The Virgin Mary appeared four times to Saint Juan Diego on December 1531, only ten years after the defeat of the Aztec empire in Mexico. This time period marked the integration of Spanish and native cultures which ultimately gave rise to a unique people and culture which continues to flourish today throughout Latin America. In the next two days, I will visit with Bishop Hartmayer two different parishes to celebrate this important feast. Tomorrow we will be at Saint Paul... Read more
Whenever I think of the great Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan and doctor of the church, I remember a piece of trivia I learned while reading the Confessions of Saint Augustine in college. Saint Ambrose is remembered for his great knowledge and wisdom. Few of his contemporaries surpassed him in courage and astuteness. His greatest student was Saint Augustine of Hippo who arrived to Milan in 384 to teach at an imperial school. Augustine speaks of Ambrose, in particular the influence this great... Read more
The real, historical Saint Nicholas, not the jolly Old Saint Nick Coca Cola has given us, was born in the year 270 and became bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. There are two well known stories linked to Saint Nicholas, one comes from folklore, the other from historical accounts. The first is depicted below in an ancient work at the Church of San Saba in Rome. There was once a poor man with three daughters who was unable to afford... Read more
Pope Francis officially recognized today the martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother, a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City who was killed in Guatemala, making him the first martyr born in the United States. This recognition of his martyrdom clears the way for his beatification. Already on June 25th, 2015, a theological commission at the Congregation of the Causes of Saints voted to formally recognize him as a martyr. At that critical moment, the Archbishop of Oklahoma City stated that... Read more
On April 6th, 1994, the airplane carrying the Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down seconds before landing in Kigali. Absolute chaos descended upon the central African country of Rwanda for the next one hundred days as almost one million people were massacred. The genocide was perpetuated by members of the Hutu majority tribe against the Tutsi minority. Decades of vitriolic speech, systematic discrimination, and occasional violence erupted into an unimaginable disaster. Corpses bearing signs of rape and machetes littered... Read more
When I was thirteen, my family visited Savannah for the first time. We attended Mass at the Cathedral, an annual Mass when those celebrating 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries are recognized by the Bishop. I would love to say that this particular day was somehow significant for me; but it was not. We came for the Mass, had a family picture taken in the hall with Bishop Lessard, ate lunch at the Boar’s Head on River Street and drove back... Read more
Escribí este articulo hace un mes sobre una experiencia que viví este verano pasado. Espero que eventos como este no se conviertan en algo más frecuente debido al ambiente actual de nuestro país. Click here for English Una señora mayor abordó el avión y pasó por delante de mí de camino hacia su asiento. Unos segundos después, la misma señora, confundida, estaba parada a mi lado y la azafata le pidió su tarjeta de embarque. La señora tenía asignado el... Read more
I wrote this article over one month ago about an experience that happened this past summer. I pray that events like this one do not become more frequent, given the current atmosphere in our country. An elderly woman boarded the airplane and walked past me on the way to her seat. A few seconds later, she returned and stood next to me looking confused. The flight attendant asked for her boarding pass. She was assigned to the seat next to... Read more
Built in the early 1700s, the Santuario y Convento de las Nazarenas is a special location for every Peruvian, especially for limeños. The Carmelite Sisters who have lived here for several centuries take care of the Patron of the City of Lima, El Señor de Los Milagros. El Señor de Los Milagros is a simple depiction of Christ crucified with his mother and Saint John standing at his side. Above the cross descends the Holy Spirit in the form of a... Read more
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Killing of four American Women in El Salvador
Thirty-six years ago yesterday, December 2nd, 1980, and only a few months after the murder of Archbishop Romero, four American women were raped and murdered by members of the National Guard of El Salvador. Jean Donovan, a lay missionary from the Diocese of Cleveland, and Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel picked up from the airport two Maryknoll religious, Sister Maura Clarke and Sister Ita Ford, who were arriving from a conference in Nicaragua. Due to their work with the poor and... Read more