READY, SET, RUN!
In its 20th year, Steps for Students race kicks into high gear
▪ SEE PAGE 4
REMEMBERING
DR. KING’S LEGACY
Set for Jan. 19, annual Mass honors Dr. King
▪ SEE PAGE 8
Celebrating 60 years of Catholic news in Texas
Open Wide the Doors to Christ
Pilgrims of Hope: Embracing the Jubilee Year 2025
‘PILGRIMS OF HOPE’: JUBILEE 2025 BEGINS
From Galveston to Rome, Masses around the world opened the Jubilee Year 2025, ushering in a special time for Catholics. Learn how to celebrate this Jubilee Year. ▪ SEE CENTER SECTION
JANUARY 14, 2025
VOL. 61, NO. 14
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964
REBIBBIA PRISON
ST. MARY MAJOR
ST. JOHN LATERAN
BASILICA OF THE ANNUNCIATION, NAZARETH
ST. PETER’S BASILICA
Migrants, refugees, victims of war have a right to education, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has asked Catholics around the world to pray with him in January that migrants, refugees and victims of war will have a chance for an education.
“Let us pray for migrants, refugees and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected,” was the prayer intention he chose for the start of the New Year.
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, formerly called the Apostleship of Prayer, is a Jesuit-run outreach that has given Catholics the pope’s monthly prayer intentions since 1890. Pope Francis records a short video reflection on each month’s prayer, and his first video for 2025 was released Jan. 2.
Due to war, migration or poverty, he said, “some 250 million boys and girls lack education,” and yet “all children and youth have the right to go to school, regardless of their immigration status.”
Respecting that right is good for migrants and good for society, the pope said.
“Education is a hope for everyone,” he said. “It can save migrants and refugees from discrimination, criminal networks and exploitation — so many minors are exploited!”
Education also promotes integration and prepares them to contribute to society, “either in their new country or in their country of origin, should they decide to return,” the pope said.
Pope Francis reminded viewers that “whoever welcomes the foreigner welcomes Jesus Christ.”
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network said that 128 million boys and 122 million girls around the world are not attending school. It said the primary reasons for not getting an education are: poverty, geographical location, immigration status, gender, language, disability and ethnicity.
Migrant and refugee children who do not get an education face poverty and inequality, social marginalization and exploitation, the network said. Lack of education also can have a psychological impact because it can lead to feeling inferior or hopeless.
CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE, STOP BULLYING IN SCHOOLS, POPE TELLS EDUCATORS
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Schools need to develop and transmit a new culture of inclusion, responsibility and the discernment of what is good, true and beautiful to face today’s challenges, Pope Francis said.
“At school, you can ‘imagine peace,’ that is, lay the foundations for a more just and fraternal world, with the contribution of all disciplines and the creativity of children and young people,” he said during an audience at the Vatican Jan. 4 with representatives of an Italian Catholic union of teachers and school staff, an Italian association of Catholic teachers and an association of Catholic school parents.
“But if at school you wage war among yourselves if at school you bully girls and boys who have problems, that is preparing for war, not peace,” he said, repeatedly calling on his visitors to shout out, “No bullying!”
“A good teacher is a man or woman of hope because they
St. Mary’s Seminary 9845 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77024
Pope Francis gives a chocolate Santa to a
Catholic teachers, school staff and parents
Vatican Jan. 4.
devote themselves with confidence and patience to a project of human growth,” the pope told the group. “Their hope is not naive; it is rooted in reality, sustained by the conviction that every educational effort has value and that every person has dignity and every person has a vocation that deserves to be nurtured.”
“It pains me when I see children who are not educated and who go to work, many times exploited, or who go looking for food or things to sell among the rubbish,” he said.
Since hope is what sustains the educator every day, hope must be nurtured by keeping one’s eyes “fixed on Jesus, teacher and traveling companion: this allows us truly to be pilgrims of hope,” he said.
Christian hope is born of faith and lives in charity, he said, and “it opens minds and hearts to life and eternal beauty.”
“The school needs this,” he said. “You are called to develop and transmit a new culture based on the encounter between generations, on inclusion, on the discernment of the true, the good and the beautiful; a culture of responsibility, both personal and collective, to face global challenges such as the environmental, social and economic crises, and the great challenge of peace.” †
You make the ministry of our future Priests possible.
Nearly 60 men are currently in formation to become the next generations of priests at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. These men spend anywhere from 5 to 7 years preparing for their Ordination to the Priesthood.
To read more about our seminarians and how you can support them, visit www.smseminary.com.
PUBLISHING SINCE 1964 (USPS 936-480)
EDITORIAL
tch@archgh.org • archgh.org/tch 713-652-8215 • Fax: 713-659-3444
CIRCULATION
tdieli@archgh.org • 713-652-4444
ADVERTISING ads@archgh.org • 713-652-4407
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo
Archbishop, President & Publisher
Jonah Dycus
Communications Director & Executive Editor
Rebecca Torrellas
Managing Editor
James Ramos
Content Editor
Catherine Viola
Advertising Manager
Jo Ann Zuñiga
Contributor
The Texas Catholic Herald is published semi-monthly on Tuesdays, with one issue in June, July and August, by The Texas Catholic Herald Publishing Co., Inc., 1700 San Jacinto St., Houston, TX 77002. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX and other distribution points.
Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 907, Houston, TX 77001
Subscription rate: $15 per year; $20 outside Texas; $35 out of U.S.
An award-winning member of The Catholic Media Association
TCH PUBLISHING SCHEDULE
Issue date: January 28
Deadline: Noon on January 7
Issue date: February 11
Deadline: Noon on January 21
Editorial deadlines are no later than Tuesday at noon, 21 days prior to the issue date. THE ARCHDIOCESE OF
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
child during a meeting with Italian
in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the
THE FIRST WORD
9 WAYS TO KICKSTART YOUR YEAR
(OSV News) — For most of us, January means both celebrating what’s ahead and learning from the year that’s ending. For Catholics, it’s seeing the past year not just through the rearview mirror, but also through the lens of faith. A new year, especially a Jubilee Year, offers us more than a fresh start. It can be an opportunity for conversion of heart – to take what we have experienced and resolve to grow more deeply as people of faith.
Losing weight and exercising are great — good luck with that diet! — but how about exercising our spiritual muscles?
This is a moment to resolve to get our faith in shape — to live more prayerfully, more gratefully, more thoughtfully, more hopefully. How can we do that? Here are a few ideas and suggestions to chart a new path as we return to Ordinary Time. You don’t have to tackle them all; try one or two. You might be surprised at what happens. Our God is the God of astonishment and miracles.
1. PRAYER AND GRATITUDE
Kickstart your daily prayer life by resolving to begin and end every day in prayer. Try starting this with a prayer comprised of two simple words: “Thank you.” Find a moment or two to offer a quiet prayer of gratitude. Count your blessings. Find a reason to hope. You’ll be amazed at how it can change your perspective — and reset your day. Want to give your renewed prayer life a little “oomph”? Pick a patron saint for the new year. Read up on your saint. Pray with him or her. Ask for guidance, intercession or just help. You might find you enjoy the company!
2. ADORATION
“O come let us adore him.” You don’t have to sing those words just at Christmas or only on Sundays. Resolve to carve out some time during the week to drop by church and have a talk with Jesus. If your parish has Adoration and Benediction, try to work that into your schedule. Simply sit in church and spend some spare time with God.
3. PRAY THE ROSARY
Grab those beads off your rearview mirror and pray them! Maybe you only grab them as a last resort when you’re desperate for some divine intervention. Want to start a new habit for the new year? Resolve to pray the Rosary — and not just when you need to ask God for a really big favor. Build this into your prayer life.
Intimidated? Start small. Begin with just one bead, then try a decade, then two. Soon enough, you’re praying the Rosary like a pro. Tuck it in your pocket or purse before you head out the door. (Need some help? See our guide on Page 20!)
4. GET INVOLVED
Stop avoiding that parish group that’s been asking you to join! Family is more than just the people you live with. It’s also the people around you in the pews every weekend. Resolve to get to know some of the people you only see in the parking lot at Mass. Resolve to learn what your parish is doing to reach out to the sick, the elderly, the hungry or the poor. Find opportunities to give and give back.
5. CONFESSION
Get a few things off your chest. When was the last time you went to confession? The catechism tells us we’re only required to go to confession once a year (No. 1457), but why be stingy about wanting all that grace? Let’s call this “committing to the Three Rs”: Resolve to be reconciled regularly. Aim for once a month. If that’s too challenging (or daunting), try every other month — or every six months. Build up a routine. Make it a Saturday ritual. Find a church, go to confession and take yourself out to lunch or dinner. (Need some help? See our guide on Page 11!)
6. FASTING AND ABSTINENCE
Try life in the fasting lane. Why limit it only to Lent? The ancient Catholic discipline of fasting and abstinence can do more than just help you drop a pound or two; it can, in a very real and tangible way, become a form of prayer. It reminds us of the poor, the hungry and the suffering around us. And it can connect us powerfully to all of those who have had to go without.
7. WORKS OF MERCY
Remember that “giving up” begins with “giving.” You’ve heard about them; you’ve read about them. Now you can
resolve to live the Corporal Works of Mercy. In a nutshell, these involve acts of generosity and sacrifice that can bring abundant amounts of grace. It all begins with giving — giving time, giving attention and giving a prayer to someone in need.
8. PILGRIMAGE
Take a hike. That’s another way of saying pack a bag and go on that pilgrimage you’ve been meaning to take. Ever wanted to visit Lourdes or Rome? It doesn’t have to be expensive, and you don’t have to cross borders. Pack a lunch and visit the San Antonio Missions or the Cathedral Basilica in Galveston.
9. REFLECT
If you do nothing else, just do this: remember. Resolve to remember what the last year was like. In your remembrance, remember patience, kindness and mercy. Remember lessons learned, hope restored. We Catholics live as people who every week hear again the quiet, transformative command: “Do this in memory of me.” Remembering is central to our faith. So do this: remember. Take nothing for granted. Reflect on it all. Pass it on. Share what you learned with your children and your grandchildren. You won’t regret it.
Most of all: Resolve to have a truly blessed new year — one that is new, focused on growing, learning and hoping. Every page of the calendar is blank. By the grace of God, every day holds promise and possibility. Recall the stirring and hope-filled words from Revelation: “Behold, I make all things new” (21:5).
Isn’t that what we all really want? May we all resolve to trust, to pray and to collaborate with God to make it so! †
some trees and get the Texas Catholic Herald sent straight to your inbox with The Digest, our free email newsletter. For free features, exclusive content and more, sign up at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/TCHDIGEST.
PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS
Effective December 30, 2024
Father Paul Ofoha, M.S.P.
Pastor - St. Anne de Beaupre Catholic Church, Houston
Effective January 1
Father Joachim Bilung, S.V.D.
Parochial Vicar - Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Baytown
Father Truong S. Nguyen
Administrator - St. Hyacinth Catholic Church, Deer Park
BRIEFS
Texas Rally for Life set for Jan. 25
AUSTIN — The annual Texas Rally for Life is set from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, in downtown Austin. Parish groups interested in taking a bus from Houston can visit the Archdiocesan website at www.archgh.org/prolife to find a list of available buses and other registration information. Individuals wishing to travel to Austin on their own can review event schedules and parking information at www.texasrallyforlife.org.
For more information, contact the Office of Pro-Life Activities at 713-440-3443 or email jdumalet@archgh.org. †
Café Catholica Lite set for Jan. 30
HOUSTON — The Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry will host the next Café Catholica Lite at St. Faustina Parish, located at 28102 FM 1093 in Fulshear, on Thursday, Jan. 30, from 7 to 8:45 p.m.
The talk titled “Why Love Hurts: Discerning Love Beyond Experiences” will be given by Father Kingsley Nwoko, STL, Th.D., administrator at St. Albert of Trapani Church. He will share his insights on discerning the vocation of marriage and growing in love as a virtue. The night will include snacks, a presentation, Q&A and prayer.
The Café Catholica program helps young adults ages 18 to 39 encounter Christ and His Church. For more information, contact the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry at yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778 or visit www. archgh.org/cafecatholica. †
Archdiocesan young adult pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi celebrates Jubilee year
HOUSTON — Pope Francis has declared that 2025 will be a Jubilee year, and all young adults, ages 18 to 39, are welcome to register for the Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi to participate. The Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry is partnering with Verso Ministries to offer a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi for the Jubilee from July 27 to Aug. 6.
This pilgrimage offers an opportunity to explore the rich history of Rome, walk through the holy doors for the Jubilee year, attend the canonization Mass for Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, participate in Adoration and Mass with Pope Francis, and visit the home of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi. Cost for the trip is $3,881 per person (flights not included). A deposit of $500 is due upon registration. The remaining payments can be spaced out. All payments are due to Verso Ministries by March 31.
Spaces are limited on this trip. For more information or to register, visit www.archgh.org/yapilgrimage. †
MEMORIAL OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
January 24
Canonized in 1665 and declared a doctor of the church in 1877, St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of journalists, authors and the deaf.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
Consider making a pilgrimage to the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas and make it part of your Jubilee Year devotions.
Steps for Students marks 20th anniversary with party of thousands, celebration of Catholic education
BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Herald Correspondent
HOUSTON — Celebrating Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk in downtown Houston Feb. 8, thousands of registered runners will party with an even bigger 20th-anniversary post-race fun event.
Lively music, dancing mascots and an abundance of inflatables for the kids bring the energy, but the anniversary also looks at the historic dedication of bishops and other leaders who are supporting its biggest Catholic education fundraiser.
“It has been beautiful to get such tremendous support from the shepherds of our Archdiocese,” said Steps Co-chair Román Martínez, a graduate of Catholic schools who moved on to political office and became a successful business owner.
“Our [Daniel] Cardinal DiNardo has never missed a race, being there all morning, visiting with tailgating teams at the Catholic School Village booths, and blessing the runners at the starting line,” Martínez said. “But he is not alone.”
“I remember such tender memories of the love that Archbishop (Joseph)
Fiorenza had for Steps; I know he was happy to see the race take place downtown at the new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, which he worked so hard to build,” he said.
Over the 20 years, the race routes have
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
St. Laurence Life Teen Praise Group Led by Dr. Kevin Klotz
happened at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston, then All Saints Catholic Church and the University of Houston campus, but has found its home route by the Co-Cathedral since 2013. It starts with a 7 a.m. Mass. Now, the Catholic School Village booths will be set up at the spacious Archbishop Fiorenza Plaza.
He said another big supporter was the late Bishop George A. Sheltz.
“As a native Houstonian, he was amazed at the growth and participation of so many schools and students every year. He was so excited to walk around and visit with students, teachers, parents, nuns and priests who had crossed the finish line supporting Catholic education in multiple ways,” Martínez said.
Mazie McCoy, Ed.D., Archdiocesan Catholic School superintendent, said the growth of the event over the years is because Steps for Students is not just for school communities.
“Steps is for the whole Catholic community to celebrate Catholic education,” she said.
She recalled the past 20 years participating in the event as a principal.
“As an inner-city school principal at the time, the very first Steps at St. Joseph parish started with 1,100 participants and now we’re up to thousands,” she said.
FEBRUARY 8
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston
Register: www.steps4students.org
Prices rise Feb. 1
Cost: $17 - $20
7 a.m. Sunrise Mass 8:30 a.m. Race start 9:30 a.m. Post Race Party in Catholic School Village
“I worked closely with Principal David Guite (now deceased) in planning the event, and I remember the first awards being presented from the back of his pickup truck and now we have stages and an award named after David Guite for the school with the most spirit.”
Director of Evangelization and Catechesis
St. Andrew Catholic Church - Channelview
St. Andrew Catholic Church is an active, multicultural, welcoming faith community in east Harris County. Applicant should be an active Catholic, bilingual, experienced in faith sharing, ready for a new adventure. Find the full job posting at archgh.org/employment at the careers link or scan the QR code below.
Interested applicants should email resume, income requirements and three references to: frtom@standrewchurch.net or mail to: Fr. Tom Hawxhurst, St. Andrew Catholic Church 827 Sheldon Rd., Channelview, TX 77530 See STEPS, next page
HERALD FILE PHOTOS
At left, a blast of confetti signals the start of the 2024 Steps for Students race at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston. At right, the late Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza walks with students and their families at the 2006 Steps for Students race, which was held at St. Joseph Parish on Kane Street near downtown Houston. The annual race is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Feb. 8.
National Poverty Awareness Month: Beyond awareness, a time to take action
While January is National Poverty Awareness Month and lasts only 31 days, the reality for those living in poverty extends far beyond that. They perpetually struggle to meet their daily needs and navigate barriers that prevent them from achieving upward mobility.
I grew up in a family with limited resources. My father worked full-time as a diesel mechanic, and my mother, who had health issues, was a stay-athome mom. Sometimes, we didn’t have enough to pay the utility bill or to get my mother’s medication. Luckily, we had grandparents and others to help out when my dad’s paycheck didn’t cover all our expenses. This made me compassionate for others and has shaped me into the social worker and leader that I am today. My life experiences help me align with the life-changing work that we do every day at Catholic Charities.
If you haven’t experienced poverty, it may be challenging to understand, as it is oftentimes invisible. While it is often depicted with images of homelessness, many times, it is hidden behind closed doors, with our neighbors suffering in silence because they feel ashamed.
In our Archdiocese, six of the 10 counties exceed the state’s poverty rate of 14%, averaging 16.3%. For many families, poverty means making impossible choices, which most of us can’t fathom: deciding between food
Steps Co-chair Diana Dávila Martínez recalled some of her most touching memories of Steps over the years.
“I will never forget our first Steps Sunrise Mass when the race moved to the Co-Cathedral! It was such a beautiful gathering, all the pews filled with students, parents, teachers and donors wearing their Steps T-shirts and the altar was lined with so many school pastors
by CYNTHIA NUNES COLBERT
and medicine, rent or other necessities. The path to independence is often fraught with many obstacles, such as access to education, affordable housing and sustainable employment.
Poverty is a complex and deeply rooted topic that requires more than a “quick fix.” As a society, I firmly believe we need to break free from the stereotypes and stigma surrounding poverty. It’s a myth that all people end up in poverty because they are “lazy.” People wind up in poverty for a variety of reasons: perhaps a catastrophic healthcare event in their family drained their resources, or maybe they can’t make ends meet because the minimum wage is not enough for a family of four.
We also must understand the barriers to achieving self-sufficiency, including a lack of affordable housing. Having a roof over their heads gives people a foundation for receiving better education and training, which they need to keep jobs and support their families. Catholic Charities is there to answer the call, providing critical services to address hunger, homelessness, and other pressing challenges. But to truly help our neighbors, we need a collective rallying cry to break stereotypes,
all wearing their tennis shoes to race afterward,” she said.
“Every year, Steps for Students reminds me of the universality of our Church,” Martínez added. “Over its 20year history, it has grown from a small group of runners to become the largest event of the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston and a top-tiered certified race in the city of Houston.”
To register or sponsor, www. steps4students.org. †
reduce stigma and advocate for systems that empower families to achieve self-sufficiency.
Throughout the remainder of National Poverty Awareness Month and this year, I hope you will consider how you can help address the issue. You can volunteer at a local food pantry or donate to an organization that serves those in need.
Our faith teaches us that poverty is not a permanent or inescapable condition. Instead, it is a call to action to
live out our beliefs in transformative ways. Together, we can create a community where every person is valued, supported and allowed to flourish.
To donate to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston: CatholicCharities.org/donate. †
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Full-time Senior Accountant, Downtown Chancery
Scan the QR code below for full job listing, educational requirements and application process.
Cynthia Nunes Colbert, MSW, is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
STEPS, from previous page
EDUCATION
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Government requirements fulfilling Non-Discriminatory Compliance are published annually in January in the Texas Catholic Herald. This notice suffices for schools whose student population is at least 75% Catholic during the preceding three years. Schools that do not meet the three year, 75% test have to advertise in media (print or broadcast) of general circulation.
The Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston admits students of any race to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to the student body. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color and national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school administered programs. (POLICY: 652.1)
THIS POLICY APPLIES TO ALL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON-HOUSTON
SCHOOLS
HARRIS COUNTY – Houston
Assumption School
Christ the Redeemer School
Corpus Christi School
Duchesne Academy
Epiphany of the Lord School
Holy Ghost School
Our Lady of Guadalupe School
The Regis School
Resurrection School
St. Ambrose School
St. Anne School
St. Augustine School
St. Catherine’s Montessori School
St. Cecilia School
St. Christopher School
St. Clare of Assisi School
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School
St. Francis de Sales School
St. Jerome School
St. John Paul II School
St. Mary of the Purification School
St. Michael School
St. Rose of Lima School
St. Theresa School
St. Thomas More School
St. Vincent de Paul School
HARRIS COUNTY – Outside of Houston
St. Joseph School, Baytown
Sacred Heart School, Crosby
Our Lady of Fatima School, Galena Park
HARRIS COUNTY
St. Mary Magdalene School, Humble
St. Martha School, Kingwood
St. Edward School, Spring
St. Anne School, Tomball
BRAZORIA COUNTY
St. Helen School, Pearland
Our Lady Queen of Peace School, Richwood
FORT BEND COUNTY
Epiphany of the Lord School, Katy
Holy Rosary School, Rosenberg
St. Laurence School, Sugar Land
St. Theresa School, Sugar Land
GALVESTON COUNTY
True Cross School, Dickinson
Holy Family School, Galveston
Our Lady of Lourdes School, Hitchcock
St. Mary School, League City
Our Lady of Fatima School, Texas City
GRIMES COUNTY
School of Environmental Education, Plantersville
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Sacred Heart School, Conroe
St. Anthony of Padua School, The Woodlands
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston
Duchesne Academy
Frassati Catholic High School
Incarnate Word Academy
St. Agnes Academy
St. Catherine’s Montessori School
St. John XXIII College Preparatory
St. Peter Catholic High School
St. Pius X High School
St. Thomas High School
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
GALVESTON COUNTY
O’Connell College Preparatory School, Galveston
IN LEADERSHIP
Father Gibbens steps up to lead Cristo Rey as Jesuit school bids farewell to President Beck
HOUSTON — After more than five years at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory (CRJ), President Paul B. Beck is moving on from his position. Beck became president of CRJ on July 1, 2019, when Paul Posoli stepped down after five years as president.
Father Randy Gibbens, SJ, who was the chaplain, director of student life and biology teacher, among other titles at the school, succeeded Beck in January 2025.
“As we transition from Paul Beck’s tremendous leadership to our exciting new chapter with Father Gibbens at the helm, we are so blessed to have such a great individual to carry the torch and continue to realize the dreams of our students and their families,” said Chris Simon, president of the CRJ Board of Trustees.
“CRJ plays an essential role in the educational landscape of Houston,” Father Gibbens said. “As president, I look forward to strengthening our partnership with the families who entrust their sons and daughters to our care and to supporting our incredible faculty and staff, who work tirelessly to form young men and women for others.” † May your days be merry and bright!
PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH SCHOOL CHOIR
The St. Thomas More Parish School Choir spread holiday cheer singing Christmas carols at the St. Dominic Chancery.
PAUL BECK FATHER RANDY GIBBENS, SJ
Catholic middle school students delve into Divine Mercy devotion through poetry
BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Herald Correspondent
HOUSTON — Many Catholic churches depict the portrait of Jesus as The Divine Mercy, but a current sacred poetry contest is encouraging Archdiocesan Catholic middle school students to write about the revelations.
Hosted by the Catholic Literary Arts, the contest is now open for submissions through March 1, with an awards ceremony scheduled for April at the University of St. Thomas.
Sarah Cortez, president and founder of Catholic Literary Arts, a nonprofit that supports writing programs for those from third grade through adulthood, said the organization receives more than 1,000 poems submitted for this contest. That number is then whittled down by professional judges to 30 finalists, she said.
“Then we choose nine poems — first, second and third place winners — for each of the grades sixth through eighth. And of those first-place winners, an overall poet laureate is selected,” Cortez said.
A cash prize and free tuition to a summer writing program are among the prizes, she said. This year’s theme for the poetry contest of The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish mystic who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy.
Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had spread. Through St. Faustina, the merciful Savior gave the world new outlets for the outpouring of His grace.
These new channels include the Image of The Divine Mercy, with Jesus raising His right hand in peace and His left lifting open the top of His robe at His chest with red and white beams of light streaming from His Sacred Heart. Also springing from the revelations came the Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday), the Chaplet, the Novena to The Divine Mercy, and prayer at 3 p.m., the Hour of Great Mercy.
Jesus told St. Faustina: “My heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners... It is for them that the blood and water flowed from My heart as from a fount overflowing with
mercy. For them, I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. (Diary, 367) Many decades later, St. John Paul II, who was a major promoter of the devotion, established the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday in 2000 during his canonization of St. Maria Faustina.
This past year’s poet laureate is Nefellie Frankel, first-place winner for eighth grade at St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land with the Latin title “Facie Dei” (Face of God).
Her mother, Julie Griffin, also credited St. Theresa’s classical curriculum and her teachers, including Samuel Klumpenhouwer, Ph.D.
Klumpenhouwer, who studied medieval Latin and Church history, now holds the record for one of his students being selected as poet laureate three years in a row in this annual contest. He, in turn, points to fifth- and sixth-grade teachers such as Benjamin George, who works on the foundation of even the youngest students reciting poetry for their oration skills and “poetic turn of mind.”
Starting with the classic “The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in 1855, students get familiar with iambic pentameter before moving on to Shakespeare. But not all work is so difficult, George said.
“We also go outside and find images that hypnotize or interest them to write about, whether it’s ants crawling or the sun shining through clouds, patterns in
nature,” he said.
Published poet and professor James Matthew Wilson, director and creator of the University of St. Thomas MFA program in creative writing and poetry editor, also volunteers his time and guidance to the Catholic Literary Arts program. During summers, he is a guest author and teacher at Catholic Literary Arts’ High School Writers Institute, held June 10 to 14 this year.
“Reading a poem is wonderful. Learning how to respond to that poem by learning the techniques necessary to write one of one’s own is even better,” Wilson said. “In this way, we come to participate in the culture of mankind… who can pass good things on to our children, things worth loving because they teach us who we are.”
Part of the prize for the contest’s winning poets is free tuition sponsored by the Scanlan Foundation, the Strake Foundation, the Charity Guild of Catholic Women, many Knights of Columbus councils and the Archdiocese to attend the Fearless Catholic Writing Camps for third to eighth grades.
For more information on the contests and the writing programs, visit www. catholicliteraryarts.org. †
OSV NEWS PHOTO/COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF DIVINE MERCY
An image of the Divine Mercy is central to the altar at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This year’s Catholic middle school poetry contest will reflect on the Divine Mercy message made popular by St. Faustina Kowalka, a Polish mystic.
COLUMNISTS
Reflecting on Word of God Sunday
In about a week and a half, we will observe Sunday, Jan. 26, as Word of God Sunday. Pope Francis inaugurated this annual liturgical observance on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time just a little over five years ago. This relatively new celebration for us as Catholics deserves a little reflection.
First and foremost, it is imperative for us as Catholics to remember that the Word of God is something much more profound than letters in a book. The Word of God is a person, the second person of the Most Blessed Trinity. As the Gospel of John reminds us in its opening verses, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). The evangelist goes on to point out (v. 3), recalling Genesis, that this Word was how God created everything. “God said… and so it happened” (Gen 1:7,9,11,15,24,30).
We have just finished celebrating the season of Christmas in which we remember, reflect upon, and celebrate the great mystery that John articulates
just a few verses later, “And the Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).
If the Word of God is a person, the person of Jesus Christ, how do we then, as Catholics, understand the Bible as the Word of God? The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation issued by the Second Vatican Council says, “Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit…. Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God” (Dei Verbum, no. 10). Thus, the Bible, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is a faithful witness to the one eternal Word. The council fathers note that this expression of the Word of God in
human words is similar to the incarnation itself when the eternal Word took on human flesh and weakness (cf. Dei Verbum, no. 13). The eternal ineffable God who dwells in unapproachable light condescends to express Himself, to reveal Himself, in ways that we human beings are capable to receive.
The Scriptures, then, become a place in which we encounter God. The privileged place of this encounter is, of course, in the Liturgy. When the words of Scripture are proclaimed as a part of the Liturgy, it is Christ Himself who speaks to us. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy speaks of this as one of the four modes by which Christ is really present in the Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 7). (The other three are the person of the priest presider, in the liturgical assembly, and the Eucharistic species.) God in Christ comes to us through the Liturgy of the Word. Therefore, the Scriptures are essential to coming to know the Word of God. This is so true that the Council Fathers
quote St. Jerome in asserting that, “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Dei Verbum, no. 25). As a result, “Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful” (Dei Verbum, no. 22). Let us take the upcoming opportunity of Word of God Sunday to renew our appreciation for the importance of the Scriptures in our lives as Christian faithful. Let us open our minds and hearts ever more deliberately during the Liturgy of the Word at our Sunday masses. Let us make time to individually encounter the Word of God in human words by making the Scriptures in some form or fashion a part of our daily prayer. And in this Jubilee year dedicated to the virtue of hope, let us, like the psalmist, declare to God, “I hope in your Word” (Ps 119:74). †
Brian Garcia-Luense is an associate director with the Archdiocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.
Acknowledging the role of racism, injustice in society
In the famous 1963 address, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asserts that the Church needs to take a principled stand against racism and injustice, or risk being dismissed as an “irrelevant social club.”
As the Church, we are called to move to a greater understanding of the role racism and injustice play in the lives of the faithful in our local Church. We cannot just simply think that we live in a post-racial society, and the Church, in its wisdom, has recognized this. Recognition leads to action, and action leads our Church to heal the wounds of racism and injustice.
On March 21, 2023, the United Nations observed the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Holy See, represented by Archbishop Gabriel Giordano Caccia, reiterated the Holy See’s strong condemnation of racism in which, the Holy See states: “should be countered by promoting a culture of solidarity and authentic human fraternity.”
Addressing the United Nations Assembly, Vatican Ambassador Archbishop Caccia stated: “Only the recognition of human dignity can make possible the common and personal growth of everyone and every society. To stimulate this kind of growth it is necessary in particular to ensure conditions of equal opportunity for
by BRIAN GARCIALUENSE by FR. REGINALD SAMUELS
men and women and guarantee an objective equality between all human beings.”
On Nov. 22, 2022, the Holy Father Pope Francis spoke to a group of American journalists regarding the various issues that are at the forefront of American society. Pope Francis stated: “Racism is an intolerable sin against God. The Church, the pastors and lay people must continue fighting to eradicate it and for a more just world.”
Pope Francis said of the events in the U.S. over the last few years: “We cannot close our eyes to any form of racism or exclusion while pretending to defend the sacredness of every human life.”
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, in June 2020, issued a statement on racism in our Church, community and country: “Plainly stated, for it is plain to see, we in America have a plank in our eye with regard to racism. This is a tough but necessary reality to confront because we cannot address a problem until we acknowledge it. This includes us as members of the Catholic Church.”
In 2018, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter
MLK MASS OF REMEMBRANCE
3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston Celebrant: Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Homilist: Deacon Will Hunter of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spring All are invited to attend.
called “Open Wide Our Hearts,” which condemns racism and vows to use the Church to combat it.
In the pastoral letter, the bishops wrote: “There have been many times when the Church has failed to live as Christ taught — to love our brothers and sisters. Acts of racism have been committed by leaders and members of the Catholic Church — by bishops, clergy, religious and laity — and her institutions. Consequently, we all need to take responsibility for correcting
the injustices of racism and healing the harm it has caused.”
The Catholic bishops went on to state in the pastoral letter: “The roots of racism have extended deeply into the soul of our society. Racism can only end if we contend with the policies and institutional barriers that perpetuate and preserve the inequality — economic and social — that we still see all around us.”
On Jan. 19, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in our own 40th anniversary celebration. The Church will use this moment in time to rededicate and redirect itself to the fight against racism and injustice. †
Father Reginald Samuels is the vicar of Catholics of African Descent and pastor of St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land.
SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS? ISSUES?
Have questions about subscriptions, delivery or circulation? Call 713-652-4444 or email TDIELI@ARCHGH.ORG for help. Visit ARCHGH.ORG/SUBSCRIBE for more information.
JUBILEE 2025
Walking with ‘renewed hope’ in the Jubilee Year
Opening Masses in Houston and Galveston signal start of Jubilee
BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald
HOUSTON (OSV News) — Joining Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, bishops worldwide celebrated the opening of the 2025 Holy Year Dec. 29 with Masses in their cathedrals and co-cathedrals to mark the Jubilee, which is themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The Masses were celebrated with the Rite of the Opening of the Jubilee Year.
In Houston, Cardinal DiNardo began Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart across the street at the Fiorenza Plaza with a prayer opening that greeted attendees saying, “The God of hope, who in the Word made flesh fills us with every joy and hope in the faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”
Later that day, Bishop Dell’Oro continued that same greeting at an Opening Mass at St. Mary Cathedral Basilica on Galveston Island, which also began with a procession around the historic basilica.
Both led an exhortation and prayer that called God “the hope that does not disappoint, the beginning and the end” and asked him to bless the “pilgrim journey this Holy Year.”
“Bind up the wounds of hearts that are broken, loosen the chains that hold us slaves of sin, and grant your people the joy of the Spirit so that they may walk with renewed hope toward their longed-for destiny, Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever,” he prayed.
That prayer was followed by a Gospel reading from John 14, in which Jesus explained to His disciples His relationship to God the Father, and then a reading from the papal bull announcing the Jubilee Year.
Then, at their separate Masses, both Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop Dell’Oro said, “Hail, O Cross of Christ, our only true hope,” to which the congregation replied: “You are our hope. We will never be confounded.”
Jubilee prayers were repeated across the U.S. as bishops opened the Jubilee Year on the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, which is celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas Day.
The opening rite preceded a procession of the faithful to the cathedrals for Mass. The procession included a Jubilee cross, a cross of significance for the local Church designated for a special liturgical role during the Jubilee Year.
At the Cathedral Basilica, a special wreath of flowers was hung from the processional cross. At the Co-Cathedral, a gold and red stole hung from the
HOPE THAT DOES NOT FADE
“Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). In the spirit of hope, the Apostle Paul addressed these words of encouragement to the Christian community of Rome.
Hope is also the central message of the coming Jubilee that, in accordance with an ancient tradition, the Pope proclaims every twenty-five years. My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year and to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter and Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches.
For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” (cf. Jn 10:7, 9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1).Let us even now be drawn to this hope! Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it. May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words: “Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart and hope in the Lord!” (Ps 27:14).
May the power of hope fill our days, as we await with confidence
cross, leading the procession. After the congregations entered the cathedrals, a special rite of the commemoration of Baptism was followed by a sprinkling rite throughout the cathedrals.
BEGINNING A HOLY YEAR
A Jubilee or holy year is a special year in the life of the Church currently celebrated every 25 years. The most recent ordinary Jubilee was in 2000, with Pope Francis calling for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.
Jubilee years have been held at regular intervals in the Catholic Church since 1300, but they trace their roots to the Jewish tradition of marking a Jubilee year every 50 years.
According to the Vatican website for the Jubilee, these years in Jewish history
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and glory, now and forever.”Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.
Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope.
– Excerpts of Paragraphs #1 and #25 of “Spes Non Confundit,” or “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” the Bull of Indicition written and given by Pope Francis and read during the Opening Masses of the Jubilee Year in Houston and Galveston.
were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”
On Dec. 24, 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to launch the holy year. Coinciding with other diocesan celebrations Dec. 29, 2024, Baldo Cardinal Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, opened Holy Doors at St. John Lateran, the pope’s cathedral.
Holy Doors also opened at Rome’s other two major basilicas, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls, Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, respectively. Pope Francis also opened Holy Doors Dec. 26, 2024, at Rome’s Rebibbia prison, which Vatican officials said was a papal first.
Unlike the practice in the Year of Mercy, diocesan cathedrals will not designate their own holy doors.
In his homily, Cardinal DiNardo reflected on the day’s reading from the book of Sirach, the identity of Jesus, and the Gospel account of Jesus pointing to God the Father when talking with his earthly parents after they found Him at the temple.
“Pope Francis says we should be looking for Jesus and walking with Him as Mary and Joseph did,” he said, stressing the role of Mary as the perfect disciple of hope.
“In this discipleship of hope, we should also be looking for those who are at the margins and are outcasts,” he continued, saying that they are people who would
PHOTOS BY STAFF AND MARCUS NORWOOD/HERALD
At left, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo presides over Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Dec. 29 to open the Jubilee Year. At right, Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, processes outside the St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston during the Opening Jubilee Mass that same day.
PILGRIMS OF HOPE: JUBILEE 2025
THE JUBILEE PRAYER
Father in heaven, may the faith You have given us in Your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of Your Kingdom.
May Your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of evil vanquished, Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To You our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise forever. Amen.
Pope opens Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching ‘Jubilee of Hope’
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the quiet of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.”
As the doors opened, the bells of the basilica began to peal.
After the reading of a brief passage from the Gospel of John in which Jesus describes Himself as “the door,” the pope was pushed in his wheelchair up the ramp to the Holy Door. In silence, he raised himself from the chair to knock five times, and aides inside slowly opened the door, which had been framed in a garland of green pine branches decorated with red roses and gold pinecones.
Opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica has been a fixture of the Catholic Church’s celebration of jubilee years since the Holy Year 1450, the Vatican said.
Pope Francis chose “Pilgrims of Hope” as the theme for the Holy Year 2025, which began Dec. 24, 2024, and will run through Jan. 6, 2026.
The rite of opening the decorated bronze door began inside the basilica with the reading in different languages of biblical passages prophesying the birth of the savior “who brings His kingdom of peace into our world,” as the lector explained.
Then, to emphasize how the birth of Jesus “proclaims the dawn of hope in our world,” the Gospel of St. Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus was proclaimed.
Introduced with a blare of trumpets, the choir sang, “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
“The steps we now take are the steps of the whole Church, a pilgrim in the world and a witness of peace,” the pope told the assembled cardinals, bishops,
MASS, from page 9
help us “to hear again and understand again the identity of Jesus.”
He encouraged the faithful to share this hope in God. “Find one person who seems to be out of hope, maybe anxious, maybe despairing. Take their cause to yourself. Become friendly. Allow your sense of hope that you gained from your Christian faith, your Catholic understanding of faith, shine on them,” Cardinal DiNardo said.
Both Masses in Houston and Galveston included the hymn “Pilgrims of Hope,” which the Holy See commissioned for the Jubilee Year.
More than 30 million pilgrims are expected in Rome over the course of
ecumenical guests and lay faithful in the atrium of the basilica.
“Holding fast to Christ, the rock of our salvation, enlightened by His word and renewed by His grace,” the pope continued, “may we cross the threshold of this holy temple and so enter into a season of mercy and forgiveness in which every man and woman may encounter and embrace the path of hope, which does not disappoint.”
Echoing the biblical jubilee themes of reconciliation and forgiveness, Pope Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit would soften hardened hearts so that “enemies may speak to each other again, adversaries may join hands and people seek to meet together.”
“Grant that the Church may bear faithful witness to your love and may shine forth as a vital sign of the blessed hope of your kingdom,” he prayed.
Normally, the Holy Door, to the right of the basilica’s center doors, remains sealed with bricks, a symbolic reminder of the barrier of sin between people and God. The 16 panels on the bronze doors illustrate key moments in salvation history, including the fall of Adam and Eve, the annunciation of Jesus’ birth, Christ presented as the shepherd rescuing a lost sheep, the crucifixion and the risen Jesus appearing to the disciples.
Ten children from 10 different countries, holding hands with their parents, crossed the threshold after the pope and the altar servers, but before the cardinals and bishops.
Then 54 people from 27 nations — including the U.S. and Canada, Australia, Tanzania and Togo, Venezuela and Vietnam — passed through. Many of them wore the traditional dress of their nations or ethnic groups. †
the Jubilee Year, with many of them seeking a special indulgence offered in the Holy Year. However, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, the Jubilee indulgence may be obtained in Catholics in Galveston-Houston by visiting the Cathedral Basilica and the Co-Cathedral.
Some bishops offered the Holy Year’s plenary indulgence during the Dec. 29 Masses. The Holy Year will end at St. Peter’s on Jan. 6, 2026, with diocesan celebrations ending Dec. 28, 2025. More resources and information about upcoming events and programs for the celebration of the Jubilee Year are available online at www.archgh.org/ jubilee2025. †
CNS PHOTO/ VATICAN MEDIA Pope Francis reaches to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24, 2024, to open it and inaugurate the Holy Year 2025.
THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS: A GUIDE TO THE SACRAMENT PILGRIMS OF HOPE: JUBILEE 2025
Jubilee Indulgences: What does it mean and what to do
Receiving a special indulgence is easier than you think
HOUSTON — Pilgrims passing through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica during the Holy Year 2025, going to confession, receiving Communion and praying for the intentions of the pope can receive an indulgence, but so can inmates in prison and those who work to defend human life or assist migrants and refugees.
Fasting “at least for one day of the week from futile distractions” such as social media also can be a path toward a jubilee indulgence, according to norms published by the Vatican May 13.
Pope Francis opened the Holy Year at the Vatican Dec. 24, 2024, and will close it Jan. 6, 2026, the feast of Epiphany.
For centuries, a feature of holy year celebrations has been the indulgence, which the Church describes as a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for their sins.
“Every sin ‘leaves its mark’” even after a person has received forgiveness and absolution through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Pope Francis wrote in the document proclaiming the Holy Year. “Sin has consequences, not only outwardly in the effects of the wrong we do, but also inwardly, inasmuch as ‘every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on Earth, or after death, in the state called Purgatory,’” he wrote, quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The norms for receiving an indulgence during the Holy Year were signed by Angelo Cardinal De Donatis, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with matters of conscience and with the granting of indulgences.
The basic conditions, he wrote, are that a person is “moved by a spirit of charity,” is “purified through the Sacrament of Penance and refreshed by Holy Communion” and prays for the pope. Along with a pilgrimage, a work of mercy or an act of penance, a Catholic “will be able to obtain from the treasury of the Church a plenary indulgence, with remission and forgiveness of all their sins, which can be applied in suffrage to the souls in Purgatory.”
To receive a Holy Year indulgence, pilgrims can visit Rome or the Holy Land, as well as the two cathedrals in the Archdiocese: St. Mary Cathedral Basilica on Galveston Island and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston. Pilgrims can also visit three other national shrines in Texas, located in Dallas, San Antonio and San Juan, among other pilgrim sites in other dioceses.
During the Jubilee, pilgrims who visit a pilgrim site receive the Jubilee indulgence, which can be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other living people.
Those who cannot travel, “especially cloistered nuns and monks, but also the elderly, the sick, prisoners and those who, through their work in hospitals or other care facilities, provide continuous service to the sick,” can spiritually join a pilgrimage and receive the indulgence, according to the norms.
Part of the process of receiving an indulgence includes making a true confession, but it doesn’t have to be with the pope, it can be with your own parish priest! In this photo, Pope Francis hears the confession of a priest at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome in March of 2019.
RECEIVING A JUBILEE INDULGENCE
The conditions necessary for a Jubilee indulgence include:
1. Being in a state of grace and disposed to receive the indulgence
2. Having confessed one’s sins sacramentally
3. Receiving Holy Communion
4. Offer prayers for the Holy Father and his intentions
5. If able, make a pilgrimage to a designated Jubilee pilgrim site, such as Houston’s Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart or St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston
Learn more about the Jubilee online at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/JUBILEE2025
The understanding of the communion of saints teaches that between the living and the dead there is both a perennial link of charity and an exchange of spiritual goods. The prayers of the living can assist the dead, and the prayers of the saints in heaven can assist those on Earth.
An indulgence is not the forgiveness of a sin but the removal of the unhealthy attachments and weakening effects of a sin that has already been forgiven.
The Church regulates the granting of indulgences in that, typically, there are certain conditions which must be met and certain works which must be performed.
It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed, but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act.
More resources and information about upcoming events and programs for the celebration of the Jubilee Year are available online at www.archgh.org/ jubilee2025. †
When was the last time you went to confession? Has it been a while? The Sacrament of Penance, also known as reconciliation or confession, may seem intimidating for many, but, especially during the Jubilee Year, it can be a peaceful healing encounter with Christ and His Church. Take this guide with you to confession as a way of reflection and rediscover the Sacrament of Penance.
Reconciliation is a Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ in His love and mercy to offer sinners forgiveness for offenses committed against God. At the same time, sinners reconcile with the Church because it is also wounded by our sins.
Every time we sin, we hurt ourselves, other people and God. In Reconciliation, we acknowledge our sins before God and His Church. We express our sorrow in a meaningful way, receive the forgiveness of Christ and His Church, make reparation for what we have done, and resolve to do better in the future.
THE FOUR PARTS OF CONFESSION
• CONTRITION: a sincere sorrow for having offended God, and the most important act of the penitent. There can be no forgiveness of sin if we do not have sorrow and a firm resolve not to repeat our sin.
• CONFESSION: confronting our sins in a profound way to God by speaking about them — aloud — to the priest.
• PENANCE: an important part of our healing is the “penance” the priest imposes in reparation for our sins.
• ABSOLUTION: the priest says the words by which “God, the Father of Mercies” reconciles a sinner to Himself through the merits of the Cross.
A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Adapted from an Examination of Conscience based on the Ten Commandments Take a moment to reflect on how sin has damaged your relationships.
▪ Have I treated people, events, or things as more important than God?
▪ Have my words, actively or passively, put down God, the Church, or people?
▪ Do I ‘keep Holy the Sabbath’? Do I go to Mass every Sunday (or Saturday Vigil) and on Holy Days of Obligation, as is possible? Do I avoid, when possible, work that impedes worship to God, joy for the Lord’s Day, and proper relaxation of mind and body? Do I look for ways to spend time with family or in service on Sunday?
▪ Do I show my parents and family due respect? Do I seek to maintain good communication where possible? Do I criticize them for lacking skills I think they should have?
▪ Have I harmed another through physical, verbal, or emotional means, including gossip or manipulation of any kind?
▪ Have I respected the physical and sexual dignity of others and of myself?
▪ Have I taken or wasted time or resources that belonged to another?
▪ How do I protect and care for God’s creation, including my family, the environment and those around me?
RITE OF RECONCILIATION STEPS
▪ If it has been a while, let the priest know and he can help guide you through the steps for a good confession.
1. Priest gives a blessing or greeting.
2. Make the Sign of the Cross and say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was [length of time] ago.”
3. Confess all of your sins to the priest. (If you are unsure or uneasy, tell him and ask for help.)
4. Say, “I am sorry for these and all of my sins.”
5. The priest gives a penance and offers advice to help you be a better Catholic.
6. Say an Act of Contrition, expressing your sorrow for your sins. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, then absolves you from your sins.
AN ACT OF CONTRITION
God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to confess my sins, do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
St. Peter’s Holy Door sees more than half
million pilgrims in two weeks
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — More than half a million pilgrims crossed the threshold of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the first two weeks after Pope Francis opened it.
From Dec. 24, 2024, when the pope inaugurated the Holy Year, to Jan. 7, the Vatican said, 545,532 people from around the world have made the journey along the lengthy boulevard leading to St. Peter’s Square and crossed through the basilica’s Holy Door.
“This is a very significant beginning,”
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the chief Vatican organizer of the Jubilee Year, said in a statement. “The groups crowding Via della Conciliazione are giving an important testimony, and this is also a sign of the great perception of safety and
security that pilgrims experience in the city of Rome and around the four papal basilicas.”
A tunnel diverting vehicle traffic underground at the beginning of Via Della Conciliazione — the street leading to the Vatican — was completed just before the start of the Holy Year. A pathway extending from the new pedestrian square at the start of the street to the Holy Door was also set up exclusively for pilgrims walking individually or in groups to St. Peter’s Basilica.
Archbishop Fisichella acknowledged, however, that there were some “difficulties” in managing the flow of pilgrims and tourists through St. Peter’s Basilica, a problem that would be studied.
The city of Rome has estimated that more than 30 million people will travel to the city during the Jubilee.
Based on the number of pilgrims that crossed the Holy Door in the first days of the Holy Year, “a steady increase in pilgrim turnout is expected,” the Vatican said in its statement, also noting the many children, youth, adults and elderly
who participated in Jubilee celebrations at the diocesan level Dec. 29.
The Vatican said that the “great desire to participate in the Jubilee was also visible in the thousands of people who filled the four papal basilicas on the days celebrating the opening of the Holy Doors, often filling the squares in front of them.”
While Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica and another at a Rome prison complex, he did not attend the opening of the holy doors at the other three papal basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The first major event of the Holy Year is the Jubilee of the World of Communications Jan. 24 to 26, which will bring to Rome “thousands of journalists, experts and communications workers from all over the world,” the Vatican said.
Representatives will include members of the Catholic Media Association, which includes the Texas Catholic Herald and its staff among its membership and board leadership. †
Conscience in relation to the authentic Christian identity
St. Thomas More possessed a deep and profound conscience. His heart was so bound to Jesus, thus making him a true model of how an authentic Christian is supposed to act. He gave his life to the God that he served, and he provided a model for all of us. This formation of hearts is part of the conversion process, but the connection between conscience and identity shapes and leads us to our final judgment. Continued conversion always plays a key role, but as we grow closer to Jesus, we must ask ourselves how well-formed our conscience is in its contributions to shaping our identity.
The topic of conscience was brought forth during the early days of the Francis papacy. It was and still is a hot topic, especially with the Maltese bishops. It is a topic not to ignore since certain events in our history have dulled our hearts. We live in a post-modern world that is plagued by many “-isms” that have dulled the human conscience: relativism, utilitarianism, hedonism, nihilism. These
widely accepted beliefs have eclipsed the Catholic vision of a total and authentic human person.
How can we respond to the authentic calling of being holy and becoming a perfect disciple? How can we evangelize if we are not intentional disciples embracing the whole and authentic human person? How can we help others in the conversion process if we have dim hearts?
Disordered and dull hearts do not invite the total help and outpouring of the Holy Spirit to help transform the human conscience and the world; it limits us. We need Paraclete’s strong aid in this process.
In describing the meaning of conscience, the great Servant of God, Father John Hardon, S.J., says that conscience is the “judgment of practical intellect deciding,” which is derived from faith, morals and reason. We can now act the way we should. Conscience is an act of the intellect, and furthermore, not of feelings nor even of the will. Within that
by CARL ERICKSON
conversion process comes the deepening of the conscience, making a better disciple of the human person, an identity that greatly pleases God.
St. John Paul II wrote about the “Eclipse of Man” in his classic encyclical, the Gospel of Life (1995). He encouraged all of us to not allow our hearts to become more sullied and dulled. If we allow for deepening conversion by accepting much-dispensed grace, it is possible for us to have well-formed hearts that will transform us into most holy intentional disciples. This means we can also truly bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth!
Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we have taken some great steps toward this. There are signs of hope abounding everywhere, but we need to seriously get
busy. We need to take steps to form our consciences and receive the grace available to us, starting with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A sincere confession can help transform the heart and move him/her upward toward Christ. Grace is here to help build those hearts up; let the Holy Spirit work fully in us! The conversion process will then take a great leap forward. Cooperating with God’s grace will transform the world into the greater presence of the Kingdom of God.
So, in the new days coming forth, we should follow the example of St. Thomas More and work to deepen our conscience to shape our identity. May the lights of hope illuminate more as we pray with renewed and deeper hearts for the transcendent human persons to transform the world. †
Carl Erickson is the director of Campus Ministry at the Galveston Newman Center.
Saintly Saturday: From sinner to saint
The fall and winter months are full of beautiful events surrounding the holy days in our Church’s calendar. For the past several years, Special Youth Services has sought to bring a retreat experience to the youth who are currently serving time in juvenile detention centers in and around the city of Houston. As this retreat is typically scheduled close to All Saints’ Day, the theme has consistently been “Saintly Saturday: From Sinner to Saint.”
Special Youth Services was blessed to host this year’s “Saintly Saturday” retreat for the youth at a detention facility in Katy on Nov. 2, 2024. Much planning went into the event, and many people came together to ensure that the youth were provided with the best possible experience. Several weeks prior to Saintly Saturday, musicians were preparing music, speakers rehearsed testimonies, and abundant prayers were being offered for the youth in the facility by our volunteers. Middle school students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School also decorated paper sacks and wrote letters to the youth who would be attending this retreat, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society donated snacks and items to go into these “hope bags.” Preparation for this event was truly an image of the Church coming together to bring Christ into the world.
That Saturday, as the youth filed into the gym and “Saintly Saturday” officially
began, we were able to witness all the hard work that came to fruition. The day began with praise and worship music provided by a live band, which led to the first testimony of the day given by a member of the Houston community. The youth were then able to engage in some friendly competition as they created a poster that could best illustrate the journey from sinner to saint. After lunch, the youth heard the second testimony of the day, this time given by a young man who had quite literally been in the shoes of the youth in this facility several years ago. He spoke of his experience and how his life was changed by encounters with the love and mercy of God. The “Forgiveness Hour” gave the youth an opportunity to reflect on their lives, offer prayer for their loved ones, be prayed over by volunteers, and/or sit with a priest for confession.
At the end of the day, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo served as the celebrant for Mass with the youth. Staff and volunteers were also in attendance. Assisting the Cardinal were youth personally selected to serve as lectors and altar servers, and it was incredibly profound to see them humbly serve at
relocated.
the altar of the Lord alongside our Cardinal for the first time.
In every way, this day was a visible representation of the arms of the Church reaching out to embrace Her children in love and invite them into a holy
communion: the communion of saints and the communion of sinners striving for sainthood. †
Mónica Ramón is an associate director for Special Youth Services.
A Port folio of Protection
MÓNICA RAMÓN
WORLD Pope names Consolata Missionary as the first woman dicastery prefect
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has appointed Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla to be the first woman to lead a Vatican dicastery, naming her prefect of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life.
The 59-year-old Italian sister had served as secretary of the dicastery since October 2023.
The announcement of her appointment on Jan. 6 also said Pope Francis named as pro-prefect of the dicastery Ángel Cardinal Artime, 64, of Spain, the former rector general of the Salesians.
The Vatican press office did not reply to requests to explain why the cardinal was given the title pro-prefect or how his role would be different from that of a dicastery secretary.
The dicastery, according to the apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, is called “to promote, encourage and regulate the practice of the evangelical counsels, how they are lived out in the approved forms of consecrated life and all matters concerning the life and activity of Societies of Apostolic Life throughout the Latin Church.”
According to Vatican statistics, there are close to 600,000 professed women religious in the Catholic Church. The number of religious-order priests is about 128,500, and the number of religious brothers is close to 50,000.
When a vowed member of a religious order asks to leave or is asked by the community to leave, the decision must
the Societies of Apostolic Life, speaks during a news conference at the Vatican March 14, 2024, about study groups authorized by Pope Francis to examine issues raised at the synod on synodality.
be approved by the dicastery.
It approves the establishment of new religious orders, approves the drafting or updating of the orders’ constitutions, oversees the merger or suppression of religious orders and the formation of unions of superiors general.
Sister Brambilla succeeds 77-year-old João Cardinal Bráz de Aviz of Brazil, who has led the dicastery since 2011.
She is one of two women Pope
• Systems Administrator
• Pension Specialist
• Stewardship and Engagement Manager
• Facilities Manager
• Hospitality Coordinator and more
• Youth Ministry and Religious education
• Music Ministry
• Bookkeepers and more
in 1999, after taking her final vows, she went to Mozambique where she did youth ministry before returning to Rome in 2002, earning her doctorate in psychology from the Gregorian University in 2008.
She served two terms as superior of the Consolata Missionary Sisters, leading the congregation from 2011 to May 2023.
Cardinal Artime has been awaiting an assignment from the pope since August, when his term as superior of the Salesians ended.
Born Aug. 21, 1960, in Gozón-Luanco, Spain, he entered the Salesians at the age of 18 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1987. He holds a degree in pastoral theology and a licentiate in philosophy and pedagogy, and, as a priest, he worked in Salesian schools both in teaching and administration.
Francis appointed in early December 2024 to be members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod, the committee that oversees the implementation of the most recent synod and prepares the next assembly.
Born in Monza, Italy, March 27, 1965, she earned a degree in nursing before entering the Consolata order in 1988. She studied psychology at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, and
IN BRIEF
Pope preaches value of hope, kindness on popular BBC program
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Speaking on one of the United Kingdom’s most popular radio programs, Pope Francis encouraged millions of listeners to reject pessimism, treat others with kindness and look to the future with hope.
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s “Though for the Day” segment, the pope said that “a world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world.”
“A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane,” he said.
“Thought for the Day” airs each morning, Monday to Saturday, as part of the BBC’s “Today” program, which boasts an estimated average weekly audience of about 6 million listeners.
While the pope gave his message in Italian, the BBC added the English translation with a voice-over for the Dec. 28, 2024 broadcast.
Pope Francis tied his message to the Holy Year 2025, calling all people to “become pilgrims of hope.” The Jubilee Year began Dec. 24, 2024, and will run through Jan. 6, 2026.
“Even though we do not know what
After serving in Spain, he was appointed provincial superior of southern Argentina in 2009. Working in Buenos Aires, Cardinal-designate Fernández Artime got to know and work personally with then-Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, who would become Pope Francis four years later.
In 2014, he was elected rector major of the Salesians and the 10th successor of St. John Bosco; he was re-elected in 2020. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in September 2023 and allowed him to continue as the Salesian superior until a chapter meeting and election could be held. †
tomorrow may hold for us, we should not look to the future with pessimism and resignation,” the pope said. “Wars, social injustices and the many forms of violence we are exposed to every day should not dishearten us nor draw us toward skepticism and discouragement.”
Instead, Pope Francis said, people should “choose love,” which “makes our hearts fervent and hopeful.”
“Those who love, even if they find themselves in uncertain situations, always view the world with a gentle gaze of hope,” he said.
However, the pope cautioned against reducing kindness to “a diplomatic strategy,” emphasizing that it is not a “set of rules to ensure social harmony or to obtain other advantages.”
Rather, “kindness is a form of love that opens hearts to acceptance and helps us all to become more humble,” he said. Humility “lends itself to dialogue, helps to overcome misunderstandings and generates gratitude.”
Quoting the British Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton, Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of “taking the elements of life with gratitude and not for granted.”
“I hope that during this Jubilee we can practice kindness as a form of love to connect with others,” the pope said. †
CNS PHOTO
Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla, secretary of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and
NATION Washington’s new archbishop seeks to ‘know and understand this magnificent community of faith’
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Hours after Robert Cardinal McElroy of San Diego was announced Jan. 6 as the new archbishop of Washington, the prelate praised his new archdiocese as “truly sacramental in the rich diversity of its traditions and perspectives.”
He also pledged to “show reverence for the grace of God, which is already present in your midst and in the commitment to discipleship that underlies this local Church.”
“I come as your bishop seeking to know and understand this magnificent community of faith,” Cardinal McElroy said. “As your pastor, an essential element of my mission is to encounter the hearts and the souls of the disciples who form our local Church.”
In a virtual news conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, Cardinal McElroy addressed his new flock via the Archdiocese of Washington’s YouTube channel because a major snowstorm shut down the city.
“I want to give thanks to God for the grace-filled life of this local Church and to Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who today makes me a member of that Church,” Cardinal McElroy said.
Early Jan. 6, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Washington’s archbishop since 2019, and named the San Diego prelate as his successor. As required by Church law, Cardinal Gregory submitted his resignation to the pope when he turned 75, which was two years ago, on Dec. 7, 2022.
The new archbishop of Washington said he has embraced Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality and its call for the faithful to “build up a Church centered in the Eucharist and devoted to the Word of God and the Sacraments which sustain us.”
“Synodality calls us to walk humbly as a Church, acknowledging our faults and sinfulness and seeking forgiveness,” said Cardinal McElroy, who is 70. “It seeks the participation of every disciple in the Church’s journey in this earthly pilgrimage and is oriented toward the building of unity in a society rooted in God’s justice, which cares especially for the unborn, the poor, the marginalized and the dispossessed.”
He said that in the Archdiocese of Washington, “for the past 85 years, the Catholic community has radiated the light of Christ throughout the District of Columbia and the surrounding five counties in Maryland.”
The archdiocese is home to more than 671,000 Catholics in D.C. and Maryland’s Montgomery, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties.
Cardinal McElroy praised the archdiocese for its “rich parish communities of faith” and its “pathbreaking development of lay ministries and apostolates, and the nurturing in lay leadership in the Church that is genuinely participative and inclusive.”
The Washington Archdiocese,
Cardinal McElroy said, boasts “ministries of the African American community, which is so foundational for the entire life of this local Church, and the ministries to the multitude of peoples that seek and find God’s presence in this place — from Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America; Europe, Asia and Africa.”
The people of his new archdiocese, the cardinal said, are “men and women who form the people of God, struggling in a world filled with turbulence, hardship and illusion, to follow the pathway of Jesus Christ ... (and are) called to be both dispensers and receivers of mercy and forgiveness.”
He noted that the Archdiocese of Washington has experienced “mountaintop moments” such as the visits of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, and has endured “moments of failure and shame,” including reports of the sexual abuse of minors.
“In this mixture of the mountain top and failure, we are no different from the first disciples of the Lord,” Cardinal McElroy said. “It is to this community on the journey of faith that the Holy Father has called me to be bishop and pastor.”
He said that in the upcoming months, he will meet with the priests of the archdiocese because “I want to support them in the priesthood we all share, with all of its wonders and its hardships,” and also meet with parish lay leaders “to understand their dreams, their hopes and their sadness about the Church at the parish, diocesan and universal levels.”
“The Catholic Church teaches the country has a right to control its own
border and our nation’s desire to do that is a legitimate effort, but at the same time we are called to always have a sense of the dignity of every human person,” Cardinal McElroy said. “A wider, indiscriminate mass deportation across the country would be something that would be incompatible to Catholic doctrine, so we will have to see what emerges in this administration.”
Cardinal McElroy said Cardinal Gregory — appointed by Pope Francis in 2019 as the seventh archbishop of Washington and elevated to the College of Cardinals the following year — displayed “courage, a deeply pastoral heart and abiding faith in God and the dignity of the human person” as he “made critically important contributions at crucial moments in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the heart and the soul of the Catholic community here in Washington.”
“This enduring legacy will long remain a treasure for us all,” Cardinal McElroy said of Cardinal Gregory. †
OSV NEWS PHOTO
Wilton Cardinal Gregory of Washington and Robert Cardinal McElroy leave a Jan. 6 news conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. That morning, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Gregory, Washington’s archbishop since 2019, and named Cardinal McElroy of San Diego as his successor. As required by canon law, Cardinal Gregory submitted his resignation to the pope two years ago after he turned 75 on Dec. 7, 2022.
Bishop J. Gregory Kelly tapped to lead Tyler diocese
DALLAS (OSV News) — Pope Francis has appointed Auxiliary Bishop J. Gregory Kelly of Dallas as bishop of Tyler, Texas.
The move comes just over a year after the pope removed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland in the wake of an apostolic visitation to that diocese. The Tyler Diocese has, in the interim, been under the care of apostolic administrator Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
The appointment was announced Dec. 20 by Christophe Cardinal Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S.
A native of Iowa and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the 68-yearold Bishop Kelly was ordained as a priest of Dallas in 1982, having obtained degrees in philosophy and theology, and was ordained as an auxiliary bishop in 2016.
During his time in the Diocese of Dallas, he served as the assistant pastor of All Saints Catholic Church, located in that city, and as pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney. From 1996-2008, he was a chaplain at the University of Dallas, located in Irving.
His other roles in the Dallas Diocese have included vicar of clergy, vicar
general, vocations director and interim rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving.
In addition, he has been a member of the diocesan presbyteral council, college of consultors and review board,
as well as a member of the National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy, now known as the Association for the Ongoing Formation of Priests.
Bishop Kelly’s episcopal motto is “Take Courage,” the words used by Jesus in Mt 14:27 to address his frightened disciples as he walked on the water toward their storm-tossed boat. The motto also evokes the Archangel Gabriel’s assurance to a “greatly troubled” Mary during the Annunciation (Lk 1:29-30).
According to Bishop Kelly’s episcopal biography on the Diocese of Dallas website, the motto “expresses that it is by God’s Strength that we have the courage to live as Christ has called us.”
IN BRIEF
It also expresses that through Mary’s intercession, “we receive the grace to keep our eyes on the Lord,” following the path he leads on.
Despite his removal, Bishop Strickland has remained an outspoken detractor of Pope Francis, both online and at various events organized by Catholic laity opposed to the Holy Father. The apostolic visitation that saw him removed from the Tyler Diocese’s leadership was believed to have been prompted by the bishop’s May 2023 social media posts accusing the pope of “undermining the deposit of faith.”
Bishop Strickland also led small “prayer protests” amid the annual U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) plenary meetings in November 2023 and 2024, staged outside the Baltimore hotel at which the sessions were held. During the 2024 USCCB gathering in November, Bishop Strickland read an open letter denouncing the recently concluded Synod on Synodality, telling the bishops to “speak up against the false messages constantly flowing from the Vatican under the leadership of Pope Francis.”
The recently concluded 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality ended with a final document teaching on synodality for the sake of the Church’s mission from Jesus Christ. It lays out the nature of a synodal Church, and the relationship and respective roles of the faithful and hierarchy in authentic communion with each other. It also outlines key priorities and recommendations for how to implement synodality at every level of the Church.
The Holy Father made clear in a Nov. 25 note published by the Vatican that the Synod on Synodality final document “participates in the ordinary magisterium of the successor of Peter, and as such, I ask that it be accepted.” †
Texas executes six in 2024, second in most executions in U.S. HUNTSVILLE — In 2024, just four states — Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas — were responsible for 76% of executions in the U.S., according to the Death Penalty Information Center’s year-end report published Dec. 19, 2024.
Overall, 25 executions took place, marking the 10th consecutive year with fewer than 30 executions, and just 26 death sentences were imposed across 10 states. Florida had the highest number of new death sentences at seven, followed by Texas with six.
The report also noted that Alabama, in 2024, became the first state to use nitrogen gas for an execution. Despite the increase in executions in a few states, the broader trend shows a continued decline in support for the death penalty, with public opinion at a five-decade low. The report cited a 2024 Gallup poll that shows 53% of Americans support the death penalty, but more than half of young adults — those born after 1980 — now oppose capital punishment.
Four days after the report was published and several days after speaking with Pope Francis, President Biden announced Dec. 23, 2024, that he would commute most existing federal death sentences to life in prison. The move denied President-elect Donald Trump, who has sought to expand the use of capital punishment, the opportunity to carry out these executions after he returns to the White House on Jan. 20.
Biden became the first U.S. president in 2020 to have campaigned on an openly anti-death penalty platform. Opponents of capital punishment had been pushing Biden to follow through with concrete action in the post-election lame-duck period. That cause gained the attention of Pope Francis. Earlier in December, the pontiff prayed publicly for these sentences to be commuted. Pope Francis and President Biden recently spoke by telephone and are scheduled to meet in January.
Robin M. Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said that “The thing that struck all of us when we were drafting this report was just how local a story the death penalty has become in the United States. We see changes in public opinion that tell us that the trend is likely to continue isolating the use of the death penalty” to those states. †
OSV NEWS PHOTO
Then-Dallas Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, left, alongside then-Monsignor J. Gregory Kelly, right, after he was appointed a new auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Dallas in 2015. It was announced Dec. 20, 2024, that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Kelly as bishop of Tyler, Texas.
MUNDO CATÓLICO
La Virgen María, no la tecnología, es la esperanza del mundo, dice un cardenal en la apertura de la Puerta Santa
ROMA (CNS) — Al abrir la Puerta Santa del santuario mariano más antiguo del mundo occidental, el cardenal Rolando Makrickas rezó para que el mundo se confíe a la Virgen María, “la puerta del cielo”.
“Ofrezcamos nuestra oración al Padre para que, como María, seamos peregrinos de esperanza que traen a Cristo al mundo”, dijo el cardenal, quien es el arcipreste coadjutor de la Basílica de Santa María la Mayor de Roma, antes de empujar su puerta de bronce el 1 de enero.
Mientras las campanas repicaban desde la cima de la colina del Esquilino de Roma, el cardenal Makrickas se convirtió en el primer peregrino en cruzar el umbral de la puerta durante el Año Santo 2025.
Entre las campanas que repicaban había una colocada originalmente en el campanario de la basílica — el punto más alto del centro de Roma — que se utilizó para anunciar el primer Jubileo de la Iglesia católica en 1300 y que se encontraba en los Museos Vaticanos desde 1884; fue devuelta a Santa María la Mayor el año pasado antes del Jubileo.
Al celebrar la Misa en la fiesta de María, la Santa Madre de Dios, el cardenal Makrickas reflexionó sobre el
misterio de la encarnación de Jesús en el seno de María, calificándolo de “plenitud de los tiempos”, ya que unió el tiempo terrenal con la eternidad.
Hoy en día, dijo el cardenal, la humanidad a menudo busca“perfeccionar el tiempo” ahorrándolo o enriqueciéndolo a través de la tecnología, pero “cada esfuerzo resulta en su pérdida”.
“Uno no puede, sin embargo, sentirse nunca perdido, desperdiciado o cansado del tiempo pasado con Dios”, dijo. “No serán las ideas ni la tecnología las que nos den consuelo o esperanza, sino el rostro de la Madre de Dios”.
El cardenal Makrickas habló también de la importancia de las reliquias del pesebre de Jesús que alberga la basílica, “la primera, humilde y pobre casa de Jesús”, desde la que la humanidad comenzó a marcar el tiempo mismo.
Cada peregrino que entre en la basílica durante el Jubileo y rece ante
el icono mariano “Salus Populi Romani” (“salud del pueblo romano”) — icono que el Papa Francisco visita antes y después de cada uno de sus viajes internacionales — y el Santo Pesebre “no podrá salir de aquí sin un sentimiento profundo y particular, un sentimiento y una certeza de que la Madre celestial está con él”, dijo el cardenal.
“Cada persona saldrá de aquí con la seguridad de estar acompañada por la gracia, la protección, el cuidado y la ternura maternal de María”, dijo.
Santa María la Mayor es especialmente significativa para el Papa Francisco. Él ha dicho que visitaba a menudo la basílica cuando viajaba a Roma como cardenal y, rompiendo con la tradición reciente, ha dicho que será enterrado allí en lugar de en el Vaticano después de su muerte. Seis papas están enterrados en la basílica, y el último Papa enterrado allí fue Clemente IX en 1669. †
FOTO DE CNS
El cardenal Rolandas Makrickas, arcipreste coadjutor de la Basílica de Santa María la Mayor de Roma, abre la Puerta Santa de la basílica el 1 de enero.
WITHIN THE ARTS
Notre Dame’s first concert a ‘moment of grace’ for young composer of Marian choral piece
PARIS (OSV News) — With places fully booked at Paris’ iconic cathedral for months ahead, Notre Dame is not only back to its former glory but also to its full concert schedule.
After 10 days of solemn reopening Masses, the cathedral’s choir La Maîtrise Notre Dame de Paris gave its first sacred music concert in the renovated French Gothic structure on Dec. 17. Concerts at Notre Dame usually take place on Tuesdays. Exceptionally, this one was given on two consecutive days.
In the audience was a young French composer, Lise Borel, who had brought her entire family with her. On the program, alongside Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Magnificat,” was her “Regina Caeli” for choir, which she composed for Notre Dame in 2020.
A long-haired brunette, Borel is, at age 31, a well-known French composer and international prize-winner. In Paris, her wide-ranging works for choir and instrument are performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Cathédral Saint-Louis des Invalides.
She responds to private or public commissions from orchestras and festivals. In 2023, she composed a song for the centenary of the death of Gustave Eiffel, the engineer behind the famous Parisian tower, at the request of the public radio station Radio France. She also sang and taught at Maîtrise de Radio France, a prestigious secular choir.
“I am interested in everything,” she told OSV News. “I am open to any style of composition. And I draw on everything I am passionate about, literature, dance, theater, painting, to compose. It is very stimulating.”
Borel began composing music very early in her life. “It was a natural expression for me,” she explained. “I would play what I composed for my family members. It was a way of offering who I was to those I loved.” Music was a family tradition. “My parents worked in music circles themselves and always encouraged me in my creations,” she said. It was the director and principal conductor of the Maîtrise de Notre Dame, Henri Chalet, who commissioned Borel to write “Regina Caeli,” now a classic in the cathedral’s repertoire. “It is a joyful, gentle prayer to the Virgin,” Borel
explained. “I wanted to recall the litanies of prayers that were repeated tirelessly in the Middle Ages. This is evoked by the multitude of voices that intermingle fervently, repeating the words of this Latin prayer.”
A few months ago, Chalet commissioned another work from Borel for the reopening of Notre Dame. “He gave me a lot of freedom,” Borel explained. “I was able to choose the texts and the form the music would take. He trusted me!”
After much research and reflection, Borel composed three short works known as motets, based on prayers by St. Francis of Assisi. They will premier at Notre Dame on March 25.
“The prayers date back to the early 13th century, when motets, which are short texts set to music, were also born,” Borel explained to OSV News. “At that time, the Paris cathedral was a major venue for musical creation and innovation. Music notation was becoming more precise, and musicians began to sign their music. Previously, they did not indicate their name, considering that they were writing for God.”
Borel likes to compose about the places she needs to draw inspiration from for her music.
“I could not go to Notre Dame as it
In a continuing effort to provide pastoral care to victims of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo would like to remind the faithful of the Archdiocese of the availability of the Victims Assistance Coordinator. Anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel is encouraged to call Diane Vines at 713654-5799. Please keep in daily prayers the healing of victims of abuse and all who suffer in any way.
OSV NEWS PHOTO
Lise Borel, seen in an undated photo, is already at age 31, a well-known French composer and international prize winner. Her Marian choral piece, “Regina Caeli,” was performed at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during the first concerts to be performed in the reopened Gothic structure Dec. 17, 2024. Her new motets will premiere at Notre Dame on March 25.
was being renovated,” she pointed out. “I had to draw on my memories and my personal history.”
Borel recounted that “Notre Dame left its mark on me. I went there several times as a child. I remember being impressed inside, but without feeling overwhelmed. Later, I often went back when I was a student in the nearby Latin Quarter. When I felt lonely, I would go to Notre Dame.”
She stressed that “the doors were always open, and anyone could walk in at any time. I loved going there. It seemed to me that I could find refuge and gentleness within those walls. I always felt welcome at Notre Dame.”
“I tried to transcribe this gentleness and tenderness in the motets,” Borel explained. “Lord, lift me up by the benevolent, burning, gentle power of your love!” is one of the passages. “Fire has many connotations,” Borel remarked. “There is the fire that evokes destruction and death, but there is also the one that evokes the sweetness and strength of warmth. This is a fruitful fire, linked to
Do you have a Loved One in Jail or Prison?
Correctional Ministries Archdiocesan Office 713-741-8732 archgh.org/correctionalministries Let us help
life, which I associate with Notre Dame’s gentle warmth,” she said.
On March 25, French-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, born to Chinese parents in Paris, will perform Borel’s motets with a choir of children ages 8 to 14. “There will be a dialogue between the soprano voices of the children and the gravity of the cello, reminiscent of the Gregorian chant of the monks,” Borel explained. “It will evoke the meeting of the world of human beings, with the world of the spiritual, of the absolute, of heaven,” she told OSV News
Meanwhile, Dec. 17 was a memorable evening for Borel. “It was a moment of grace to be gathered in Notre Dame Cathedral,” she testified.
“We were all gripped by a discreet but serious emotion. The audience’s attentiveness was exceptional. When I heard my ‘Regina Caeli’ ring out, I felt that the work was in its rightful place, in a time that was both timeless and yet absolutely present. It was finally taking its rightful place in its home and thus taking on its full meaning. You cannot help but feel humbled and delighted by the cathedral’s rediscovery and the music it brings to life.”
“Notre Dame invites peaceful recollection,” Borel concluded.“And at the same time, it creates bonds between all kinds of different people, inviting them to reach out to each other and welcome the new. This is precious, especially today, in this unstable world.” †
MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News
A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL
• Mufasa: The Lion King (PG)
A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN
• Mary (NR)
• Moana 2 (PG)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG)
• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (PG-13)
• Wicked (PG)
A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS
• A Complete Unknown (R)
• Here (PG-13)
• Red One (PG-13)
L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE
• Gladiator II (R)
O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE
• Kraven the Hunter (R)
• Y2K (R)
▶ For full movie reviews, visit www. osvnews.com/category/reviews
AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE
► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.
JAN. 15
BUSINESS MEETING, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Mary Queen (606 Cedarwood Dr., Friendswood). Bay Area Deanery Catholic Council of Women hosts a meeting with speaker John Hinojosa of Loving Choice Pregnancy Center, with light breakfast, baby shower drive and raffle. Baby items collected (diapers, wipes, toiletries and 6 to 9 or larger baby clothes) benefit Loving Choice and Deanery Gabriel Projects. 713-412-8559.
JAN. 16
PRESENTATION, 6:30 to 8 p.m., St. Ignatius of Loyola (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). Emerging Grace Ministries presentation explores ways of ending child sex trafficking. Free. life@silcc.org; 832-314-3503.
JAN. 17-19
CATHOLIC MEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Threeday retreat includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and prayer. Open to parish groups, father/sons (16+) and individuals. Cost: $265. registrar.holyname@passionist.org.
JAN. 18
EUCHARISTIC CONFERENCE, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Prince of Peace (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). A bilingual conference focused on being sent for the Eucharistic Revival “Year of Mission.” Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate the Opening Mass with keynotes by Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria and Father Victor Perez of Houston and other breakout sessions. Cost: $15-$20 includes breakfast and lunch. 832-808-7060; SENT@pophouston.org; pophouston.org/sent.
JAN. 24-25
WEEKEND CONFERENCE, Friday 6:15 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., St. Faustina (28102 FM 1093, Fulshear). Two-day weekend conference with presentations on Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Theology of Healing and Overcome Discouragement and Understand Impartation. Saturday evening healing service is free and open to the public. Cost: $75. encounterministries.us/encounter-school-ofhealing.
JAN. 24-26
CATHOLIC MEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Threeday retreat includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and time for prayer. Open to parish groups, father/sons (16+) and individuals. Cost: $265. registrar.holyname@ passionist.org.
JAN. 29-FEB. 1
GARAGE SALE, Jan. 29 (4 to 7 p.m., $25 admission), and Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission). St. Ignatius of Loyola (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). Sales of furniture, household items, clothing, jewelry, baby items, toys, books and other items benefit the St. Ignatius Outreach Ministry. Rain or shine. garagesale@silcc.org. Cost: $25 pre-sale access Wednesday, Jan. 29; GarageSale@silcc.org; silcc.org/yearly-projects.
JAN. 31
SUPER BINGO, 7 to 10 p.m., St. Francis of Assisi (5102 Dabney St., Houston). Tickets $20 presale; $25 at the door. stfrancisofhouston.org.
JAN. 31-FEB. 2
AA (ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS) MEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name
Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Three-day 12-step study weekend for men working 12-step programs offers an opportunity to grow spiritually and participate with others. Cost: $265, or $250 for 65 and older. registrar.holyname@passionist.org.
FEB. 1
FUNDRAISER, 6:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Family Life Center (6646 Addicks Satsuma Rd., Houston). Knights of Columbus #8096 annual “Las Vegas Night” fundraiser includes games and food. Cost: $40 per person. tdescioli@aol.com.
FEB. 2
SPAGHETTI DINNER AND FUNDRAISER, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Guardian Angel Parish Hall (5610 Demel St., Wallis). $12 spaghetti plates with homemade meat sauce, salad, green beans and garlic bread. Homemade desserts for donation. Raffle, cake live auction and silent auction. 281-224-0477.
GOSPEL MUSICAL, 3 to 5 p.m., Our Lady Star of the Sea (1401 Fidelity St., Houston). 75th Anniversary Black History Month Gospel musical features several choirs. 713-674-9206.
FEB. 5
ADORATION HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S 4th St., Richmond). Adoration Hour on the first Wednesday of the month to pray for vocations. Confession and Anointing of the Sick available.
FEB. 7-9
AA (ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS) WOMEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name
Having an Event?
Share your event with thousands of print and digital readers. Scan the QR code to fill out the form and send your event to Around the Archdiocese. Learn more at ARCHGH.ORG/ATA .
Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Three-day 12-step study weekend for women working 12-step programs, providing an opportunity to grow spiritually and participate with others. Cost: $265, or $250 for 65 and older. registrar.holyname@ passionist.org.
•••
For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA
Contemplating Christ with the heart of Mary
In an April 25, 2020 message, Pope Francis encouraged “everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary.” He suggested praying with a group or individually, emphasizing the key to praying was “always simplicity,’ he said.
Pope Francis also suggested two prayers to add to recitations of the Rosary. The first prayer turns to Mary as a “sign of salvation and hope,”and entrusts the world to her as “Health of the Sick” who “at the foot of the cross, were united with Jesus’ suffering, and persevered in your faith.” The first prayer concludes with the Memorare.
The second prayer expounded upon a line from the Memorare: “We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God.” Imploring the Blessed Mother, Pope Francis’ prayer continued: “Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with
Praying the Rosary
1. Make the Sign of the Cross
2. Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles’ Creed
3. On the first bead, say 1 Our Father
4. Say 3 Hail Marys on the 3 following beads
5. Say the Glory Be
your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.”
In the face of challenge,
“Contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family,” he said, “and will help us overcome this time of trial.” †
6. For each of the 5 decades, announce the Mystery, then say the Our Father
7. While on each of the 10 beads of the decade, next say 10 Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be. After each decade, the Fatima Prayer and the Sub Tuum Praesidum may be said.
8. After saying the 5 decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, then The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel may be said, followed by this:
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Together: Let us pray, O God, whose Only Begotten Son, by his life, Death, and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
9. Conclude the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross.
Hail Mary Our Father Glory Be
The Apostles Creed
theThe Mysteries of the Rosary
The Joyful Mysteries
Traditionally prayed on Mondays and Saturdays
1. The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary
2. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
3. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Presentation of our Lord
5. Finding Jesus in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays
1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death
The Glorious Mysteries
Traditionally prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays
1. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost
4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
5. Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth
The Luminous Mysteries
Traditionally prayed on Thursdays
1. The Baptism in the Jordan 2. The Wedding at Cana 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist
The Prayers of the Rosary
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The Glory Be (The Doxology)
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Hail Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
The Fatima Prayer
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
The Sub Tuum Praesidium
We fly to your protection, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
The Prayer to St. Michael the
Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and you, O prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast down to hell Satan and the other evil spirits, who prowl through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.