Record 1,320-plus confirmed in faith across 10 Masses
▪ SEE PAGE 3
2024
SEE PAGE 8
LEARNING AT THE FEET OF JESUS
Another school year offers new ways to grow in faith ▪ SEE PAGE 13
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964
Little Tex says
Serving seafarers
Stella Maris port chaplaincy ministry serves those living, working at sea
▪ SEE PAGE 5
National Eucharistic Congress draws 60,000 to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Hundreds of Galveston-Houston Catholic pilgrims journeyed to Indianapolis, joining 60,000-plus other Catholics for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. The landmark moment for the Catholic Church in the United States was marked by powerful encounters with Jesus Christ in prayer, Sacraments, Liturgies and community. Local clergy, including Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell'Oro, CRS, and religious led the faithful contingent of pilgrims on a trip of a lifetime. ▪ SEE PAGES 9 - 12
AUGUST 13, 2024
VOL. 61, NO. 5
Celebrating 60 years of The Texas Catholic Herald
Pope: Grace should cause awe, like a summer snowfall would
ROME (CNS) — Whether or not Mary caused snow to fall in Rome on a summer day more than 1,600 years ago, Christians know that God’s grace is always undeserved, always beautiful and literally awesome, Pope Francis said.
Celebrating the feast of the dedication of Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major and the related feast of Our Lady of the Snows Aug. 5, the pope watched white rose petals fall from the basilica’s coffered ceiling like a snowfall.
According to tradition, on Aug. 5, 358, Mary had the snow fall to mark the spot on Rome’s Esquiline Hill where she wanted a church built in her honor. The event is marked each Aug. 5 with flower-petal precipitation during the singing of the Gloria at Mass and again with the singing of the Magnificat at evening prayer.
A note from the Vatican said that already during the first millennium, the celebration of the feast day was accompanied “by an evocative use of perfumed white petals scattered around the basilica.” Now they are dropped from a hole in the basilica’s ceiling and then collected by pilgrims and tourists.
Pope Francis is a frequent visitor to the basilica — going to pray before the basilica’s Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani” before and after every foreign trip.
In a book co-written by the pope and published in March, the 87-yearold Pope Francis said that while he has no intention of resigning, if he were seriously impaired, he would
resign and would live at St. Mary Major “to serve as a confessor and give Communion to the sick” rather than live at the Vatican. A few months earlier, he had revealed that he planned to be buried in the basilica.
In his homily during evening prayer on the feast day, Pope Francis spoke about the legendary snowfall, but focused more on the icon.
Pope Francis asked the congregation to think about a verse from the Book of Sirach, “which says the following about the snow that God causes to fall from the sky: ‘The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed at its falling.’”
As people’s faces glistened with sweat and many used the prayer booklets to fan themselves, Pope Francis told them that snow is “a symbol of grace, that is, of a reality that combines beauty and gratuitousness.”
“Grace cannot be deserved, let alone bought, it can only be received as a gift,” he said. “As such, it is also totally unpredictable, just like a midsummer snowfall in Rome. Indeed, grace arouses marvel and amazement.”
But Pope Francis also asked them to focus on the icon “Salus Populi Romani,” which translates as “health — or salvation — of the Roman people.”
Calling the icon “the gem” of the basilica, the pope said its simple depiction of Mary and the child Jesus shows grace “in its concreteness, stripped of every mythological,
magical and spiritualistic vesture always lurking in the religious sphere.”
Mary is “full of grace, conceived without sin, immaculate as the freshly fallen snow,” he said. “The child holds the Holy Book with His left hand and blesses with His right; and the first one to be blessed is His mother, blessed among all women.”
Mary’s dark mantle “allows her son’s golden garment to stand out,” he said, communicating that “in Him alone dwells all the fullness of divinity; and she, with uncovered face, reflects His glory.” †
Cardinal DiNardo, Bishop Dell’Oro reflect on Paris Olympics
With the Olympic Games, the world looked with interest at the great gathering of nations who once again come together in a spirit of achievement and peace.
Unfortunately, the beginning of these games was marked with a divisive representation of the Last Supper, which is a central image and truth at the heart of the Christian faith. For an event that is historically marked by the themes of unity and peace, it is troubling that division was sown at the very beginning. Further, the anemic reply of the event’s organizers to the outcry from people of faith is regrettable.
As we join together in faith and good will to state our disappointment, let us resolve to intensify our life of prayer and draw ever closer to the banquet of Christ.
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CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Francis and an aide watch as white rose petals fall from the ceiling of Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major Aug. 5, the feast of the basilica's dedication. The petals are meant to evoke snowfall, because, according to tradition, on Aug. 5, 358, Mary had snow fall to mark the spot on Rome's Esquiline Hill where she wanted the church built in her honor.
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo
Most Reverend Italo Dell ’Oro, CRS Archbishop of Galveston-Houston Auxiliary Bishop & Chancellor of Galveston-Houston
THE FIRST WORD
RAMOS/HERALD
Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, anoints the head of a Confirmation candidate during a Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston July 11. Bishop Dell’Oro joined Daniel Cardinal DiNardo to confirm more than 1,300 adult Catholics from 73 parishes and Catholic communities across 10 Masses at several parishes around the Archdiocese in May and July.
VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS
1,322
around Archdiocese receive Sacrament of Confirmation
HOUSTON — Despite disastrous weather, the ensuing recovery and lengthy power disruptions in May and July, more than 1,320 adults from 73 parishes and Catholic communities from around the Archdiocese received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, presided over 10 Masses at eight parishes, with several May Pentecost Masses delayed to July as several host parishes were impacted from the May derecho storm.
Each confirmation continued a faith journey for each candidate, sponsors and their parishes. To learn more about receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation as an adult, visit www.archgh.org/adultconfirmation or contact your parish. †
BRIEFS
Registration open for gold, silver anniversary Masses
HOUSTON — The 2024 Wedding Anniversary Jubilee Masses honoring couples celebrating their Silver (25th) and Gold (50th) Anniversary of marriage in the Catholic Church are open for registration.
The Gold Anniversary Mass is set for Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston, at 3 p.m. Couples are eligible to receive a special recognition whether they attend the ceremony or not. The Silver Anniversary Mass is set for Sunday, Nov. 17, also at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 3 p.m.
Registration, which is $40 per couple, includes an Archdiocesan certificate of each anniversary, a special issue worship aid and a commemorative pin.
For more information and to register, visit www.archgh. org/familylife. †
Blue Mass set for Sept. 29
HOUSTON — Blue Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston. The color guard line up will be at 10:45 a.m. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will be the celebrant.
The annual Mass is celebrated on behalf of civilian and classified law enforcement employees, police officers, their families and public supporters.
Officers are encouraged to wear dress uniforms without the hat. Agencies are encouraged to bring equipment for the public to see and to be blessed after the Mass. For more information, email Scott Underwood at sunderwood@archgh.org or call 713-741-8744. †
Annual Red Mass set for Oct. 23
HOUSTON — The annual Red Mass for members of the legal profession will be celebrated at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston.
The Mass will be immediately followed by a ticketed dinner at the Cathedral Centre. Archbishop Jerome Listecki, JCL, JD, of Milwaukee will serve as the dinner speaker. †
SOLEMNITY of the ASSUMPTION of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY August 15
PHOTOS AND STORY BY JAMES
Office of Correctional Ministries hosts annual Kolbe Prison Ministries conference in The Woodlands
THE WOODLANDS — On July 13, the Office of Correctional Ministries, in conjunction with St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in The Woodlands, hosted the annual Kolbe Prison Ministries Conference.
Despite the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, about 200 volunteers in prison ministry came together from all over the country for fellowship and to learn about some of the people they have helped. Participants came from as far west as Reno, Nevada, as far east as Florida, and as far north as Kansas City, Missouri.
Kolbe Prison Ministries is presently conducting retreats for both men and women in prisons in Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and in state prisons and federal prisons across Texas. The ministry also is about to expand into Arkansas. All these retreats are run by volunteers. Correctional Ministries Associate Director Scott Underwood was the emcee for the event. Speakers included formerly incarcerated individuals, Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J., of EWTN, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice Senior Warden William Wheat, of the TDCJ
Ferguson Unit, with opportunities for question-and-answer sessions. Attendees were also able to learn from Kolbe Prison Ministries board members about how to put on a Kolbe Retreat.
Participants had access to venerate the 60-plus saint relics in St. Anthony’s Our Lady of Angels Chapel. Father Pacwa and Warden Wheat were the keynote speakers. Warden Wheat also brought
some crafts made by the inmates at the Ferguson unit that were then raffled off to those who donated more than $100.
The conference ended with Mass celebrated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo with Father Pacwa, Father Jesse Garcia, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, and Father Viet Nguyen, parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua concelebrating.
Correctional Ministries Director Deacon Alvin Lovelady proclaimed the Gospel, and Cardinal DiNardo gave the homily. At the end of the Mass, Cardinal DiNardo presented Stephen Capps with a certificate of appreciation for the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP) of St. Anthony of Padua. He was also presented with a picture drawn by an inmate of Jesus washing the feet of a disciple on behalf of the Office of Correctional ministries for all the support this SVdP Society has provided to the incarcerated. †
A Guiding Light: Stella Maris
BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent
HOUSTON — In the busy ports of Houston, Galveston and Barbour’s Cut, where ships from around the world converge, Stella Maris — also known as the Port Chaplaincy — is the Archdiocese’s ministry providing sacramental and pastoral care to Catholic seafarers. A dedicated team of chaplains and volunteers works tirelessly to offer spiritual care and practical support to individuals from diverse backgrounds with heartfelt compassion.
Father Jan Kubisa, port chaplain at the Houston International Seafarers’ Center, has been at the heart of this ministry since 2004. Originally from Poland, Father Kubisa’s journey from Africa, where he spent 13 years as a missionary, has equipped him with a unique understanding of various cultures and languages. He and his team can communicate in English, Tagalog, Chinese, Russian, Burmese, Polish, Korean and Spanish.
“My background gives me a special connection to many nationalities and cultures. Therefore, I feel in the right place in this ministry,” said Father Kubisa. “Jesus said to go to all the nations, but in my ministry, all nations come to me, and I can fulfill Jesus’ call on the spot.”
Father Kubisa finds it deeply meaningful when seafarers express their gratitude, often describing Stella Maris as a vital source of friendship and support during their challenging lives at sea. The Stella Maris Catholic team at Port Houston, which includes two priests, five deacons and three volunteers, serves approximately 100,000 people annually, offering a “home away from home” for seafarers and port workers. Many seek prayers, blessings and pastoral services, including explanations of the Christian faith, access to Bibles and spiritual reading.
An example of this impact is a story Father Kubisa shared about a Filipino seafarer who recently came to the center with a laptop, eager to connect to the internet. His firstborn son had been born just days before he arrived in Houston, and he was anxious to see his son for the first time. As he connected to the web and dialed his wife, he was soon full of smiles and tears while his wife recorded his son’s first video.
At the Galveston Seafarers Center, Deacon Jeff Willard brings a personal touch to his role as port chaplain, a position he has held for three years. He and his team follow the Stella Maris mission, which emphasizes supporting seafarers spiritually and emotionally while integrating Catholic values into daily operations.
In 2023, the ministry provided compassionate care rooted in the Catholic faith to 23,076 visitors from 93 countries. Deacon Willard and his team strive to provide seafarers with a safe space to unwind and momentarily escape the demands of ship life.
“I am always amazed at the sacrifices made by the crew, especially being away from home and family in a difficult environment,” Deacon Willard said. “Our
The 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.
DSF IN ACTION
This new video series brings to life the ministry featured in this story. Hear from people personally impacted by God’s grace through these DSF ministries.
18 volunteers are always smiling, serving and becoming a second family to those who enter the center.”
Deacon Willard said he gives the seafarers access to his 5G hotspot, enabling them to connect with their families via WhatsApp and FaceTime. He also brings them mail, shops for those who cannot go ashore and transports crew members to shopping centers. Additionally, he listens to their stories, talks about their families and countries, and offers friendship and support.
“I visit the cargo ships to bring a smile, a prayer and to chat with the crew,” Deacon Willard said. “One of the best things we can do is be present. The port is small enough to allow us to spend as much time onboard as the crew needs.”
Earlier this year, a seafarer from South Africa showed Deacon Willard videos of her six-month-old daughter, a beautiful baby cooing and smiling. She shared that her daughter recently passed away from an undiagnosed blood disorder. Despite her grief, she returned to the ship shortly after the funeral because she had a son at home and needed the income.
“As I offered her words of comfort, she told me, ‘My baby girl was never really mine. She always belonged to God, and I just got to have her for six months,’” Deacon Willard shared. “I was struck by her profound understanding that all we have is a gift from God.”
Because Stella Maris in the Houston and Galveston seafarers’ centers is supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF), which covers 90 to 95% of the ministry’s funding, it can provide comprehensive essential services and spiritual care to seafarers at the port. Deacon Willard said contributing to the annual DSF appeal offers a meaningful way for the faithful in the Archdiocese to contribute.
“Supporting DSF is a wonderful way for the faithful in the Archdiocese to pay it forward because every dollar donated
impacts this ministry to souls,” Deacon Willard said. “Having worked for the Church for around 30 years and being ordained for 25, I consider Stella Maris the most fulfilling ministry I have been involved with. I have been extremely blessed to serve in many roles, but this ministry connects the Gospels before my eyes and allows me to be the Church to people from around the world.”
Father Kubisa agrees that funding from the DSF is essential for the ministry, especially for enabling seafarers to celebrate the Sacraments despite their contracts on ships, which can exceed eight months.
“Holy Mass and Confession are crucial for Catholic seafarers to grow spiritually and maintain their Catholic identity,” Father Kubisa said. “Many appreciate it greatly and almost immediately ask for
SCAN TO WATCH OR VISIT
ARCHGH.ORG/ DSFINACTION
a photo with a priest to share with their families. Without this opportunity, they might go months without attending Mass, and it is common for them to confess after many years away from the Sacrament.” To learn more about Stella Maris, visit www.archgh.org/stellamaris. To donate to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s DSF annual appeal, visit 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. †
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
Deacon Jeff Willard, port chaplain at the Galveston Seafarers Center, greets visitors using the center’s van shuttle service. The Seafarers Center is one of three port chaplaincies served by the Archdiocese’s Stella Maris ministry.
OBITUARIES
Sister Lydia Delgado, O.P.
HOUSTON — Sister Lydia Delgado, O.P., died on Monday, July 15. She was 75 years old. Sister Delgado served as school secretary at St. Theresa School, office worker and conference coordinator in Social Ministry at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Houston, and as case manager in the Senior Services Program at Catholic Charities in Houston. Her congregational service included her ministry as the vocation team director and co-director.
A funeral Mass was held on July 19 at St. Dominic Villa Chapel. Interment is in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. †
Sister Beatrice Maroul, C.V.I.
HOUSTON — Sister Beatrice Maroul, C.V.I., died on Thursday, July 11. She was 89 years old. Sister Maroul was part of the faculty and staff at Incarnate Word Academy for 40 years until her retirement.
A funeral Mass was held on July 22 at the Villa de Matel Chapel. Interment is in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. †
Expand and deepen our hearts
. . .
Please pray for all victims of violence everywhere and their families. Pray for those being executed in Texas and their families: September 24: Travis Mullis
IN MEMORIA
Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of September.
Sept. 1, 1847 Rev. Matthew Chazelle
Sept. 1, 1920 Rev. Louis Chaland
Sept. 1, 1962 Rev. Peter A. Keane, OMI
Sept. 2, 1982 Msgr. A.W. Raye
Sept. 2, 1986 Rev. Anthony C. Herndel
Sept. 3, 1938 Rev. Thomas Joseph Banfield
Sept. 4, 1853 Rev. Joshua Dixon
Sept. 4, 2011 Rev. Charles W. Elmer
Sept. 4, 2018 Rev. Jack Solarski, OD
Sept. 5, 1987 Rev. David Leonard
Sept. 5, 1995 Msgr. Ismael Teste
Sept. 7, 1867 Rev. John Gonnard
Sept. 7, 1922 Rev. James H. Moran
Sept. 8, 1900 Rev. T. Keany
Sept. 9, 1948 Rev. John C. Bauer, CSR
Sept. 9, 1958 Rev. John F. Onorato, CSB
Sept. 10, 1985 Rev. Joseph Szymczak
Sept. 10, 2017 Rev. James T. Moore
Sept. 11, 1863 Rev. Sebastian Augageur
Sept. 11, 1965 Rev. Gordian Lewis, CP
Sept. 11, 1997 Rev. Patrick Gillgannon
Sept. 12, 1969 Msgr. Paul Pieri
Sept. 12, 2018 Rev. John W. Kellick
Sept. 13, 1926 Rev. P.A. Heckman, VF
Sept. 13, 1988 Rev. Walter W. Scott, CSB
Sept. 15, 2000 Rev. John C. DeForke
Sept. 16, 1990 Rev. Juan Escalante
Sept. 16, 2007 Rev. Edward A. Bader, CSB
Sept. 16, 2012 Rev. Ronald Groschen, MS
Sept. 17, 1973 Msgr. Joseph A. Valenta
Sept. 17, 1993 Msgr. Joseph P. O’Sullivan
Sept. 17, 2017 Rev. Frederico Ablog, SSS
Sept. 18, 1849 Rev. Anthony Chanrion
Sept. 18, 1853 Rev. William Metton
Sept. 18, 1974 Rev. Charles J. McQuillan
Sept. 18, 1996 Rev. Michael Krol
Sept. 18, 2012 Rev. Luis P. Chia
Sept. 19, 2020 Rev. Laurence Connolly
Sept. 19, 2022 Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza
Sept. 20, 1964 Rev. J.K. Reybaud
Sept. 22, 1952 Msgr. J.A. Rapp
Sept. 22, 1979 Rev. Joseph W. Pope, CSB
Sept. 22, 2001 Rev. James D. Steffes, SCJ
Sept. 23, 1956 Rev. Floyd J. Crowley, CSB
Sept. 23, 1995 Rev. Donald T. Cooper, CSB
Sept. 24, 1966 Rev. John J. Conroy, SSJ
Sept. 26, 1955 Rev. Carl J. Kermiet
Sept. 26, 1991 Rev. John Walter Caverly, OP
Sept. 26, 1992 Rev. Eugene R. Flaherty, OCARM
Sept. 26, 2005 Rev. John Nguyen, CSsR
Sept. 27, 1999 Rev. Reginald F. Petrash
Sept. 27, 2006 Rev. Enrique Bravo, CSB
Sept. 28, 1955 Rev. Timothy J. Sullivan, SSJ
Sept. 29, 1853 Rev. Denis O’Driscol
Sept. 29, 1966 Msgr. Daniel P. O’Connell
Sept. 29, 1995 Msgr. Leo J. Price
Sept. 29, 2007 Rev. Robert Power, CSB
Sept. 30, 1911 Rev. John Weimer
Sept. 30, 1958 Rev. John F. Lane
Sept. 30, 2003 Rev. Joseph B. Courtney, CSB
A POLARIZED CHURCH. A DIVIDED NATION. POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR “A BETTER KIND OF POLITICS.” HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
As Catholics, we take to heart Jesus’ invitation to follow the example of the Good Samaritan, who challenges us to “become neighbors to all.” We can see ourselves as members of one family. We can seek to encounter and to grow. We can identify common values. We can listen to understand and seek the truth together.
JOIN US BY TAKING THE PLEDGE AND FIND RESOURCES AT WWW.CIVILIZEIT.ORG
Co-Cathedral hosts overflowing funeral Mass honoring young sheriff’s deputy
Deputy was set to get married at East End parish in September
HOUSTON — More than 1,200 family, friends and law enforcement from across the state and from Chicago, Boston, New York and Los Angeles paid their respects to a young Harris County Sheriff’s deputy slain in the line of duty.
Deputy Fernando Esqueda, 28, was honored at his funeral Mass at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston July 19 with bugle “Taps,” a trio of helicopters flyover and a 21-gun salute that reverberated through downtown.
Despite being so young, Esqueda worked in law enforcement starting as a state prison guard at 18 in Huntsville, becoming a certified peace officer at 21, and promoted at 28 to an elite squad with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office assigned with hunting down violent criminals, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told the crowd.
“Fernando Esqueda had the heart of a lion,” Gonzalez said.
Esqueda was recently married civilly to Emily Guerra, an officer with the Pasadena Police Department. They were in the midst of
marriage preparation to wed at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church (OLG) in Houston in September.
“I met with them both twice, and they were full of hope and joy and love,” said Father George Mordalski, SCJ, parochial vicar at OLG, in his homily.
Esqueda died July 11 during a manhunt for a suspect accused of pistol-whipping a Little Caesars store manager.
Two men, including the man accused in the assault, were arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to the deputy’s death. The men are accused of ambushing Esqueda, shooting him multiple times as he sat in a truck undercover, calling for backup. When the men were arrested, they were both placed in Esqueda’s handcuffs, Gonzalez said.
His obituary and funeral worship aid had a portion of Esqueda’s writing about his lifelong passion for law enforcement. “After one year of being employed with Precinct 6, I lateraled over to the Sheriff’s Office where I plan on spending the rest of my career and, if the Lord allows it, retire!” †
– Jo Ann Zuñiga
Houston Catholic groups provide aid after hurricane slashes region
HOUSTON (OSV News) — Hurricane Beryl brought close to a foot of rain to Greater Houston in under 12 hours when it made landfall near Matagorda on July 8.
The storm caused transformers to explode, leaving over 3 million homes and businesses without power. Catholic aid organizations in the Archdiocese — including Catholic Charities, the Knights of Columbus, and the Society of St. Vincent De Paul — confirmed they could not quickly work because of the power outages that left about 2.5 million people in the dark following Beryl’s landfall.
The hurricane cut a damaging path through eastern Texas and left at least eight people dead. Beryl first hit Grenada with 150 mph winds on July 1 before strengthening to a Category 5 storm and then weakened slightly
before slamming into Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. As Beryl reached Texas, it forced cancellations and closures, including a young adult event with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo.
In Freeport, residents were caught off guard by Beryl’s intensity as a Category 1 storm, with wind gusts up to 94 mph causing extensive damage.
As Beryl moved northward, a heat advisory was issued for southeast Texas. Exceptionally warm ocean temperatures fueled the hurricane’s rapid intensification.
Beryl, the second named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, also impacted Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Grenada, prompting relief efforts and messages of resilience from local leaders. †
– James Ramos
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez gives a folded flag to Deputy Fernando Esqueda’s mother, Catalina Guerrero, as Esqueda’s wife, Emily S. Guerra, an officer with the Pasadena Police Department, looks on. Deputy Esqueda died July 11 in the line of duty.
EDUCATION
Beryl helps pair of Houston Catholic schools connect
HOUSTON — When Hurricane Beryl hit the Galveston-Houston area, not only were homes and businesses left with damage and a loss of electricity, but also Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.
Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) in downtown lost part of the roof over its gym, causing water damage in the gym and in some classrooms. IWA was also without power, prompting engineering and robotics teacher Ann Marie Girardot to scramble to find another Catholic school that would host the two-day IWA Rookie Robotics Camp from July 12 to 13.
Girardot contacted a former student, Meris Bridger, who teaches theology at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School (SFDS). Bridger contacted her principal, Anne Marie Quatrini, who gave permission for the IWA Rookie Robotics Camp to be held the next day at SFDS.
Four college students from Girardot’s former robotics team, the Iron Eagles, from St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin, led the IWA Robotics Camp. All four of the mentors have experience in state and world-level robotics competitions. They led the eight rookie IWA robotics team members in sessions on brainstorming, building, CAD, and learning about FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) robotics. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.”
By the end of the first day, the IWA rookie robotics students had built the chassis for a practice robot, and by Saturday, the IWA team had wired the robot, attached the control hub, expansion hub, a robotics arm, and three different types of claws, so they could drive and demonstrate their IWA practice
robot for their parents at the closing of camp.
IWA’s new robotics team will be FTC Team 25955 and will begin their rookie year in 2024-2025.
“High school students participating in FIRST call it ‘the hardest fun you’ll ever have,’” Girardot said.
For FTC, a new challenge will be released in September for all teams all over the world. FTC teams then brainstorm and build a competitive robot under strict rules and with limited time and resources. Competitions begin in November, with top teams advancing through various contests from February through March, with the FIRST World Robotics Championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center in April 2025.
“Participating in FTC Robotics is as close to real-world engineering as a student can get,” said Girardot.
The IWA Robotics team will be an all-girls team comprised of students
from IWA. The school has expanded to add Robotics to its STEM classes, which already include Forensic Science, Engineering Design and Problem Solving, and Engineering Applications of Computer Science. IWA students who participate in a dual enrollment engineering design class with The University of Texas at Austin receive a college engineering course credit applicable to any Texas state university or college.
Gilda Mendoza, a 1984 IWA alumna
and mother of robotics participant Kaitlin Trostmann, said, “I am really excited that our little all-girls school is doing great things. This Robotics team is just another opportunity for our girls to be leaders in STEM.”
Girardot said that the IWA-SFDS connection will continue in the fall.
In return for SFDS’s generosity during Hurricane Beryl, the IWA Robotics team plans to return to the SFDS campus in the fall and host a STEM Day robotics workshop for middle-school students. †
Great Works
Sacco Family Owned and Operated
1956
PHOTOS COURTESY OF INCARNATE WORD ACADEMY
The two-day IWA Rookie Robotics Camp from July 12 to 13 was held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School after Hurricane Beryl hit the Galveston-Houston area and damaged Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) in downtown.
YOUTH Archdiocesan Youth Conference 2024 – Bigger and Better!
The annual Archdiocesan Youth Conference (AYC) was held on July 26 to 28 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. AYC 2024 grew by more than 200 participants from last year to reach over 1,600 youth and their adult leaders.
The energy and enthusiasm of the young Church were palpable as they gathered on Friday evening for community building, praise and worship, which continued into the Saturday evening experiences of music and adoration, along with a dynamic Catholic rapper.
AYC 2024 had the young Church of Galveston-Houston on their feet, praising God in new and exciting ways. Keynote speakers unpacked the theme “Journey to Heaven” with moving and inspirational messages to the young people — grounded in the passage of Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.”
by TIM COLBERT
The speakers invited the participants to develop a toolkit to stay on course on the journey to Heaven, which consisted of the Sacraments and sacramentals. The final keynote encouraged them to identify companions on their journey, namely the Blessed Mother, the Saints, their families, youth leaders and pastors.
On the final day of the conference, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo commissioned the 2024-2025 Archdiocesan Youth Council and celebrated the closing Mass. AYC 2025, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” is set for July 25 to 27, 2025. †
Timothy E. Colbert is the director of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.
National Congress delves into the Eucharist as ‘the greatest love story ever told’
BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald
INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) —
Hundreds of priests, around 100 bishops and several cardinals, including Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, concelebrated the morning Mass in Lucas Oil Stadium July 18 — a Liturgy that kicked off the first full day of National Eucharistic Congress that had officially opened the prior evening with a revival centered around a beautiful Holy Hour.
“To recover the centrality of Sunday Mass as God’s people are fed with the Bread of Life has to be the resolve of this grand Eucharistic congress,”Timothy Cardinal Dolan of NewYork, the principal celebrant, said in the homily reflecting on Jesus’“Bread of Life Discourse” in John 6.
“As Pope Francis has repeated: ‘No Eucharist, no Church,’” he said.
Following the Liturgy, the morning’s seven “impact sessions” — specific tracks offered for three mornings during the congress — took that message to heart as speakers encouraged the tens of thousands of congress-goers to enter more deeply into the day’s theme of understanding the Eucharist as “the greatest love story.”
Following a Mass in Spanish, hundreds of Latino Catholics participated in the Spanish-language impact session, Encuentro, where Jesus as the summit of encounter and the source of love was the focus.
“The Lord asks us to be accessible to the most vulnerable and not to hide so that no one will touch us. The Lord saved us through his being vulnerable and accessible,” said Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, inviting people to renew the spirit of mission and participation in today’s world by living in the Lord’s way.
That same morning, Cardinal DiNardo reflected on what the Eucharist meant to the early Church particularly the martyrs noting the dialogue prayed at the start of the Mass’s Eucharistic prayer goes back to the Church’s earliest days.
“If you’re here for a hype Jesus concert, then you’ve wasted your time,” emcee Oscar Rivera said. “But if you’re here to find Jesus — Jesus the one who set the blind to see — then you’re in the right place.”
Most of the congress’ 1,200 registered bishops and priests attended the Abide impact session for priests, where biblical scholar Scott Hahn exhorted them to renew their understanding of the close bond between Scripture and the Eucharist as Christ’s presence in the church and “rekindle Eucharistic amazement.”
“The next time you go to Mass and say, ‘We lift up our hearts,’ think of these martyrs since we live in an age when there are still martyrs,” he said.
Among the crowds listening to him was a contingent of the 230-strong GalvestonHouston pilgrim delegation led by and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, that cheered at Cardinal DiNardo’s introduction, representing 62 parishes. Also at the congress were an additional 200 to 300 pilgrims from other parishes around the Archdiocese who attended separately. With the groups were five seminarians, a dozen priests and five to 10 other pastors who also attended.
The day’s Awaken impact session for youth began with a wake-up call, courtesy of the pulsating music that resounded through a hall of the Indiana Convention Center, which led hundreds of teens to rise to their feet, jumping, stomping and clapping to the lyrics that focused on a deeper relationship with Christ.
The day’s Empower track, focusing on practical tools for evangelization, explored how ancient Jewish customs around marriage help explain salvation history as “the greatest love story.”
Hundreds of high school youth participated in a session focused on the human ache and longing for something more — an ache that can only be filled by Jesus.
The Eucharistic Congress offered two breakout sessions — both in Spanish and English — about strategies to ensure that persons with disabilities can access the Sacraments and that all “are made one in the body of Christ at the Lord’s table.”
Throughout the week, thousands of congress-goers — Catholics of an array of races, ethnicities, languages and traditions across America — continued to traverse back and forth around Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center under the clear blue sky and hot sun.
Just before Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota — the driving episcopal force behind the congress — walked onto the floor carrying the monstrance, the 30 perpetual pilgrims who had walked the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes entered the stadium. Carrying icons of each route's
respective patron saints — St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, St. Junipero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Blessed Virgin Mary — the pilgrims took the final steps that officially completed their eightweek journey from points north, south, east and west across the U.S. to the July 17 to 21 congress in Indiana's capital city.
After a time of silent prayer and praise and worship, Bishop Cozzens knelt for a second time in front of the monstrance.
"Lord, we wanted to give you the first words of our National Eucharistic
Congress," he said. Kneeling before Jesus in the Eucharist, Bishop Cozzens recounted how the National Eucharistic Revival — launched in 2022 — has led Catholics to gather to study, teach and pray with the Eucharist, spending countless hours in adoration and small groups, and in parish and diocesan initiatives.
"Lord, we made a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage for you," he prayed. "For the last 65 days we brought your living presence across this land, across the East, West, North and South. We visited large churches and small churches. We had large processions in cities and small processions in prisons. We visited nursing homes and homeless shelters. Lord, we tried to share with everyone we met along the way your unspeakable love."
He said the pilgrimage prayed for the country and the Church and brought those prayers to the congress. He thanked Jesus for the miracles the pilgrims saw along the way: conversion, people return to the faith, physical and spiritual healings.
"We hope to see more," he said. †
PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD, PAZ MARQUEZ, MARCUS NORWOOD, OSV NEWS
Gathered with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, Galveston-Houston pilgrims meet for a group photo following a session at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the National Eucharistic Congress in July. Archdiocesan officials estimate some 400-500 pilgrims attended from Galveston-Houston, joining the 60,000 from around the world.
National congress sends forth Catholics in Indiana, Houston to ignite a new Pentecost as Eucharistic missionaries
INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) — As five days of the National Eucharistic Congress concluded with one final revival and a beautiful solemn Mass in Lucas Oil Stadium — Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., stood in Lucas Oil Stadium.
“I have a question for you,” he told the crowd. “This is the 10th National Eucharistic Congress — do you think we should do an 11th one?”
Some 60,000 congress participants — representing 50 U.S. states, 17 countries, and various Eastern and Western churches and speaking over 40 languages — cheered wildly in the stadium.
They also again rose to their feet to give the U.S. Catholic bishops an enthusiastic standing ovation for making possible the five-day congress with its impact sessions, breakout sessions, special events, revival nights with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction and beautifully celebrated reverent Masses.
The event reflected the diversity of a Church all united in the same Eucharistic Lord and eager to use their gifts for a new Pentecost in the Church.
HOUSTON PERPETUAL PILGRIMS REUNITE IN INDY
The first day of the July 17 to 21 congress began with an evening revival as the 30 perpetual pilgrims, who had walked the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes, took their final official steps of their eight-week journey into the stadium carrying icons of each route’s respective patron saints that were put around the altar where the Blessed Sacrament was placed.
Lifting heavenward an icon of St. Juan Diego meeting Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mackenzie Warrens walked alongside fellow Houstonian Camille Anigbogu during an opening procession of the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes to start the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. They also reunited with Chima Adiole, another Houstonian, who walked in the western Serra route.
“How will we know that we are experiencing Eucharistic revival?”
Christophe Cardinal Pierre, the papal nuncio to the U.S., asked in his keynote speech July 17, encouraging everyone to surrender their hearts to the Lord over the next few days. “When we are truly revived by the Eucharist,” he said, “then our encounter with Christ’s real presence in the Sacrament opens us to an encounter with Him in the rest of our life” and then “spills over in our daily life, a life of relating to others, our way of seeing others.”
DAILY DIVINE LITURGIES, PRAYERS
Every day of the congress began with most attendees joining in beautifully and reverently celebrated Eucharistic Liturgies in the stadium and convention center. Additional morning and evening Masses were held at nearby sites in different languages, such as Spanish, Vietnamese and Tagalog, or in different forms, such as the Byzantine rite or the older usage of the Roman rite.
Bishop Dell’Oro concelebrated a July
BY THE NUMBERS
60,000-plus passes claimed
200 bishops
1,176 priests
1,236 men & women religious
634 deacons
614 seminarians
5,000 youth attendees
200,000 consecrated hosts distributed at Liturgies
400 charcoals for incense
12 cases of wine
750 ciboria
18 Mass presided by Bishop Bohdan Danylo of the Ukrainian Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, with Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy.
Deacon Eddy Valbuena from Prince of Peace Parish in Houston served as the deacon of the Word for a July 19 Spanish Mass at the Indiana Convention Center celebrated by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia.
Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop Dell’Oro also concelebrated a July 20 Holy Qurbana, the Syro-Malabar form of the Eucharistic Liturgy, prayed in English, which was presided by Bishop Mar Joy Allapat of St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago with Archbishop Gudziak as homilist.
EXHIBITS, RELICS GALORE
Three days of the congress, July 18 to 20, were split between seven morning impact sessions and nearly 20 afternoon breakout sessions on a variety of topics meant to form, equip and inspire people, including clergy, to live more deeply their faith in light of Jesus making Himself truly present in the Eucharist — and how to practically bring what they have learned into their parishes, ministries, groups and families.
The exhibit halls in the Indiana
Convention Center were packed throughout the congress, as long lines formed for exhibits such as the Shroud of Turin or Eucharistic miracles. Religious sisters provided a kind of spiritual air traffic control that guided people to the lengthy confession lines. A special reliquary chapel hosted a variety of saint relics of the patrons of the National Eucharistic Revival, Congress, and Pilgrimage on display for veneration.
The convention center was also a place where the spontaneity of joy could be seen and felt. Young people marched through chanting their love for Jesus, while further on, a group of Catholic women dressed in traditional apparel from Cameroon sang and danced their love for Jesus and Mary to the delight of the people who gathered around them.
Congress-goers had the opportunity to attend off-site events, such as The Catholic Project’s panel discussion on July 19, which explored the challenges of navigating the dating landscape as Catholics.
Tens of thousands of congress-goers at the revivals — and the Liturgies as well — eagerly joined their voices in singing
the beautiful hymns and chants, both traditional and contemporary, in English, Spanish, Latin and other languages. The congress saw the musicianship of Dave and Lauren Moore, Sarah Kroger and Matt Maher, as well as the talents of the men’s ensemble Floriani and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
‘WE LONG FOR’ THE EUCHARIST
Among the crowds was Brady Lacour, a young parishioner at Mary Queen Parish in Friendswood.
“The experience I’ve had here at the National Eucharistic Congress has been amazing,” he said.
Lacour said he enjoyed encountering thousands of other Catholics and men and women religious who spoke truths about the Eucharist.
“The Eucharist nourishes us,” he said, “and it can give us what we long for and hunger for and thirst for — Jesus Christ.”
The nightly revival sessions created a sensory experience of awe as tens of thousands prayed in silent contemplation before the Eucharist on the altar — illuminated in the dark stadium by spotlights. Adoring Jesus in the stadium,
concluding pinnacle Keynote helped keep personal be close to One such on healing, Catholic more about and needed indifference Congress intentional families particularly disorders, the congress experience.
A FLOW Throughout and stately across from Center’s as a spiritual A steady went from 24-hour
missionaries
concluding with Benediction, was the movement of each evening.
Keynote speakers and testimonies keep people’s eyes fixed on Jesus’ love for them and His desire to to them.
such nightly revival, focused healing, indicated the problem with belief in the Eucharist — was about the heart than the head, needed Catholics to repent of their indifference to Jesus.
Congress organizers also made intentional efforts to be inclusive of and those with disabilities, particularly those with sensory disorders, so they could also experience congress and participate fully in the experience.
OF PILGRIMS AT PRAYER
Throughout the congress, the historic stately St. John’s Catholic Church from the Indiana Convention main entrance fulfilled its role spiritual hub.
steady flow of pilgrims came and from the main church during Eucharistic Adoration that
continued throughout the entire Congress. It had times for silence as well as times geared toward families, where children and faithful were invited to get close to the Eucharist, put a flower in a vase near the monstrance, and just adore as beautiful, simple melodies lifted up the packed church in prayer.
Standing outside of St. John’s close to midnight, Father Victor Perez of St. Joseph Parish and St. Stephen Parish in Houston, who is a Eucharistic preacher alongside Father Miguel Solorzano of St. Bartholomew Parish in Katy, said he was praying for everyone in the Archdiocese who could not attend the congress.
He said he was inspired by the diversity of those in intense devotion and prayer to the Eucharist, and said that that the Eucharistic Congress is not a finish line, but a starting point to bring revival to everyone.
Father Perez was among the more than 1,170 priests who attended the congress. Also present were more than 1,200 religious sisters and brothers, 630 deacons, 610 seminarians and 200 bishops who participated in the congress, according to congress organizers. Five seminarians from St. Mary’s Seminary also attended.
Deacon Charles and Pamela Pitman, who attend St. Hyacinth Parish in Deer Park, said they felt deeply moved by the presence of the Lord and the Holy Spirit at each Mass.
“To see everyone from all across our country gather together to acknowledge and to worship the Lord and the Eucharist was overwhelming,” Deacon Pitman said.
Pamela Pitman said hearing the unity of the Church in song and in silent reverence, especially in a football stadium, “was amazing.”
Among the crowds was newly ordained Father David Ramirez, parochial vicar at Prince of Peace Parish in Houston.
“I was so excited to come together with people from around the United States to be able to come together around the Lord in the Holy Eucharist in love, fire and zeal.”
‘A BIT OF HEAVEN’ FOR THE CHURCH
Joining Father Ramirez was Monsignor James Anderson, pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in La Marque, who also concelebrated Masses and heard confessions alongside several priests from Galveston-Houston.
“The Congress was a moment in which the Catholic Church was truly present,” Monsignor Anderson said. “This was a a great moment for the Church in the United States of America. It marks a true revival for love for the Eucharist and the beauty of our Catholic faith. Walking the halls, the different morning and evening sessions, all led to an increased love for the Eucharist and how Eucharist is not just adoring, but also going forth in mission for the same Christ that we adore.”
TENS OF THOUSANDS FLOOD INDIANAPOLIS STREETS
The highlight came July 20 as tens of thousands of Catholics followed behind the truck-pulled, flower-rimmed float carrying the Blessed Sacrament accompanied by Bishop Cozzens and Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson.
They walked at least a mile from the convention center through downtown Indianapolis to the Indiana War Memorial Plaza for what Bishop Cozzens said “might be the
largest Eucharistic procession in the country in decades.”
The float was preceded by hundreds of seminarians, religious sisters and brothers, deacons, an estimated 1,000 priests and more than 100 bishops and cardinals — including Cardinal Pierre and Luis Cardinal Tagle, Pope Francis’ special envoy to the congress.
At the very front were children, dressed in white dresses and suits, who had recently received their first Communion. They carried baskets of rose petals, spreading them on the ground ahead of the Eucharist.
Immediately following the Eucharistic float, leading music, were a few of the “perpetual pilgrims”who had recently finished the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
The float traveled central Indianapolis corridors, passing storefronts, office buildings and restaurants, and curving around the Monument Circle roundabout. When it arrived at the iconic Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, Bishop Thompson and Bishop Cozzens disembarked.
Bishop Cozzens processed with the monstrance, followed by Bishop Thompson, toward a stage at the base of the memorial, where musicians were singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet. When they reached the stage and its temporary altar, they secured the monstrance in its base for Adoration and knelt before Jesus in the Eucharist under a cloudless sky.
As pilgrims, including many from GalvestonHouston bearing banners, flags and rosaries, made their way into the park, many knelt on the grass or the sidewalks. With the hot July sun beating down on the pavement, people knelt, wept or raised their arms, or simply sat and
Congress calls on Catholics to ‘Walk with One,’ evangelize through ‘spiritual companionship’
INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) — At the sending-forth Mass July 21, Pope Francis’ special envoy to the congress, Luis Cardinal Tagle, delivered a homily with warmth, joy and humor that made participants both laugh and feel inspired as he told them, “A Eucharistic people is a missionary and evangelizing people.”
“We should not keep Jesus to ourselves,” he said, exhorting them not to use their time in church to escape others but to “share Jesus’ tender love” with “the weary, the hungry and suffering ... the lost, confused and weak.”
“Go and share Jesus’ gift of reconciliation and peace to those who are divided,” he said, emphasizing, “Let us proclaim Jesus joyfully and zealously for the life of the world!”
At the close of the National Eucharistic Congress’ final Mass, Bishop Cozzens asked the crowd in Lucas Oil Stadium if they would take their love of the Eucharist and the Church, strengthened over the five days of the congress, and identify one person in their life to intentionally evangelize.
“Brothers and sisters, we believe that God desires to renew His Church, and that this renewal will happen through you. And then, in renewing His Church, He will renew the world,” said Bishop Cozzens, board chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc.
“What you received as a gift, you must give as a gift,” he said. “This year we’ve invited you to ‘walk’ with one person. What would happen if each of you thought of one person you know who’s currently away from the faith; and you decided to pray for them and befriend them and then invite them to take one step closer to Jesus and His Church?
“What would happen if 70 million Catholics did that?” he asked, referring to an estimated number of Catholics in the U.S. “And so my question is: Will you do it? Will you do it?”
The crowd cheered. Bishop Cozzens referred them to the U.S. bishops’ Walk with One initiative, launched with the congress, that provides resources to help Catholics engage in “spiritual companionship” and effectively evangelize through their existing relationships.
The initiative is a key component of the Year of Mission, the third and final year of the U.S. bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival, which began in 2022 and included the July 17 to 21 congress and its preceding National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
Standing behind the stage following the congress’s final Mass, Bishop Cozzens told OSV News that the congress’ final Mass “was the commissioning, and really inviting people to be sent to take up the missionary year of the Eucharistic revival.”
Bishop Cozzens also announced that a Eucharistic pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles is being planned for
a Corpus Christi Mass in Los Angeles with Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles. With more than 4 million Catholics, Los Angeles is home to the nation’s largest Catholic population.
of them on foot — with the help of support vehicles. Their pilgrimage included daily stops at parishes, shrines and Catholic institutions, for Mass, Eucharistic processions and Adoration, while experiencing the array of Catholicism in America along the way.
The pilgrims converged in downtown Indianapolis July 16, ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress, at St. John the Evangelist, a historic Catholic church immediately across from the main entrance of the Indiana Convention Center. Speaking with OSV News, pilgrims described the experience as personally life-changing and described seeing its deep effects on many people who encountered the Eucharist through it.
‘WALK WITH ONE’
Learn more about the next step of the Eucharistic Congresss online at archgh.org/revival
spring 2025.
Congress organizers had also been considering holding an 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2033, the “Year of Redemption,” 2,000 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, but they’re now discerning organizing an event sooner, said Bishop Cozzens, board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc., which organized the five-day congress and preceding eight-week Eucharistic pilgrimage.
Few logistics for next year’s pilgrimage have been determined, Bishop Cozzens told OSV News following the Mass. The route will likely travel through the American Southwest, culminating in
“We decided that we want to keep this tradition of a national Eucharistic pilgrimage going,” Bishop Cozzens said. “The goal is basically to continue the renewal that’s begun through these Eucharistic pilgrimages.”
As for the timing of next Eucharistic congress, Bishop Cozzens said congress organizers have been inspired by “all the people at the congress saying that we have to do this again, and when we were telling people we’re going to do it in 2033, they would say it’s too late, we might lose momentum in nine years.”
He noted that that sentiment came from congress benefactors and people who have been involved since the beginning.
From May 17 to 18, Pentecost weekend, 30 young adult “perpetual pilgrims” traveled with the Eucharist along four routes, beginning in California, Connecticut, Minnesota and Texas.
Collectively, they traveled through 27 states and 65 dioceses, covering a combined distance of 6,500 miles — many
The pilgrimage and congress were part of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative of the U.S. bishops launched in 2022 to increase understanding of and love for Jesus in the Eucharist. The close of the congress launched the Year of Mission, during which the bishops are encouraging Catholics to “walk with one” by sharing their faith and accompanying another person to better know Jesus and His love.
After the Mass, Sister Marie Martha Le, OP, a Dominican Sister of Mary Immaculate Province from Houston, said she felt inspired by Cardinal Tagle’s message and the diversity of the people represented at the congress, including the older generations.
“I am so amazed by the faith of our people,” she said. From families with energetic children to elders in wheelchairs and walkers, “they are here to participate, to witness and to receive eternal love.”
“Like Cardinal Tagle said, we all have received a gift, and so, therefore, let us go and share our gifts,” Sister Le said. “I have to go out and give away the gift that I have received. It is Him, Christ, the eternal Son of the Father. May each and every one of us continue to embrace Christ and to bring Christ to another.” †
COLUMNISTS
Turning the page in education
Most people consider the first day of January as the start of a new year, but for me, the first day of school has always felt like the real beginning of a “new year.”
Growing up, I looked forward to each new school year and the promise of what it might hold:
• Making memories with friends;
• Learning new things; and
• Uncovering who I would be by the end of the year.
After finishing school, I eventually found myself serving as a middle school English teacher at two Catholic schools right here in the Archdiocese. My calendar over the past several years remained centered around the school calendar, and my questions every August remained the same. What students would pass through my classroom? Which lessons would I prioritize teaching that year? And most
by MARY IMPELMAN
by MÓNICA RAMÓN
importantly, what was that school year going to teach me?
Learning from the students I taught was key to my “success” as an educator. Throughout my years of teaching, I realized that although I could teach the students a great deal in the realm of English and grammar, these lessons paled in comparison to the lessons they taught me.
Young people have a unique way of seeing the world that is often much simpler than we as adults are capable of, and I have benefited from the shift in perspective that they have offered. Recently, I heard the Lord calling me to take a step back from the classroom so that I could work with a different set
of youth: the youth currently at-risk or involved in the juvenile justice system across the Archdiocese.
I have been fortunate enough to volunteer with Special Youth Services for two years at the main intake and processing center downtown and have met countless young people through my experiences with the weekly Bible studies in this facility. I have been profoundly impacted by the stories of these youth and the experiences they have already had in their short time on earth.
From processing intense grief and loss to grappling with guilt to accepting God’s mysterious and immense mercy and building the habits for a new way of life, it is obvious that these students are a profound source of wisdom, especially in the spiritual realm.
Opportunities for learning abound in these facilities, and I have benefited
from applying the lessons learned from these youth to my own spiritual life. With all of this in mind, I can’t help but think of the Child Jesus in the temple, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,” and how those who heard him were “astounded at his understanding and his answers” (Lk 2:46).
At the start of this new school year, I encourage us all to pray and reflect on this image of the Child Jesus in the temple.
Let us not miss any opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus — present in the young people around us — and learn from them as we do from our Lord. †
Mónica Ramón is an associate director for Special Youth Services.
Eucharistic Revival continues in a new school year
Last month, the National Eucharistic Congress was held for the first time in 83 years in the U.S. When blessing the monstrance to be used at the event, Pope Francis proclaimed that the congress would mark “a significant moment in the life of the Church in the United States.”
Here at the Rice Catholic Student Center, we were proud when two of our students were chosen to be Perpetual Pilgrims on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage prior to the congress.
These students, Chima Adiole and MacKenzie Warrens, joined a small group of young adults who traveled full-time from May until mid-July, accompanying Jesus as he drew near to countless communities across the nation on the way to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
Why did these two busy graduate students give up their whole summer to journey with the Eucharist across the nation? In Warrens’ own words, “When I first heard about the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the Lord invited me to journey with Him across the country with fellow zealous disciples, bringing Jesus in the Eucharist to people who might not otherwise meet Him and experience His merciful love overflowing from His sacred heart.”
This past Sunday, our Gospel reading was from the sixth chapter of John and ended with verse 51, in which Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
As we heard this proclaimed during Sunday Mass last weekend, we are reminded that Jesus in the form of the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. We are nourished and strengthened when we gather every
Sunday for Mass and receive the Eucharist.
Our Church wants us to never forget this truth as next Sunday, the Gospel reading begins with John 6:51! At Mass this coming weekend, we will again listen for a second time as we hear Jesus proclaim that He is the living bread.
In his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that “when we encounter Jesus, we feed on the living God Himself, so to speak; we truly eat
the ‘bread from heaven.’” Jesus is present in the Eucharist — a truth very much recognized by our two Rice University graduate students who journeyed across the country with Jesus on their way to the National Eucharistic Congress last month. Their faith was a witness to countless others as they stopped in many communities to share their love of the Eucharist.
At the Rice Catholic Student Center, our campus ministry staff is forever grateful to get to share the love of Jesus
with students like Adiole and Warrens during such an important stage in their lives.
We ask for your prayers as we continue to provide the Bread of Heaven for them and countless other college students at Rice University. †
Mary Impelman is the Campus Minister for Outreach at Rice University Catholic Student Center.
A derecho Pentecost, Hurricane Beryl and Confirmation
In Acts 2, we hear the story of Pentecost, where a strong driving wind filled the upper room where the apostles were, and the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire. Pentecost 2024 was a very different but unique experience.
There indeed was a strong driving wind; in fact, a rare straight-line derecho storm descended over the Houston area. This storm knocked over trees, scattered debris and left hundreds of thousands without power. While so many people were impacted because of this natural disaster, one group that found themselves particularly affected was the 750 adults scheduled to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at five different host locations across the Archdiocese that weekend.
With some host locations without power, volunteers were suffering the impact of the storm, and with an abundance of caution, the difficult decision was made to postpone the celebrations. Thanks to the hard work from the Office of Worship, cooperation from parish coordinators, and the flexibility of the candidates the sacramental Liturgies were rescheduled.
All the candidates have now been able to receive this special Sacrament, including some close calls with Hurricane Beryl. This difficult moment is
by MATT KIERNAN
an opportunity for grace, collaboration and the Holy Spirit to enter. Sometimes, our bestlaid plans fall through, but God is always able to create something beautiful.
Surely, this will be a moment that all our candidates will remember because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding the day of their Confirmation, which will make it a more meaningful experience.
Looking back over the events that took place surrounding Pentecost 2024, one experience stands out. That weekend, my family opted to attend the earliest Mass at our parish because there was no power, and we thought we might escape some heat without any air conditioning.
The Liturgy began in the dark with candles, lanterns and a battery-operated sound system. Providentially, right at the moment of the epiclesis, the prayer in which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit so that the bread and wine may become the body and blood of Jesus, the power returned. As the power flickered on, the
ACCCRUS supports African
We are called to celebrate the diversity that is incorporated within our local Church community. The Archdiocese acknowledges the diversity and has created vicars or priests to represent the various ethnic communities. There is a vicar for Vietnamese Catholics, vicar for Filipino Catholics, and I am currently the vicar for Catholics of African Descent.
One of the jobs as vicar of Catholics of African Descent is to promote the various diverse communities that make up the African and African American Catholic Community here in our Archdiocese. There is one organization that addresses the needs of the faithful from the African continent.
ACCCRUS is an acronym for the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the U.S. ACCCRUS is an association of priests and religious men and women from Africa who are working and/or studying in the U.S. and throughout our own Archdiocese.
ACCCRUS was formed to provide an environment of spiritual and social support to African clergy and religious people who work in the U.S. The organization was founded in 2000 as a challenge from the USCCB to promote understanding and cooperation among Africans who come from various parts of the African continent to minister in the U.S.
One of the main missions of ACCCRUS is to organize seminars and workshops to make their ministry within
altar was lit as if to highlight the presence of the Holy Spirit. This experience was a reminder of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and its action within our lives.
There is a strong connection between the actions of Pentecost and the Sacrament of Confirmation in which the Holy Spirit empowers the confirmandi into a deeper relationship with the Lord, draws them into a renewed sense of mission, enables them to witness a life of discipleship, and fulfills the work that has begun in Baptism.
On the first Pentecost, the apostles burst out of the upper room with vigor and enthusiasm to share the Gospel, which resulted in the conversion of 3,000 that very day. The same Holy Spirit that descended upon the apostles is experienced during the Sacrament of Confirmation with the power to accomplish the same result in the world today.
In conclusion, these events offer two invitations: an invitation to trust in the Holy Spirit, knowing that not even a derecho storm can diminish its power, and an invitation to shine the flame of the Holy Spirit as the light within us for the world to see. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth
clergy, religious
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the U.S. Church a more effective ministry as missionaries within the cross-cultural and multicultural dynamics of American society. As vicar, my job is to bridge the information gap between the African bishops and major superiors with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on issues affecting the African clergy and African religious on mission in the U.S.
We are charged with giving the
“These
events offer two invitations: an invitation to trust in the Holy Spirit, knowing that not even a derecho storm can diminish its power, and an invitation to shine the flame of the Holy Spirit as the light within us for the world to see.”
your Spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Congratulations and prayers to all our confirmandi and a special word of gratitude for all who worked to make these celebrations possible. †
Matt Kiernan is an associate director with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.
working in the U.S.
African clergy and African religious men and women who serve the nation a platform for the promotion of solidarity and reliance between the U.S. Church and the African Church.
This past June, ACCCRUS held its 23rd annual convention here in Houston. In attendance were Daniel Cardinal DiNardo; Christophe Cardinal Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S.; Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville; keynote speaker Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo, M.Sp.S., of the Archdiocese of Seattle; and Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria.
ACCCRUS’ president, Father Alphonsus Enelichi, M.S.P., welcomed priests and African priests and religious serving in the U.S. to Houston to discuss
leadership and collaboration in the ministry. At this conference was Sister Dr. Joanna Okereke, HHJC, the assistant director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity at the USCCB, who urged the participants in the local Church to be “inspired to share our faith values and African heritage for the enrichment of the local and Universal Church.”
You can hear more about ACCCRUS on my podcast “In His Light with Father Reginald Samuels” on Apple podcast and Spotify. †
Father Reginald Samuels is the vicar of Catholics of African Descent and pastor of St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Deer Park.
PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD
At left, Father Kingsley Nwoko of St. Albert of Trapani Parish in Houston, meets with African women religious during the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the U.S. Conference in Houston on June 27. Among the speakers was Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S., Christophe Cardinal Pierre, at right.
by FATHER REGINALD SAMUELS
WORLD
In the City of Light, a Marian gem shines
PARIS (OSV News) — Paris is known as the City of Light, and those lights are shining extra brightly these days as men and women from around the world are competing in the 33rd Summer Olympics. In addition to the city’s 12.4 million residents, 15.3 million visitors are expected to descend upon France’s capital over the course of the 16 days of competition.
Such crowds present a unique opportunity for pilgrim sites in the city — chief among them the famous Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre, which has offered perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament since 1885.
“We want to welcome the many visitors who will come to discover le Sacré Coeur at the top of the Montmartre hill,” their website proclaims. From 3 to 7 p.m. every afternoon throughout the Olympics, the basilica is offering its “2024 Summer Games” course, which includes ways to discover the basilica, small challenges related to sport, and opportunities to build fraternity, ignite hearts and “win the medal that will be offered to you.”
In addition to offering a wide variety of multilingual Masses, the basilica is also passing out rosaries and excerpts from Scripture. A chapel at the back of the basilica, where pilgrims can light a candle, has been dedicated to prayer for peace and for athletes.
But four-and-a-half kilometers to the south, on the Left Bank’s Rue de Bac, sits a lesser-known but no less important Catholic pilgrimage site — the stunning “chappelle” of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, where Mary appeared to Daughter of Charity St. Catherine Labouré three times from July to December 1830.
It was during one of these apparitions that Mary communicated her desire to have struck what is now known as the Miraculous Medal, worn by millions of Catholics around the world.
The small chapel, which welcomes approximately two to three million visitors each year, is a hidden gem in the busy city, accessed through a large wooden door and down an alleyway. The beautiful sanctuary, rich in blues and gold and filled with art reflecting Mary’s apparitions, also houses the relics of St. Catherine (her body is incorrupt) and of St. Louise de Marillac, co-founder of Daughters of Charity with St. Vincent de Paul, whose heart is also present at the chapel. Multiple Masses in French are celebrated each day, confessions are heard both in the mornings and afternoons, and usually, a Rosary is
recited in the afternoon.
At the foot of the altar in this sacred place, Mary told St. Catherine that “graces (will) be poured out on all those who ask for them with confidence,” Daughter of Charity Sister Judith Mauser told OSV News earlier this year.
OSV News spoke with Sister Mauser — who lives at the order’s motherhouse in Paris next to the shrine, serves as the translator of the worldwide community and welcomes pilgrims to the chapel — about why visitors to Paris should put the Miraculous Medal Shrine on their itineraries.
“We can go to the foot of any altar and find Jesus present there,” she said. “But there is a special presence that remains (at the shrine).”
Visitors find in the shrine “a place of great peace and reconciliation” because of the presence of the Sacraments, including many confessions heard there daily, Sister Mauser said.
They also “feel a closer relationship with the Lord,” she said, where they can “understand that the troubles which they may be experiencing in their life are nonetheless in the hands of the Lord and of his Blessed Mother.”
“With that confidence,” she said, “they can go forth in a more calm way, back to face those difficulties that still perhaps remain.”
But, without a doubt, the most compelling reason to visit the shrine is because Mary herself visited it first.
While praying with her other sisters, St. Catherine “saw Mary there, first holding a globe topped with a cross,
PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE
In a continuing effort to provide pastoral care to victims of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo would like to remind the faithful of the Archdiocese of the availability of the Victims Assistance Coordinator. Anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel is encouraged to call Diane Vines at 713654-5799. Please keep in daily prayers the healing of victims of abuse and all who suffer in any way.
which represented the whole world — France in particular, but every individual in it — offered up to God, held in Mary’s protective hands,” Sister Mauser described. “And then the globe kind of disappearing, and rays of light streaming from Mary’s jeweled fingers, coming through God as graces that are showered on those who ask for them. A few jewels did not give off any light because those were the graces that people forgot to ask for.”
St. Catherine then saw, around the image, the invocation now inscribed on every Miraculous Medal: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, Sister Mauser said. She also saw the other elements on the medal: the hearts of Jesus and Mary and a cross and M intertwined, “showing how closely Mary is related to salvation history, how much she participates in it,” Sister Mauser said.
The 12 stars on the back of the medal represent the Twelve Apostles, the Church and the faithful on mission, she added.
The medal was made, after much perseverance, in 1832, and the fruits were
quickly apparent.
“People were protected from great danger, healed from deadly diseases and converted to the faith,” Sister Mauser said. “And so people gave it the name the Miraculous Medal.”
The medal, Sister Mauser cautioned, is not an amulet or a talisman, or “some magic protection against all suffering.” Rather, “the medal is a reminder ... to turn to Mary” — and in an object that is simple, accessible and that contains a prayer that is easy to memorize.
“In obtaining, in wearing or carrying with you a medal, you’re really making an act of faith that God wants our good, that Mary is there to intercede on our behalf, that we believe in the mystery of salvation and in the Immaculate Conception, and that by wearing, by praying this invocation, we then strengthen that within us and can better deal with times of difficulty,” Sister Mauser said.
Stories continue to circulate today of people who wear the Miraculous Medal being protected from danger, or “of couples who were told that it was impossible to have a child and come to present that child to the Blessed Virgin,” or of unexpected healings and conversions.
And all of this comes from Mary’s simple invitation to St. Catherine Labouré, and to all of us, “to turn to her with confidence that we might grow closer to her son in a relationship in which we are also bound to each other, as we intercede not only for our own needs, but also for those of others,” Sister Mauser said.
“That opportunity to participate in the invitation which Mary put forward, to do so with others, as well as individually, and to be united in the truly universal international gathering, which is always the reality of the chapel, are really some major reasons that someone who either knows the Miraculous Medal or is curious, might want to come here,” she said.
The Paris Olympics wrap up on Aug. 11. With the exception of a three-week closure every January for cleaning, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is open year-round. †
OSV NEWS PHOTO
The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, seen in Paris Jan. 27, is where the Virgin Mary appeared to Daughter of Charity Sister Catherine Labouré in 1830, giving to the world the Miraculous Medal.
NATION American Olympic medalists lean on faith in Paris
(OSV News) — Among American Olympians achieving a spot on the podium in Paris are Catholics who have expressed their dependence on faith over the years as they’ve pursued excellence in their athletic pursuits.
Swimmer Katie Ledecky is outspoken about how her Catholic faith guides her life.
On Aug. 3, Ledecky became the most decorated American female gold medalist in any sport as well as one of only two women from any nation, in any sport, to win nine gold medals. It was her fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 800 freestyle. She has 14 medals total. Just two days earlier she won her 13th Olympic medal — in itself historic. She took silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.
After the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo, the Catholic school graduate told the Catholic Standard, the Archdiocese of Washington’s newspaper, that she prayed the Hail Mary before each race to calm her nerves, just as she had during the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
“My faith remains very important in my life, especially the last two years,” Ledecky told the Catholic Standard in 2021. She noted that watching
livestreamed Mass, celebrated by her Godfather Jesuit Father Jim Shea at a parish in Charlotte, North Carolina, helped her through the pandemic.
“My faith is strong, and I realized more how important that is,” she said.
Ledecky, 27, has nine gold, four silver and one bronze Olympic medals. In Paris, she is teammates with two fellow alumnae of her all-girls high school, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland: Phoebe Bacon
to
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and Erin Gemmell. Gemmell medaled alongside Ledecky with the 4x200 meter relay.
Ledecky and Bacon also attended the elementary Little Flower School in Bethesda, where both families are members of the parish.
They are among a host of U.S. Olympians who are Catholic, were raised in the faith, or attended Catholic schools or colleges and are now competing in Paris. Several have spoken in the past about the role their faith has played in their training and shaped their selfperception.
U.S. Olympic gymnast and Paris gold medalist Simone Biles, who was raised Catholic and in years past spoke about the role of faith in her life, has said she credits God for her success.
The high-flying 27-year-old, who trains in Spring at her World Champions Centre gym, said in the past that when she travels, she sometimes takes with her a statue of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes, and she also carries a rosary her mother gave her. Her parents have told media that they often pray the Rosary for Simone. Biles and her family have also been known to attend St. James Catholic Church in Spring.
Biles, who won gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around competition in Paris Aug. 1 and helped lead the U.S. women to a team gold July 30, made those comments to Us Weekly in 2016. She also won gold in the individual vault, and silver on individual floor.
“I never thought I’d be who I am,” she told Vanity Fair in a story published in January, “but look at God’s blessings.”
In recent years, Biles has been more private about her faith journey. However, she has also been outspoken about addressing and prioritizing mental health, an issue the U.S. bishops have sought to raise with the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign. Following the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, Biles (a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar, a USA Gymnastics’
national team doctor) publicly admitted that she struggled with her mental health and athletics. At the time, she had stepped out of the Olympic competition after experiencing the “twisties,” a sense of disorientation when in motion that could lead to serious injury.
In Paris, however, Biles exuded confidence — publicly thanking her therapist for routine care — and her dedication to her sport has paid off, with many calling her the “greatest of all time.” Biles was seen signing herself with the cross after several routines. She is now the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in history, with nine Olympic medals.
Ryan Murphy, a Catholic swimmer who grew up in Florida, is taking home a gold, silver and bronze medal from Paris. In a 2016 interview with the National Catholic Register, he described the importance of having an active prayer life and living out his faith. He said, “I’m a firm believer in God. My faith is important to me. There are, however, times when I rely on him more than others. Overall, I am private in my spirituality.”
Murphy, 29, drew the spotlight in Paris not only for his race, but for the sign his wife, Bridget, held up as he was walking to the podium: “Ryan it’s a girl!” The couple, who married in September, are reportedly expecting their first child in January.
A former altar boy, Murphy described his family to the Register as ardent supporters of Catholic education. The story described him as having “a great devotion to St. Christopher, the patron saint of swimmers.”
He garnered attention during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro — where he won three gold medals — after genuflecting following a swim.
“I believe God has given me a great talent, for which I’m eternally grateful,” he told the Register at the time. “My faith gives me comfort despite the outcome of a race. I ultimately believe — I know — God has a larger plan for me.” †
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El Papa: La presencia de Jesús en la Eucaristía ayuda a los fieles a estar realmente presentes para los demás
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — Gracias a la promesa de Jesús de estar siempre con sus discípulos, los fieles pueden estar plenamente presentes para los demás, especialmente para los necesitados, dijo el Papa Francisco al dirigirse a miles de monaguillos de todo el mundo.
“Gracias a Jesús, siempre y sólo gracias a él — también tú puedes decirle al prójimo “yo estoy contigo” pero no con palabras, sino con las obras, con los gestos, con el corazón, con la cercanía concreta”, dijo el Papa a los jóvenes el 30 de julio.
Los fieles pueden mostrar concretamente su cercanía, dijo, al “llorar con los que lloran, alegrarse con los que se alegran, sin juicios, sin prejuicios, sin cerrazones, sin exclusiones”.
Esta cercanía debe extenderse incluso con aquellos que pueden no gustarnos, dijo. “Contigo, que eres diferente a mí; contigo, que eres extranjero; contigo, aunque sienta que no me comprendes; contigo, que nunca vas a la Iglesia; contigo, que dices que no crees en Dios”, dijo.
El Papa presidió un encuentro vespertino de oración, cantos y experiencias compartidas con cerca de 50,000 monaguillos procedentes de 20 países que peregrinan a Roma. La mayoría de los jóvenes procedían
Dijo al Papa que los monaguillos se acercan a Jesús de una manera especial durante su servicio en la Misa. A través del vínculo especial con Cristo surge una verdadera amistad, una conexión entre nosotros, dijo, que también significa “acercarnos unos a otros”.
Jesús inspira a los fieles “a ser verdaderos amigos de todos los hombres con la ayuda de Cristo”, lo que significa tender la mano a los que están en dificultad: los pobres, los perseguidos, los oprimidos, las personas sin hogar, los desempleados, los refugiados o los que no tienen patria, dijo el cardenal.
El Papa pronunció unas breves palabras que fueron traducidas al alemán para los asistentes.
Reflexionando sobre el tema de la peregrinación, “Contigo”, el Papa dijo: “de servicio en la Liturgia me hace pensar que el primer sujeto, el protagonista de este ‘contigo’, es Dios”.
de Alemania, pero también había peregrinos de Austria, Hungría, Francia y otros países. La última peregrinación internacional tuvo lugar en Roma en 2018.
El Papa llegó primero en papamóvil,
APOYO PASTORAL A VÍCTIMAS DE ABUSO SEXUAL DEL CLERO
En un continuo esfuerzo por facilitar atención pastoral a las victimas de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, el Cardenal DiNardo gustaría recordar a los fieles de la Arquidiócesis la disponibilidad del Coordinador de Ayuda a Víctimas. Si alguien ha sido victim de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, se les anima llamar a la Diane Vines al 713-654-5799. Por favor rece por la sanación de las víctimas del abuso y por todos los que sufren de alguna manera.
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acompañado de algunos niños. Pasó unos 20 minutos dando vueltas alrededor de la Plaza de San Pedro, que sólo estaba llena a la mitad, así como una parte del amplio bulevar exterior de la plaza donde miles de visitantes y monaguillos estaban atrapados, al no haber llegado a tiempo a sus asientos antes de que la seguridad cerrara la zona. Después de que el Papa se sentara frente a la basílica, la seguridad permitió a los invitados especiales tomar asiento y llenar la plaza.
El cardenal luxemburgués JeanClaude Hollerich es presidente de Coetus Internationalis Ministrantium, la asociación de monaguillos que organizó la reunión junto con la Conferencia Episcopal Alemana.
“Esto se cumple en grado supremo en la Misa, en la Eucaristía: allí el ‘contigo’ se vuelve presencia real, presencia concreta de Dios en el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo”, dijo. “Cuando recibimos la sagrada Comunión, podemos experimentar que Jesús está ‘con nosotros’ espiritual y físicamente”.
“Y también tú, en la Comunión, puedes decir al Señor Jesús: ‘Yo estoy contigo’, no con palabras, sino con tu corazón y con tu cuerpo, con tu amor. Precisamente gracias a que Él está con nosotros, también nosotros podemos estar verdaderamente con Él” y luego con los demás, dijo.
El Papa agradeció a los jóvenes “por haber venido hasta aquí, como peregrinos, a compartir la alegría de pertenecer a Jesús, de ser servidores de su amor, servidores de su corazón herido que sana nuestras heridas, que nos salva de la muerte, que nos da la vida eterna”. †
FOTO DE CNS
El Papa Francisco saluda a los monaguillos mientras viaja en el papamóvil alrededor de la Plaza de San Pedro en el Vaticano el 30 de julio. Alrededor de 50,000 monaguillos de 20 países estaban en peregrinación a Roma.
WITHIN THE ARTS
Catholic theologians discuss angels and demons on Spirit World radio program
BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald
HOUSTON — Not to sensationalize angels and demons as movies do, national Catholic speakers Debbie Georgianni and Adam Blai, co-hosts of the radio show “Spirit World,” say they try to educate people on how to theologically interact with such entities for positive outcomes.
“Movies don’t even come close” to showing the horrid reality of exorcisms, said Blai, who is a peritus (Catholic Church-decreed expert) on Religious Demonology and Exorcism in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Although not a priest, Blai is an auxiliary member of the International Association of Exorcists based in Rome and has helped numerous priests both in prayer and physically wrestling with possibly possessed persons.
Both he and Georgianni, who dedicated 25 years to catechetical ministry in the Diocese of Phoenix working with all age groups, appeared together in Houston July 13. They broadcast their national radio show Spirit World, which airs locally on KSHJ AM 1430 at 10 a.m. Saturdays.
he journaled and took copious notes on everything he witnessed. Over a span of two-and-a-half years, he documented 187 Eucharistic miracles. Acutis, who died in 2006 of leukemia, will become the first person from the millennial generation to be named a saint.
Blai said in exorcisms, some of the tools used are blessed prayer cards of saints as well as first-degree, seconddegree and third-degree relics of saints, including bones, pieces of cloth and other items. “These objects and sacramentals like holy water are not magical talismans but are in proportion to your faith and your relationship with Christ.”
He added, “First of all, we want to rule out the mundane whether it is a mental illness or physical ailment that is causing them to believe they are possessed, oppressed or suppressed.”
Then, they later personally addressed a crowd of more than 200 people from across the Archdiocese that Saturday evening at the Lone Star Flight Museum surrounded by vintage airplanes in the Ellington Field complex.
MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News
A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL
• Despicable Me 4 (PG)
A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN
• Harold and the Purple Crayon (PG)
• Inside Out 2 (PG)
• Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot (PG-13)
“I believe the only one who came close to being considered a Catholic expert on angels is St. Thomas Aquinas,” Georgianni said of the 13th-century
A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS
• A Quiet Place: Day One (PG-13)
• Fly Me to the Moon (PG-13)
• It Ends With Us (PG-13)
• The Convert (NR)
• Twisters (PG-13)
L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE
• Maxxxine (R) ► To read full movie reviews, visit www.osvnews.com/category/reviews
• Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. (R)
• Longlegs (R)
• The Bikeriders (R)
• The Exorcism (R)
O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE
• Deadpool & Wolverine (R)
• Hit Man (R)
author of the Summa Theologica. “But if you’re like me, you may be connected to what can be overwhelmingly negative social media, and you need tools that God provides.”
She recommended to “go to the powerful Rosary” when media or the trauma of the world causes temptation, fear, anxiety or depression, as it can do for so many people.
“I also pray to the Blessed Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old who was very computersavvy but stayed connected to the vine” of the Lord, Georgianni said.
The Vatican recently announced that Acutis, a London-born teenager who became internationally known for sharing Church teachings about the Eucharist online, will be canonized a saint. Touted as the “patron saint of the internet,” Acutis used his natural computer tech talent to create a website to catalog miracles and maintained websites for local Catholic organizations.
He begged his parents to take vacations to 17 different countries, where
Describing a case where a young married couple had moved into a home, Blai said the wife began to see flashing lights and hallucinations, but the husband never saw any apparitions. “Turns out, after medical tests, she was found to have an operable brain tumor that was pressing in the area, causing visual anomalies. Once she had her surgery, the visions stopped.”
But in another case, Blai said he pressed a prayer card of a little-known saint to the back of a seemingly possessed man as the priest in charge was praying the exorcism rites.
“The man could not see the card I was holding but shouted out, ‘Take that nun away from me — she is helping so many Christians die as martyrs in the Holy Land,’” Blai said.
The card was of St. Mary of Jesus Crucified, born as Mary Baouardy and also known as the Little Arab Girl. Born in 1846, in the small village of I’billin, halfway between Nazareth and Haifa in northern Israel, St. Mary had parents who were pious Catholics of the eastern rite. As they refused to convert to Islam, they were repeatedly imprisoned and forfeited their property. She declined marriage and became a religious sister.
He described the demons as disparagingly mocking people who lost their souls dabbling in witchcraft, satanic worship and other occults that they thought would bring them power if they invited the darkness. “The priest can command the demon to kneel and show deference to God and to pray in the name of Jesus. This is not done in glee, but to demonstrate the truth that there is only one true God.”
Georgianni suggested another useful tool is to pray to your guardian angel to help you keep a strong spiritual and prayer life.
“Padre Pio, one of my favorite saints, knew his guardian angel since he was a child,” Georgianni said.
At the beginning of his priesthood, Padre Pio sent letters to his spiritual directors describing in detail his visions of celestial spirits, visits from the angels — especially his guardian angel — and his constant battle with the devil. †
PHOTO COURTESY OF GUADALUPE RADIO, KSHJ AM 1430
Debbie Georgianni and Adam Blai, who discuss the theology of angels
July 13 to speak on the theology of angels and demons.
Late August concerts debut new music from local composer about Mary, Dante
HOUSTON — A Houston-based composer is set to bring together a group of musicians for the performances of “Dante e la Donna: Journeying through earthly to celestial love” set for Aug. 30 and 31 at 7:30 p.m. at Cullen Hall at the University of St. Thomas (UST), located at 4001 Mt. Vernon St. in Houston.
Sponsored by Cor Mundi Center for Sacred Music and the University of St. Thomas, Dante e la Donna features rare and new music by Daniel Knaggs. From Zita di Lucca (chamber opera about St. Zita) to the unveiling of the 20th annual Ave Maria in composer Knaggs’ 50-Year Ave Maria Project (20042054), performers include the UST Choir, Monarch Chamber Players and featured soloists.
Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood, where he led the music program from 2016 to 2019. In the fall of 2019, he became a full-time professor of music composition and theory at the College of Wooster in Ohio, before he began freelancing in 2022.
Houstonian Knaggs has earned an increasingly international reputation. In 2022, his music was performed in Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada and throughout the U.S.
While completing his doctorate in music composition at Rice University, Knaggs became director of music at St.
“It was a crossroads,” Knaggs said. “On one hand, the college was very good to me and provided security. Yet that position was, by default, taking my life in a direction that was not right for me.”
In early 2022, Knaggs founded a professional chamber choir in Poland called Ensemble Invocatio. He also started a nonprofit organization, Cor Mundi Center for Sacred Music, and had been accumulating important commissions.
“After seeking the wisdom of people I trust, I discerned that I had to go all in to give these endeavors a fighting chance,” Knaggs said.
This decision led Knaggs and his growing group of collaborators on adventure after adventure, the next one being Dante e la Donna Knaggs began to conceptualize
Dante e la Donna soon after composing his first chamber opera, Zita di Lucca, commissioned by and premiered at the 2023 Puccini Chamber Opera Festival in Lucca, Italy.
This opera recounts the moving story of St. Zita as seen through the eyes (and dialect) of her contemporary, Dante Alighieri, who, in his Inferno, referred to her as “St. Zita” nearly 400 years before she was even canonized. Knaggs found inspiration in the life of this extraordinary donna (woman) and thought it would provide unusual and compelling material for musical storytelling on stage.
Noting the brief duration of Zita di Lucca, Knaggs composed Dante Songs as a sort of prelude to the opera. These four song-settings of love poetry by Dante call to mind his beloved Beatrice while also foreshadowing a more celestial love to be found in St. Zita.
With Dante Songs and Zita di Lucca forming the first half of a concert, Knaggs continued the musical journey in a second half with celestial, angelic music about Dante’s ultimate donna: the Blessed Virgin Mary.
For Knaggs’s Three Marian Hymns, he won the first prize in the first International “Turoldo” Musica Sacra Competition in Italy (2011). Now, the UST Choir, led by
WANT TO GO?
‘DANTE E LA DONNA’ CONCERT Friday, Aug. 30, & Saturday, Aug. 31 7:30 p.m.
Cullen Hall
University of St. Thomas 4001 Mt. Vernon St., Houston
Tickets: $39.50
Purchase: ddconcert.eventbrite.com
Brady Knapp, will give these hymns their first-ever performance outside of Italy. The evening culminates in the unveiling of Knaggs’ newest addition to his ongoing 50-Year Ave Maria Project, his ambitious undertaking of composing a new Ave Maria each year for 50 consecutive years. This year’s Ave Maria No. 20 includes a passage from Dante’s Paradiso, which sings of the power and tenderness of the Blessed Mother’s love for all people.
To purchase tickets for the Aug. 30 and 31 concerts, visit ddconcert.eventbrite. com, and for ongoing updates and videos, subscribe to Knaggs’YouTube Channel at tiny.cc/DKYouTube and the Cor Mundi e-letter at tiny.cc/CorMundiList. †
AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE
► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.
AUGUST 16-18
MEN’S RECOVERY RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). “SLAA (Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous)” is a three-day 12-Step study weekend for men working 12-step programs, providing an opportunity to grow spiritually and participate with others. Cost: $265 and $250 for 65 and older. Info: registrar.holyname@passionist.org; holynameretreatcenter.com.
AUGUST 28
LUNCHEON BUS TRIP, 10:30 a.m., Sacred Heart Church (1302 Broadway, Galveston). Mass, Luncheon & Cake Auction with Bishop Brendan Cahill benefiting the Galveston Seafarers Center beginning with church tour. Bus transportation is available from St. Bernadette (15500 El Camino Real, Houston). Cost: $27. Register by Aug. 23 at withpraise@yahoo.com.
AUGUST 30-31
CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., University of St. Thomas Cullen Hall and St. Basil Chapel (4001 Mt. Vernon St., Houston). Cor Mundi Center for Sacred Music and University of St. Thomas (UST) host “Concert: Dante e la Donna” with new music by Daniel Knaggs. From Zita di Lucca (chamber opera about St. Zita) to the debut of the 20th annual Ave Maria in Knaggs’s 50-Year Ave Maria Project (2004-2054), performers include the UST Choir, Monarch Chamber Players and other soloists. Cost: $39.50. Tickets: ddconcert.eventbrite.com.
SEPTEMBER 4
HOLY HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S 4th St., Richmond). Vocation Adoration Hour on
the first Wednesday of the month to pray for vocations. Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick also offered. 281-3423609; sacredhrt.com.
SEPTEMBER 6-8
WOMEN’S RECOVERY RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). “AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)” is a three-day 12-Step study weekend for women working 12-step programs, offering an opportunity to grow spiritually and participate with others. Cost: $265 and $250 for 65 and older. Info: registrar.holyname@passionist.org; holynameretreatcenter.com.
SEPTEMBER 8
BAZAAR, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Our Lady Star of the Sea (1401 Fidelity St., Houston). Dinner sales feature barbecue brisket, chicken, sausage and fried chicken wings as well gumbo and homemade boudin. Event includes sweets, raffle, kids’ games and music by DJ’s Zydeco Plus.
SEPTEMBER 13-15
WOMEN’S AL-ANON GATHERING, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). “Al-Anon” is a three-day 12-Step study weekend for women involved with others in 12-step programs, providing an opportunity to grow spiritually and participate with others. Cost: $265 and $250 for 65 and older. Info: registrar.holyname@passionist.org; holynameretreatcenter.com.
SEPTEMBER 20-22
MEN’S AA GATHERING, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Alcoholics Anonymous men’s retreat is a three-day
12-Step study weekend for men working 12-step programs, providing an opportunity to grow spiritually and participate with others. Cost: $265; $250 for 65 and older. Info: registrar.holyname@passionist.org; holynameretreatcenter.com.
SEPTEMBER 15
FESTIVAL, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Our Lady of Sorrows (3006 Kashmere St., Houston). The festival begins with 10 a.m. Mass followed by Marian procession and festival at noon, with live music, food, games and a raffle. 713-673-5600; ourladyhouston.org.
BAZAAR, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., St. Cyril and Methodius (603 Parrott Ave., Damon). Music starts at 10 a.m. with the M&M Playboys. $15 barbecue beef and sausage plates with all the trimmings begins at 10:30 a.m. Auction begins at 1 p.m. under the pavilion. The event also includes games, face painting, Bingo, pastries, silent auction, homemaker’s market and more.
SEPTEMBER 18-19
RETREAT, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Cameron Retreat Center at St. Dominic (2403 Holcombe Blvd., Houston). Family Life Ministry hosts formation for Ministers of Consolation teaching how to accompany grieving people in the light of Christ’s love and receive tools and resources to start a parish comfort group. 281-741-8710; aaranda@archgh.org.
OCTOBER 4-6
WOMEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). “Jubilant Pilgrims: Prepare, Pray, Profess, Praise” is a three-day day women’s retreat with Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and prayer. Parish groups, mother/ daughters (16+) and individuals welcome. $265. registrar.holyname@passionist.org.
For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA
MILESTONES
Christ the Good Shepherd in Spring dedicates new bell tower
SPRIGN — Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church gathered to celebrate and dedicate in blessing its new bell tower, marking a significant milestone in the parish’s history.
The ceremony, held on June 1, was attended by clergy, parishioners and community members.
There are three bronze bells on the new tower, each appropriately named Faith, Hope and Love. The bells were crafted in Asten, Netherlands, with before traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for assembly. The installation was completed at Christ the Good Shepherd on June 3.
Father James Burkart, pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd, said, “Today is a
joyous and happy day for all of us, as the new bells are installed in our church, and we have the opportunity in this celebration to praise God’s name.”
He said bells have a special place in the life of God’s people.
“The peal of bells marks the hours for prayer and calls us to the celebration of the Liturgy,” he said. “Bells alert us to important events, both happy and sad, in the life of the Church and the community.
Father Burkart then asked attendees to participate devoutly in this celebration “so that whenever we hear the ringing of the bells, we will remember that we are one family, coming together to show our unity in Christ.” †
Hispanic Serra Club honored for membership growth
HOUSTON — The first Serra Hispanic Club of North Houston for Vocations won the Missionaries of St. Junipero Serra Contest.
The club, initiated by Father Miguel Solorzano, then-pastor of St. Charles Borromeo and chaplain of the club, currently has 106 members. They won the contest to gain 28 new members from July 1, 2023, to June 31, 2024.
With their win, the organization was awarded $1,000 from Serra International.
Father Jesus Lizalde, now the pastor at St. Charles Borromeo and the organization’s chaplain, continues to support the Serra Hispanic Club of North Houston for Vocations for their mission to foster and promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. †
JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
Dominican Sisters celebrate Jubilarians combined 210 years of ministry
— On Saturday, June 1, the Dominican Sisters of Houston celebrated the 75th jubilees of Sisters Mary V. Hugger, OP, and Francis Marie Bordages, OP, and the 60th jubilee of Sister Wanda Jinks, OP. Father Donald Goergen, OP, presided over the Eucharistic Liturgy, which was held in the chapel at St. Dominic Villa. Prioress Donna Pollard, OP, thanked the Jubilarians for their combined 210 years of ministry and service to God, the Church and the Dominican community. Immediately following the Liturgy, the congregation continued the celebration of the Jubilarians at a reception at the Villa. †
Sister of St. Francis marks milestone anniversary
MILWAUKEE — Thirty-five School Sisters of St. Francis of the United States Province celebrated milestone anniversaries of service as women religious on June 15. A Jubilee Mass was celebrated in St. Joseph Chapel at the sisters’ motherhouse in Milwaukee.
Sister Kathleen McNulty is among those being honored. Celebrating her 60th jubilee, her ministry includes service in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, serving as social minister at St. Bernadette Parish in Houston from 1986 to 1994. †
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC CHURCH
On June 1, Father James Burkhart, pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church, blessed its new bell tower containing three bells named Faith, Hope and Love.
HOUSTON
PHOTO BY SISTER MARY BRENDA, OP
The Dominican Sisters of Houston celebrated the 75th jubilees of, left to right, Sister Wanda Jinks, OP, and Sister Mary V. Hugger, OP, and the 60th jubilee of Sister Francis Marie Bordages, OP.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SERRA HISPANIC CLUB OF NORTH HOUSTON FOR VOCATIONS
The first Serra Hispanic Club of North Houston for Vocations won the Missionaries of St. Junipero Serra Contest after expanding the organization by 28 members in a year.
