Pope Francis approved two decrees this week instituting new memorials for Saints in the universal liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus will be celebrated on July 29, while Saint Gregory Narek will be on February 27, Saint John of Avila on May 10, and Saint Hildegard of Bingen on September 17. I love that Martha, Mary and Lazarus will be remembered together in this single Memorial. The Pope’s decree noted the “important evangelical witness they… Read more
Father Peter Whelan is best remembered for two things in South Georgia: 1. He served the spiritual needs of Confederate Irish soldiers at Fort Pulaski near Savannah, was captured, and became a Union prisoner of war in New York for six months. He refused to leave captivity until all the solders were exchanged. 2. He served as chaplain at Camp Sumter near Andersonville, Georgia (now Andersonville Prison) where many Catholic Union solders were kept. Conditions were appalling and deadly. He… Read more
La vida puede cambiar en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. “Quédate despierto, porque no sabes ni el día ni la hora”, dice Jesús después de compartir la parábola de las diez vírgenes. Si hay una constante en la vida, es la presencia constante del cambio. Recientemente celebré las misas dominicales en una parroquia en el sur de Georgia. Después de saludar a los parroquianos al concluir la Misa (a la distancia, por supuesto, y con una máscara), regresé a… Read more
Life can change in the blink of an eye. “Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour,” says Jesus after sharing the parable of the ten virgins. If there is one constant in life, it is the constant presence of change. I recently celebrated the weekend Masses at a parish in South Georgia. After greeting the faithful outside the church (at a distance of course, and wearing a mask), I continued back into the sacristy to remove… Read more
Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, issued a statement today on the inauguration of President Joseph Biden. I quote below the “pertinent” paragraphs. Of the whole statement, these words are the ones most Catholics will be interested in reading. Gomez speaks clearly with the mind of the Church. He welcomes the new president, yet speaks resolutely on the issues where absolute disagreement exists: abortion, contraception, marriage and gender. “I look forward to working with President Biden and his administration, and the… Read more
Among the gods of the Roman Empire was Janus, god of doors, gates and passageways. As god of these, it is reasonable that he was also the god of transitions, of beginnings and ends. He was portrayed as having two faces, each one looking in the opposite direction: one looking to the past and another to the future. Oftentimes Janus also held a key in his hand, signifying his authority over doors and transitions. It should be no surprise that… Read more
Entre los numerosos dioses del Imperio Romano se encontraba Jano, el dios de puertas, portones y pasillos. Como patrón de estos, tiene sentido que también fuera el dios de las transiciones, de los inicios y los finales. Jano era retratado con dos caras, cada una mirando en la dirección opuesta: una mirando al pasado y otra al futuro. A menudo, Jano también tenía una llave en la mano, la que representaba su autoridad sobre las puertas y las transiciones. No… Read more
The annual rally and march held in Washington D.C. in January to protest the legality of abortion will be a virtual event this upcoming January 29th. The march which gathers hundreds of thousands of people from all over the United States will be composed of a small number of pro-life leaders and other participants will be invited to participate online. The organization that coordinates the march issued a statement today announcing that “in light of the fact that we are… Read more
Father Ubald Rugirangoga’s Facebook page recently posted: “Father Ubald passed peacefully last night at 11:17pm Mountain Time into the hands of his loving Savior Jesus and His Mother in heaven Mary. He fought the good fight. He is in the glory with God and we have a new intercessor in heaven. Father Ubald pray for us.” When he visited Georgia in March 2019, he gave several talks about the Rwandan Genocide and his peacemaking efforts afterwards. He led healing services… Read more
Cardinal Cupich criticizes Bishops on President Biden
News outlets reported this morning that Rome had put a stop to the publication of a statement by Archbishop Gomez as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops where he congratulated President Biden while offering strong words in regards to where Biden and the Church disagree. The statement was published anyways, and Rome issued a friendly statement to President Biden later in the day. After the USCCB published the statement of Archbishop Gomez, which I found fair and… Read more