Before starting the Vigil Mass for Palm Sunday in 2013, I decided to check the headlines on a Catholic news website. My heart sank as I read towards the bottom of the page, “Syrian priest kidnapped as war rages on.” During my time in seminary, I became a good friend of two Armenian-Catholic seminarians from Aleppo, Antoine Tahan and Michel Kayal. Throughout the three years that we studied together in Rome I compared the conditions that awaited me in the... Read more
My mother arrived to pick me up from my friend’s house on a Saturday afternoon. As she briefly exchanged some words with my friend’s mom at the front door, I heard a woman’s voice screaming words difficult to understand. It wasn’t clear right away from where she was approaching. My mom and I took a few steps back from the door and saw an elderly woman running down the middle of the road from the direction of the main street. ... Read more
Bishop Hartmayer called me to his office in Savannah sometime during March 2014. Not long before, we had briefly spoken about the possibly of naming me pastor later that year, so I drove to Savannah anticipating a conversation about my first pastorate. To my surprise, the assignment I received was significantly different. He named me Vocation Director, Assistant to the Bishop, and Chancellor. I balked at the idea of wearing so many hats, and feared the responsibility of heading the... Read more
After a heated debate and vote in October 1963 on whether a newly written document on the Virgin Mary should be kept separate or be incorporated into Lumen Gentium, the Vatican 2 document that dives into the nature of the Church, the New York Times ran the headline, “Council Votes to Downgrade Mary.” This headline gave an impression incongruent with what actually happened at the Second Vatican Council, and in particular at that specific debate. The bishops of the Council voted that there... Read more
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa, has called today to be a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer for peace in Palestine and Israel. “Let us organize prayer times with Eucharistic adoration and with the recitation of the Rosary to Our Blessed Virgin Mary,” he wrote on a published statement. The Cardinal laments that many communities under his care will be unable to gather in large numbers, but encourages them to gather as parishes, religious communities and families. The... Read more
Estoy seguro de que has oído en las noticias sobre el Sínodo de Obispos que se está llevando a cabo en Roma. Este es el 16º Sínodo de Obispos que se realiza periódicamente. El primero fue convocado en 1967. Estos Sínodos son una reunión de obispos y expertos sobre un tema particular para escuchar, aprender y finalmente escribir un documento que resuma las discusiones y las ideas que surgieron. El Papa escribe el documento final y se titula “Exhortación Post-Sinodal”.... Read more
I am sure you have heard much in the news about the Synod of Bishops that has been held in Rome. This is the 16th Synod of Bishops which happen every few years. The first one was held in 1967. These Synods are a gathering of Bishops and experts on a particular topic in order to listen, to learn, and to finally write a document summarizing the discussions and insights. The final document is written by the Pope and is... Read more
How often have you opened your mouth without thinking things through, and found yourself saying something you really didn’t mean, or perhaps it came out way harsher than you wanted? It happens to all of us. What is said remains said, feelings get hurt, arguing ensues, and before you know it, you are in the middle of a total disaster. So often, we hope others will give us the benefit of the doubt; that they will see our actions or... Read more
Uno de los salmos pude ser el mejor recurso para considerar el lugar de los seres humanos en el universo. “¿Qué es el hombre para que te acuerdes de él? Sin embargo, lo has hecho poco menos que un dios, lo has coronado de gloria y honor. Le diste señorío sobre las obras de tus manos, y todas las cosas pusiste a sus pies (Salmo 8, 5-9). Las recientes imágenes capturadas por el telescopio espacial James Webb de la NASA... Read more
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Bishop Strickland relieved from Tyler by Pope Francis
The Diocese of Tyler, Texas announced on its website today: “Bishop Joseph Strickland has been relieved of pastoral governance of the Diocese of Tyler and Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin has been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the diocese.” Though shocking that a Bishop would be removed from his Diocese, it should not be shocking when considering the events that lead up to it. Last summer, Rome conducted as Apostolic Visitation of the Diocese of Tyler. Cardinal DiNardo of Houston stated... Read more