CLASS OF 2024
Celebrating the top students and graduates around the Archdiocese
▪ SEE PAGES 18 - 19, 21 - 22
Q&A WITH WEIGEL
Get to know the 2024
Prayer Breakfast speaker George Weigel
▪ SEE PAGE 11
Celebrating 60 years of The Texas Catholic Herald
WALKING WITH THE LORD
Proclaiming
HOUSTON — An overflowing crowd at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart witnessed Daniel Cardinal DiNardo ordain three new priests June 1, thanking them for answering God’s “paradoxically clear yet mysterious summons.”
In his homily, Cardinal DiNardo told the transitional deacons about to become priests — now Father Luis Armas, Father Viet Nguyen and Father David Ramirez — “The Eucharist becomes the heart and center of your life, and as you celebrate the Eucharist, people
will know it. Not because you’re flashy, but because you are faithful.”
“I beg you brother deacons, now to become brother priests, share it,” he said.
As part of the ordination, Cardinal DiNardo laid hands on each of their heads and also anointed their hands, saying, “May the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power… guard and preserve you to sanctify the Christian people.”
“In a very unique way,” he said, “you come here as servants to be
Little Tex says
U.S. Catholics encounter fraternity, healing in annual military pilgrimage to Lourdes
▪ SEE PAGE 26
ordained, especially in the masterpieces of creation: the Eucharist and Reconciliation.”
Cardinal DiNardo recognized two concurrent celebrations happening that weekend, the Ordination Mass and the arrival of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is part of the National Eucharistic Revival, and made a stop at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart the day before for Mass and Adoration. Franciscan priest Father John
ROME (CNS) — When Catholics carry the Eucharist through the streets, “we are not doing this to show off or to flaunt our faith” but to invite others to share in the life that Jesus gives by making Himself a gift, Pope Francis said.
“Let’s make the procession in this spirit, “ the pope said on June 2 in his homily at a Mass for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Reina carried the Eucharist under a canopy held aloft by eight men.
Pope Francis, who has difficulty walking and often uses a wheelchair, was driven to St. Mary Major to welcome the procession and lead Adoration and Benediction.
Pope Francis presided over the Mass in Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral as bishop of Rome. Víctor Cardinal Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was the main celebrant at the altar.
After Mass, more than 3,000 people — cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, lay members of confraternities and sodalities, Romans and pilgrims — participated in the Corpus Christi procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, about a mile away. Rome Auxiliary Bishop Baldo
St. Mary’s Seminary 9845 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77024
In his homily at the Mass, Pope Francis said the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist demonstrates that God is “not distant and jealous, but close and in solidarity with humanity; a God who does not abandon us but always seeks, waits for and accompanies us, even to the point of placing Himself, helpless, into our hands, subjecting Himself to our acceptance or rejection.”
“His real presence also invites us to be close to our brothers and sisters wherever love calls us,” the pope said.
The sign of bread is important, the pope said, because “it is the food of daily life, and with it, we bring to the altar all that we are and all that we have: our lives, work, successes and
failures, too.”
In some cultures, he said, if someone drops a piece of bread from the table, they pick it up and kiss it as a sign that “it is too precious to be thrown away, even if it has fallen.”
The Eucharist teaches Catholics “to bless, to gather and to cherish God’s gifts as a sign of thanksgiving” by not wasting food or talents, for example, but also by “forgiving and helping raise up those who make mistakes and fall because of weakness or lapses, acknowledging that everything is a gift and nothing should be lost, that no one should be left behind and that everyone deserves a chance to get back on their feet.”
Pope Francis also spoke about the fragrance of bread and how “every day we see too many streets that were once filled with the smell of freshly baked bread, but are now reduced to rubble by war, selfishness, and indifference!”
“We urgently need to bring back to our world the good, fresh aroma of the bread of love, to continue tirelessly to hope and rebuild what hatred destroys,” 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.
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GALVESTON — At the biennial Archdiocesan priest convocation in Galveston, a large contingent of priests from around the Archdiocese gathered to honor the 75th birthday of Daniel Cardinal DiNardo in song and celebration. Held on May 22, the day before Cardinal DiNardo’s actual May 23 birthday, several priests also delivered brief speeches in recognition of Cardinal DiNardo’s leadership and guidance as Archbishop of Galveston-Houston.
In a personal address, Cardinal DiNardo shared that the most impactful moment as a priest was not his ordination as priest or bishop or his elevation to the College of Cardinals, but it was his first priest ordination that he presided over in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1999.
The evening included several special multilingual birthday greetings, including Italian and Chinese, as well as a guitar-driven rendition of ‘Las Mañanitas,’ a traditional Mexican birthday song sung by a group of Spanish-speaking priests.
In Spanish, they sang to Cardinal DiNardo: “On the day you were born / All the flowers were born / At the baptismal font / The nightingales sang.”
Both Archdiocesan and religious priests attended the four-day event, which focused on the theme of “Let the Word Speak,” a reflection of the encounter of Jesus and the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. The convocation also included solemn vespers at St. Mary Cathedral Basilica and two presentations from John
Bergsma, a theologian, and Adam Brill, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship.
The convocation, held every two years, is a three-fold opportunity for priests in the Archdiocese: educating priests on updates in the Archdiocese, a fraternal gathering of priests in fellowship and praying as one community together, according to clergy ministry leaders. †
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Effective July 1
Father Luis Armas
Parochial Vicar - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Houston
Father Viet Nguyen
Parochial Vicar - St. Anthony of Padua, The Woodlands
Father David Ramirez
Parochial Vicar - Prince of Peace, Houston
Father Jose Kumblolickal Augustine, MSFS
Parochial Vicar - St. Bartholomew, Katy
Father Antonio Cisneros
Parochial Vicar - St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston
Father Benjamin Feuerborn, FSSP
Parochial Vicar - Regina Caeli, Houston
Father Mark Gazin, CSB
Canon Lawyer - Tribunal
Father Steven Huber, CSB
Parochial Vicar - St. Anne, Houston
Father Antonio Ortiz
Parochial Vicar - St. Ambrose, Houston
Father Ralph Roberts
Prison Chaplain
Second-annual ecumenical choral festival performs June 15
HOUSTON — Join church choir members of all denominations for a performance on Saturday, June 15. The ecumenical choir concert is set for 7 p.m. at The Centrum at Cypress Creek Christian Community Center, located at 6823 Cypresswood Dr. in Spring.
For more information, schedule and to purchase tickets, visit www.archgh.org/choralfestival. †
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. †
HOUSTON — The 2024 Archdiocesan Youth Conference, set for July 26 to 28 at the Hilton Americas Hotel, gathers more than 1,000 participants and is one of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization’s largest evangelizing events for youth of high school age. Through this event, under the theme “Journey to Heaven,” young people will gather on a journey to rejuvenate their faith life and help them get serious about life in Christ and His Church. For more information on how to register, visit archgh.swoogo.com/AYC2024 or contact a parish’s youth ministry. †
Anthony Boughton, who had been accompanying the pilgrimage since its launch in Brownsville, concelebrated the Mass.
The perpetual pilgrims, the young people who are traveling the entire distance from Brownsville to Indianapolis, joined Father Boughton, including Camille Anigbogu, who found her spot in the choir loft turning pages for the organist, a familiar place for her as an organist herself.
Speaking directly to the three young men, Cardinal DiNardo said: “You are to help people discover [that] what is most simple is what is most omnipotent: the Father loves to empty Himself out in sending His Son, the Son loves to empty Himself out and being available to us even to the point of having His Body and Blood available to us in the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit like a beautiful flowing river is always emptying Himself out in moments and acts of grace.”
“Brothers, celebrate the Eucharist well,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “It is the representation of the Lord’s sacrifice on this altar and altars nearby, whereby God’s people are nourished — people want to be nourished with the Eucharist and with His Word.”
Alongside the Eucharistic Revival, Cardinal DiNardo encouraged the priests to continue offering Eucharistic Adoration so that the Eucharist may “seep into the hearts and souls of the people of God.”
Dozens of other priests joined Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, and Abbot Gregory Boquet, O.S.B., of St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana in concelebrating the Mass.
At the end of the Mass, the three gave their first priestly blessings to Cardinal DiNardo, who knelt by the altar before them. Immediately after, the three priests turned to face the congregation, imparting another blessing upon their family and friends. After the ordination Mass, the crowd loudly applauded. †
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GALVESTON — Slowly moving under billowing palm, oak and magnolia trees, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo lifted high the monstrance with the Eucharist as he processed in front of a crowd of more than a thousand from St. Mary Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart Church in Galveston.
In an epic celebration of both Corpus Christi Sunday and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the June 2 procession was the culmination of a series of events in the Archdiocese that drew thousands of Catholics from Houston and all over the world — some coming from as far as Canada and New York — turned out to celebrate and embrace Jesus in the Eucharist.
The St. Juan Diego Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began its journey to Indianapolis at the Texas border city of Brownsville, arrived in the Archdiocese on May 30 when St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land welcomed the pilgrimage group for an evening of prayer, testimony and Eucharistic Adoration.
Visitors heard several testimonies from local parishioners and members of the six perpetual pilgrims, a group of young adults who walked and followed the Pilgrimage all the way from Brownsville to Indianapolis, where the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress will be held in July.
For Camille Anigbogu, the visit to Archdiocese was a homecoming filled with faith, family and loved ones. The University of Houston and Incarnate Word Academy graduate is a Houstonian herself, proudly welcoming her fellow perpetual pilgrims to the Bayou City.
In Sugar Land, her family attended both events with her. They eagerly followed her journey on social media as she made her way towards Houston. Finally together with their daughter at St. Laurence, her parents, Monica and John Anigbogu, were glowing.
Throughout the weekend, Anigbogu saw several friends and even former teachers, often unexpectedly, eliciting surprised hugs and greetings.
“I’m so glad to be back in Houston,” Anigbogu said.“It reminds me of where I’m coming from and all of the people who have sacrificed and loved me over the years. I’m really glad that I’m getting to take that with me across the U.S. with my fellow Juan Diego route teammates and all the people who I’m going to encounter, all the Houston love.”
Joining the pilgrims are a group of friars and priests of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.
“The Church is alive,” said Brother Agustin, one of the Franciscans. “Our Lady was with us tonight worshiping Jesus in the Eucharist; the Church is truly alive. The Holy Spirit is just moving.”
At one point during Adoration, Brother Agustin saw a young toddler run around the pew to see a deacon carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a procession. The Franciscan saw her face of awe and curiosity towards the monstrance and beamed as she saw that Jesus was coming her way.
Brother Agustin saw that moment as a reflection of the Christian’s journey.
“Every single one of the people here was just yearning to touch Jesus,” he said. “I’ve never seen something like this before, right? So the yearning to touch Jesus... This is why I say Mary’s with us; because Mary is always with Jesus, and she’s inviting us to be like her, just stay with Jesus... to be close to Jesus.”
After leaving St. Laurence on May 31, when storms rocked the Archdiocese, forcing the cancellation of an outdoor procession in Sugar
Land, the Pilgrimage traveled to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston, where a Mass and Eucharistic Adoration was held.
The next morning, the pilgrims also attended the priesthood ordination Mass on June 1. Issy Martin-Dye, one of the perpetual pilgrims, had never attended one before and found the experience moving. “I haven’t even been to a big wedding either, and this was just like that; it was beautiful,” Martin-Dye said.
Then, in the afternoon, the pilgrims attended a young adult event at the University of St. Thomas that included a series of talks and testimonies given by the pilgrims, recreation and relaxation, as well as vespers, a Eucharistic procession around the campus and benediction.
Being with other young adults “made me feel very safe and comfortable,” Martin-Dye said. “These were my friends, my brothers and sisters. I enjoyed having the chance to relax and even play volleyball, which I love.”
The central Houston events also drew Eve Cox, a 19-year-old University of Dallas student from The Woodlands.
Though she’s not yet a baptized Catholic, the Eucharist and the Church’s teaching of the True Presence inspired her to pursue joining the Catholic Church when she’s back in college in the fall.
“The spiritual oneness of the Catholic Church inspired me,” Cox said. “The Eucharist unifies us and makes us one with the Father, just as [Jesus] is one with the Father. It’s really beautiful and makes so much sense to me.”
The pilgrim’s travel van includes a unique setup: a handcrafted wooden tabernacle holds the Blessed Sacrament when it’s reposed, and atop the tabernacle is a pedestal that can hold the monstrance. When the group travels for more than 30 minutes, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for the pilgrims to be in continual prayer.
In Houston, they drove around the city for an hour with the Blessed Sacrament exposed, praying for the Archdiocese and the city.
On Saturday night, the group trekked down to Galveston Island and stayed at a beach house along the Gulf of Mexico. Martin-Dye said several of the pilgrims were able to jump into the water and swim.
On Sunday, June 2, the mother Church of Texas, St. Mary Cathedral Basilica, welcomed the pilgrim group for Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, presided over by Cardinal DiNardo. Following Mass, Cardinal DiNardo led the mile-long Eucharistic procession to Sacred Heart Church just off Broadway Avenue.
Though the heat and humidity were nearly unbearable, save for a Gulf breeze that occasionally blessed the procession, church officials estimated that more than 800 attended. The basilica was standing room only, with dozens more listening from outside the basilica.
Block by block, the procession moved amongst historical homes, with residents watching from their balconies and porches. The monstrance would pass between Cardinal DiNardo, a Franciscan priest, and ultimately Father Jude Ezuma, pastor of Holy Family Parish of Galveston and Bolivar.
Fifteen-year-old Francis Barrett carried the processional cross the whole way.
“It was really peaceful and beautiful to be walking here,” Barrett said. “The trees, the houses, hearing the people singing in the background, it was really nice.” Though the cross was heavy and his arms tired at several points, Barrett said he focused on praying and keeping the cross held high.
Following a meeting with Cardinal DiNardo, the pilgrims made for their maiden voyage on the Bolivar Ferry — a Galveston right of passage — headed for their final Texas stop in Beaumont before crossing the border into Louisiana, ultimately heading to Indianapolis.
To follow the pilgrim group as they head to the National Eucharistic Congress, visit www.archgh.org/pilgrimage24. †
relocated.
Addisyn Faith Able*
Hillary Heeri Ahn*
Avery Catherine Alston
Sofia Angel
Christina Elisa Aramburu*
Laura Anna Argentina
Emma Monica Armendariz*
Katia Veronica Arzayus
Andrea Marcela Astralaga*
Elizabeth Audrey Avila*
Carla Veronica Baaklini
Georgia Grace Bailey*
Celli Kathryn Barnett*
Frances Marguerite Barnett*
Kyra Renee Baron
Ava Rose Baum
Grace Elizabeth Beckmann
Kamiya Crislynn Bell*
Amelia Eleanor Benzman
Helena Lorenza Chancoco Black*
Natalie Henderson Boersma*
Ellen Catherine Boyle*
Isabella Nicole Braquet
Molly Elizabeth Brophy*
Catherine Hill Brown
Reagan Ann Brown*
Valentina Bui*
Bianca Burga*
Amelia Josephine Campbell*
Addison Anne Canny*
Sophia Elizabeth Carbajal*
AyoOluwa Michelle Cardozo*
Phoenix Ngo Chen*
Chlea Benedicte
Olivia Chouffart
Sarah Rene Chretien*
Abigail Guyton Christensen*
Grace Gabriella Clay*
Katelynn Isabelle Clay*
Erykah Imyri Coleman
Peyton Blaire Coleman
Aurora Catalina Colunga French*
Lauren Olivia Corredor
Dominique Jade Tan Cortez
Gabriella Edith Maria Cristini
Lauren Hope Cunningham*
Elizabeth Carol Cyr*
Melinda Yuzhu Dae*
Catherine Frances Dale*
Merra Grace D’Andrea
Haley Christina Davidson*
Alyssa Marlene Dawes
Gabriella Lucia De La Cruz
Charleston Gail DeCuir*
Molly Elizabeth Dillingham*
Cecilia Marcella Dion*
Linh Truc Doan*
Kendall Elizabeth Doerr*
Mariah Lauren Dominguez*
Maverick Chase Donald-Wright*
Natalie Ghassan Dow*
Mia Marie Dowler*
Alexia Camilla Espinoza*
Kathleen Kaye Feighl*
Diana Xiyue Feng
Kaitlyn Elizabeth Ferretti*
Katelyn Anne Fiegel*
Lily Faye Foret
Emma Catherine Forrester
Sophia Maria Foye*
Lucy Jane Fulghum
Olivia Rose Garcia*
Tallulah Garza*
Leah Elizabeth Gatlin
Ashlyn Elizabeth Gehrt*
Eleni Elizabeth Georgiou
Mandy Nicole Gergen
Kylie Taylor Gilchrist*
Sarah Katherine Gill
Isabella Jillian Luna Gilmore
Julia Catherine Gleason*
Lyndsey Elizabeth Gomez*
Madeline Alexis Gonzalez*
Jadyn Haley Grannis*
Kayden Avery Gray
Evelyn Camille Greeley*
Emma Grace Griffin
Campbell Elizabeth Grissom*
Carlota Valentina Guerra*
Grace Josephine Guinther*
Emilia Gutierrez
Emily Marie Gutierrez*
Milano Sophia Gutierrez
Rowan Elizabeth Haecker*
Alexandra S. Ham
Emma Louise Hanks
Lorelai Gisella Hawkins
Maeve Marie Healey
Silvia Hernandez Molina
Abigail Mae Hou*
Ella Huang*
Joanna Huang
Casandra Kay Hyzak
Lara Asma Ibrahim*
Alexa Rose Iero
Ariyan Kashmala Irani*
Malia Anne Isaacson
Hailey Barrett James*
Alexis Dionne Janoe*
Dominique Avery Janoe*
Ashley Victoria Jimenez
Karoline Grace Joe*
Lillian Starke Jones*
Sarah Emory Jones*
Grace Isabella Kardoush
Sophia Dylan Kennedy
Caroline Grace Kolb*
Sandra Mary Kuykendall
Thien An Nguyen La*
Renee Claire Landreneau*
Eden Isabella Langan
Tiane Thanh Le*
Avery Enloe Leaman
Suejin Lee
Fatima Leon
Sarah Bernadette Levaro*
Eva Christina Lin*
Gabriella Nicole Linn*
Riley Irene Listengart*
Abigail Grace Little*
Lucinda Kay Logan*
Kate Elizabeth Lovoi*
Trinity Minh Luong
Danielle Marie Lynch*
Olivia Marie Mafrige*
Ashlyn Diane Malachowski*
Lauren Charlotte Mamera*
Miranda Sofia Martinez*
Coral Maxwell*
Kathryn Sklar McCarthy*
Mara Yasemin McCarthy
Caragh Rose McGrath
Penelope Kate Meehan*
Maria del Mar Mendiburu Pérez*
Maya Sophia Merkelz*
Gabrielle Joan Merrell*
Ashley Nicole Morgan
Gabriela Muñoz*
Olivia Mary Murphy*
Amelia Tate Nelson
Elyse Olivia Nesser*
Andrea Mary Nguyen*
Isabella Nguyen
Nguyen Bao Nguyen*
Dylan Michele O’Docharty*
Victoria Elle Oelkers*
Onome Claire Okotie
Lia Isabel Orihuela*
Alexis Kathleen Otero*
Caroline Marie Palamountain*
Helena Palinkas Sanches*
Angela Alexa Pamanes*
Gabrielle Simone Paniagua*
Gisele Selene Paniagua*
Annabelle Marie Patman
Chloe Marie Patsch
Catherine Chauvin Perea*
Ana Sofia Perez*
Marie-Bennett AnhMy Phan*
Julia Elizabeth Polnau
Katherine Ann Polnau
Caroline Rose Psyk*
Darci Rose Purdy
Lauren Rose Quintanilla
Anna Elizabeth Regan*
Jamie Elizabeth Reyes*
Kiara desVignes Richard*
Allison Katherine Riebe*
Mia Rodriguez*
Audrey June Rogan*
Isabel Simoné Roldan*
Samantha Micaia Rosen*
Caroline Lynn Rossi*
Ella Victoria Sablatura*
Devon Raine Santa Maria
Kylie Michelle Sauer*
Laila Lishan Scott*
Eva Gabriel Sepesi
Mia Laure Sharma
Courtney Vance Shopoff*
Alexis Liliane Shor
Sidney Marie Siegel
Natalia Silva*
Brianna Michelle Sinisterra
Emma Maria Sjodin*
SaraGrace Marie Smith*
Madeiline De’Anice Soluren*
Caroline Claire Sovany
Emily Marie Spade
Sarah Olivia Spires*
Charlotte Marie Stewart*
Kimberly Jean Stewart*
Rhaea Symone Stokes
Katherine Gail Ann Sullo*
Emily Joy Sweitzer*
Lillie Marie Taylor
Lauren Elizabeth Technik*
Hannah Isabelle Tejtel*
Gabriela Nunes Thomas*
Natalie Marie Torgerson
Madeline Mercer Trowbridge*
Blakely Pearl Veselka*
Alexis Rae Voisin*
Madeline Grace Vollrath*
Abigail Jane Wallace*
Carolyn Reagan Walsh*
Christina Anyu Wang*
Sarah Elizabeth Wawi*
Samantha Mae Webber*
Caroline Haverstock Weber*
Morgan Grace Welsh*
Emily Whitehead*
Annabeth Paige Whittaker*
Madelyn Juliana Wilder*
Mia Marie Williams
Sarah Jane Wise*
Hannah Elizabeth Yi*
Fiona Aibhlinn Young
Mackenzie Young*
Aleena Zoya Zakaria*
*National Honor Society
The Board of Directors, administration, faculty and staff of Frassati Catholic High School are proud to recognize the Class of 2024.
The 70 members of the Class of 2024 have been accepted to 71 colleges and universities including Ave Maria University, Baylor University, Benedictine College, Catholic University of America, Christendom College, Creighton University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Fordham University, Loyola University Chicago, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, Universidad de Navarra, University of Glasgow, University of Notre Dame, University of St. Thomas, and Villanova University. Combined, they have been awarded more than $7.4 million in scholarships.
Alfredo Amparan
Jessica Christine Bazaldua*‡
Dustyn Paolo Bedia
Lucas Maria Boada*‡
Gabriel Ervin Briers*
Alexander Minh Bui
Isabella Sofia Campodonico*◊‡
Bridget Mary Carney
Caleb LaCour Clemons
Sophie Elizabeth Cossey*
Virginia Kate Davis
Nicole De Azevedo*‡
Madeleine Renee Dykes
Benjamin Thomas Fedoruk*◊
Brendan Daniel Felicidario*
Eric Garcia‡
Dominic Marco Luigi Gasper
Sophia Gonzalez
Enrique Eduardo Gonzalez-Vizzani Jr.
Grant Christopher Gregory
Pablo Miguel Guzman
Edith Sarahi Hernandez
Christopher Dutch Huard
Gabrielle Torres Ignacio*‡
Christina Odette Ikhbeis
Kevin Michael Karger
John Paul Kiliddjian
Madelyn Elizabeth Killman*‡
Marko Josip Lovre Krstulovic-Opara
Alexandria Lancey
Andrew Langley
Hannah Michaela Lapham*
Jacob Edward Lee
John Peter Loustalot
Emilia Giovanna Maria Marchisio
Lauren Elizabeth McCollor
John Joseph Miggins
Thomas James Miller
Sofia Elena Miranda*‡
Miguelangelo Moschella Bortolussi
Max Armin Munoz
Thong Nhat Nguyen*
Elias Jerome Nolin
Isabella Grace Pellegrino
Annie Grace Perry*‡
Allison Marie Pesce
Stetson Michael Nickerson Popowitz
Camila Pratt*
Rodrigo Ernesto Quezada
Athan Page Regitz
Katia Rios*‡
Andrew William Roeder
Alexis Therese Schmude
Charles Jacob Schramm
Justin Tyler Seelal
Andrea Carolina Sevilla Villalobos
Ethan Maxell Shanley
James Raleigh Spurlin*
Sophia Catherine St. John*
Daniel Joseph Stowe*‡
Charles Oliver Strahley
Ryan Matthew Sucy
Michael Jaydon Thompson*
Annaliese Nicole Turner*‡
Kathryn Grace Vieceli*◊
Marcela Maria Villarreal Aragon
Kessa May Vorderbruggen
Shannon Kathleen Webb*‡
Joslin Reese Wiggins
John Sebastian Youngblood
*National Honor Society ◊National French Honor Society ‡National Spanish Honor Society
HOUSTON — The speaker for the 2024 Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast is George Weigel, who is a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Catholic theologian, but most notably, St. John Paul II’s American biographer.
The event is set for Friday, June 21, at 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Americas-Houston, located at 1600 Lamar St. in downtown Houston. This year’s theme is “The Good News in a Noisy World.”
Weigel, awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland on May 13, is 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.”
Speaking with the Texas Catholic Herald, Weigel recalled his friendship with the beloved pope, who became a saint in on April 27, 2014, nine years after his death.
What are some lessons you learned from your friendship with St. John Paul II?
John Paul II’s life was a seamless garment in which soul, mind and
emotions were thoroughly integrated. Everyone wants to live with an undivided heart; John Paul II showed us how to do that by living in intimate friendship with Jesus Christ.
What part of St. John Paul II’s legacy do you feel still resonates today?
There are so many parts of his legacy that are even more relevant and timely today than they were when he died.
His “Theology of the Body” is the best answer ever offered to the damage done by the sexual revolution. His call to the new evangelization animates the living parts of the world Church. His teaching on poverty as exclusion informs many Catholic efforts to empower the poor to become fully participant in society. And his love of Christ and Mary will always “resonate” in Catholic hearts and souls.
Looking to the upcoming presidential election, what advice do you have for Catholics on how they can approach some of the most important issues? Legal protection for innocent life in all
stages and in all conditions must remain a priority for Catholics, but that has to be complemented by care for women in crisis pregnancies and for the gravely ill and dying. So, crisis pregnancy centers and the Catholic hospice movement are important instruments in rebuilding a culture of life in the United States. As to the two principal candidates for president, Catholics (and everyone else) should demand that they stop shrieking and start talking seriously about the many challenges facing Americans at home and abroad.
In your writings, you have said the greatest hope for the Catholic Church is a Church where the Second Vatican Council is “rightfully understood and properly implemented.” What do you feel is needed for the Church to fully understand and embrace the teachings of the council?
That would take most of a book to explain, so let me refer you to the last section of my book, “To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II.” But to get things down to one sentence: Vatican II was never intended to reinvent the Catholic Church in imitation of the world, but to re-energize the Church for evangelization and mission in order to convert the world. Grasp that, and you’re
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
Tickets: Starting at $75
on the way to a true understanding of the council.
What are you hoping attendees of the Prayer Breakfast for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will take away from your keynote address?
A sense of great hope for the future based on the many great things the Holy Spirit is inspiring in the Church today.
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. †
Congratulations to the St. Catherine ’ s Montessori Class of 2024!
Houston’s Catholic, identity-forming, college-prepatory school for girls age three through Grade 12
Class of 2024 graduates earned more than $10.8 million in merit-based scholarships and were accepted to 127 colleges and universities:
Abilene Christian University
Arizona State University-Tempe
Auburn University
Babson College
Baylor University
Belmont University
Binghamton University
Blinn College
Boston University
Butler University
California Institute of the Arts
Case Western Reserve University
Clemson University
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University-Ft Collins
Denison University
DePaul University
Drexel University
Eckerd College
Elon University
Fashion Institute of Technology
Flagler College
Gonzaga University
Hampshire College
Hendrix College
Houston Christian University
Howard University
IE University-Madrid
Indiana University-Bloomington
James Madison University
Kansas State University
Kent State University at Kent
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University New Orleans
Lynn University
Manhattan College
Marist College
Marquette University
Marymount Manhattan College
Mississippi State University
Nebraska Wesleyan University
New York University
Northeastern University
Oberlin College
Ohio State University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma State University
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
Queens University of Charlotte
Randolph-Macon College
Reed College
Rhodes College
Rice University
Rider University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Saint Louis University
Saint Mary’s College of California
Saint Michael’s College
Sam Houston State University
San Diego State University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Seattle University
Seton Hall University
Southern Methodist University
Southwestern University
St. Edward’s University
St. Mary’s University
Stephen F Austin State University
Syracuse University
Tarleton State University
Texas A&M University-College Station
Texas Christian University
Texas State University
Texas Tech University
The American University of Paris
The University of Alabama
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of the South
Trinity University
Universidad de Navarra
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of California-Davis
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Houston
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Mississippi
University of North Carolina-Charlotte
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
University of North Texas
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma-Norman
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Portland
University of South Carolina-Columbia
University of St. Thomas (TX)
University of the Incarnate Word
University of the Pacific
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington-Seattle
Ursinus College
Villanova University
Virginia Tech
Wichita State University
Willamette University
William & Mary
Xavier University
HOUSTON — Embarking on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) journey marks a pivotal moment in one’s faith life. Whether a catechumen or a ministry leader guiding others through the process, RCIA offers a profound and personal path to encounter Christ while preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.
Anthony Garcia, a neophyte and former Army veteran, began his RCIA journey in college encouraged by a friend when he found himself searching for answers. His upbringing had not been particularly religious, and his military experiences had shaken his belief in God. Despite initial skepticism, he decided to give the process a chance.
During the evangelization stage, he observed others with a mix of doubt and curiosity. One person’s genuine grin during the session particularly caught his attention.
“I didn’t understand what he was smiling for,” Garcia said. “But even when I was driving home after the meeting, I still thought about that guy, just genuinely happy to be learning about the Word of God. I couldn’t remember if I had ever been that happy in my life, so I decided to come back. I stuck with it, and I couldn’t be happier.”
During the RCIA process, Garcia found peace in letting go of his past mistakes and focusing on personal growth. As he studied the history of the Eucharist, he grasped the profound significance of Jesus’ sacrifice, seeing it as an opportunity for redemption rather than a license for impunity.
“When Jesus took the place of the lamb in the New Testament, it was not a ticket for us to do whatever we want without consequence,” Garcia said. “It was an opportunity for us to relieve ourselves of past transgressions so that we can have a better relationship with God. Once I accepted that my sins do not define me and understood the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice, I realized there’s never an absence of potential to dedicate yourself to God.” Garcia now understands the emptiness that no material possession or relationship can fill, encouraging those who feel a yearning for fulfillment to explore RCIA.
“If you were given a chance to solve your problems, why not give RCIA a chance — why not give God a chance?” Garcia said. “I know I need to have a continual presence in this Church because relying on myself for answers led me down a long path of false pleasures that only tore me down. Coming back to the Church to seek the guidance of others, also seeking to know God, is the best way I can grow my faith besides actually living the Word the best I can.”
Pamela Bilnoski embarked on her RCIA journey seeking answers to longstanding questions about the existence of God, her purpose and the identity of Jesus. Growing up attending Clear Lake Bible Church, her mother emphasized prayer and Bible reading, yet
Pamela often grappled with uncertainty and found it challenging to comprehend the teachings fully.
Upon joining RCIA, she became immersed in a supportive community that prioritized teaching and discipleship. Bilnoski found solace in the detailed explanations, especially those in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
“Coming to Church, being in His presence, and then actually consuming Him, being a part of the feast and the Mass, is the whole purpose of Church,” Bilnoski said. “Otherwise, we’re just a social club and can meet anywhere. I also learned in RCIA about the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and how Jesus is here to forgive us.”
A significant learning opportunity during RCIA profoundly influenced Bilnoski’s prayer life: the Rosary. Though she had a prayer life before, she said the Rosary draws her closer to Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Our Lady has pointed me to Christ,” Bilnoski said. “All of His life is in the Rosary, and each decade is a reminder of what I should think about and contemplate in my prayer life.”
Bilnoski expressed her eagerness to serve the Church by joining ministries like RCIA, where people are nurtured in their faith journey.
“I want to help serve here because more and more people have questions and are searching for answers,” she said. “Now that I have the knowledge, it’s my duty and opportunity to help teach them about Jesus.”
Eby Kurian, director of Adult Faith Formation and RCIA at Mary Queen Catholic Church in Friendswood, encourages neophytes like Garcia and Bilnoski, newly received, to become leaders in the RCIA process and help others find their way to the Church.
Kurian himself underwent a transformative journey that shaped his leadership role. As a young man in college, he encouraged his Hindu best friend to explore Catholicism through a music ministry, leading to his friend’s
conversion. Later, while serving as a campus minister in Miami, he and his wife guided a Chinese student through RCIA, eventually becoming his Godparents.
“The Church exists to evangelize as the body of Christ,” said Kurian. “I’ve always
2024 Diocesan Services Fund theme 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.
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. SCAN TO WATCH OR VISIT
Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of July.
July 4, 1992 Rev. Rene M. Vermillion, CSB
July 5, 1895 Rev Patrick Kellett
July 5, 1984 Msgr. Thomas M. Cemon
July 6, 1927 Rev. M.J. Crowe
July 7, 1939 Rev. Patrick J. O’Reilly, CSC
July 8, 1920 Rev. Michael Martin Crowe
July 8, 2002 Rev. Guy Fregeau
July 9, 1930 Rev. James Chaland
July 9, 2005 Rev. Walter N. Sheffield
July 10, 1989 Rev. John D. Oster, SJ
July 10, 2003 Msgr. C.J. Alleman
July 11, 2002 Rev. Warren J. Freret
July 12, 1968 Rev. A.M. Maechler
July 12, 1980 Rev. John C. McDonald, MS
July 13, 1999 Rev. Angelo Moscato, cs
July 14, 1962 Rev. Eugene Burbott, CSB
July 14, 2014 Rev. Charles Lynch,CSB
July 15, 1970 Rev. Chester C. Ball, SSJ
July 15, 1985 Rev. Peter S. Harnett
July 15, 2008 Rev. John LaBauve, SVD
July 16, 1960 Msgr. Matthew J. Daly
July 16, 1962 Rev. Joseph G. Robinson
July 17, 1932 Rev. John Joseph Harte
July 17, 1994 Bishop Enrique San Pedro, SJ
July 18, 1943 Rev. R.C. Frei
July 18, 1996 Rev. John Nijenhuis, OCarm
July 18, 2002 Rev. Eugene Gillece
July 18, 2002 Rev. Clifton J. Natho
July 19, 1947 Rev. Louis A. LeBlanc
July 19, 2001 Rev. Ralph G. Schmidt, Jr.
July 19, 2011 Rev. Richard DiLeo, SCJ
July 19, 2013 Rev. Bernard C. Snock
July 20, 1918 Rev. William J. Lee
July 22, 2002 Rev. J.B. Huynh Ngoc Tran
July 23, 2009 Msgr. Leroy H. Braden
July 24, 2000 Rev. Thomas D. Sheehan, OP
July 25, 1968 Rev. William B. O’Toole, CSB
July 26, 1988 Rev. Rodney Poythress
July 29, 2011 Rev. Frank W. Jones
July 30, 2001 Rev. Alvin F. Dixon, SVD
July 31, 1997 Msgr. Gilbert F. Pekar
July 31, 2001 Rev. John O’Rourke, SSJ
. . .
Please pray for all victims of violence everywhere and their families. Pray for those being executed in Texas and their families:
July 16: Ruben Gutierrez
Matthew D. Fitzgerald
SUGAR LAND — Matthew David Fitzgerald, father of Ryan Fitzgerald, who works in the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal, died on Monday, April 29, at the age of 66. A funeral Mass was held on June 1 at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land. Interment is in Glenwood Cemetery in Houston. †
A stormy spring and summer have toppled trees not only in Houston and Galveston neighborhoods, but also at surrounding cemeteries like the Archdiocese’s Holy Cross Cemetery at 3502 North Main in Houston, pictured with gravestones intact. Crews were busy clearing and shredding branches and trunks to clear the debris. Stacy Batey, director of the Office of Catholic Cemeteries, said Holy Cross Cemetery, located north of downtown Houston by I-45 North, and St. Vincent Cemetery by Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on Navigation Boulevard, just east of Downtown Houston, were the hardest hit, but Mount Olivet in Dickinson also required some cleanup.
RCIA, from page 13
loved introducing the person of Jesus to others in both formal and informal settings and realize what a beautiful process the Church has to bring people in to learn more about the faith. I truly enjoy walking with them and sharing about Jesus, and if it is God’s will, then I am blessed to become a witness as they receive the Sacraments of Initiation or enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.”
Since the pandemic, Kurian has seen a surge in families, couples and individuals from diverse backgrounds, including immigrants and those of other large denominations, seeking to join RCIA at Mary Queen. He said the welcoming, nonjudgmental setting where Catechumens and Candidates feel comfortable asking questions and exploring their faith makes them feel at home.
Last March, Kurian witnessed the transformative power of the Holy Spirit as close to 1,500 newly elect were welcomed into the Church during the Archdiocesanwide Rite of Election held at several parishes in the Houston area. This ceremony exemplified the culmination of the RCIA process, a vital component of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, which is among the 60-plus ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF).
Adam Brill, director of the Office of Worship, said the DSF plays a crucial
role in supporting not only RCIA but also various other processes and programs across the Archdiocese.
“The DSF funds enable us to assist parishes lacking full-time liturgists,” Brill said. “This ensures they comprehend the Church’s liturgical vision, enhancing worship experiences and facilitating encounters with Christ for all who seek Him within our parish walls.”
Brill invites individuals interested in leadership roles within the RCIA process to attend the OCIA Intensive Workshop hosted by the Archdiocese from Friday, June 21 to Saturday, June 22. This workshop will introduce the newly approved Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which will replace the RCIA process.
Attendees will benefit from esteemed speakers, practical workshops and resources that provide insights into the new process, address challenges as opportunities for growth, and help leadership teams develop strategic plans tailored to their parish’s unique needs.
To learn more about the Office of Worship’s RCIA process, go to www. archgh.org/RCIA. To donate to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s DSF annual appeal, go to www.archgh. org/DSF. The DSF supports 64 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. †
HOUSTON — When the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament first came to Houston in April of 1873, there was no way they could know the community of faith they were about to build in downtown Houston would still be there a century and a half later.
Sent from Lyon by way of Brownsville, Mother Gabriel Dillon, accompanied by Sister Mary Lawrence and Sister Marie Therese, came on the invitation of Bishop John Odin, the first bishop of Galveston. He would die before the sisters arrived, but they would carry out his desire to educate young people across his diocese, which included the entire state of Texas.
Settling in a former Franciscan monastery and then moving to 609 Crawford St., the sisters hosted Mass in their new home while opening the Academy of the Incarnate Word the following year. At the time, Houston itself was less than a century old but emerging as an important center of commerce in the South. Incarnate Word Academy (IWA), like the city it would call home, would grow together, changing to meet the times and welcoming those willing to work to fulfill their dreams.
Now, when IWA concluded its 150th celebration its Class of 2024 graduated with special stoles marking the sesquicentennial the school stands as a bridge connecting the past to the future.
“Looking at all that we have today and looking back at our history is a strong reminder that we stand on the shoulders of giants who were faithful to incarnational spirituality, an educational vision, and served with spirit and courage. For this, we are all grateful,” said Sister Lauren Beck, C.V.I, president of IWA, about the milestone.
Mother Dillon would become the school’s first principal, assisted by Sisters Lawrence and Therese. In those early days between 1873 and the late 1880s, they embraced an ethos that education was for everyone, and the academy educated the daughters of Houston’s oldest families, newcomer settlers to Texas and freed slaves.
While the sisters were building the curriculum and educating those first students, designer Nicholas Clayton oversaw the plans and construction of the first school building and church, all of which were completed in 1905.
That was the same time the academy shifted its focus from serving as a finishing school and started its journey as a college-preparatory institution. That was unusual at the time when young women were still expected to make lives inside the home and not go on to higher education. But it speaks to IWA’s legacy of providing a strong educational foundation alongside its deeply rooted Catholic faith.
“When you start a mission, coming over one way from France, think about the level of courage that took,” said Cathy Stephen, IWA’s principal. “Bringing the mission forward is still important today because we believe in a space where girls can be heard and hone their voices, skills, and talents to be successful wherever they go.”
Over the years, the school has expanded and enriched what was already a strong curriculum. The school named its first lay principal in 1994 and launched a pioneering leadership series in 2010 that would evolve into IWA’s Young Leaders Program, the first of its kind among Catholic schools and one of the few in the nation that helps students understand that leadership is multifaceted and every student has leadership potential.
The school’s current building was completed in 2017. Its modern white exterior adorned with red awnings is a downtown landmark. Its 18,500 square feet are an extension of the old school. In the courtyard stands the historical marker that announces IWA’s beginnings as one of the city’s — and the state’s — important education landmarks. That’s just one more example of how the old and new stand side by side at IWA, proving its ability to grow alongside the city it calls home.
When you talk to IWA students and alumnae, the concept of home is one that’s heard frequently, although it’s usually expressed with the word “sisterhood.” Multi-generational families of women educated within the walls of “the 609” are not uncommon stories.
“Everyone at IWA knew everyone,” said Dominique Bartholet, a 1994 graduate of the school who is now an attorney. “I never felt like I was a number there.You really become part of a family.”
The school allowed her to thrive, she said, and she graduated as salutatorian with a scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. But, she chose to attend Trinity University instead, which she felt was big enough but still a small enough environment where she could find her way.
Last year, her oldest daughter Danielle, graduated IWA and now attends Emerson College, where she’s pursuing her dream of being a writer. Bartholet’s youngest daughter, Madeline, is currently at IWA; she’ll graduate in 2027.
“They wear the same plaid skirt I did,” she said of her daughters, and she likes the legacy of a shared experience.
“IWA really prepared me for college,” said Danielle. “I learned how to advocate for myself and speak up for other girls.
That’s been super helpful in college, and I feel like I can approach my professors, and I am so prepared academically.”
She’s loved watching her sister go through her freshman year. The two have different likes, and that’s made their IWA experiences different. Danielle was on
the school newspaper and took part in theater at IWA and with St. Thomas High School. Madeline tried out for sports teams and has taken up modeling.
“But all three of us — my mom, my sister and I — have this connection through IWA,” Danielle said. “We’ll all have rings from the same high school. We have the same values and core surrounding us.”
Over the course of the school’s yearlong anniversary, it hosted a series of events to mark the occasion, including a gala and an open house showcasing documents, artifacts and memorabilia from the last 150 years, including a statue of the Virgin Mary that was displayed when the school opened.
That’s surely something Mother Dillon would’ve been proud of, even if it wasn’t something she could foresee. But the legacy she and those who came after have left behind is one that’s important for the school and the city it serves.
“I think Houston is built on those renegades and those brave pioneers who were ready to go out there and change the world,” Stephen said. “I’m humbled by the legacy of this school and very proud to carry that forward each year with a new group of freshmen.” †
As graduates of a Catholic, Jesuit institution, these young men of the Class of 2024 are uniquely prepared for both college and the world that awaits them. They are Men for Others, formed to live out the call of Christ to actively contribute to building a more just and loving society. The six traits that they carry with them are described as the Strake Jesuit Graduate at Graduation. These young men have been challenged to become Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, Committed to Doing Justice, and Physically Fit.
Graduation is the celebration of putting the last stitch on the quilt of high school. As loved ones take the quilt they helped their children make and lovingly cherish, the senior Class of 2024 is looking to their future with dreams, hopes and goals, searching for those new patches that will be part of their lives as college students and continued through adulthood.
As seniors begin to sew their own quilts, the Texas Catholic Herald takes a look at the accomplishments of the top students of the Archdiocesan graduating Class of 2024.
CRISTO REY JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
2024 Valedictorian. She will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station in the fall.
Turner, will be attending the University of Oklahoma in the fall to study civil engineering.
The Outstanding student from Cristo Rey Jesuit (CRJ) College Preparatory School’s 2024 graduating class is Nancy Garcia. She will be going to the University of St. Thomas in the fall, where she will be majoring in psychology. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, Garcia has earned the highest academic distinction, while serving as student body president. She also participated in basketball and cross country and served as a student ambassador. Her other involvements included the CRJ Garden Club, Art Club, Magis Ministry and youth council.
Thompson was heavily involved in Breakthrough Houston, where she volunteered as an eighth-grade STEM teacher. Thompson also volunteered at the Tuttle School in Briarwood during her junior year and as a teacher’s assistant for kindergarten through second-grade students. She hopes to continue her mission of education for all in college by volunteering in schools and charities in College Station.
Hannah Thompson is the
Andrea Lessmann is the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Class of 2024 Salutatorian. She will be attending Notre Dame University in the fall to study marketing and finance. Lessmann served with Duchesne’s Social Awareness program and by teaching young kids swimming. At school, she was involved in the Key Club, Spirit Club, soccer team and swim team. She hopes to grow the small art business she’s been working on for the last few years and combine the business education with that artistic pursuit.
Turner has served the Frassati Catholic community as a sacristan and an altar server. Additionally, she has supported her school community as a student ambassador. In school, she was a member of the Book Club, ASL Club, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Acts of Mercy Club, Robotics Club and Swing Dance Club, as well as being a two-sport athlete in cross country and tennis.
The Frassati Catholic High School’s 2024 Salutatorian, Isabella Campodonico, will be attending the Universidad de Navarra, Spain, to major in applied management. Campodonico served as a student ambassador, working with prospective students. She was a member of the National Honor Society.
Incarnate Word Academy’s 2024 Valedictorian, Lauren Gentry, will attend Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and major in biological engineering with a minor in Spanish.
Throughout the last four years, she
has volunteered as a ranch hand at Lone Oak Ranch in Anahuac, helping to preserve Texas’ marshland. Additionally, she volunteered with young softball players around Houston. While at IWA, she was senior class president, captain of the softball team, a member of the varsity basketball team and the president of IWA’s sports club — CLASH. She hopes to graduate from LSU and attend medical school to become a cardiovascular surgeon and become fluent in Spanish to support Texas’ Latino community.
IWA’s 2024 Salutatorian, Jane Volf, will attend Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where she’ll major in business and political science as well as play on the women’s soccer team. In the last four years, she has volunteered at the LifeHouse of Houston, a prolife organization devoted to caring for pregnant women and their babies throughout and after their pregnancies. She also spent the past summer as a volunteer at Camp Smiles, a week-long summer camp for kids with cerebral palsy. While at IWA, she was a part of the National Honor Society, Campus Ministry team, ambassador, president of Falcons 4 Life, Math Honors Society, and she played varsity sports in soccer, cross country and tennis.
The O’Connell College Preparatory School Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Mateo Esqueda. He will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio in the fall, majoring in film and media studies and minoring in creative writing.
He assisted the faculty and staff as a school ambassador and had the opportunity to host visiting students during school and mentor new students who transferred to O’Connell from other schools.
Center, where her research presentation earned a People’s Choice award. On campus, Dae served on the St. Agnes Student Council and co-led the speech and debate team, where she was a four-time national qualifier — a first in St. Agnes’ history.
Esqueda served the community in diverse ways through his involvement with the National Honor Society and Campus Ministries. They were able to organize and hold events, such as canned food drives, personal care packets for the homeless, and working with the Galveston Food Bank. His senior capstone project involved more than 100 hours of volunteering and fundraising to provide a donation to support the Galveston’s Children’s Center.
He was also a member of both the varsity basketball and baseball teams. His goal is to build a successful career as a screenwriter and to share stories and events through writing and producing films.
The O’Connell College Preparatory School Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Cailyn Molly-Jo Wohleb. She will attend Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, in the fall and major in hospitality administration with a focus on culinary arts. At school, Wohleb was part of the National Honor Society, German Honor Society, theater, varsity tennis and a school ambassador. In the community, she volunteered over 170 hours with the Rosenberg Library. She organized and participated in numerous charitable activities such as can food drives, personal care packets for the homeless, and working with the local food pantries and the Galveston Food Bank distribution.
The St. Agnes Academy Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Abigail Hou. While in school, Hou served the Dominican Preaching Team, helping to plan and lead retreats, and a member of the varsity field hockey team. After discovering her love for computer science, Abby accepted a position to conduct machine learning research and presented it at the MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Next year, she will be attending Northwestern University in Illinois, continuing her studies in computer science.
Architecture Summer Immersion Program and attendance at Camp ARCH, a construction science camp at Texas A&M University. She also received the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Award and was named an AP Scholar with Distinction.
The St. Pius X High School Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Granger BeringJames. She will attend Rice University, majoring in statistics.
The St. Thomas High School Class of 2024 Salutatorian is David Neason. He will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station to study biomedical engineering or petroleum engineering.
The St. John XXIII College Preparatory’s Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Rebecca Sandweg. She will be attending the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in psychology and finance as a double major.
In school, Sandweg was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Hispanic Honor Society, and the National Science Honor Society. She was a Lion Ambassador and played basketball as a freshman. She participated in the Spanish Club, the Earth Club, and the Treat People with Kindness Club and was a summer math tutor. In the community, she volunteered for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Brookwood Community, St. Faustina Catholic Church VBS, and the Houston Food Bank.
Sandweg has several academic achievements, including the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Award as a sophomore, and was named a College Board National AP Scholar with Distinction as a junior.
The St. John XXIII College Preparatory’s Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Ana Granados. She will be attending the University of Notre Dame and plans to study architecture.
In school, BeringJames was a member of the tennis team, sports medicine, student ambassadors, student council, National Honor Society and Panther Peer Tutoring. In the community, she assisted at the Houston Food Bank and volunteered at Camp Blessing the summer before her senior year, where she was a buddy for a camper with seizures. She took care of her, always ensuring she was safe and having fun. She hopes that she can make an impact on the medical field through data science and quicken the recovery time for illnesses through determining means of earlier diagnosis.
Olasubomi Bolatito Majekodunmi is the St. Pius X’s Class of 2024 Salutatorian. She will attend the University of Kentucky, majoring in biology on the premed track.
In school, Majekodunmi was a varsity basketball player and manager, part of the Recycling Club, National Honors Society, student ambassadors, tennis manager and Service Club. In the community, she volunteered at a hospital called St. Claire Healthcare and helped patients and physicians. She hopes to be a physician.
Neason was the secretary of the Computer Science Honor Society, which hosted computer science classes for kids in Houston who did not have technology classes at their schools. In school, he was president of the Quiz Bowl Club junior year, played trombone in the STH band for three years, played varsity tennis all four years of high school and a member of the Ad Altare Dei society.
In the future, Neason aspires to use his experience and hopefully a degree in engineering to make changes in the medical device industry, including technology for replacement heart valves.
Zachary Jones is Strake Jesuit’s Class of 2024 Valedictorian. He is going to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall to study applied and computational math and statistics.
At Strake Jesuit, Jones was a fouryear member of the chamber orchestra, serving as first chair violist his senior year. He was a threeyear letterman on the water polo team, who placed as region finalists this season. He was also involved with the freshman retreat, twice serving as a small-group leader, and represented Gonzaga House on the House Council.
Outside of school, Jones was involved in the Boy Scouts of America, achieving Eagle Scout in September 2023. As a lifelong Astros fan, he is interested in the realm of sports and business statistics, as well as paying forward the gift of his education through teaching.
The Salutatorian of Strake Jesuit, class of 2024, is Alessandro Directo. He plans to attend Rice University in the fall to study engineering.
The St. Agnes Academy’s Class of 2024 Valedictorian is National Merit Scholarship winner Melinda Dae. She will be attending University of Texas at Austin in the Polymathic Scholars Honors Program, where she will study neuroscience. In the community, Dae has volunteered as a skate therapy coach, sharing her love of ice skating with individuals with disabilities. She’s also served on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, advocating for safe driving initiatives, and interned at MD Anderson Cancer
As a sophomore student, Granados served as president of the National Honor Society, co-president of the Art Club, and secretary of the National Spanish Honor Society. She is also a member of the National Science Honor Society, a Lion Ambassador, and a member of various school clubs. As a junior, she played golf.
Off-campus, Granados volunteered for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Child Advocates of Fort Bend, The Lord’s Kitchen, and the Parks Youth Ranch.
Some of her many achievements include participation in the Rice
The St. Thomas High School (STH) Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Campbell Brown. He will attend the University of Texas at Austin, planning to participate in the Plan II honors program while also pursuing a pre-med track.
At St. Thomas, Brown was president of both the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and the Quiz Bowl Club. He has served the community through his work as an Eagle Scout, completing renovations to the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church as his Eagle Scout Project. Additionally, Brown served in a volunteer position at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital last summer. “I hope that I can make a meaningful impact on the communities I will be a part of in college and grow in my faith,” he said.
Directo traveled to Mexico multiple times to attend a service project centered around giving English and faith-based classes to young children.
Every summer, he volunteers at Leadership Camp Texas, helping young boys grow into great leaders by fostering virtues and learning leadership skills.
In addition to his community service, Directo has been a dedicated member of the Strake Jesuit rugby team since his freshman year, serving as captain and leading the team to multiple winning seasons. During his time at Strake Jesuit, Directo was also the president of the Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Filipino Student Association. In the future, Directo hopes to pursue an MBA and seek engineering-related entrepreneurial opportunities in Houston. †
HOUSTON — Eighth-grade students in the Archdiocese are taking the next step in Catholic education as they move onto high school, several of whom have received scholarships to area Catholic high schools.
Here are the scholarship winners reported to the Texas Catholic Herald:
EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - KATY
Maria Paulina Arriola Alvarado and Logan Khoury received the Lion Pride Scholarship to St. John XXIII College Preparatory. Alli Garrity and Amelie Moloney received the SJ23 Achievement Scholarship to St. John XXIII.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA - GALENA PARK
Osvaldo DeLeon received the Basilian Scholarship to St. Thomas High School.
SACRED HEART - CONROE
William Barnes and Sophie Gonzalez received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati Catholic High School.
ST. ANNE - HOUSTON
Rocco Dalati received a scholarship to Strake Jesuit.
ST. ANNE - TOMBALL
Luke Espinosa and Kinley Leonard received a scholarship to Frassati. Cana Harrison and John LeCompte received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati.
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA - THE WOODLANDS
James Curtin and Aryanna Lorenzetti will attend Frassati with the Bishop
George Sheltz Scholarship. Ellie Tressel and Sammy White received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati.
ST. AUGUSTINE
Erik Capuchino received the Basilian Scholarship to St. Thomas. Carolina Rodriguez received the Ashley Barras ‘99 Memorial Scholarship to St. Agnes Academy.
ST. EDWARD - SPRING
Abigail Behan received the Ann Henthorn Scholarship to St. Pius X High School. Gavriella Dichoso and Michael Saunders received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati. Paige McCullum received the Jackie Lee Jordan Memorial Scholarship to St. Pius X. Louis Peguero
and John Philip Runge received the Frassati Scholarship to Frassati.
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON
Angel Delgado received the Newman Scholarship to Cathedral High School. Gabriella Herrera received the Veritas Scholarship Award to St. Pius X. Joseph Phu received the Lion Pride Scholarship to St. John XXIII.
ST. HELEN - PEARLAND
Tate Erb received the St. Thomas High School Award for Excellence to St. Thomas.
ST. JOHN PAUL II
Matthew Del Rio received the St. Joseph the Worker Scholarship to St. Pius X. Shabnam Ebrahimi received
the Piliar Scholarship to St. John XXIII. Ines Fournier received the Summa Cum Laude Scholarship to Incarnate Word Academy. Reese Nguyen received the Alumnae Association Scholarship to St. Agnes. Nathalie Romero-Raas received a scholarship to St. John XXIII.
ST. LAURENCE - SUGAR LAND
Alejandro Cividanes received the Knights of Columbus Scholarship to Strake Jesuit. Addison Shimer received the St. Agnes Academy Merit Scholarship to St. Agnes.
ST. THERESA - HOUSTON
Christopher Bolanos received the Award of Excellence to St. Thomas. James Lenton received the Ignatian Scholar Award to Strake Jesuit. Austin Reiff received the Merit Scholarship Award to St. Pius X. Megan Holden Schmidt received the Janet Erskine Stuart Award to Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart.
ST. THERESA - SUGAR LAND
Nikita Adrian Dementyev received the 2024 Ignatian Scholar Award to Strake Jesuit. Angela Martin received the Pillar Scholarship, Matilde Santizo received the Achievement Scholarship and Kylie Tran received the Roncalli Scholarship, all to St. John XXIII.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
Gillian Adjovu received a scholarship to St. Agnes. Nicholas Broussard received a scholarship to Strake Jesuit. Khanh Le received a scholarship to St. Agnes. Nico Pacini received a scholarship to St. Thomas. †
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
HOUSTON — In celebration and recognition of the graduates of the Class of 2024, parishes, schools and ministries around the Archdiocese held special Masses, ceremonies and gatherings, honoring all graduates, whether from pre-kindergarten, junior high, high school or college. †
Congratulations to the graduating high school class of 2024! As they step off the stage with their diplomas in hand, what lies ahead? How will they navigate this transition from high school? Will the self-centered culture around them sway them, or will they choose to shine brightly for Jesus and positively impact the world?
A report from the Springtide Research Institute titled “The State of Religion & Young People 2021-Catholic Edition” shows a concerning trend among surveyed Catholics aged 13 to 25. It found that 52% attend Mass once a year or less, with 27% never attending. Only 23% attend Mass weekly or more, while 19% go monthly.
Despite these challenges, there are many ways to involve recent high school grads in parish life and help them go out and make disciples. Many grads, facing the complexities of adulthood, might not see the parish as a source of guidance
by NORSON FERNANDEZ
and support. However, these youths are vital to the livelihood of a parish because they bring new energy and fresh ideas to the table.
It is crucial to understand the many challenges that recent high school grads face as they become adults. They wrestle with big questions about life and faith, trying to stay true to their Catholic beliefs while being independent and figuring out right from wrong. It is essential to offer them opportunities to explore who they are and grow closer to God in a supportive community. Programs like Alpha or small groups for young people give them a place to talk about their questions of faith and life’s challenges, helping them on their
journey to Heaven.
If we want to see recent high school graduates in church every week, we need to make them feel at home and regularly connect them to people from the parish. They need guidance and support from older adults. Parish mentorship and internship programs can help with that. In my parish, high school and college students can serve as interns in our communications ministry and have helped create social media content, worked with our preschool marketing, and giving feedback on our new church website.
When parish leaders need volunteers, they should seek recent graduates. Instead of recruiting them just because they are there, they should be invited to serve in volunteer roles based on their gifts and talents.
For example, encourage them by saying, “You would be great as a greeter at Mass because you’re always friendly. That could make people happy when they come to church.” By making these connections through engaging activities and events, recent graduates feel important and part of the parish.
Encouraging recent graduates to lead and shape their communities spiritually is also important. Spiritual events should be created with them, not just for them. By intentionally including them in planning activities fostering spiritual growth, such as young adult retreats, and inviting them to leadership roles, like pastoral council members, we show them that what they do matters and that we want to hear what they have to say.
Helping young people grow
spiritually and personally means meeting all their needs. Classes, workshops and resources tailored to them could range from spiritual gifts workshops to personal finance classes to help them on their journey. Celebrating their achievements makes them feel valued and keeps them engaged.
In Pope Francis’ exhortation, Christus Vivit, addressed to young people, he urges us to “find ways of keeping close to the voices and concerns of young people” and “appreciate the vision but also the criticisms of young people.” Imagine the profound impact on the Church if we truly embraced this call with our recent high school graduates.
We are called to build relationships, provide mentorship, and foster spiritual growth among our young people. This week, try connecting with your parish youth minister or a parish leader who works regularly with high schoolers to see how you can support recent graduates. By listening to their needs and offering guidance, we create an environment where they feel valued and empowered to grow.
Let us build vibrant parish communities where recent Catholic high school graduates don’t just fade away from the Church and become another unfortunate statistic but become leaders who take up space at our Sunday Masses and parish events, eager to make disciples and set the world on fire! †
Norson Fernandez is the coordinator of communications at Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Houston.
• Director - Office of Aging
• Associate DirectorSpecial Youth Services
• Stewardship and Engagement Manager • Development Coordinator • HR and more...
• Faith Formation • Facilities • Youth Ministers and more...
When students delve into the Blessed Trinity, they often focus on God the Father or God the Son, inadvertently overlooking the third member of the Godhead — the Holy Spirit. Despite being the least discussed among the three persons of God, the Holy Spirit is pivotal in campus ministry as it “builds, animates and sanctifies the Church” (CCC, No. 747).
The Holy Spirit is not just a concept but a person to be known, loved and related to. Just as we know and love the Father and the Son, we can also know and love the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the enabler of all campus ministry, forging personal connections that strengthen the community and each individual’s spiritual journey.
Though we may not be able to perceive when and where the Holy Spirit comes from tangibly, we can observe the effects of the Spirit. Jesus analogizes the Holy Spirit to the wind. We can hear the wind blowing but cannot see it. We do, however, perceive the effects of the wind.
by SIMON POWELL
For example, when you see a tree swaying, you know the wind is blowing. Similarly, in campus ministry, we can see the effects of the Holy Spirit. For instance, we know the Holy Spirit is at work when students show love, joyfulness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and service. I have been fortunate this year to see these effects in several students.
During our mission trip to Dallas this past spring, I saw the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in action. Students at times avoid manual labor where possible, but as they worked for those in need, they did this work with love, joyfulness, kindness and generosity — all of which were manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence. I have seen students develop new
strengths within them as the Holy Spirit is present, leading, transforming and guiding them. One student was inspired to learn more about Scripture this year. As the Spirit inspired the writing, so does the Spirit inspire the reading, and I have been amazed at her insightful reflections and how she is growing the mind and heart of Christ within herself.
Another student recently entered the Church this Easter and was transformed by sacramental grace, mainly through the Eucharist. He was graced with an ability to forgive those who had abused him in the past, something which he struggled with deeply before then. These transformations are not just nice stories but real-life examples of the Holy Spirit’s power at work in these young people’s lives.
Our adult Confirmation program was a testament to the transformative effects of the Holy Spirit. One student shared how she felt a stronger connection with the Body of Christ and is now inspired to participate more actively in the Sacraments, communal prayer, and
It is worth noting that there is a shortage of priests in the Archdiocese and nation. The reality is that if there are no priests to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, then there is no Eucharist to sustain and strengthen the souls of the faithful.
Pope Benedict XVI once said, “Without the Eucharist, the Church quite simply would not exist” (Angelus, June 26, 2011). During this Eucharistic Revival, it is necessary to rekindle Eucharistic piety and cultivate holy vocations to the priesthood in our parishes.
In 2023, a survey was prepared and released by Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The survey showed that amongst the responses of the newly ordained (334 of 458), 72% of religious priests and 71% of
by
THOMAS VU
diocesan priests once served as altar boys. This supports the 1994 letter from the Congregation of Divine Worship regarding the tradition of having boys serve at the altar and the obligation of parishes to foster priestly vocations.
To assist our youth, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, where I have assisted, has overhauled the altar serving program within the last decade. This formally established the Guild of Altar Servers (boys and girls) and the Knights of the Altar (only boys). The result has led to an increase of more than 100 servers. About 90% of servers are boys, and half of them belong to the Knights of the Altar.
JUNE 16 First Reading: Ez 17:22-24 Resp. Psalm: Ps 92:2-3, 13-16
JUNE 23 First Reading: Job 38:1, 8-11
Resp. Psalm: Ps 107:23-26, 28-31
JUNE 30 First Reading: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Resp. Psalm: Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
JULY 7 First Reading: Ez 2:2-5 Resp. Psalm: Ps 123:1-4
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The Knights have a hierarchical system that is distinguished by their liturgical garment. The new apprentice begins his service wearing the white alb and cincture. After some time, they are promoted to knight by receiving the cassock and surplice. Finally, they can advance and wear medals proper to the Knight Commander, Senior Knight Commander, and Master Knight. This is all based on age, experience, but most importantly, piety.
With the organization, boys and young men are given a place to strive for holiness and excellence. In imitation of the virtues of a Christian Knight, they are taught to love, protect and serve Our Eucharistic Lord at the altar. They are formed by the graces that flow from the Holy Mass, fostering a culture of reverence and responsibility. Finally, they learn what it means to unite as brother knights in prayer, leadership,
Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:6-10
fostering friendships with fellow believers on their shared faith journey. It is challenging for students to evangelize other students — their friends and peers. Still, several have been empowered to speak and witness courageously, just as the first disciples were enlivened by the Holy Spirit and filled with enthusiasm to continue the mission of Jesus.
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
If our lives are under the power and care of the Holy Spirit, we may only sometimes know where we will be led, but we can always know that it will be the right place for us. †
Simon Powell serves as director of Campus Ministry at Sam Houston State University Catholic Student Center in Huntsville.
and fraternity.
The parents of our knights have consistently mentioned how much their sons love to serve and the sense of responsibility it has taught them. Several of our older knights continue to serve and lead even after graduating from high school. For many of our knights, the Knights of the Altar has been the way for them to grow in holiness. It has allowed them to continue to know, love and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ. For the parents, it is their prayer and hope that one day, the Lord will call their sons to serve as His priests in our Archdiocese. For more information on the Knights of the Altar, please email vocations@ archgh.org. †
Thomas Vu is a seminarian at St. Mary’s Seminary.
Gospel: Mk 4:26-34
Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:14-17 Gospel: Mk 4:35-41
Second Reading: 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15
Gospel: Mk 5:21-43 or Mk 5:21-24, 35-43
Second Reading: 2 Cor 12:7-10 Gospel: Mk 6:1-6
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“Let us follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi and take care of our common home.”
– Pope Francis
“Let us follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi and take care of our common home.”
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(OSV News) — Surrounded by almost 15,000 military personnel worldwide, Airman 1st Class Quenton Cooper felt a deep sense of fraternity during a May 24 to 26 pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.
Cooper was one of 183 American pilgrims who journeyed to Lourdes for the annual International Military Pilgrimage.
Every year since 1958, the French army has invited soldiers from across the world to come together for three days of festivities, prayer and fraternity in Lourdes, the frequented pilgrimage site where Mary is believed to have appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858.
“This trip has bolstered my spiritual life because it has reminded me that I’m not alone in my prayer life and that the Church is not just located in one country, but it’s a community that extends all over the world,” Cooper told OSV News. “It is this reminder that no matter who we are, we need to thrive, and God will put us in. He will always put us where He needs us to help others grow in their faith.”
Known for its healing miracles, Lourdes is often frequented by pilgrims seeking either physical, spiritual or mental healing. Thus, the weekend pilgrimage places a special emphasis on
healing, military chaplain Father Philip O’Neill told OSV News
“The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is to come for the sake of healing, which is a message that resonated in the assembly,” said Father O’Neill, a U.S. Air Force chaplain with the rank of captain who is currently based in Germany. “We have so many of our veterans who bear the historical scars of war, and to have them all brought together at the foot of the altar to have them brought to the healing waters of Lourdes really was profound.”
said. “We also emphasize how the Catholic faith, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is so important in moving forward with the healing process.”
But the pilgrimage offers more than healing and a spiritual encounter; it provides the opportunity for participants to experience fraternity with the global Church.
“In my experience, when military personnel come together with soldiers from other nations, which we do frequently, it is when we are training for war. We engage in the shared practice of warfare, shared strategies and growth in our abilities,” Father O’Neill said.
He said, “As far as I know, this is the only event of its kind where members from so many different countries come together in the name of peace, prayer and healing.”
These fraternal moments were daily occurrences as service members from different countries would sit at cafes and drink coffee or have a meal together, sharing their military and faith experiences.
“What you see on the streets of Lourdes over the course of this week is an incredible fraternity,” Father O’Neill said. “We not only gather to pray and go through the Liturgies and the rituals, but we are also there to be together. You’ll see service members from every country having coffee or dinner together, sharing a beer or wine. It is a wonderful, incredibly uplifting sight.”
For over 20 years, the Knights of Columbus and the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services have co-sponsored the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage, bringing both active-duty service members and veterans worldwide to seek healing through the pilgrimage.
Retired U.S. Col. Paul Zeternick made his first Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage in 2013. Moved by the experience, he has returned year after year and now serves as a team leader, helping to organize the trip.
Perhaps the greatest sign of fraternity and unity was the reaction toward Ukrainian troops present at the pilgrimage. Throughout the week, the pilgrims encountered soldiers who traveled from the front lines in Ukraine to seek healing and pray for peace at Lourdes.
“Lourdes is a great place of peace, and this pilgrimage is a time to reflect on who you are, what you’re doing, and where you need to grow,” Zeternick said. “Every time I have attended the pilgrimage, I have experienced growth both as a pilgrim and now as a team leader.”
Now, as a team leader, the most impactful moments of each pilgrimage are witnessing the participants encounter the Lord’s healing touch and experience his merciful love.
“We’ve been offering a special program addressing moral injury, where we talk about post-traumatic stress disorder and how there are different techniques and methods towards healing,” Zeternick
“We had many Ukrainian troops at the pilgrimage as well,” said Father O’Neill, who is also a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut. “They received special sympathy and support and became something like minor celebrities. I think everybody was greeting and saluting the Ukrainians throughout the three days and during the opening and closing ceremonies. When all the flags were marched through the basilica, everybody was clapping and cheering as the Ukrainian flag was processed in.”
Witnessing the Ukrainian soldiers’ faith and devotion left an impression on the other pilgrims, such as Cooper, reminding them that God triumphs over evil.
“I wasn’t expecting to see Ukrainian troops, but their presence at the pilgrimage reminded me that no matter what you’re experiencing, God is the ultimate defender and peacekeeper, and without Him, we cannot triumph over evil,” Cooper said. †
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Environmental change is a great challenge, a priority, and often a matter of life and death for some vulnerable Hispanic communities, which is why caring for the planet is vital, said experts May 22 at an event sponsored by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.
During the dialogue “Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Latino Priorities: Hearing the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor,” panelists said that the climate crisis must be addressed quickly and collectively because environmental degradation threatens entire communities, especially the poor and vulnerable.
Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar-Ayala, echoing Pope Francis’s words, said that we must listen to both cries as they are connected. “This is why the Earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor,” the bishop said, drawing from the encyclical “Laudato Si’.”
The bishop — who, during a May 18 speech to graduates of Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences, stressed that how we treat the vulnerable in society is an indicator of whether we are a great nation — delved into the Catholic Church’s position on the issue. “Our common home is like a sister with whom we share our lives and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,” he said.
Bishop Menjívar-Ayala added that the effects of humans thinking they have the right to plunder the Earth at will is reflected in the damage to the land, water, air and all forms of life. Panelists also highlighted Pope Francis’ urgent appeal to our conscience and call for an inclusive dialogue on the future of our planet.
“Latino communities in the U.S., who already experience a number of social inequities, are among those most affected and most concerned about the costs of climate change,” said Christian Soenen, the Initiative’s project manager, at the opening of the meeting on climate change, environmental justice, and Latino priorities.
According to surveys, Hispanics tend to be more concerned about environmental issues than other Americans, said Mark Hugo Lopez, director of race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center. “Threequarters of Latino adults say that their communities are impacted at least some by environmental issues,” he said.
Lopez said 70% report air and water pollution, as well as trash and landfills in their communities. He added that twothirds of Hispanics say climate change is caused by human activity — more than the general population. More than other groups, they see this issue as a challenge for communities, the nation and the world. They are more concerned, he said, about environmental degradation in their communities.
“About 61% of Latinos say addressing climate change is something that the
Participants in the May 22 Latino Leader Gathering on “Climate Change, Environmental Justice and Latino Priorities: Hearing the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor.” From left to right are Mark Hugo Lopez, Silvia Foster-Frau, Christian Soenen, Elena Gaona and Bishop Joseph Tyson (via livestream).
president and congress should do as a top priority,” he said but added that the economy and inflation rank higher as priority issues. Notably, surveys show hyper-awareness and engagement with what is happening in the local community distinguishes the Latino population from other groups.
“For a lot of our communities, it’s literally a matter of life and death, and while climate change is here, it has been here longer and felt more deeply by communities that are Latino in the U.S.,” said Elena Gaona, a communications specialist who has held multiple roles in non-profit organizations — including Catholic Climate Covenant — and government agencies.
She emphasized that some states suffer extreme heat and its consequences while explaining that polluting oil refineries are located in minority neighborhoods — which do not protest. “These effects are just felt deeply longer and in every stage of our lives,” she said.
Bishop Joseph J. Tyson said that in his Diocese of Yakima, in Washington state, a large part of his diocese is made up of undocumented people. “They are very vulnerable working in the fields taking in the smoke from forest fires, exposure to pesticides and then you know labor practices that are not always fair” and are dangerous, he said. The prelate is the episcopal liaison for the Catholic Covenant and chairman of the U.S. bishop’s Subcommittee on Pastoral Care for Migrants, Refugees and Travelers.
“Environmental problems disproportionately affect low-income communities,” said Silvia Foster-Frau, a national investigative reporter for the Washington Post. “(They) also have disproportionately high rates of illnesses and conditions.”
Foster-Frau, who was part of a team whose series of stories won a Pulitzer Prize in 2024, added that it is very difficult for those communities, lawyers and activists to prove that a particular environmental factor exacerbates these
long-term conditions and illnesses. She pointed at the effect of “illegally high
levels of arsenic” that the majority Latino city of Sunland Park, New Mexico, had in their drinking water for 16 years.
“It really is incumbent on the government to make sure that there are arsenic treatment plants that are up and running and working constantly to keep the drinking water safe,” she said.
The panelists also highlighted ways ordinary people become environmental activists to protect their health and safety. One example is mothers in Maryland who are concerned that their children have asthma and advocate for electric buses. Now, their children are breathing better, and their health has improved.
These are mothers who become community leaders and meet with legislators, share their stories and change laws, said Gaona, echoing examples from other participants.
“When we become civically engaged like that, they’re not just voting. They are speaking up, organizing, attending meetings, signing petitions, sometimes running for office,” she said. “And so that’s what it takes.” †
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Blaize Covington
Jacob Davidson
Tyler Day
Michael De Jesus
Lucas De Meritt
Frank DeJarnette
Alexander Demarest
Jaden Deshautelle
Richard DeToto
Alessandro Diaz
Miles Dominey
Dillon Doyle
Cooper Drinkard
Luke Edgecomb
Gavin Ernst
Juan Figueroa
Levi Finkelman
Michael Garfias-Ramirez
Trace Gauss
Ryan Gentile
Jacob Gergen
Luke Gilbert-Smith
David Giulian
Alvaro Gomez
Ronald Green
Grant Halk
Cameron Hall
Samuel Hanse
Owen Hartley
Michael Hartman
Wilkes Hawkins
Jason Hawthorne
Ian Hernandez
Thomas Higginbotham
Hayden Hoover
William Hosman
Jacob Husband
Luke Jamieson
John Jardine
Jacob Johnson
Rafael Joseph
Hudson Kadlecek
Michael Kanakidis
Peter Kaul
Andrew Kent
Benjamin Kinsel
George Lane
Jackson Lang
Benjamin Lauzon
Donte Lewis
Rhys Lloyd
Carter Long
Peter Lorino
Jack Maloch
Charles Martin
Patrick McCarthy
Val Miller
Charles Molineaux
Samuel Moore
Jayden Morfin
Philip Morrison
Daniel Neason
David Neason
Brett Neundorfer
Antoine Nguyen
Carter Nowak
Aaron Noyola
Michael-Anthony Okwura
Ernest Oppermann
Dominic Ori
Richard Pacheco
Theodore Pastorius
Isaac Perez
Samuel Peters
Jonathan Pham
Simon Pham
Diego Pina
Jake Price
Adrian Pruneda
James Quinlan
Pablo Ramirez
Ricardo Requena
John Rickert
Nathan Ridgway
Thomas Roberson
Michael Rodriguez
Luis Sanchez
Tyler Sandrock
Kyle Scheffler
Patrick Schloegel
Jackson Scott
Keenan Sencio-Sims
Miguel Sequeira
Deldon Sivakumar
Jesus Sterling
Socrates Strafkos
James Sullivan
Cole Taylor
William Theroux
Benjamin Thoede
Alex Tidwell
Harrison Tramonte
Benjamin Tran
James Ulm
Aidan Urbach
Walter Vacek
Aron Valentine
Stephen Visintine
Jake Wakil
Anthony Walker
Richard Weeks
Ethan Wheeler
Bryce Whittaker
Andrew Wight
MacKay Winburn
William Wittman
Jack Wolf
Colin Wu
“Entonces se levantó de la mesa, se quitó el manto y se ató una toalla a la cintura. Echó agua en un recipiente y se puso a lavar los pies de los discípulos, y luego se los secaba con la toalla que se había atado” (Jn 13, 4-5).
Este amor de dar la vida por sus amigos se puede entender dentro del contexto del discipulado. La palabra discípulo que significa aprendiz, es alguien que se une con lealtad a las instrucciones y compromisos del maestro. El Evangelio según San Mateo, constituye una verdadera escuela de discipulado y misión. Discípulo es una palabra importante para Mateo. Se encuentra 73 veces en su Evangelio, comparado con 46 y 37 veces en Marcos y Lucas. Esel único nombre que Mateo emplea para los seguidores de Cristo, y se junta frecuentemente conel verbo “seguir”, otro desus vocablosfavoritos. Dios llama a todos a la santidad, este llamado se le conoce “vocación”, una vocación personal
que cada uno debe reconocer, acoger y desarrollar.
El Señor forma a sus discípulos como amigos, por eso hay que gritar a los cuatro vientos y decirle al mundo. “Es bueno seguir a Jesús; es bueno ir con Jesús; es bueno el mensaje de Jesús; es bueno salir de uno mismo, a las periferias del mundo y de la existencia, para llevar a Jesús.” Dios nos ha llamado, y continúa llamando, y es la misma voz del Espíritu Santo que hace la invitación, y es en sí una vocación. Esta invitación, es el deseo de emprender y buscar el Reino de Dios y dirigir toda mi persona hacia la persona de Jesus de Nazaret. El Señor llama a todos, pero solo pocos le escuchan, y en este encuentro personal que tiene la persona con Cristo es donde se aprende a reconocer hacer su voluntad y no la mía “Es necesario que él crezca y que yo disminuya” (Jn 3,30). Los auténticos discípulos como lo hicieron los apóstoles tuvieron la mirada fija en el cielo, pero
por
ADRIAN ALBERTO HERRERAlos pies bien firmes en el suelo y ¿esto de donde lo aprendieron? ¡Del mismo Señor! acordémonos del lavatorio de los pies. Los discípulos aprendieron a ser amigos, porque aprendieron del propio maestro a ser sencillos como la paloma, a ser humildes y no prepotentes, a ser serviciales, así se forma en la escuela de liderazgo al estilo de Jesús. Pero no es cualquier tipo de liderazgo, no es un liderazgo como hoy en día se vende o se promueve en las grandes empresas. Al contrario, el estilo de Jesús es un liderazgo servicial que requiere estar abiertos a una relación con Cristo, es una relación entre amigos, donde la persona se deja moldear y formarse por su palabra, acciones y enseñanzas. Es un
liderazgo que nos interpela y desafía “Amen a sus enemigos y recen por sus perseguidores”“sean ustedes perfectos como es perfecto el Padre de ustedes que está en el Cielo” (Mto 5, 44.48). No es un liderazgo que busca protagonismos, ni tampoco es un liderazgo referencial, en cambio, su palabra dice “Por el contrario, el que quiera ser el más importante entre ustedes, debe hacerse el servidor de todos, y el que quiera ser el primero, se hará esclavo de todos” (Mc 10, 43b-44). “Ser discípulo de Jesús significa hacerse conforme a él, que se hizo servidor de todos hasta el don de sí mismo en la cruz”. Pidamos al Señor que aleje nuestros espejismos de grandeza y que más bien nos dé un corazón servicial dispuesto a ser obedientes bajo la luz del Magisterio. †
Adrian Alberto Herrera es director asociado para la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis en la Arquidiócesis.
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — Los problemas sociales y políticos que asolan a la sociedad moderna sólo pueden resolverse dejando que el Espíritu Santo sane la confusión interior de la humanidad, dijo el Papa Francisco. “Podemos decir que a nuestro alrededor existe un caos externo, un caos social, un caos político: pensemos en las guerras, pensemos en los muchos niños que no tienen nada que comer, en las muchas injusticias sociales: este es el caos exterior”, dijo en su audiencia general en la Plaza de San Pedro el 29 de mayo.
“Pero”, dijo, “también existe un caos interno, dentro de cada uno de nosotros. ¡El primero no puede curarse si no empezamos a curar el segundo!”.
Comenzando una nueva serie de charlas en la audiencia, “El Espíritu y la Esposa”, sobre la relación entre el Espíritu Santo y la Iglesia, la esposa de Cristo en la teología cristiana, el Papa Francisco pidió a los cristianos que “hagamos un buen trabajo para que nuestra confusión interior se transforme en una claridad del Espíritu Santo”.
“Es el poder de Dios el que lo hace”, dijo. “Nosotros le abrimos nuestros corazones para que Él pueda hacerlo”.
El Papa Francisco dijo que incluso en las primeras líneas de la Biblia, el relato del Libro del Génesis de Dios creando el cielo y la tierra, “el Espíritu de Dios se nos aparece como el poder misterioso que hace que el mundo pase de su estado inicial informe, desierto y sombrío a su estado ordenado y armonioso”.
“El Espíritu crea la armonía, la armonía en la vida y la armonía en el mundo”, dijo, añadiendo que el Espíritu Santo es el que mueve la creación del “caos al cosmos, es decir, de la confusión
a algo bello y ordenado”.
Y el Nuevo Testamento relata cómo el Espíritu está presente en momentos clave de la nueva creación, dijo el Papa Francisco, como cuando la paloma desciende sobre el Jordán durante el bautismo de Jesús o cuando Jesús sopla sobre los discípulos y les ordena “reciban el Espíritu Santo” del mismo modo que Dios sopló vida en Adán.
Pero fue San Pablo quien “introduce un nuevo elemento en esta relación entre el Espíritu y la creación” al identificar la causa del sufrimiento presente en la creación como “la corrupción y el pecado de la humanidad que ha arrastrado (a la creación) en su alejamiento de Dios”.
“Esto sigue siendo tan cierto hoy como entonces”, afirmó. “Vemos los estragos que la humanidad ha causado y sigue causando en la creación”, especialmente por parte de aquellos que tienen una “mayor capacidad para explotar los recursos naturales”.
El Papa Francisco ensalzó el modelo de San Francisco de Asís, que “nos
FOTO DE CNS
El Papa Francisco viaja en el papamóvil en la Plaza de San Pedro después de su audiencia general semanal en el Vaticano el 29 de mayo.
muestra una salida, hermosa, para volver a la armonía del Espíritu: el camino de la contemplación y la alabanza”.
La vocación de la humanidad en el mundo, dijo el Papa, “consiste en anteponer la alegría de contemplar a la alegría de poseer”, señalando que “nadie
se ha alegrado más de las criaturas que Francisco de Asís, que no quería poseer ninguna de ellas”. Después de su discurso, el Papa Francisco habló sobre la primera celebración de la Iglesia de la Jornada Mundial del Niño, organizada en Roma el 25 y 26 de mayo, y sobre el encuentro con niños ucranianos heridos en la guerra. “La guerra es siempre crueldad; estos niños deben empezar a caminar (con piernas artificiales), a moverse con brazos artificiales; han perdido la sonrisa”, dijo. “Es horrible, muy triste, cuando un niño pierde su sonrisa, recemos por los niños ucranianos”.
El Papa también pidió oraciones por Palestina, Israel y Myanmar y otros países en guerra.
Escrito tras el Sínodo de Obispos de 1974 sobre la evangelización, el documento profundiza en el papel de todos los cristianos, y no sólo de los miembros del clero, a la hora de compartir el Evangelio. †
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.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus considers all the baptized to be His friends and will always try to restore them to life and health as He did with His friend Lazarus in the Gospel, Pope
discouragement which degrades us and destroys our soul,” the pope wrote.
“Jesus is not afraid to come close to us, even when we ‘stink’ like a dead person buried for three days,” the pope wrote in the preface to the Italian edition of Jesuit Father James Martin’s book,“Come Forth: The Raising of Lazarus and the Promise
The Italian edition, published by the Vatican publishing house, was scheduled for release on June 4 and published the pope’s preface in Italian and English June 3. Father Martin said the upcoming paperback edition of the book in English also would carry the pope’s preface.
Pope Francis praised the book for how it “makes the biblical text come alive” with a reading that is “always ‘loving,’ never detached, nor coldly scientific.”
“Father James has the perspective of
a person who has fallen in love with the Word of God,” the pope wrote, adding that reading the book made him wonder “how often we manage to approach Scripture with the ‘hunger’ of a person who knows that that word really is the Word of God.”
“The fact that God ‘speaks’ should give us a little jolt each and every day,” Pope Francis wrote. The Bible is a “love letter” that God sent to people living in every time and every place.
Pulling up a copy on one’s phone or opening a pocket edition “when we have an important meeting, or a difficult encounter or a moment of unease,” the pope said, can help people understand how the Bible is “a vibrant witness to a God that is not dead and buried on the dusty shelves of history.”
Turning to the focus of the book — the raising of Lazarus — Pope Francis said Father Martin helps readers see that “in the end Lazarus is all of us.”
“We are also his friends; we too are, sometimes, ‘dead’ due to our sin, our shortcomings and infidelity, our
But Jesus was not afraid to approach Lazarus, who had been dead three days, Pope Francis wrote, and He “is not afraid of our death or our sin. He stops only in front of the closed door of our heart, that door that opens only from the inside and that we double-lock when we think that God can no longer forgive us.”
“Jesus is not afraid to approach the sinner, any sinner, even the most fearless and brazen,” the pope continued. “He only has one concern: that no one gets lost, that no one loses the chance to feel the loving embrace of His Father.”
OSV NEWS PHOTO
This is the cover image of “Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle” written by Jesuit Father James Martin and published by HarperOne, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishing. The upcoming paperback edition will have a translation of the preface Pope Francis wrote for the book’s Italian edition.
Concert
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
A-I – SUITABLE FOR
To read full movie reviews, visit www.osvnews.com/category/reviews
The Garfield Movie
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)
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (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)
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (R)
• The Strangers: Chapter 1 (R)
O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE
• Abigail (R)
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die (R)
► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.
JUNE 11-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.
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 Houston under the direction of Gonzalo Ramos of the Bravura Concert Series and the Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir. Rehearsals take place Friday and Saturday. The Saturday concert will feature a full, professional orchestra. Tickets: 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 and other young adults. Adults ages 18 to 30 and parish groups are welcome. Cost: $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
Parishioners at St. Thomas More Parish in southwest Houston are led by Father Oscar Dubon, pastor, and Father Christopher Plant, parochial vicar, during a Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession on June 2, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood. Parishes around the Archdiocese also held Eucharistic processions, Adoration and devotions that same weekend.
p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Three-day retreat, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Presence,” includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and time for prayer. Parish groups, mother/daughters (16+), and individuals are welcome. $265. 713-4640211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.
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). Three-day retreat with Father Elmer Herrera-Guzman includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and time for
prayer. Parish groups, couples and individuals are welcome. $265. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.
JULY 13
SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES, 7 to 9 p.m., Lone Star Flight Museum (11551 Aerospace Ave., Houston). Features radio talk show hosts Debbie Georgianni and Adam Blai of the Spirit World, includes Q&A on angels and demons and how the spiritual and physical worlds interact. Cost: $75, includes food and drink. grnonline.com.
JULY 20
FUNDRAISER, 6:30 p.m., Holy Family Church
(1510 5th St., Missouri City). Black Catholic Ministry Group Summer Dance includes music, dancing, food for sale and several raffles. gloriareed2014@comcast.net.
JULY 26-28
MARRIED COUPLES 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, “Love on Flames,” with retreat master Father Kingsley Nwoko, STL. Married couples welcome. $430 per couple. The registration fee includes lodging, meals and materials. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.
For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA
The Archdiocese has open positions in our Schools, Parishes and the Chancery.
On May 2, Annunciation Catholic Church and Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) broke ground on their new parking garage, to be completed in March 2025. Local dignitaries such as Daniel Cardinal DiNardo; Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale; Phyllis Laurenzo Mandola; as well as the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament; Father Paul Felix, pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church; IWA President Sister Lauren Beck; and representatives from Harvey Construction, turned out to support the ceremony. Sister Beck and Cardinal DiNardo thanked everyone for the work they have done to launch this project and shared positive wishes for the students, parishioners and Astros fans who will benefit from this beautiful new facility.
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Finished reading your Texas Catholic Herald? Recycle it or pass it on to someone else!
“Let us follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi and take care of our common home.”
“Let us follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi and take care
PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
St. John of the Cross Knights of Columbus #13166 has had a Ladies Auxiliary for the past several years. On May 17, the first-ever exemplification in the Archdiocese for the Columbiettes took place at St. John of the Cross in New Caney. The Columbiette’s mission is to assist the Knights in their mission to benefit the church and community and assist the priest. To join the Columbiettes, email Columbiettes13166@gmail.com. You do not have to be a member of St. John of the Cross to join. For more information about the Columbiettes, visit www.supremecouncilcolumbiettes.com.
Questions about subscription, circulation or need to change an address? Call 713-652-4444 or email TDIELI@ARCHGH.ORG for assistance. Visit ARCHGH.ORG/TCH for more information.