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Father Daniel Gallagher: A life of faith and service

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By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – Rev. Daniel Noel Gallagher, a devoted priest of the Diocese of Jackson, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison, Mississippi. A native of Cashel, South Curry in County Sligo, Ireland, Father Dan was born on Dec. 19, 1940. From an early age, he displayed a profound commitment to his faith, which ultimately led him to pursue the priesthood at St. Kieran’s College in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Father Dan was ordained on June 6, 1965, in the hallowed halls of Kilkenny’s St. Mary Cathedral. His priestly journey, spanning six decades, brought him to the Diocese of Jackson, where he faithfully served parishes in Yazoo City, Hattiesburg, Bay St. Louis, Batesville, Rosedale, Natchez and West Point.
In 1994, Father Dan found his true calling in hospital chaplaincy. Ministering at the VA Hospital in Jackson, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Methodist Rehab Center, he provided comfort and solace to patients and their families. Known for his humility and determination, Father Dan continued his ministry despite losing much of his eyesight. Unable to drive, he often walked or took the bus to reach those in need, embodying the essence of a shepherd tirelessly seeking his flock.

JACKSON – The visitation and funeral for Father Dan Gallagher was held at St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral on Friday, Dec. 6. Pictured: Father Nick Adam pays respects to Father Gallagher and Father Frank Cosgrove prepares his homily in honor of his friend. (Photos by Tereza Ma)

Father Dan’s service extended to leadership roles in the diocese. In 2002, he was appointed Director of the Cursillo Movement, a testament to his dedication to spiritual renewal. Later, in 2007, he became the in-residence chaplain at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson, where his compassionate care brought peace to the sick and their loved ones.
Even in retirement, Father Dan remained a quiet yet profound witness to God’s love. Friends and colleagues described him as a man of deep spirituality and unwavering faith. “Although Father Dan had weak vision, he had a very strong faith,” said Father Frank Cosgrove, a lifelong friend and fellow priest.
Father Cosgrove, who first met Father Dan just after their seminary days, recalled their unique bond. Raised only 30 miles apart in Ireland, they crossed paths on an airplane bound for Jackson. Their friendship deepened over the years, particularly during their days off in Batesville and Oxford, where they would ride bicycles together as young, vibrant men in their 30s.
Father Dan’s humility and resilience were perhaps most evident in how he embraced his blindness. “What always impressed me was how he accepted the gradual deterioration of his sight,” Father Cosgrove said. “He didn’t let his suffering make him bitter. It made him better.”
Father Dan’s ministry continued even at St. Catherine’s Village, where he remained a priestly presence, offering prayers and guidance to all who sought it. “Father Dan was too humble to ask for a miracle, but God gave him the grace to bear his cross patiently,” Father Cosgrove remarked.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Dec. 6, 2024, at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson. As he entered into eternal rest, his friends and parishioners found solace in knowing that Father Dan, who had walked by faith, now walked by sight in the presence of God.
Father Daniel Gallagher leaves behind a legacy of unwavering faith, boundless compassion, and a life wholly dedicated to God’s service. May he rest in peace.

Obispos estadounidenses: ‘Nos solidarizamos firmemente’ con los inmigrantes

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Por Gina Christian
(OSV News) – Tres obispos católicos de EE.UU. emitieron el 14 de noviembre una declaración de preocupación pastoral en la que se comprometen a apoyar a los inmigrantes.

“Obligados por el Evangelio de Jesucristo y reconociendo la dignidad inherente de cada persona como hijo de Dios, nos solidarizamos firmemente con nuestros hermanos y hermanas inmigrantes que viven y trabajan en los Estados Unidos”, escribió el arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio de la Arquidiócesis para los Servicios Militares de Estados Unidos, quien es el presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de EE.UU.; Mons. Mark J. Seitz, obispo de El Paso, Texas, presidente del Comité de Migración de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de EE.UU.; y Mons. Jaime Soto, obispo de Sacramento, presidente del consejo de Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc.

Conocida como CLINIC, la red es una organización sin ánimo de lucro con sede en Maryland que ofrece defensa, formación y apoyo a más de 400 proveedores de servicios jurídicos católicos y comunitarios en materia de inmigración en 49 estados de EE.UU.

Los obispos señalaron que “desde la fundación de nuestra nación, los inmigrantes han sido esenciales para el crecimiento y la prosperidad de esta sociedad”.

Miembros del Sínodo de los Obispos se reúnen con el Papa Francisco para una vigilia ecuménica con los participantes en el Sínodo de los Obispos el 11 de octubre de 2024, en la Plaza de los Protomártires Romanos del Vaticano. La plaza, justo al sur de la Basílica de San Pedro, es el lugar donde San Pedro y otros cristianos fueron martirizados en el siglo I bajo el emperador Nerón. (Foto CNS/Lola Gómez)Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Va., speaks during a Nov. 13, 2024, session of the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

“Llegan a nuestras costas como extranjeros, atraídos por las promesas que ofrece esta tierra, y se convierten en estadounidenses”, dijeron los obispos. “Siguen proporcionando seguridad alimentaria, servicios de salud y muchas otras habilidades esenciales que sostienen nuestra próspera nación”.

Según datos del Pew Research Center, los inmigrantes representan actualmente el 14,3% de la población estadounidense, el nivel más alto desde 1910, pero aún inferior al porcentaje de 14,8% de 1890.
Los datos de 2022 muestran que la mayoría de los inmigrantes (77%) están en EE.UU. legalmente, con casi la mitad (49%) como ciudadanos naturalizados, algo menos de una cuarta parte (24%) como residentes permanentes legales y un 4% como residentes temporales legales. Algo menos de una cuarta parte (23%) están en el país sin autorización.

Mientras que el presidente electo Donald Trump ha prometido deportar a millones de inmigrantes indocumentados, los obispos dijeron en su declaración que “nuestro país merece un sistema migratorio que ofrezca vías justas y generosas hacia la ciudadanía plena para los inmigrantes que viven y trabajan desde hace muchos años dentro de nuestras fronteras”.

En particular, afirmaron, “necesitamos un sistema que ofrezca un alivio permanente a los llegados en la infancia, ayude a las familias a permanecer unidas y acoja a los refugiados”.

Con gran parte de la migración mundial impulsada por conflictos y desastres naturales, los obispos subrayaron la necesidad de “desarrollar un sistema de asilo eficaz para quienes huyen de la persecución”.
Según la legislación internacional sobre derechos humanos – como la Convención de la ONU sobre el Estatuto de los Refugiados de 1951 y su Protocolo de 1967, al que Estados Unidos se adhirió en 1968 –, el principio fundamental de no devolución establece que los refugiados no pueden ser expulsados a territorios donde existan amenazas sustanciales para su vida o su libertad.

Al mismo tiempo, los obispos pidieron “un sistema de inmigración que mantenga nuestras fronteras seguras y protegidas, con políticas de aplicación de la ley que se centren en quienes presentan riesgos y peligros para la sociedad, en particular esfuerzos para reducir la actividad de las bandas, frenar el flujo de drogas y acabar con la trata de seres humanos”.

La doctrina social católica sobre la inmigración equilibra tres principios interrelacionados: el derecho de las personas a emigrar para mantener sus vidas y las de sus familias, el derecho de un país a regular sus fronteras y controlar la inmigración, y el deber de una nación de regular sus fronteras con justicia y misericordia.

Los obispos dijeron que Estados Unidos “debe tener un sistema de inmigración que proteja a los migrantes vulnerables y a sus familias, muchos de los cuales ya han sido víctimas de actores criminales”.

“Juntos, debemos hablar en nombre de las ‘masas amontonadas que anhelan respirar libres’ y pedir a nuestro gobierno que proporcione un trato justo y humano a nuestros queridos hermanos y hermanas inmigrantes”, dijeron los obispos, citando una línea de “El nuevo coloso” de la poeta Emma Lazarus, cuyo texto completo está inscrito en la base de la Estatua de la Libertad. “Es nuestra esperanza, y nuestra oración, que todos podamos trabajar juntos para apoyar una reforma significativa de nuestro actual sistema de inmigración,” añadieron los prelados.

(Gina Christian es reportera multimedia de OSV News. Síguela en X (antes Twitter) @GinaJesseReina.)

FEATURE PHOTO … Eucharistic Procession …

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NATCHEZ — St. Mary Basilica parishioners participated in the Procession of the Eucharist following 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday. A Eucharist procession is a Catholic ceremony in which the Eucharist — the bread and wine representing Christ’s body and blood — is carried through the streets as the faithful follow along, praying and singing. The St. Mary processional proceeded down Main Street to Wall Street to State Street and back to the church.

Iglesia católica de Florida sufre segundo incendio desde 2023

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Bomberos luchan contra un incendio en la iglesia católica de la Encarnación en Orlando, Florida, el 24 de junio de 2023. Los investigadores están investigando lo que sospechan es un segundo incendio provocado, esta vez dirigido contra la comunidad parroquial en su lugar de culto temporal el 16 de octubre de 2024. (Foto OSV News/YouTube)

Por Tom Tracy
ORLANDO, Florida (OSV News) – Después de sufrir un catastrófico incendio en 2023, una iglesia católica en los suburbios de Orlando, Florida, informó que una vez más fue posiblemente víctima de un incendio provocado en su espacio de culto temporal.
En junio del año pasado, unos pirómanos prendieron fuego a la Iglesia católica de la Encarnación, una parroquia del Ordinariato de la Cátedra de San Pedro, con sede en Houston, una diócesis católica con tradiciones anglicanas que el Papa Benedicto XVI estableció en 2012.
La iglesia quedó destruida el 24 de junio como consecuencia del incendio provocado, y la comunidad parroquial de la Encarnación se trasladó posteriormente a un espacio temporal en Orlando mientras recaudaba fondos para reconstruir su iglesia.
El incidente está siendo investigado por las autoridades locales y federales.
En la madrugada del 16 de octubre se produjo un segundo incendio, cuyos daños se concentraron en torno al altar, con restos carbonizados que cubrían la mesa, los atriles, los biombos, las estatuas, el suelo y las paredes.
En la página web de la parroquia y en una grabación telefónica de la oficina parroquial, los responsables de la iglesia han confirmado que el nuevo incidente está siendo investigado de nuevo por el Departamento de Bomberos de Orlando como un incendio provocado.
En las redes sociales, los feligreses y amigos de la parroquia expresaron su incredulidad, su dolor y sus oraciones por el hecho de que la iglesia pudiera ser víctima de otro incendio provocado y en tan poco tiempo.
Los observadores creen que el primer incidente puede haber coincidido con el primer aniversario de la sentencia de la Corte Suprema de 2022 en el caso Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, que anuló la decisión del caso Roe vs. Wade de 1973, otorgando el poder decidir sobre las regulaciones del aborto a los estados.

Dignity and rest for deceased embryonic children

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GUEST COLUMN
By Geralyn Gray-Lewis, RN
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss.

Many of our friends and family find themselves on the unexpected and sorrowful pilgrimage of infertility. We know as the cost of adoption rises, the availability of infants for adoption has also declined, as many women in crisis turn to abortion in their pains. adoption, likewise, has also declined as many women in crisis turn to abortion in their pain.

Thus, many couples find themselves pursuing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) as a means to build their family. However, as many embryos are often created and then frozen for future use, there exists an unintended consequence: surplus.

It is estimated that between 600,000-1 million embryos are frozen in reserve. However, life is fluid and often goals for family size are regrettably not realized, cost of continued freezing unsustainable or the embryos died before transfer. Ordinarily, such deceased tiny humans in IVF labs are disposed of as “medical waste.”

What should be our proper response to the “disposal” of deceased human embryos?

In 2018, Sacred Heart Guardians began offering a free, dignified, simple Christian cemetery burial for deceased embryonic children. This ceremony occurs every third month and to date 1,611 small humans have been cared for. Parents and family can attend the service in person headquartered in Minnesota or virtually. “This process provides a perpetually cared for place in this world for these special children and their families.”

In so, doing the Sacred Heart Guardians provide dignity to the child and great comfort to families.

For more information, visit www.sacredheartguarduians.org.

(Gerry Gray-Lewis is a parishioner of St. Richard Church in Jackson.)

May’s Marian feasts

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By OSV News
The Catholic Church has dedicated numerous feast days throughout the year to events in the life of Mary and her various titles. The following are some of the feasts of Mary in the month of May:

Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (May 13): Mary was called Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament by St. Peter Julian Eymard in 1868. In 1905, St. Pius X granted an indulgence to those who prayed to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Vatican in 1921 designated May 13 as her feast day (but the celebration is not on the church’s universal calendar).

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13): This feast commemorates the first of six apparitions of Mary to three shepherd children at Fatima in Portugal on May 13, 1917. The feast has become a cultural celebration for Portuguese Catholics around the world and is celebrated in many parishes throughout the United States, often with a procession through the streets surrounding the church.

Feast of Mary, Help of Christians (May 24): After praying to Mary for his safe release from captivity when taken prisoner by the French, Pope Pius VII instituted this feast day in 1815. The feast venerates Mary for her intercession on behalf of those who pray to her. Many Catholics will traditionally mark this day by performing their own charitable deeds to help others in need.

Feast of the Visitation (May 31): Originally celebrated in July, the feast of the Visitation marks Luke’s Gospel account of Mary, having been told by the Angel Gabriel that she would bear the son of God, visiting her cousin Elizabeth. The feast, which originated in the 13th century, was transferred to its current date in 1969 after the feast of the Queenship of Mary, previously celebrated on May 31, was moved to Aug. 22 to follow the feast of the Assumption.

After the bloom has left the rose

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IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
What is our deepest center? Normally, we take that to mean the deepest part of our heart, the deepest part of our soul, our affective center, our moral center, that place inside of us which Thomas Merton called le pointe vierge. And that is a good way of imagining it. But there’s another.

The classical mystic, John of the Cross saw things differently. For him, the deepest center of anything is the furthest point attainable by that object’s being and power and force of operation and movement. What does he mean by that? In essence, this is what he is saying: The deepest center of anything, be it a flower or a human being, is the furthest point to which can grow before it dies.

Take a flower for example: It begins as a seed, then grows into a tiny bud that sprouts into a young plant. That plant eventually bursts forth in a beautiful bloom. That bloom lasts for a while, and then begins to dry out and wither. Eventually, what was once the substance of a beautiful bloom turns into seeds, and then in its very act of dying, the flower gives off those seeds to leave new life behind.

Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

Thus, for John of the Cross, the deepest center for a flower is not its moment of spectacular beauty, its bloom, but its last moment when its bloom has turned to seed, and it is able to give off that seed in its very act of dying.

There’s a lesson in which goes against how we commonly assess things. When are we the most generative potentially? When do we have the greatest capacity to use our lives to give off the seeds for new life? What is our deepest center of growth?

Normally, of course, we think of the deepest center as the bloom, namely, that period or moment in our lives when a combination of good health, physical attractiveness, talent, achievement, and influence make us someone who is admired and perhaps envied. This is the time in our lives when we look our best and, as they say, are at the peak of our game. This is our bloom! The best we will ever look!

John of the Cross wouldn’t denigrate that moment in our lives. Indeed, he would challenge us to be in that moment, to enjoy it, be grateful to God for it, and to try to use the advantages and privileges that come with that to help others. But, he wouldn’t say this is the peak moment of our generativity, that this is the moment or period of our lives when we are giving off the most seeds for new life. No, like a flower that gives off its seeds in its very act of dying, we too are potentially most generative after the bloom has given way to the grey of age and our achievements have given way to a different kind of fruitfulness.

Imagine a young woman who is beautiful and talented, and becomes a famous movie actor. At the height of her career, she is in full bloom and is given the gaze of admiration. Indeed, she is adulated. Moreover, in her life outside of the movies she may be a generous person, a wonderful wife, a dedicated mother, and a trusted friend. However, that bloom is not her furthest point of growth, her deepest center, that time in her life when she is giving off the most vis-a-vis generating new life. Instead, when she is an aged grandmother, struggling with health issues, her physical looks diminished, facing the prospect of assisted living and imminent death that, potentially, like the flower whose bloom has dried and turned to seed, she can give her life away in a manner that helps create new life in a way she couldn’t do when she was young, attractive, admired, envied and in full bloom.

A similar case might be made for a star male athlete. At the height of his career, winning a championship, becoming a household name, his envied youthful athletic image seen everywhere in ads and on billboards, he is in full bloom; but at that time, he is not optimally generative in terms of his life giving off seeds to bring about new life. That can happen later, in his old age, when his achievements no longer define him, and he, like everyone else, with his hair greying, is facing physical diminishment, marginalization and imminent death. It is then, after the bloom has left the rose, that in his dying he can give off seeds to create new life.

We tend to identify a spectacular bloom with powerful generativity. Fair enough, that bloom has its own importance, legitimate purpose and value. Indeed, one of our challenges is to give that bloom the gaze of admiration without envy. Not easy to do, and something we often don’t do well. The bigger challenge however is to learn what we ourselves are called to do after the bloom has left the rose.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)

Called by Name

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I was blessed to spend the first weekend of March with the youth of the diocese at DCYC in Vicksburg. I know that this is being covered in another part of this issue, but I wanted to share my perspective! Each year I am blown away by the excellence of the event which our diocesan youth office puts on under the leadership of Abbey Schuhmann. The speaker and the musicians were full of faith and energy and inspired the kids, and myself.

Our seminarians help in various ways for the youth convention each year, and this year we noted that it felt like we were all a ‘well-oiled machine.’ I was really proud of Deacon Tristan Stovall and Grayson Foley as they were the masters of ceremony at the event; and Will Foggo, as he organized all the liturgies for the weekend. Our newer seminarians got their feet wet at the event supporting the organizing efforts of the other guys and walking with the youth and getting to know them.

VICKSBURG – Parish teams engaged in team building to construct the tallest tower to see which group will be first in line for dinner at DCYC. (Photo courtesy Lauren Roberts)

But it wasn’t just our seminarians providing support – I’m just in charge of them! It was really encouraging to see the network of young people in the church bringing along the younger generation and walking with them. Amelia Rizor helped coordinate a team of college students from her campus ministry team to walk with the kids and organize events. There were fantastic chaperones and youth ministers who continue to help our young people grow in their faith and inspire them to share the Gospel.

I came away from the weekend encouraged by the teamwork and dynamic leadership that our church has, especially in the young people who are at these events and on fire for the Lord. I have known many of our seminarians since they were in high school – they’ve been formed by our schools and our parish catechesis programs and our pastors and youth leaders, and they are sharing those gifts. I’ve also known many of our young youth leaders since they were in high school, and they are sharing their gifts as well.

This is the sort of teamwork that shows that we are members of One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I’d like to thank Abbey and her team for letting my department play a role at diocesan youth convention, and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and bring forth great leaders in the church for years to come.

Father Nick Adam, vocation director

(Father Nick Adam can be contacted at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)

Five great Lenten reads

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(OSV News) — The season of Lent is an ideal time to grow in the spiritual life. Here are five great reads to help you on your way.

  • “Salvifici Doloris” by Pope St. John Paul II

Written in the wake of his assassination attempt and published as an apostolic letter in 1984, “Salvifici Doloris” is a treatise on the redemptive value of suffering, one of the hidden gems of St. John Paul II’s bibliography. It explains that all suffering finds its meaning and is transformed by Jesus Christ, sheds light on the centrality of the cross in the Christian’s life, and ties together themes of suffering from Scripture to present a robust spirituality on suffering. With Lent’s focus on purification and the need to cling to Christ crucified, this letter is most fitting for the season.

  • “Finding God in Suffering” by Father Christopher M. Mahar (Pauline Books & Media US, 2023)

Drawing richly from the teachings on suffering by Pope St. John Paul II, “Finding God in Suffering” tackles the age-old questions related to the topic, such as “what does suffering mean? Why does God allow it? How can it have a purpose? With Lent’s focus on Christ’s passion and death, this book can help others come to see their own connection to the Suffering Christ.

Drawing from decades of experience in pastoral counseling, author Father Christopher Mahar articulates the church’s teachings very clearly and with great empathy and hope. Each chapter is accompanied by reflection questions and prayer prompts, making the book a perfect tool to engage mind, heart and strength in the midst of suffering.

  • “With God in Russia” by Father Walter Ciszek, S.J. (Ignatius Press, 1997)

An inspiring and challenging memoir of the American Jesuit priest’s imprisonment in a Soviet gulag, falsely accused of espionage and subversion. Much of Father Ciszek’s suffering was endured in hard labor camps in Siberia. While there, he embraced the horror of his situation as a means to carry on his priestly work, even celebrating the sacraments secretly. But, moreover, the brutality he faced was a proving ground for great virtue and holiness. Given the importance placed on interior renewal and holiness imposed by the significance of Lent, this book has much to ponder.

These are the covers of “Finding God in Suffering” by Father Christopher M. Mahar, and “Legacy of Mercy” by Gretchen R. Crowe. (OSV News illustration)
  • “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas à Kempis (Noll Library, OSV, 2018)

“The Imitation of Christ” is a handbook for spiritual life. The 15th-century text is divided into four books: “Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life,” “Directives for the Interior Life,” “On Interior Consolation” and “On the Blessed Sacrament.” It was written at a time when many recognized the need for reform in the church by holier living of its members. It focuses on the interior life and withdrawal from the world. It places emphasis on the devotion to the Eucharist as a key element of spiritual life. It can be a sure daily companion during Lenten prayer time.

  • “Legacy of Mercy” by Gretchen R. Crowe (OSV, 2022)

Legacy of Mercy is an odyssey into the heart of forgiveness, making it a perfect book to pray with during the season of Lent.

Written by OSV News’ editor-in-chief, the book tells the story of raising and losing a son; the story of forgiving his murderers; and the story of a mother responding to her son’s death not with vengeance or self-pity, but with love and a desire to serve others in need.

On May 31, 1999, Rachel Muha experienced a mother’s worst nightmare. Her youngest son, Brian, and his friend Aaron Land were taken by force on a journey of about 20 miles, spanning three states, that ended in torture and death. They were roommates and students at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and the murders shocked the campus and the wider community.

Even before her son’s body was found, Rachel publicly forgave her son’s killers. It was a life-changing moment, not just for her but for everyone who heard her powerful act of forgiveness and love. Rachel has continued to choose mercy and forgiveness every day since then, now leading a ministry that serves inner-city children in the hope that they won’t choose the same life that Brian’s murderers did.

This list originally appeared at Simply Catholic, an online ministry of Our Sunday Visitor.

Bishop Rolando Álvarez released, exiled from Nicaragua after over 500 days of detention

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By David Agren
MEXICO CITY (OSV News) – Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa has been released from prison and sent into exile along with 18 imprisoned churchmen as the Nicaraguan government expelled its most prominent critic, whose presence behind bars bore witness to the Sandinista regime descent into totalitarianism, along with its unrelenting persecution of the Catholic Church.

Vatican News confirmed Jan. 14 at 10:41 p.m. Rome time that with the exception of one priest who remained in Venezuela, all released priests, including Bishop Álvarez and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna, have arrived in Rome “in the last few hours” and are “guests of the Holy See.”

Nicaraguan independent media 100% Noticias posted a photograph on X, formerly Twitter, of the two freed bishops concelebrating Mass in Rome.

Independent Nicaraguan media reported Jan. 14 that the churchmen had departed Nicaragua on a flight for Rome after the government reached an agreement with the Vatican for their release and exile. Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua – who left the country in 2019 – also confirmed the news at his weekly Mass in Miami, and was visibly moved.

“This is the power of the people of God’s prayers,” he said. “The criminal Sandinista dictatorship of (President) Daniel Ortega has not been able to defeat the power of God.”

The Nicaraguan government acknowledged the churchmen’s release in a Jan. 14 statement, which “deeply thanked” Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, “for the very respectful and discreet coordination carried out to make possible the Vatican trip of two bishops, fifteen priests and two seminarians.”

Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa walks outside a Catholic church in Managua May 20, 2022. After more than 500 days’ detention, the Ortega regime released the prelate, who has been the Nicaraguan government’s most prominent critic, from prison Jan. 14, 2023, and sent into exile along with 18 other imprisoned churchmen. Bishop Álvarez safely landed in Rome Jan. 14, the Vatican confirmed. (OSV News photo/Maynor Valenzuela, Reuters)

The statement continued, “They have been received by Vatican authorities, in compliance with agreements of good faith and good will, which seek to promote understanding and improve communication between the Holy See and Nicaragua, for peace and good.”

The statement struck an unusually respectful tone – far from the government’s frequent accusations of terrorism and coup mongering against church leaders, who attempted to unsuccessfully facilitate a national dialogue after mass protests erupted demanding Ortega’s ouster. The Nicaraguan government also severed relations with the Vatican and expelled the nuncio, Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, in 2022. The Vatican subsequently closed its embassy in March 2023.

“We recognize the chance for direct, prudent and very serious dialogue, a responsible and careful dialogue,” the government statement said.

The release of 19 churchmen – including Bishop Mora and more than a dozen priests detained during a wave of detentions over the Christmas period – provoked reactions of joy among Nicaraguans in exile, along with statements of defiance.

“With great joy, I thank God that my brother bishops, priests, and seminarians are out of prison. Justice has triumphed. The power of the prayer of God’s people has been displayed,” Bishop Báez said on X, formerly Twitter.

Ambassador Brian A. Nichols, assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, said on X that the regime “expelled 19 unjustly detained Catholic clergy, including Bishop Álvarez.”

“We are reassured to see the release of these religious leaders. All people have the right to worship at home and abroad. We continue to call for the release of all those unjustly detained and the restoration of the fundamental freedoms of the Nicaraguan people,” Nichols emphasized.

Bishop Álvarez has become the face of resistance in Nicaragua, raising his voice against the increasing intolerance of the Sandinista regime – which has subdued the business community, forced the free press out of the country and attempted to control the Catholic Church.

The bishop spent more than 500 days in custody after police arrested him in August 2022 during a pre-dawn raid on his diocesan curia, where he had been holed up protesting the seizure of Catholic media outlets. In February 2023, He was sentenced to 26 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and spreading false information – one day after he refused to leave the country.

Bishop Álvarez refused subsequent attempts at exiling him – as expulsion or refusing priests reentry to the country after traveling abroad became a common tactic.

“The dictatorship feels safer or more comfortable with religious people outside the country than inside the country,” Arturo McFields Yescas, a former Nicaraguan diplomat in exile, told OSV News.

“When they are inside (the country) they consider them a threat, a danger, a counterweight to their official narrative. And when they are outside, (the regime) feels that they no longer have that critical voice, or that voice of truth, which spoke to the people and people listened to,” he said.

(David Agren writes for OSV News from Mexico City.)

Bishop Rolando Álvarez sentenced to 26 years and 4 months in prison by Nicaragua a day after the regime deports 222 political prisoners to U.S.