The inner strength of this man...
I am a Franciscan Friar, Catholic Priest serving in Gary, IN as pastor of all four parishes and rector of the cathedral.
328 followers 265 following 115 posts
view profile on Bluesky
The inner strength of this man...
It seems that dark days will follow Labor Day here in Chicago and, surely, elsewhere. This weekend is a good time to remember who we really are, fortify ourselves against the perversions of faith and patriotism all around us. religionnews.com/2025/08/28/l...
Today, remembering these words about #prayer from St. Teresa of Kolkata: "Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." #MinneapolisTragedy
Today, remembering these words about #prayer from St. Teresa of Kolkata: "Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." #MinneapolisTragedy
Today, remembering these words about #prayer from St. Teresa of Kolkata: "Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." #MinneapolisTragedy
"There was gunpowder on my neck." A 10 yo who said the bullets went right past him. MEDIA- PAY ATTENTION. YOU DO NOT PUT A CHILD WHO HAS "Gunpowder on his neck." On TV to win a rating. NO. NO. NO. SHAME ON YOU. There is no excuse for putting a traumatized CHILD on TV.
Today, remembering these words about #prayer from St. Teresa of Kolkata: "Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." #MinneapolisTragedy
Labor Day is for workers, not an occupation. religionnews.com/2025/08/28/l...
Today, remembering these words about #prayer from St. Teresa of Kolkata: "Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." #MinneapolisTragedy
Today, remembering these words about #prayer from St. Teresa of Kolkata: "Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." #MinneapolisTragedy
Putting a 10 year old on tv to talk about his friend being shot at school is a different level of diabolical.
Pope Leo: โWe believe that the unity Christ wills for his Church must be visible, and that such unity grows through theological dialogue, common worship where possible, and shared witness in the face of humanityโs suffering.โ www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
Brother, this is six dimension chess you are playing...
Immigration authorities denied reentry into the United States to a Venezuelan-born priest from Miami-Dade County, despite his valid religious visa. The Archdiocese of Miami intervened and succeeded in overturning the decision. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
Bishop Menjivar-Ayala: "We should not accept that anti-immigrant rhetoric. Why donโt we preยญsent a different kind of rhetoric?" uscatholic.org/articles/202...
The clearest picture of corporate greed in this country is CEO-to-worker pay ratios. At the 100 lowest-paying major US companies, CEO pay averaged $17.2M in 2024. Median worker pay at these companies was just $35,570. Thatโs a ratio of 632 to 1. How can anyone defend this?
Illinois tells Bondi that its sanctuary status stands firm.
Father Gustavo Santos, a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami in good standing and with a valid R-1 religious worker visa through November 2025, was unexpectedly and wrongfully denied admission into the United States upon his return from an overseas tripโฆโ www.miamiarch.org/CatholicDioc...
Oh, you're one of THOSE visiting friars...
Remember: There is nothing natural or inevitable about extreme inequality; itโs the result of an economic system that values wealth and power over human dignity and justice. It doesn't have to be this way.
I didnโt know until now that in the original Rosie the Riveter painting, she is crushing a copy of Mein Kampf under her foot. Happy feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, remembering all the women who crush the serpents of Satan under their heel.
Hard to hit the โค๏ธ button in this one...
EX AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA MCFAUL: โPutin doesn't look at all of this stuff as a sign of strength. He looks at it as a sign of weakness. He had to do absolutely nothing to get this meeting. Putin has gained everything and given nothing in return.โ
The White Houseโs official X account has a long thread in which theyโve posted pictures of people arrested during the fedsโ occupation of the city. Every single person in the thread is a person of color.
SCOTUS's religious freedom jurisprudence is bad, but its logical corollary is that religious leaders and religious organizations can be doing more to rally their people and oppose ICE. Abp Wenski proved it can work. It's time to press forward. religionnews.com/2025/08/07/a...
Subpoena that Temu account.
The truth here is so ever relevant, is so simple and profound. I think I might pop it into my next book. Sharing yet again:
Context matters.
Pope Leo in message for World Day of Migrants: โIn a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can seeโฆโ www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
And please stop referring to the rosary as a weapon.
Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in Gaza, was struck by an Israeli shell on Thursday morning, resulting in several injuries, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Pope Francis would call the parish daily at 7pm local. www.vaticannews.va/en/church/ne...
The Senate Judiciary Committee appears poised to approve Emil Bove as a federal appellate court judge and Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for DC, with vital support from Sen. Thom Tillis, despite a vow to quash nominees who excused Jan. 6.
Sometimes my least favorite of my own homilies are the ones that touch people in unexpected ways, though...
We all have those moments...
โ๏ธUK Prime Minister Starmer and German Chancellor Merz signed a friendship treaty between the United Kingdom & Germany The treaty between the countries includes a commitment for the two nations to assist each other in case of armed attack.This is a reaction both to an increasingly aggressive Russia
Mexico sent more than thoughts and prayers.
It's not a new rite. I'm happy for the opportunity for this Votive Mass (a set of prayers to include within the structure of the Mass), as there have long been several other Votive Masses, all of which are optional.
Inviting Rep Nancy Mace to join me remembering the author of this bill of indictment on the 199th anniversary of his death. The charges are worth reflecting on. ๐บ๐ธ
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
Congratulations!
This is oligarchy. This is obscene. While 60% live paycheck to paycheck & kids go hungry, Jeff Bezos, worth $230 billion, goes to Venice on his $500 million yacht for a $20 million wedding & spends $5 million on a ring while his real tax rate is just 1.1%. End this oligarchy.
"Diversity, equity and inclusion are not anathema to Christian life and discipleship, they are found in the very heart of what it means to be a Christian." #DEI #LiveTheGospel #PrayForAmerica www.ncronline.org/opinion/what...
Permit me a moment of insufferable pride, but two CTU students in our Bernardin Scholars program were published in @americamag.bsky.social today. Their contributions are different, our program has as much breadth as Card Bernardin's ministry. Both are important, timely public theology. ๐๐๐๐๐
Reading โSimplicity, Spirituality & Service: The Timeless Wisdom of Francis, Clare, and Bonaventureโ by Bruce G. Epperlyโฆ this paragraph really spoke to me. ๐ฅน
Pope Leo: โTen years ago, Pope Francis signed the Encyclical Letter Laudato Siโ, devoted to care for our common home. It has had an extraordinary impact, inspiring countless initiatives and teaching everyone to listen to the twofold cry of the Earth and of the poor.โ
Much of my day has been spent relaxing, reading, and ponderingโฆ on my heart today is something from St. Bonaventure โGod is the One whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere.โ Itโs little morsels like this that inspire me. A complete theology in miniature.
And I thought this was supposed to be a friendlier space.
BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine, a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza in his first Sunday noon appeal.
Pope Leo at Regina Coeli: โIn today's dramatic scenario of a third world war being fought piecemeal, as Pope Francis has repeatedly stated, I too turn to the world's leaders, repeating the ever-timely appeal: never again war!"
The Vatican has released Pope Leo XIVโs coat of arms: โThat we might all be one in Him.โ
โAs can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine, and also of my way of acting and thinking...As an Augustinian, for me promoting unity and communion is fundamental.โ #PopeLeoXIV
Pope Leo tells cardinals they must continue 'precious legacy' of Pope Francis reut.rs/4meMUxm
Thrilled that #PopeLeo got his degree from the same theologate I did! Same degree, same school, many of the same professors. Take time to read this article about CTU on whose board I serve. uscatholic.org/articles/202...
Via @catholicnewssvc.bsky.social: Cardinal McElroy speaking about the conclave at his titular parish this evening: "I can give you no insights into who is ahead. Not because I cannot do so because of my promise, although I can't, but because I have no guess."
While Rome prepares to elect a new pope, Bp Barron celebrates in the Rose Garden - blessing a president who mocks the papacy in AI regalia. Pope Francis rests in humble marble. Trump posts in gold. Bp Barron must decide: the Church of Christ or the Church of Trump. www.ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-...
Not too long ago certain prominent Catholic "apologists" would have been apoplectic over this. But now...
"What I don't like at all, in general, is that we look at the so-called 'sin of the flesh' with a magnifying glass...If you exploited workers, if you lied or cheated, it didn't matter, but instead relevant were the sins below the waist (2023)." #PopeFrancis
"May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples." #PopeFrancis #Testament
Global reactions pour in after the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff. Follow live updates.
Holy Saturday Lauds (Morning Prayer) Today, the Church asks us to do something that is almost impossible for we modern people to do, and that is to be silent. Today, we continue to keep the Paschal Fast until the end of the Easter Vigil. That means we eat less, speak less, do less โ all to keepโฆ
"Many fears can dwell within us and terrible injustices surround us, but a new world has already been born. God so loved the world that he gave us his Son, Jesus. He pours balm upon our wounds and wipes away our tears." #PopeFrancis #EasterTriduum
"We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all your churches around the world, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world." #SaintFrancisOfAssisi #GoodFriday #EasterTriduum
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are days for Christians to reflect on what it really means to be a Christian. As St. Athanasius of Alexandria stated: "God became Man, so that we might become like God."
O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble Himself like this and hide under the form of a little bread, for our salvation.
For twelve hours, the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary IN is open on Good Friday. Confessions, private prayer, liturgy.
"If you can purchase US citizenship for $5 million, the โillegalsโ are only guilty of being poor." -Feminist News
You are right. It is not scriptural.
"Prayer doesn't change things. Prayer changes people, people change things." --St. Teresa of Kolkata
A Franciscan scholar and former spiritual director once said, "You yourself are often the first gospel anyone will encounter." BE the Gospel!
Agree abt that mini-homily thing. The early homily on PS I tell them this IS the homily now, and why we are sitting in silence after the Passion. To prepare them for it. Also, I don't do the Gospel in parts -- even though we have a deacon, I proclaim the Passion in its entirety, with refrain breaks.
I do the homily after the short Gospel in the beginning, and then silence after the Passion. Just to let it stand on its own power.
Iโm praying with this thought โฆ โwhat is *my* Jerusalemโ? โJerusalem is as real a place as any, revered as โour holy place - โฆ But in our spiritual lives, โJerusalemโmay yet have a different, more symbolic meaning: the place we do not wish to go but to which God calls us.โ โ Jesuit prayer
โWe've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.โ ~ Saint Catherine of Siena
Keep in mind that for every instance of a lawyer's obtaining due process for one of these unlawful deportations, there are absurdly many deportees who aren't represented, who couldn't contact counsel, and whose families and friends don't know where they are.
Crawford: Today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections, and our Supreme Court.. Wisconsin stood up and said that justice does not have a price, our courts are not for sale
@stevenpmillies.com Key line for the D's in the future, so many like her around the country from WI: "I never thought that I, from Chippewa Falls Wisconsin, would face off against the richest man in the world." It boils down to that.
๐ก โGod is not inclined to work miracles.โ St. John of the Cross reminds us: God works through ordinary meansโfaith, silence, love. ๐ carmelitequotes.blog... #CarmeliteQuotes #JohnOfTheCross
Exactly. Whenever someone says something like. "This is not who we are," I always respond, "Yes it is."
A new draft sent by the US on a mineral deal with Ukraine is highly unfavorable, warns MP Zheleznyak. According to him, five peopleโthree from the U.S. with veto powerโwill control all resources, including oil & gas. The agreement applies nationwide, profits go abroad without security guarantees.
When bridal processions become parades...
"When we are tempted to act with vengeance, resentment, cruelty, or selfishness, let us not consider the sad example of those who hate others. But let us raise our eyes toward the love that becomes the lamb, becomes food, becomes Passover, becomes covenant." #OscarRomero #assisiproject.com/podcast
Meta raked in $8B thanks to Trumpโs first tax cuts. It donated $1M to Trumpโs inauguration. Comcast got $6.6B. It donated $1M to his inauguration. Bank of America got $24B in tax subsidies, and you guessed it, donated to Trumpโs inauguration. This is who Trump governs for.
Ossoff: This is why things donโt work for ordinary people. Itโs not because of trans kids or woke college students. Itโs not because of our new arch-enemyโฆ Canada.
www.snopes.com/news/2025/03...
IRS Moves To Give ICE Addresses Of Suspected Undocumented Immigrants โIt is a complete betrayal of 30 years of the government telling immigrants to file their taxes.โ Someone may be knocking on your door, immigrant or not. BIG BROTHER IS HERE. www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...
Soโฆ the very same Republicans who said they were cutting SNAP because hunger could be โaddressed by food banksโ, just cut $500 MILLION in funding forโฆ You guessed it. Food banks.
A man slated for deportation has captured conditions inside the Krome Detention Center in Florida. He says some people have been confined like this for up to 30 days. At least three men have died at Krome in the past five months. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8248mFR/
"The administration's environmental agenda embodies a profound moral failure โ a choice fundamentally opposed to life itself. Trump's legacy is the intentional sacrifice of today's marginalized communities and future generations for temporary economic gain." www.ncronline.org/opinion/edit...
Weโre honored to share that Richard Rohrโs latest book, "The Tears of Things," has made the New York Times Non-Fiction Best Sellers list.โ This recognition reflects the deep resonance of Richardโs message. nytimes.com/books/best-s... Congratulations, Richard, on this well-deserved achievement.โ
The National Novena for Migrants and Immigrants continues tomorrow when Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. will lead prayer at Noon CT. Resgister and join us at ctu.edu/novena/.
Interesting list, with several members of religious orders (including a Friar Minor and a Capuchin Franciscan!)
"May the fiery and honey-sweet power of your love, O Lord, wean me from all things under heaven, so that I may die for love of your love, as you deigned to die for love of my love." #SaintFrancisOfAssisi
When you hear Trump & his supporters defend the detention of a Green Card holder by pretending to care about 1) antisemitism on campus, and 2) trespassing on college property, remember that Trump 1) hosted a Holocaust denier for dinner & 2) pardoned violent insurrectionists.