When I was a brand-new seminarian, I had to choose a local outreach location where for two or three hours each week I would serve others in some capacity. I picked the Urban Mission in downtown Steubenville, Ohio, and once per week I drove to a Methodist Church with another student to help at the soup kitchen. Sometimes I helped in the kitchen cooking, other times arranging cans in the pantry, but every week without fail I assisted in serving... Read more
When I was a kid, I remember asking my mother once at Mass right before communion, “does the priest ever run out of hosts?” She gave me a quick and hushed response, “No, he never does.” My mind registered her answer with utter amazement. The priest never runs out of hosts! God must miraculously keep putting hosts in there! In my little mind, I imagined angels dropping hosts into the ciborium to make sure there were plenty of them. Though... Read more
The Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) was the first Catholic institution of higher learning to open in an ex-Soviet nation after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Tracing its origins to 1929 when Ukrainian Archbishop Josyf Slipyj founded the Greek Catholic Theological Academy which was closed by the Soviets in 1944, US-born Father Boris Gudziak led the reestablishment of the Academy in 1992 which eventually became the University. Now Archeparch of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, Father Boris Gudziak... Read more
Yesterday, a Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Yaroslav Pririz, issued instructions to the Priests of his Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych in western Ukraine. It expresses both love for the faithful and love for Ukraine. It captures the anxiety of the Ukrainian people as they face the onslaught of the Russian army. Here is a translation: In connection with the Russian military aggression and the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, I oblige the Pastors of the Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy to the... Read more
It appears that war is inevitable in Ukraine. When I spent time in that beautiful country, I quickly learned that Ukrainians overwhelmingly wished to affiliate with Western Europe rather than with Russia, but that this desire was not unanimous. I spent time in Western Ukraine which suffered greatly during Soviet times, is predominantly Catholic, and where there is a great desire to renew Ukrainian culture. Eastern Ukraine, closer to Russia, benefited greatly from industrialization during Soviet times (that is where... Read more
Today at noon time in Rome, the Holy Father named Father Jacques Fabre, CS the 14th Bishop of Charleston. The Diocese was established by Pope Pius VII on July 11, 1820, and it covered 142,000 square miles across the states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Today, that same territory is comprised of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Dioceses of Savannah, Raleigh and Charlotte. Bishop-elect Fabre was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In the early 1990s, he was a chaplain... Read more
Whenever we give a gift, deep down, we always expect something in return, don’t we? It is difficult to be a completely detached giver. Perhaps we don’t expect a gift in return or some kind of favor, but at least a thank you note, or a verbal thank you, or at least some acknowledgement that the gift was received. In everyday experience, the person who receives a gift is automatically beholden to the person who gives a gift. Something is... Read more
Over the past twelve years, I have witnessed many couples exchange wedding vows in front of me and their loved ones. Some are visibly nervous, others speak with great conviction, while a few can hardly pronounce the words due to tears of joy. It is impossible to remain indifferent while in attendance at a wedding: some miss their spouse who has died, others renew their personal commitment to each other, others still wonder when his or her true love will... Read more
I recall that in 1993, my dad bought over 100 pecan trees from a farm in Monticello, Florida, and we planted them in our farm outside Washington, Georgia. The trees, still very young, looked great along the road that ran along the side of our property, which by the way, is the same road where I learned how to drive. Unfortunately, the summer of ‘93 brought a tremendous drought to Georgia. One hundred fifty-six counties were declared disaster areas by... Read more
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Day of Prayer and Fasting for Ukraine
As the invasion of Ukraine continues, Pope Francis has asked that today be a special day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine. “I invite everyone to make March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace,” he said. “I encourage believers in a special way to devote themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace protect the world from the folly of war.” My Parish Christi in Pooler, Georgia, held a... Read more