Pope" because of his friendly, open personality, died before the Second Vatican Council ended its work in 1965 but his initiative set off one of the greatest upheavals in Church teaching in modern times. The Council ended the use of Latin at Mass and brought in the use of modern music.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis declared his predecessors Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII saints on Sunday — in the first dual canonization ceremony in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.In a sober address in Latin, Francis recited the words: "We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church." The massive crowd erupted into cheers and applause, flags waving nearly as far as the eye could see.
The two famous predecessors' relics sat on the altar - a drop of blood for John Paul II and a small piece of flesh for John XXIII.
Some 500,000 pilgrims from all over the world gathered in and around St. Peter's Square for the elaborate event, some queuing for up to 15 hours to stake out their precious spot in history. Nearly one million people were estimated to have descended on Rome, with hundreds of thousands watching on massive screens set up around the Italian capital. Many millions more watched the spectacle on television from the four corners of the earth.
In another unprecedented first, retired Pope Benedict XVI attended the ceremony, the first time a reigning and retired pope celebrated Mass together in public.
The entire Via della Conciliazione, the half-mile-long boulevard leading from the Tiber River to the Vatican, was crowded with the faithful. Most were Polish, having traveled from their home country or from their communities in far-flung cities in the U.S. and even Australia. "Four popes in one ceremony is a fantastic thing to see and to be at, because it is history being written in our sight," marveled one of the visiting Poles, David Halfar. "It is wonderful to be a part in this and to live all of this."
John Paul II, the Pole who reigned for nearly 27 years, witnessed the devastation of his homeland in World War Two and is credited by many with helping end the Cold War and bring down communism.
John, an Italian often known as the "Good Pope" because of his friendly, open personality, died before the Second Vatican Council ended its work in 1965 but his initiative set off one of the greatest upheavals in Church teaching in modern times. The Council ended the use of Latin at Mass and brought in the use of modern music.
Pilgrims Pray Ahead of John Paul II and John XXIII Sainthood
April 26, 2014
Vatican City (AFP) - Thousands of pilgrims held a night of prayer in Rome as Pope Francis and Benedict XVI prepared to confer sainthood on John Paul II and John XXIII in a historic effort to unite the Catholic Church.
Religious chants rang out as pilgrims settled down with sleeping bags and picnic chairs to be first in line for Sunday's ceremony in the Vatican honoring two of modern Catholicism's most influential figures.
Some faithful posed next to cardboard cut-outs of the future saints, while others prayed with rosary beads and one group of teenagers wore baseball caps reading "Karol" in honor of the Polish pontiff Karol Wojtyla. "We came to Rome out of love for John Paul II. Being here is a dream," said Elizavet Kendzha, a Polish pilgrim in a red poncho on Via della Conciliazione, the main avenue leading up to St Peter's Basilica.
"John Paul II gave the Polish people freedom!" the 54-year-old said, pointing to a giant portrait of John Paul II hanging from the basilica alongside one of John XXIII, remembered as "Good Pope John".
Over one million faithful are expected at what will be a unique event, with a mass presided by Pope Francis that will be co-celebrated with his 87-year-old predecessor Benedict XVI in a rare public appearance.
The pope emeritus, in his papal white cassock, will be sitting alongside red-robed cardinals near the altar. The Vatican also said 98 foreign delegations will be attending including former Polish president Lech Walesa, whose Solidarity movement backed by John Paul II helped topple communism in eastern Europe.
The kings of Belgium and Spain were also expected, as well as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe -- despite a ban from entering the European Union, which does not apply in the sovereign Vatican state.
The late popes will join the official roster of saints in the first-ever canonization of two popes at the same time, which is being seen by experts as an attempt to unite conservatives and reformists.
The charismatic, globe-trotting John Paul II became an icon to conservative Catholics, while the affable Italian John XXIII gained a reformist reputation by calling the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council, which overhauled archaic Catholic rituals and beliefs.
By sainting them together, Francis "is speaking not just to the outside world but to rival camps within the Catholic fold who see John XXIII and John Paul II as their heroes", said US-based Vatican expert John Allen.
German priest Joseph Vinecker -- one of the thousands taking part in prayer vigils across Rome -- said he was looking forward to "a mythical day" on Sunday. "It will be a great feast for our Church and especially for us Catholics who will all be united," he said.
John XXIII had only been credited with one of the two supposed miracles required for saints, but the 77-year-old Francis approved his canonization anyway, saying that the pope who died in 1963 was so widely adored that he did not need a second miracle. The Italian pope was seen as a peacemaker who saved thousands of Jews when he was a Vatican envoy in Turkey during World War II and he helped put an end to age-old Catholic prejudices against Jews when he became pontiff as well as helping to ease the Cuban Missile Crisis.
John Paul II also inspired widespread admiration for reaching out to other religions and for his firm condemnation of Soviet Communism and the Mafia and his ability to fire up young people and lay movements. But he was also accused of hushing up child sex crimes by priests which began to come to light in Ireland and the United States at the end of his pontificate.
At his funeral in 2005, loyal faithful chanted "Santo subito!" (Sainthood now!) and his canonization has been the fastest since the 18th century when the current rules for conferring sainthood were put in place.
Historic churches in central Rome remained open all night Saturday for vigils, with services offered in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Italy's civil protection agency has 3,500 volunteers on hand, including 25 Polish cultural guides and 20 psychiatrists trained in dealing with panic attacks.
The Vatican's official bureau for pilgrims said 4,000 coaches bearing pilgrims would be arriving in the run-up to the 10:00 am (0800 GMT) mass, along with special trains and boats, while other faithful will watch the canonizations in 3D at cinemas across the world, from Francis's native Argentina to Lebanon.
Among the pilgrims was German vintage car enthusiast Marek Schramm, who drove to Rome in a 1958 Polish-made car that belonged to John Paul II before he became pope and has the initials "JP2" on its numberplate.
Vatican City (AFP) - Thousands of pilgrims held a night of prayer in Rome as Pope Francis and Benedict XVI prepared to confer sainthood on John Paul II and John XXIII in a historic effort to unite the Catholic Church.
Religious chants rang out as pilgrims settled down with sleeping bags and picnic chairs to be first in line for Sunday's ceremony in the Vatican honoring two of modern Catholicism's most influential figures.
Some faithful posed next to cardboard cut-outs of the future saints, while others prayed with rosary beads and one group of teenagers wore baseball caps reading "Karol" in honor of the Polish pontiff Karol Wojtyla. "We came to Rome out of love for John Paul II. Being here is a dream," said Elizavet Kendzha, a Polish pilgrim in a red poncho on Via della Conciliazione, the main avenue leading up to St Peter's Basilica.
"John Paul II gave the Polish people freedom!" the 54-year-old said, pointing to a giant portrait of John Paul II hanging from the basilica alongside one of John XXIII, remembered as "Good Pope John".
Over one million faithful are expected at what will be a unique event, with a mass presided by Pope Francis that will be co-celebrated with his 87-year-old predecessor Benedict XVI in a rare public appearance.
The pope emeritus, in his papal white cassock, will be sitting alongside red-robed cardinals near the altar. The Vatican also said 98 foreign delegations will be attending including former Polish president Lech Walesa, whose Solidarity movement backed by John Paul II helped topple communism in eastern Europe.
The kings of Belgium and Spain were also expected, as well as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe -- despite a ban from entering the European Union, which does not apply in the sovereign Vatican state.
The late popes will join the official roster of saints in the first-ever canonization of two popes at the same time, which is being seen by experts as an attempt to unite conservatives and reformists.
The charismatic, globe-trotting John Paul II became an icon to conservative Catholics, while the affable Italian John XXIII gained a reformist reputation by calling the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council, which overhauled archaic Catholic rituals and beliefs.
By sainting them together, Francis "is speaking not just to the outside world but to rival camps within the Catholic fold who see John XXIII and John Paul II as their heroes", said US-based Vatican expert John Allen.
German priest Joseph Vinecker -- one of the thousands taking part in prayer vigils across Rome -- said he was looking forward to "a mythical day" on Sunday. "It will be a great feast for our Church and especially for us Catholics who will all be united," he said.
John XXIII had only been credited with one of the two supposed miracles required for saints, but the 77-year-old Francis approved his canonization anyway, saying that the pope who died in 1963 was so widely adored that he did not need a second miracle. The Italian pope was seen as a peacemaker who saved thousands of Jews when he was a Vatican envoy in Turkey during World War II and he helped put an end to age-old Catholic prejudices against Jews when he became pontiff as well as helping to ease the Cuban Missile Crisis.
John Paul II also inspired widespread admiration for reaching out to other religions and for his firm condemnation of Soviet Communism and the Mafia and his ability to fire up young people and lay movements. But he was also accused of hushing up child sex crimes by priests which began to come to light in Ireland and the United States at the end of his pontificate.
At his funeral in 2005, loyal faithful chanted "Santo subito!" (Sainthood now!) and his canonization has been the fastest since the 18th century when the current rules for conferring sainthood were put in place.
Historic churches in central Rome remained open all night Saturday for vigils, with services offered in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Italy's civil protection agency has 3,500 volunteers on hand, including 25 Polish cultural guides and 20 psychiatrists trained in dealing with panic attacks.
The Vatican's official bureau for pilgrims said 4,000 coaches bearing pilgrims would be arriving in the run-up to the 10:00 am (0800 GMT) mass, along with special trains and boats, while other faithful will watch the canonizations in 3D at cinemas across the world, from Francis's native Argentina to Lebanon.
Among the pilgrims was German vintage car enthusiast Marek Schramm, who drove to Rome in a 1958 Polish-made car that belonged to John Paul II before he became pope and has the initials "JP2" on its numberplate.
Vatican Medical Experts Approve Miracle Attributed to Archbishop Sheen
March 6, 2014
Peoria, IL -- The Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, Bishop of Peoria and President of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, received word early Thursday morning that the 7-member board of medical experts who advise the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican unanimously approved a reported miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
The case involved a still born baby born in September 2010. For over an hour the child demonstrated no signs of life as medical professionals attempted every possible life saving procedure, while the child's parents and loved ones began immediately to seek the intercession of Fulton Sheen. After 61 minutes the baby was restored to full life and three years later demonstrates a full recovery.
Today's decision affirms that the team of Vatican medical experts can find no natural explanation for the child's healing. The case will next be reviewed by a board of theologians. With their approval the case could move on to the cardinals and bishops who advise the Pope on these matters. Finally, the miracle would be presented to Pope Francis who would then officially affirm that God performed a miracle through the intercession of Fulton Sheen. There is no timeline as to when these next steps might move forward.
"Today is a significant step in the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of our beloved Fulton Sheen, a priest of Peoria and a Son of the Heartland who went on to change the world. There are many more steps ahead and more prayers are needed. But today is a good reason to rejoice," commented Bishop Jenky.
Fulton Sheen was born May 8, 1895 in El Paso, IL outside of Peoria. His family moved to Peoria so that Fulton and his brothers could attend Catholic school. He grew up in the parish of the Cathedral of St. Mary where he was an altar server and later ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria. After advanced studies and service as a parish priest in the city of Peoria, Fulton Sheen was a professor of philosophy and religion at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In the 1930s he became a popular radio personality and later a TV pioneer. His weekly TV program, "Life is Worth Living" eventually reached 30 million viewers and won an Emmy award for outstanding TV program.
From 1950-1966, Bishop Sheen was the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the United States, the Church's primary missionary apostolate. In 1966, he was named Bishop of Rochester of New York where he served until his retirement in 1969, when he was named honorary Archbishop by Pope Paul VI. Fulton Sheen died at the entrance to his private chapel in his New York City apartment on December 9, 1979.
In September 2002, Bishop Jenky officially opened the cause for the beatification and canonization of Fulton Sheen. For six years, the Sheen Foundation, the official promoter of the Cause, gathered testimony from around the world and reviewed all of Sheen's writings, before sending their conclusions to the Vatican. In June 2012, Pope Benedict affirmed the investigation that Sheen had lived a life of heroic virtue and holiness. Sheen was then titled "Venerable."
Pending further review by the theologians and the cardinals who advise the Pope through the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, should Pope Francis validate this proposed miracle, Sheen could then be declared "Blessed" in a ceremony that could be celebrated in Peoria, Sheen's hometown. Upon the Holy Father signing the decree for the beatification, an additional miracle would lead to the Canonization of Archbishop Sheen, in which he would be declared a “Saint.”
For more information about Fulton Sheen and the Cause for his canonization, visit:
ArchbishopSheenCause.org.
Peoria, IL -- The Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, Bishop of Peoria and President of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, received word early Thursday morning that the 7-member board of medical experts who advise the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican unanimously approved a reported miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
The case involved a still born baby born in September 2010. For over an hour the child demonstrated no signs of life as medical professionals attempted every possible life saving procedure, while the child's parents and loved ones began immediately to seek the intercession of Fulton Sheen. After 61 minutes the baby was restored to full life and three years later demonstrates a full recovery.
Today's decision affirms that the team of Vatican medical experts can find no natural explanation for the child's healing. The case will next be reviewed by a board of theologians. With their approval the case could move on to the cardinals and bishops who advise the Pope on these matters. Finally, the miracle would be presented to Pope Francis who would then officially affirm that God performed a miracle through the intercession of Fulton Sheen. There is no timeline as to when these next steps might move forward.
"Today is a significant step in the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of our beloved Fulton Sheen, a priest of Peoria and a Son of the Heartland who went on to change the world. There are many more steps ahead and more prayers are needed. But today is a good reason to rejoice," commented Bishop Jenky.
Fulton Sheen was born May 8, 1895 in El Paso, IL outside of Peoria. His family moved to Peoria so that Fulton and his brothers could attend Catholic school. He grew up in the parish of the Cathedral of St. Mary where he was an altar server and later ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria. After advanced studies and service as a parish priest in the city of Peoria, Fulton Sheen was a professor of philosophy and religion at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In the 1930s he became a popular radio personality and later a TV pioneer. His weekly TV program, "Life is Worth Living" eventually reached 30 million viewers and won an Emmy award for outstanding TV program.
From 1950-1966, Bishop Sheen was the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the United States, the Church's primary missionary apostolate. In 1966, he was named Bishop of Rochester of New York where he served until his retirement in 1969, when he was named honorary Archbishop by Pope Paul VI. Fulton Sheen died at the entrance to his private chapel in his New York City apartment on December 9, 1979.
In September 2002, Bishop Jenky officially opened the cause for the beatification and canonization of Fulton Sheen. For six years, the Sheen Foundation, the official promoter of the Cause, gathered testimony from around the world and reviewed all of Sheen's writings, before sending their conclusions to the Vatican. In June 2012, Pope Benedict affirmed the investigation that Sheen had lived a life of heroic virtue and holiness. Sheen was then titled "Venerable."
Pending further review by the theologians and the cardinals who advise the Pope through the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, should Pope Francis validate this proposed miracle, Sheen could then be declared "Blessed" in a ceremony that could be celebrated in Peoria, Sheen's hometown. Upon the Holy Father signing the decree for the beatification, an additional miracle would lead to the Canonization of Archbishop Sheen, in which he would be declared a “Saint.”
For more information about Fulton Sheen and the Cause for his canonization, visit:
ArchbishopSheenCause.org.
Christmas Message from Pope Francis (2013)
VATICAN CITY
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors (Luke 2:14)
Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Christmas!
I take up the song of the angels who appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem on the night when Jesus was born. It is a song which unites heaven and earth, giving praise and glory to heaven, and the promise of peace to earth and all its people.
I ask everyone to share in this song: it is a song for every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty.
Glory to God! Above all else, this is what Christmas bids us to do: give glory to God, for he is good, he is faithful, he is merciful. Today I voice my hope that everyone will come to know the true face of God, the Father who has given us Jesus. My hope is that everyone will feel God's closeness, live in his presence, love him and adore him. May each of us give glory to God above all by our lives, by lives spent for love of him and of all our brothers and sisters.
Peace to mankind. True peace is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a lovely "façade" which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls for daily commitment, starting from God's gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ.
Looking at the Child in the manger, our thoughts turn to those children who are the most vulnerable victims of wars, but we think too of the elderly, to battered women, to the sick. Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!
Too many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in Syria, fueling hatred and vengeance. Let us continue to ask the Lord to spare the beloved Syrian people further suffering, and to enable the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid. We have seen how powerful prayer is! And I am happy today too, that the followers of different religious confessions are joining us in our prayer for peace in Syria. Let us never lose the courage of prayer! The courage to say: Lord, grant your peace to Syria and to the whole world.
Grant peace to the Central African Republic, often forgotten and overlooked. Yet you, Lord, forget no one! And you also want to bring peace to that land, torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty, where so many people are homeless, lacking water, food and the bare necessities of life. Foster social harmony in South Sudan, where current tensions have already caused numerous victims and are threatening peaceful coexistence in that young state.
Prince of Peace, in every place turn hearts aside from violence and inspire them to lay down arms and undertake the path of dialogue. Look upon Nigeria, rent by constant attacks which do not spare the innocent and defenseless. Bless the land where you chose to come into the world, and grant a favorable outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Heal the wounds of the beloved country of Iraq, once more struck by frequent acts of violence.
Lord of life, protect all who are persecuted for your name. Grant hope and consolation to the displaced and refugees, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Grant that migrants in search of a dignified life may find acceptance and assistance. May tragedies like those we have witnessed this year, with so many deaths at Lampedusa, never occur again!
Child of Bethlehem, touch the hearts of all those engaged in human trafficking, that they may realize the gravity of this crime against humanity. Look upon the many children who are kidnapped, wounded and killed in armed conflicts, and all those who are robbed of their childhood and forced to become soldiers.
Lord of heaven and earth, look upon our planet, frequently exploited by human greed and rapacity. Help and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the beloved people of the Philippines, gravely affected by the recent typhoon.
Dear brothers and sisters, today, in this world, in this humanity, is born the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Let us pause before the Child of Bethlehem. Let us allow our hearts to be touched, let us allow ourselves to be warmed by the tenderness of God; we need his caress. God is full of love: to him be praise and glory forever! God is peace: let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world. Let us allow ourselves to be moved by God's goodness.
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors (Luke 2:14)
Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Christmas!
I take up the song of the angels who appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem on the night when Jesus was born. It is a song which unites heaven and earth, giving praise and glory to heaven, and the promise of peace to earth and all its people.
I ask everyone to share in this song: it is a song for every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty.
Glory to God! Above all else, this is what Christmas bids us to do: give glory to God, for he is good, he is faithful, he is merciful. Today I voice my hope that everyone will come to know the true face of God, the Father who has given us Jesus. My hope is that everyone will feel God's closeness, live in his presence, love him and adore him. May each of us give glory to God above all by our lives, by lives spent for love of him and of all our brothers and sisters.
Peace to mankind. True peace is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a lovely "façade" which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls for daily commitment, starting from God's gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ.
Looking at the Child in the manger, our thoughts turn to those children who are the most vulnerable victims of wars, but we think too of the elderly, to battered women, to the sick. Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!
Too many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in Syria, fueling hatred and vengeance. Let us continue to ask the Lord to spare the beloved Syrian people further suffering, and to enable the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid. We have seen how powerful prayer is! And I am happy today too, that the followers of different religious confessions are joining us in our prayer for peace in Syria. Let us never lose the courage of prayer! The courage to say: Lord, grant your peace to Syria and to the whole world.
Grant peace to the Central African Republic, often forgotten and overlooked. Yet you, Lord, forget no one! And you also want to bring peace to that land, torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty, where so many people are homeless, lacking water, food and the bare necessities of life. Foster social harmony in South Sudan, where current tensions have already caused numerous victims and are threatening peaceful coexistence in that young state.
Prince of Peace, in every place turn hearts aside from violence and inspire them to lay down arms and undertake the path of dialogue. Look upon Nigeria, rent by constant attacks which do not spare the innocent and defenseless. Bless the land where you chose to come into the world, and grant a favorable outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Heal the wounds of the beloved country of Iraq, once more struck by frequent acts of violence.
Lord of life, protect all who are persecuted for your name. Grant hope and consolation to the displaced and refugees, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Grant that migrants in search of a dignified life may find acceptance and assistance. May tragedies like those we have witnessed this year, with so many deaths at Lampedusa, never occur again!
Child of Bethlehem, touch the hearts of all those engaged in human trafficking, that they may realize the gravity of this crime against humanity. Look upon the many children who are kidnapped, wounded and killed in armed conflicts, and all those who are robbed of their childhood and forced to become soldiers.
Lord of heaven and earth, look upon our planet, frequently exploited by human greed and rapacity. Help and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the beloved people of the Philippines, gravely affected by the recent typhoon.
Dear brothers and sisters, today, in this world, in this humanity, is born the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Let us pause before the Child of Bethlehem. Let us allow our hearts to be touched, let us allow ourselves to be warmed by the tenderness of God; we need his caress. God is full of love: to him be praise and glory forever! God is peace: let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world. Let us allow ourselves to be moved by God's goodness.
Pope Francis Is Third Pope Named
Time's Person of the Year
December 11, 2013
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis is not seeking fame or accolades, but being named Time magazine's Person of the Year will make him happy if it helps attract people to the hope of the Gospel, said the Vatican spokesman.
"It's a positive sign that one of the most prestigious recognitions in the international press" goes to a person who "proclaims to the world spiritual, religious and moral values and speaks effectively in favor of peace and greater justice," said the spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.
The choice of Pope Francis "is not surprising, given the wide appeal and huge attention" to his pontificate so far, Father Lombardi said in a written statement Dec. 11, shortly after Time announced it had named the pope for the annual feature.
"Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly -- young and old, faithful and cynical -- as has Pope Francis," Time said on its website. "With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience."
Blessed John Paul II was named Person of the Year in 1994 and Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
The pope "does not seek fame and success, because he serves to proclaim the Gospel and God's love for everyone," Father Lombardi said. But if the recognition "attracts women and men and gives them hope, the pope is happy."
The spokesman added that Pope Francis would also be pleased if the magazine's decision "means that many have understood, at least implicitly, this message" of hope.
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis is not seeking fame or accolades, but being named Time magazine's Person of the Year will make him happy if it helps attract people to the hope of the Gospel, said the Vatican spokesman.
"It's a positive sign that one of the most prestigious recognitions in the international press" goes to a person who "proclaims to the world spiritual, religious and moral values and speaks effectively in favor of peace and greater justice," said the spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.
The choice of Pope Francis "is not surprising, given the wide appeal and huge attention" to his pontificate so far, Father Lombardi said in a written statement Dec. 11, shortly after Time announced it had named the pope for the annual feature.
"Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly -- young and old, faithful and cynical -- as has Pope Francis," Time said on its website. "With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience."
Blessed John Paul II was named Person of the Year in 1994 and Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
The pope "does not seek fame and success, because he serves to proclaim the Gospel and God's love for everyone," Father Lombardi said. But if the recognition "attracts women and men and gives them hope, the pope is happy."
The spokesman added that Pope Francis would also be pleased if the magazine's decision "means that many have understood, at least implicitly, this message" of hope.
The Pope Opens Up: An Excerpt from A Big Heart Open to God
December 7, 2013
Pope Francis’s humility, compassion, and wisdom shine throughout a new account of his six-hour interview with Antonio Spardaro, SJ, editor of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, to be published as book called A Big Heart Open to God.
The conversation, published with commentary from leading Catholic clergy and thinkers, provides insight into a pontiff who’s captivating the world and shaking up its most tradition-bound institution. Read an excerpt, in which Pope Francis shares his thoughts on the spiritual life, below.
Who Is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?
I do not know what might be the most fitting description….I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.
Yes, perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naïve. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.
Making Good Decisions
Discernment [making decisions in a spiritual way] takes time.
For example, many think that changes and reforms can take place in a short time. I believe that we always need time to lay the foundations for real, effective change. And this is the time of discernment. Sometimes discernment instead urges us to do precisely what you had at first thought you would do later. And that is what has happened to me in recent months.
Discernment is always done in the presence of the Lord, looking at the signs, listening to the things that happen, the feeling of the people, especially the poor. My choices, including those related to the day-to-day aspects of life, like the use of a modest car, are related to a spiritual discernment that responds to a need that arises from looking at things, at people and from reading the signs of the times.
Discernment in the Lord guides me in my way of governing.
[But] I am always wary of decisions made hastily. I am always wary of the first decision, that is, the first thing that comes to my mind if I have to make a decision. This is usually the wrong thing. I have to wait and assess, looking deep into myself, taking the necessary time.
The wisdom of discernment redeems the necessary ambiguity of life and helps us find the most appropriate means, which do not always coincide with what looks great and strong.
Holiness
I see the holiness in the patience of the people of God: a woman who is raising children, a man who works to bring home the bread, the sick, the elderly priests who have so many wounds but have a smile on their faces because they served the Lord, the sisters who work hard and live a hidden sanctity.
This is for me the common sanctity. I often associate sanctity with patience: not only patience as hypomonē [the New Testament Greek word], taking charge of the events and circumstances of life, but also as a constancy in going forward, day by day.
This was the sanctity of my parents: my dad, my mom, my grandmother Rosa who loved me so much. In my breviary [a Catholic prayer book] I have the last will of my grandmother Rosa, and I read it often. For me it is like a prayer. She is a saint who has suffered so much, also spiritually, and yet always went forward with courage.
The Church as Field Hospital
I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity.
I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. And you have to start from the ground up.
The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all.
How are we treating the people of God? I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess. The church’s ministers must be merciful, take responsibility for the people and accompany them like the good Samaritan, who washes, cleans and raises up his neighbor. This is pure Gospel. God is greater than sin.
The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost.
The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. The bishops, particularly, must be able to support the movements of God among their people with patience, so that no one is left behind. But they must also be able to accompany the flock that has a flair for finding new paths.
Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads, that is able to step outside itself and go to those who do not attend Mass, to those who have quit or are indifferent.
The ones who quit sometimes do it for reasons that, if properly understood and assessed, can lead to a return. But that takes audacity and courage.
Finding God
In this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good.
For me, this is an important key. If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt.
You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble.
Excerpt from A Big Heart Open to God, published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins, and America Press ©2013.
Pope Francis’s humility, compassion, and wisdom shine throughout a new account of his six-hour interview with Antonio Spardaro, SJ, editor of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, to be published as book called A Big Heart Open to God.
The conversation, published with commentary from leading Catholic clergy and thinkers, provides insight into a pontiff who’s captivating the world and shaking up its most tradition-bound institution. Read an excerpt, in which Pope Francis shares his thoughts on the spiritual life, below.
Who Is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?
I do not know what might be the most fitting description….I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.
Yes, perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naïve. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.
Making Good Decisions
Discernment [making decisions in a spiritual way] takes time.
For example, many think that changes and reforms can take place in a short time. I believe that we always need time to lay the foundations for real, effective change. And this is the time of discernment. Sometimes discernment instead urges us to do precisely what you had at first thought you would do later. And that is what has happened to me in recent months.
Discernment is always done in the presence of the Lord, looking at the signs, listening to the things that happen, the feeling of the people, especially the poor. My choices, including those related to the day-to-day aspects of life, like the use of a modest car, are related to a spiritual discernment that responds to a need that arises from looking at things, at people and from reading the signs of the times.
Discernment in the Lord guides me in my way of governing.
[But] I am always wary of decisions made hastily. I am always wary of the first decision, that is, the first thing that comes to my mind if I have to make a decision. This is usually the wrong thing. I have to wait and assess, looking deep into myself, taking the necessary time.
The wisdom of discernment redeems the necessary ambiguity of life and helps us find the most appropriate means, which do not always coincide with what looks great and strong.
Holiness
I see the holiness in the patience of the people of God: a woman who is raising children, a man who works to bring home the bread, the sick, the elderly priests who have so many wounds but have a smile on their faces because they served the Lord, the sisters who work hard and live a hidden sanctity.
This is for me the common sanctity. I often associate sanctity with patience: not only patience as hypomonē [the New Testament Greek word], taking charge of the events and circumstances of life, but also as a constancy in going forward, day by day.
This was the sanctity of my parents: my dad, my mom, my grandmother Rosa who loved me so much. In my breviary [a Catholic prayer book] I have the last will of my grandmother Rosa, and I read it often. For me it is like a prayer. She is a saint who has suffered so much, also spiritually, and yet always went forward with courage.
The Church as Field Hospital
I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity.
I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. And you have to start from the ground up.
The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all.
How are we treating the people of God? I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess. The church’s ministers must be merciful, take responsibility for the people and accompany them like the good Samaritan, who washes, cleans and raises up his neighbor. This is pure Gospel. God is greater than sin.
The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost.
The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. The bishops, particularly, must be able to support the movements of God among their people with patience, so that no one is left behind. But they must also be able to accompany the flock that has a flair for finding new paths.
Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads, that is able to step outside itself and go to those who do not attend Mass, to those who have quit or are indifferent.
The ones who quit sometimes do it for reasons that, if properly understood and assessed, can lead to a return. But that takes audacity and courage.
Finding God
In this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good.
For me, this is an important key. If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt.
You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble.
Excerpt from A Big Heart Open to God, published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins, and America Press ©2013.
"We'll Triumph Through Our Sorrows" (2013)
http://youtu.be/W8q1y5HFtfw
December 3 Issue
Peoria Catholic Post
WASHINGTON -- Father Stephen Willard told parishioners who packed St. Patrick Church a week after a powerful tornado devastated this community and surrounding regions that “we’ll triumph through our sorrows” and “prove to the world that we are strong in Christ Jesus.”“The Lord will always raise us up,” said Father Willard. (Excerpts from his homily are heard in the above photo slideshow of scenes from the Mass.)
Prior to beginning the 11 a.m. Mass on Nov. 24, Father Willard exposed the Blessed Sacrament on the altar and knelt along with the assembly to prayerfully mark the moment the tornado struck the previous Sunday, damaging 1,000 homes in the community -- including those of at least 140 parish families. Two people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
“Tears can flow. It’s OK,” said Father Willard, who asked God for the gifts of peace, healing, and consolation. “The Lord is here with us,” he assured the parish. “He will always be with us.”
For Mary Stickelmaier, whose family of seven was displaced by the storm, the tears were her first in a week of shock and recovery.
“When he exposed Jesus, it was the first time I was able to mourn the things I’d lost,” said Stickelmaier. She also used the time to again express gratitude to God for saving her family. They now reside in a rented home in nearby Peoria.
“We’re so blessed to be here,” said Stickelmaier, recalling how the fast-moving storm hit just seconds after the family had found safety in their basement. She told The Catholic Post the experience has strengthened her resolve to please God “and keep him in the heart of our family.”
“AMAZING” RESPONSE
In his homily, Father Willard’s voice broke as he described the response to the disaster from the area and around the country. A relief fund has been established by the parish and has received generous donations. In addition, Catholics throughout the Diocese of Peoria took up a second collection at Masses on Nov. 23-24 for relief not only in Washington and area communities but in other regions hit hard by tornadoes on Nov. 17, including the village of Gifford in northeast Champaign County.
In Washington, the gymnasium of St. Patrick’s School served for two weeks as a relief area. It quickly filled with donated food and clothing.
“Please take these things,” Father Willard told needy families, dozens of whom raised hands at every Mass when he asked how many “lost everything” in the storm. “People want to help. It’s amazing what they’ve done. As a pastor, I’m very humbled.”
Among those picking up essentials such as toiletries and detergent a week after the tornado was Jennifer Mendoza, who was in Indianapolis with her daughter Liv when the storm struck Washington. Her husband Frank and son Madden were at home, and survived the tornado in the basement.
“Our home is gone,” said Jennifer. The Mendozas are now staying with friends, but gathering with her parish family “means everything to me,” she told The Catholic Post.
“I’ve got a million and one things to do, but I don’t want to leave here,” said Jennifer, citing the spiritual and emotional support her family received in addition to the supplies.
Mary Venegoni, who is now living with her brother Tony in Morton after her home was badly damaged, echoed those sentiments.
“It means everything to come to Mass,” said Venegoni, who frequently wiped tears during the liturgy. “I knew I’d struggle,” she said. “But there’s no other place to be right now -- this was the place I need to be.”
“THIS IS OUR HOME”
For Father Willard, the prayerful scene at St. Patrick Church was like heaven.
“We’re not going to have our possessions with us” in heaven, he observed. “We’re going to only have Jesus Christ, and that’s all we need.”
While parish families will be “scattered around for awhile, this is our home,” he said of the church, which was not damaged in the storm.
Father Willard said the disaster has given the community an opportunity “to show our world, our country, what it means to have Christ in the center of our lives.” He urged them to evangelize even through their time of struggle.
“Let us go out in the world and prove to our world that we are strong in Christ Jesus. Live out the Gospel. Love one another, and serve people.”
He ended his homily by quoting a favorite hymn, “O God Beyond All Praising,” selected as the closing song for that Sunday’s Mass: “We will triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless you still.” The assembly responded with applause.
December 3 Issue
Peoria Catholic Post
WASHINGTON -- Father Stephen Willard told parishioners who packed St. Patrick Church a week after a powerful tornado devastated this community and surrounding regions that “we’ll triumph through our sorrows” and “prove to the world that we are strong in Christ Jesus.”“The Lord will always raise us up,” said Father Willard. (Excerpts from his homily are heard in the above photo slideshow of scenes from the Mass.)
Prior to beginning the 11 a.m. Mass on Nov. 24, Father Willard exposed the Blessed Sacrament on the altar and knelt along with the assembly to prayerfully mark the moment the tornado struck the previous Sunday, damaging 1,000 homes in the community -- including those of at least 140 parish families. Two people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
“Tears can flow. It’s OK,” said Father Willard, who asked God for the gifts of peace, healing, and consolation. “The Lord is here with us,” he assured the parish. “He will always be with us.”
For Mary Stickelmaier, whose family of seven was displaced by the storm, the tears were her first in a week of shock and recovery.
“When he exposed Jesus, it was the first time I was able to mourn the things I’d lost,” said Stickelmaier. She also used the time to again express gratitude to God for saving her family. They now reside in a rented home in nearby Peoria.
“We’re so blessed to be here,” said Stickelmaier, recalling how the fast-moving storm hit just seconds after the family had found safety in their basement. She told The Catholic Post the experience has strengthened her resolve to please God “and keep him in the heart of our family.”
“AMAZING” RESPONSE
In his homily, Father Willard’s voice broke as he described the response to the disaster from the area and around the country. A relief fund has been established by the parish and has received generous donations. In addition, Catholics throughout the Diocese of Peoria took up a second collection at Masses on Nov. 23-24 for relief not only in Washington and area communities but in other regions hit hard by tornadoes on Nov. 17, including the village of Gifford in northeast Champaign County.
In Washington, the gymnasium of St. Patrick’s School served for two weeks as a relief area. It quickly filled with donated food and clothing.
“Please take these things,” Father Willard told needy families, dozens of whom raised hands at every Mass when he asked how many “lost everything” in the storm. “People want to help. It’s amazing what they’ve done. As a pastor, I’m very humbled.”
Among those picking up essentials such as toiletries and detergent a week after the tornado was Jennifer Mendoza, who was in Indianapolis with her daughter Liv when the storm struck Washington. Her husband Frank and son Madden were at home, and survived the tornado in the basement.
“Our home is gone,” said Jennifer. The Mendozas are now staying with friends, but gathering with her parish family “means everything to me,” she told The Catholic Post.
“I’ve got a million and one things to do, but I don’t want to leave here,” said Jennifer, citing the spiritual and emotional support her family received in addition to the supplies.
Mary Venegoni, who is now living with her brother Tony in Morton after her home was badly damaged, echoed those sentiments.
“It means everything to come to Mass,” said Venegoni, who frequently wiped tears during the liturgy. “I knew I’d struggle,” she said. “But there’s no other place to be right now -- this was the place I need to be.”
“THIS IS OUR HOME”
For Father Willard, the prayerful scene at St. Patrick Church was like heaven.
“We’re not going to have our possessions with us” in heaven, he observed. “We’re going to only have Jesus Christ, and that’s all we need.”
While parish families will be “scattered around for awhile, this is our home,” he said of the church, which was not damaged in the storm.
Father Willard said the disaster has given the community an opportunity “to show our world, our country, what it means to have Christ in the center of our lives.” He urged them to evangelize even through their time of struggle.
“Let us go out in the world and prove to our world that we are strong in Christ Jesus. Live out the Gospel. Love one another, and serve people.”
He ended his homily by quoting a favorite hymn, “O God Beyond All Praising,” selected as the closing song for that Sunday’s Mass: “We will triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless you still.” The assembly responded with applause.
Former Champaign Priest in Midst of Washington Tornado Aftermath
Friday, November 22, 2013
by Mary Schenk
Photo by Dave Devall
WASHINGTON — In June, the Rev. Steve Willard stood on the altar at Holy Cross Church, weeping as he revealed to parishioners he was being reassigned to a church in western Illinois.
After eight years at the helm of the central Champaign Catholic parish, he was being transferred to Washington, not far from his hometown of Peoria. 'I'm not sure what God has in store for me,' the beloved priest told his Holy Cross family.
On Sunday, God gave the 47-year-old priest of 20 years a hint.
"The sirens were going off about a minute before 11. I wasn't vested yet," he said. He ran outside of the church on the east end of town to get people inside as quickly as possible, stopping to help a lady in a wheelchair. There were more than 200 people inside. The 11 o'clock is the most popular of the three Sunday services, he said, a fact that would prove life-saving.
"The sky was black. I kept hearing the train noise. I was looking down our street and saw a funnel cloud. It would come down and go up like a wall," he said, excitedly reciting the memory of what happened four days earlier.
Willard felt confident that the wall of whatever was coming was going to miss St. Patrick's, but he knew it was serious. "I ran inside and the power went off. It was so quick. It was like 'Boom. Done.'," he said.
"It touched down about a mile to a mile-and-a-half from the church," he said, explaining that the tornado generally went through the middle of the town of about 16,000. "What the town is saying is that most of the people were at the churches when it hit the area that got hit hard. It's leveled. It's unbelievable. At this point, one person has died," he said, marveling that so many were spared a similar fate.
Willard said he went ahead and said Mass in the dark but could hear a few phones signaling incoming calls or text messages. Of the approximately 1,000 families in the parish, more than 90 had homes leveled or severely damaged.
By Monday, donations of help were pouring in to the parish, which also has a grade school where the items have been dropped off. "We have tons of food and clothing and people throughout the county have been calling. We have hot food for people who need to come. It's like a shelter during the day," he said. A few of the donations even came from Holy Cross and St. Matthew's Catholic parish members in Champaign.
Willard said he has a great "core team" of parishioners who sprang to action helping with basics like communication and trying to find housing for others. "We have that going on right now. There are so many things to do to try to get people lives together. It's amazing how these people have pulled together."
The process has forced him to quickly learn the names of congregants he hadn't yet committed to memory.
On Thursday, the St. Patrick's grade school reopened for classes. "It's more in the sense of day care for families," he said of the reopening. "The children are talking about it."
"One little girl in kindergarten said, 'My house got blown away, but it's somewhere in Washington.' Another girl said 'God put his hands over our house and my dad was able to drive the tornado away from our house,'" he recounted.
Willard said it's healthy for the children to talk about the trauma but hard not to get emotional while listening. "I get teary-eyed. I have to keep focused. I gotta' be strong. It's going to hit me sometime," he said.
Willard said several of his Champaign friends who heard him wonder why he was being transferred to Washington have mentioned that they understand now. "I do believe that. It could be any priest, but God wanted me to be here."
by Mary Schenk
Photo by Dave Devall
WASHINGTON — In June, the Rev. Steve Willard stood on the altar at Holy Cross Church, weeping as he revealed to parishioners he was being reassigned to a church in western Illinois.
After eight years at the helm of the central Champaign Catholic parish, he was being transferred to Washington, not far from his hometown of Peoria. 'I'm not sure what God has in store for me,' the beloved priest told his Holy Cross family.
On Sunday, God gave the 47-year-old priest of 20 years a hint.
"The sirens were going off about a minute before 11. I wasn't vested yet," he said. He ran outside of the church on the east end of town to get people inside as quickly as possible, stopping to help a lady in a wheelchair. There were more than 200 people inside. The 11 o'clock is the most popular of the three Sunday services, he said, a fact that would prove life-saving.
"The sky was black. I kept hearing the train noise. I was looking down our street and saw a funnel cloud. It would come down and go up like a wall," he said, excitedly reciting the memory of what happened four days earlier.
Willard felt confident that the wall of whatever was coming was going to miss St. Patrick's, but he knew it was serious. "I ran inside and the power went off. It was so quick. It was like 'Boom. Done.'," he said.
"It touched down about a mile to a mile-and-a-half from the church," he said, explaining that the tornado generally went through the middle of the town of about 16,000. "What the town is saying is that most of the people were at the churches when it hit the area that got hit hard. It's leveled. It's unbelievable. At this point, one person has died," he said, marveling that so many were spared a similar fate.
Willard said he went ahead and said Mass in the dark but could hear a few phones signaling incoming calls or text messages. Of the approximately 1,000 families in the parish, more than 90 had homes leveled or severely damaged.
By Monday, donations of help were pouring in to the parish, which also has a grade school where the items have been dropped off. "We have tons of food and clothing and people throughout the county have been calling. We have hot food for people who need to come. It's like a shelter during the day," he said. A few of the donations even came from Holy Cross and St. Matthew's Catholic parish members in Champaign.
Willard said he has a great "core team" of parishioners who sprang to action helping with basics like communication and trying to find housing for others. "We have that going on right now. There are so many things to do to try to get people lives together. It's amazing how these people have pulled together."
The process has forced him to quickly learn the names of congregants he hadn't yet committed to memory.
On Thursday, the St. Patrick's grade school reopened for classes. "It's more in the sense of day care for families," he said of the reopening. "The children are talking about it."
"One little girl in kindergarten said, 'My house got blown away, but it's somewhere in Washington.' Another girl said 'God put his hands over our house and my dad was able to drive the tornado away from our house,'" he recounted.
Willard said it's healthy for the children to talk about the trauma but hard not to get emotional while listening. "I get teary-eyed. I have to keep focused. I gotta' be strong. It's going to hit me sometime," he said.
Willard said several of his Champaign friends who heard him wonder why he was being transferred to Washington have mentioned that they understand now. "I do believe that. It could be any priest, but God wanted me to be here."
Relic of Blessed John Paul II Coming to Peoria! (2013)
Dear Faithful of the Diocese of Peoria:
It is with great joy that I share with you an exciting and historic event in the Diocese of Peoria. Under the direction of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a first class relic of Blessed John Paul II will be brought to our diocese. This relic is a vial of his blood encased in a gold gospel book. This relic is the official relic used in advancing his cause for canonization. We are grateful that Mother Adela, Superior of the Pierced Heart Sisters, has not only graciously allowed her sisters to work in our diocese but also has included the diocese in this historic event. It is due to their dedication to Blessed John Paul II and connection to his cause that this event is possible.
Peoria is one of only three dioceses to receive his relic; and, the only diocese outside of the state of Florida.
I know that all of us have fond memories of Blessed John Paul II and the many great things he did for the Church. Our celebration with his relic not only honors the memory of this great man, but also, prepares our local church to celebrate his future canonization.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky
It is with great joy that I share with you an exciting and historic event in the Diocese of Peoria. Under the direction of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a first class relic of Blessed John Paul II will be brought to our diocese. This relic is a vial of his blood encased in a gold gospel book. This relic is the official relic used in advancing his cause for canonization. We are grateful that Mother Adela, Superior of the Pierced Heart Sisters, has not only graciously allowed her sisters to work in our diocese but also has included the diocese in this historic event. It is due to their dedication to Blessed John Paul II and connection to his cause that this event is possible.
Peoria is one of only three dioceses to receive his relic; and, the only diocese outside of the state of Florida.
I know that all of us have fond memories of Blessed John Paul II and the many great things he did for the Church. Our celebration with his relic not only honors the memory of this great man, but also, prepares our local church to celebrate his future canonization.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky
The Vatican says the late Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will be declared saints in a joint ceremony on April 27, 2014.
VATICAN CITY
September 30, 2013
Pope Francis said Monday that Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will be declared saints April 27, the first time two former popes will have been canonized the same day and making John Paul's path to sainthood the shortest ever.
Popes John Paul II and John XXIII were two of the most beloved and charismatic popes in recent times, and so far Francis has drawn comparisons to both men.
Catholics in Rome said they were thrilled by the news, and some speculated the timing of the ceremony just a week after Easter promised to make next April an exceptionally busy period on the Catholic calendar.
"Easter is always a big event for the faithful and it will be more the case because Francis is so loved. And then a week later, to have the canonization service for two popes loved by almost everyone, it will be the busiest period in years," Costa, a local merchant, said.
The miracles of John Paul II are curing a French nun of Parkinson's disease and a Costa Rican woman of a brain aneurism, both after they prayed in his name. The miracle of John XXIII is that he saved the life of an Italian nun who was born without certain organs.
September 30, 2013
Pope Francis said Monday that Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will be declared saints April 27, the first time two former popes will have been canonized the same day and making John Paul's path to sainthood the shortest ever.
Popes John Paul II and John XXIII were two of the most beloved and charismatic popes in recent times, and so far Francis has drawn comparisons to both men.
Catholics in Rome said they were thrilled by the news, and some speculated the timing of the ceremony just a week after Easter promised to make next April an exceptionally busy period on the Catholic calendar.
"Easter is always a big event for the faithful and it will be more the case because Francis is so loved. And then a week later, to have the canonization service for two popes loved by almost everyone, it will be the busiest period in years," Costa, a local merchant, said.
The miracles of John Paul II are curing a French nun of Parkinson's disease and a Costa Rican woman of a brain aneurism, both after they prayed in his name. The miracle of John XXIII is that he saved the life of an Italian nun who was born without certain organs.
Announcement Coming on September 30, 2013
Vatican City
September 21, 2013
The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis would lead an assembly of cardinals on Sept. 30 in the Apostolic Palace to announce the much-awaited date for the ceremony to make both Pope John XXIII and John Paul II saints. Thousands of faithful are expected to flock to St. Peter's Square the day of the announcement.
A first plan to hold the solemn ceremony for both widely beloved pontiffs envisioned holding the canonization on Dec. 8 when the Church celebrates a feast day in honor of the Virgin Mary; but that date soon was deemed as impractical, since great numbers of Poles from John Paul's homeland would risk driving or taking buses on what could be dangerously icy roads to come to the ceremony. Sometime in spring 2014, when weather is milder, is considered the likely choice.
September 21, 2013
The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis would lead an assembly of cardinals on Sept. 30 in the Apostolic Palace to announce the much-awaited date for the ceremony to make both Pope John XXIII and John Paul II saints. Thousands of faithful are expected to flock to St. Peter's Square the day of the announcement.
A first plan to hold the solemn ceremony for both widely beloved pontiffs envisioned holding the canonization on Dec. 8 when the Church celebrates a feast day in honor of the Virgin Mary; but that date soon was deemed as impractical, since great numbers of Poles from John Paul's homeland would risk driving or taking buses on what could be dangerously icy roads to come to the ceremony. Sometime in spring 2014, when weather is milder, is considered the likely choice.
Pope Francis Calls for a Day of Prayer and Fasting: Saturday, September 7, 2013
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 1st September 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hello! Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to make add my voice to the cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a cry which declares with force: we want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected.
There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which are looming.
I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal which arises from the deep within me. How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake in that martyred country, especially among civilians and the unarmed! I think of many children will not see the light of the future! With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart. There is a judgment of God and of history upon our actions which are inescapable! Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence.
With all my strength, I ask each party in this conflict to listen to the voice of their own conscience, not to close themselves in solely on their own interests, but rather to look at each other as brothers and decisively and courageously to follow the path of encounter and negotiation, and so overcome blind conflict. With similar vigour I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people.
May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and the many refugees in nearby countries. May humanitarian workers, charged with the task of alleviating the sufferings of these people, be granted access so as to provide the necessary aid.
What can we do to make peace in the world? As Pope John said, it pertains to each individual to establish new relationships in human society under the mastery and guidance of justice and love (cf. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, [11 April 1963]: AAS 55, [1963], 301-302).
All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace. I make a forceful and urgent call to the entire Catholic Church, and also to every Christian of other confessions, as well as to followers of every religion and to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs all of humanity!
I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace.
May the plea for peace rise up and touch the heart of everyone so that they may lay down their weapons and be let themselves be led by the desire for peace.
To this end, brothers and sisters, I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative.
On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s Square, here, from 19:00 until 24:00, we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention.
Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Sunday, 1st September 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hello! Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to make add my voice to the cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a cry which declares with force: we want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected.
There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which are looming.
I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal which arises from the deep within me. How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake in that martyred country, especially among civilians and the unarmed! I think of many children will not see the light of the future! With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart. There is a judgment of God and of history upon our actions which are inescapable! Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence.
With all my strength, I ask each party in this conflict to listen to the voice of their own conscience, not to close themselves in solely on their own interests, but rather to look at each other as brothers and decisively and courageously to follow the path of encounter and negotiation, and so overcome blind conflict. With similar vigour I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people.
May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and the many refugees in nearby countries. May humanitarian workers, charged with the task of alleviating the sufferings of these people, be granted access so as to provide the necessary aid.
What can we do to make peace in the world? As Pope John said, it pertains to each individual to establish new relationships in human society under the mastery and guidance of justice and love (cf. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, [11 April 1963]: AAS 55, [1963], 301-302).
All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace. I make a forceful and urgent call to the entire Catholic Church, and also to every Christian of other confessions, as well as to followers of every religion and to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs all of humanity!
I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace.
May the plea for peace rise up and touch the heart of everyone so that they may lay down their weapons and be let themselves be led by the desire for peace.
To this end, brothers and sisters, I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative.
On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s Square, here, from 19:00 until 24:00, we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention.
Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Pope consecrates Vatican City to St. Joseph, St. Michael the Archangel
From Vatican Radio – July 5, 2013
To the joy of Vatican City State workers, Friday morning Pope Francis was joined by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in the gardens for a ceremony during which the Holy Father blessed a statue of St Michael Archangel, at the same time consecrating the Vatican to the Archangel’s protection.
Following a brief ceremony, Pope Francis addressed those present noting how St. Michael defends the People of God from he devil. He said even if the devil attempts to disfigure the face of the Archangel and thus the face of humanity, St Michael wins, because God acts in him and is stronger:
“In the Vatican Gardens there are several works of art. But this, which has now been added, takes on particular importance, in its location as well as the meaning it expresses. In fact it is not just celebratory work but an invitation to reflection and prayer, that fits well into the Year of Faith. Michael – which means “Who is like God” – is the champion of the primacy of God, of His transcendence and power.
“Michael struggles to restore divine justice and defends the People of God from his enemies, above all by the enemy par excellence, the devil. And St. Michael wins because in him, there is He God who acts. This sculpture reminds us then that evil is overcome, the accuser is unmasked, his head crushed, because salvation was accomplished once and for all in the blood of Christ. Though the devil always tries to disfigure the face of the Archangel and that of humanity, God is stronger, it is His victory and His salvation that is offered to all men.
“We are not alone on the journey or in the trials of life, we are accompanied and supported by the Angels of God, who offer, so to speak, their wings to help us overcome so many dangers, in order to fly high compared to those realities that can weigh down our lives or drag us down. In consecrating Vatican City State to St. Michael the Archangel, I ask him to defend us from the evil one and banish him. ”
“We also consecrate Vatican City State in St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus, the guardian of the Holy Family. May his presence make us stronger and more courageous in making space for God in our lives to always defeat evil with good. We ask Him to protect, take care of us, so that a life of grace grows stronger in each of us every day. ”
To the joy of Vatican City State workers, Friday morning Pope Francis was joined by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in the gardens for a ceremony during which the Holy Father blessed a statue of St Michael Archangel, at the same time consecrating the Vatican to the Archangel’s protection.
Following a brief ceremony, Pope Francis addressed those present noting how St. Michael defends the People of God from he devil. He said even if the devil attempts to disfigure the face of the Archangel and thus the face of humanity, St Michael wins, because God acts in him and is stronger:
“In the Vatican Gardens there are several works of art. But this, which has now been added, takes on particular importance, in its location as well as the meaning it expresses. In fact it is not just celebratory work but an invitation to reflection and prayer, that fits well into the Year of Faith. Michael – which means “Who is like God” – is the champion of the primacy of God, of His transcendence and power.
“Michael struggles to restore divine justice and defends the People of God from his enemies, above all by the enemy par excellence, the devil. And St. Michael wins because in him, there is He God who acts. This sculpture reminds us then that evil is overcome, the accuser is unmasked, his head crushed, because salvation was accomplished once and for all in the blood of Christ. Though the devil always tries to disfigure the face of the Archangel and that of humanity, God is stronger, it is His victory and His salvation that is offered to all men.
“We are not alone on the journey or in the trials of life, we are accompanied and supported by the Angels of God, who offer, so to speak, their wings to help us overcome so many dangers, in order to fly high compared to those realities that can weigh down our lives or drag us down. In consecrating Vatican City State to St. Michael the Archangel, I ask him to defend us from the evil one and banish him. ”
“We also consecrate Vatican City State in St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus, the guardian of the Holy Family. May his presence make us stronger and more courageous in making space for God in our lives to always defeat evil with good. We ask Him to protect, take care of us, so that a life of grace grows stronger in each of us every day. ”
Pope clears sainthood path for John Paul II, John XXIII
July 5, 2013
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Pope Francis signed a decree clearing the way for the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and has decided also to ask the world's cardinals to vote on the canonization of Blessed John XXIII, even in the absence of a miracle. After Pope Francis met July 5 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, the Vatican published a list of decrees the pope approved related to Blessed John Paul's canonization and 11 other sainthood causes. Publishing the decrees, the Vatican also said, "The supreme pontiff approved the favorable votes of the ordinary session of the cardinal- and bishop-fathers regarding the canonization of Blessed John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli) and has decided to convoke a consistory that will also involve the canonization of Blessed John Paul II." Normally, after a pope signs a decree recognizing the miracle needed for a canonization, the pope consults with cardinals around the world and calls a consistory -- a gathering attended by any cardinal who wants and is able to attend -- where those present voice their support for the pope's decision to proclaim a new saint. A date for a canonization ceremony is announced formally only during or immediately after the consistory. The cardinals and archbishops who are members of the saints' congregation met at the Vatican July 2 and voted in favor of the pope recognizing as a miracle the healing of Floribeth Mora Diaz, a Costa Rican who was suffering from a brain aneurysm and recovered after prayers through the intercession of Blessed John Paul. The congregation members, according to news reports, also looked at the cause of Blessed John and voted to ask Pope Francis to canonize him without requiring a miracle. According to church rules -- established by the pope and subject to changes by him -- a miracle is needed after beatification to make a candidate eligible for canonization. Jesuit Father Paolo Molinari, the longtime head of the College of Postulators -- or promoters of sainthood causes -- has explained that in the sainthood process, miracles are "the confirmation by God of a judgment made by human beings" that the candidate really is in heaven. But, Father Molinari also has said that for decades theologians have explored the possibility that such a confirmation could come by means other than someone experiencing a physical healing. For instance, Blessed John Paul beatified Victoire Rasoamanarivo in Madagascar in 1989 after accepting as a miracle the case of a wind-swept brush fire stopping at the edge of a village whose inhabitants invoked her intercession. Announcing the decision about Blessed John's cause, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the discussions about the need for miracles and what can be defined as an acceptable miracle continue. However, he said, the movement in the late pope's cause does not indicate a general change in church policy. The members of the Congregation for Saints' Causes "have expressed their hope, and the Holy Father has accepted it," Father Lombardi said. If Pope Francis "had any doubts, we wouldn't be here" announcing the consistory to approve Blessed John's canonization. "As we all know very well, John XXIII is a person beloved in the church. We are in the 50th anniversary year of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, which he convoked. And I think none of us has any doubts about John XXIII's virtues," the spokesman said. "So, the Holy Father is looking toward his canonization." Father Lombardi also noted that no date for a canonization ceremony was announced, but it is likely that the two popes will be canonized together, possibly "by the end of the year." |
Blessed John Paul II is pictured at the start of his 1987 trip to the United States; at right, a painting of Blessed John XXIII, the pope who convened the Second Vatican Council.
CNS photos |
Easter Vigil Homily by Pope Francis (2013)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: “What happened?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” (cf. Lk 24:4). Doesn’t the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don’t understand, we don’t know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God’s surprises; we are afraid of God’s surprises! He always surprises us!
Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him.
2. But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn’t tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6). What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10). Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!
Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.
3. There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: “they were terrified and bowed their faced to the ground”, Saint Luke tells us – they didn’t even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith. And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee… And they remembered his words” (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.
On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen.
1. In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: “What happened?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” (cf. Lk 24:4). Doesn’t the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don’t understand, we don’t know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God’s surprises; we are afraid of God’s surprises! He always surprises us!
Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him.
2. But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn’t tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6). What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10). Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!
Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.
3. There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: “they were terrified and bowed their faced to the ground”, Saint Luke tells us – they didn’t even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith. And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee… And they remembered his words” (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.
On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Argentina: Pope Francis (2013)
(Reuters) - Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, delivered his first blessing and message to Rome and the world about an hour after his election as successor of Pope Benedict.
Here is a transcript of his first words as pope as translated by from the Italian.
"Brothers and sisters, good evening.
"You know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world to get him, but here we are.
"I thank you for this welcome by the diocesan community of Rome to its bishop. Thank you.
"First of all, I would like to say a prayer for our bishop emeritus, Benedict XVI. Let us all pray together for him, let us all pray together for him so that the Lord may bless him and that the Madonna may protect him."
(The new pope then prayed the "Lord's Prayer", the "Hail Mary" and the "Glory Be" with the crowd in Italian). He then continued:
"And now, let us start this journey, bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which leads all the Churches in charity, a journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us.
"Let us always pray for us, one for the other, let us pray for the whole world, so that there may be a great fraternity. I hope that this journey of the Church that we begin today and which my cardinal vicar, who is here with me, will help me with, may be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city.
"Now, I would like to give you a blessing, but first I want to ask you for a favor. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you pray to the Lord so that he blesses me. This is the prayer of the people who are asking for the blessing of their bishop.
"In silence, let us say this prayer of you for me."
(After a few seconds of silent prayer, he then delivered his blessing). He then concluded:
"Now, I will give you and the whole world a blessing, to all men and women of good will. Tomorrow I want to go to pray to the Madonna so that she protects all of Rome. Good night and have a good rest."
Here is a transcript of his first words as pope as translated by from the Italian.
"Brothers and sisters, good evening.
"You know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world to get him, but here we are.
"I thank you for this welcome by the diocesan community of Rome to its bishop. Thank you.
"First of all, I would like to say a prayer for our bishop emeritus, Benedict XVI. Let us all pray together for him, let us all pray together for him so that the Lord may bless him and that the Madonna may protect him."
(The new pope then prayed the "Lord's Prayer", the "Hail Mary" and the "Glory Be" with the crowd in Italian). He then continued:
"And now, let us start this journey, bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which leads all the Churches in charity, a journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us.
"Let us always pray for us, one for the other, let us pray for the whole world, so that there may be a great fraternity. I hope that this journey of the Church that we begin today and which my cardinal vicar, who is here with me, will help me with, may be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city.
"Now, I would like to give you a blessing, but first I want to ask you for a favor. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you pray to the Lord so that he blesses me. This is the prayer of the people who are asking for the blessing of their bishop.
"In silence, let us say this prayer of you for me."
(After a few seconds of silent prayer, he then delivered his blessing). He then concluded:
"Now, I will give you and the whole world a blessing, to all men and women of good will. Tomorrow I want to go to pray to the Madonna so that she protects all of Rome. Good night and have a good rest."
Papal Conclave to Begin March 12, 2013
By Jason Horowitz
The Washington Post Published: March 8 VATICAN CITY — The College of Cardinals will convene Tuesday to begin the formal process of selecting a new pope to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, the Vatican announced Friday.
In their eighth general congregation, or pre-conclave meeting, the cardinals voted to start the conclave Tuesday afternoon, after a morning “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The cardinals will convene inside the Sistine Chapel, and they are sworn to secrecy and barred from contact with the outside world until their deliberations are complete. Voting begins the first afternoon. If no papal candidate receives the required two-thirds of the votes, the ballot is repeated twice each morning and afternoon. If, after the third day, no pope is elected, a one-day break for prayer is permitted. Since the early 20th century, no conclave has lasted more than five days.
In his daily update Friday with the Catholic Channel on Sirius XM, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said he thought the cardinals by Saturday could complete their pre-conclave sessions — in which they listen to discussions of the challenges facing the church in individual countries and take the measure of the men among them who could be pope.
The picking of the date puts to rest one of the first questions of the selection process and turns attention to more interesting mysteries: Will the Italians, who dominated the papacy for more than four centuries before the ascent of Poland’s John Paul II in 1978, reclaim the throne, or will another non-Italian pope be selected? (Benedict XVI is German.)
Will the 266th pontiff be the first from the so-called New World, either from South America, where the church’s 200 million faithful are courted in a lively religious marketplace, or from North America, where American and Canadian candidates are seen as surprisingly strong? Or will the church look to Africa, where it is gaining strength, or Asia?
On Sunday, many of the cardinals are expected to visit their titular churches in Rome, offering what could be a last glimpse of the prelates before they enter the conclave (from the Latin “with a key”). Before they begin a Vatican lockdown, they will spend these last days hammering out alliances, gravitating toward candidates or working to peel off supporters from other papal contenders.
Once inside the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican’s chamberlain — a position filled by Benedict’s former second in command, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone — will declare “extra omnes.” At that moment, everyone without a vote exits, leaving the cardinals alone with Michelangelo’s frescoes and ballots reading “Eligo in summum pontificem” (“I elect as supreme pontiff”) across the top.
The Washington Post Published: March 8 VATICAN CITY — The College of Cardinals will convene Tuesday to begin the formal process of selecting a new pope to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, the Vatican announced Friday.
In their eighth general congregation, or pre-conclave meeting, the cardinals voted to start the conclave Tuesday afternoon, after a morning “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The cardinals will convene inside the Sistine Chapel, and they are sworn to secrecy and barred from contact with the outside world until their deliberations are complete. Voting begins the first afternoon. If no papal candidate receives the required two-thirds of the votes, the ballot is repeated twice each morning and afternoon. If, after the third day, no pope is elected, a one-day break for prayer is permitted. Since the early 20th century, no conclave has lasted more than five days.
In his daily update Friday with the Catholic Channel on Sirius XM, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said he thought the cardinals by Saturday could complete their pre-conclave sessions — in which they listen to discussions of the challenges facing the church in individual countries and take the measure of the men among them who could be pope.
The picking of the date puts to rest one of the first questions of the selection process and turns attention to more interesting mysteries: Will the Italians, who dominated the papacy for more than four centuries before the ascent of Poland’s John Paul II in 1978, reclaim the throne, or will another non-Italian pope be selected? (Benedict XVI is German.)
Will the 266th pontiff be the first from the so-called New World, either from South America, where the church’s 200 million faithful are courted in a lively religious marketplace, or from North America, where American and Canadian candidates are seen as surprisingly strong? Or will the church look to Africa, where it is gaining strength, or Asia?
On Sunday, many of the cardinals are expected to visit their titular churches in Rome, offering what could be a last glimpse of the prelates before they enter the conclave (from the Latin “with a key”). Before they begin a Vatican lockdown, they will spend these last days hammering out alliances, gravitating toward candidates or working to peel off supporters from other papal contenders.
Once inside the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican’s chamberlain — a position filled by Benedict’s former second in command, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone — will declare “extra omnes.” At that moment, everyone without a vote exits, leaving the cardinals alone with Michelangelo’s frescoes and ballots reading “Eligo in summum pontificem” (“I elect as supreme pontiff”) across the top.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation at end of month.
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28th.
Full text of Pope's declaration:
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28th.
Full text of Pope's declaration:
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
"Faith" is theme of 2013 Festival Letter by Bishop Jenky
By Tom Dermody
January 20, 2013 Issue "The message of the Gospel is so consoling and compelling that believers should not be able to contain their enthusiasm for sharing it with others," writes Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, in "Faith." Catholic Post file photo
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, opened 2013 by calling Catholics to “deepen the intensity of our faith and so inspire greater fervor in our worship of God and greater energy in the service of neighbor.”
In a major teaching document titled “Faith” -- printed in full in the Jan. 6 issue of The Catholic Post and also available online here -- Bishop Jenky shares what the word means to him “both as a fellow believer and as your bishop.”
The document is the bishop’s 11th annual “Festival Letter” to the Diocese of Peoria. It echoes the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI to observe a “Year of Faith” from Oct. 11, 2012 to Nov. 24, 2013.
“Basic to my understanding of faith is the notion that we must always ‘let God be God,’” writes Bishop Jenky. “There is profound wisdom in the simple ideas: ‘I can’t. God can. Let God,’” he adds later.
Bishop Jenky asks every believer to accept Christ’s mandate to “go out into the whole world and announce the Good News.”
“The message of the Gospel is so consoling and compelling that believers should not be able to contain their enthusiasm for sharing it with others,” writes the bishop. But while God gives everyone opportunities to share their faith, “not everyone accepts this most basic responsibility of Catholic Christianity.”
The church exists to evangelize, emphasized Bishop Jenky.
“Evangelization means the joyous announcement of the greatest possible Good News,” he wrote. “God loves us, and in Jesus Christ we can know God and so know wholeness and salvation.”
He pointed out that booklets to assist in sharing the faith will soon be made available online at the Diocese of Peoria website.
Like Pope Benedict, Bishop Jenky called Catholics to greater prayer and a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.
“We cannot give what we do not have, and we cannot bring others to Christ unless we ourselves are engaged in a life-long journey with the Lord through our growing adherence to his teaching,” he wrote.
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, opened 2013 by calling Catholics to “deepen the intensity of our faith and so inspire greater fervor in our worship of God and greater energy in the service of neighbor.”
In a major teaching document titled “Faith” -- printed in full in the Jan. 6 issue of The Catholic Post and also available online here -- Bishop Jenky shares what the word means to him “both as a fellow believer and as your bishop.”
The document is the bishop’s 11th annual “Festival Letter” to the Diocese of Peoria. It echoes the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI to observe a “Year of Faith” from Oct. 11, 2012 to Nov. 24, 2013.
“Basic to my understanding of faith is the notion that we must always ‘let God be God,’” writes Bishop Jenky. “There is profound wisdom in the simple ideas: ‘I can’t. God can. Let God,’” he adds later.
Bishop Jenky asks every believer to accept Christ’s mandate to “go out into the whole world and announce the Good News.”
“The message of the Gospel is so consoling and compelling that believers should not be able to contain their enthusiasm for sharing it with others,” writes the bishop. But while God gives everyone opportunities to share their faith, “not everyone accepts this most basic responsibility of Catholic Christianity.”
The church exists to evangelize, emphasized Bishop Jenky.
“Evangelization means the joyous announcement of the greatest possible Good News,” he wrote. “God loves us, and in Jesus Christ we can know God and so know wholeness and salvation.”
He pointed out that booklets to assist in sharing the faith will soon be made available online at the Diocese of Peoria website.
Like Pope Benedict, Bishop Jenky called Catholics to greater prayer and a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.
“We cannot give what we do not have, and we cannot bring others to Christ unless we ourselves are engaged in a life-long journey with the Lord through our growing adherence to his teaching,” he wrote.
POPE BENEDICT XVI CANONIZED 7 SAINTS ON OCTOBER 21, 2012
ST. PETER’S BASILICA-ROME, ITALY
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Pope Promotes Rediscovering Rosary During the Year of Faith
CNA Daily News On October - 8 - 2012
Pope Benedict XVI is suggesting that families and parishes rediscover the prayer of the Rosary in the Year of Faith, which begins later this week.
“With the Rosary, we allow ourselves to be guided by Mary, model of faith, in meditating on the mysteries of Christ, and day after day we are helped to assimilate the Gospel, so that it shapes all our lives,” the Pope said Oct. 7 in his Sunday Angelus comments.
The Rosary, which comes from the Latin for “garland of roses,” is a traditional Marian prayer that involves meditating on the episodes of Christ’s life, ranging from his incarnation and birth to his death and resurrection.
Speaking on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Benedict recalled how his predecessor Blessed John Paul II promoted the Rosary in his 2002 apostolic letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae.”
“I invite you to pray the Rosary personally, in the family and in the community, learning at the school of Mary, which leads us to Christ, the living center of our faith,” Pope Benedict told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
The pontiff prays the Rosary every evening while strolling in the Vatican Gardens with his personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein.
Moments earlier during Sunday Mass, the Pope opened the 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. The gathering is meant to advance efforts to re-evangelize the modern world. He asked for prayer for its success and for the Year of Faith, which begins Oct. 11.
“May these events confirm us in the beauty and joy of our faith in Jesus Christ which comes to us through the Church!” he said, before imparting his apostolic blessing.
“Entrusting these intentions to our Lady of the Rosary, I invoke upon all of you God’s abundant blessings!”
Pope Benedict XVI is suggesting that families and parishes rediscover the prayer of the Rosary in the Year of Faith, which begins later this week.
“With the Rosary, we allow ourselves to be guided by Mary, model of faith, in meditating on the mysteries of Christ, and day after day we are helped to assimilate the Gospel, so that it shapes all our lives,” the Pope said Oct. 7 in his Sunday Angelus comments.
The Rosary, which comes from the Latin for “garland of roses,” is a traditional Marian prayer that involves meditating on the episodes of Christ’s life, ranging from his incarnation and birth to his death and resurrection.
Speaking on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Benedict recalled how his predecessor Blessed John Paul II promoted the Rosary in his 2002 apostolic letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae.”
“I invite you to pray the Rosary personally, in the family and in the community, learning at the school of Mary, which leads us to Christ, the living center of our faith,” Pope Benedict told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
The pontiff prays the Rosary every evening while strolling in the Vatican Gardens with his personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein.
Moments earlier during Sunday Mass, the Pope opened the 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. The gathering is meant to advance efforts to re-evangelize the modern world. He asked for prayer for its success and for the Year of Faith, which begins Oct. 11.
“May these events confirm us in the beauty and joy of our faith in Jesus Christ which comes to us through the Church!” he said, before imparting his apostolic blessing.
“Entrusting these intentions to our Lady of the Rosary, I invoke upon all of you God’s abundant blessings!”
Fulton Sheen Declared Venerable by the Vatican
Peoria, Ill., Jun 30, 2012 / 07:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A priest connected with the cause of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has said the “historic speed” with which he was declared venerable could be a sign that next steps to the beatification and canonization of the famous U.S. television evangelist and author might proceed at a rapid pace.
Msgr. Stanley Deptula, the executive director of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, told a June 29 telephone press conference that only God knows whether and when Ven. Fulton Sheen will advance to sainthood.
However, the speed of Fulton Sheen’s cause has been “remarkably quick.”
“This cause enjoys the support of cardinals and bishops and priests around the world, so much does Fulton Sheen mean in their own lives and own vocations,” the monsignor said.
“We might be very hopeful that with this level of support, and the importance Fulton Sheen means to the Church in the modern world, we might see that these next steps progress very quickly.”
Ven. Fulton Sheen’s cause has support from cardinals, bishops and priests around the world because he meant “so much” in their own lives and vocations, Msgr. Deptula explained.
On June 28 Pope Benedict XVI authorized a decree that recognized the heroic virtues of the beloved host of the “Catholic Hour” radio show and the ABC television show “Life is Worth Living.” Ven. Fulton Sheen authored many books and headed Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He served as an auxiliary bishop of New York and as Bishop of Rochester.
He continued to be a leading figure in U.S. Catholicism until his death in 1979 at the age of 84.
His cause for sainthood was opened in 2002. An authenticated miracle is now needed for Ven. Fulton Sheen to be beatified, the last step before canonization.
Msgr. Deptula said that three “fully documented alleged miracles” attributed to Fulton Sheen’s intercession have been collected. However, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Saints asked those presenting his cause, known as “postulators,” to submit only one case.
The postulators chose to submit the case of James Fulton Engstrom, a boy born apparently stillborn in September 2010 to Bonnie and Travis Engstrom of the Peoria-area town of Goodfield. The child’s mother and her husband prayed to Archbishop Sheen to heal their son.
Although the baby showed no pulse for an hour after his birth, his heart started beating and he escaped serious medical problems.
“If all goes well, that miracle will be presented to the Holy Father for his authentication,” Msgr. Deptula explained. “Only God works a miracle, but only the Church can authenticate a miracle.”
Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Ill. and several other priests addressed the June 29 press conference.
The bishop said that Ven. Fulton Sheen “displayed virtues that the rest of us can try to imitate.” He was a “pioneer” in using media to proclaim the gospel and preached and taught “relentlessly.”
“We are so happy that His Holiness has declared Fulton Sheen venerable,” Bishop Jenky said.
At the start of his priestly life in Peoria, Ven. Fulton Sheen went door to door evangelizing “a dying parish,” powered by his continual prayer life.
“He always believed that the miracle of bringing more people to Christ came from the time spent on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament,” the bishop said.
“Perhaps most importantly, he was a man of holiness, of intense daily prayer,” he said. “That is an example that I believe the Church needs to imitate in these days.”
Msgr. Deptula said Sheen’s example can give Christians guidance on how to better engage the world by “using every tool at our disposal to bring the eternal and perennial Good News of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters today.”
Ven. Fulton Sheen also dedicated the profits from his books into foreign missions.
Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, the current head of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, said that these efforts had brought “great fruits” in 1,150 dioceses around the world encompassing half the globe.
Sheen’s work has helped create 9,000 clinics, 10,000 orphanages, and 1,200 schools. The institutions his donations support now educate 80,000 seminarians and 9,000 vowed religious.
He said that Sheen is “beloved around the world” and very few new possible saints are known as globally as him.
“As Americans that’s something we can be proud of,” said Fr. Small.
Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR, the vice-postulator of Fulton Sheen’s cause, called Sheen “a true disciple of Jesus.”
He cited Sheen’s essay “America Needs a Saint” in which the archbishop talked about “having a homegrown American saint, someone who grew up here in our country, to show that the Church had reached a maturity to produce saints.”
Fr. Apostoli recounted: “As I thought about that, I said to myself ‘God willing, he’s the saint we need’.”
Bishop Jenky will preside at a Sept 9 thanksgiving Mass at Peoria’s Cathedral of St. Mary.
“Fulton Sheen plays very well in Peoria,” the bishop said. He reported that the cathedral has been filled at every Mass commemorating the archbishop.
In response to the Vatican decree, the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation has launched a website about the celebrations at www.celebratesheen.com.
Msgr. Stanley Deptula, the executive director of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, told a June 29 telephone press conference that only God knows whether and when Ven. Fulton Sheen will advance to sainthood.
However, the speed of Fulton Sheen’s cause has been “remarkably quick.”
“This cause enjoys the support of cardinals and bishops and priests around the world, so much does Fulton Sheen mean in their own lives and own vocations,” the monsignor said.
“We might be very hopeful that with this level of support, and the importance Fulton Sheen means to the Church in the modern world, we might see that these next steps progress very quickly.”
Ven. Fulton Sheen’s cause has support from cardinals, bishops and priests around the world because he meant “so much” in their own lives and vocations, Msgr. Deptula explained.
On June 28 Pope Benedict XVI authorized a decree that recognized the heroic virtues of the beloved host of the “Catholic Hour” radio show and the ABC television show “Life is Worth Living.” Ven. Fulton Sheen authored many books and headed Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He served as an auxiliary bishop of New York and as Bishop of Rochester.
He continued to be a leading figure in U.S. Catholicism until his death in 1979 at the age of 84.
His cause for sainthood was opened in 2002. An authenticated miracle is now needed for Ven. Fulton Sheen to be beatified, the last step before canonization.
Msgr. Deptula said that three “fully documented alleged miracles” attributed to Fulton Sheen’s intercession have been collected. However, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Saints asked those presenting his cause, known as “postulators,” to submit only one case.
The postulators chose to submit the case of James Fulton Engstrom, a boy born apparently stillborn in September 2010 to Bonnie and Travis Engstrom of the Peoria-area town of Goodfield. The child’s mother and her husband prayed to Archbishop Sheen to heal their son.
Although the baby showed no pulse for an hour after his birth, his heart started beating and he escaped serious medical problems.
“If all goes well, that miracle will be presented to the Holy Father for his authentication,” Msgr. Deptula explained. “Only God works a miracle, but only the Church can authenticate a miracle.”
Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Ill. and several other priests addressed the June 29 press conference.
The bishop said that Ven. Fulton Sheen “displayed virtues that the rest of us can try to imitate.” He was a “pioneer” in using media to proclaim the gospel and preached and taught “relentlessly.”
“We are so happy that His Holiness has declared Fulton Sheen venerable,” Bishop Jenky said.
At the start of his priestly life in Peoria, Ven. Fulton Sheen went door to door evangelizing “a dying parish,” powered by his continual prayer life.
“He always believed that the miracle of bringing more people to Christ came from the time spent on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament,” the bishop said.
“Perhaps most importantly, he was a man of holiness, of intense daily prayer,” he said. “That is an example that I believe the Church needs to imitate in these days.”
Msgr. Deptula said Sheen’s example can give Christians guidance on how to better engage the world by “using every tool at our disposal to bring the eternal and perennial Good News of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters today.”
Ven. Fulton Sheen also dedicated the profits from his books into foreign missions.
Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, the current head of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, said that these efforts had brought “great fruits” in 1,150 dioceses around the world encompassing half the globe.
Sheen’s work has helped create 9,000 clinics, 10,000 orphanages, and 1,200 schools. The institutions his donations support now educate 80,000 seminarians and 9,000 vowed religious.
He said that Sheen is “beloved around the world” and very few new possible saints are known as globally as him.
“As Americans that’s something we can be proud of,” said Fr. Small.
Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR, the vice-postulator of Fulton Sheen’s cause, called Sheen “a true disciple of Jesus.”
He cited Sheen’s essay “America Needs a Saint” in which the archbishop talked about “having a homegrown American saint, someone who grew up here in our country, to show that the Church had reached a maturity to produce saints.”
Fr. Apostoli recounted: “As I thought about that, I said to myself ‘God willing, he’s the saint we need’.”
Bishop Jenky will preside at a Sept 9 thanksgiving Mass at Peoria’s Cathedral of St. Mary.
“Fulton Sheen plays very well in Peoria,” the bishop said. He reported that the cathedral has been filled at every Mass commemorating the archbishop.
In response to the Vatican decree, the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation has launched a website about the celebrations at www.celebratesheen.com.