In the first part of this series, we reflected on the life and times of St. John Vianney and the great obstacles he had to overcome to fulfill his mission to draw his flock into a closer union with Christ. He did so with humility and trust in the God who called him to this vocation. In this second part, Bishop Davies offers St. John Vianney as a role model for priests in their responsibility as catechists. A great English Cardinal, Henry Edward Manning, may have inadvertently started a misunderstanding with regard to Saint John Vianney. In the Preface to... Read more
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Articles Under: Articles from Bishops
In this three-part series, I want to focus on a Saint of the New Evangelization who many of you will already have met in the Communion of Saints: St. John Baptist Mary Vianney, more popularly known as “the Curé of Ars.” In this first part, I wish to lead you in mind and heart to that tiny village in the obscurity of the French countryside, to meet this saint, whose witness the great John Paul II declared would never fade in the sight of the Church. In a letter to the priests of the world, John Paul II writes of... Read more
What was it about St. Mother Teresa that gave her such broad appeal? Did she say something new about the Catholic faith, offer people some sort of entertainment, or appeal to them with her physical beauty? Anyone with even a superficial awareness of her life would know it was none of those things. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen vividly described the modern thirst for witnesses like Mother Teresa in his book, Remade for Happiness . He wrote, “When you see people crowding into theatres, charging cocktail bars, seeking new thrills in a spirit of restlessness, you would conclude that they have... Read more
During the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis gave us much to think about, pray about, and work on. He also gave us an opportunity to gain a special plenary indulgence, by passing through a designated Holy Door and performing certain holy acts with devotion. What a great grace! In order to teach about indulgences, we need to be able to explain them, which can be challenging. The Catechism defines an indulgence as: “The remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven” (Glossary). However, this answer begs a further question: “What is... Read more
The Word of God teaches us, clearly and beautifully, with what an eternal and infinite love our Lord Jesus Christ loves us. For us, he willingly endured the agony of the cross. When he rose again from the dead, he rose for us, taking us into his eternal embrace. We are united with him in the New Covenant. Washed in the blood and water that poured from his side on the cross, we remain his alone. This is the mystery of our holy Catholic faith, which has been handed on—vibrantly living, whole, unchanging—through all the generations since the first Easter... Read more
A couple of years ago, when I celebrated Confirmation at a large, working-class Hispanic parish in our Archdiocese, I was quite edified by two of the young confirmandi, who shared reflections on what their Confirmation meant to them. They said that their Confirmation gave them the grace to go forth and “build a civilization of truth and love.” I could not have said it better myself! Truth in love: the foundation of civilization. Both are necessary, both together, if we wish to have a flourishing society: truth and love. In “ Truth in Love ,” Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical on... Read more
As a time of immense grace, this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis is an opportunity for the Catholic Church and for each one of us to reflect ever more completely the merciful love of the Father (Lk 6:36). Holy doors are open in every diocese throughout the world; these open doors are symbols of hope, healing, and love; and they announce the mercy of God, who is “the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person.” [1] Each of us in ministry or service to... Read more
When news of the 5-4 decision of the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage was announced, some said that the question had been settled. But it isn’t. Five people, no matter how prominent, cannot settle such a momentous question for a democratic nation. Dred Scott did not end the discussion about the humanity of African-American slaves. Roe v. Wade did not end the discussion about the humanity of the unborn child. Obergefell vs. Hodges will not end the discussion of what marriage is or is not. There are too many questions and too many deeply held convictions that require further... Read more
There can be no greater sign of hope than the expectant mother. She is the “one who waits” for the pain and joy of childbirth. She affirms the strength of womanhood, cherishing the living hope slowly taking form in her womb, or “beneath her heart” as St. John Paul II put it in Evangelium Vitae. Therefore, the Church sets a unique pregnant woman before us. In this issue of The Catechetical Review , focused as it is on Christ our Hope, let us turn our gaze to the one who points us all towards the Coming of the Christ through... Read more
On September 27, 2013, Pope Francis gathered catechists from around the world for the International Congress on Catechesis in Rome. For many of these catechists, this was a stirring encounter with the Holy Father. While this department will regularly feature insights of our chief shepherds, in this inaugural issue we begin with those of the chief shepherd. May the following excerpts from the Holy Father’s important address to catechists [1] challenge us to faithfully live out our vocation. The Requirement of Love To “be” a catechist requires love, an ever stronger love for Christ, a love for his holy people... Read more