Bishop Kevin Farrell

Christmas Letter from Bishop Farrell

2011-12-22T05:00:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends in Christ:

The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year. But, amid the fun and excitement, it is important to take a moment to reflect on what Christmas really means.

It can be said that Christmas actually began with Adam and Eve. Yes, the rupture between the Creator and the created, so vividly described in the third chapter of the Book of Genesis, was actually the beginning of the Christmas story. After humanity used the gift of freedom to turn its back on God, the immediate Divine reaction was to seek to heal the breach.

For millennia God reached out in loving faithfulness through the prophets and sages seeking a similar response from humanity, but to no avail. Finally, the God who reached out became the man who responded. That is the Incarnation. That is the Son taking on humanity in loving response to the Father. That is Christmas.

The Incarnation was the first Christmas gift, the gift of love, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of healing. It is a gift that keeps on giving in and through the Sacraments where we encounter the Father's healing and forgiving love through Jesus.

This Christmas, as we set out our home manger scene, remember that we are really celebrating, God's refusal to take no for an answer. Let us continue to add our response to Jesus' perfect response to the Father's healing and forgiving love.

Hopefully, that includes imitating the Father's love in reaching out to the poor and the marginalized as He reached out to us. Jesus calls us to reach out to others in his words to the Apostles: "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." (John 13:15)

It is my prayer and my wish that you and yours will have a blessed Christmas and New Year and that you will always choose to be a disciple of Jesus and not just an admirer.

Faithfully in Christ
Most Reverend Kevin J. Farrell, D.D.
Bishop of Dallas

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

2011-12-10T10:27:00.003-06:00

December is truly a Marian month. We don’t think of it as such but it really is with two feast days, the Immaculate Conception which we have just celebrated on December 8, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Monday, December 12, and, of course the Nativity of Our Lord which is also a Marian feast because of Mary’s “fiat” to the Angel Gabriel.

Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast is particularly significant in the Diocese of Dallas because she is the patron of our beautiful cathedral. Behind the altar is a computer generated copy of the tilma of St. Juan Diego upon which Mary left her image.

Juan Diego’s tilma, or cloak, woven from crude cactus fibers, miraculously imprinted with the iconic image of Mary, has become the unofficial symbol of the Mexican people. It played a particularly important role in combating efforts by some of the Spanish Conquistadors to have the native Mexican people declared less than human in order that they might be exploited as slave labor.

Despite a royal order that the native inhabitants were to be evangelized, the missionaries had a constant struggle to protect them from exploitation.

When Mary appeared to a simple Indian, speaking in the Indian tongue, and leaving her image as an Indian woman, the situation changed and the native peoples began flocking to the Catholic faith. It is another example of how the role of Mary is to lead people to her Son.

At midnight Monday I will join the cathedral parishioners and many others in beginning the day-long observance of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I invite you to join us in singing Las Mañanitas and celebrating the Eucharistic Liturgy at Midnight Mass.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

2011-12-07T05:00:00.003-06:00

On Thursday, December 8th, we observe the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a feast that finds its origin in the Eastern Church in the fifth or sixth century and gradually spread to the Western Church being observed under several names.

In this feast we recognize and celebrate the fact that Mary was sinless from the moment of conception, that is, her conception was immaculate, without sin. Some people confuse this belief with that of the Virgin Birth, but the Virgin Birth refers to Mary giving birth to Jesus and the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary's conception.

As the observance became more widespread it was declared a doctrine of the Church. In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin."

In 1858, Bernadette Soubirous, a young girl of Lourdes, France, claimed visions in which Mary identified herself with the words "I am the Immaculate Conception." The apparitions were later recognized by the Church as private revelations and Lourdes has become a center of Marian veneration. Bernadette entered the Sisters of Charity of Nevers and died in 1879. She was canonized on December 8, 1933 by Pope Pius XI.

I always see Mary as leading us to Jesus, a role described in the story of the wedding at Cana (John 2:5) where she says "do whatever he tells you."

Those words were not addressed only to the wine steward, but to each one of us.

Remember, it all began in a stable

2011-12-05T11:18:00.003-06:00

It seems incredible, but Christmas is becoming “politically incorrect”. I am all for Happy Hanukkah and Joyous Kwanzaa, but please don’t try to eliminate Merry Christmas. In an effort not to offend any group, there is a tendency to seek a common, non-offensive greeting…Happy Holiday, and instead of Christmas trees we are having Holiday Trees.

Kwanzaa celebrates African culture; Hanukkah (Chanukah) celebrates the rededication of the Temple at Jerusalem. Both represent important cultural and religious events for the African-American and Jewish communities that have become part of our American Mosaic.

Early Christians were very politically incorrect by refusing to worship the Roman Emperor as Kyrios (Lord), and willingly suffered martyrdom rather than renounce their faith. Christian martyrs were not restricted to the early church, but have been numbered in every century. According to a news story from Zenit: In two millennia of Christian history, about 70 million faithful have given their lives for the faith, and of these, 45.5 million -- fully 65% -- were in the last century, according to "The New Persecuted."

Christmas is the raison d’être for Christianity. Without the event that Christmas celebrates there would be no Christianity. The Feast of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus, the Christ (Messiah), was an occasion of such significance that most of the world began counting time again.

Political correctness diminishes every tradition and religion by replacing them with an acceptable “civil religion” that embraces everyone. This nation is much more than a melting pot. It is a beautiful mosaic, and Christianity sparkles as part of that mosaic.

The next time you are at the mall shopping and admiring all those beautiful decorations remember it all started in a stable in Bethlehem.

This Year be Saint Nicholas

2011-12-02T19:48:00.001-06:00

On December 6, we celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas, a fourth century bishop of Myra, a city in ancient Anatolia, part of modern day Turkey. He was known for giving secret gifts to people in need. What a wonderful thing to do.

There is a particular joy in giving secretly. There is a great satisfaction in knowing that you have done something kind, not because you were expected to, not because you wanted to appear generous, but for the pure joy of giving.

This year, I am suggesting that you play Saint Nicholas. In addition to the gifts you give to family and friends, give a Saint Nicholas gift to someone in need. There are ample opportunities through your parish, Catholic Charities or one of the many groups seeking Christmas gifts for children.

Oh yes! Keep it to yourself. Tell no one.

Then read Matthew chapter 6, verse 6b.

The beginning of Advent

2011-11-26T05:00:00.001-06:00

Advent reminds us of the three dimensions of every liturgical celebration: It recalls the past, in the present for the sake of what is to come.

When the celebration of Christmas developed in Rome about the fourth century, there emerged awareness that a time of preparation for the Feast of the Birth of Jesus was appropriate, just as for the celebration of His Resurrection. Indeed, the seasons of nature paralleled the two events with the Winter Solstice representing the sun’s victory over darkness and the Vernal Equinox …the emergence of new life, symbolizing the Son’s victory over death.

Advent, then, is a time for remembering, watchfulness and expectation; the past, the present and what is to come. The bursting forth of God into the world at the Incarnation can never be seen as a solitary event, but certainly as the first step on the road to redemption that includes Jesus’ life, Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Return in Glory.

As we prepare for the birth of the Holy Infant we must never forget that it is the beginning of the cycle that will climax with the Second Coming, the mystery of faith that is proclaimed in the new Roman Missal: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”

So as we again recall the timeless cycle of salvation, let us spend this Advent in a spirit of watchfulness, expectation and hope.

Thanksgiving is a religious feast

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever”
Psalms, 106, 118, 136 and others

Thanksgiving is a religious feast. It is a reminder to give thanks to God for the many blessings we have received. It is also a reminder that we should share our abundance with those who have less. Many parishes are holding special Thanksgiving liturgies at which parishioners are asked to donate food or money for the poor, a great opportunity to share our abundance.

The verse above is the most frequently repeated phrase in the Hebrew Scriptures and it reminds us that thanks giving always has been and always will be an essentially religious act. In the Old Testament it took the form of sacrifice, where something of value, a lamb or a sheep, was offered as a gift to God and an act of thanksgiving. Sharing has always been part of the essence of thanksgiving. In our Catholic Faith giving thanks to God is expressed in the Eucharist, which takes its name from the Greek word “eucharistia” that means thankfulness.

So it is no surprise that our Thanksgiving holiday in America finds its origin in the pilgrims’ act of thanksgiving for God’s blessings. The pilgrims were a religious people and had much to be thankful for; surviving a dangerous voyage followed by a brutal winter and a good harvest, thanks to friendly Indians who taught them how and what to plant. Their celebration and sharing has become known as the first Thanksgiving.

While there were scattered celebrations of thanksgiving among the colonies, it was George Washington who issued the first official Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789 to thank God for victory in the War of Independence.

In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday to commend to God’s care those who died or were wounded and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

Those same petitions seem as appropriate now as they were in 1863. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed many victims and wounded countless families and few would not agree that our nation needs healing.

This Thanksgiving let us thank God for our blessings and commend to him those suffering from poverty or the wounds of war and pray that He heals our nation.

Bishop Farrell’s Thanksgiving Letter

2011-11-20T05:00:00.002-06:00

Dear Friends:

It is unacceptable that at a time set aside to celebrate our blessings that an increasing number of our sisters and brothers are living in poverty.

Poverty is not an abstract concept; it is a reality being lived out by millions of our fellow citizens. The recent report in the Dallas Morning News that one in every 15 people is living in poverty is not only shocking, it is a personal tragedy for those children, women, men and elderly who are impacted. Many of us have been touched by this plague of poverty, if not personally, then through a relative, neighbor or friend who is struggling to keep their head above water in this economy.

A day does not go by that I do not receive a letter from an individual or family seeking help. The present poverty rate is the highest in the 35 years that the U.S. Census Bureau has been keeping records. As Christians we cannot stand idly by while this plague continues. And, we must include immigrants who have been demonized and treated as pariahs in our country. Our concern should not be with their legal status but with their status as human beings who are seeking to achieve what many obtained by accident of birth.

Of course, our faith compels us to directly assist those in need by sharing from our own resources, but that is not enough. The government can and must do more to address poverty, yet our leaders in Congress and the administration are sacrificing the poor on the altar of their own self-interest.

Our government leaders must restore our nation to greatness by setting aside their personal agendas and acting now to address this malignancy that is devastating our society. To hold poverty hostage to politics is unconscionable.

This Thanksgiving we should indeed thank God for our abundant blessings but let us also recall the words of Jesus: “The first (of all the Commandments) is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

I pray God to look kindly upon you and yours this Thanksgiving season.

+Kevin Farrell
Bishop of Dallas

St. Cecilia…up from the ashes

2011-11-18T16:21:00.001-06:00

Sunday we will dedicate the new St. Cecilia Church that has risen like as phoenix from the ashes of the fire that destroyed the former church in August 2007. The new church is a wonderful tribute to the parishioners, who have labored mightily to raise funds for the new building, to the new pastor, whose leadership never failed, and to those outside the parish, particularly from Christ the King Church, whose generosity made the new building possible.

For those of us who gazed unbelievingly on the ruins of the old church that August morning four years ago, there was really no vision of anything like the beautiful edifice that we will be dedicating. But there are always those who can see the invisible and do the impossible and they will be present on Sunday.

May God continue to bless the people and priests of St. Cecilia as they move into this new stage of their parish.

Forgiveness

2011-11-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

November, the month of the Poor Souls, seems like an appropriate time to reflect on forgiveness. Jesus died “that sins may be forgiven.” (Matt 25:28). We are reminded of this central dogma of our Faith during the consecration of every Mass.

Often it is not easy to believe that forgiveness is ours for the asking, possibly because in our heart of hearts we are painfully aware of our sinfulness. Or it may be that because it is so difficult for us to forgive ourselves and others, it is hard to believe that God’s forgiveness is so freely given.

Part of this difficulty probably stems from the fact that the “law of the talion” (retaliation) that is “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Deut 19:21) is deeply imbedded in our culture. But Jesus specifically repudiates the pagan and Old Testament teaching of retaliation in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:21-35) where he teaches we must forgive “not seven, but seventy times seven times.”

Christianity is counter cultural. This teaching of Jesus, like others that make us uncomfortable, is easily passed over quickly. We become so familiar with the words that the meaning escapes us. For instance,in the Lord’s Prayer, how often do we pray to the Father to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others?” (Matt 5:12).

We are forgiven and we are called to forgive others. “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” (Matt 5:14-15)

This is a good time to ask God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession. Forgiveness cleanses. How great we feel after a good confession. Similarly, a burden is lifted from us when we forgive others, so it is a good time to rid ourselves of the anger and resentment that poison us by forgiving those who have injured or offended us.

And while we are at it we need forgive ourselves. The Father has.

Something old, something new in Roman Missal

2011-11-08T05:00:00.004-06:00

Beginning the first Sunday of Advent the Church will begin using a new edition of the Roman Missal. You will notice some changes in the language used in the new Missal. Some of the changes will be completely new; others will be very familiar because they have been used in previous editions. The Creed will now begin with the words “I believe" instead of “We believe" and the response to “the Lord be with you” will once again be" and with your spirit", as it was in an earlier edition.

In addition, the new edition contains prayers for the celebration of recently canonized saints, prefaces for the Eucharistic prayers, additional Masses and prayers for various needs and intentions, and some updated instructions for the celebration of the Mass.

You might wonder why such a new edition is needed. In addition to the updating mentioned above, it was decided that the English used in the present edition was too vernacular and that a more “heightened” English was appropriate for addressing and praising God in the Sacred Liturgy.

The liturgical office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops notes that: “the long-term goal of the new translation is to foster a deeper awareness and appreciation of the mysteries being celebrated in the Liturgy. The axiom lex orandi, lex credenda, ‘what we pray is what we believe,” suggests that there is a direct relationship between the content of our prayers and the substance of our faith."

We are blessed with this opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Sacred Liturgy and its importance in our lives.

I invite you to visit http://www.cathdal.org/pages/news-item?r=TX4SFT31VZ&send_to=%2F for more information about the new translation.

Recognizing the work of lay people

2011-11-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I sent a letter to all priests announcing the establishment of the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church. The annual award is designed to recognize the lay men and women who give countless hours in service to the Church.

Each pastor is asked to nominate two lay people for the award which will be presented at a special Mass at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe next February 11. The presentations will be followed by a reception in the Cathedral Grand Salon.

It is entirely fit and proper that we recognize lay volunteers who have given long and faithful service to the Church at the parish and/or diocesan level. Employees of the Church are not eligible.

The award will take the form of a bronze medallion with the crest of the Diocese on a green and gold ribbon to be worn around the neck. A certificate will also be presented.

Pastors will be asked to nominate two lay people each year for the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church

The Second Vatican Council speaks of “the laity’s special and indispensible role in the Church, ” too often that role goes unrecognized. I hope that this annual award will begin to correct that situation and acknowledge the gifts of time, talent and treasure of lay men and women

Catholic Charities Sunday

2011-11-03T05:00:00.005-05:00

“Charity is love received and given.”
CARITAS IN VERITATE, Pope Benedict XVI

These words of the Holy Father remind us of a truth that is sometimes overlooked, namely, that in giving we receive. Or as Shakespeare wrote of mercy, “it is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” (From The Merchant of Venice.)

Charity is a reflection of God’s unconditional love, the greatest of the virtues (1 Cor. 13:13) and it is in works of charity that the Church fulfills Jesus’ directive to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Of course the charity of the Church is a composite of the charity of its individual members. Catholic Charities is in effect, the agent of the generosity of each one of us. Through Catholic Charities, we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted and give hope to the hopeless. Through our gifts to Catholic Charities we become Jesus’ hands.

On November 5th and 6th we will observe Catholic Charities Sunday. It is an opportunity for each of us to partner with Jesus and Catholic Charities in assisting more than 72,000 individuals. Of each dollar you contribute, eighty-four cents goes to those in need.

Through their family of services, urged by the love of Christ, Catholic Charities touches thousands of lives without regard for race or creed, purely on the basis of need.

Please be generous. You will indeed be twice blest.

UD Ministry Conference a blessing for the Church

2011-11-02T15:29:00.001-05:00

Last week’s University of Dallas Ministry Conference was a resounding success, not only for the nearly 5,500 who participated in the two-day event, but for the Church in North Texas which will be richly blessed by the results.

I want to congratulate the UD School of Ministry staff for their work in the planning and presentation of the conference. Thanks to all those who attended the conference with its many workshops and worship experiences. The lives and faith of all who attended will be enriched by the experience.

Next year, this growing conference will be held Oct. 26-27, at the new Irving Convention Center to make it more accessible to participants from the Diocese of Fort Worth.

I promise that the 2012 conference, which is co-sponsored by the Fort Worth diocese, the University of Dallas and the Diocese of Dallas, will once again offer a stellar opportunity for continuing formation for ministers as well as anyone interested in learning more about our Catholic faith.

I hope you will plan to attend! It’s never too early when it comes to deepening your understanding and love of Jesus Christ our Lord and His Church.

All Souls Day, a time for prayers and memories

2011-10-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

All Souls Day brings to mind making trips to the cemetery as a boy to visit the graves of those who went before us. It was a time of remembering, a time of storytelling so that deceased family members lived once again in memory. The cemetery always seemed such a place of peace…a sacred space.

Our Catholic cemeteries are hallowed ground. From the days of the catacombs the bodies of Christians were considered to have been sanctified by baptism and the reception of the sacraments, and thus were to be treated with dignity and respect, as befits a "Temple of the Holy Spirit" (I Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19)

There can be no more appropriate final resting place for our beloved dead than our Catholic cemeteries and columbaria. Diocesan cemeteries all have chapels and mausoleums, and parish cemeteries and columbaria are usually adjacent to parish churches. They are places of prayer and comfort and happy memories. Burial of the body in a Catholic cemetery is a statement of faith in the resurrection of the dead at the second coming of Christ.

In the missal, the Feast of All Souls is called Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and reminds us that praying for the dead is an ancient tradition and an act of great charity. The day is marked with prayers and Masses offered by the whole Church on behalf of all our brothers and sisters.

On All Souls Day, November 2, Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel will celebrate a Mass at the Calvary Hill Mausoleum Chapel for all those buried in our Catholic cemeteries. You are invited to join Bishop Deshotel for this liturgical celebration and pray for the beloved dead among

On Priesthood Sunday

2011-10-24T05:00:00.004-05:00

As priests we have the privilege of sharing the defining moments of life with you. Your parish priest or bishop is there to welcome you into the Body of Christ at Baptism, to introduce you to Jesus in the Eucharist at First Communion, to empower you with the Holy Spirit at Confirmation, to reconcile you to God and the Church in Confession, to begin a new family at your Marriage and to prepare you for the journey home to the Father as death approaches.

When I ordain a new priest, I realize that he is beginning a new life, a life for others. It is a life filled with joys and sorrows, tears and laughter that are not only his own but those of the people he will serve. He will touch many lives and also be touched by many.

At the suggestion of Serra International USA Council, the last Sunday in October, October 30, has been set aside in the United States as Priesthood Sunday. It is a time to pray for our priests, to recognize them for their commitment to Christ and his people and to remember and pray for the many priests who have enriched our lives over the years.

As I have said before, observances such as this are reminders of what we should be doing all year long, not just on a particular day.

Join me in showing our appreciation to our priests, drop them a note, stop them after Mass, and let them know that you are aware of the sacrifices they make in serving Christ and his Church.

You will both be blessed by the experience.

The UD Ministry Conference

2011-10-17T05:00:00.009-05:00

In its fifth year, the UD Ministry Conference attendance has grown to well over 5000. Such growth is witness to the fact that professional and volunteer lay ministers in the diocese recognize the opportunity and need for continuous education in ministerial and professional skills.

This year’s conference on October 28^th and 29^th has an excellent schedule of speakers on the English, Spanish and Vietnamese tracks. It will be keynoted by Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago and former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops who will speak on “Developing Lay Ecclesial Ministry.”

Unique in that it addresses the needs of the full spectrum of lay ministries, the conference is another example of how the University of Dallas serves the entire Church of North Texas through the School of Ministry, which coordinates the conference.

All sessions of the conference are extremely worthwhile and I encourage not only lay ministers, but all Catholics to take advantage of this opportunity to deepen their understanding of their Catholic Faith. There will be a special track for teachers on Friday and all diocesan and parochial school teachers will be attending the conference on that day.

The Diocese of Dallas is happy to join the Diocese of Fort Worth and the University of Dallas on co-sponsoring this important event.

For detailed information on the conference please go to this link Ministry Conference

October the Month of the Holy Rosary

2011-10-11T10:42:00.005-05:00

For the past 118 years Catholics have celebrated October as the Month of the Holy Rosary. The observance was established by Pope Leo XIII on September 1, 1883 who published 11 encyclicals on the Rosary during his pontificate.

As is the case with so many of our Catholic celebrations, setting aside a Month of the Holy Rosary is an invitation to increase our devotion to this most ancient and beautiful prayer not only in October but throughout the year.

On October 7 we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was established by Pope St. Pius V to mark the victory of Christian naval forces over the Turkish fleet at the Battle of Lepanto on that date in 1571. That victory was attributed to the rosaries being offered to Our Lady in Rome on the day of the battle.

The origin of the Rosary is lost in time. The use of beads or other objects to count prayers is a custom that ante-dates Christianity, but Catholics have been using rosaries for well over a millennium. Originally they were called Paternoster beads because they were used to recite 150 Our Fathers (paternosters). Some say that the 150 paternosters replaced recitation of the 150 psalms for those unable to read.

A pious legend attributes the origin of the rosary as we know it to Saint Dominic, but there is no data to validate the story. However, it was one of his Dominican Friars, Blessed Alain de la Roche, who established the 15 Rosary Promises in the 15th Century and in the same Century a Carthusian Monk, Dominic of Prussia, added the mediations on the Hail Marys. The traditional 15 mysteries were standardized by Pope St. Pius V.

While the Rosary is a Marian devotion, it represents a Catholic tradition of Mary pointing the way to Jesus as in the story of the wedding feast at Cana (John 2:8) where Mary tells the servant “do whatever he tells you.”

The beauty of the Rosary is twofold. First is its simplicity and second is that it leads us to Jesus through the mysteries of his life, death and resurrection. It has accompanied countless people on their journey to the Father.

In observance of the month of the Rosary, you are invited to log on to www.TexasCatholicTV.com to join various groups around the diocese as they pray the Rosary.

The problem with anonymous letters

2011-10-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

Anonymous letters to pastors, schools, priests, and diocesan officials create a real dilemma. They may contain serious charges but without the name of the complainant the processes in place to handle complaints of pastoral concerns or inappropriate behavior in a just and fair manner are difficult to implement.

As a rule, I am very circumspect about anonymous letters. I have two reasons for this:

First, anonymous letters are a poor way to attain a good end. There is no way to resolve any issue if you don’t know who has the issue. Most problems are not as simple as they seem on the surface. They are usually complex and require discussion and dialogue to identify the underlying issue and take steps to address and resolve it. One cannot dialogue with “anonymous.”

Second, anonymity can be the cloak of cowards and character assassins. One cannot know the motive behind an anonymous accusation, but the fact of anonymity makes it suspect. It is like hiring a hit man to do the job for you so that you don’t have to accept responsibility.

Make no mistake; I realize there are situations that need to be addressed and wrongs to be righted. I not only welcome but encourage those who are aware of truly serious issues of any kind to make them known. But credibility and accountability are necessary to assure justice and fairness. That cannot be established from a pen name or domain name, but instead with a correct name, address and telephone number.

What you have to say is important to me, but it is equally important to know who is saying it.

What Respect Life is all about

2011-10-05T11:18:00.002-05:00

“I came so that all might have life and have it to the full” John 10:10

In a society and world where life is increasingly disrespected, it is important that we remind ourselves that Jesus came not only to give us eternal life but life in this world. Our duty to respect life is constant and never ending, but once each year for forty years the Church in America has set aside October as Respect Life Month to emphasize to us and to others Jesus’ new Commandment of unselfish love.

From conception to old age many regard human life not as God’s greatest gift, but as inconvenient and a burden.

The cruelty of killing millions of babies because of the inconvenience of pregnancy and parenthood, the neglect and shuffling aside of the aging because they have become a burden, the cheering of an audience over the high number of executions, the callous unconcern of some politicians for anyone who is weak, defenseless or in need of help are all too familiar examples of disrespect for life.

Jesus used the powerful parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate that the neighbor we should help is not only the one whom we know or the one whom we love, but the one who is in need. Who knows why the priest and the Levite passed by the man beaten by robbers on the Road to Jericho? Were they too busy? Did they not want to get involved? They had their reasons to pass by, to look the other way, but the hated Samaritan, upon whom the Jewish people looked in disdain, stopped to minister to the victim and provide for his care.

Like the priest and the Levite, we have our reasons for passing by the unborn child, the aging person, the prisoner, the beggar. They are known but to us and to God.

Unselfish and unconditional love is often inconvenient, expensive or politically incorrect but it is what we as Christians are called to.

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. “ 1 John 4:19-21

Let us commit ourselves to make "Respect Life" more than a catch phrase in our lives, not just for one month a year, but at all times and at all places and for all people.

How our religious liberty is being eroded

2011-10-03T13:24:00.003-05:00

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
U.S. Constitution, First Amendment

The United States Constitution’s First Amendment gives two guarantees to religion. There can be no law establishing a state religion and there can be no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Much has been said and written concerning the “wall of separation between church and state.” A term used by Thomas Jefferson but not found in the Constitution.

Most of those words concern the “establishment clause,” but the “free exercise clause” has received much less attention. That is about to change.

An increasing number of laws and regulations are infringing upon our right to exercise our religion and our religious liberties under the Constitution are being increasingly eroded away. Specifically Catholics and Catholic institutions find their religious freedoms under assault in a number of areas:

• The Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued regulations that would mandate the coverage of contraception (including abortifacients) and sterilization in all private health insurance plans. A so-called religious exclusion is essentially meaningless and does nothing to protect Catholic and other insurers or individuals with moral objections.

• Both HHS and USAID are increasingly requiring Catholic and other non-government agencies receiving funds to include condom distribution as part of full reproductive services.

• The Justice Department has stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and has filed legal briefs claiming that supporting the law could only be motivated by bias and prejudice.

• In a case now before the Supreme Court the Justice Department is attacking the “ministerial exemption”.

• In New York and other states county clerks face legal action for refusing to participate in same sex unions.

In each of these instances and others, Catholics and other individuals and institutions are being prohibited from the free practice of religion by being forced by government actions to participate in or provide support in situations that are in conflict with their religious beliefs.

Rights are seldom abolished outright. They are eroded a little at a time.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is so concerned about these developments that an Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty has been appointed to work with national organizations and ecumenical and interreligious partners to form a united and forceful front in defense of religious freedom in our nation.

We welcome our seminarians

2011-09-29T15:15:00.006-05:00

A banner year for seminarians for the Diocese of Dallas will be celebrated Saturday, October 1, at the 2011 Seminarian Welcome Dinner at the Farimont Hotel in downtown Dallas. The Most Rev. Daniel Flores, Bishop of Brownsville, will be the featured speaker.

The event is especially significant because our diocese has 70 seminarians, a record number and an increase of 14 over 2010. In addition to our Dallas seminarians, seminarians from eleven other dioceses who are in formation at Holy Trinity Seminary will be welcomed.

Bishop Flores is among seven bishop alumni of Holy Trinity Seminary. He was ordained in 1988 for the Diocese of Corpus Christi and was named Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit in November of 2006. In December 2009 he was named Bishop of Brownsville.

An indication of the dramatic increase in priestly vocations is the fact that Holy Trinity will have 67 seminarians as compared to 21 in 2007. The Lord has truly blessed us with this very fine group of young men.

Please continue to pray for vocations and remember to encourage young people to consider a vocation to the priesthood and religious life.

Poverty is about as personal as you can get

2011-09-26T05:00:00.001-05:00

Statistics are impersonal, but the statistic that more than 15% of Americans are living in poverty means that 46 million people don't have the basic necessities of life.

There are many varied causes of poverty, but what is important is the toll it takes on our brothers and sisters. It means parents who cannot find a decent job; feed their family, pay the bills, get adequate health care and live in hunger and fear.

This is not just a human tragedy. It is a moral and spiritual problem. In Matthew's Gospel (25:42-43) Jesus asks where were you when the least of my brothers and sisters were hungry or thirsty, naked or homeless, sick or in prison?

As followers of Jesus we cannot be indifferent to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. It is not enough to speak words of encouragement we must act to address their suffering (James 2:15-17).

First, there is direct assistance, personal or through Catholic Charities or other agencies. And, second there is individual initiative to address the fundamental and systemic elements that cause or exacerbate the poverty of individuals, families and children.

In a recent letter to bishops, Archbishop Timothy Dolan closed with these words:

"In these tough economic times, we turn to the God who loves us. We pray for those who need work. We lift up the poor and the suffering. We ask God's guidance for our nation. This is not a time to give in to discouragement. It is a time for faith and hope. Faith offers us moral principles to guide us in the days ahead. Christian hope gives us strength. Christ's love calls us to care for those left behind in this broken society."

Addressing unemployment

2011-09-24T05:00:00.001-05:00

The causes of poverty are complex, but a major one is unemployment.

Which of us has not been touched by the loss of a job? Many of you reading this may have lost your job. If not you, then perhaps it is a son or daughter, a spouse or a friend who now finds themselves unemployed. Losing one's job is devastating. It is a diminishing psychological experience. So many of us, especially men, find that the loss of a job is somehow the loss of our identity.

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI "being out of work or dependent on private or public assistance for a prolonged period undermines the freedom and creativity of the person and...causes great psychological and spiritual suffering" (Caritas in Veritate #25).

Work is a blessing. It is part of God's creative plan: "God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it (Genesis 2:15). It is sharing in the creative work of God.

How do we as Catholic Christians address the problem of unemployment? As individuals we must reach out to our sisters and brothers to the extent of our ability based on our resources and their need. Support, presence and encouragement are very important. Offering to care for children to free a person to seek new employment or enhance their work skills would be of great assistance.

Employers, the best thing that you can do is to create jobs, but in the present economy it is equally important to save jobs. Spread the work out among employees cutting down in the hours of some to save the jobs of others.

Parishes or non-parish-based organizations should provide opportunities for networking through breakfasts or evening meetings or offer seminars on resume writing or other job seeking skills.

We are all called as followers of Jesus to work for a more just society and economy. We must continue to press our leaders to put their country first and work to create jobs through economic growth and fiscal responsibility

We all have a dream

2011-09-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

We all have a dream. Some are impossible. Some are achievable and some are just beyond our grasp.

Let's talk about the latter...those just beyond our grasp. The United States is a great place to live. America is a wonderful place to grow up.

There is a group of young people who have grown up in America, lived in the United States most of their lives but for whom the dream of American citizenship is just beyond their grasp.

They are the children of undocumented parents, brought here as young children, who are now faced with the threat of deportation to a country they do not really know. Truly, they are victims of a conspiracy of circumstances over which they had no control.

In Texas the legislature has passed a law granting them free public education, a giant step toward their dream, but the Damoclian sword of deportation still hangs above their heads.

A bipartisan bill has been introduced in Congress. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would enact two major changes in the present law.

1. Certain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. could apply for temporary legal status and eventually permanent legal status and eligibility for citizenship if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military.

2. Federal penalties that provide tuition without regard to immigration status would be eliminated

Needless to say, passing this act would be life changing for the young people involved. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is fully supportive of this legislation and I urge you to ask your congress person or senator to support this important act.

Do your part to make this dream come true.

Bishop Dunne High School at 50

2011-09-20T10:37:00.001-05:00

This week Bishop Dunne High School marks 50 years of academic excellence and service to the Church and the community. In 1961 Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy established by the Sisters of St. Mary in 1902, merged into the first of several new diocesan high schools. The new school in a new facility built with funds from a diocese-wide campaign, became a diocesan high school. Two years later the name would be changed to honor Bishop Edward Joseph Dunne, second Bishop of Dallas.

Over the past five decades Bishop Dunne has evolved into one of the leading educational institutions in North Texas, setting the pace for technological innovation. Dunne students no longer use printed textbooks. Their texts are all online and accessed by their individual laptop computers.

Honors have come to the school for its sponsorship of the annual Geo-Tech Conference and introduction of classes in GIS, a computerized mapping system and ECONnections, a business course using the Internet. Such cutting-edge technology gives Dunne students a great advantage in our techno-centric society.

A tradition of academic excellence is attested to by the fact that for over a decade 100 percent of Dunne graduates have been accepted by colleges around the country. Bishop Dunne has also expanded into a junior and senior high school with the establishment of sixth, seventh and eighth grade classes. The physical plant has been enlarged and updated.

Such accomplishments are not only a tribute to the current administration and teachers but the long line of lay and religious educators beginning with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and the Sisters of St. Mary, whose legacy is reflected in the present institution.

When everybody helps, everybody wins

2011-09-19T11:00:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the sacrifices of numerous parents and the generous support of Catholics and the community at large the number of children receiving a Catholic education in our diocesan elementary and high schools is 15,115, exceeding last year’s enrollment by about 60.

Many of our schools in economically deprived areas, where tuition is a major factor, have shown an increase. This is due both to the commitment of the parents and the tuition assistance made possible by the support of the community.

More than $1,375,000 in tuition assistance was given to our students this year through grants from several entities.

A grant of $621,705 came from the Diocesan Education Endowment Trust Fund. The Children’s Education Fund at the Today Foundation, a community-wide effort, contributed $650,000. Finally, an additional $100,000 in grants came from the proceeds of the Bishop Kevin J. Farrell Golf Tournament.

It is obvious that not only our Catholics, but our whole community, recognizes the quality of the education provided by our Catholic schools.

This is due to the dedication of our teachers, principals and Catholic Schools Office administrators whose continuing efforts insure academic excellence in our schools.

It is not only the students, but the entire community, that benefit from quality Catholic education, in that it produces well educated citizens and tax savings that come from over 15,000 fewer students for the school districts to educate.

When everybody helps, everybody wins.

A Community Remembrance of 9/11/01

2011-09-11T14:00:00.003-05:00

“Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and say why not”.

These words of George Bernard Shaw, the Irish Nobel Prize winner for Literature have been quoted on many occasions. I believe that there is no more appropriate occasion to remember these immortal words than today as we commemorate the tragic events of 9/11.

I join the leaders of the three main Religious Faith Communities in urging all men and women of good will on this day to “dream things that never were and say why not”.
Why not Peace and Harmony?

Today, we recall the innocent men and women who lost their lives, we recall men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in the service of others. However, our “remembrances” are empty rites if we do not commit ourselves to seeking Peace so that there will never be another 9/11.

The Sacred Scriptures of all major Faith Traditions speak of God as a God of Peace, Love and Harmony. Today, we lift up our hearts and minds to God and ask the Almighty to instill in us a true desire to seek and to live in peace with each other.
Blessed are the Peacemakers.

Peace is born in the heart of the human person. It cannot be imposed on anyone. If we as a nation seek peace we must live and promote peace in our own hearts and love and respect all people…we must promote the human conditions in our communities that lead to peace.

How much hatred and violence lives and festers in our world and in our communities – as men and women of Faith we must promote peace and justice in our own hearts – then in our communities – and ultimately in the whole world.
President Kennedy once wrote…

“Peace does not rest in charters and covenants. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on parchment and on paper, let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace in the minds and hearts of all of our people. I believe that we can. I believe that the problems of human destiny are not beyond the reach of human beings”.

Brothers and sisters the future of humanity, the future of the world is in our hands…if we wish to eradicate hatred and violence from our world we must have the courage to work to promote freedom, justice and respect for all people. Each one of us must have peace, love and justice in our own hearts.

Allow me to end this brief reflection by repeating the prayer of Pope Benedict at the site of the World Trade Center five years ago…

"O God of Love and compassion and healing,
Look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
Who gather here.“

God of Peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
Peace in the hearts of all men and women
And peace among the nations of the earth.

Turn to your way of love
Those whose hearts and minds
Are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
Overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
We seek your light and guidance.

As we confront such terrible events,
Grant that those whose lives were spared
May live so that the lives lost here
May not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,
Strengthen us in hope,
And give us the wisdom and courage
To work tirelessly for a world
Where true peace and love reign
Among nations and in the hearts of all.
Amen”.

The legacy of 9/11

2011-09-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

As we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11 we remember with great sadness the thousands who died and suffered in the horrendous events of that morning and their families whose lives have been scarred by the tragedy.

As is often the case, out of our grief and mourning emerged a sense of unity and singleness of purpose that enabled the healing process to begin. We wept together, we prayed together and we reached out to one another in love and compassion.

Sadly that sense of unity and singleness of purpose has been shattered by time and love and compassion has given way to anger and suspicion and our nation united has become a nation divided.

America is once again in a time of crisis, not brought about by external forces but by internal ones. Our national leaders seem unable to move beyond self-interest, blame and accusation to unite for the good of our country and the world.

Not only as a nation, but as individuals we must pray and strive for peace in our world. Jesus’ promise, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt 5:9), was meant for each one of us. World peace can only exist when each of us has peace in our hearts, when we live in peace with our brothers and sisters.

We pray that our leaders will come together and shape a vision that all can share. America is a great nation and we need to once again become a light to the world as a “peaceable kingdom” where the wolf will lie down with the lamb…. and the calf and the lion will browse together. (Cf. Isaiah 11:1-10)

Only then can we hope for a nation and a world where people live in peace with one another and the dream of global peace can become a reality.

A banner year for Holy Trinity Seminary

2011-08-26T10:19:00.007-05:00

During the Second Vatican Council Bishop Thomas K. Gorman, Fourth Bishop of Dallas, announced the establishment of Holy Trinity Seminary to be located on the campus of the University of Dallas. The first classes began in September 1965 with seminarians living in Augustine Hall at the University. The first rector was Rev. Msgr. Edward R. Maher. From 1965 until 1986 Holy Trinity was an eight year seminary. Since then, it has served college and pre-theology seminarians. The present seminary building was dedicated in November 1967 by Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States.

This fall the seminary has 67 seminarians as compared to 21 in 2007. Archdioceses and dioceses other than Dallas with seminarians at Holy Trinity are: Austin, Beaumont, Charleston (SC), Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, Galveston-Houston, Great Falls-Billings (Mont), Little Rock (Ark), Santa Fe (NM), Tulsa (Ok), and Victoria in Texas.

Seven bishops are among Holy Trinity’s distinguished alumni. They are: Archbishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe, Bishop Robert F. Vasa of Santa Rosa in California, Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Bishop Michael G. Duca of Shreveport (La), Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Cantu of San Antonio, Auxiliary Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of Dallas and Auxiliary Bishop Mark J. Seitz of Dallas.

On October 1, we plan a welcoming dinner for all of our seminarians. It will be held at the Fairmont Hotel and the featured speaker will be Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, one of our alumni bishops. All Catholics are invited to this celebration. For information you may contact Holy Trinity Seminary at 972-438-2212 or www.holytrinityseminary.com.

Please continue to pray for the good of the Church so that we may have many more good priests.

A record number of new seminarians

2011-08-19T12:00:00.004-05:00

It is great to have some good news to report these days and a record number of 19 new seminarians is certainly good news. Not only is the number of new seminarians up from the 11 we had last year, but it is also a record year for the diocese.

Fifteen of the men come from our own parishes. Indeed the Holy Spirit has been working through parents, priests and our vocations staff to bring about this blessing for our diocese. The prayers of many have been answered.

Twelve of the new seminarians will be attending Holy Trinity Seminary, two will be going to St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, two to Assumption Seminary in San Antonio and two will be attending a seminary in Mexico City and one to Pope John XXIII Seminary.

Returning seminarians plus the new men bring our total number of seminarians for the diocese to 70, a significant increase over the 56 in 2010.

Finally, there is even more good news. Next year we will be ordaining five new priests to serve the Diocese of Dallas.

Please continue to pray and to work for vocations to the priesthood.

World Youth Day

2011-08-18T12:02:00.004-05:00

A million young people from throughout the world, including a group from our diocese, are gathered in Madrid for the 26th World Youth Day. Pope Benedict XVI flew to Madrid today (Thursday) to participate in the event established by Blessed John Paul II.

A group of youth from St. Monica Parish in Dallas, led by Father Jason Cargo left earlier this week on their pilgrimage to Madrid.

En route to Madrid the Holy Father said that “World Youth Days are a signal, a cascade of light; they give visibility to the faith of God’s presence in the world, and thus foster the courage to be a believer.”

Indeed it takes courage to be a believer in a world where Christianity is increasingly counter-cultural and our young people live in an aphrodisiac culture that has little time for God. Youth is a vulnerable time filled with siren calls and those who proudly proclaim their faith are courageous indeed.

For those young people in Madrid, their experience is more than a two-week pilgrimage, it is part of a life-long journey of faith made in the footsteps of Jesus.

School days are upon us

2011-08-08T11:35:00.003-05:00

It seems difficult to believe, as North Texas continues to bake in record-breaking triple digit temperatures that many of our Catholic Schools begin the fall semester next week with the public schools scheduled to start the following week.

Parents are busy preparing their children for the new semester and many will be taking advantage of the upcoming tax-free weekend to pick up last minute items. The fact that parochial schools and an increasing number of public schools require uniforms makes it a bit easier on the budget. There are also several programs for those who need help with school supplies in these difficult economic times.

I know that many students will attend public schools and I want to emphasize to parents the importance of insuring your children are enrolled in the religious education or catechetical program at your parish. We all discover our faith in our home. Home catechesis, while informal, is essential to the growth of your children in the faith. Parish catechetical programs are not a substitute for home catechesis. They build on it. We must be just as attentive to the spiritual growth of our children as we are to their physical growth and well being.

Parish Catechetical Leaders and catechists are required to continually update their formation and indeed they have been preparing all summer to impart our Catholic faith to those attending classes in the fall. PCL’s and catechists will continue their own formation all year long.

Academic requirements for our parochial school teachers are also strict and there is a special certification program for those teaching religion. However, while academic excellence is important, our parochial schools offer much more. They offer curricula permeated with Catholic Christian values. Once again I must add that our parochial schools must have a firm foundation of home catechesis upon which to build.

I want to take note of the parents of our parochial school children. In particular, I want to commend them for the sacrifices they are making to send their children to a Catholic school. Even during good economic times, paying the extra tuition is a financial burden, but is especially so these days. I am amazed and edified at how much parents are willing to give up in order to send their children to a Catholic school.

Faith formation, and all education, must be a cooperative effort between home and school. Our Church is only as strong as our domestic churches in our homes.

I wish students, parents and teachers a wonderful school year!

The hard work is still ahead

2011-08-02T16:46:00.012-05:00

Well, the nation did not default on its obligations, the debt limit was raised and everybody gave a big sigh of relief. It reminds me a little of a wedding day. After all the work that preceded the nuptial day, when the wedding is over everybody gives a big sigh of relief. But we all know that the really hard work of building a marriage is still ahead. So it is with the “debt crisis”. The hard work is still ahead, and the American bishops are concerned.

We are concerned that the choices to be made are not only economic and political, but also moral.

In a letter sent to Congress last week Bishop Stephen Blaire, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace made clear the Conference of Bishops’ concerns.

“As Catholic bishops, we lead a community that brings both moral principles and everyday experience to this discussion. We defend the unborn, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, educate the young, welcome refugees, and care for the sick, both at home and abroad. As teachers, we offer several moral criteria to help guide difficult budgetary decisions:

1. Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life and dignity.

2. A central moral measure of any budget proposal is how it affects “the least of these” (Matthew 25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work or in poverty should come first.

3. Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic times.

A just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons. It requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly.”

As the crucial decisions of budget reductions are made during the coming months there will be no lack of lobbyists for giant corporations and special interest groups. The American bishops hope to encourage others to follow their lead in being the voice for the voiceless, keeping in mind James 1:27:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

More tragic violence…this time on our doorstep

2011-07-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

We turn from lamenting the violent act in Norway to find an inconceivable family tragedy on our own doorstep. It is staggering to think of a birthday party turning into a massacre. Half of a family wiped out by the actions of an abusive husband.

The grief of the Nguyen family is our grief. The pain of the Do children who witnessed the carnage is our pain. The concern of the parents whose children were terrified and traumatized by being swept up in such pointless brutality is our concern.

Please join me in offering prayers and support to the Nguyen family and to all those touched by this shooting. Tragedy occurs in an instant, healing takes a long time.

Another senseless tragedy

2011-07-23T20:30:00.001-05:00

It is impossible to understand what could drive a person to perform the violent actions that have taken close to 100 lives in Norway. One must conclude that the perpetrator was an egomaniac set on destroying those who did not share his twisted point of view.

An extremist of any stripe can easily become so convinced that his point of view is the only correct one that any act of violence is justified in promoting it. This type of person is so self-righteous that they see no evil in their actions but only their perceived greater good of promoting their "correct" cause.

What made the Norwegian act more heinous is the fact that it was done in the name of religion something that is often the case but is never justified. Sadly it occurs so frequently in today's world that Pope Benedict had this to say about it.

"Faced with a world riven by conflict, where sometime violence is justified in the name of God, it is important to reiterate that religions can never become vehicles of hatred, that never by invoking the name of God can evil and violence be justified." (21st Annual Meeting of Peace 2001)

Our Christian tradition of moderation is well put in this quote often attributed to St. Augustine but frequently repeated by leaders like John Wesley and Pope John XXIII: "in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."

We can only imagine the heavy hearts of the families of the victims of this horrific event. We pray for the victims and their families and for the end to such senseless tragedies.

A life changing experience

2011-07-15T05:00:00.003-05:00

“The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature.”Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity (2)

“These people have changed my life and I will never forget them.“ These words referring to a missionary journey did not come from one of the many dedicated priests, religious and laity who spend years in the mission fields they came from Collin Horner a student from Bishop Dunne High School, one of 40 students who spent ten days on a missionary trip to Honduras in June.

Collin’s thoughts were almost universal in the letters I received from this group of young missionaries telling of their encounters…not so much of how they helped people in Honduras but of how their lives were changed by their experience.

What they learned is that the greatest gift we have to give is ourselves and that it is in giving of ourselves that we receive. They are fortunate that they have learned this truth early in life. For many it is learned much later in life or never at all.

What these students accomplished on their journey is not nearly as important as their presence, their willingness to travel to a different culture, not to make them like us, but to help them to achieve their own goals.

Four high schools participated this year; Bishop Dunne, Bishop Lynch, Ursuline and John Paul II. The 40 students were accompanied by 20 chaperones.

This year’s trip was the eleventh of the current series, but they date back to the 1960s when the first groups went to the Valle de Mezquital in Mexico. Later, others went to Linares, Mexico, the mother diocese of the Church of Texas.

Becca Knott, an Ursuline Academy student, pretty well summed up the feelings of those who made this missionary journey: “It truly was a life-changing experience. Because of the work I did, the culture I embraced, the people I came to love, I will never be the same.”

Honoring those who serve and those who will serve

2011-07-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Thursday we will take time to honor those who have served and those who will serve. Priests of the Diocese of Dallas will gather at Holy Trinity Seminary for a pre-ordination celebration for the three deacons to be ordained to the priesthood on July 16. We will also salute those who are marking special anniversaries of ordination and a lifetime of service in ministry.

Our three ordinands represent the cultural diversity of the Diocese of Dallas and the Universal Church. Deacon James Yamauchi is of Japanese-American heritage. Deacon Alan McDonald is from England and Deacon Arthur Unachukwu was born in Nigeria. Deacon McDonald will be the first student from Redemptoris Mater Diocesan Missionary Seminary to be ordained to the priesthood. Deacon Yamauchi attended Holy Trinity Seminary and North American Pontifical Seminary in Rome. Deacon Unachukwu also attended Holy Trinity Seminary and did his theological studies at St. Mary Seminary in Houston.

Three priests will also be honored, two for significant ordination anniversaries and one for reaching the venerable age of fourscore and ten.

Reverend Monsignor James Balint celebrates 50 years of priestly ministry this year. Before retring last year after serving 19 years as the founding pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Plano, Monsignor Balint had served as a parish priest, seminary professor and high school chaplain. He served 25 years as a U.S. Air Force Chaplain, retiring in 1990 as a full colonel.

Very Rev. David J. Flori, pastor of St. Paul Parish, Richardson, is marking his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. Father Flori served as parochial vicar at St. Monica Parish, St. Philip Parish and St. Paul before being named pastor of St. Philip in 1991. In 1997 he was appointed pastor of St. Paul Parish in Richardson. In 2001 Father Flori was named Dean of Deanery 5.

Reverend Monsignor Thomas W. Weinzapfel will celebrate his 90th birthday next month and last December marked 65 years of priestly ministry. Since his ordination in December of 1945, he served parishes in Texarkana, Valley View and Dallas before his appointment as pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Dallas in 1956, a position he held for 40 years before his retirement in 1996. Monsignor Weinzapfel also served as business manager of our diocesan newspaper, The Texas Catholic, and as a member of the Diocesan Consultors.

Our celebration truly highlights the panorama of priestly life from ordination to retirement as we honor these six men.

We wish ad multos annos, many years, to Monsignor Weinzapfel. We offer our felicitations and gratitude to Monsignor Balint and Father Flori on their anniversaries and we congratulate and promise our prayers and blessing to our three ordinands.

Asian population adds to Catholic Mosaic

2011-07-06T08:57:00.004-05:00

Tuesday morning the Dallas Morning News featured a page one story on the growth of the Asian community in the Dallas area. Data from the 2010 Federal Census comes as no surprise to those of us in the Diocese of Dallas who have been busy keeping up with the growth of the Asian Catholic population.

As is the pattern with immigrants, most establish enclaves with their own businesses and social networks and, in the case of Catholics, their own parishes. The first Asian parish in the diocese was St. Andrew Kim, founded in 1977 to serve Korean Catholics.

As Vietmamese refugees arrived following the end of the Vietnamese war, many were taken in by existing parishes, but the communities gradually formed parishes of their own. Among them, Mother of Perpetual Help, Garland, St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, Grand Prairie, Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Vietnamese Church, Carrollton and St. Peter Vietnamese Church, Dallas.

A new facility in Plano was recently completed by Sacred Heart of Jesus Chinese Catholic Parish. Catholics from India brought with them the tradition of the Thomas Christians and established St. Mary Malankara Church in Garland and St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar parishes, as well as Christ the King Knanayan parish in Garland, Carrollton and Farmer’s Branch respectively. Mar Jacob Angadiath, the founder of St.Thomas the Apostle parish is now Syro-Malabar Bishop for the United States.

The Asian parishes have over 12,000 registered parishioners but many have chosen to become members of other diocesan parishes, particularly Filipinos. Some have produced native vocations. Four Asian priests serving the diocese came from diocesan parishes. Others have come to the diocese from their native countries. Still others are members of Asian communities like the Vietnamese Redemptorists who have a formation house in connection with Mother of Perpetual Help parish in Garland.

In recent years two Vietnamese-American priests have been ordained for the diocese, this year a Japanese-American priest will be ordained and next year a Chinese- American deacon will be ordained to the priesthood.

Among our Permanent Deacons, we presently have one Vietnamese-American and one Korean-American. Five more, three Vietnamese, one Chinese and one Korean will be ordained in January 2013.

Asian parishes reported 1,993 families in 1992 and 7,427 in 2010. That translates into 5,749 Asian parishioners in 1992 and 23,895 in 2010, not allowing for those in regular diocesan parishes. Our diocesan Catholic schools have 875 Asian students, with more in private Catholic schools and high schools.

Participation and leadership in diocesan youth ministry has been high among Asian Catholics, particularly the Vietnamese which is great news not only now but into the future.

Let us rejoice that our Asian Catholics are part of the wonderful diversity and rich mosaic that is the Diocese of Dallas!

Whatever happened to compromise?

2011-06-30T19:49:00.002-05:00

There was a particularly good op-ed commentary in last Sunday’s Dallas Morning News, by Deborah Tannen, a professor at Georgetown University asking “Why is compromise a dirty word?”

I am not sure where the current feeling that compromise is giving up or selling out came from, but it is a denial of the reality that makes society work.

The first place we learn to compromise is in our family. Anyone who has grown up with brothers and sisters learned to compromise to survive. Spoiled children who had to get their way or they wouldn’t play didn’t have much fun or many friends.

Parents who struggle to rear and educate children understand all to well that dreams and desires have to be compomised for the possible.

Life is a series of compromises. It has been wisely said that the perfect is the enemy of the possible. When we insist “it’s my way or the highway,” we may be the one who ends up hitting the road.

There are, of course, immutable truths that come from God, but all else can be and frequently must be compromised in real life.

For those things we should heed the wisdom of Isaiah 1:18. “Come, let us reason together, says the Lord.”

Erosion of Religious Freedom

2011-06-27T10:37:00.001-05:00

Religious freedom is more than the freedom to worship. Religious freedom is the right to hold and publicly express religious values and practice those values freely especially in our own institutions.

The fundamental concept that religion is a beneficial and valuable institution in our society is eroding. From being salutary, religion is seen as a good organization among many, then something entirely private and finally as exerting a negative impact on society.

Dr. Karl Menninger, in his book Whatever Happened to Sin? suggested that it had been legislated and adjudicated away. One could say that the same fate is overtaking religious freedom.

Catholics and others face laws and government regulations that force them to choose between violating their conscience and shutting down. Catholic agencies in other states have had to stop offering adoption services when faced with regulations forcing them to allow same-sex couples to adopt.

Catholic institutions are gradually being pressured to provide contraceptives and abortions in medical plans and provide spousal benefits to gay couples. The freedom to hire only Catholics for certain positions in our schools and agencies is being challenged.

Recently, at a gathering of priests in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl warned: “We take for granted our religious freedom, but today it is under substantive while subtle challenge…We are in the midst of a sea change. We are being told that religion has no place in the marketplace, in the public forum.”

We must be vigilant. There are those who would exclude Christians and all believers from the public marketplace of ideas and restrict religious expression to inside a church building or on church owned property.

Three Priestly Ordinations

2011-06-16T05:00:00.003-05:00

Climbing Mount Carmel has long been a metaphor for spiritual growth as we journey toward God, so it is very appropriate that our three ordinands to the priesthood will reach that significant milestone in their journey on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Nothing gives a bishop greater joy than ordaining men to the presbyterate, welcoming them as co-workers in the Lord’s Vineyard. The three transitional deacons to be ordained on July 16, Alan Paul McDonald, Arthur Okwuchukwu Unachukwu and James Hideo Yamauchi, have spent years preparing for this moment.

Representative of the true catholicity or universality of the Church, each of the ordinands represents a different culture, Asian, African and European.

Deacon Unachukwu attended Holy Trinity Seminary, Irving, and St. Mary Seminary Houston. Following ordination he will be assigned as parochial vicar at St. Michael Parish in McKinney.

Deacon Yamauchi attended Holy Trinity Seminary and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Following ordination he will return to Rome where he will continue studies in Canon Law at Gregorian University.

Deacon McDonald attended Redemptoris Mater Misssionary and Diocesan Seminary for Westminster Diocese, London, England and the Redemptoris Mater Missionary and Diocesan Seminary in Dallas, from which he is the first student to be ordained to the priesthood. Following ordination he will serve as parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish, Dallas.

Priestly vocations are the result of God’s call nurtured by parents. I especilly want to acknowledge the parents of our ordinands whose love and support have made these happy events possible: Sir Emmanuel and Lady Rose Unachukwu of Nigeria, Brent and Jackie Yamauchi of Sachse, Texas, and Alan and Jean McDonald of England.

Please keep these three ordinands in your prayers as they continue their ascent of Mount Carmel as servant leaders of the Church.

Social Justice is not a bad word!

2011-06-06T14:09:00.002-05:00

On the contrary, it is a basic element of Catholic teaching based upon the concept at the core of the Gospel and ultimately expressed in Jesus' quote from the Hebrew Scriptures (Leviticus 19:18) that we should love others as we love ourselves.

Fifty years ago Blessed Pope John XXIII wrote in his encyclical Mater et Magistra that “all forms of economic enterprise must be governed by the principles of social justice and charity."

Last month, at a congress sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Pope Benedict XVI, referring to Mater et Magistra, said that “the social question today is without a doubt one of world social justice.”

Referring to the “internal imbalances of today’s globalization," the Holy Father called for moral thought capable of overcoming the structure of secular ethics. Pope Benedict identified the harmful speculation in basic commodities, foodstuffs, water, land and energy resources as among those secular ethics. He also noted the vast sums spent on armaments and lands where the unbridled luxury of the privileged few stands in violent offensive contrast to the utter poverty of the vast majority.

A second key principle of Pope John's encyclical is that man's aim must be to achieve in social justice a national and international juridical order, with its network of public and private institutions, in which all economic activity can be conducted not merely for private gain but also in the interests of the common good.

Surprised? We should not be. The social teachings of the Church, like the Gospel of Jesus upon which they are based, have been around for a long time. Why is it that so many of us find it inconvenient to incorporate them into our daily lives? Maybe it is because they make us feel uncomfortable and a little guilty.

I am reminded of the story in which Erasmus was reflecting on the beatitudes in Matthew and was moved to observe that "either this is not the Gospel, or we are not Christians!"

The Gospel of Jesus is and always has been counter cultural. As Catholics and Christians we are called to conform the world (and our lives) to the Gospel. Too often we attempt to conform the Gospel (and our lives) to the world.

A salute to our teachers and principals

2011-05-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Except for our families, the people who have had the greatest influence on our lives are probably our elementary school teachers. I bet that you can name them all and have a story to go with each one. Even if you never were sent to the principal’s office you probably recall those school leaders fondly as mentors of your tender years.

Parents are the first educators of their children. They lay the ground work upon which the teachers must build. I like to think of our minds and personalities as being pure potential when we come into this world. We might compare each of us at that stage to a block of marble, beautiful but unshaped. Only God knows what shape the marble will take as it is lovingly sculpted and shaped by parents and then by teachers.

It is much like the point made when a child who watched a sculpter turn a block of marble into a lion asked “how did he know there was a lion in there?” A great teacher has a vision of what is inside as she or he sculpts young minds and hearts.

By the time we get to college, we recognize a great teacher, but often it is only in retrospect that we recognize the greatness of those men and women who challenged and shaped us in our early formative years.

It has been said that only those who see the invisible can do the impossible. I salute the teachers and principals in our schools that can see the potential in young students that might be invisible to others and undertake the challenging task of shaping them into men and women of faith, character and integrity.

Our Catholic school system is blessed to have such dedicated and capable professional teachers and administrators. They deserve our thanks and recognition.

Our Catholic High School graduates

2011-05-25T14:00:00.001-05:00

This year we have more than 1,000 young men and women graduating from our private and diocesan Catholic high schools. I am very proud of them and equally proud of their parents, many of whom have made great personal sacrifices to provide their children with a fine Catholic education.

Happily, the great majority of the graduates will be going to universities and colleges to complete their education, in some cases to become the first college graduate in their family. I congratulate them for their achievement and wish them well in their future undertakings.

It was my privilege to participate in the graduation ceremonies at Bishop Dunne High School earlier this week and I was particularly impressed at the number of scholarships awarded to the graduates. Many were full scholarships to prestigious institutions like Harvard, Cornell, the U.S. Naval Academy and Stanford. Scholarships to Bishop Dunne graduates totalled nearly $4,000,000.

Honors such as these not only reflect on the academic ability of the students involved but on the academic excellence of the institutions.

Prayers and contributions needed

2011-05-24T16:20:00.001-05:00

Saint Paul tells us to share with God’s people who are in need (Rom. 12:13). The recent series of natural disasters in the United States have left thousands homeless and in great tribulation. Our brothers and sisters who have lost everything to the floods and tornadoes that continue to plague our country are in great need of our assistance.

For that reason I am asking that every parish in the Diocese of Dallas have special prayers and a special collection for victims of the recent natural disasters in our country. The collection and prayers should take place the weekend of May 29-30. I ask all pastors to join me in urging their parishioners to be especially generous in their contributions.

Our prayers are necessary, but more is required as St. James reminds in his letter: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? “ (James 2:15-16).

All of us have been awed by the unbelievable suffering and devastation caused by the floods and tornadoes. Let our response to those whose lives have been upended match the enormity of the natural disasters that have been visited upon them.

The Journey Ahead

2011-05-23T10:45:00.005-05:00

It is graduation time. To the many college and high school graduates we offer our congratulations as they begin their transition from one world to another. For some graduation might seem the end of a journey. In reality it is only a new beginning.

Our lives are filled with new beginnings. They are the cycles of death and resurrection that permeate our lives beginning with being thrust into the world at our birth and ending with our final departure at death. Our journey from womb to tomb is marked by many death/resurrection events; graduation, marriage, parenthood, and retirement, all of life’s passages. The pattern is always the same. We leave the familiar and comfortable behind and step into opportunity and uncertainty.

What does the future hold? What is on the road ahead? Where will it lead?

For our college graduates the future can lead to advanced study or the beginning of a career. Each of the two roads offers challenges and opportunities, and obstacles to overcome. Choices are critical and not easy in an uncertain world. Prayerful discernment and wise counsel are necessary.

Our high school graduates face similar choices; college or the work force. The university is a new and very different world full of new ideas, a time to confront and explore the wisdom of ages. Those who choose to put their education on hold face the daunting challenge of making it on their own. For many, the decision will be an economic one.

In the course of their education our graduates have acquired many tools that will assist them on their journies, but of all those tools, the most important is faith: faith in oneself and faith in God, for every journey is ultimately a journey to God.

I am reminded of a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox that sums it up pretty well.

One ship sails East,
and another West,
by the self-same winds that blow,
'tis the set of the sails
and not the gales,
that determines the way we go.

Like the winds of the sea
are the waves of fate,
as we journey along through life,
'tis the set of the soul,
that determines the goal,
and not the calm or the strife.

Permanent Deacons…a gift to the Church

2011-05-15T05:00:00.005-05:00

Next month 29 candidates will be ordained to the permanent diaconate to serve in our parishes in the Diocese of Dallas. These new deacons are members of a Spanish-speaking class that has undergone more than five years of rigorous formation in preparation for their reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

All will be ordained at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe; 15 on June 4 and 14 on June 11. They will join the 102 permanent deacons presently serving in our diocese in parishes, institutions and the pastoral center. Another class of 28 candidates is in formation and will be ordained in 2013. The 2013 candidates are primarily English speaking.

Permanent Deacons have become such an important part of our ministry today, we sometimes forget that prior to Pope Paul VI's restoration of the ancient order in 1967, the diaconate was seen only as a step to the priesthood. The first permanent deacon class was ordained for the Diocese of Dallas in 1973. The first Spanish-speaking class was ordained in 1977. Since that time our program has formed hundreds of men for the permanent diaconate for our diocese and the dioceses of Fort Worth, Tyler, Beaumont, San Antonio and Little Rock.

Today there are more than 17,000 permanent deacons serving the dioceses of the United States and of those more than ten percent are serving in Texas dioceses.

Please pray for our diaconal ordinands and candidates and for those deacons who are ministering in our diocese.

Ill-conceived legislation

2011-05-10T16:23:00.009-05:00

The so called “Sanctuary Cities Bill” passed by the Texas House is at best ill-conceived and at worst racist. I join the other Texas bishops of the Texas Catholic Conference in registering my dismay at the action of the House and urging the Texas Senate to “affirm the dignity of all human life in our state and protect the safety of our communities.”

Under the provisions of the legislation, cities would be prohibited from instructing police officers not to check the immigration status of persons detained in a criminal investigation. Supporters of the bill claimed that cities with such practices are in effect “sanctuary cities” where illegal immigrants are protected.

Governor Perry “fast-tracked” the bill by giving it an emergency status and the House used a legislative maneuver to cut off debate. It now goes to the State Senate for consideration.

Fears are that the bill will in effect legalize profiling by making any Hispanic subject to being stopped and forced to show proof of American citizenship. In addition to the dehumanizing element the bill potentially diverts scarce resources from more serious criminal activity. It is opposed by many cities and law enforcement officials.

Texas and American bishops support immigration reform, but oppose enforcement of federal law by local and state law enforcement agencies. The bishops call for comprehensive immigration reform including a path to permanent residency and emphasis on family unity.

How short our memory is. The story of Texas is a history of immigration, much of it “illegal.” What we are experiencing today is not the Hispanization of Texas; it is the re-Hispanization. With over 37 percent of the population of Hispanic origin, according to the 2010 federal census, the future of Texas is obvious.

You cannot hold back the sunrise but you can keep your eyes closed.

What sort of man is being ordained to the priesthood this year?

2011-05-03T05:00:00.009-05:00

On July 16 it will be my privilege to ordain three men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas, they are: Deacons Alan Paul McDonald, Arthur Okwuchukwu Unachukwu and James Hideo Yamauchi. Please keep them in your prayers.

Our three ordinands are among 480 men being ordained to the priesthood in the United States in 2011. A survey of 329 of them by CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) at Georgetown University was prepared for the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the USCCB. The survey gives us an idea of what sort men are being ordained to the priesthood this year.

Here are some of the high points of the survey:

• The average age is 34, slightly higher than in 2010.
• Most had lived in their diocese for about 15 years before entering the seminary.
• The majority are Caucasian/White (69), ten percent are Asian/Pacific Islander and 15 percent are Hispanic/Latino
• One third of the respondents are foreign-born with the largest number coming from Columbia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland and Vietnam.
• Most are cradle Catholics but eight percent entered the Church later in life.
• The majority come from large families. Over half have two or more siblings and one fourth have five or more.
• Sixty percent completed college before entering the seminary and 17 percent had graduate degrees.
• About half (47%) attended Catholic elementary school. Thirty-nine percent attended Catholic High School or College, a number considerably higher than the national average of all adult Catholics which is 7 percent.
• Ninety-four percent held full- time jobs prior to entering the seminary. Less than 10 percent served in the military.
• Most (70%) prayed the Rosary and 65% participated in Eucharistic Adoration before entering the seminary.
• Most reported that they first considered a priestly vocation at 16. Two thirds (66%) were encouraged to enter the seminary by a priest and 71 percent were encouraged by a friend, a parent, grandparent, other relative or parishioner.
• Almost half were discouraged from entering the seminary by a friend, classmate, parent or family member.
• Only a few indicate that TV, radio, billboards or other vocational advertising was instrumental in their decision. One fourth says they were influenced by a website.
• Forty-two percent participated in a “Come and See” type weekend before entering the seminary.
• “Fishers of Men”, a DVD published by the USCCB had been viewed by 83 percent.

It is obvious that more mature men are entering the seminary having attended college and/or worked before making their decision even though their first call came as a teenager. Catholic education is an important factor.

Suport and encouragement by their family was particularly significant in their decisions.

Have you encouraged a potential priestly vocation in your family?

Beatification of Pope John Paul II

2011-04-28T05:00:00.003-05:00

On Sunday Pope Benedict XVI will preside at the beatification of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Beatification is a step in the process by which the Church examines the lives of people to discern if they exhibited heroic virtue during their lives. The process also requires a confirmed miraculous event attributed to his or her intercession.

After Sunday’s ceremony, the former Pope will be referred to as Blessed Pope John Paul II. Sunday’s beatification is significant in that Pope John Paul died only six years ago. This came about because Pope Benedict XVI waived the usual five year waiting period before a canonization cause can be introduced. He did the same for Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Pope John Paul II himself simplified the canonization process in order to change the image of a saint. He wanted people to realize that sainthood was not restricted to medieval mystics but was a state that was achieved by ordinary Christians who struggled to lead virtuous lives while dealing as best they could with the realities of the tumultuous world in which we live.

Few would argue that Pope John Paul lived in tumultuous times. He completely changed the image of the Papacy bursting out of the walls of the Vatican as none before him had done. His travels took him not only to Catholic or Christian countries, but to nations where the gospel was virtually unknown. He saw the future in the youth of the world and reached out to them in unprecedented ways. He faced down Marxist materialism and made the Chair of Peter an international pulpit. Few would question his holiness which provided us all with a witness of how to live and how to die.

Some have raised questions about the appropriateness of his beatification at this time when some of his actions as Pope are still being scrutinized, but the fact that he lived a life of heroic virtue is difficult to deny. He also was an unflinching defender of the Faith.

The Church does not make saints. God does. The Church discerns and recognizes saintliness in the lives of men and women.

I join the millions who rejoice that the Church has recognized saintliness in the life of Pope John Paul II.

The Bishop as arbiter of orthodoxy

2011-04-26T05:00:00.003-05:00

According to Catholic tradition the threefold responsibilities of a bishop are to teach, to sanctify and to govern (Christus Dominus, 11). Recent events have brought new emphasis to the munus docendi, the responsibility of the bishop as authentic teacher of the faith.

Among those events are: catechetical deficiencies of past decades that have resulted in many Catholics’ lack of a solid intellectual foundation in their faith and the inability to recognize that understanding and articulation of the unchanging truths develops; the pervasiveness of the Internet, particularly the social media and blogs that enable the wide dissemination of opinion as fact; and the tendency among some theologians to isolate themselves from the mainstream of Catholic thought or to publish for general circulation theological hypotheses without the benefit of prior review by peers or ecclesiastical authorities.

Catechetical deficiences are being addressed by increased emphasis on proper preparation for catechists, recognizing that enthusiasm alone is not enough. Programs like the School of Ministry at the University of Dallas and certification of catechists are insuring that those teaching children and adults know the faith.

Thanks to the social media and blogs, the Internet is inundated with material that is often presented as fact and is frequently ill informed opinion. The aforementioned catechetical deficiencies have made it impossible for many to distinguish erroneous opinions from truth. There are myriad cyber experts whose creed is “truth is what I say it is.”

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Chairman of the U.S. Bishops Committee on Doctrine and Archbishop of Washington D.C., addressed the relationship of bishops and theologians in a letter to all bishops published April 18.

In his letter, Cardinal Wuerl noted that in establishing the Church, Christ left behind a Gospel and a teaching organism to protect and proclaim it and that this organism exists in the “uninterrupted tradition, stretching back to the time of the Apostles and continued in their succesors, the bishops,” and that it is only through this tradition that “we can be sure of the integrity and validity of the Christian faith.”

Quoting the Teaching Ministry of the Diocesan Bishop, an earlier publication of the Secretariat of Doctrine, the letter notes that “Catholic bishops, in adddition to communicating knowledge of revelaton and exhotation in virtue, ‘are to determine authoritatively the correct interpretation of the Scripture and tradition committed to the Church…and they are to judge for the Church the accuracy of the presentation of this revelation by others.’”

Cardinal Wuerl emphasizes “the ministry of bishops and the service rendered by theologians entail a mutual respect and support” and that “it is the privilege of theologians to delve more profoundly and systematically into the meaning of the faith.” The letter notes however the academic freedom of Catholic theologians has “its own appropriate limits,” and that at times it may conflict with “the pastoral obligation of the bishop to protect the authetiicity of the faith and the spiritual good of the faithful.”

In the letter, the Cardinal writes that a sense of communion with the Church is at the “very heart of a profound harmony between the bishops, the authoitative teachers of the faith and the theologians who have the task of investigating and penetrating more deeply into the meaning of the faith.”

I am well aware of my responsibility in this regard and I take my responsibility very seriously. I shall never forget the charge given me when I was ordained and given the crozier of the shepherd: "Take this staff as a sign of your pastoral office: keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has appointed you to shepherd the Church of God."

Easter Vigil: The triumph of the Resurrection

2011-04-21T14:35:00.007-05:00

Good Friday’s darkness and Saturday’s silence of the tomb are supplanted by the unbridled joy of the Easter Vigil when the Church rejoices at the Resurrection of the Lord and celebrates the sacraments of Christian initiation.

Celebration of the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening recalls the Jewish custom that the day begins with sunset rather than at midnight. Vigil in Latin means “wakeful”. Traditionally a vigil is a time of wakefulness in anticipation of an event. The Easter Vigil is the time that we await the Resurrection that occurred early on Sunday.

Prior to the Second Vatican Council the Easter Vigil service was frequently celebrated Holy Saturday morning, often with only the priest and other ministers present. Today the Easter Vigil is a very important celebration for the entire parish community.

It is rich in symbolism, beginning with the kindling of the Easter Fire outside the church used to light the Paschal Candle. The new fire signifies the resurrection of Christ from the tomb. Christ, the light of the world, has risen from the tomb. As the candle is carried into church in procession, the antiphon “Light of Christ,” is sung by the priest or deacon, to which the congregation responds “Thanks be to God,” The spreading of the light from the Paschal Candle reminds us of how the Light of Christ spread throughou the world puncturing the darkness of evil.

Once inside the Exultet or Easter Proclamation is sung by the deacon or the priest, recording in poetic form the history of salvation, recalling the Felix Culpa, or Happy Fault, the sin of Adam and Eve, described as happy because it necessitated the Incarnation to reconcile humanity with God. “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!”

With the singing of the Gloria, the silence of the tomb is broken by the joyful ringing of churchbells and the darkness is completely dispersed by the illuminating of the church.

In a bit of anachronism, the liturgy returns to the Herew Scriptures, which trace the history of salvation through seven Old Testament readings and psalms leading us in word to the coming of Christ concluding, appropriately, with Roman’s 6, St. Paul’s magnificent description of baptism as sharing in the death and Resurrection of Jesus. “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.”

In the Gospel Matthew relates how Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” discovered the empty tomb on Easter morning and are told by an angel “He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” They are then confronted by the Risen Christ who comissions them to be the first bearers of the Good News when he charges them to “Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Following the homily is the baptismal liturgy where Jesus’ Passover from death to life, makes possible our Passover through the waters of Baptism. Catechumens are baptized and confirmed, and those being professed are confirmed, and all are welcomed into the Body of Christ. Next follows the renewal of baptismal promises with the sprinkling of the Easter Water recalling our own baptismal Passover.

The celebration of the Eucharist marks the high point of the Easter Vigil. The new members of the community receive their first Eucharist. The joyful alleluias that conclude the Easter Vigil mark the beginning of the Easter Season during which the Paschal Candle will be a continuous reminder that Christ is among his people.

Resurrexit sicut dixit. He is risen as he said.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia

Good Friday: A day of solemn reflection

2011-04-20T05:00:00.005-05:00

On Good Friday the priest enters the church in silence and prostrates himself before the altar signifying the grief and sorrow of the Church. It is a day of solemn reflection on the mystery of the cross.

As we meditate on the Lord’s Passion. We are confronted with two images from the Hebrew Scriptures that pre-figure the sufferings of Jesus as vicarious and redemptive.

Once again we are confonted with the Suffering Servant from Isaiah 52 and 53, the mysterious figure who suffered for the offenses of others. “It was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured … he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.”

In the Liturgy of the Hours, St. John Chrysostom returns to the image of Jesus as the new Paschal Lamb from Holy Thursday’s liturgy: “If we wish to understand the power of Christ’s blood, we should go back to the ancient account of its prefiguration in Egypt. ‘Sacrifice a lamb without blemish’, commanded Moses, ‘and sprinkle its blood on your doors’”.

It is not surprising that the Church turns to these separate but complimentary Old Testament images to explain the mystery of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Just as the early church looked to the Hebrew Scriptures for enlightenment, the Church continues to see the Old Testament images as relavent to the mystery of the Incarnation: “God, the inspirer and author of the books of both Testaments, in his wisdom has so brought it about that the New should be hidden the Old and that the Old should be made manifest in the New.” (Dei Verbum 16)

In the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (4:14-16; 5:7-9), we are reminded that Jesus is not only the source of eternal salvation but that we are confident of his mercy because he can sympathize with our weakness because in his humanity he was “tested in every way, yet without sin.”

So we are prepared for the reading of John’s Passion which is shorter and less anecdotal than those of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John stresses Jesus’ obedience to the father. At Gethsemane Jesus does not pray to be delivered from suffering but accepts it as a duty. John also recounts in greater detail the interrogaton by Pilate during which Jesus emphasizes his kingship with the result that Pilate has nailed to the cross the statement, “Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews.”

John alone tells of Jesus commending his mother to the beloved disciple: “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” It is never stated, but tradition has it that John himself was the beloved disciple.

There is no Liturgy of the Eucharist on Good Friday, only the Liturgy of the Word which is followed by the very ancient traditon of the veneration of the cross. The earliest account of this observance comes from the diary of Egeria, a fourth century pilgrim, who describes the ceremony as it took place in Jerusalem. A portion of the diary may be found at http://www.ccel.org/m/mcclure/etheria/etheria.htm. The elevation and veneration of the cross points to the most important act in the history of salvation.

Following the veneraton of the cross, the Lord’s Prayer is recited and Communion is distributed using the hosts that were consecrated on Holy Thursday and reserved for use on Friday.

After Communion, the priest leaves silently and the altar is stripped once again with only the cross remaining.

The Lord is lying in the tomb.

Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Triduum

2011-04-18T12:34:00.004-05:00

“The Lenten journey finds its fulfillment in the Paschal Triduum…” Pope Benedict XVI

Celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Triduum, the three day observance of Jesus’ Passion, death and Resurrection, that closes with Evening Prayer on Easter. Of this ancient Christian observance St. Ambrose wrote: “During this Sacred Triduum… (Christ) suffered, rested and rose from the dead.”

As a symbol of the time that Jesus “rested” in the tomb, the bells, organ and other instruments in the church fall silent after the Gloria and remain so until the Easter Vigil.

Three of the great mysteries of our faith are commemorated during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the institution of the Eucharist, the establishment of the priesthood and the Christian’s call to service.

In the first reading, the Passover story from Exodus, we are told how the blood of the paschal lamb applied to the Hebrew’s doorsteps and lintels caused God to pass over their homes when the tenth plague claimed the firstborn of the Egyptians. The saving blood of the paschal lamb is a foreshadowing of the saving blood of Jesus.

The institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood is recalled in the passage taken from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (11:23-26) rather than from one of the synoptic gospels, Jesus offers the Apostles the bread and the cup, his body and his blood, saying “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” The Lord then adjures the Apostles: “…as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

While John’s gospel, which is read, has no institution text in the account of the Last Supper, it does contain the compelling story of Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles. In the foot washing account, which appears only in John, Peter, impulsive as always, declares “You will never wash my feet.” He could not comprehend Jesus performing the task of a slave.

Jesus replies, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me. “ Peter quickly acquieses blurting out, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” After washing the Apostles feet Jesus addresses them saying, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that, as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:1-15

Most parishes include the washing to the feet of chosen parishioners with the priest or the deacon taking the role of Christ with the basin and a towel. This reminds us of the third great mystery commenorated on Holy Thursday, the Christian’s call to the service of others.

At the end of the service, the Blessed Sacrament is taken in procession to the place of reservation, the altar is stripped and the tabernacle doors left open.

The day of the Lord’s passion has begun.

Mass of the Chrism

2011-04-17T12:00:00.004-05:00

A very important event during Holy Week is the Mass of the Chrism. It takes its name from the fact that it is where the bishop consecrates the Sacred Chrism and blesses the other holy oils that will be used in administering the sacraments in the various parishes during the coming year.

Sometimes celebrated on Holy Thursday morning because of its relationship to Jesus establishing the priestly order on that day, it is the custom in our diocese to move the Mass of the Chrism to Tuesday evening in Holy Week.

It is also a special event that emphasizes the unity of the bishop with his priests. Together they celebrate their common priesthood by the renewal of their priestly vows and their commitment to a life of service to the Church.

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “Each year the Chrism Mass exhorts us to return to that "yes" to the call of God which we pronounced on the day of our priestly ordination. ‘Adsum – here I am!’ we said like Isaiah, when he heard the voice of God, who asked him: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ ‘Here I am, send me!’ Isaiah replied” (Isaiah 6:8).

As a preparation for their renewal of priestly vows, priests participate in a day of recollection on the afternoon preceding the Chrism Mass which they will concelebrate with the bishop.

Sacred Chrism is the oil that is used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders and in the consecration of churches and altars. Only the bishop may consecrate Holy Chrism. The other Holy Oils are the Oil of the Sick, to be used in the Sacrament of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens to be used in the Sacrament of Baptism.

Deacons, who with the priests will be using the Sacred Chrism and the Oil of Catechumens in their administration of the sacraments, present to the bishop the vessels containing the oils to be blessed.

After the ceremony, the priest, or another representative of each parish, will fill a small container with each of the Holy Oils to be taken for use in their parish.

In a sense the entire Church of Dallas participates in the Chrism Mass, not just in the presence of the bishop, priests, deacons, religious and lay people at the celebration, but in the fact that the blessed oils become part of the sacramental life of each parish in the diocese during the coming year.

Anniversary on the Hilltop

2011-04-15T15:39:00.006-05:00

Our Methodist friends are rightfully celebrating today the centennial of the founding of Southern Methodist University in 1911. Dallas is much richer for the presence of SMU and the thousands of graduates and students that have been educated there.

Dallas has never been reluctant to actively seek those entities that have made it a great city, and as SMU President Gerald Turner wrote in today’s Dallas Morning News, Dallas made a better offer than Fort Worth. The university’s first building was thus named Dallas Hall.

Our city and state have been, and continue to be, well served by the university and its nationally recognized graduate, undergraduate and research programs.

The Diocese of Dallas has maintained a Catholic presence at SMU since 1932, and many Catholics are among the faculty, students and graduates. Today the Catholic Campus Ministry serves more than 1500 Catholic students in a facility provided by the generosity of Thomas and Judy Neuhoff.

We congratulate Southern Methodist University and the United Methodist Church for the vision shown in the founding of this great university and for their significant contribution to higher education in Dallas and Texas.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.

2011-04-13T05:00:00.007-05:00

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. It is now called Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. Some of you will remember that before the Holy Week reforms of 1970 the Sunday before Palm Sunday was called Passion Sunday, and the crucifix and all the statues were draped, usually in purple, for the two last weeks of Lent, known as Passiontide. This custom is no longer common in the United States, altough it is permitted.

The Passion is read on Palm Sunday and again on Good Friday. On Palm Sunday the Passion that is read alternates each year among the three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. The Passion of John is always read on Good Friday.

Palm Sunday begins outdoors, weather permitting. The palms are blessed and Matthew’s gospel of Jesus entering Jerusalem is read. The celebrant and the congregation then process into the church, recalling Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The joyful air of the processions is sombered by the reading of the Passion (from Matthew this year), thus emulating the joyful/sorrowful dichotomy of Holy Week.

Preceding the reading of the Passion, one of the Suffering Servant songs from Isaiah is read (Is 50:4-7) in which the Servant, seen as a forshadowing of the Messiah, says: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.”

Taken from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the second reading speaks of the Incarnation, of God’s Son emptying himself, as it were, of his divinity to take on the burden of humanity.

“He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” The reading once again reflects the joyful/sorrowful dichotomy when it concludes: “Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Thus we enter once again into what was once called the Week of Sorrows that culminates, not with the sadness of the Crucifixion but with the joyfulness of the Resurrection.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

2011-04-07T13:36:00.003-05:00

The parishes and schools in the Diocese of Dallas work diligently and commit themselves to the prevention of abuse of children or vulnerable adults. Our safe environment program requires that all clergy, employees, and volunteers receive special training and undergo a criminal background check before they are allowed to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.

Safe environment training must be updated every year. During the past year 21,798 people received initial safe environment training or were updated in the diocese, including 18,640 volunteers, 1,520 employees, 1,292 educators and 346 priests and deacons.

The Diocese of Dallas requires that all clergy (priests and deacons), volunteers and employees have initial criminal background checks and that they be repeated biennially. Background checks in the Diocese of Dallas this past year totaled 16,700 including 7,022 first time checks and 9,678 rechecks.

All children attending Catholic School and Faith Formation Programs were trained this year about “Boundaries” and the importance of “Telling Someone” if their boundaries were violated. The number of children trained this year was 59,352.

This year we have incorporated into our Safe Environment Program a “Ministerial Code of Conduct.” The intent of which is to provide a set of normative standards of conduct for all clergy, employees, and volunteers engaged in ministerial and other church related situations in the diocese.

The Safe Environment Program, Ministerial Code of Conduct, and Sexual Misconduct Policy can be found on the diocesan website at www.cathdal.org , click on “A Safe Environment.” I would encourage you to visit the website where the program of t he Diocese of Dallas is explained in greater detail.

We are deeply committed to maintaining a safe environment in the diocese for children and vulnerable adults. National Child Abuse Prevention Month serves to remind us all of the importance of this issue, but providing a safe environment is a year round effort and I commend our parishes and institutions and the diocesan Safe Environment Office for their dedication.

Saints are not perfect

2011-04-05T13:17:00.002-05:00

With the imminent beatification of Pope John Paul II and the recent beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta many are asking “what does it mean to be a saint? Does a person have to live a perfect and sinless life to become a saint?”

I do not intend to address the formal canonical process leading to canonization. I suspect there will be a number of such articles in the coming weeks. What I want to stress is that people like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa were normal human beings with all the strengths and weaknesses that are part of the human condition. They made mistakes, they made errors in judgment, and they became frustrated and lost their temper at times. What is important is that they didn’t give up on God.

Like each of us they were called to discipleship, to follow Jesus, to seek to imitate him so closely that they might say with St. Paul, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20), for that is the goal of discipleship. However, human nature being what it is saints find themselves also saying, as St. Paul did, “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.” (Rom 7:15)

The Church uses the term “heroic virtue,” which could be defined as constantly seeking to imitate Jesus, gladly, even in the face of internal and external opposition, often at a considerable personal sacrifice. That means it is not easy and includes a lot of forgiving and being forgiven.

It also means that there are many out there who demonstrate heroic virtue in their lives but will never be formally recognized as venerable or blessed or as saints. They are the saints of Dallas or Plano or Waxahachie. Their road to sainthood is not on the streets of Calcutta or in the Vatican, but in the office, in the classroom, in the factory or in the kitchen.

This in no way takes away from Pope John Paul II or Mother Teresa. It means that saintliness does not preclude human weaknesses. It does mean not giving up on God, knowing that we are never abandoned by God, never without the Divine presence, never without the grace of the Holy Spirit.

People do not set out to be saints, they become disciples of Jesus.

If there was ever a mustard seed story, it is the pro-life movement

2011-03-18T05:00:00.001-05:00

Phillip Scharper, the late Catholic publisher, once said that "only those who can see the invisible can do the impossible."

On January 22, 1973 when the highest court in the land handed down the Roe vs Wade decision there were those Catholics whose Faith was all about seeing the invisible who set out to do the impossible.

From that time on the nascent pro-life movement began to grow exponentially into what is likely the greatest and longest-lasting grassroots movement in the history of the United States.

Most importantly it is not just a protest movement that tends to lose steam because it is essentially negative, but it has transformed itself into a positive outreach that does not simply wait for someone do "do something" about stopping abortions but has taken up the baton and run with it.

On March 26th once again the ballroom at the Hilton Anatole will be packed with those who labor on behalf of the unborn and their supporters. Last year there were nearly 2500. Maybe they can stretch to walls to make it 3000 in 2011.

What are these outreach programs of which I speak? Project Gabriel and the GEMS,
Rachel Retreats, Abortion After-care, lobbying in Austin and Washington, Speakers Bureau and outreach to the Hispanic community.

In addition diocesan agencies like Catholic Charities provide alternatives to abortion through its adoption program and Children and Adoption Services and Community Outreach (CASCO) provides help and creates hope for families and individuals through three main programs: Maternity and Adoption, the Mary R. Saner Child Development Center, our Together We Learn program and St. Joseph Residence. We are respecting and protecting life from conception to natural death.

The diocese cooperates with community programs like Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) a nonprofit organization of volunteers who are appointed by judges to make recommendations that help judges decide where abused and neglected children can live safely and permanently.

Our Safe Environment Office works closely with parishes and non-parish based organizations and with community and government agencies to insure the safety and security of our children and vulnerable-adults.

We're not there yet. Roe vs. Wade is still on the books, but we are doing a lot more than just protesting and wringing our hands.

The mustard seed has become a tree.

One of the good times

2011-03-17T14:32:00.003-05:00

Being a Bishop has its good times and its not so good ones, like any other job. Last weekend and this coming weekend were examples of the really good times.

Of course the ordination of six fine men to the transitional diaconate was a real joy, the other is the fact that we have nearly 2000 new Catholics who will be baptized or make a profession of faith at the Easter Vigils in their parishes.

At a time when the Church is undergoing serious tribulations resulting from the sinfulness and weakness of human nature, it is heartening to know that, in spite of that sinfulness and weakness of its members, the Church is still recognized by many as the continuing saving presence of Jesus Christ in the world.

As we make our Lenten journey, let us reflect upon the witness of our lives. Does our witness proclaim the healing and forgiving love of Jesus or does it obscure it?

We ask God’s blessing on all those Elect and Candidates as they near the conclusion of their preparation for baptism and profession.

An overwhelming human tragedy

2011-03-11T10:37:00.001-06:00

One is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the human suffering and death resulting from the earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami. Our first response must be prayers for God’s mercy and protection for the victims and their families. Then once opportunities to provide financial and material assistance become available we should be generous in our response.

It is interesting how our perspective changes on what seemed to be major problems yesterday in the face of such a catastrophe. Our lives return to our normal pretty quickly, and we’ll go back to worrying about the price of gasoline and the other day-to-day problems that we face. But, for the Japanese people, individually and collectively, their lives will be changed forever.

At a time such as this our compassion for our fellow human beings transcends the religious, cultural and political divisions that seem to separate us.

May God bring peace and healing to this stricken people.

Six new transitional deacons

2011-03-10T05:00:00.004-06:00

"Receive the Gospel of Christ,
whose herald you have become,
Believe what you read,
Teach what you believe,
and practice what you teach."

In ordination rites for the deacon, priest and bishop the final ceremony is the presentation of the symbol of office. For the deacon, that symbol is the Book of Gospels. He is, by ordination, the herald, the proclaimer of the Gospel.

On Saturday, March 12 it will be my great privilege to ordain to the transitional diaconate, six seminarians for the Diocese of Dallas. Transitional deacons, unlike permanent deacons, are men who will advance to the priesthood.

Do not underestimate the importance of diaconal ordination. It is the time when these men, who have been preparing themselves for years, become members of the clergy, commit themselves to a life of celibacy and to conform their way of life to the example of Christ and promise respect and obedience to the bishop and his successors.

Those present are always impressed by the deacons prostrating themselves before the altar in supplication. Following that, the Bishop lays hands on each ordinand and prays the ordination prayer.

Deacons are ordained to the service of the Bishop, so unlike ordination to the priesthood where all priests present lay hands, only the Bishop lays hands on the deacon.

The vestments of the deacon are the stole and dalmatic. After they are ordained family members or priests or deacons assist in vesting the newly ordained.

It is then that, kneeling before the bishop, the deacon is handed the Book of Gospels with the words: "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach."

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Bishop embraces the new deacons in a greeting of peace.

As deacons, the newly ordained may proclaim the Gospel and preach. He becomes an ordinary minister of the Eucharist. In the time before he is ordained to the priesthood, he will be assigned to one of our parishes to work for a year.

My prayer for our new deacons is the one the Bishop prays during the ordination.

May God who has begun the good work in you bring it to conclusion.

The fastest day of the year

2011-03-09T12:44:00.003-06:00

I recall a discussion among relatives when I was young concerning what was “the fastest day of the year”, one side holding out for Ash Wednesday and the other for Good Friday. Of course the argument was unwinnable, but it illustrates the fact that many of us do not understand what fast and abstinence is all about.

Part of the problem is that Pope Paul VI updated the rules for public fasting and penance in his “Apostolic Constitution on Penance, ” so they are a little different than they were for your grandmother.

No one can be dispensed from the necessity of doing penance, but for those physically unable to observe the rules of fast and abstinence due to illness or other causes, it is recommended that they practice voluntary acts of penance or works of charity. For that matter, all Catholics are urged to practice such voluntary acts in addition to observing the rules of fast and abstinence appropriate to their situation.

Basically, if a person is between the ages of 18 and 59 they are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means taking only one full meal. It may be any meal, but the other meals should together not equal another full meal.

Those who have celebrated their 14th birthday must practice abstinence on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but does not include eggs, milk, meat juices and soups, gravies and sauces flavored with meat.

Honestly, the rules are not as important as the spirit of penance, voluntarily forgoing legitimate activities to share in the sufferings of Jesus who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross”(Phillippians 2)

What is the fastest day of the year?

Today, Ash Wednesday is certainly one of them.

What is Lent all about?

2011-03-08T05:00:00.001-06:00

In short it is about repentance, forgiveness and baptism. It is one of the most ancient Christian observances recognizing the need to prepare for Easter, the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection, the greatest of Christian feasts.

In 325 the Council of Nicea first proposed a 40 day preparation period for Easter. The number 40 has special religious significance for Christians: Moses spent 40 days fasting on Mt. Sinai waiting on God, Elijah walked 40 days to the Mountain of the Lord and most importantly Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days in the desert before he began his ministry.

As is the case with all Christian observances, Lent has changed over time until it took its present form in the Western Church of the 40 days prior to Easter. Originally Lent began on quadragesima (fortieth day) Sunday, but Sundays being feasts were not counted, so in the sixth century Pope St. Gregory the Great moved the first day of Lent to the previous Wednesday to make it a full 40 days.

The first liturgy for Ash Wednesday appeared in the tenth century and in the 11th century Pope Urban II called for the distribution of ashes on that day. Although Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, many Catholics treat it as one and would not think of missing being marked with ashes on the forehead. Originally, ashes were sprinkled on men's heads and only women received them on the forehead, but the sprinkling for men soon gave way to the forehead. Ashes symbolize the first theme of Lent, repentance. They are the traditional symbol of repentance in the Old and New Testaments.

Forgiveness is the second theme. It is a time to forgive and be forgiven, to accept God's mercy and forgiveness and be reconciled to him, and unburden ourselves from anger, hurt and resentment by offering the same forgiveness to others. One of the names for the last day before Lent begins is Shrove Tuesday. Shrove is a form of the English word Shrive, which means seeking absolution for your sins in confession in preparation for Lent.

Baptism is the last theme. In Baptism water becomes the symbol of death and the symbol of life. Paul tells us in Romans six that in the waters of Baptism we die with Christ so that we may rise with him to new life. Lent is the traditional final preparation for catechumens preparing for Baptism at the Easter Vigil when they will rise with him to new life.

It is also the time for all to prepare themselves for the renewal of their Baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil.

In his Lenten Message, Pope Benedict XVI writes: "In order to undertake more seriously our journey towards Easter and prepare ourselves to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord – the most joyous and solemn feast of the entire liturgical year – what could be more appropriate than allowing ourselves to be guided by the Word of God? For this reason, the Church, in the Gospel texts of the Sundays of Lent, leads us to a particularly intense encounter with the Lord, calling us to retrace the steps of Christian initiation: for catechumens, in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of rebirth; for the baptized, in light of the new and decisive steps to be taken in the sequela Christi and a fuller giving of oneself to him."

The culmination of Lent is the Triduum, the final three days from Holy Thursday to the Easter Vigil. As we prepare for our journey to Easter, led by God's Holy Word, let us do so in a spirit of repentance and forgiveness as we prepare to renew our Baptismal commitment and rejoice in the triumph of Jesus' Resurrection.

So, what are you giving up for Lent?

2011-03-06T05:00:00.002-06:00

As children, Lent was the time for giving up something. Candy, ice cream, chocolate and movies were all popular. Of course, television was the ultimate sacrifice. Hopefully as we mature physically and spiritually, Lent takes on a much deeper and richer meaning. But let's stay for now with the idea of giving up something.

Of course we did not know it as children, but the concept of giving up has ancient roots in the Old Testament and beyond. Those roots are found in the concept of sacrifice. For pagans sacrifice was usually in the context of placating an angry god by offering something of great value. In some cultures ritual sacrifice came to be seen as necessary to save the world from destruction.

Rejecting the pagan idea that sacrifice was some kind of magical act that would temper a god's anger, the Israelites understood sacrifice as an act of worshiping the God of creation or an act of repentance for violating a boundary established by God in his commandments. In offering a sacrifice, something of great value to the person, was freely given up to the service of God or others.

Parents make great sacrifices for the love of their children; soldiers make great sacrifices for their country. Both are good examples of sacrificing things of great value for the good of others.

The ultimate sacrifice is to freely give up your life for others, as Jesus did in his sacrificial death to repent for the many times that men and women had crossed God's boundaries by sin. That sacrifice with his Resurrection culminates our Lenten journey in the Triduum from Holy Thursday to Easter.

Sacrifice then in the Judeo-Christian tradition is freely giving up something of real value to God as an act of worship. It shows God's primacy in our lives. He is number one. Pope Benedict speaks of the "idolatry of goods" which "divests man, making him unhappy, deceiving, and deluding him without fulfilling its promises, since it puts materialistic goods in the place of God, the only source of life."

Put off buying that new car or new barbecue for the back yard and give that money to God by giving it to the poor through Catholic Charities. We used to call that giving alms. The Pope has something to say about that too: "The practice of almsgiving is a reminder of God's primacy and turns our attention towards others, so that we may discover how good our Father is, and receive his mercy."

Now, what are you giving up for Lent?

Rediscovering forgiveness

2011-03-03T10:15:00.004-06:00

It took a couple of thousand years but science has discovered the healing power of forgiveness.

In a recent presentation at the Pontifical College of the Holy Cross in Rome, Dr. Robert Enright, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, said that forgiveness is not just a virtue but a valuable therapeutic method.

“Hatred has a long shelf life,” Enright says. “Once it enters into the human heart, it’s hard to get it out. It breeds destruction, discouragement, and hopelessness.” He defines forgiveness as "the foregoing of resentment or revenge when the wrongdoer's actions deserve it and giving the gifts of mercy, generosity and love when the wrongdoer does not deserve them. As we give the gift of forgiveness we ourselves are healed."

Of course Dr. Enright is right on target; his wording is more pragmatic than theological but two millennia before Dr. Enright Jesus not only taught forgiveness but forgiveness without limit, not seven times but seventy times seven.

Every Catholic knows that "scrubbed clean" feeling after you have made a good confession and how a weight is lifted when, after bearing a hurt for a long time, you forgive and ask forgiveness. We also know that anger and hatred poison us more than the object of our scorn.

It is appropriate that the Sacrament of Penance is referred to as the Rite of Reconciliation because forgiveness brings about reconciliation, a healing and a sense of being whole again. One of the powerful elements of the Rite of Reconciliation is that we are told that we are forgiven.

I congratulate Dr. Enright on his work and hope that many learn the healing power of forgiveness from his efforts.

Perhaps it will also remind Catholics of the great gift that they have in the Sacrament of Penance.

Egypt's Coptic Christians

2011-02-28T11:07:00.002-06:00

Egypt's revolution may have brought about a significant change in Christian-Muslim relations in that country where of the 80 million population some 10 percent are Christians. The overwhelming numbers are Coptics who date their founding to St. Mark in the first century. The Copts split from the Catholic Church after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. They are among the Oriental Orthodox churches. A smaller number of Copts were reunited with the Pope. They comprise the Catholic Coptic Church.

Egypt was a Coptic Christian country until 642 A.D. when it fell to the armies of Islam. Over the centuries the number of Copts decreased dramatically and underwent oppression and persecution.

They flourished briefly in the early 19th century, but with the coup of Abdal Nassar in 1952 they again were suppressed and discriminated against. Under Hosni Mubarak they suffered harassment and sectarian attacks that culminated in the 2011 New Year’s car bomb attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria that killed more than 20 worshipers. Many Coptics blamed the Mubarak government and not Muslims who offered aid to the survivors and the church.

Coptic youth were protesting the government before the January 25 revolution. And, although Church authorities were hesitant, the Coptic youth protesters joined the Muslims in Tahrir Square in the history-making revolution.

The Al-Arab newspaper reports that Christian protesters conducted funeral prayers for the martyrs who had been killed during the demonstrations. Christian youth then stood guard as Muslims prayed to protect them from the secret police. Al-Arab reported that crowds of youth participated, under the leadership of prominent Coptic figures.

Cardinal Antonios Naguib, patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church, issued a statement welcoming the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak.

“The Egyptian Catholic Church joins all Egypt's loyal citizens to thank God Almighty for the wonderful success he granted to the courageous youth of the January 25 movement,” he continued “This experience has produced a reality that was absent for so long, which is the unity of the citizens, the youth and the old, Christians and Muslims, without any distinction or discrimination, in purpose and action for the good of Egypt, and for the security and safety in the country,” he added. “We are certain that these feelings that reigned in the hearts will last for the near and distant future.”

God works in strange and wonderful ways. Let us pray that these events mark a new era for our Christian brothers and sisters in Egypt.

Good news, bad news on vocations

2011-02-22T10:28:00.001-06:00

When the annual statistical report was released by the Vatican this week it turned out to be one of those good news, bad news stories.

On the good news side is the fact that worldwide vocations to the priesthood are up 1.4 percent over the last decade (1999-2009). Vocations to the diocesan priesthood increased 4 percent but vocations to religious communities decreased 3.5 percent.

The bad news is that in North America priestly vocations continued to decline. Diocesan clergy declined 7 percent and religious clergy 21 percent.

Not surprisingly the data confirms the new springtime of the Church in those parts of the world that we once considered missionary territory. In Africa priestly vocations among diocesan clergy increased a whopping 38.5 percent while in Asia the increase was 30.5 percent.

All Christian groups are growing in Africa as they compete with Islam to win over those Africans abandoning tribal religions. An evangelizing church is a vigorous and growing church. It doesn't have time for internal squabbles. The polarization we have in the United States does not exist in Africa.

Happily we are enjoying an increase in seminarians in the Diocese of Dallas and will be ordaining three diocesan priests this year. I am convinced that this wonderful news is due to continued prayers for vocations, parents encouraging their children to consider priestly and religious vocations and the example of our priests.

We must continue to work and pray for a new springtime in the Church in North America and in the Church of Dallas.

Rejoice in our diversity

2011-02-14T10:40:00.001-06:00

"It often grieves me when I see children of the Church squabble over what the Church allows. One may have preferences, and I respect that, but why seek to have everyone conform to my preferences when and where the Church allows diversity?"

These words of Monsignor Charles Pope, a priest of the Diocese of Washington, DC reflect a situation in the Church that troubles many of us.

In an article entitled "Walking in the wide Church and staying within the guard rails", published on the archdiocesan website, Monsignor Pope speaks of the tendency many of us have to think that our way of practicing the Catholic faith is the norm and that those who do otherwise are somehow not real Catholics.

Monsignor Pope explains that "As a priest I am called to pastor people with a wide variety of liturgical preferences, political views, and opinions on social and ecclesial issues. Liturgically I celebrate a lively Gospel Mass, the Traditional Latin Mass, and also have pastoral duties related to the Maronite Liturgy and the Geez Rite and the Neocatechumenal liturgies."

He goes on to say: "I often laugh when people try to label me or figure me out. I am against abortion so they call me a Republican. I am troubled by the death penalty (along with the Pope and bishops) and they call me a Democrat...I say the Latin Mass and they say I am a conservative. I rejoice at a Gospel Mass and they say I am off the hook. And all this time I am just trying to be a Catholic and a disciple."

Those of us who pastor in the Church encounter this in our ministry every day. Outside of the Magisterium, there is great diversity in the Church. There always has been. A Church that can accommodate a Francis of Assisi and a Dominic Guzman at the same time has a wide spectrum of legitimate expression.

It is said that what makes a mosaic beautiful are the brilliant tiles of various colors that complement one another. A single color monochromatic work of art tends to be dull and uninteresting. Our Church is like a brilliant mosaic whose beauty glorifies God.

We should rejoice in our diversity.

World Day of the Sick

2011-02-07T14:30:00.006-06:00

Did you know that each year the Church celebrates a World Day of the Sick?

It was instituted in 1992 by Pope John Paul II to be celebrated on February 11, the commemoration of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Bernadette Soubirous, at whose shrine at Lourdes so many have been healed. The Holy Father had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a year earlier, though it was not acknowledged publicly.

Catholics are called by this observance to reflect on the mystery of suffering that is common to all human beings. It is also a reminder of the importance of compassion for those suffering and in need by individuals as well as society. In his encyclical Spe Salvi (In hope we are saved) Pope Benedict XVI teaches that “the true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer.”

Jesus did not take away our suffering, but, by becoming a human being and sharing in our suffering and pain, he completely changed it. He made suffering redemptive.

When I was a boy and we suffered even a minor hurt, we were always reminded to “offer it up” meaning to make our suffering redemptive for others. Perhaps we should revive that practice to give meaning to the suffering that we all share.

We are also called by Christian compassion to reach out to those who are suffering and in need, always keeping in mind that it is the love of Christ that motivates us.

Catholic Schools Week

2011-01-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

What makes a Catholic school different?

Catholic schools educate the whole child. They address not only the intellectual, physical and psychological capacities of a child but also the moral and religious dimensions.

Catholic education is centered on the person of Jesus Christ who provides the most comprehensive example of the realization of full human potential.

A Catholic school is more than religion classes that teach about our Faith. It must be a vibrant Faith community where Catholic Christianity is both witnessed and experienced. It must be a place where intellectual growth is harmonized with spiritual, religious, emotional and social growth. Its distinctiveness must not rest solely on its religious education program.

Academic excellence is essential, but it is not enough to produce graduates well prepared in the arts and sciences. Catholic schools must produce graduates whose love for wisdom and truth lead to a worldview infused with Gospel values and Catholic tradition.

I am amazed and humbled by the sacrifices parents make to provide a Catholic education for their children. They recognize what makes a Catholic school different.

And I salute the administrators, teachers and staffs of our Catholic schools whose commitment to academic excellence and the Faith are what continue to make our Catholic schools different.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

2011-01-18T13:51:00.002-06:00

“One in the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer” Cf: Acts 2:42

When in 1908, Franciscan Episcopal Father Paul J. Francis initiated a week for Christian Unity in January he had no idea how much fruit the effort would bear. The first fruits occurred one year late. He and the other Friars of the Atonement were all received into the Catholic Church.

First called the Church Unity Octave, Pope St. Pius X gave the practice his blessing in 1909 and in 1921 the bishops of the United States adopted it. It is now jointly sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.

The scripture reading chosen as the theme for this year is taken from the Acts of the Apostles and reflects the essential elements of the Apostolic Church…community, Eucharist and prayer. Sadly, unity among Christians has been elusive even from the earliest days of the Church and it continues to be so, although prayer and dialogue continue at many levels in an effort to bring it about.

What form would it take? Only God knows. What we know is that the search for unity is like climbing a mountain. The peak is shrouded in clouds and mist. We do not know what will be found there, but we know we are compelled to continue climbing.
We are compelled to continue praying in faith and in hope for that unity that Jesus spoke of in his priestly prayer at the Last Supper.

“Father may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe that it was you who sent me” John 17:21

A Sad Anniversary

2011-01-11T09:12:00.002-06:00

Once again we will commemorate the tragic Roe vs. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday January 22 with a Mass at the Cathedral followed by a March for Life through downtown Dallas. Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth will join in celebrating the Mass and in the march from the Cathedral to the Federal Courthouse.

It was 38 years ago when a case that originated in Dallas reached the Supreme Court and triggered the decision that legalized abortions. The pro-life movement aimed at overturning Roe vs. Wade is one of the greatest grass roots efforts in the nation’s history.

Since 1995, with publication of the “Gospel of Life,” the Church has continuously encouraged us to promote a culture of life that respects, protects and supports all human life from conception to natural death. I encourage all Catholics and all men and women of goodwill to do what they can to promote this culture in our communities and in our nation.

I thank all people who will join us in this pilgrimage for life. If you cannot participate in the Mass and march or other planned activities, please join us in praying for the success of the pro-life movement.

Texas Knights are Number 1

2011-01-07T10:45:00.001-06:00

It is my privilege to serve as State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. It is indeed an honor to be associated with the Knights whose charitable works are well known and universal. They are a great gift to the Church here in Dallas and throughout the country. Their work is much admired. In an earlier blog I have expressed my hope that every Catholic man would be a Knight. More than 94,000 Texas Catholic men are already members of the order but that is not enough.

In July, I challenged the Texas Knights of Columbus to beat out the Knights of New York as number one in largest state membership. Tony Herreth, Texas State Deputy, has informed me that as of January 1, 2011 Texas had 94,720 Knights and New York had 94,580. Texas is Number 1! Congratulations to our Knights in the Lone Star State for leaving New York in Texas' dust...and my condolences to Archbishop Dolan. Now let's make it 96,000.

Support the work of Catholic Charities…and have a great evening

2011-01-04T07:57:00.003-06:00

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27

Of all the works of the Church, it is the work of Catholic Charities that best continues the ministry of Jesus who came to serve not be served.(Matt 20:28). Unfortunately many of the works of Catholic Charities are not well known because they are done quietly and without fanfare.

Their work began one year after Diocese of Dallas was erected when a Catholic orphanage was opened on Page Street in Oak Cliff in 1891. That has grown into today’s Children and Adoption Services and Community Outreach that creates hope for families and individuals through adoption placement, and counseling for expectant mothers and families.

Help with food, clothing and other necessities is provided to families and individuals in need. The Elderly and Family Services Program at Catholic Charities provides seniors with hot meals, activities, health screenings and other assistance to support their personal independence and physical and emotional well-being.

More than any other entity in the country Catholic Charities of Dallas works with the United States government to shelter refugees who fled their homeland in fear of persecution and death. The Immigration and Legal Services Department was established in 1975 in response to the growing number of immigrants moving into North Texas. The Refugee Resettlement Program provides a variety of services to assist refugees in cultural orientation, learning English, finding a job and training in work skills.

These and a number of other services of Catholic Charities are beneficiaries of the 19th Annual Bishop’s Gala to be held January 22 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. Comedian Bill Cosby will be the featured entertainer.

Please come and share a wonderful evening of laughter and hope at Reaching for the Stars with Comedian and Actor Bill Cosby. You will be the real star for helping support the work of Catholic Charities of Dallas. If you cannot make the Gala, please consider making a donation to Catholic Charities online at their website at www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org.

“It is the love of Christ that motivates us” 2 Cor 5:14

Footprints

2010-12-26T05:00:00.005-06:00

“Lives of great men all remind us;
we can make our lives sublime,
and, departing, leave behind us,
footprints on the sands of time.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

These words from Longfellow’s Psalm of Life remind us that as we approach the New Year it is a time to think about our footprints…the ones we have left behind us and the one’s we will be making in the future.

What do our footprints say? What do we want them to say?

Emerson wrote that as a person chooses, so they are. Our choices define us. They are our footprints on the sands of time. We need to reflect upon the footprints we have left behind in 2010. What do they say about us as a Catholic Christian, as a wife or a husband, as a priest, as a parent, as a son or a daughter, as a member of our community?

Our footprints are much more public today than they used to be. We find them all over the Internet on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. If we Google our own name, we may be surprised at the footprints we find there. Today our footprints are almost impossible to hide.

We can’t change those footprints that we have left behind, but we can decide on what our footprints will be in the future. What footprints do we want to make in 2011? Of course there are grandiose things we hope to accomplish, but it is important that the footprints we decide we want to leave behind next year should be simple and achievable.

Let us challenge ourselves. It won’t be easy for as St. Paul reminds us in Romans 7, we often know what we want to do but end up doing something else. Longfellow also tells us of how our footprints affect others.

“Footprints, that perhaps another,
sailing o'er life's solemn main,
a forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
seeing, shall take heart again.”

My prayer for you and your families is that you will have a blessed and happy 2011 and make lots of wonderful footprints.

Joy and Hope and Happy Christmas Memories

2010-12-17T05:00:00.003-06:00

Most of our Christmas memories come from our youth, probably because so many of them are centered on family. Midnight Mass, Christmas dinner, aunts and uncles and cousins, grandma’s favorite dish lovingly prepared and shared every year. For most of us our childhood was a time of unbridled joy, uncomplicated by the mysteries of adolescence or the responsibilities of adulthood.

There is a saying that “you can never go home.” Of course it is correct in the sense that inevitable changes in people and places and in us mean that special time is gone forever. Those happy and carefree times pull us back and we readily identify with the Christmas song that proclaims…”I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.”

Yet those dreams, those joyful experiences shape our lives. Psychologists tell us that the greatest influence in our lives comes from our family of origin. Maybe it is true that we can never go home, but most of us try to replicate it in our lives. We put up the crib and hide the baby Jesus until Christmas. The Advent wreath comes out, and everything reminds us of happy stories we share with our own families.

A friend takes pride in the fact that his children can sing Adeste Fidelis in Latin…which he claims is the way it should always be sung. There are lots of popular new Christmas songs, but none measure up to Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard on High and Little Town of Bethlehem sung at Christmas Mass.

Thank God for St. Luke, he alone preserved the story of the stable at Bethlehem and the choirs of angels announcing the nativity to the shepherds. A visit to the cave in Bethlehem forever changed Christmas for me.

Christmas memories are never really gone. We may stow them away in a corner of our mind, but come Advent, they come out to gladden us once more and encourage us to work to make more new memories that our families and friends will cherish in years to come.

This Christmas a wish you all joy and hope and lots of happy memories.

Do we really need Christmas?

2010-12-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

Has the Grinch really stolen Christmas? The success of Christmas is now measured by sales figures from retail stores and online. The Christmas season no longer begins with the First Sunday of Advent, it begins with Black Friday. So, do we really need Christmas?

The answer is yes. We need Christmas because we can’t see the invisible. We are sentient beings. Our five senses are our measure of reality. How do you know that your spouse loves you? He or she shows love through words and actions. As Liza Doolittle says to her erstwhile suitor in My Fair Lady…”show me!”

We need signs to assure us of that which we cannot see. Sacraments are a visible sign of the invisible working of the Holy Spirit. Checks are a visible sign of money in the bank.

St. Philip expressed the desire we all feel when he asked “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus responded “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:8-9

Christmas is a sign of God’s immeasurable love for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16

Do we really need Christmas? Of course we do. Not for the gifts we exchange with family and friends, but for the gift of God’s Son the visible sign of God’s love for us.

So let us not be blinded from the reality of Christmas by all the razzle-dazzle of commercialism but remember how God showed his love for the world and for each of us.

A joyful Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

2010-12-10T14:20:00.006-06:00

Sunday, December 12th, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is always a very special event for the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the first cathedral in the United States named in her honor. This year there is a second reason for celebration, the dedication of a new church honoring Saint Juan Diego, the Indian peasant to whom Our Lady appeared at Tepeyac in 1531.

Mary’s apparition to Juan Diego occurred only ten years after Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire. During those years the indigenous people suffered much as many Spaniards considered them less than human and some were enslaved and treated with great cruelty. Dominican Friar Bartolomé de las Casas championed the Indians’ cause in New Spain and in the Spanish Court and finally won royal protection for them.

It was during this time that Mary appeared to Juan Diego. Her appearance as an Indian woman who spoke in Nahuatl, the native tongue, was a strong influence in gaining more humane treatment for the Indians. Her image has become a symbol of freedom from oppression by the Mexican and Mexican-American people ever since.

Mary has always led us to Jesus. Her words at Cana "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5) reflect how she points to her Son. Our Lady of Guadalupe has fulfilled that role especially well with her Mexican children whose devotion to her has always led them to the crucified Jesus.

We will begin the celebration at the cathedral with the Serenata by mariachis at 11 p.m. on Dec. 11, followed by Midnight Mass. At 5 a.m. more serenading of Our Lady by mariachis with Las Mañanitas, the traditional early morning celebration followed by Mass at 6 o’clock. The festivities close with the Cierre de Fiesta at 7 p.m.

In the afternoon we will dedicate the new Saint Juan Diego Church in North Dallas. The community began in 2001 from St. Monica Parish and first met in an open field. It was designated a quasi-parish in 2006. It will become a fully independent parish on Sunday when the new church is dedicated.

It will indeed by a joyful Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our National Feast Day

2010-12-06T11:11:00.003-06:00

December 8 is more than the celebration of the conception of the Blessed Virgin without original sin. It is the national feast day of the United States.

Bishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States consecrated the United States to the Immaculate Conception in 1792. This might come as a surprise to those who remember that the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was not proclaimed officially until Pope Pius IX issued Ineffabilis Deus (Ineffable God) on December 8, 1854.

The dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception refers to the fact that by a special grace of God when Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother, whom tradition calls St. Anne, she was conceived without original sin, as would be appropriate for the one chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Although the dogma was not proclaimed officially until 1854, the feast has a long history in the church.

Eastern Christians began celebrating a feast of St. Anne’s conception as early as the eighth century. It was celebrated on December 9. About 200 years later, Christians in the West began observing the feast, but, as the conception of Mary without original sin. It was made universal in 1476 as the Feast of the Conception of Mary.

So Bishop Carroll’s devotion to Mary as the Immaculate Conception was part of an ancient tradition in the Church. His consecration of the United States to the Immaculate Conception was formalized by Pope Pius IX in 1847, five years before he proclaimed the dogma.

Many will remember the story of St. Bernadette Soubirous, the French peasant girl to whom the Blessed Virgin appeared at Lourdes in 1858. When St. Bernadette asked for her name, Mary responded “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

Bishop Carroll’s consecration is recognized by the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. It is the largest Catholic church in the United States, the eighth largest religious structure in the world and the tallest habitable building in Washington, D.C. Only the Washington Monument is taller.

Happy Feast Day America!

The Bishop who became Santa Claus

2010-12-04T14:45:00.002-06:00

In many parts of the world Christmas celebrations begin with the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6, when children place their shoes on window sills the evening before in hopes of finding coins in them the next morning. Our custom of Christmas stockings probably dates to the shoes put out on St. Nicholas Eve in hopes of a visit from the saintly bishop.

In parts of Europe St. Nicholas is still the bringer of Christmas gifts, but in our country and others he has evolved into Father Christmas or Santa Claus but the name Santa Claus is really a derivation of St. Nicholas.

How did a Greek bishop from the third century become Santa Claus? It all began in the city of Myra, a seaport on the southern coast of Anatolia, which is now Turkey. Bishop Nicholas was from a wealthy family and was famous for his anonymous gifts of gold coins to poor people in need. The coins were left secretly at night to be found by the surprised recipients in the morning. In addition to his generosity, St. Nicholas is said to have performed many miracles. Among Eastern Christians he is known as St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

St. Nicholas was a very real person. He was among the bishops who participated in the Council of Nicea, the first Ecumenical Council. He also was known for his defense of orthodoxy against the heretic Arius who questioned the divinity of Jesus and was condemned at Nicea.

In the eleventh century the saint’s bones were taken from his tomb in Myra and moved to the Italian city of Bari where they remain today. They may not be there long however as the Turkish government last year requested that they be returned to Myra (now called Demre) claiming that they had been taken illegally by crusaders. Demre is a popular place of pilgrimage for Eastern Christians who have great devotion to St. Nicholas.

You may not want to put your shoes out, but a good way to celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day is to imitate him by giving an anonymous gift to someone in need.

Is there an app for that?

2010-12-03T15:27:00.006-06:00

If you are one of the millions whose lives have been impacted by Smartphones and Ipads you will know that there seems to be an app for everything. In case you are not one of those millions, app is short for applications that may be downloaded to your phone or your Ipad to do all sorts of things.

There are apps that enable you to control the lights in your house. There are apps to help you lose weight by keeping track of your calories. There are apps to notify you when you have overdrawn your checking account. There are apps to wake you up and there are apps to put you to sleep.

I wondered if there is an app for God? In visiting the App Store I found that there are a number of God apps available. There is a “Pocket God” and a “Doodle God” and there are “God Tools,” and a number of other God apps, some of which offer a chance to play God in a game. Others are related to prayer and the Bible. Some are free and others are not, but none are the real thing.

I didn’t find a God app that enabled you to love more compassionately, or one that enabled you to relieve human suffering.

There are many substitutes for God; money, power, sex, to mention a few. And, there are apps that let you play God by equating God with power. With one of these apps, being God means you can make others do your liking. For instance you can zap the driver of a car that cuts you off and cause all his tires to blow out.

But take heart, because there is a God app. You don’t need to go to the App Store, it does not need to be downloaded and it is absolutely free.

The God app is Love.

St. Paul says it all in his letter to the Church at Corinth: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Cor 13:1-3 “

In case you wonder just what he means by love he tells us:

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.1 Cor 13:4-8

Try the God app that is Love.

If you want know how you are doing try taking Paul’s passage and substituting your name for the word love.

Preparing the Way for the Lord

2010-11-26T05:00:00.003-06:00

Advent always brings to mind the opening scene of the movie “Godspell” in which John the Baptist is standing at a fountain in Central Park sounding a ram’s horn and singing “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” I guess the reason I like it is that it reminds us that the Gospel message is the same for us in New York or Dallas or McKinney today as it was in Palestine at the time of Jesus.

Advent comes from the Latin for “coming” and long before the Church began observing Christmas as a feast in the 3rd or 4th centuries, Christians looked forward with hope and expectation to the second coming of Jesus. One of the most ancient Christian statements of faith is “māranā ‘ tā” (maranatha) which is Aramaic for “come our Lord” (1 Cor. 16:22).

In the hubbub of our busy world it is very easy to forget that as Catholic Christians we are awaiting the return of Jesus at the end of time, even though we are reminded regularly at Mass when we acclaim that “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” So each year during the season of Advent the Church reminds us that the center point of our faith is the Incarnation, Christ becoming human.
Advent is a time to reset our navigation system to be sure it is set for the right destination. Remember this is a time of hope and expectation, a time to rejoice. It is a time to put things in perspective.

How do we prepare the way for the Lord? St. Paul has a pretty good answer in his letter to the Church in Rome: “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.” Romans 12:12

San Antonio’s new archbishop

2010-11-22T05:00:00.001-06:00

San Antonio Catholics will celebrate the installation of Most Reverend Gustavo Garcia-Siller as the seventh Archbishop of San Antonio on November 23. The occasion is not only of significance to San Antonio, but also to us in the Diocese of Dallas because we are part the Province of San Antonio of which Archbishop Garcia-Siller will be Metropolitan.

Archbishop Garcia-Siller has been an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago since 2003. Like his predecessor, Archbishop José Gómez, the new archbishop is a native of Mexico and a member of a religious community, the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. He will be the third Hispanic ordinary of the San Antonio archdiocese. Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Flores, who preceded Archbishop Gómez, was the first Mexican-American bishop when he was consecrated in 1970. He became Archbishop of San Antonio in 1979.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, will install Archbishop Garcia-Siller in ceremonies at St. Mark Church at 2 p.m. San Antonio’s historic San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest Catholic parish in Texas, is too small to accommodate the number of visiting prelates, clergy and guests expected for this joyous installation ceremony.

Let us pray that God will grant many happy, successful years to Archbishop Garcia-Siller.

November, National Adoption Month

2010-11-17T09:00:00.002-06:00

All children are a blessing, but an adopted child is a special blessing, not only for the adopted parents, but for the child and the birth parents. Adoption is an unselfish choice by the birth parents who want to give their child a stable home, but for whatever reason, cannot provide one. It is also an unselfish act by the adoptive parents who covenant to love, protect and nurture the child. It is truly a profound example of adults working together for the good of a child.

There are interesting examples of this type of unselfish love in Holy Scripture: Moses given up by his mother (Exodus 2:1-10), Queen Esther being adopted by her uncle (Esther 2:7), and the mother of Samuel surrendering her son to Eli as a gift to God. (1 Samuel 1:22-28).

There are members of my staff who are adoptive parents or are awaiting an adopted child. One adoptive mother told me “when I first held my baby in my arms I knew that God meant this child for me.” For parents hoping to adopt, this very important matchmaking process can take as long as 24 months, after they have been screened and qualified.

An important ministry of our diocese is to assist parents who wish to adopt a child through the Children and Adoption Services and Community Outreach program of Catholic Charities. Through the program, Catholic Charities works with women who are pregnant and trying to decide the most loving, responsible choices about the future of their children. If an adoption plan is their choice, Catholic Charities will facilitate the placement.

Typically children being placed for adoption are infants between 2 days old and six months but there are also programs for adoption of older children over six. Catholic Charities practices open adoption which promotes a positive and respectful relationship between the birth parents, the adoptive parents and the child. As a result, these children grow up knowing the love of their adoptive parents with the opportunity to also know their birth parents.

Because adoption is a very serious matter involving a lifelong commitment, adoptive parents must meet certain criteria and are required to complete 16 hours of adoptive education. If you, or someone you know, are considering adoption, Catholic Charities will offer an informational program for prospective adoptive parents on November 30. For full information on Catholic Charities adoption services you may visit their website at www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org or phone 214-526-2772.

While adoption is an unselfish choice on the part of the adoptive parents and the birth parents, all involved are blessed with benefits. Birth parents know their child is in a home with parents who want and are prepared for a family. Adoptive parents receive the life-changing blessing and joy of a child, and most importantly, a child receives the priceless gift of a loving family.

A time for giving thanks

2010-11-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

More than any other national holiday Thanksgiving is family-centered. Although many of us are scattered and apart from our loved ones, we return in spirit, if not in person for Thanksgiving. It is a time when we are reminded that people are more important than things. This year we are especially mindful of the men and women of our armed forces, at home and abroad, whose mission to insure our freedom separates them from home and family on this holiday.

We truly have much to be thankful for in this great nation of ours. Even in this tumultuous time, compared to most of the people in the world, we live in a nation of great security and abundance. As we sit in front of our HD TV window-on-the-world, safely witnessing the wars and natural disasters that sweep the globe, few of us ever go to bed hungry. But 925 million people do go to bed and wake up hungry every day. The world is facing a hunger crisis unlike anything it has seen in more than 50 years. May the love of Christ move us to share our great abundance with our brothers and sisters in need.

Let us also remember that we enjoy freedoms not even dreamed of in many parts of the world, including the freedom to express ourselves without fear of retaliation. Reflect for a moment on the great democratic exercise we have just gone through during the mid-term elections. Campaigns got raucous and, to many, seemed to cross the lines of civility to mean-spiritedness. But it is time now to move on and work together for the good of our country.

Indeed, Thanksgiving is a time of healing. It is a time to realize how we tend to let hurts and disagreements keep us apart from family and friends and sometimes even from other members of our Catholic family. My fervent prayer is that we all may be reconciled.

So, let us thank God for all that He has given us. And, perhaps we might pause and thank Him for those things that, in his great wisdom, he has withheld from us.

I ask His blessings and mercy on you all and wish you a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Cardinals to receive red hats

2010-11-15T09:00:00.002-06:00

On November 20 Pope Benedict XVI will preside at a ceremony in the Vatican at which 24 new Cardinals will be presented the red hat that symbolizes their office as papal electors. Two of the new Cardinals are American, Archbishop Raymond Burke, an official in the Vatican, and Archbishop Donald Wuerl, ordinary of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. The event is called a consistory, which is a meeting of all cardinals in Rome. Scholars differ on the history of the office of Cardinal, but since 1059 a.d., they have been the electors of popes.

The two American Cardinal-elects reflect that fact that many Cardinals, like Archbishop Burke, live and work in Rome as part of the Curia or central office of the Church; others, like Archbishop Wuerl, are residential bishops from around the world, usually from large and important cities.

Each new Cardinal will be presented with a red biretta by the Pope at the consistory on Nov. 20. He will also have another red hat which is never worn, but is shown on his coat of arms and placed at the end of his casket when he dies and later is hung in his cathedral church. That red hat is broad brimmed and has 15 tassels hanging from each side.

Cardinals are also consultors to the Holy Father on matters of importance to the universal Church. An example is the fact that the college will meet on November 19th, the day before the installation of the new Cardinals, for a day of prayer and reflection on pivotal issues facing the Church including religious freedom, liturgy in he life of the Church and the issue of sexual abuse.

The number of Cardinals who may serve as papal electors is presently limited to 121. When a cardinal reaches the age of 80, he no longer may serve as a papal elector. So the number of cardinals may exceed 121 but not the number of those eligible to participate in a conclave, which is the assembly of Cardinals to elect a new Pope.

Among those participating in the consistory will be Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston. Cardinal DiNardo was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2007 and is the first prelate to be appointed to the Sacred College from the southern portion of the United States.

Are they really Catholic?

2010-11-10T11:52:00.005-06:00

Media coverage of the recent tragic bombing of the Syrian Catholic Church in Baghdad and the Middle Eastern Synod last month has reminded many Catholics that the term “Catholic” extends beyond the Roman and Latin Rite to which we belong. Some have even asked of Eastern Rite churches: “Are they really Catholic?”

The answer is a resounding yes, although their histories are very different than those of the Roman Rite. There are some 20 Eastern Rite churches, that have their own hierarchy and their own canon law, but all are in communion with the Pope. With the exception of the Maronites and elements of the Italo-Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church, the roots of Eastern Rite churches are in Orthodox or Oriental churches that separated from Rome. Parts of those separated churches later were reunited with Rome and compose the Eastern Rite Catholic churches.

Division among Christians began early with the first separations occurring as a result of the Council of Ephesus in 431 a.d., and others after the Council of Chalcedon in 451. In 1054 the Great Schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church occurred. Those churches that resulted from the earlier divisions are generally referred to as Oriental churches and those from the Great Schism as Orthodox churches. About half of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches find their roots in the Oriental Churches and the others in the Orthodox Churches. All are sometimes referred to as "uniate," meaning that they are in union with the Pope.

While the liturgies of the Eastern Rites are very different from the Roman Rite, the essential Eucharistic celebration remains the same. All adhere to the same teaching or magisterium, but the hierarchical structures vary. Most Eastern Rite Churches are found in the Middle Eastern countries and are minority churches in predominately Muslim countries. Some are under siege, others enjoy greater religious freedom.

Many have congregations in America, including in the Diocese of Dallas where we have Eastern Rite communities from both the Orthodox and Oriental traditions.

Yes, they are really Catholic with a capital C , but they also demonstrate how the church is catholic with a small c.

To learn more about our Eastern Rite Catholic churches visit the Catholic Near East Welfare Association website at www.cnewa.com.

How is your mustard seed growing?

2010-11-03T16:35:00.002-05:00

“if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say
to this mulberry tree, “be uprooted and planted in the sea,’
and it would obey you.” Luke 17:6

Jesus chose the mustard seed as an image for faith because of its great potential for growth. “it is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full grown it is the largest of plants…”Matt 13:32. Like the tiny mustard seed, our growth in faith begins at Baptism, when our parents are handed a lighted candle representing the light of Christ, our faith, entrusted to their care.

Our parents, are the first to nurture our faith through family prayers, feast day celebrations, Christmas, Easter, Sunday Mass, the rich and holy routine of rearing a family. First Communion, first reconciliation, catechism classes; we learn about God’s love and forgiveness and how he became one of us to restore our brokenness. Then Confirmation, where we symbolically take the lighted candle given to our parents at Baptism and make it our own.

Our faith journey continues, but it changes. St. Paul described it this way. “When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.” 1 Cor 13:11. Putting aside childish things means taking up the responsibilities of adulthood. This is equally true in our growth as a person and in our growth as a Catholic Christian.

I have spoken before of the fact that our First Communion suits or dresses have long since been outgrown by our physical growth, so our First Communion faith no longer fits our spiritual growth. St. Anselm spoke of “faith in search of understanding.” Maturity implies growth in understanding. As adults we must seek a deeper understanding of the faith within us as well as the faith professed by the Church.

As a Church we have rightfully placed great emphasis on the Catholic education of our children. Sadly, we have been remiss in putting similar emphasis on the continuing faith formation of adults. For the most part adults have been left “on their own” in their faith journey. We are taking steps in the Church of Dallas to correct that situation with a new emphasis on adult faith formation, but the responsibility for nurturing and growing the mustard seed of our faith is ours.

We must never stop seeking to deepen our relationship with Jesus and responding to the Gospel message. St. Jerome said that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. Jesus’ message in the Gospel is not merely something to be read or even memorized, it is something to be lived. It is the Word of God and requires a response.

When the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel is in conflict with how we live as a Catholic Christian, then we must respond by conforming our lives to the Gospel, not by attempting to conform the Gospel to our lives.

Take advantage of the adult formation programs offered by the Diocese, your parish or the School of Ministry of the University of Dallas. Join a Bible group. Pray the scriptures. Frequent the sacraments. Seek to better understand the faith that is within you.

Your faith is your mustard seed. Is it flourishing or drying up?

The Martyrs of Baghdad

2010-11-01T11:05:00.004-05:00

This All Saints Day we not only commemorate those who have gone before us through the centuries, but we are vividly reminded that sainthood through martyrdom is not something of the ancient past. Yesterday more than 40 Syriac Catholics were martyred in Our Lady of Deliverance Cathedral in Baghdad where 120 Catholics had been taken hostage by Muslim extremists demanding release of Muslim women given sanctuary by a Coptic church in Egypt.

Most of the terrorists were killed when Iraqi security forces stormed the Cathedral when they believed killing of the hostages had begun. As the security forces moved in the terrorists set off two suicide vest bombs killing at least 58 people, including parishioners, security forces and three of the terrorists.

Pope Benedict XVI issued the following message: “ Last evening, in a grave attack on the Syriac-Catholic cathedral of Baghdad, there were scores of deaths and injuries, among them two priests and a group of the faithful there for Sunday's Holy Mass. I pray for the victims of this absurd violence, even more ferocious in that it has been inflicted upon defenseless people gathered in God's house, which is a house of love and reconciliation.”

The level of incivility in our national dialogue has reached a crescendo. Catholics in Iraq specifically link the violence against them by Muslim extremists to anti-Muslim demonstrations and threats to burn the Koran in the United States. Our actions have consequences far beyond our control.

Hatred begins in the heart and is then expressed in words and ultimately turns into violence. People of goodwill can and will disagree. Others should not be vilified or punished for holding an opposing view.

Change must begin with each of us. I call upon all Catholics to tone down the level of hatred in their comments and conversations.

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their Faith.

All Hallows Eve

2010-10-27T11:46:00.002-05:00

“From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-legged beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us!”
- Traditional Scottish Prayer

Ready for the trick-or-treaters?

They will be out in droves this weekend parading around as ghoulies and ghosties to celebrate All Hallows Eve which comes slightly distorted to us as Halloween. This is a good opportunity for parents to teach their children of the religious origins of this ancient observance.

As is often the case the details of how the Feast of All Saints (All Hallows) came into the Church are lost in the clouds of history. Some associate it with the conversion of the Roman Pantheon which honored Pagan Gods into a Christian Church honoring martyrs in 610 a.d. Others trace its origins to Ireland from where it moved to England and the continent. In the 8th or 9th century it was extended to the whole Church and included all saints, not just the martyrs.

Traditionally feasts begin at sunset of the previous day, the vigil. That is why Mass on Saturday evening counts for Sunday. Thus the Feast of All Hallows began on the vigil, or eve of the day; hence, Halloween. The date of November first may reflect the Irish custom of observing important events on the first of the month.

Now about the ghoulies and ghosties! Here we have a conflation or mixing of the Feast of All Saints on November 1 and the Feast of All Souls on November 2. The feast dates back to the Cistercian monks at Cluny in the 10th century and reminds us to pray for those who are in Purgatory and need our prayers. Traditionally we call them the Church Suffering, as we refer to the saints as the Church Triumphant and those of us still alive as the Church Militant.

In the Middle Ages there was a popular belief that on All Souls Day the souls in Purgatory could appear on earth as will-o-the-wisps, witches, ghosts and all sorts of things to those people who had wronged them during their lifetimes. At some point, these customs slipped into the All Saints Celebration called Halloween.

So this weekend when the little ghoulies and ghosties are out they remind us of the suffering souls in Purgatory who need our prayers.

We should all remember our beloved dead and pray for them regularly and for those who have no one to pray for them.

A Great Ministry Conference

2010-10-26T13:10:00.003-05:00

Dallas Convention Center was a lively Catholic venue last Friday and Saturday as more than 5000 people flocked to the University of Dallas Ministry Conference. The annual event co - sponsored by the Diocese of Dallas and the Diocese of Fort Worth offered major addresses and multiple workshops for teachers, catechists, deacons and others anxious to deepen their faith experience.

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston keynoted the event supported by a variety of presenters of national and international reputation speaking in both English,Spanish and Vietnamese. It was really a wonderful experience as our Catholic family prayed together, broke bread together and grew in faith together.

Once again we are reminded of how our Church of Dallas is enriched by the contributions of the School of Ministry at the University of Dallas.

Go Rangers

2010-10-25T16:27:00.003-05:00

We had so much excitement with the American League Championship Series playoffs that I don’t know if we can survive the World Series, but it promises to be another week like the last and, of course with the same outcome.

The Texas Rangers in the Series is not a fluke, it is the result of collaboration. I use the term collaboration rather then teamwork, because in collaboration each one contributes his own gift and together they can accomplish what none could do alone. A job well done and deserving of the recognition it is receiving.

My condolence to my friends Archbishop Dolan in New York and Cardinal Rigali in Philadelphia but…that is the way the ball bounces.

I suspect the Rangers will be accompanied by more than a few prayers.

California here we come!

New Cardinals appointed

2010-10-21T11:52:00.002-05:00

For the third time since his election to the Holy See, Pope Benedict has appointed new members of the College of Cardinals, among them, two American archbishops, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. and Archbishop Raymond Burke, a member of the Roman Curia. The appointments bring the number of U.S. cardinals to 18, but five of them are over 80 and may not vote in Papal Elections.

I was happy to congratulate Cardinal-designate Wuerl on his elevation. I had the pleasure of working with him for many years and know him to be an outstanding member of the hierarchy, as is Cardinal-designate Burke.

Thirteen different countries are represented among the new cardinals, but the appointment of 10 Vatican officials means that the greatest number of red hats went to Italian prelates. With these appointments 40 percent of the present college will have been appointed by the present Holy Father.

Pope Benedict will install the new cardinals at a consistory in Rome on November 20, just three days before the installation of Archbishop-designate Gustavo Garcia-Sillers, as Archbishop of San Antonio.

Our prayers and good wishes go out to all the new cardinals.

The Holy Father’s Letter to Seminarians

2010-10-19T11:29:00.003-05:00

Seminarians of the world were given support and encouragement in a letter from Pope Benedict XVI earlier this week.

In his letter to seminarians marking the end of the Year for Priests the Pope recalled how in 1944 as a draftee in the German army he expressed his desire to become a Catholic priest to which an officer replied “Then you ought to look for something else. In the new Germany priests are no longer needed.” The Pope then added that “many people nowadays also think that the Catholic priesthood is not a “job” for the future, one that belongs more in the past.”

In his letter the Holy Father:

• Commends seminarians for responding to a call to priestly ministry despite such comments, adding “God is alive, and he needs people to serve him and bring him to others. He continues that it does make sense to become a priest because, “the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time.”

• Describes the seminary as “a community journeying towards priestly ministry,” and he reminds the future priests that they were called first and foremost to become a “man of God.” (1 Tim 3:11) “God,” he notes, “is not some abstract hypothesis; he is not some stranger who left the scene after the ‘Big Bang’. God revealed himself in Jesus Christ.” Therefore the most important thing in a priestly life is a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

• Reminds the future priests that God is not simply Word but reveals himself in person in the physical realties of the sacraments of which the Eucharist must be the heart of our personal relationship with God and a priestly life. “Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering the Christ personally, should be the center of all our days.”

• Recalls that the sacrament of Penance “teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. It leads me to humility.” One must not become discouraged even when you continually struggle with the same failings. God forgives us ever anew, concluding that “Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognizing my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbor.”

• Comments on the need for an appreciation of popular piety, not dismissing it because it is sometimes irrational and somewhat superficial. Through that piety, the Pope observed, “the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs shaping the life and emotions of the community. Popular piety is thus one of the Church’s great treasures.”

Turning to the time in seminary as a time of study the Pope notes that “the Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension.” Cautioning seminarians not to become discouraged because subjects they are studying might seem far removed from the Christian life and the pastoral ministry, he reminds them of the need for moving beyond the changing questions of the moment to be able to respond to the real questions that remain the same from generation to generation.

In particular seminarians should have a thorough knowledge of:

• Sacred Scripture in its unity as the Old and New Testaments and the shaping of the canon of sacred books;

• The Fathers and the Great Councils in which the Church appropriated, through faith-filled reflection, the essential elements of the Scripture.

• Dogmatic theology and the understanding of the ultimate contents of the faith;

• Essential issues of moral theology and Catholic social teaching;

• Ecumenical theology and knowledge of the different Christian communities and the great religions;

• Philosophy, understanding of the human process of questioning and searching to which faith seeks to respond;

• Canon Law, a society without law is a society without rights. Law is the condition of love.

Seminary years, the Holy Father observes, are also a time of growth towards human maturity. A priest called to journey with others from birth to the threshold of death must be humanly integrated with the right balance of heart and mind, reason and feeling, and body and soul.

Involved in this process is the integration of sexuality into the whole personality. When it is not integrated with the person it becomes banal and destructive as has been the case with some priests who disfigured their ministry by sexually abusing children and young people causing “great damage about which we feel profound shame and regret.”

Consequently many “might ask whether it is good to become a priest; whether the choice of celibacy makes any sense as a truly human way of life.” Yet we all know exemplary priests, men shaped by their faith, who bear witness that one can attain to an authentic, pure and mature humanity in this state and specifically in the life of celibacy.

Finally the Pope recognized that the origins of priestly vocations are changing, acknowledging that the call to ministry is often discerned later in life sometimes after one has entered a profession. Ecclesial communities are producing many vocations, he noted, from those who have experienced a communal encounter with Christ and His Church. Others find their call in response to the “nobility and wretchedness of human experience.”

The seminary is important because it teaches the common elements of the spiritual path and advances beyond the differences in spirituality. It is a time to learn with one another and from one another to serve in the same Lord in the same Church.

As your Bishop, I would add to the Holy Father’s profound message that the years of preparation lead to years of joyful service to Jesus Christ and the members of His Body the Church. There is no greater gift than oneself.

Faith, hope and heroism in Chile...they chose God

2010-10-14T15:10:00.003-05:00

For twenty-four hours the world was glued to the television and internet as the drama of the rescue of the Chilean miners unfolded. There were few dry eyes as each of the 33 miners emerged to greet their loved ones after their 69 day ordeal trapped a quarter-of-a-mile beneath Chile’s high desert.

There are many lessons to be learned from the unprecedented rescue operation. The first, of course, is the courage and faith of the miners who for the first 17 days did not know whether they would die in their safe room or be rescued from their tomb. So many mentioned faith and religion as being a sustaining force during the excruciatingly trying time. A number fell to their knees in thanksgiving upon reaching the surface.

One of the rescued miners said when he reached the top that he was in the clutches of both God and Satan while he was down there but chose God.

Another lesson is teamwork. The unrelenting effort of fellow miners and experts brought in to aid in the operation to reach the trapped men first with a lifeline and then with a rescue capsule was inspiring. Three simultaneous efforts were underway to rescue the miners and finally, “Plan B” reached them. Such unity of effort is rare these days. Those six rescuers who voluntarily descended into the mine inside the capsule to assist the miners exhibited a particular kind of courage in risking their lives for their comrades.

An exemplary lesson in leadership came from President Sebastian Pinera and foreman Luis Urzua. It was President Pinera who insisted that efforts to reach the trapped miners continue when others felt the situation was hopeless. It was his decision for the government to take over the operation from the mining company and “pull out all the stops” to reach and save the miners. Finally, the presence of the president and first lady at the drill site during the final rescue was a great demonstration of their commitment to the operation and their compassion for the miners and their families.

In the miners’ safe room and the remaining portion of the collapsed mine the possibility of panic and pandemonium were a real danger that was averted by the leadership of foreman Luis Urzua who offered reassurance and hope to his crew. He insured their survival by rationing the very limited supply of food and water enabling them to survive more than two weeks until the lifeline from the surface reached them.

Above all the rescue demonstrated the value placed upon human life by all those involved.

Welcome to our new Archbishop

2010-10-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

Welcome and bienvenido to Archbishop-designate Gustavo Garcia-Siller whom Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop of San Antonio. He is a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico and is a priest of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. The Archbishop-designate is 54 years old, was ordained in 1984 and has served as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago since 2003. Archbishop-designate Garcia-Siller will be installed as the tenth Archbishop of San Antonio on November 23.

I look forward with joy to working with Archbishop Garcia-Siller as Metropolitan of the Province of San Antonio, of which the Diocese of Dallas is a part. We ask God’s blessings on our new Archbishop and on the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Churches of ancient foundation

2010-10-12T14:45:00.002-05:00

A truly unique meeting is underway at the Vatican this week, the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. It is unique because it is bringing together leaders of the various Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, which the Holy Father refers to as the “Churches of ancient foundation.”

Among the 177 council fathers are: His Beatitude Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon; His Beatitude Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq; His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon; His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt, Archbishop Joseph Soueif of Cyprus of the Maronites, Cyprus, and Archbishop Elias Chacour of Akka of the Greek-Melkites, Israel.

Sadly, these ancient Catholic churches are largely “off the radar” for those of us in the Western Catholic tradition but they represent the most ancient Christian traditions as the early church adapted the gospel message to various cultures. Oftentimes they are mistakenly equated with the Orthodox churches, which are not in union with the Pope.

Unfortunately the Christian presence in the Middle East is diminishing rapidly. Most of these ancient churches are in predominantly Muslim countries and are a small and sometimes unwelcome minority. In the words of the Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk in Iraq: "The fatal exodus afflicting our churches cannot be avoided, emigration is the biggest challenge which threatens our presence.”

Within our diocese a number of these “Churches of ancient foundation” have been established and we are richer for their presence. Among them are Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Catholics, Thomas Christians from India, Ruthenian and Ukrainian Byzantine churches and Maronites. Many individual Eastern Rite Catholics have moved to North Texas and attend Latin Rite churches.

Pope Benedict XVI has called upon the Middle Eastern countries to be more welcoming to the Christians in their populations and to extend to them the protections they need. There is a real danger that Christianity could be extinguished in the lands where Jesus and the Apostles brought the light of faith.

We must welcome these brothers and sisters among us and pray for the survival of all Catholic churches in their homelands.