Encountering, following Jesus changes everything, pope says

By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – It is not enough to know about Jesus, one must encounter him, be changed by his Gospel and follow him, Pope Francis said.

“I can know many things about Jesus, but if I have not encountered him, I still do not know who Jesus is,” the pope told visitors and pilgrims who joined him in St. Peter’s Square Sept. 15 for the midday recitation of the Angelus prayer.

“It takes this life-changing encounter; it changes one’s way of being, one’s way of thinking, it changes the relationships you have with your brothers and sisters, your willingness to accept and forgive, it changes the choices you make in life,” he said.

In the day’s Gospel reading from St. Mark, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
Peter responds correctly, saying that he is the Christ, the pope said. However, Peter still has a “worldly” way of thinking that believes the Messiah must be strong and victorious, and can never suffer or die.
“So, the words with which Peter responds are ‘right,’ but his way of thinking has not changed,” Pope Francis said. “He still has to change his mindset; he still has to convert.”

This is the same message for all Catholics, who must ask themselves, “Who is Jesus for me?” he said. It is not enough to respond with something learned in catechism class, to know doctrine and to recite prayers correctly.

Pope Francis greets visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus at the Vatican Sept. 15, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

“In reality, to know the Lord, it is not enough to know something about him, but rather to follow him, to let oneself be touched and changed by his Gospel. It is a matter of having a relationship with him, an encounter,” he said.

The faithful, he said, should be “bothered” by the questions and ask “who Jesus is for me, and what place does he occupy in my life? Do I follow Jesus only in word, continuing to have a worldly mentality, or do I set out to follow him, allowing the encounter with him to transform my life?”

“Everything changes if you have truly come to know Jesus!” the pope said.

Being rich, but in a hurry

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Several years ago, I went with another priest to visit a mutual friend. Our friend, a successful businessman, was living on the top floor of a very expensive apartment overlooking the river valley in the city of Edmonton. At one point during our visit, he took us out on his balcony to show us the view. It was spectacular. You could see for miles, the entire river valley and much of the city.

We were in awe and told him so. Thanking us for the compliments, he shared that, sadly, he seldom came out on the balcony to drink in the view. Here are some of his words: “You know, I should give this place to some poor family who could enjoy it. I could live in a basement apartment since I never have time to enjoy this. I can’t remember when I last came out here to watch a sunset or a sunrise. I’m always too busy, too pressured, too preoccupied. This place is wasted on me. About the only time I come out here is when I have visitors and want to show them the view.”

Jesus once said something that might be paraphrased this way: What does it profit you if you gain the whole world and are forever too much in a hurry and too pressured to enjoy it.

When Jesus talks about gaining the whole world and suffering the loss of your own soul, he isn’t first of all referring to having a bad moral life, dying in sin and going to hell. That’s the more radical warning in his message. We can lose our soul in other ways, even while we are good, dedicated, moral people. The man whose story I just shared is indeed a very good, dedicated, moral and kind man. But he is, by his own humble admission, struggling to be a soulful person, to be more inside the richness of his own life because when you live under constant pressure and are perennially forced to hurry, it isn’t easy to get up in the morning and say: “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.” We are more likely to say: “Lord, just get me through this day!”

As well, when Jesus tells us that it’s difficult for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, he isn’t just referring to material riches, money and affluence, though these are contained in the warning. The problem can also be a rich agenda, a job or a passion that so consumes us that we rarely take the time (or even think of taking the time) to enjoy the beauty of a sunset or the fact that we are healthy and have the privilege of having a rich agenda.

Full disclosure, this is one of my struggles. During all my years in ministry, I have always been blessed with a rich agenda, important work, work that I love. But, when I’m honest, I need to admit that during these years I have been too hurried and over pressured to watch many sunsets (unless, like my friend, I was pointing out their beauty to a visitor).

I have tried to break out of this by conscripting myself to regular times of quiet prayer, regular walks, retreats, and several weeks of vacation each year. That has helped, no doubt, but I’m still too much of an addict, pressured and hurried almost all the time, longing for space for quiet, for prayer, for sunsets, for a hike in a park, for a glass of wine or scotch, for a contemplative cigar. And I recognize an irony here: I’m hurrying and tiring myself out in order to carve out some time to relax!

I’m no Thomas Merton, but I take consolation in the fact that he, a monk in a monastery, was often too busy and pressured to find solitude. In search of that, he spent the last few years of his life in hermitage, away from the main monastery except for Eucharist and the office of the church each day. Then, when he found solitude, he was surprised at how different it was from the way he had imagined it. Here’s how he describes it in his diary:

Today I am in solitude because at this moment “it is enough to be, in an ordinary human mode, with one’s hunger and sleep, one’s cold and warmth, rising and going to bed. Putting on blankets and taking them off, making coffee and then drinking it. Defrosting the refrigerator, reading, meditating, working, praying. I live as my ancestors lived on this earth, until eventually I die. Amen. There is no need to make an assertion about my life, especially so about it as mine … I must learn to live so as to forget program and artifice.”

And to check out the sunset from my balcony!

When we are rich, busy, pressured and preoccupied, it’s hard to taste one’s own coffee.

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

The glory of ordinary time

On Ordinary Times
By Lucia A. Silecchia
Last weekend, the morning glories took me by surprise – as they always do.

During the all-too-brief months of this past spring and summer, I bought some plants and tried my best to give them the attention they needed so that they would grow into the plants I wanted and the plants I planned. I am too impatient to be a serious gardener, so I was not attempting anything more than keeping the flowers in a few pots alive and well throughout the season. Some did not make it. To my pleasant surprise, others did.

As August rolled around and the plants that thrived were reaching peak bloom, I felt the satisfaction that comes from seeing the tangible beauty of plans realized and effort rewarded. The fruit of my carefully laid botanical plans were blossoms that burst forth looking at least a little bit like the pictures in the garden shop.

Yet, just as the plants I tended were reaching primetime, their beauty was eclipsed by the bright bold explosion of vibrant pink morning glories bursting forth from previously nondescript vines along my fence and in my neighbors’ yards.

We did not plant them, and they received no care all season – except for the sun and rain freely bestowed on them. They were not planned, paid for, or cultivated. Indeed, many serious gardeners rail against morning glories as aggressive, invasive trespassers.

Nevertheless, I must admit that the most beautiful blooms in my yard right now are not those I planned. Rather, it is the morning glories – my uninvited interlopers – that catch my eye and warm my heart.
Lowly, often reviled morning glories may point to something important about life itself. So often, the plans we make – even when they are realized – pale in comparison to the joy that comes our way unexpectedly and uninvited.

So often, we can plan a well-organized and costly vacation only to find when we return home that our favorite memory is an unplanned ice cream cone bought on a beautiful night.

So often, we can meticulously plan a business trip and find that the most valuable time was not the conference we duly attended but a seemingly random conversation that began an important collaboration.

So often, we can plan the perfect Thanksgiving meal and find that decades later it was a culinary disaster that gave the family a wealth of happy memories.

So often, we can plan a specific career path and then pivot to a whole new plan because, unexpectedly, someone or something unanticipated inspired us to try something new.

Appreciating that the unexpected may be better than our own plans is not easy. For a planner like me, it is uncomfortably uncertain. In those moments, though, when I find a new, beautiful, delightful surprise in my path, it may be time to remember the lowly morning glory.

The same God who made the morning glory sees every other beautiful thing for which I have not planned, worked, or sought. The same God who freely offers the beauty of the morning glory also freely offers all the other unexpectedly beautiful gifts that are waiting to be discovered every day.

There is great joy in seeing plans realized as intended – and in seeing the flowers bought, cultivated and cared for bloom on schedule. But there is a very special joy that comes from those beautiful, unhoped for surprises that fill our lives. They are the glory of ordinary time.

(Lucia A. Silecchia is Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Research at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. “On Ordinary Times” is a biweekly column reflecting on the ways to find the sacred in the simple. Email her at silecchia@cua.edu.)

What an autumn poem teaches us about God’s love

GUEST COLUMN
By Father Patrick Briscoe, OP
As the long days of summer fade and autumn’s cool, crisp air starts to settle in, it’s hard not to feel a shift in our spirits, too. I’m not one to have a favorite season; I love them all. But there’s so much to praise about fall. The vibrant colors of the leaves, the shorter days and the cozying up with a warm drink all invite us to slow down, to take stock of where we are in life and to savor our many blessings. Fall naturally draws us to reflection. What better way to do that than through the lens of our faith? And the Catholic poet Rainer Maria Rilke can help.

Father Patrick Briscoe, OP

Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem, “Autumn,” really nails the essence of this season. He writes, “The leaves fall, fall as from far, / Like distant gardens withered in the heavens; / They fall with slow and lingering descent.” The leaves, with their acquiescing descent, are more than just leaves – they are symbols of a fundamental principle in the spiritual life: surrender. Tempted to clutch the boughs of their trees, the leaves give in, however reluctantly, to nature’s summons.
When they begin their descent, they let go of the branches they cling to. Entrusting themselves to wind and breeze, they yield to the whims of current and weather. Whether tossed violently or permitted to descend gracefully, leaves accept it all as it comes. Each leaf relents and falls.

Rilke’s words remind us that this reluctance to let go isn’t just about the leaves. It’s something we all experience, isn’t it? Life is full of changes, and sometimes we resist them, even though we know they’re part of God’s plan. Rilke says in his poem that the Earth itself is falling – “And in the nights the heavy Earth, too, falls / From out the stars into the Solitude.” We’re falling, too, sometimes feeling like we’re drifting into precarity or uncertainty. And it’s so tempting to feel like we’re alone. But here’s the thing: God is found only in the solitude.

“The man who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely, no matter how much he may surround himself with people,” writes the Trappist monk Thomas Merton. “But the man who learns, in solitude and recollection, to be at peace with his own loneliness, and to prefer its reality to the illusion of merely natural companionship, comes to know the invisible companionship of God.” Solitude isn’t emptiness or darkness.

(Photo courtesy of BigStock)

Rilke doesn’t leave us hanging in despair. The beauty of his poem is that it leads us right back to God. In the midst of all this falling – whether it’s leaves, the Earth, or our own lives – there’s One who holds everything “infinitely softly in His hands.” The poem concludes, “Thus all doth fall. This hand of mine must fall / And lo! the other one: – it is the law. / But there is One who holds this falling / Infinitely softly in His hands.” How comforting is that? In a world that’s constantly changing, where everything seems to be in motion, God is the steady hand holding it all together. He’s unchanging, always there, gently guiding us through the ups and downs, the letting go, and the holding on.

So, as we move into the heart of autumn, let’s take a moment to really see the falling leaves for what they are – a summons to surrender. But even in that surrender, we’re never abandoned. Each leaf that falls is held by the same God who holds us. He’s there in every season, every transition, guiding us with a love that never fails.

(Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, is editor of Our Sunday Visitor. Follow him on X @PatrickMaryOP)

Revive, restore, replenish

FROM THE HERMITAGE
By sr. alies therese
Olympic athletes are exhausted. Revive. A single mother has worked two jobs. Revive. The tent went up in the small rural town, the preacher arrived and the people filed in. Revival.

S.E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders says, “Rat race is a perfect name for it. We’re always going and going and going, and never asking where … It seems like we’re always searching for something to satisfy us, and never finding it.”

Searching for revival seems a real thing today in our political moment, in our moment when all seems lost, in a moment when we discover the message of the Scripture. Revival invites us to rest, recover, and feel something new. Maybe you celebrate the Sabbath (the Lord’s Day)? It is a day of revival. It might be Sunday when you or the family chill, play, and eat family favorites. Every Sunday, we can have a day to interrupt the rat race. Every Sunday, we can enter into the peace of God. Every Sunday. Revival. It is the day we can help, hug, and encourage one another to continue searching and learning to love. We can even take a nap! Maybe that’s why it is called Sabbath rest?

“On the seventh day God finished His work.” (Gen 2:1-3) The heavens and the earth were finished.
Restoration continues this notion of revival by reminding us that on that day God not only rested but He “sanctified and blest the day.” How is that going with you? We enter into this sanctification in one way by attending Mass, where we meet Jesus and our community. We are restored to health and reminded that “the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest holy to the Lord.” (Third commandment)

Restoration is gleaned by allowing ourselves to be forgiving and … forgiven. Repentance is a way to restore harmony in the family, in the town or in the country. Indeed, in God’s universe. One way to do this is to allow our Sabbath day to be a constant in our lives. If I make a doctor’s appointment and write it in my diary … unless something tragic happens, I attend. We can do the same with the Sabbath. It is God’s day … it is our day to be refreshed and restored in His love.

Finally, from paying attention to what revival and restoration do for us, we become replenished with an overflowing joy that we have distanced ourselves from anger and hatred, fear and anxiety. Yes, we open up like newborns and breathe deeply. Our hands are lifted to the Lord, our minds are refreshed, and most importantly our hearts have been refilled with God’s loving-kindness. When we were not kind previously, we can say sorry and allow the kindness of God to fill us and we can pass it on to others. Happiness comes from allowing God, who will always replenish us with kindness, joy, and love, to overflow into the family or community.

The English American writer Frances Hodgson Burnett in The Little Princess reminds us, “Anyone who is kind wants to know when people have been made happy. They care for that more than being thanked.”
So, begin to practice a real Sabbath day (Sunday the Lord’s Day) each week and you will deepen your love of God. Learn to read the Scriptures on that day, share them with your family, and know that this love letter from God is to restore you as He replenishes you. Gratitude will be your best prayer.
Blessings.

(Sister alies therese is a canonically vowed hermit with days formed around prayer and writing.)

Dignity and rest for deceased embryonic children

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.)

Pope thrives, hits main themes of his pontificate during Asia-Pacific trip

By Cindy Wooden
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SINGAPORE (CNS) – The 87-year-old Pope Francis not only survived the longest trip of his pontificate, but he drew energy from the crowds who came to see him, and he seemed to enjoy his 12-day visit to Asia and the Pacific.

Unity, respect for one’s culture, interreligious dialogue, care for the poor and for the environment were the main themes of his talks in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore Sept. 2-13.
Except for in Jakarta, Indonesia, his last event in each country was a meeting with young people. And despite his age, all the meetings he already had sat through, and changing time zones with each country, Pope Francis seemed to draw the most energy from the young.

He did not follow a single prepared text for his gatherings with teens and young adults, and none of the meetings finished on time. Instead, picking up on a phrase or two of what he heard from his young hosts, he’d launch a dialogue, revving up the crowd with “I can’t hear you” when they didn’t respond loudly enough.

Pope Francis waves to young people gathered for a meeting on interreligious dialogue at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore Sept. 13, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The 45th trip of his pontificate took him from predominantly Muslim Indonesia to predominantly Christian Papua New Guinea and from poverty-stricken Timor-Leste to super-affluent Singapore.
While poverty, development and the consolidation of democratic institutions are still challenges for the country, which won its independence in 2002, Pope Francis said he was impressed by how young the population was, by the people’s enthusiasm and by their faith.

In fact, an estimated 600,000 people showed up for Mass with the pope Sept. 10 in a park in Tasitolu; the country itself has a population of only 1.3 million people – 96% of whom are Catholic. Excluding Vatican City State, it was the largest percentage of a local population ever gathered for a single Mass, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican foreign minister, told reporters.

With government leaders Pope Francis addressed some of the key challenges each country faces, and with church workers he pleaded for ministry that was close to the people, willing to share their struggles and always conveying the joy of knowing one is loved and forgiven by God.

He did not shy away from talking about the serious divide between rich and poor in Indonesia.
“Some people want to deal with this” by resorting to “a law of death, that is, limiting births, limiting the greatest wealth a nation has – new births,” he said, referring to a long-running government program promoting the use of contraceptives.

The pope elicited smiles and laughter when he told government and civic leaders Sept. 4 that in some countries, “families prefer to have a dog or a cat.”

Pope Francis visited Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque – the largest mosque in southeast Asia – Sept. 5, and he and Nasaruddin Umar, the grand imam, signed a short document committing members of their religious communities to defending human dignity, especially when threatened with violence, and to defending the integrity of creation.

But recognizing the sensitive situation of Indonesia’s Catholic community, Pope Francis told church workers that the Christian call to share the Gospel is not about trying to win converts at all costs, but about living in a way that exudes Christian joy and always treats others with respect.

“Proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or placing it in opposition to that of others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ, always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone,” the pope told bishops, priests, religious and catechists at a meeting Sept. 4.

He made the same point, in a slightly different and less precise way Sept. 13, when he spoke extemporaneously to young adults engaged in interreligious dialogue in Singapore – a country where many religions coexist but where a significant portion of the population follows no religion at all.

“If we always say, ‘My religion is more important than yours’ or ‘My religion is true and yours is not,’ where will that lead us?” he asked the young people.

“Every religion is a path toward God,” who is the creator and father of all, the pope said. And if there is only one God and father, then all people are brothers and sisters.

In Papua New Guinea, where some 98% of the population is Christian, Pope Francis asked for a greater focus on “the peripheries of this country” with “people belonging to the most deprived segments of urban populations, as well as those who live in the most remote and abandoned areas, where sometimes basic necessities are lacking.”

“I think too of the marginalized and wounded, both morally and physically, by prejudice and superstition, sometimes to the point of having to risk their lives,” the pope said. “The church desires especially to be close to these brothers and sisters, because in them Jesus is present in a special way.”

A group of missionaries – priests and sisters – from Argentina were ministering in the jungle, and Pope Francis decided to pay them a visit.

The Australian Royal Air Force flew him 600 miles to Vanimo near Papua New Guinea’s border with Indonesia Sept. 8 for a meeting in a field with about 20,000 people and then a short drive to the missionaries’ church and school in Baro.

Father Tomás Ravaioli, one of the Argentine Incarnate Word missionaries working in Baro, told reporters, “at his age, in his condition, this is an enormous sacrifice. But it shows that what he says, what he writes, he also demonstrates” in his closeness and service to people.

Briefs

James Earl Jones, poses for photographers as he stands next to Darth Vader at the premiere of the film “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” at the TriBeCa Film Festival in New York City May 12, 2002. The late actor, a Catholic with a storied career that included voicing the character Darth Vader, died the morning of Sept. 9, 2024. (OSV News photo/Chip East, Reuters)

NATION
DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. (OSV News) – James Earl Jones, a distinguished actor known for his resonant voice and a Black Catholic, died Sept. 9 in Dutchess County at age 93. His numerous and versatile roles over an illustrious 70-year career included the voice of Darth Vader in “Star Wars,” beginning in 1977, and Mufasa in “The Lion King” (1994); a reclusive author in “Field of Dreams” (1989); and Admiral James Greer in “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), as well as Broadway and Shakespearan plays. He was also the dramatic voice behind CNN’s tagline “This is CNN.” A convert to the Catholic faith as a young man while serving in the U.S. Army, Jones wrote in 1993, “Perhaps my greatest honor came when I was asked to read the New Testament on tape,” pointing to an unabridged recording of the King James Version of the New Testament he made in the 1980s that was remastered for CD in 2002. His talent earned him the elusive “EGOT,” having garnered Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. The Oscar was an honorary Academy Award granted in 2011. Jones’ passing coincided with the feast of St. Peter Claver, a patron saint of Black Catholics.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, repeated – without evidence – claims about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield, Ohio. But Vance’s fellow Ohio Republican officials have said such claims are false, and Catholic leaders have called for respect for migrants. At a Sept. 10 debate, former President Donald Trump also repeated the viral, unverified claims – refuted by local authorities – about Haitian migrants, a largely Catholic population, living in the city of Springfield, Ohio, that accuses them of abducting pets and eating them. In a Sept. 15 interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Vance was confronted by anchor Dana Bash about that claim, which he has also repeated. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast,” Vance said. Vance’s fellow Ohio Republicans including the state’s governor and Springfield’s mayor, called the claims that Haitian migrants are kidnapping and eating pets false. “We have a big-hearted community, and we’re being smeared in a way we don’t deserve,” said Mayor Rob Rue, also a Republican. Credible estimates vary, but a few thousand immigrants from Haiti have settled in Springfield, Ohio, city officials said, and most have legal status. Most came as a result of a local Chamber of Commerce effort to revive Springfield as a manufacturing hub.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The second session of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, set to bring 368 bishops, priests, religious and laypeople to the Vatican, will begin by asking forgiveness for various sins on behalf of all the baptized. As synod members did before last year’s session, they will spend two days on retreat before beginning work; that period of reflection will conclude Oct. 1 with a penitential liturgy presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican announced. The liturgy will include time to listen to the testimonies of three people: one who suffered from the sin of abuse, one from the sin of war and third from the sin of indifference to the plight of migrants, according to a Vatican statement announcing the liturgy. Afterward, “the confession of a number of sins will take place,” said the statement, released Sept. 16. “The aim is not to denounce the sin of others, but to acknowledge oneself as a member of those who, by omission or action, become the cause of suffering and responsible for the evil inflicted on the innocent and defenseless.” The liturgy is open to all but is specifically geared toward young people, as it “directs the church’s inner gaze to the faces of new generations,” the Vatican said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Maybe it is a sign of aging, Pope Francis said, but he is increasingly concerned about what kind of world he and his peers will leave for younger generations – and the prognosis is not good. “This isn’t pessimism,” the pope told about two dozen representatives of popular movements and grassroots organizations meeting Sept. 20 at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Pope Francis said he feared adults are leaving behind “a world discouraged, inferior, violent, marked by the plundering of nature, alienated by dehumanized modes of communication,” and “without the political, social and economic paradigms to lead the way, with few dreams and enormous threats.” But, he said, if people join forces, especially with those who are most often the victims, things can change.

WORLD
HANOI, Vietnam (OSV News) – More than 100 people, including a Catholic religious sister, are still listed as missing after Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year, left at least 233 dead in northern Vietnam. Sister Maria Nguyen Thi Bich Hang from the Lovers of the Holy Cross congregation is believed by her family to have been killed in the storm. On Sept. 9, heavy rain collapsed the Phong Chau Bridge over the Red River in Phu Tho province and eight people, including 35-year-old Sister Maria Nguyen, were washed away. With winds of up to 92 mph, Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful typhoon to hit Asia in 2024, wreaked havoc in northern Vietnam Sept. 7-11. Besides the death toll, the subsequent landslides and floods also left 807 people injured and 103 missing, according to government figures. In a Sept. 12 telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, the pope said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the destruction wrought by Typhoon Yagi, offering his “spiritual solidarity to the injured and to all those suffering the continuing effects of this disaster.” The church and the government agencies have provided aid to victims of the storm that hit 20 out of Vietnam’s 25 northern provinces. In the Hung Hoa Diocese in Phu Tho province, Caritas workers were distributing instant noodles, milk, rice and clean water to flood victims.

KRAKOW, Poland (OSV News) – Poland’s government is preparing a decree of a state of natural disaster as the southwestern part of the country was severely flooded by torrential rains caused by Storm Boris. Throughout the weekend of Sept. 14-15, the storm continued to wreak havoc across Central and Eastern Europe. In Austria, Poland and Czech Republic, 11 people were confirmed dead in the regions affected. “I want to express our sympathy to those who have experienced this great drama, but at the same time assure them that they are not left alone,” Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, said in a Sept. 16 statement as thousands of people were evacuated from the flood-affected region of the country. “Water, after heavy rains, flooded many houses, schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. Many homes and public buildings have been destroyed, and the entire road infrastructure in that area has been badly damaged,” the archbishop said. A 17th-century Franciscan monastery in Klodzko was dramatically affected by the flood. “The whole main church was flooded,” said Father Ignacy Szczytowski, guardian of the monastery. “We’re located right at the curve of the Nysa Klodzka River. There were no chances that with this amount of water we would manage to stop it from coming,” he said, estimating the monastery’s losses at $3.5 million.

Calendar of events

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
FLOWOOD – St. Paul, “Bee Attitudes” Women’s Retreat, Oct. 18-20 at Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center in Chatawa with Father Anthony Quyet. Ladies of St. Paul, come experience the Beatitudes from the perspective of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and Paula D’Arcy’s A New Set of Eyes. Details: email finance@spaulcc.org.

GREENWOOD – Locus Benedictus, Healing Retreat with Maria Vadia on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The retreat is free; a love offering will be taken. Details: call (662) 299–1232.

JACKSON – St. Richard, “Inspire” – a day retreat for women of all ages, Saturday, Nov. 2 from 8:30-3:30 p.m. in Foley Hall. Suggested donation: $30. Register by Oct. 15. Details: claudiaaddison@mac.com or (601) 594-3937.

OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the first Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. On Oct. 2, Vicksburg Catholic School will lead us in prayer. Join early and place your intentions in the chat. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit.ly/zoomrosary2024 or check the diocese calendar of events.

VIRTUAL – Healing Racism: Achiving a Eucharistic World Webinar by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 1:30 p.m. This webinar includes presentations on raising and promoting social consciousness towards the vision of eucharistic compassion and a more racially just church. Details: register at www.katharinedrexel.org/SJCwebinar.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
ABERDEEN – St. Francis of Assisi, Parish Picnic, Saturday Oct. 5 following the 5 p.m. Mass. Details: email abstfrancis@gmail.com.

BROOKHAVEN – St. Francis, Parish Picnic, Sunday, Oct. 6, following 10 a.m. Mass. Details: church office (601) 833-1799.

COLUMBUS – Annunciation, Fall Festival, Sunday, Oct. 27 from 4-6:30 p.m. Have an amazing halloween experience for youth with trunk or treat, cake walk, games, contests, hall of saints, food and more. No pets. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.

CLEVELAND – Our Lady of Victories, 100th Anniversary Celebration, Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Mass with Bishop Kopacz, followed by a luncheon. Details: church office (662) 846-6273.

FOREST – St. Michael, Feast celebration with Mass at Gaddis Park. Sunday Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Details: church office (601) 469-1916.

GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Parish Picnic and Trunk or Treat, Saturday, Oct. 26 after 4 p.m. Mass. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.

GREENWOOD – Immaculate Heart of Mary, CYO Spaghetti Supper and Halloween Carnival, Monday, Oct. 28. Spaghetti supper available for drive-thru, carry out or dine in beginning at 4:30 p.m. Carnival booths open at 5:30 p.m. and bingo at 6 p.m. Cost: $15 Details: church office (662) 453-3980.

GREENWOOD – St. Francis, Feast of St. Francis, Sunday, Oct. 6. Bilingual Mass at 12 p.m. followed by parish potluck. All are invited, bring your favorite dish. Details: church office (662) 453-0623.

HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Cocktails and Catholicism, Liturgical Music with Stacy Michael on Friday, Oct. 11. Doors open at 6 p.m. 21+ and over. BYOB. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Special Kids Golf Tournament, Thursday, Oct. 10 at Deerfield Golf Club in Canton. Morning and afternoon scrambles available. Details: for more information visit https://saintrichard.com/special-kids-day or email golf@saintrichard.com.

St. Richard School, Cardinal Fest and Chili Cook-off, Sunday, Oct. 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Entry cost: $20. Enjoy games, food, music and more. Chili cook-off teams needed! See more info at https://bit.ly/3TDIXFu. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.

Cathedral of St. Peter, Hispanic Heritage Potluck, Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. Details: RSVP at https://bit.ly/HHPotluck2024.

LELAND – St. James, Spaghetti Dinner and Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. Booths open at 6 p.m. Cost: $15 per plate. Details: Debbie at (662) 684-7352.

MADISON – St. Francis, A Taste of St. Francis Feast, Sunday, Oct. 6 in the Family Life Center after 10:30 a.m. Mass. Details: sign up forms at the entrance of the church or call (601) 856-5556.

St. Francis, Blessing of the Animals, Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. in the courtyard. Pets must be leashed or in a crate. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.

St. Francis, Parish Mission, Becoming People of the Eucharist: Encountering Christ, Oct. 7-8 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, St. Anne and St. Catherine Brunch, Saturday, Oct. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Father Vally Room. This event is for anyone who has suffered infertility, miscarriage or loss of child. Join us for a time of comfort, prayer and gentle conversation with others who understand. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

St. Joseph, Octoberfest and Health Fair, Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Beginning with blessing of the animals. Enjoy food, games, activities and fun for all. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

NATCHEZ – Cathedral School, Fall Festival, Oct. 5 and 6. Enjoy midway games, shopping, raffles, adult night, bingo and more. Details: visit @CathedralFallFest on Facebook.

St. Mary Basilica, Blessing of the Animals, Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Halloween Bash, Sunday, Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. Enjoy games, food trunk or treat and more. All are welcome. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

Queen of Peace, 50th Anniversary Celebration for Deacon Mark White, Sunday, Nov. 10, Mass at 10 a.m. with Bishop Kopacz. Details: RSVP to queenop@shsm.org.

PEARL – St. Jude, Hispanic Heritage Potluck Fest, Sunday, Oct. 6 after 12:15 p.m. Mass. Bring your favorite dish to share. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.

PONTOTOC – St. Christopher, Outdoor Mass and Potluck at the Tanglefoot Trail Pavilion on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. Details: church office (662) 842-4881.

SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Christ the King, Adult Halloween Party, Saturday, Oct. 26, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a night of dancing, food, fun, fellowship and fright in the social hall. Music by DJ Fernando. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.

VICKSBURG – Knights of Columbus 898, Drawdown Dinner, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. Cost: $75 for two – dine in only and one draw for $3,000 grand prize. Details: www.kc898.square.site

DIOCESE
JOB OPENING – The Diocese of Jackson’s Office of Communications is looking for a full-time marketing specialist. Role involves creating and promoting content across multimedia platforms, including social media, websites and promotional materials. The position requires strong communication skills, knowledge of Catholic teachings and proficiency in design and communication software. College degree required with two years experience. Send a cover letter and resume to joanna.king@jacksondiocese.org no later than Oct. 25, 2024. If you would like a full job description, visit https://jacksondiocese.org/employment-1.

JACKSON – Homegrown Harvest for Jackson Seminarians, Saturday Oct. 12 at the Two Mississippi Museums. Tickets: $100, admits two. Details: bit.ly/HGHarvest2024.

YOUNG ADULTS – Trivia on Tap, Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at Blaylock Photography in Ridgeland. Guest speaker will be pro-life advocate, Anja Baker. Ages 21+ are welcome.

Second Annual Kickball Tournament, Sunday, Oct. 27 from 2-4 p.m. at St. Francis Madison. All young adults ages 18-35 are welcome. Details: to join email amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org.

Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage, May 12-27. Father Lincoln Dall will be leading this once in a lifetime journey. Space is limited. Email amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org for more information.

YOUTH – Diocesan SEARCH Retreat for tenth through twelfth graders, Jan. 17-19, 2025 at Camp Wesley Pines, Gallman. Diocese High School Confirmation Retreat, Jan. 25-26, 2025 at Lake Forest Ranch, Macon. Diocese Catholic Youth Conference – DCYC for ninth through twelfth grades, March 21-23, 2025 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Details: contact your individual parish offices or contact Abbey at (601) 949-6934 or abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.

CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER – CEE is our diocesan marriage prep program for couples preparing for the sacrament of marriage. The upcoming weekends for 2024/2025 are: Oct. 11-13; Feb. 21-23, 2025; August 1-3, 2025; and Oct. 24-26, 2025 at Camp Garaywa in Clinton; and April 25-27, 2025 at Lake Tiak-O’Khata in Louisville. Register at https://bit.ly/CEE2024-2025. Details: email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.

Congreso Eucarístico en Quito: Las respuestas proféticas que laIglesia puede dar en tiempos de crisis

Por Eduardo Campos Lima
(OSV News) – Los dos primeros días de ponencias del 53 Congreso Eucarístico Internacional en Quito, Ecuador, contrastaron las penurias que actualmente enfrentan muchas personas en diferentes partes del mundo con las respuestas proféticas que la Iglesia puede dar en tiempos de crisis.

Los oradores que intervinieron en este evento, que se desarrolló del 8 al 15 de septiembre, compartieron sus puntos de vista sobre las duras realidades que viven millones de personas en la actualidad, desde las víctimas inocentes de la guerra en Ucrania hasta las familias de inmigrantes que emprenden viajes traicioneros desde Sudamérica a Estados Unidos y acaban encontrando más exclusión y violencia.

En su intervención, Rodrigo Guerra, secretario laico de la Pontificia Comisión para América Latina, resumió la mayor parte de las actuales “heridas del mundo”, como vienen llamando los organizadores del congreso a los problemas sociales que pueden ser sanados por el sentido de fraternidad que proporciona la Eucaristía.

An Indigenous woman takes notes at a panel Sept. 10, 2024, during the International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, Ecuador. The Sept. 8-15 congress focused on a call to build fraternity as a way of healing the wounds of a world full of fractures and violence. (OSV News photo/courtesy International Eucharistic Congress)

Él mencionó la desigualdad social y el aumento de la brecha entre ricos y pobres, algo especialmente alarmante en América Latina; la falta de cuidado de la Tierra, con todas las consecuencias ecológicas que esto conlleva; y la inexistencia de fraternidad y perdón cuando se trata de desacuerdos políticos.

“Muchos de nuestros países están desgarrados por tremendas polarizaciones por oposiciones ideológicas gravísimas”, dijo Guerra, añadiendo que el populismo – tanto de derecha como de izquierda – es el resultado indeseable de esas fracturas sociales.

También mencionó la inmigración masiva – y la ausencia de una acogida adecuada por parte de los países de destino – como uno de los retos más complejos de la actualidad.

Leyden Rovelo-Krull, que dirige la Oficina del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, compartió su experiencia de trabajo con inmigrantes que acaban de ser liberados por el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos tras un largo viaje desde Sudamérica o Centroamérica hasta la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México.

Recordó que en 1983 la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de EE.UU. afirmó que la presencia hispana y latina en la vida eclesial estadounidense era “una bendición de Dios para la Iglesia y para nuestro país”, dado que esos inmigrantes habían revitalizado parroquias en todo el país.

A pesar de ello, un alto porcentaje de ciudadanos estadounidenses ha manifestado su oposición a la llegada de migrantes latinoamericanos, incluidos fieles católicos.

Rovelo-Krull describió los sufrimientos de algunas de las personas que ha conocido durante su trabajo, como una madre que perdió a su hija de 5 años mientras cruzaba Centroamérica y tuvo que enterrarla por el camino, en un punto que no sabe exactamente dónde está.

El trauma de tantas familias inmigrantes puede ser comparable al de las víctimas de la invasión rusa a Ucrania, descrita vívidamente por el obispo auxiliar Hryhoriy Komar, de la eparquía católica de Sambir-Drohobych, ciudad cercana a la frontera con Polonia. Contó a la audiencia que al menos 20.000 niños ucranianos han sido secuestrados por los ocupantes rusos.

“Ahora en el mundo hay 6 millones de refugiados ucranianos y 10 millones de refugiados dentro del país. Muchos pueblos y ciudades ya desaparecieron, sepultando bajo ruinas a la gente”, afirmó.

Los rusos han ocupado gran parte del país, por lo que no es posible saber cuántos ucranianos fueron asesinados, añadió el obispo Komar.
Para muchos participantes, esas descripciones les llevaron a reflexionar sobre sus propias realidades. Ese fue el caso del obispo Geovanni Paz, de Latacunga, Ecuador.

“Algunos de esos temas me impactan mucho, como los desafíos de la inmigración, que también se notan en mi diócesis”, dijo a OSV News.

Mons. Paz afirmó que de vez en cuando salen autobuses que llevan decenas de personas al norte con gente de las pequeñas comunidades andinas de su diócesis que buscan una vida mejor.

“Antes recibíamos grupos de 1.200 niños para la catequesis y ahora somos sólo 400”, dijo, y agregó que muchos niños son dejados por sus padres para vivir con sus abuelos, y terminan abandonando la escuela e involucrándose con las drogas y la delincuencia.

“Algunas de esas personas son deportadas a Ecuador apenas llegan a Estados Unidos. Nos cuentan las violaciones de derechos humanos que sufren en el camino”, lamentó monseñor Paz.

Mientras el Papa Francisco defiende los derechos de los inmigrantes, la mayoría de las sociedades los han estado rechazando, dijo el obispo.

“Tenemos que ser una Iglesia profética. De lo contrario, estaremos siendo cómplices”, argumentó.

Al día siguiente hubo presentaciones sobre fuertes voces proféticas. El 10 de septiembre, los obispos latinoamericanos hablaron de algunas de las figuras más veneradas en la historia de la Iglesia católica de la región. Es el caso del obispo ecuatoriano Leônidas Proaño (1910-1988), que dedicó su vida a los indígenas y campesinos, y de San Óscar Romero (1917-1980), arzobispo salvadoreño asesinado por el régimen militar.

El padre Juan Carlos Garzón, secretario general de la CEI, dijo que “en los momentos más difíciles Dios nos envía los profetas de nuestro tiempo”.

“Queríamos descubrir las heridas del mundo y luego ver después cómo Cristo viene a redimirnos”, explicó el padre Garzón.

(Eduardo Campos Lima escribe para OSV News desde São Paulo.)