Texas Catholic Herald - May 28, 2024

HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Juan Diego route starts with joyful witness amid Mass, processions

Pilgrimage arrives on May 30

BROWNSVILLE (OSV News)

— On the morning of Pentecost at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Brownsville a large group of Catholics gathered to participate in a solemn Mass that launched the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Juan Diego Route.

“As we celebrate this great Pentecost Sunday, we ask the Spirit to enable us to give that witness as we go out, not only from this cathedral church, but to the world,” said Brownsville’s Bishop Daniel E. Flores during the May 19 Mass celebrated in English and Spanish.

The southern arm of the national pilgrimage launched from the tip of Texas in Brownsville — nearly half a mile from the

Little Tex says

PREVIEW

Prayer Breakfast speaker honored

George Weigel to keynote June 21 event

KRAKÓW, Poland (OSV News) — St. John Paul II’s American biographer, George Weigel, was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on May 13.

The senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., will be this year’s speaker at the Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast set for Friday, June 21, at 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Americas - Houston, located at 1600

San José Clinic bridges healthcare gaps in Houston

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent

HOUSTON — In Texas, where the uninsured rate surpasses the national average twofold and Houston alone faces an alarming 26% uninsured rate, San José Clinic remains steadfast in its commitment to providing compassionate care and support to individuals and families, regardless of insurance status, especially within underserved communities.

Considered a beacon of healing for over a century in the Archdiocese, San José Clinic remains firmly rooted in the Catholic faith and tradition with a mission that transcends mere healthcare provision — it is where medicine meets ministry.

“We have maintained our commitment

OSV NEWS PHOTO

Pilgrims follow Bishop Daniel E. Flores as he carries the monstrance through Brownsville May 19 from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to Sacred Heart Mission. The procession kicked off the St. Juan Diego Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which will arrive in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on May 30 at St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores, seen here carrying the monstrance in Brownsville May 19, said it was meaningful to begin the southern route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in south Texas, “which represents the heart of the people of faith here in the [Rio Grande Valley].”

Archdiocese remembers Houston civil rights icon Rev. Lawson

With Archbishop Fiorenza and Rabbi Karff, Lawson was one of ‘The Three Amigos’ who championed civil rights

HOUSTON — Houston icon Reverend William “Bill” Alexander Lawson Jr. died Tuesday, May 14, at the age of 95.

The founder of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston’s Third Ward, along with the late Rabbi Samuel Karff of Congregation Beth Israel and the late Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, was a champion of civil rights and a bold preacher of God’s love in action, said Daniel Cardinal DiNardo.

“We were saddened to hear of the passing of Rev. William ‘Bill’ Lawson,” Cardinal DiNardo said in a statement. “His great love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and his dedication to the Word of God, made him a credible witness to the power of God’s reconciling love for all

people.”

The three men had an extended history in Houston marching, preaching, protesting, teaching and influencing together for civil rights and social justice.

Affectionately called the “Three Amigos,” the trio met during a coalition meeting of “Ministers of Houston,” an ecumenical coalition group that sought

St. Mary’s Seminary 9845 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77024

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

Photo-Journalist & Content Editor

Catherine Viola

Advertising Manager

Kerry McGuire and Jo Ann Zuñiga

Contributors

An award-winning member of The Catholic Media Association

to unite Houston’s diverse faith leaders and communities.

In 2020, when the three men met at a discussion on justice, equality and respect hosted by the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, Archbishop Fiorenza said they had a shared interest “in trying to bring justice for all in our city and our state and our country” and were inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.

“He had a very powerful influence on me as a young priest,” he said. “And because of his eloquence, the passion that he had to try to bring about justice for all I got really involved in it and decided to march with him in Selma.”

Celebration of Life services were held May 23 and 24 at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.

Cardinal DiNardo extended his deepest sympathy and prayers to the family of Rev. Lawson.

“May he rest in the peace of the God he served so well,” he said. †

You make the ministry of our future Priests possible.

Nearly 50 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.

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.

TCH publishing schedule

Issue date: June 11

Deadline: Noon on May 21

Issue date: July 9

Deadline: Noon on June 18

Editorial deadlines are no later than Tuesday at noon, 21 days prior to the issue date.

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON-HOUSTON

PHOTO BY INTERFAITH MINISTRIES FOR GREATER HOUSTON

Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, Rabbi Samuel Karff and Rev. William Lawson cut a dedication ribbon to celebrate the opening of the Brigitte and Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect at Interfaith Ministries in Midtown in April 2019. The plaza features towering tributes to the three men.

THE FIRST WORD

TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE ORDINATIONS

FOLLOWING THEIR VOCATION

Three ordained to the transitional diaconate

HOUSTON — As the Paschal candle flame flickered nearby, Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro placed his hands on the heads of three men, bringing them to the next step in their journey to the priesthood.

At the Mass of Ordination of Transitional Deacons, held May 11 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Deacons John Clark, Hubert Hai Đào and Carlos Velero were ordained to the Sacred Order of the Diaconate through the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by Bishop Dell’Oro.

The tradition of laying of the hands has been handed down from the Apostles so that, through sacramental grace, they may effectively fulfill their ministry. Their ordination as transitional deacons is one of their final steps before being ordained to the priesthood. †

PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS

Effective July 1

Father Jose Alonso

Administrator - St. Frances Cabrini Parish, Houston

Father Kingsley Nwoko

Administrator - St. Albert of Trapani Parish, Houston

Father W. Tucker Redding, SJ Chaplain and Director - Rice University Catholic Student Center, Houston

Effective July 15

Father Lucio Castillo, OMI

Parochial Vicar - Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Houston

BRIEFS

Priesthood ordinations set

HOUSTON — Catholics across the Archdiocese are invited to attend the ordinations of priests.

The priestly ordination is set for Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will ordain Deacon Luis Armas, Deacon Viet Nguyen and Deacon David Ramirez to the priesthood.

The ordinations will both take place at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston and will be livestreamed online at www.archgh.org/live. †

Popular summer young adult speaker series resumes in July

HOUSTON — Café Catholica, the annual young adult summer gathering presented by the Archdiocesan Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry, is set for four Mondays in July at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, located at 6800 Buffalo Speedway in Houston. The theme for the summer series is “Home With Him.”

Open to young adults aged 18 to 39, Café Catholica offers opportunities to gather with nearly a thousand fellow young Catholics for Mass, dinner and talks. The event will be held July 8, 15, 22 and 29. It begins at 5:15 p.m. with Confession, followed by Mass at 6:15 p.m., dinner at 7:15 p.m. and the keynote speaker at 8:15 p.m.

Keynote speakers include Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic speakers Bob Lesnefsky and Kim Zember, and Brian Lennox, director of Faith Formation from St. Faustina in Fulshear.

No registration is needed to attend. Donations are accepted. For more information, visit www.archgh.org/ cafecatholica or call 713-741-8778. †

A MARIAN MOMENT

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, greets newly ordained Deacon Carlos Velero following his Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston on May 11. Bishop Dell’Oro also ordained Deacons John Clark and Hubert Hai Đào.

The Vocation of Grandparents

Grandparents share with the child’s parents the critical role of witnessing to their Catholic faith. ▪ SEE PAGE 13

Eucharistic Mini-Pilgrimage Guide

Pilgrimage to make local stops in Sugar Land, Houston and Galveston

Go in peace! The journey you are making is under the eye of the LORD.

from page 1

U.S.-Mexico border — and will wind around the Gulf of Mexico and traverse the country’s southeast on its way to Indianapolis to attend the July 17 to 21 10th National Eucharistic Congress.

JUDGES 18:6

Church. From there, the pilgrimage will cross the Bolivar Ferry bound for Beaumont.

1. CHOOSE A PILGRIMAGE DESTINATION AND TIME FRAME

‘HEART OF THE PEOPLE’

5. ARRIVING AND PRAYING FOR YOUR INTENTIONS

PILGRIMAGE EVENTS IN GALVESTON-HOUSTON

WHERE: Choose a holy site that will help you grow closer to Jesus in the Eucharist. This could be a church, shrine, or monastery. See if your diocese has a list of local pilgrimage sites.

PILGRIMAGE REACHES GALVESTONHOUSTON ON MAY 30

After journeying through the Diocese of Brownsville and participating in Masses and processions, the Juan Diego Route pilgrims arrived in the Diocese of Corpus Christi on the evening of May 22.

WHEN: Make sure the site will be open when you intend to arrive. Plan your journey around the celebration of the Mass or Eucharistic adoration.

Then the next morning, on Friday, May 31, a Mass will be celebrated with the perpetual pilgrims followed by a solemn procession around St. Laurence. The Pilgrimage will then travel to downtown Houston to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for a 12:10 p.m. parish Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration. The Pilgrimage will then travel to Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham for the evening.

TRAVEL: Decide how you will be traveling—walking, driving, by train, etc. Make arrangements beforehand so that you can be fully present to your pilgrimage experience.

From there, they — and the Blessed Sacrament — will follow the Texas Gulf Coast, reaching Galveston-Houston on May 30.

On Thursday, May 30, St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land will welcome the pilgrimage group at 6:30 p.m. with an evening of prayer, Eucharistic Adoration and testimonies from the perpetual pilgrims traveling with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.

On Saturday, June 1, the University of St. Thomas will host a gathering exclusively for young adults ages 18-39 with pilgrims at 12:30 p.m. A Eucharistic Liturgy of the Hours and a solemn Eucharistic procession around the campus follow; these two events are open to all ages.

This route is named after St. Juan Diego, a 16th-century Indigenous Catholic saint who, in addition to transforming the history of Mexico by sharing the message and image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, was highly devotional to the Eucharist. Every day, he walked 15 miles to Mass, a kind of pilgrimage toward the Lord.

WITH WHOM: Will you be traveling alone or with a community such as your family, parish, or youth group?

2. YOUR INTENTIONS FOR THE PILGRIMAGE

Finally, on Sunday, June 2, the Pilgrimage will travel to Galveston Island for 10 a.m. Sunday Mass celebrated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. After Mass, all are welcome to join a mile-long walking Eucharistic procession from the Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart

As you come to the threshold of your pilgrimage destination, do so with the knowledge that Jesus is waiting to encounter you in the Eucharist.

MAY 30 TO JUNE 2 ALL ARE WELCOME INFO: ARCHGH.ORG/PILGRIMAGE24

THURSDAY, MAY 30

PRAYER: Spend some time in silent adoration, thanking God for this pilgrimage and praying for your petitions. Pray individually and as a group.

ST. LAURENCE PARISH

3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land 6:30 p.m. - Prayer, Adoration and testimony

FRIDAY, MAY 31

LITURGY: If possible, participate in Mass, offering the Mass for your petitions.

Bishop Flores said it meant a lot to begin “this route in this humble cathedral that is not very big, but it is ours, which represents the heart of the people of faith here in the valley; this temple built with the hands of the Oblate Fathers more than 150 years ago.”

6. RETURNING

The cathedral was filled to the brim, with several parishioners standing at the back of the church. The Mass was also streamed live on the Diocese of Brownsville’s social media.

Pray for the special intentions that you and your loved ones have. You might also carry in your heart intentions for the Church, the world, or your local community. Be very specific and write them down. Jesus wants to bring healing, wholeness, and peace!

3. SPIRITUAL PREPARATION

PRAYER: Invite family and friends to join you in prayer.

ST. LAURENCE PARISH

3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land

8:15 a.m. - Mass with pilgrims

9:15 a.m. - Procession around St. Laurence

CO-CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART

1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston

12:10 p.m. - Mass

12:45 p.m. - Adoration

SHARING: Spend some quality time before you leave or on the way home sharing the graces of your experience with one another. If you are traveling on your own, journal about these graces or share them with a friend.

CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM

7809 Shadyvilla Ln., Houston

4. SETTING OUT/TRAVELING TO YOUR DESTINATION

Concelebrating the Mass was Auxiliary Bishop Mario A. Avilés, as well as Franciscan Fathers Gabriel Kyte and Ignatius Shin, who would first accompany the six perpetual pilgrims along the Juan Diego Route.

PATRON: Pick a patron saint for your pilgrimage as your heavenly companion for the journey.

Spiritual Direction Institute

PRAYER: Make your pilgrimage a time of prayer and thanksgiving. Consider vocal prayers like the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, or reading from Scripture: Mark 14:22-24, John 6:35, John 6:51-57, Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 11:23-28.

Four groups of young adults are traveling with the Eucharist as perpetual pilgrims traveling north, south, east and west across the country for the next eight weeks. These 24 young adults are traversing small towns, large cities and rural areas, mostly on foot, and — along with their chaplains — carry the Eucharist in a monstrance designed for this pilgrimage. In three of the groups, including the Juan Diego Route, are several Franciscan Friars of the Renewal serving as priest chaplains along the journey’s stages.

6:30 p.m. - Evensong, Adoration and testimony

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

7. POST-PILGRIMAGE

UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

3800 Montrose Blvd., Houston

After your pilgrimage, pray about how the experience changed you. Ask Jesus to show you how he wants to be more present in your life through this pilgrimage.

12:30 p.m. - Gathering for young adults ages 18-39 with pilgrims*

3:30 p.m. - Eucharistic Liturgy of the Hours and Procession open to all ages

SUNDAY, JUNE 2

If you carried the intentions of others, share something about what the pilgrimage meant for you with them.

ST. MARY CATHEDRAL BASILICA 2011 Church St., Galveston

Encounter with Jesus leads to mission. Make an act of service or kindness to share in the saving mission of Jesus.

10 a.m. - Sunday Mass with Cardinal DiNardo

A Eucharistic pilgrimage is a testimony to the world that Jesus is alive in the Eucharist, and he accompanies us—all of us—on our pilgrimage through life.

In his homily, Bishop Flores preached in Spanish and English about the love of God, who became man to dialogue and touch the hearts of men and women. “For this God became flesh, that he might begin to poke at our hearts and say, ‘I know there’s stone there but we’re going to make it flesh,’” he explained.

“God knows nothing except to give Himself. It is His own nature, His own identity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The continuous movement of His love is what He is,” he said. What God wants, the bishop added, was to be welcomed, “to pour Himself out Eucharistically and to pour Himself out in the Spirit.”

He added, “This God who only knows how to pour Himself out, becomes man, becomes anonymous in Himself, pours out His blood and breathes the Holy Spirit, all so that we can receive what He is.”

It is the Holy Spirit who makes us capable of receiving this outpouring of love, he said. “It is the Spirit who brings us the Christ of sacrifice, just as the Holy Spirit brought Christ into the womb of the Virgin Mary,” he said, “So He brings us Christ in the Eucharist. From the same Spirit, the Spirit continues to make His

11 a.m. - 1-mile Eucharistic procession from the Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart Church at 1302 Broadway St., Galveston

*Pre-registration required. Only open to young adults ages 18-39.

Note: All events are open to the public. For the latest updates and to learn more, visit www.archgh.org/pilgrimage24 or visit www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org.

presence among us and that is why we walk with Him.”

At the end of the Mass, Bishop Flores took the Blessed Sacrament from the altar and carried it among the parishioners and pilgrims to the church’s exit to begin a procession to three Catholic churches in Brownsville: Sacred Heart Mission, Our Lady of Good Counsel and San Pedro Church.

At San Pedro, Bishop Flores celebrated Mass, an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and benediction, and then dinner and fellowship with the perpetual pilgrims. The four pilgrim routes — covering a total of 6,500 miles through 27 states and 65 dioceses — converge in Indianapolis on July 16, the day before the opening of the National Eucharistic Congress. †

St. John Paul II’s biographer George Weigel  receives Polish national award in Krakow

BREAKFAST, from page 1

Lamar St. in downtown Houston.

Weigel received the Polish state honor for “outstanding contributions for creating a positive image of Poland in the world,” the Chancellery of the President of Poland said.

The author of The New York Times bestselling biography of St. John Paul II, “Witness to Hope,” published in 1999 and its sequel, “The End and the Beginning,” “demonstrated the key role of the Polish Pope in the overthrow of communism,” the office of the Polish president said.

Thanking the Polish head of state, Weigel said that through him, he thanked the people of Poland for “this great honor.”

“Poland and its people have been a significant part of my life for over 30 years, and whatever I have managed to give Poland has been modest compensation for what Poland has given me,” he said at the ceremony.

He said that Poles, inspired by St. John Paul II were “determined to ‘live in the truth’” and managed to inspire a “new birth of freedom” in Europe. “All of us in the West remain in your debt for that,” he added.

The West, he said, “needs aroused consciences, living in the truth, especially the truth about the dignity of the human person, about which John Paul II taught us so much, and of which he gave such a magnificent example.”

Weigel came to Poland to promote a new Polish edition of “Witness to Hope,” first published in Poland in 2000. He kicked off meeting readers with a gathering in Warsaw May 13, to be followed by Poznan May 15 and Kraków May 17.

Dominican Father Tomasz Grabowski, director of “W drodze” publishing house, which is responsible for the new edition, said during a May 14 press conference in Warsaw’s headquarters of KAI, the Polish Catholic Information Agency, that repeating the success of the first editions of St. John Paul’s biographies, with 250,000 copies published worldwide, is not the main goal of the new edition. “The purpose of the reissues is more missionary than commercial,” he said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda poses with St. John Paul II’s American biographer, George Weigel, after he was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw May 13.

work on the biography, he asked one of the Polish historians he was interviewing: Isn’t it strange that it is an American researcher who is writing the pope’s biography? He said the historian told him “no, because Poles have too emotional a bond with John Paul II and what he accomplished.”

“That time is over,” Weigel said. “The time has come for Polish Catholics to stop looking back at this great man and start looking ahead with John Paul II’s eyes. It is necessary to take seriously John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization, in which everyone should see themselves as disciple-missionaries and carry out this missionary task in their own territory.”

“Witness to Hope,” translated into more than a dozen languages, is needed anew now, especially for the young, Father Grabowski said.

“How (St. John Paul) is perceived … depends on whether there is access to sources,” and not only those that get the facts right, Father Grabowski said, but those that will show the pope “internally.”

Weigel recalled during the press conference that at the beginning of his

When asked if St. John Paul II’s teaching will be relevant in 50 years, the American theologian expressed his belief that it will be relevant in a few hundred years as well, giving hope to millions.

“In America, I also see these signs of hope among young priests who decided to enter the priesthood already after the sexual abuse scandals and know that they are undertaking a missionary ministry that will not be easy,” Weigel said, acknowledging that St. John Paul II is still the model for these priests.

“They want to give the laity today the tools to go and convert in the world.”

Weigel is the author or editor of more than 30 other books, many of which have been translated into other languages. Among the most recent are “The Fragility of Order: Catholic Reflections on Turbulent Times” (2018); “The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission” (2020); and “Not Forgotten: Elegies for, and Reminiscences of, a

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.

Diverse Cast of Characters, Most of Them Admirable” (2021). His essays, op-ed columns and reviews appear regularly in major opinion journals and newspapers across the U.S. A frequent guest on television and radio, he is also a senior Vatican analyst for NBC News. His weekly column,“The Catholic Difference,”

WANT TO GO?

ARCHDIOCESAN PRAYER BREAKFAST WITH GEORGE WEIGEL

When: Friday, June 21 at 7:30 a.m.

Where: Hilton Americas - Houston 1600 Lamar St.

Register: archgh.org/prayerbreakfast Cost: Starting at $75

is syndicated to 85 newspapers and magazines in seven countries.

Weigel received a B.A. from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and an M.A. from the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto. He is the recipient of 19 honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law and social science, and has been awarded the Papal Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, Poland’s Gloria Artis Gold Medal and Lithuania’s Diplomacy Star.

The Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast provides an opportunity for local Catholics to gather in faith and fellowship. Hundreds are anticipated to attend this year’s event. Tickets must be reserved or purchased prior to the event, which can be done online at www.archgh.org/ prayerbreakfast. Tables and sponsorship opportunities are available. †

GEORGE WEIGEL

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — Just minutes before St. Cecilia Catholic School’s eighth-grade graduation Mass and ceremony began, the power to the west Houston parochial school cut out, plunging the large sanctuary into disturbing darkness.

Even with the surprise change in lighting, Father Francis Macatangay, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish and School, chose to celebrate the May 16 Mass by candlelight, with the flame from the towering Easter candle reflecting brightly off the church’s even taller white walls behind the altar into the pews.

Even though school officials said the unexpected candle-lit Mass and graduation ceremony was a “beautiful” celebration, the peace and stillness of the Liturgy was a stark contrast to the 100 mph winds that shredded homes and businesses in a 70-mile span of the nation’s fifth-most populous metropolitan region.

A strong line of sudden thunderstorms, dubbed a “derecho,” brought lightning, hurricane-force winds and floods, knocking out power for almost one million homes, businesses and parishes in the Archdiocese. Millions, either recovering or helping others recover, also contended with dangerous heat, with high humidity bringing heat indices into the 100°s in the days after the storm.

A derecho, also known as an inland hurricane, is a storm with wind damages that covers more than 240 miles with wind gusts of at least 58 mph on the storm path, according to the National Weather Service. The storm began west of Austin and continued through Houston and into Louisiana, where thousands also lost electricity.

The storms caused the Archdiocese to postpone four adult confirmation Masses because of the widespread destruction and power outages. Weather officials confirmed two tornadoes in Cypress and Waller County, twisting 100-foot transmission power lines into a crumpled mess, cutting electricity off to thousands.

Dozens of windows are seen boarded up on a downtown Houston building on May 22, six days after a major 100 mph wind and thunderstorm swept through the Gulf Coast, killing at least eight people and knocking out power for nearly a million Houston-area homes and businesses on May 16. Officials said the storm shattered at least 2,500 windows and dozens of skylights in downtown Houston, raining glass onto the streets below.

By Monday, May 20, electricity providers said nearly 224,000 were still without power. As temperatures rose, local officials opened more than 100 cooling centers as thousands were still without air conditioning.

In downtown Houston, the 100 mph winds shattered more than 2,500 windows and dozens of skylights across the city’s skyscrapers, raining down glass alongside the heavy rains. Video on social media showed a row of skylights eerily missing from the top of a major 400-foot downtown Houston hotel, allowing rain to cascade into the hotel’s lobby like a waterfall.

One post showed windows in a coffee shop flexing like a plastic bag, while another video showed pedestrians struggling against the wind, hiding under bus stops and clutching utility boxes as traffic barrels flew about like tumbling thimbles. Elsewhere, suburban families watched as homes still being constructed splintered like toothpicks.

At least eight deaths were attributed

to the storm, including a mother of four who died after a tree fell on her car as she attempted to move it to safety during the storm and a man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning as thousands turned to gas generators to supply power, according to reports.

In Houston’s Heights neighborhood, visitors said it looked like a “war zone,” where hundreds of hallowed trees that provided longed-for shade from the Texas heat in the leafy green community now split dozens of homes in half, smashing roof tops, walls and cars.

At All Saints Parish in the Heights, Father Elias Lopez celebrated Sunday morning Mass for Pentecost, also in candlelight.

While the parish did not suffer significant damage, the church was still without power. Even with the church’s doors wide open, the morning sun made the air inside stifling, making the first reading about the tongues of fire too easy to imagine as the church warmed up.

Gonzalo Ramos, parish director of music and Liturgy, said he was moved by the dedication of the parishioners, ministry volunteers, lectors and staff — several dressed for the heat — who

713-874-6664

www.catholiccharities.org/donate

joined him and his fellow cantors and choir members in leading worship at four Masses throughout the weekend.

Ramos lauded Father Lopez for focusing on the Mass, despite the temperatures, throughout the weekend.

“[Father Lopez] delivered an inspirational homily while sharing prayers of hope, consolation, and uplifting for those affected by the storm,” Ramos said.

Ramos said, while he was at the parish office, something moved him to cancel the parish youth and adult choirs’ rehearsals, usually held on Thursday nights and rarely canceled.

Twenty minutes later, while at home, his wife was preparing dinner as he was tending to their son, a tornado warning came on the TV, prompting the family to jump into their “emergency closet,” where they “hunkered down” and prayed with flashlights while praying as they heard the storm, with its thunder, hail and winds, arrive and cut electricity.

In the weeks that followed, the sound of chainsaws and groaning of trees cracking into pieces echoed throughout Houston as residents continued to recover from the damage. A common sight in many neighborhoods were piles of trees and debris that stand more than 10 feet high.

The storm came just two weeks after another round of thunderstorms flooded dozens of communities along the San Jacinto River.

The floods prompted at least 400 highwater rescues from rooftops and cars and mandatory evacuations, many of which had flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Sts. Simon and Jude Parish in The Woodlands activated its Red Cross shelter, just as it did during Harvey and several other storms. †

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

A medical ministry: San José Clinic serves critical need

to providing health care by demonstrating compassion and dignity to each patient we serve at the clinic,” said Margo Melchor-Hernandez, president and chief executive officer of San José Clinic.

“Houston and its surrounding areas have a critical need for our services. We, alongside our community partners, can assist those individuals who work in lowwage, manual labor and service jobs that do not offer employer-based insurance, do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, or cannot afford private health insurance or out-of-pocket health expenses.”

Melchor-Hernandez appreciates the dedicated work of the selfless souls who grace the corridors of San José Clinic and serve with the compassionate heart of Christ, the majority of whom are volunteers. They serve all without expectation and are driven by a profound belief in the power of giving.

Mary Neal is an integral part of the dedicated team at San José Clinic. With over 25 years of experience as an obstetrician-gynecologist, including delivering approximately 4,000 babies in private practice, she brings invaluable expertise to the clinic’s mission of compassionate care. Transitioning to the clinic in 2009, her commitment to serving others has helped foster a welcoming environment for both patients and volunteers.

“We have clergy who help us in our spiritual life and educators who help us to further our knowledge,” Neal said. “As physicians, we are ministering to the health needs of our patients, which should be done with respect and compassion. We are doing God’s work, becoming his hands, touching patient’s lives, and being able to help them with all their healthcare needs.”

Neal encourages the uninsured and those facing financial barriers to view San José Clinic as their healthcare home, where they receive compassionate support in navigating the often-complex healthcare system.

“Having someone there who can walk them through the system is invaluable,” Neal said. “We offer patients a welcoming health home where they can address many, if not all, of their medical issues with kindness and without feeling rushed.”

San José Clinic’s commitment to comprehensive patient care encompasses a wide range of essential services, including primary care, specialty care, dental, vision, pharmacy, behavioral health and lab services. Neal said San José Clinic’s supportive environment for the medical staff alleviates administrative burdens like billing, allowing them to dedicate their efforts entirely to delivering high-quality patient care.

Going beyond traditional medical offerings, the clinic also addresses the diverse needs of its patient base, including survivors of sex trafficking. Neal recently played a role in launching a new initiative aimed at providing specialized care for these individuals, further underscoring the clinic’s dedication to supporting vulnerable communities.

“Never in my private practice did I have this opportunity or challenge,” Neal said. “It requires a certain skill set to be able to reach patients who have been so harmed, treating them with respect,

understanding that as a gynecologist, my exam can be a trigger for them. That has been an eye-opener for me, and I think it’s helped me grow as a doctor.”

For all these experiences, Neal has a profound gratitude to God for the privileges she has enjoyed, reinforcing her unwavering dedication to serving others through the clinic.

“I was born to parents who valued education and using it,” Neal said. “I think with those gifts, there’s an obligation to do something in return. I feel that this ministry allows me to continue to serve others who are less fortunate.”

The impact of San José Clinic’s staff, like Neal, is evident in the firsthand account of a recent patient. Despite financial constraints hindering access to therapy elsewhere, the patient found solace and support at the clinic. Dedicated volunteers and staff provided the necessary care, aiding the recovery from an accident that left the patient unable to walk.

“I couldn’t afford therapy, and thanks be to God, I found my way to San José Clinic, where they helped me walk again after an accident left me unable to even stand,” said the patient. “It’s been a lot to handle with a family to care for, but God has provided for me through the medicines, nurses, dentists and therapists at the clinic.”

Expressing gratitude, the patient acknowledged the extensive support received in addition to physical therapy and healing.

“The spirit of love and fraternity among the staff has made a significant impact on my recovery,” said the patient. “Thanks to their assistance, I’m able to walk again. I feel like I am among family here — a place where everyone is welcomed with open arms.”

As one of the 64 ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF), Melchor-Hernandez emphasized the critical role the annual appeal has in sustaining San José Clinic’s mission.

“The current economic climate compounds the challenges we have in delivering compassionate, quality care to the uninsured population, such as increasing food and housing prices,” Melchor-Hernandez said. “As San José Clinic embarks on its next 100 years of service, we thank the faithful in the Archdiocese for considering supporting the DSF that enables us to continue

to be a beacon of healing, especially for those most in need in underserved communities.”

To learn more about San José Clinic’s mission and how to volunteer, go to sanjoseclinic.org. To donate to the Archdiocese’s DSF annual appeal, go to archgh.org/DSF. The DSF supports San José Clinic and 63 additional ministries, whether direct service or education, which require this critical funding to remain in operation. Out of each gift given to DSF, 100% of every dollar goes directly to supporting these ministries. †

is “We are the Lord’s.” DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out 64 ministries.

DSF IN ACTION

This new video series brings to life the ministry featured in this story. Hear from people personally impacted by God’s grace through these DSF ministries and from leaders themselves who remind others that, no matter what happens, “We are the Lord’s.”

SCAN TO WATCH OR VISIT

ARCHGH.ORG/ DSFINACTION

The 2024 Diocesan Services Fund theme

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN JOSÉ CLINIC

A Houston Post-Dispatch photo shows the Mexican Clinic (Now San José Clinic) in 1931 at 1909 Canal Street in Houston.

Evening with the Bishops raises funds to help St. Dominic Village provide care for elders

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA

Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — After 20 years of serving Galveston-Houston, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo received a black cowboy hat as an honorary Texan birthday gift at an Evening with the Bishops fundraiser on May 15, benefiting St. Dominic Village.

The Village is the area’s only Catholic senior care community providing assisted living, independent living, and rehabilitation and nursing care for the general public and retired priests.

Cardinal DiNardo’s twin sister, Peg Riesmeyer, born just nine minutes before her brother on May 23, attended the event at the Junior League of Houston along with 200 supporters. Together, they helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for major renovations to the Texas Medical Center campus.

Among the top needs at St. Dominic Village are new roofs for the nursing center, which provides rehabilitation, and for Warren Chapel, which offers daily Mass for residents and employees.

Another wish list item is a new system for the deaf and hard of hearing that translates and transcribes the spoken word in real-time on a big screen that everyone can see or on individual laptops and mobile devices.

Other bishops attending were introduced as guests of honor were Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS,

Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria and Bishop Emeritus Curtis J. Guillory, SVD, of Beaumont. Two other bishops thanked for their support — Bishop James A. Tamayo of Laredo and Bishop David L. Toups of Beaumont — were unable to attend.

St. Dominic’s Chief Executive Officer John Connolly described the green space around the residences in spring, blooming with flowers and serene peacefulness.

“I see folks walking about daily like a gentleman who resides in independent living going to visit his wife several times a day who lives in the rehabilitation and

nursing center.”

A popular auction item that caught action was an intimate Italian dinner for 25 people overlooking downtown Houston from the top of the Esperson Building hosted by Bishop Dell’Oro, a native of Italy.

Stacey Erwin-Porter, St. Dominic’s marketing director, said, “We welcome any other donations that come in for the Evening with the Bishops dinner. Plus, our list of items is an ongoing campaign which we will raise money for throughout the year.”

To learn more about St. Dominic Village, visit www.stdominicvillage.org. †

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UP IN THE AIR FILMS

At left, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo receives a cowboy hat as an honorary Texan birthday gift from St. Dominic’s Village Board Chairman Hugh Idstein at an Evening with the Bishops fundraiser May 15 benefiting St. Dominic Village. At right, about 200 supporters attended, including Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, Daniel

Cardinal DiNardo, Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria and Bishop Curtis Guillory, bishop emeritus of Beaumont. Two other bishops thanked for their support —

Bishop James Tamayo of Laredo and Bishop David L. Toups of Beaumont — were unable to attend.

Local priests and religious sister participate in a Texas border mission immersion trip

SPECIAL TO THE HERALD

HOUSTON — Two local priests and a religious sister from Houston traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border from April 15 to 18 to join an immersion mission trip hosted by the Catholic Extension Society.

Sister Jane Meyer, O.P., who led St. Agnes Academy from 1997 until her retirement in June 2022, along with Father Sean Horrigan, pastor of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Houston, and Father Norbert Maduzia, pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Spring, traveled to the Diocese of Brownsville.

This program, funded through the Lilly Endowment Inc., aims to broaden Church leaders’ horizons through enriching learning experiences of the Church’s missionary activities, the Catholic Extension Society reported.

The dioceses along the border in Texas serve populations with the highest rates of poverty in the state. This includes the Diocese of Brownsville — which is currently home to more than one million Catholics.

Sister Meyer said, “The Catholic Extension Mission trip far exceeded my expectations. There are so many things that caught my attention. First was the extreme poverty in McAllen and yet the people’s strong faith.”

She added, “There is the incredible ministry that Sister Norma (Pimentel) runs at the Respite Center with Migrants as well as the Proyecto de

Desarrollo Humano, where other sisters provide sewing, ESL classes and a garden for the poor colonial neighborhood.”

The group of visiting religious also visited with Bishop Daniel Flores, and Sister Meyer said, “I was awed by Bishop Flores’ visionary and pastoral approach to the poor and marginalized. With the help of Catholic Extension and three sisters from Nicaragua, they serve Plaza Amistad.”

Plaza Amistad is a new

ministry that is being created through collaboration between the Catholic Extension Society and the Diocese of Brownsville. It supports religious sisters from Central America, who have been in contact with 2,000 households

seeking the spiritual and social care of the Church. Catholic Extension Society is currently working in partnership with the diocese to raise support to build a new 10,000-square-foot facility where the local community can access religious education, medical services, legal services and the Sacraments.

The group of 16 visiting religious wrapped up the trip by celebrating Mass at La Lomita Chapel, a tiny chapel, and visited Father Roy Snipes, who ministers to the community along the border.

These ministries not only serve the asylum-seeking migrants passing through this area, but also the families who are settling in the poor “colonias.” These colonias are defined as new settlements of immigrants, often with substandard housing and few public resources.

The idea of an immersion trip is to go to the periphery to stand with the homeless, the abandoned, the sorrowful and the powerless. These are precisely the places where the Catholic Church plants itself — often with the support of Catholic Extension Society — to offer spiritual and social care to those most in need.

To learn more about the Catholic Extension, visit catholicextension.org. †

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC EXTENSION SOCIETY

At left, Father Norbert Maduzia, pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Spring, and Sister Jane Meyer, O.P., of Houston, were among a group of 16 religious meeting with Brownsville Diocese community members as part of a Mission Immersion trip.

IN MEMORIA

Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of June.

June 1911 Rev. Anthony Maury

June 1, 1949 Rev. James P. McCarthy

June 1, 1974 Rev. William Creamer, O’Carm

June 1, 1981 Rev. Francis Dynan, SSJ

June 2, 1999 Rev. Norbert Reuss, CSB

June 2, 2005 Rev. Kevin C. Thissen, OP

June 2, 2014 Rev. Rivers Patout

June 4, 1920 Rev. Joseph Ignatius Klein

June 4, 1950 Rev. Lawrence B. Kramer

June 6, 1957 Rev. Hugh Kearns

June 7, 1947 Rev. J.T. Moriarty

June 7, 1982 Rev. James L. Moore

June 8, 1972 Msgr. Thomas J. Prendergast

June 9, 1952 Rev. Francis A. Walsh, CSB

June 9, 1988 Rev. James J. White, CSSp

June 10, 1959 Rev. Ralph J. Diefenbach

June 10, 2021 Rev. Peter Ferguson

June 11, 1964 Rev. Dunstan McGuigan, OCarm

June 11, 1979 Rev. Bernard J. O’Neill

June 12, 1985 Rev. Richard Gieselman, CM

June 12, 2011 Rev. Gabriel Camilo Morales, m.j.

June 13, 1938 Rev. John J. Lyons, SSJ

June 14, 1964 Rev. Francis Plavcan, MS

June 14, 1982 Rev. Mark M. Barron, OP

June 14, 1993 Rev. James E. Daley, CSB

June 15, 1938 Rev. David M. Ortez

June 16, 1989 Rev. Robert Hall, CSB

June 16, 2009 Rev. Victor B. Brezik, CSB

June 16, 2016 Rev. Patrick Braden, CSB

June 17, 1936 Rev. Martin F. Collins

June 18, 1999 Rev. Larry Leonard, CM

June 20, 1977 Rev. Louis Hahn, SJ

June 20, 1991 Rev. Paul F. Kent, OCSO

June 21, 1892 Rev. Claude Jacquet

June 21, 2021 Rev. Ryan Stawaisz

June 22, 2003 Rev. Charles Banet, CPPS

June 23, 1939 Rev. George Apel

June 23, 1990 Rev. Joseph Kennelly, OMI

June 24, 1986 Rev. Joseph K. Schneider

June 24, 2008 Rev. Alfred E. Greenwald

June 24, 2012 Rev. John “Jack” R. Whitley, CSB

June 25, 1873 Rev. John B. Bellaclos

June 26, 1961 Msgr. Frank J. Dubias

June 26, 1965 Rev. Joseph Schmultz, SSJ

June 27, 1999 Rev. Michael J. Fritzen, SVD

June 27, 2008 Rev. John J. Walsh, CSSP

June 27, 2016 Rev. Kenneth E. Mikulik

June 29, 2004 Rev. Ladislav Danek

June 30, 1952 Rev. Manuel F. Munive, OMI

Expand and deepen our hearts

. . .

Please pray for all victims of violence everywhere and their families. Pray for those being executed in Texas and their families: June 26: Ramiro Gonzales

OBITUARIES

Sister Raphael Bordages, O.P.

HOUSTON — Sister Raphael Bordages, O.P., died on Friday, May 17, at the age of 102. She was in the education ministry for 50 years, serving at many schools in Texas, including St. Mary School and Sacred Heart School in Houston and Holy Family School in Wharton. Her congregational service included her ministry as a tutor and receptionist at the Villa de Matel and receptionist and sacristan at the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse.

A funeral Mass was held May 24 at St. Dominic Villa Chapel. Interment is in Forest Park Lawndale. †

Socorro Cobos

PUEBLA, Mexico — Socorro Cobos, the mother of Father Abelardo Cobos, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, died April 11.

The funeral Mass was held April 27 in Puebla, Mexico. †

Father Ivan Cormac Marsh, O. Carm.

GALVESTON — Father Ivan Cormac Marsh, O. Carm. of Holy Rosary Catholic Church on Galveston Island died April 25. He was 87 years old.

A funeral Mass was held May 11 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Galveston. Interment is in Mount Olivet Cemetery. †

Sister Helen Spanos, C.V.I.

HOUSTON — Sister Helen Spanos, C.V.I., died on Wednesday, April 23, at the age of 93. She began her ministry as an elementary school teacher and then moved on to serve in youth and adult religious education and Hispanic Ministry serving at Holy Name Parish, Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral and St. Andrew Church in Channelview. Sister Spanos also served as a home missionary and as an adult educator in the East Texas Project (Huntsville area) sponsored by the Archdiocese. She ministered in her community as vocation director and director for the sisters in formation. She was one of the pioneer sisters in her

• In ground burial sites • Mausoleum Crypts • Cremation niches • Cremation Garden

• In ground burial sites • Mausoleum Crypts • Cremation niches • Cremation Garden

• Monuments • Markers

• Monuments • Markers

(Available for families to purchase for use in the Catholic Cemeteries) for more information, visit

Catholic Cemeteries

(Available for families to purchase for use in the Catholic Cemeteries) for more information, visit

of Galveston-Houston Serving Families Since 1845

Catholic Cemeteries The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Serving Families Since 1845

THE MISSION OF DSF

The mission of the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) is to provide essential support for the 64 ministries that serve those in need throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that no one parish can deliver on their own.

DSF supports the formation of our clergy; serves the poor, feeds the hungry, and supports those in need; provides a strong Catholic education to more than 17,500 students; and forms the next generation of Catholics through youth and adult faith formation.

Through DSF, we can serve one another and fully live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our thoughts and actions every day.

$15,512,987

$13,785,697

When we do, we glorify God through the 64 ministries of our local Church that no one parish can deliver on its own. Through your DSF commitment, you also serve the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the forgotten in our community. Let’s look at a hypothetical donation of $1 and see where it goes.

A NOTE FROM CARDINAL DINARDO

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

All of us, including myself, find peace knowing that God is the strength of our heart –the rock on which we all rely, the never-failing refuge in the storm.

On behalf of the 64 ministries in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF), I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generous prayers and contributions last year. Through His grace and your support, we were able to answer His call to love and serve one another.

Additionally, our local Church was able to meet the spiritual and physical needs of thousands with love and compassion and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by serving the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the forgotten.

As your shepherd, I am constantly encouraged by your unwavering faith and generosity. Today, I am pleased to share with you the impact of your commitment to DSF in 2023. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our local Church and be assured of my prayers for you and your family. With every good wish in the Lord, I remain,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

PARISH REBATES

This is the total amount returned directly back to parish communities throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston through DSF rebates.

Through these rebates, numerous parishes throughout the Archdiocese receive money back that allows them to fund social and liturgical ministries, serve their communities, support their schools and conduct much needed maintenance on parish buildings.

A gift to DSF helps to ensure that each parish has the opportunity to receive additional funds to support their community.

DSF 2023 HIGHLIGHTS - A RECORD YEAR!

+ DSF 2023 was our most successful year in the last 58 years of running the annual appeal—breaking the 2022 record

+ A greater percentage of funds are directly supporting parish communities through rebates—up to 10 cents of every dollar!

+ Despite national trends to the contrary, the Archdiocese continues to be blessed by a growing number of donors to the annual appeal (+1,500 new donors over DSF22)

+ A record number of parishes (118 of 154) made their goal this year—up 13 parishes over the previous year

PARISHES THAT ACHIEVED THEIR DSF 2023 GOAL

All Saints - Houston

Annunciation - Houston

Ascension Chinese Mission - Alief

Blessed Sacrament - Houston

Christ The Good Shepherd - Spring

Christ The Incarnate Word - Houston

Christ The King - Houston

Christ The Redeemer - Houston

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart - Houston

Corpus Christi - Houston

Epiphany of the Lord - Katy

Holy Family - Galveston

Holy Family - McNair/Baytown

Holy Family - Missouri City

Holy Ghost - Houston

Holy Name - Houston

Holy Rosary - Houston

Immaculate Conception - Houston

Immaculate Conception - Sealy

Immaculate Conception Mission - Industry/Bellville

Mary Queen - Friendswood

Our Lady of Czestochowa - Houston

Our Lady of Fatima - Galena Park

Our Lady of Grace - South Houston

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Baytown

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Houston

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Rosenberg

Our Lady of Lourdes - Houston

Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Sweeny

Our Lady of Sorrows - Houston

Our Lady of St. John - Houston

Our Mother of Mercy - Houston

Queen of Peace - La Marque

Regina Caeli - Houston

Resurrection - Houston

Sacred Heart - Conroe

Sacred Heart of Jesus - Manvel

Shrine of the True Cross - Dickinson

St. Albert of Trapani - Houston

St. Alphonsus - Houston

St. Andrew Kim - Houston

St. Angela Merici - Missouri City

St. Anne - Houston

St. Anne de Beaupre - Houston

St. Anthony de Padua - Danbury

St. Anthony of Padua - The Woodlands

St. Augustine - Houston

St. Bartholomew the Apostle - Katy

St. Bernadette Soubirous - Houston

St. Cecilia - Houston

St. Charles Borromeo - Houston

St. Clare of Assisi - Houston

St. Cyril of Alexandria - Houston

St. Dominic - Houston

St. Edith Stein - Katy

St. Edward - Spring

St. Faustina - Fulshear

St. Francis de Sales - Houston

St. Francis of Assisi - Houston

St. Gregory the Great - Houston

St. Helen - Pearland

St. Ignatius Loyola - Spring

St. James the Apostle - Spring

St. Jerome - Clute

St. John Fisher - Richmond

St. John Neumann - Houston

St. John of the Cross - New Caney

St. John the Apostle Mission - West Columbia/Sweeny

St. John the Baptist - Alvin

St. John the Evangelist - Baytown

St. John Vianney - Houston

St. Joseph - Baytown

St. Joseph - Houston

St. Joseph - New Waverly

St. Joseph Mission - Stoneham/Plantersville

St. Juan Diego - Pasadena

St. Jude Thaddeus - Highlands

St. Justin Martyr - Houston

St. Katharine Drexel - Hempstead

St. Laurence - Sugar Land

St. Leo The Great - Houston

St. Luke the Evangelist - Houston

St. Mark the Evangelist - Houston

St. Martha - Kingwood

St. Martin de Porres - Barrett Station

St. Mary - La Porte

St. Mary - League City

St. Mary - Plantersville

St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal - Texas City

St. Mary of the Purification - Houston

St. Matthew the Evangelist - Houston

St. Matthias the Apostle - Magnolia

St. Maximilian Kolbe - Houston

St. Michael - Houston

St. Michael - Lake Jackson

St. Michael the Archangel - Needville

St. Monica - Houston

St. Nicholas - Houston

St. Paul - Houston

St. Peter Claver - Houston

St. Philip Neri - Houston

St. Philip of Jesus - Houston

St. Philip the Apostle - Huffman

St. Pius V - Pasadena

St. Rose of Lima - Houston

St. Stephen - Houston

St. Stephen the Martyr Mission - Point Blank

St. Theresa - Houston

St. Theresa - Sugar Land

St. Thomas Aquinas - Sugar Land

St. Thomas More - Houston

St. Thomas the Apostle - Huntsville

St. Vincent de Paul - Houston

St. Wenceslaus Mission - Beasley/Rosenberg

Sts. Cyril and Methodius - Damon

Sts. Peter and Paul - Bellville

Sts. Simon & Jude - The Woodlands

Vietnamese Martyrs - Houston

EDUCATION

St. Helen student qualifies for national science contest

PEARLAND — Lucy Do, a student at St. Helen Catholic School in Pearland, qualified to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge (JIC) after a recent grand award and a first-place win at the 65th annual Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH). Do’s research project, “Data at the Speed of Light,” won first place in the Junior Division’s Embedded Systems Category at the SEFH held on Feb. 17 at the Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg. Her first-place win also earned her a spot to compete for a grand award in the Junior Division’s engineering category, which she won, besting the top projects from all seven physics categories. Her project won amongst the more than 6,000 junior and senior high school students’ projects from 22 counties.

The JIC is the nation’s premier STEM research competition for junior high school students. The top students competing continue their science fair journey by applying to the JIC, where the top 300 students will be selected and receive a prize of $125. The top 30 finalists win a $500 cash prize and will compete in Washington, D.C., for an all-expense paid trip to showcase their projects in October. Each finalist school also receives $1,000, and their teachers receive prizes. †

On April 20, Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) hosted the Red & White Gala: A Legacy of

More than 300 attendees joined school president, Sister Lauren Beck, C.V.I., at The

in Houston, and more than $910,000 was raised for financial aid and scholarships. The gala, chaired by IWA parents Brandi and Bobby Dixon, honored the Theroux family, which has three IWA alumnae and two St. Thomas High School alumnae. The IWA choir performed at the gala along with senior Miranda Rinaldi, who played the harp during the event.

Christ

the first CtRCS team ever to win a Galveston-Houston Catholic Athletic Association Championship. The Crusaders were down by three in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs and then had a walk-off home run to end the game 11-10.

CELEBRATES LEGACY AT GALA

PHOTO BY DAVE ROSSMAN

Honor.

Revaire

CATCHING CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER CATHOLIC SCHOOL

the Redeemer Catholic School’s baseball team made school history by being

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. HELEN CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Lucy Do, a St. Helen Catholic School student, competed at the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston and earned a nomination for the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge, a national science fair contest.

YOUTH

To Jesus through Mary: A journey of encounter and transformation

I’ve had the privilege of working in youth ministry in the Archdiocese since 2006, in addition to speaking at conferences and missions all over the country. There’s both good and bad news.

The bad isn’t surprising: heartache from broken relationships, sin and lost faith is indeed common. I do, however, have good news. Across the U.S. and in our Archdiocese, there are young people on fire for Christ. I have heard testimonies of conversion, healing and obstacles overcome, and these stories have one common factor: Mary.

When people take Mary as their mother and “take Mary into their home,” their lives change. A spark occurs in their relationship with Christ that wasn’t present before. The goal of the Christian life is union with Christ, and to say to Mary, “Be my mother,” is to imitate Christ. Mary’s desire is to help us love Christ more; her soul truly

by GABRIEL CASTILLO

magnifies the Lord.

There are several practical ways to increase devotion to Mary. It can be as simple as putting up an image of her in your home, which will serve as a reminder of her presence, increasing your knowledge by reading about Mary or spending time with her in prayer, talking to her about the things in your heart.

However, praying the Rosary is the greatest way to foster your relationship with Mary. In doing so, you are in good company. Echoing the words of St. John Paul II, “It would be impossible to count all of the many saints who discovered in the Rosary a genuine path to holiness.”    Why is the Rosary so powerful?

Because Mary’s highest intention, past, present, and forever, is singular and simple: to form the Body of Christ.

The Rosary, the prayer Mary herself gave us, does this in two distinct ways. First, there is a certain death required to deny oneself and pray for 20 minutes; this is not accidental. Mary wants you to become like Christ, and while perhaps unpopular in modern culture, that requires self-denial.

In addition to the sacrifice of our time and desires, the repetition of the “Hail Mary” has a purpose. These words are the cornerstone of the New Testament and the turning point of salvation history, giving birth to Mary’s fiat and the incarnation.

When we pause amidst our busy lives and repeat these words, we invite Christ ever deeper into our hearts through the Gospel mysteries. A grace remembered is a grace renewed, and just a few moments every day imagining the scenes of the Gospel as if we were present there with Jesus and Mary will form us into His disciples, making possible our own fiat to the will of God.

Recently, a gentleman came to the parish office because his wife was questioning her faith and stopped attending Mass. He was praying a daily Rosary but resolved to pray another one

by doing a 54-day Rosary novena for her.

At first, she seemed to be doing worse, but he persevered. On the 15th day, out of the blue, his wife said she wanted to go to confession and has since returned to the faith. Although we do not always witness the fruits of our prayer so clearly during our time on earth, his story is not an outlier. The Rosary is efficacious. Mary promised us that it would be.

Before her death, Sister Lucia said, “There is no problem in our lives that cannot be overcome by the prayer of the Rosary.” I encourage you to pray the Rosary every day. Try it for seven days. Many have done this and experienced peace and a greater sense of God’s presence. Having strong intentions is a great motivator for praying when we don’t feel like it. If you have loved ones who are suffering or away from the Church, I encourage you to pray a Rosary for them. Don’t stop praying for them “because never was it known that anybody who called upon her name was left unaided.” †

Gabriel Castillo is the coordinator of youth ministry and faith formation at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land.

COLUMNISTS

The vocation of grandparents

When using the term vocation, our minds may automatically think of a religious or marriage vocation. But what about the vocation of grandparents? The Old Testament portrays the vital role that elders play in our salvation history, including the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

The New Testament reveals the presence of the elderly Simeon and Anna, who witnessed the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple, as well as Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary. What they share is a faithful and attentive listening to God’s presence in their lives. Isn’t that at the heart of a grandparent’s vocation? To listen closely and pay loving attention to their grandchildren.

Grandparents share with the child’s parents the critical role of witnessing to their Catholic faith and catechizing the presence of Jesus in their lives — sometimes with words and sometimes by their actions.

by

OLGA NAJAR

One of my earliest religious memories as a five-year-old came from an encounter with my maternal grandmother. After a day of Christmas shopping, she took me to the cathedral in Tijuana and invited me to kiss the baby Jesus. Although I didn’t fully understand the experience, it imprinted a lasting memory of a tender kiss associated with prayer — an incarnational connection with our God.

The vocation of a grandparent or elder is simply the continuation of one’s vocation as a Christian disciple — now as an instrument in God’s service to pass on one’s faith to future generations. After a long life of efforts and sacrifices, with their share of successes and mistakes, grandparents possess the

wisdom, experience and compassion to share with the Church.

They provide powerful evangelizing testimony to their grandchildren and support their grandchildren’s parents through their fidelity to the Eucharist, devotions like the Rosary, and a life of prayer. They offer specific stability and cohesiveness to help young families weather the storms of life as they themselves, with God’s help, have also done.

As a fundamental part of society, their mission offers future generations the guiding light of Christ as the Psalmist notes: “Even in old age they produce fruit, they remain fresh and luxuriant to proclaim what is right, which is Yahweh: my rock and there is no falsehood in Him.” (Ps 9: 15-16).

St. John Paul II in 1999 wrote a letter to the elderly. In it, he heralded old age as a favorable time for the culmination of human existence and a part of the divine project of each man, as that

moment in life in which everything converges, thus allowing (the elderly) to understand the meaning of life better and to achieve “wisdom of the heart” (n.8).

The richness of our immediate history is a treasure deposited in grandparents or the elderly to be guarded and transmitted to future generations. Each person’s story is strengthened with a sense of identity and belonging in families, passed on from generation to generation.

Since 2021, Pope Francis has called the Church annually to observe the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents, as World Day for grandparents and elders; this year’s theme: “Do not cast me off in old age” (Ps 71) and will be celebrated on Sunday, July 28. †

Olga Najar is an associate director of the Office of Aging.

Building a firm foundation in Scripture

A young man came into my office recently and asked what Scripture I go to when I’m feeling anxious and stressed. We are at the end of the spring semester at the University of Houston Catholic Newman Center. Classes are completed. The final push to the end with exams has begun.

Students are studying, cooking for each other, sipping coffee (or anything with caffeine), resting under blankets with their noses in their laptops and books, finding quiet moments of refuge in our chapel or at daily Mass, or going on a needed run or over to the gym for a workout. Life at the Newman is in a final birthing intensity and the beginning of another transition from spring into summer.

So, when this young man asked me, what Scripture do I stand on when I am anxious and stressed, I told him, great question! The Scripture that immediately came to mind is from 1 Peter: “Cast all your worries and anxieties on me (Jesus), for I care about you” (1 Peter 5:7).

This student is asking a great question for all of us to consider. He is looking to

by SALISHA MILLER

anchor himself in Scripture, stand on God’s word, and renew his mind and heart amid his storm and the intensity of life right now. He is taking his gaze off the “storm” and placing it upon Jesus.

The heart of campus ministry lies in accompanying young adults as they learn how to pray and develop a personal relationship with Jesus and our Catholic faith. Reading and memorizing Scripture is where we discover who we are as beloved children of God, who God is, and His great love for us.

It is from this place of intimacy with Christ and our Baptismal identity that we begin the wonderful adventure with Jesus, the holy family, the saints, and our Church.

The transformative power of Scripture had a profound effect on my life and decision to become Catholic 11 years ago. An important verse for me

came from the Gospel of John, where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:53). Reflecting on this verse led me to discover the power of the Eucharist and Jesus’ command to receive Him in the Eucharist.

I met our Blessed Mother at the wedding of Cana, as she tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). The intimacy I experienced reading and praying with this story led me to choose our Blessed Mother as my confirmation saint. She is so intimately and personally attentive to the details and needs of our lives. She models for us what to do, and she prays for us to the Lord. These Scriptures anchored me in a decision that has changed my life forever.

In this season of transition from spring school year into summer break, what a beautiful time to examine our prayer lives and intimacy with Scripture. As this young man came into my office to ask a great question, I invite you to consider when you also face times of transition: What Scripture are you going

“In this season of transition from spring into summer break, what a beautiful time to examine our prayer lives and intimacy with Scripture.”

to stand on to bring you through the “storm” you are facing? We all need to continue building a firm foundation in Scripture that can get us through all of life’s challenges. †

Miller serves as a campus minister at the University of Houston Catholic Newman Center.

Salisha

WORLD Holy Spirit makes Christians gentle, not ‘overbearing,’ pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Empowered and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to develop the gentleness needed to proclaim the Gospel to all, Pope Francis said.

Just as the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, transformed their hearts and instilled in them a “serene courage” to share their experience of Jesus, the pope said that today’s Catholics who received the gift of the Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation are called to develop a similar missionary impulse.

“From the ‘upper room’ of this basilica, like the apostles, we too are being sent forth to proclaim the Gospel to all,” Pope Francis said in his homily for Pentecost Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica May 19. “We are sent into the world not only geographically but also beyond the frontiers of race and religion for a truly universal mission.”Yet, he said, Christians are called to evangelize through the “power and gentleness” of the Spirit, “not with arrogance and imposition.”

“Christians are not overbearing,” he said; “their strength is another: the strength of the Spirit.”

While Pope Francis presided over the Mass, Arthur Cardinal Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was the main celebrant at the altar, which currently is surrounded by scaffolding due to restoration work on the canopy

IN BRIEF

Synodality

that stands over it.

Vested in red, the pope said that Christians must tirelessly share the Gospel as the apostles did, not “with calculation and cunning, but with the energy born of fidelity to the truth that the Spirit teaches us in our hearts and causes to grow within us.”

In that way, he continued, “We surrender to the Spirit, not to the forces of the world.” Pope Francis said that emboldened by the Holy Spirit, Christians should not be “intimidated by hardship, derision or opposition” but proclaim peace, solidarity, life and fidelity to those who act in discordance with the Gospel.

“At the same time, our proclamation seeks to be gentle (and) welcoming to everyone,” he said. “Let us not forget this: everyone, everyone, everyone.”

The pope lamented the many wars taking place in the world and prayed particularly for the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, which has been the site of a renewed Russian assault in recent days, as well as for Palestine and Israel.

Pope Francis prayed “that the Holy Spirit may bring the leaders of nations and all of us to open the doors toward peace.” “Today, on the feast of Pentecost, let us pray to the Holy Spirit, love of the Father and the Son, that it may create harmony in hearts, harmony in families, harmony in society, harmony in the whole world,” he said. †

must become ‘paradigm’ for dioceses, pope tells bishops

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church’s synodal path, the Church-wide listening and dialogue process currently approaching its second assembly in October, must become a model for all Catholic dioceses and parishes, Pope Francis said.

Opening the general assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference in the Vatican synod hall on May 20, the pope spent an hour and a half answering questions posed to him by some 200 bishops on global issues, from migration to rising antisemitism, as well as problems within the Church such as falling vocation rates and the merging of dioceses, according to reports by Italian Catholic media.

Bishop Antonio De Luca of Teggiano-Policastro in central Italy told Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference, that Pope Francis “asked us to encourage the synodal way so that it may become a paradigm in dioceses and parishes.”

During the closed-door meeting, the pope said pastors must approach the current era of change in society not with sadness but with renewed energy since the Lord does not abandon His Church, Avvenire reported. The assembly’s primary focus was on the synodal path, particularly its upcoming “prophetic phase” in preparation for the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October. †

Pope scheduled to visit Luxembourg, Belgium Sept. 26 to 29

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis intends to travel to the tiny European nation of Luxembourg and neighboring Belgium less than two weeks after his scheduled four-nation tour of Asia in September, the director of the Vatican press office said.

“Accepting the invitation of the respective heads of state and Church authorities, the Holy Father Francis will make an apostolic journey to Luxembourg Sept. 26 and to Belgium, Sept. 26 to 29, traveling to Brussels, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve,” Matteo Bruni, the director, said in a statement May 20. Details about the trip “will be published in due course,” he added.

The main focus of the trip to Belgium, which is just a two-hour flight away from Rome, is to mark the founding of the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world, the Catholic University of Leuven, which celebrates its 600th anniversary during the 2024-2025 academic year. Brussels serves as the de facto capital of the European Union, hosting the headquarters of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the formal seat of the European Parliament and the European Council. †

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis accepts the offertory gifts during Pentecost Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican May 19, 2023.

NATION

Rise in religious persecution fueled in part by authoritarianism, says U.S. watchdog agency

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — An increase in religious persecution around the globe was fueled in part by a rise in authoritarianism, according to a recent annual report.

However, the report said religious freedom concerns did not only present themselves in nations under authoritarian regimes. One such case was the arrest of a Catholic woman in England for her silent prayer outside an abortion clinic.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission that monitors religious freedom around the globe. In preparing its 2024 report, the commission noticed a trend of authoritarian regimes persecuting people of faith, USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck told OSV News

“We are seeing a global spike in persecution and discrimination on the basis of religion,” Schneck said. “And it’s related to the rise of authoritarianism, really all over the world.”

Authoritarian regimes, broadly, resent other sources of influence on

their populations, Schneck said. One such example, he said, was Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s anti-Catholic persecution, which is growing to extend to Protestant groups critical of his regime.

“Millions and millions” of people

around the globe are being “denied the kind of religious freedom that USCIRF, and, frankly, international law and international declarations stand for,” Schneck said. Schneck also cited a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia as global trends presenting cause for concern, as is the destruction of religious sites in places with armed conflict, including Gaza and Ukraine.

Asked about threats to Catholics, Schneck said that in addition to Nicaragua, the group is “very concerned about the situation for Catholics in China,” as well as Hong Kong, where Joseph Cardinal Zen, a critic of the Chinese regime, was arrested in May 2022, although later released on bail. The cardinal was one of six activists fined for their roles in a group seeking to help those arrested in 2019’s pro-democracy protests get legal support, Al Jazeera reported.

Schneck also said Russia presents concerns for Catholics, as well as in Russian-occupied portions of Ukraine.

A section of the report about religious freedom concerns in Europe said that “several European governments targeted individuals for their peaceful religious expression.”

Among those examples, the report said, was an instance in England in which “authorities in Birmingham arrested and launched an investigation against Isabel Vaughan-Spruce for silently praying outside an abortion clinic within a ‘buffer zone’ where a city council order prohibits protests, including prayer. By the end of September, the city announced that it

would not charge Vaughan-Spruce.”

Asked about that section of the report, Schneck said, “What’s happening in Europe is a kind of militant secularism that has an antipathy toward religion to some extent.” Schneck also pointed to French restrictions on religious garments, including the Jewish yarmulke and the Islamic hijab.

“Nothing in Europe reaches the level of persecution and discrimination that we see in special watchlist countries, in countries of particular concern,” he said. “Are there things that we’re concerned about them that we’re watching, but nothing, nothing is close to that level? Yeah.”

USCIRF recommended 17 countries in its 2024 Annual Report to the U.S. Department of State for designation as “countries of particular concern,” or CPCs, based on their “governments engaging in or tolerating particularly severe violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief,” the agency said. The State Department previously designated 12 of the countries on USCIRF’s list as CPCs in December 2023: Burma (Myanmar), China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

USCIF made five additional recommendations in its report, released May 1: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam due to what they called deteriorating conditions in those nations.

The International Religious Freedom Act requires the U.S. government to designate CPCs annually. CPCs are defined in law and policy as countries where governments either engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations” of religious freedom. Non-state actors who engage in similar conduct are designated as “entities of particular concern.”

According to the State Department, when a country is designated as a CPC, Congress is notified, and “where noneconomic policy options designed to bring about the cessation of the particularly severe violations of religious freedom have reasonably been exhausted, an economic measure generally must be imposed.” †

Our downtown location has temporarily relocated.

We are NOW OPEN at 2409 Austin Street (two streets behind our San Jacinto Street building) We will re-open our main location as soon as possible.

Order by phone or email 713-659-4709 or sacco@saccos.com

MUNDO CATÓLICO

Una Primera Comunión excepcionalmente ‘especial’

Nunca olvidaré el momento en que nuestra hija mediana hizo su Primera Comunión. Fue tres años más tarde que la mayoría, pero por una buena razón. Mimi nació con parálisis cerebral severa que la afectó tanto física como mentalmente. Desde su diagnóstico a los ocho meses, nuestros días pronto se llenaron de terapia del habla, ocupacional y física. A lo largo de los años, también hubo algunas cirugías ortopédicas. Mentalmente, Mimi siguió siendo una niña encantadora toda su vida y era conocida por sus increíbles abrazos. A pesar de sus muchos desafíos, Mimi estaba muy conectada con su fe Católica. El camino de fe de Mimi comenzó cuando era una bebé, cuando fue bautizada. Durante sus años de primaria, Mimi asistió a clases de formación en la fe católica: ayude en los años preescolar y primer grado con Mimi presente. Después de eso, me ofrecí como asistente de catequista

DIXIE FRANTZ

durante varios años. Siempre estaba atenta a las indicaciones de que Mimi tenía alguna comprensión del misterio de Cristo y de la Sagrada Eucaristía. Con sus limitadas habilidades de comunicación, era difícil saberlo.

Antes de que Mimi se acercara a la edad en que la mayoría de los niños reciben su Primera Comunión, mi esposo y yo tuvimos muchas discusiones. ¿Estaba preparada? ¿Cómo lo sabemos? Ya habíamos experimentado la formación de la Sagrada Comunión con la hermana mayor de Mimi, Katie, pero esto era diferente.

Durante estas conversaciones, a menudo recordaba Mateo 19:14, cuando Jesús dijo: “Dejad a los niños, y no se lo impidáis de venir a mí; porque de los

tales es el reino de los cielos”.

En mi corazón, sabía que Mimi entendía su fe católica de acuerdo con su capacidad limitada. ¿Pero era suficiente?

Durante los siguientes tres años, mi esposo consultó a varios amigos Sacerdotes sobre nuestra espera. Las discusiones fueron positivas, pero aun así, dudamos. Por otra parte, me reuniría con nuestro párroco durante estos mismos tres años. Finalmente fue en mi última reunión, en la que recibí el mensaje.

Esa noche, durante la cena, le dije a mi esposo: “Me reuní de nuevo con el Sacerdote para hablar de Mimi y su Primera Comunión. Espera verla en la confesión este sábado. Entonces el padre dijo que debíamos programar su Primera Comunión”.

Estuvimos de acuerdo en que el Padre había hablado definitivamente sobre el asunto. Naturalmente, obedecimos.

Ese sábado, llevé a Mimi a confesarse empujando su silla de ruedas hacia el confesionario. Me senté frente al

La vocación de los abuelos

Cuando utilizamos el término vocación, nuestra mente puede pensar automáticamente en una vocación religiosa o matrimonial. Pero ¿qué pasa con la vocación de los abuelos? El Antiguo Testamento retrata el papel vital que desempeñan los ancianos en nuestra historia de salvación. Incluye a los Patriarcas Abraham, Isaac, Jacob y José. El Nuevo Testamento revela la presencia de los ancianos Simeón y Ana, que presenciaron la presentación del niño Jesús en el Templo, así como de Joaquín y Ana, los padres de la Virgen María. Lo que tienen en común es una escucha fiel y atenta a la presencia de Dios en sus vidas. ¿No está eso en el centro de la vocación de un abuelo? Escuchar atentamente y prestar atención amorosa a sus nietos.

Los abuelos comparten con los padres

del niño ese papel fundamental de dar testimonio de su fe católica y catequizar la presencia de Jesús en sus vidas, a veces con palabras y otras con acciones. Uno de mis primeros recuerdos religiosos cuando tenía cinco años surgió de un encuentro con mi abuela materna. Después de un día de compras navideñas, me llevó a la catedral de Tijuana y me invitó a besar al niño Jesús. Aunque no entendí completamente la experiencia, me dejó un recuerdo duradero de un tierno beso asociado con la oración: una conexión encarnada con nuestro Dios.

OLGA NAJAR LOS DIÁCONOS DE TRANSICIÓN NUEVOS

La vocación de un abuelo o de un anciano es simplemente la continuación de la propia vocación como discípulo cristiano, ahora como un instrumento al servicio de Dios para transmitir la fe a las generaciones futuras. Después de una larga vida de esfuerzos y sacrificios, con su cuota de éxitos y errores, los abuelos poseen la sabiduría, la experiencia y la compasión para compartir con la Iglesia. Proporcionan un poderoso testimonio evangelizador a sus nietos, así como un apoyo a los padres de sus nietos a través de su fidelidad a la Eucaristía, devociones como el Rosario y una vida de oración. Ofrecen estabilidad y cohesión específicas para ayudar a las familias jóvenes a confrontar las tormentas de la vida como ellos mismos, con la ayuda de Dios, también lo han hecho. Como parte fundamental de la sociedad, su misión ofrece a las generaciones futuras la luz guía de Cristo, como señala el Salmista: “Aun en la vejez dan fruto, se mantienen frescos y exuberantes para proclamar la justicia, que es Yahvé: mi roca y allí no hay mentira en él (Sal 9: 15-16).

San Juan Pablo II en 1999 escribió

sacerdote con Mimi, la tomé de la mano y le ayudé con el sacramento de reconciliación.

Cuando llegó el momento, me preocupaba que Mimi no abriera la boca para recibir la Sagrada Eucaristía: a veces, sus reacciones eran impredecibles. Resultó, sin embargo, que ella sabía exactamente qué hacer. Mimi, que entonces tenía 11 años, junto con su hermano de segundo grado, Ricky, recibieron juntos su Primera Comunión. Mi esposo se paró a un lado de Mimi y yo al otro. Cada uno de nosotros nos tomamos de la mano para que ella guardara sus abrazos para el sacerdote después de la misa, y todos aplaudieron después. Fue uno de los momentos más especiales de nuestras vidas. †

Dixie Frantz vive en Kingwood y es la autora de A Joyful Embrace: A Memoir, disponible en Amazon, y escrita sobre su hija con necesidades especiales.

una carta a los ancianos. En él, proclamó la vejez como un momento propicio para la culminación de la existencia humana y parte del proyecto divino de cada hombre, como ese momento de la vida en el que todo converge, permitiendo así (a los ancianos) comprender el sentido de la vida. mejor y alcanzar la “sabiduría del corazón” (n.8).

La riqueza de nuestra historia inmediata es un tesoro depositado en los abuelos o en los ancianos para ser custodiado y transmitido a las generaciones futuras. La historia de cada persona se fortalece con un sentido de identidad y pertenencia a las familias que pasa de generación en generación. Desde 2021, el Papa Francisco ha llamado a la Iglesia anualmente a observar el domingo más cercano a la fiesta de San Joaquín y Ana, los abuelos de Jesús, como Día Mundial de los abuelos y los adultos mayores; El tema de este año: “No me desechéis en la vejez” (Sal 71) se celebrará el domingo 28 de julio. †

Olga Najar es directora asociada con la Oficina de Envejecimiento.

APOYO PASTORAL A VÍCTIMAS DE

ABUSO SEXUAL DEL CLERO

En un continuo esfuerzo por facilitar atención pastoral a las victimas de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, el Cardenal DiNardo gustaría recordar a los fieles de la Arquidiócesis la disponibilidad del Coordinador de Ayuda a Víctimas. Si alguien ha sido victim de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, se les anima llamar a la Diane Vines al 713-654-5799. Por favor rece por la sanación de las víctimas del abuso y por todos los que sufren de alguna manera.

FOTO POR JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

El Obispo

Auxiliar Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, ordenó a los diáconos John Clark, Hubert Hai Đào y Carlos Velero al Diaconado de Transición en Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart en Houston el 11 de mayo.

WITHIN THE ARTS

Celebrity conversions inspire, challenge personal faith, experts say

(OSV News) — Celebrities who convert to Catholicism can be an inspiration, a call to caution — and above all, an occasion for personally recommitting to the faith, two evangelization experts told

Cokeley said.

At the same time, said Cokeley, the celebrity conversion experience can underscore the importance of humility to the spiritual life.

Entering the Church “is a process that a lot of people go through, but (for celebrities) it’s playing out because they’re famous,” Sherry Anne Weddell, co-founder and executive director of the Colorado-based Catherine of Siena . “So everything

Over the past several months, a number of high-profile public figures — among them podcaster Tammy Peterson, conservative commentator Candace Owens, former porn actress Bree Solstad, actor Shia LaBeouf and comedian Rob Schneider have publicly announced their embrace of the Catholic faith.

While such conversions are nothing new for the Church (which over the centuries has welcomed everyone from the once-notorious Saul of Tarsus, later St. Paul, to royalty, philosophers, artists, intellectuals and world leaders),

Actor Shia LaBeouf chats with Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, in this screen shot taken from an Aug. 23, 2022, interview. Bishop Barron administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to LaBeouf, star of director Abel Ferrara’s film “Padre Pio,” on Dec. 31, 2023, completing the Hollywood veteran’s journey of coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.

professing the faith in the age of hyperfandom and social media can complicate matters, said Weddell, author of the 2012

book “Forming Intentional Disciples” and a consultant for hundreds of parishes worldwide.

“The positive side of it is the witness of conversion, the change of mind, the change of heart,” she said. “I can imagine that conversion is difficult because you’ve got this persona and … you may be famous for thinking a certain way. And then to acknowledge change, to acknowledge that ‘I grew more deeply’ or ‘I had to change my mind on this’ — that’s a big deal. So there’s a way where it has a very big impact on all of us who need to change our minds and hearts on many things.”

Even among longtime Christians, stardom can prove to be either an asset or a liability to the Gospel, wrote Katelyn Beatty in her 2022 book “Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits Are Hurting the Church,” which surveyed the effects of the evangelical Church’s relationship with celebrity.

7 pm, Saturday, June 15 featuring Requiem by John Rutter

Ecumenical Choir of 200 Voices with Orchestral Accompaniment

Gonzalo A. Ramos Conducting

The Centrum Cypress Creek Christian Community Center Spring, Texas

Fame itself is inherently hazardous and can lead to objectifying all-toohuman beings, she said.

“We project our issues on them … instead of attending to them as an immortal human being who is — or part of whom at least is — trying to respond to the call of God,” Weddell said.

Meghan Cokeley, director of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office for the New Evangelization, agreed.

“I think that pastorally … the thing to be guarded against is (forgetting) that celebrities have their faults too,” she told OSV News

Cokeley also said it’s important to remember that celebrity converts are (like their fellow believers) souls traveling along a learning curve — and fans should, therefore, discern wisely in evaluating their statements about the faith.

“Just because they’ve (now) converted, it doesn’t mean they’re (suddenly) an accurate purveyor of Catholic truth,”

RATINGS By OSV News

A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL

• Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG)

A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN

• IF (PG)

A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS

• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (PG-13)

• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (PG-13)

“Indeed, many Christians have used their fame, passion, and tech-savvy for good kingdom purposes, sharing the Gospel via mass media culture, whose global reach (St.) Paul could only have dreamed of,” wrote Beatty. “To them, celebrity is one tool used to build the house of God — not the house itself. They’re willing to part with their fame or prestige if it no longer serves primary kingdom purposes.”

However, said Beatty,“other Christians have reached for the tool of celebrity and found that it really isn’t a tool at all. It has more power over the user than the user over it.”

When any individual, famous or unknown, comes into the Church, “the heart of the issue … (is) their relationship with God — their immortal soul, their life, their future in this life and the next, the fruit they will bear … the meaning of their lives … as they walk with Jesus,” said Weddell. “And that’s what we need to be praying for — and we have to pray for each other because that’s a question for each of us.” †

► To read full movie reviews, visit www.osvnews.com/category/reviews

• Irena’s Vow (R)

• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13)

• Mean Girls (PG-13)

• Tarot (PG-13)

• The Fall Guy (PG-13)

• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (PG-13)

• We Grown Now (PG-13)

• Wildcat (NR)

L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE

• Challengers (R)

• Civil War (R)

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (R)

• The Strangers: Chapter 1 (R)

O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE

• Abigail (R)

• Road House (R)

• The First Omen (R)

OSV NEWS

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

MAY 28-JUNE 15

SHOE DRIVE, St. Angela Merici (9009 Sienna Ranch Rd., Missouri City). Parish shoe drive collects gently worn, used and new shoes of all kinds until June 15. Shoes are donated to developing countries to create employment. Donate shoes in drop boxes in church narthex and parish office.

MAY 31

FUNDRAISER, 7:30 p.m., Notre Dame (7720 Boone Rd., Houston). The youth orchestra is hosting a symphonic fundraiser concert in honor of Mary, Our Mother for their summer pilgrimage. Cost: $25 per ticket donation. rebrand.ly/2ea75au.

JUNE 1

PRIESTHOOD ORDINATIONS, 10 a.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will ordain Deacon Luis Armas, Deacon Viet Nguyen and Deacon David Ramirez to the priesthood. Open to the public. Livestream: archgh.org/live.

GARAGE SALE, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Regina Caeli (8121 Breen Dr., Houston). Gently used clothes, books, etc. Free to attend. Reginacaeliparish.org.

JUNE 5

HOLY HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S 4th St., Richmond). A Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hour, held every first Wednesday of the month, includes Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. sacredhrt.com/adoration.

JUNE 6-8

MEN’S RETREAT, Thursday 5:30 p.m. to Sunday 10 a.m., St. Rose of Lima (3600 Brinkman St., Houston). A three-day and three-night Catholic lay retreat presented by parishioners. 10 a.m. Mass celebrated with the parish community. Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are the guides for the retreats. The goal is to develop a new or deeper relationship with the Lord and retreatants. Cost is $275. jgvega@msn.com, 713-446-9575.

JUNE 7

HOUR OF PRAYER, after 8:30 a.m. Mass, St. Paul the Apostle (18223 Point Lookout Dr., Nassau Bay). Join St. Paul Vocations Committee and Bay Area Deanery Council of Catholic Women for a holy hour and Rosary for Bay Area Deanery Priests and Deacons for World Day of Prayer For The Sanctification of Priests. All are welcome.

PRAYING FOR PRIESTS, BISHOPS

ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.

JUNE 8

EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION, 9 a.m., Sacred Heart (109 N Frazier St., Conroe). Eucharistic Procession through downtown Conroe for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus follows an 8 a.m. bilingual Mass. Procession begins outside of church at around 9:15 a.m. Benediction inside the church follows. Free, open to public. the99SH@gmail.com.

JUNE 14-15

MUSIC FESTIVAL, The Centrum at Cypress Creek Christian Community Center (6823 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). Second Annual Summer Sacred Music Choral Festival features an ecumenical choir of 200 voices from across the Greater Houston Area under the direction of Gonzalo A. Ramos, artistic director of the Bravura Concert Series and the Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir. Rehearsals take place Friday and Saturday. The concert on Saturday will feature a full, professional orchestra.archgh. org/choralfestival.

JUNE 14-16

YOUNG ADULT RETREAT, Friday 5 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). “Do Whatever He Tells You” provides an opportunity to spend a weekend with Christ while meeting other young adults. Individuals ages 18 to 30 and parish groups are welcomed. $265. Scholarship available upon request. 713-464-0211 ext. 10;

holynameretreatcenter.com.

MARRIED COUPLES RETREAT, Friday 7 p.m. to Sunday 4 p.m., St. Anthony of Padua (7801 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands). Non-residential Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend provides time away from the distractions of everyday life for a married couple to reconnect and revitalize their marriage. Stay in your own bed at night and come to the church during the day for the sessions. $200 application fee. Apply: houstonme.org. 713-482-1791; flores@ welovewwme.com.

JUNE 21-23

WOMEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). This three-day retreat, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Presence,” includes the celebration of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, conferences and time for private prayer. Parish groups, mother/daughters (16+), and individuals are welcomed. $265. 713-464-0211

JULY 3

HOLY HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S 4th St., Richmond). A Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hour, held every first Wednesday of the month, includes Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. sacredhrt.com/adoration.

JULY 12-14

SILENT RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). This three-day retreat with retreat master Father Elmer HerreraGuzman includes the celebration of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, conferences and time for private prayer. Parish groups, couples and individuals are welcomed. $265. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.

For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA

Need Help?

Catholic Charities

Food, clothing, emergency financial assistance, counseling, immigration assistance, veterans assistance, disaster recovery, refugees services, senior services and more. catholiccharities.org/need-help or 713-526-4611

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Home visits, food network, disaster relief, clothing and furniture. svdphouston.org/get-help or 713-741-8234

San José Clinic

Primary and specialty health care services, counseling and mental health services, dental and vision. sanjoseclinic.org or 713-228-9411

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOMINICAN SISTERS OF MARY IMMACULATE PROVINCE

The 13th annual East Meets West Gala of the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province honored Daniel Cardinal DiNardo on April 11 at St. Catherine Convent in Houston. He was surprised with a 75th birthday cake by the provincial, Sister Maria Theresa Nguyen, O.P., Sister Cecilia John Bosco Nguyen, O.P., and Sister Paulina Therese Vu, O.P. The gala benefits the educational advancement of Dominican Sisters.

MILESTONES

may 23, 1949

july 16, 1977 episcopal ordination october 7, 1997

ordinary of galveston-houston february 28, 2006 named cardinal-designate october 17, 2007 elevated to cardinal november 24, 2007 elected usccb vice-president november 14, 2013

usccb president november 15, 2016