A blessed 4th of July

US flag3.jpg


“America, you are beautiful and blessed. The ultimate
test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially
the weakest and most defenseless. If you want equal justice for all and true
freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life.” Blessed John Paul II

Congregation of Holy Cross merge two US provinces

Spes Unica.jpgToday marks the beginning of new life within the Congregation of Holy Cross in the USA: the merging of the Eastern and Indiana Provinces. The coming together  on this date in 2011 is noteworthy because today is the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a feast near and dear to the Congregation. The merger follows upon the decision taken by the 2010 General Chapter. The new province now has more than 100 seminarians numbers more than 500 priests and brothers. Around the world there are about 1500 CSCs.

Founded in 1837 by Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, the Congregation of Holy Cross filled the many gaps in ecclesial life following the French Revolution. The “auxiliary priests” were parish priests, educators, missionaries, scholars with no single work so as to be available like the apostles were in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the USA operates 4 colleges and universities, including my alma mater, UND. There is one CSC bishop in the USA: The Most Reverend Daniel Jenky, CSC of Peoria, IL.
Some of the activities of the CSC can be seen in an online photo album.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus richly bless the Congregation of Holy Cross!

Benedict XVI launches News.va with his new iPad

Benedict launches new news portal.jpgToday, Pope Benedict launched a new Vatican website with a new iPad. 

The Pope made tweet today –the first ever by a Supreme Pontiff– when he launched the brand new news portal, News.va. This news portal collects all the communications into one place: the news will be updated in English at least 3 times a day.
And, what did the Pope say? His Holiness tweeted:
“Dear Friends, I just launched news.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI.”
He tweeted in English.
Watch the Pope as he’s presented with the iPad.

Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture: a deeper dialogue between science and faith

The Pontifical Council for Culture has been doing some good work in promoting serious dialogue among those who work in science, the humanities and theology. You may be familiar with the Council’s “Science, Theology and the Ontological  Quest” (STOQ Project). The most recent collaboration has been with NeoStem in organizing a forthcoming conference dealing with the theme of “Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture.” Regenerative medicine is now on the front burner for dialogue and research among scientists, theologians and pastors. This field of study has wide applications for work in culture, law, theology, pastoral practice, scientific research and practical application for all peoples on the planet.

The Council for Culture is working also with the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers to give a united front and clear witness to the importance of this topic to all interested parties.

Continue reading Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture: a deeper dialogue between science and faith

From Swiss Guard to Benedictine monk

Brother Mauritius Honegger.jpgPilgrims to the Vatican notice a few things: the pope, the architecture and the Swiss Guard. The Guard, in their colorful uniform, are quite identifiable because of the closeness to the Pope. These young men in the service of protecting the Holy Father are Swiss, Catholic, unmarried and fulfilling their military requirement.

Occasionally, a vocation to protect temporalities leads to a vocation to protect and to proclaim the divine as a priest or vowed religious. Not long ago Marco Rudolf Honegger entered the Einsiedeln Abbey becoming Brother Mauritius; Brother professed solemn vows in 2010. As part of his formation to be a priest Brother Mauritius went to Saint Meinrad Archabbey and Seminary to further his education.

The Criterion, the Indianapolis Archdioceses’s newspaper, records the story.
Thanks to Dom Francis de Sales of Saint Meinrad Archabbey for the story. He writes The Yoke of Christ blog.

William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed

Blessings on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, who wed today, the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena


“Be who God
meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

So said St Catherine of
Siena whose festival day this is. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man
and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their
deepest and truest selves.

Many people are fearful for the future of today’s
world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its
shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every
continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every
wedding day should be, a day of hope.

In a sense every wedding is a royal
wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new
life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

William, Catherine and Canterbury.jpg

William and
Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so
loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

In
the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to
each other.

The spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves.
Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual
life in which we discover this: the more we give of self, the richer we become
in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true
selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are
seeking to bring one another into fuller life.

Continue reading William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed

Crowd turns out for St Gianna Mass

PAZ with TMD April 27 2011.jpegThe second annual Saint Gianna Mass was celebrated earlier this evening at The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (411 E. 68th St., NYC) by the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Michael Dolan. The Mass was co-sponsored with the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of NY. About 600 people turned up for the Mass to ask for Saint Gianna’s intercession in the fertility issues. We tend to think it is easy to get pregnant, but for many couples having a biological child is quite difficult that creates much suffering.

The picture is of the Archbishop meeting the young servers and their guide prior to the Liturgy.

A voice for the voiceless — women and children in China: Reggie Littlejohn speaks out

Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Several weeks ago I focused my attention —our attention— on the rights of women and children, especially unborn children, in China, by highlighting the work of Reggie Littlejohn. How can one be unmoved by the plight for another human being; in case, women and unborn children??? What about the preference for the poor? What about human dignity?

When I met Reggie through my friend Suzanne Tanzi, the editor of Traces magazine, I was instantly drawn to her work for others. I recognized in her that Christ is working directly through the words and works for those who really have no voice in a country that forcibly holds a One Child Policy. China is among the most offensive countries when it comes to human rights abuses and our Chinese brothers and sisters need an advocate.

Here’s an amazing interview with Reggie: Open your Mouth –Littlejohn Interview.pdf 
A recently published essay by Reggie Littlejohn: “China: Family Planning Official Stabs Man to Death
The link above will take you another blog post which has links to Reggie Littlejohn’s work.