The Bishop cometh

Tomorrow afternoon the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki will be at Sacred Heart Parish in Virden to confirm eight of our young people in the faith.

Much work has been done today preparing for his arrival: windows have been washed, carpets vacuumed, candles changed, tables set and the facade of the church was even power washed. I am very grateful for the tremendous work many of the parishioners put in today to help celebrate tomorrow's festivities.

This will be Bishop Paprocki's first Confirmation in the Diocese. So far as I can tell, all is set, with the exception of my greeting to him.

A prayer request

A young man who is very dear to me is going through a difficult time at the moment and could use the assistance of your prayers. In your charity, would you please remember him at the altar of the Lord?

Is canonization anti-environemtn?

Catholic World News passes on this curious story about an Australian who claims the forthcoming canonization of Blessed Mary MacKillop "demeans" that for which the holy woman stood.

The editorial uses, to say the least, questionable logic in combination with a faulty, at best, understanding of canonziation.

It was this odd line, though, that peaked my curiosity:

I dare say Mary MacKillop would be horrified at the immense expenditure and massive carbon footprint associated with trying to attribute miracles to her so she qualifies for sainthood.

I daresay Blessed Mary likely wouldn't know what a carbon footprint is. Of all the foolish arguments against canonization I have heard, this one takes the cake.

Thinking of Priesthood Day

From the Office for Vocations:

On Saturday, October 16, 2010 the Office for Vocations will be hosting a "Thinking of Priesthood" day at the Villa Maria in Springfield. Fr. Jonathan Fassero, O.S.B., will be the presenter for the day. Fr. Jonathan is a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, has worked for many years in the seminary at Saint Meinrad and is an entertaining speaker. Arrival time is 9:30 AM with the day beginning at 10:00 AM. It will consist of presentations, discussion, prayer and lunch. The day will conclude with Mass and dinner. There is no cost for this event. Please make a reservation with the Office for Vocations by E-mailing vocations[at]dio[dot]org or by calling 217-698-8500, ext. 182. The Villa Maria is located at 1903 East Lake Shore Drive in Springfield.

If you know of a young man who might be called to the priesthood, why not ask him to attend this day?

Papal Prayer Intentions

GENERAL: That in less developed parts of the world the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people's hearts, encouraging them to work actively toward authentic social progress.

MISSION: That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the numerous wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.

Bishop Paprocki's weekly column

Vocations Director has a problem

Father Christopher House, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, says that he has a problem with his group of eleven seminarians. In his words, the group "is too small!"

He recently wrote an editorial in the Catholic Times. His text follows, with my emphases and comments:

In the Aug. 1 edition of Catholic Times Bishop Thomas John Paprocki spoke of the trip that he and I made to Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Mich. The seminary there specializes in pairing seminarians from Poland with dioceses here in the United States where they might serve as priests.

The bishop and I are planning to return in September to Ss. Cyril and Methodius to meet the new class of seminarians there and invite them to consider priesthood in our diocese [I am very hopeful for this. The Poles at the seminary with me were men of strong faith and good humor]. This is a great opportunity for our diocese, however, it is not a fix for our priestly vocations need.

Currently we have 11 very fine men in the seminary system studying on behalf of our diocese. I am proud of these men and I can tell you that we are blessed to have them. I have only one problem with this group: It is too small! There is no reason why our diocese should not be sponsoring 20-plus men [He's right, you know]. They are out there. We need to find them. This is where your help is needed [Finding them isn't as hard as you might think. You see them everyday. Just ask them if they've consider the priesthood yet. I daresay you'll be surprised at the responses you'll get].

What can you do to help change this situation? Lots! First, pray; it’s that simple. We do not need to ask that God will bless us with more priestly vocations; he is already planting those vocations in the hearts of men throughout the diocese. Our prayer needs to be that those who are called might respond joyfully and without fear [Father makes an excellent distinction here]. It is our responsibility to help bring those vocations forward; praying for those who are called will help them to speak that “yes” to the Lord’s call.

Second, invite! Look around your family, your friends, your parish; is there someone there who might just possibly make a good priest? Have you ever considered asking him? All it may take is a simple invitation to open someone’s mind and heart to the Lord’s call [That invitation from others was what I needed].

Maybe you are someone whom the Lord is calling; have you ever considered it? [The Lord isn't always calling the other guy].

Over the next months the Office for Vocations will make some new initiatives in the hopes of helping more men in our diocese to say “yes” to the call to share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Vocations are everyone’s business. Are you doing something to help others answer the call?

Dr. Alveda King to lead protest at Planned Parenthood in Springfield

From the Catholic Times (with my emphases):

Dr. Alveda King, pro-life proponent and niece of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, will join Bishop Thomas John Paprocki at an ecumenical prayer service for life at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The service will be followed by a prayerful walk and peaceful protest at the Planned Parenthood of Springfield.

The events are sponsored by the diocesan Office for Social Concerns, the Gospel of Life Committee of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, and Springfield Right to Life.

In March of this year, Planned Parenthood announced that it would begin offering medication abortions at the Springfield offices, located 1000 E. Washington St.

Medication abortions involve pills containing the drug mifepristone (formerly called RU-486), which the pregnant woman takes at the Planned Parenthood office. She is then given medication call misoprostol, which she takes at home. Within 24 to 48 hours, the baby is aborted.

"Our presence and prayers outside Planned Parenthood are a witness to the respect of all life, especially the unborn baby," said Sister Jane Boos, SSND, director of the Office for Social Concerns. "We pray that mothers and fathers, struggling with a difficult pregnancy, will choose to give their unborn child life and that the community of faith will be there to help that woman financially, emotionally and spiritually during the pregnancy. In addition, we protest the introduction of the abortion drug RU-486 in our community."

Sister Jane said that Springfield area Catholic schools have been invited to send student representatives to the prayer service and peaceful protest.

King, who sees the pro-life struggle as a continuation of the civil rights struggle, currently serves as a pastoral associate and director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries. She is also a voice for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, sharing her testimony of two abortions, God's forgiveness and healing.

King is the daughter of the late civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King and his wife, Naomi Barber King. She grew up in the civil rights movement led by her uncle. Her family home in Birmingham, Ala., was bombed, as was her father's church office in Louisville, Ky. She was jailed during the open housing movement.

King is a former college professor, served in the Georgia State House of Representatives and sits on the board of Georgia Right to Life.

Right to Life dinner

On that same evening of Sept. 24, King will be the keynote speaker for Springfield Right to Life's annual benefit dinner at the Northfield Center, 3280 Northfield Drive in Springfield. Tickets are $50 per person for adults and $25 each for students.

The reception will begin with hors d'oeuvres at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. with Bishop Paprocki giving the invocation.

Included in the festivities will be presentation of the Msgr. John Spreen awards for 2010. The winners are: Congressman John Shimkus, the Statesman Award; Alveda King, the Warrior Award; and Angie Squires, the Rosebud Award.

Tickets for the benefit dinner are $50 per person for adults and $25 each for students. Reservations for the dinner may be made by check to Springfield Right to Life, 316 E. Monroe St., Springfield IL 62701. Or, visit www.srtl.org.

For information about the ecumenical prayer service and peaceful protest at the Planned Parenthood offices, contact Sister Jane Boos at (217) 698-8500.

Father George Ruttler addresses the new translation of the Mass

Father George Rutler is generally a must read on whatever he writes, but this week he is especially so. Writing on the new translation of the Mass, he says:

One thing is certain to a pastor: the only parishioners fighting the old battles are old themselves, their felt banners frayed and their guitar strings broken, while a young battalion is rising, with no animus against the atrophied adolescence of their parents, and only eager to engage a real spiritual combat in a culture of death. They usually are ignorant, but bright, for ignorance is not stupidity.

They care little if the Liturgy is in Latin or English or Sanskrit, as long as they are told how to do it, for they were not told. Some critics of the new translations have warned that the changes are too radical, which is radioactively cynical from people who in the 1960’s wantonly dismantled old verities overnight, in their suburbanized version of China’s Cultural Revolution.

From my experience of but five years as a priest, he is quite right. Go read the full text.

No, my dog isn't spoiled

Good news for Chicago

The Holy Father Benedict XVI has honored twenty priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago, thirteen with the title "Prelates of Honor to His Holiness" and seven priests with the title "Chaplains to His Holiness."

Both sets of honors come with the honorary title "Monsignor."

Some of those honored were professors under whom I studied at Mundelein Seminary: the Reverend Monsignors John V. Dolciamore, Dennis J. Lyle (who is now rector of Mundelein Seminary) and Charles R. Meyer. The Reverend Monsignor John F. Canary was the rector of Mundelein Seminary during my time there; currently he is the Vicar General.

Congratulations!

Bishop Paprocki to run for cathedral

The Most Reverend Thomas J. Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, will run his seventeenth marathon this October in Denver Colorado.

In a recent letter, he says he is seeking pledges for the miles he will run to help pay off the debt incurred with the restoration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The text of the letter follows, with my emphases:

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

As you may already know, I enjoy running and over the years have participated in 16 marathons. I am currently training to run the 26.2 mile Denver marathon on Oct. 17, 2010.

One of the reasons I run marathons is to raise funds for charity. This year I have decided to dedicate my marathon effort to help pay off the debt of the recent restoration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

Many people who attended my installation as your new bishop in June made very favorable comments about the newly-restored Cathedral. Catholics in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois can take rightful pride in our beautiful mother church, especially the many people who have already contributed generously to help pay the restoration costs. However, due to unexpected expenses there is an outstanding debt of $2.07 million. I would like to make a push to retire this debt completely.

If you would like to support me in this effort, I invite you to make a tax-deductible pledge donation (e.g., $2 per mile x 26.2 miles = $52.40).

If you have any prayer intentions that you would like me to include while I am running and praying, please write them down and return them to me.

As sacred Scripture says, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). Your support will be greatly appreciated by me and all Catholics who gather and pray at our magnificent Cathedral.

God bless you,

Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki
Bishop of Springfield in Illinois

If you wish to make a pledge, you may do so online or through the mail.

A new blog: Lux Mundi

This morning I happened to see on Facebook that one of my former students has launched a blog, Lux Mundi, through which he hopes to "spread the Light, that light being the truth of the Catholic Faith."

In his second post, about his summer activities with Totus Tuus, he reflects on the current situation of vocations to the priesthood through his experience in a certain city in the Diocese:

The city in which I was working for the work [sic; read "week"] has been known as a seedbed for vocations for our diocese, and I see why. The families are amazing in building culture and faith amongst themselves. The priests seem to know how to get to the people. And the perpetual adoration chapels are numerous. When a city loves the Eucharist that much, as well as the man who helped bring it to them, there is no wonder why so many priests are born there.

Though I do not know, I suspect he speaks of my beloved Quincy. If I am wrong, I am sure he will let me know.

His third post is on diversity in the Church, and his fourth post is a fine reflection on bread. I think he's well on his way to spreading that light. Go ahead: add him to your blog reader.

Pope encourages better knowledge of the saints

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI used his General Audience address yesterday to encourage familiarity the Saints.

A translation of his text, via Zenit, follows, with my emphases:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the life of each one of us there are very dear persons, to whom we feel particularly close; some are already in God's arms, others still share with us the journey of life: they are our parents, relatives, educators. They are persons to whom we have done good or from whom we have received good. They are persons we know we can count on. However, it is also important to have "travel companions" on the journey of our Christian life: I am thinking of a spiritual director, a confessor, persons with whom we can share the experience of faith, but I am also thinking of the Virgin Mary and of the saints. Each one should have a saint that is familiar to him, to whom he feels close with prayer and intercession, but also to imitate him or her. Hence, I would like to invite you to know the saints better, beginning with the one whose name you bear, by reading his life, his writings. You can be certain that they will become good guides to love the Lord ever more and valid aids for your human and Christian growth.

As you know, I am also united in a special way to some saints: among these, in addition to St. Joseph and St. Benedict, whose names I bear, and of others, is St. Augustine, whom I had the great gift of knowing, so to speak, up close through study and prayer, and who has become a good "travel companion" in my life and my ministry. I would like to stress once again an important aspect of his human and Christian experience, timely also in our age, in which it seems that relativism is, paradoxically, the "truth" that must guide thought, decisions and behavior.

St. Augustine was a man who never lived superficially. Thirst [for Truth], an anxious and constant search for Truth, is one of the underlying characteristics of his existence; however, [he didn't seek] "pseudo-truths" incapable of giving lasting peace of heart, but that Truth that gives meaning to existence and that is the "dwelling" in which the heart finds serenity and joy. His, we know, was not an easy journey: He thought he found Truth in prestige, in his career, in the possession of things, in the voices that promised him immediate happiness. He committed errors, went through sadness, faced failures, but he never paused, he was never satisfied with what gave him only a ray of light.

He was able to look into the depth of himself and he realized, as he writes in his Confessions, that that Truth, that God that he was looking for with his efforts was more intimate to him than he was to himself. He had always been by his side, had never abandoned him, was waiting to be able to enter into his life definitively (cf. III, 6, 11; X, 27, 38).

As I said commenting recently on a film on his life, in his anxious search, St. Augustine understood that it was not he who had found Truth, but that Truth itself, which is God, pursued and found him (cf. L'Osservatore Romano, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2009, p. 8). Commenting on a passage of the third chapter of the Confessions, Romano Guardini affirms: St. Augustine understood that God is glory that puts us on our knees, drink that extinguishes thirst, treasure that makes us happy, [...he had] the pacifying certainty of one who has finally understood, but also the blessedness of the love that knows: this is everything and it is enough for me" (Pensatori religiosi, Brescia, 2001, p. 177).

Again in the Confessions, in the ninth book, our saint gives us a conversation with his mother, St. Monica -- whose memorial is celebrated Friday, day after tomorrow. It is a very beautiful scene: he and his mother are in Ostia, in an inn, and from the window they see the sky and the sea, and they transcend sky and sea, and for a moment touch the heart of God in the silence of creatures. And here a fundamental idea appears in the journey toward Truth: creatures must be silent so that there will be a silence in which God can speak. This is also true in our time: Sometimes there is a sort of fear of silence, of recollection, of reflecting on one's acts, on the profound meaning of one's life. Often preferred is living the fleeting moment, hoping that it will bring lasting happiness. One prefers to live, because it seems easier, with superficiality, without thinking; there is fear of seeking the Truth, or perhaps there is fear that the Truth will find us, will grip us and change our life, as happened to St. Augustine. '

Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to say to all, also to those in a difficult moment in their faith journey, those who do not participate much in the life of the Church, or those who live "as if God did not exist" that they not be afraid of the Truth, that they never interrupt their journey toward it, that they never cease to seek the profound truth about themselves and about things with the internal eyes of the heart.

God will not fail to give Light so that one can see, and Warmth to feel the heart that loves us and that wants to be loved.

May the intercession of the Virgin Mary, of St. Augustine and of St. Monica accompany us on this journey.

Bishop Perry asks for prayers for Tolton's cause

In an interview with the Catholic New World, the Most Reverend Joseph Perry said what he needs now to advance the cause of canonization for Father Augustus Tolton is prayers: "Prayer and intercession that God will favor the church in Chicago — or will favor anyone with God’s intervention in their life through Tolton’s intercession."

Bishop Perry, who recently returned from a meeting with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, also reports that the cause is moving along.

Kalaupapa trail closed

Mozlink passes on the sad news that those wishing to visit the settlement where Saint Damien of Moloka'i lived and worked for sixteen years cannot - at this time - take the famed Moloka'i Mule Rides down the pali trail into the former leper colony. The only way in is by plane.

Homily - 22 August 2010

The Twenty-first Sunday of the Year (C)

The question posed to Jesus by someone in the crowd is a poignant one: “Lord, will only a few people be saved” (Luke 13:23)? This person seeks to know the number of those who will be saved and, perhaps, even the names of those who will be saved.

The Lord avoids answering this question directly, saying in reply, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” (Luke 13:24). By answering in this manner, by speaking of the narrow gate and of the difficulty of coming to salvation, Jesus turns the question on the asker as if to say, “What is it to you? What is important is that you be saved.”

What, then, can one do to be saved? Salvation is, first of all, a gift of God; it is the gift of the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of God’s friendship. Saint Paul teaches us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Yet, though salvation is the gift of God, it can also be lost or even refused. The Apostle also instructs us, saying, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). The gift of salvation, then, is not something that is simply received once as though it were though over and done.

The Lord God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth,” Jesus Christ, who died for us that we might be saved (I Timothy 2:4). Indeed, when the Lord Jesus walked among us, he called everyone to enter his kingdom, especially those who are sinners. So fundamental to his ministry is this call that in Saint Mark’s Gospel the first words spoken by Jesus are these: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Jesus invites us sinners “to that conversion without which one cannot enter the kingdom, but shows them in word and deed his Father’s boundless mercy for them and the vast ‘joy in heaven over one sinner who repents’ (Luke 15:7) [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 545].” This first conversion leads one to the waters of baptism, but we know that this conversion must also be ongoing until the very moment of death; each of us is constantly in need of conversion, of a greater turning towards the Lord. It is by this continual striving to enter through the narrow gate that we work out our salvation, being constantly “drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first” (cf. I John 4:10) [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1429].

This is what Jesus means when he tells us to “strive to enter through the narrow gate.” In Paul’s language, we work out our salvation by the choices we make each day of our lives. He allows us to choose to live in his love or to reject his love. He honors and respects our freedom and will not force us to love or serve him; he will not force us into a friendship with himself. Even so, he continually offers his friendship to us. This is why he says there will be those whom he does not know who will say to him, “Lord, open the door for us” (Luke 13:25).

The gate to salvation, to heaven, to friendship with Jesus, is narrow, because it is the way of love and of selflessness. Those who enter through the narrow gate are those who follow Christ Jesus and seek to imitate him in all things.

Because salvation is found in the Truth, “those who obey the prompting of the Spirit of truth are already on the way of salvation;” they are preparing to enter through that narrow door. Likewise, those who disobey the Spirit of truth are not on the way of salvation but on the way of perdition [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 851].

“We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves” [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033]. For this reason, Saint John writes, “He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (I John 3:14-15).

If we die in the state of mortal sin, that is, outside of friendship with God, we will be forever separated from him because of our free choice against him and against his will. This state, this eternal separation from God, “in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs,” we call “hell,” where, in the words of the Savior, “there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out” (Luke 13:28) [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1035].

To be cast out of the kingdom, it is necessary to willfully turn from God through mortal sin and persist in it until death, but those who find themselves in mortal sin can repent of their sin. They are invited to hear again the Lord’s invitation, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The Lord Jesus calls them to seek the grace of God through a sacramental confession, that they might be freed from their sins, restored to friendship with God and set again on the path to life.

We see, then, the great seriousness of the Christian life; we want to be among those who attain salvation, who live forever in the joy of heaven. We, too, cry out to Jesus, saying, “Lord, open the door for us.”

Notice what those who are not known by the Lord say to him: “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets” (Luke 13:26). They are those who looked to Jesus for what he could give them; we might say they were simply along for the ride. They are those who heard his teachings and saw his acts of love but allowed neither to impact their lives or hearts; they refused to change their hearts and would not give themselves to Christ.

There are many today who would seek to speak these same words to the Lord, yet they would receive the same response: “I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.”

Many have believed in Christ and have celebrated the holy festivals in his honor. Frequenting the churches, they also hear the doctrines of the gospel, but they remember absolutely nothing of the truths of the Scripture. With difficulty, they bring with them the practice of virtue, while their heart is quite bare of spiritual fruitfulness. These will also weep bitterly and grind their teeth, because the Lord will also deny them [Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Homily 99 in Ancient Christian Commentar on Scripture, New Testament Vol. III: Luke, Thomas C. Oden, et al, eds. (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity Press, 2003), 230].

As we hear the word of the Lord we would do well to sincerely consider how well we know the Lord and how serious and purposeful is our prayer at the Holy Mass.
 
Dear brothers and sisters, do we truly listen to the Word of God proclaimed in our midst and seek to interiorize it, or do we simply endure it? Do we truly prepare ourselves well before the Holy Mass by keeping the hour fast and turning our hearts to the Lord, or do we simply show up? Do we say our responses with conviction and sing to God with the heart of one who loves, or are we simply physically present? When we approach Holy Communion, do we know who it is that we are about to receive, or do we simply approach as mindless lemmings? Do we receive his Precious Body in our hands or on our tongue with devotion and humble love, or do we treat the Eucharistic Lord as just another token?

Listen, dear friends, to the words of Saint Augustine about those who were not known by the Lord:

You see that they did not value their food very highly, and yet it was with reference to it that they said they belonged to Christ. Christ is the food that is eaten and drunk. Even Christ’s enemies eat and drink him. The faithful know the Lamb without spot on which they feed, if only they fed on it in such a way that they are not liable to judgment! The apostle says, “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily is eating and drinking judgment upon himself (I Corinthians 11:29)” [Saint Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 308, A.6 in Ibid.].

Let us not be found as enemies of Christ, but as those counted among his friends.

How, then, are we to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in a worthy manner? We do so by preparing ourselves, both physically and spiritually, to receive Holy Communion.

If we examine our consciences and find that we have not kept the hour fast, we should not approach the Sacrament. If we find that we have not quieted ourselves to receive, we might well consider not approaching the Sacrament. If we are conscious of serious sin we have committed which has not yet been confessed – if we have destroyed another’s reputation; if we have engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage; if we have used contraception or helped procure an abortion; if we have missed Mass on a Sunday or holy day – we should not present ourselves to receive Holy Communion. By receiving the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord when we are not in a state of grace, when we are outside of his friendship, we compound our sin with the sin of sacrilege.

Friendship with Jesus requires a continual conversion of heart and mind. It requires that we listen to him in all things and seek to follow faithfully after him. It means that we live in communion with him and with his Church.

In short, friendship with Jesus – like any friendship – is not possible without a conscious effort and desire to please him. Let each of us, then, seek to enter well into these holy mysteries celebrated at his altar, that we might know the Lord and be known by him. Amen.

Proactive resistance

The Italian journalist Sandro Magister notes that the Bishops of the United States seem to be shifting toward a new focus in relation to American politics:

With respect to the past, the shift represented by the new course of the Church in the United States consists, on the terrain of politics, of abandoning the "Kennedy doctrine," the doctrine of a rigid separation between Church and state, the effect of which – according to its critics – is the privatization of religious belief in the isolation of the conscience and its elimination from the public sphere.

Magister particularly notes that the Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver, has called Catholics to a certain "resistance" that is not just defensive, but - in Magister's word -proactive.

From Zenit - and via Carl Olson - comes the happy news that the second volume of Pope Benedict XVI's series Jesus of Nazareth should be available March 13, the First Sunday of Lent.

What is more, Ignatius Press will publish it. It struck me a bit funny that Ignatius Press didn't publish the first volume.

Pastoral statistics

Much of my duties these past few weeks have involved looking through papers, creating files and learning the lay of the land, as it were. As such, there hasn't been a great deal of interesting things to post about, unless you like hearing about filing systems, the joys of coordinating schedules and other such things.

Before I find new things to blog about, I thought I might pass on to you a few of my pastoral statistics from my present assignments. I am responsible for:

8 towns;
3 parishes;
4 churches;
3 halls;
2 rectories;
2 cemeteries; and
1 school building