Three years in the planning – that’s how long it took Reverend Canon Robert Lynam, pastor, St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Kendall Park, to arrange a visit to Rome for an audience with Pope Francis for Father Thomas Lanza and his parents as a gift from the parish in honor of Father Lanza’s ordination by Bishop James F. Checchio Aug. 29, 2020.
On the eve of Advent, when offered the gift of time for prayer and spiritual preparation in expectation of the birth of Christ, I recall a sentiment about Christmas that I have heard often over the years, in a variety of ways from a variety of people – family, friends and even strangers as they go about their Christmas planning and shopping, and recently found unexpectedly in a book I was reading:
I was first introduced to Harry Emerson Fosdick through a quote: “… real Christians do not carry their religion; their religion carries them. It is not weight, it is wings. It lifts them up, it sees them over hard places. It makes the universe seem friendly, life purposeful, hope real, sacrifice worthwhile. It sets them free from fear, futility, discouragement, and sin – the great enslaver of men’s souls. You can know a real Christian when you see him, by his buoyancy.”
Catechetical Sunday, which this year fell on Sept. 17, is an opportunity to celebrate catechists – those who share the Gospel and the teachings of the Church with others, especially the young.
Since 1964, the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, created by the Davenport, Iowa, Interracial Council, has been presented to persons of outstanding achievement in peace and justice, not only in their own country but in the world. Former recipients have included Dorothy Day, President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr.; Dorothy Day; St. Teresa of Kolkata; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the Dalai Lama.
When more than 3,000 Black American Catholics gathered for the 13th National Black Catholic Congress July 20-23, they were continuing an initiative that began in 1889 when journalist Daniel Rudd, born a slave in Kentucky, founded the Congress.
In spite of the challenges encountered during the three-year health crisis of COVID-19, “Catholic schools have continued the legacy that has characterized Catholic education: academic excellence, a strong partnership with parents, a sense of community and a faith-filled education for students nationwide,” reports the National Catholic Educational Association.
Each year, Pope Francis invites the Church to commemorate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Sept. 1. This day of prayer begins a month-long “Season of Creation” which concludes on Oct. 4 with the feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of ecology. Calling on all Christians to pray and work together to care for our common home, the theme for this year’s Season of Creation is, “Let justice and peace flow.”
My mother-in-law was a feisty woman, who was always up for a rousing debate, especially about her faith. Still, given that she was a cradle Catholic who spent several years in a convent boarding school as a child, her decision to join the Jewish Community Center in her 70s, after her husband died, was a surprise to all of us.
The words on the license plate loomed large before me – ARE YOU. For the past 10 miles I had been engaging God with a litany of concerns, complaints and prayer requests, punctuated by an occasional thank you. The only voice I heard was mine, that was until I was forced to stop at a red light. Then God spoke, in the words on the license plate on the rear of the car ahead of me.