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Faith, school and parish support are source of strength for Olympic champion swimmer

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By Mark Zimmermann
BETHESDA, Md. (OSV News) – For Olympic champion swimmer Katie Ledecky, one of the best things about winning Olympic medals is sharing them.

Now the most decorated U.S. female Olympian in history, Ledecky paid a visit Oct. 22 to her high school alma mater, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, to show students her medals and to talk about her Olympic experiences. She also stopped by her home parish, the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda.

Addressing Stone Ridge students in the school’s theater, Ledecky described what it was like after winning her first gold medal in swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, when she was 15 and a rising sophomore at the school.

She returned home and showed her medal to wounded warriors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, and she also visited the National Children’s Hospital in Washington, and she remembered putting a medal around a child’s neck there and seeing that child’s face light up.

“That’s probably my favorite part about winning the medals, and that’s probably what really inspires me the most, to try to win those medals and to be able to share them,” the Olympian said.

Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky at center visits her alma mater, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Md., on Oct. 22, 2024 and listens as second grader Anna Reilly at right asks her a question during a session with Lower School students there. The other students from left to right are fourth grader Annie Siciliano, third grader Lilly Bracewell, first grader Amelia Farrell and kindergarten student Bowen Wiegmann. (OSV News photo/Mihoko Owada, Catholic Standard)

Ledecky, who wore her four latest Olympic medals around her neck as she addressed the Stone Ridge students, added, “To me, these medals are not just mine. They’re everyone’s, everyone that has supported me, everyone that has driven me to practice, pushed me in practice, taught me in school, supported me in all my goals, and even just everyone at home watching on TV and yelling at their TV.”

In Paris while swimming in her fourth consecutive Summer Olympics, Ledecky won her 14th Olympic medal, adding two more gold medals to her record-setting total of nine gold medals, and she became the most decorated U.S. female Olympian in history.

At the Paris Olympics, Ledecky won gold medals in her signature races – the women’s 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events – and she won a silver medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay and a bronze in the 400-meter women’s freestyle race.

This summer before the Olympics, her best-selling memoir, “Just Add Water,” was published by Simon & Schuster. In May at the White House, President Joe Biden presented Ledecky with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Five days before speaking to Stone Ridge students, Ledecky was honored at a ceremony on campus, where members of the Montgomery County Council issued a proclamation naming Oct. 17 as “Katie Ledecky Day,” and an honorary road marker, “Katie Ledecky Lane” was unveiled for a roadway along the school.

Speaking to students during Ledecky’s visit, Catherine Ronan Karrels – head of school at Stone Ridge – said of the new road sign, “Now every day when we drive to school, we will be able to see that and be inspired by her as we come and go about our day.”

Ledecky, class of 2015, gave credit to the Stone Ridge community for its support, and for helping her find balance in her life from when she first returned to school in 2012 as an Olympian.

“What was so great was I was able to just get right back to work, get back to school. All my teachers treated me just like any other student, all my classmates treated me like I was just another student,” she said.

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is sponsored by the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Before the Paris Olympics, Stone Ridge held a pep rally for Ledecky and two other alumnae who were swimming in those games – Phoebe Bacon of the class of 2020 and Erin Gemmell of the class of 2023.

Gemmell joined Ledecky in winning a silver medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, and Bacon finished in fourth place in the 200-meter backstroke race, narrowly missing a bronze medal by .04 seconds.
Ledecky said she appreciated how during her years at Stone Ridge, the community supported her in her swimming journey and her academic journey.

“Education has always been a top priority in my life, it’s been a value in my family,” she said. “I never wanted to push my education aside for the sake of swimming. I always wanted to balance both of them. Stone Ridge and everyone in this community allowed me to do that, supported me in that, pushed me in school and in my sport.”

After graduating from Stone Ridge, Ledecky earned a degree in psychology from Stanford University.
The Olympian said another aspect of her Stone Ridge education that she appreciated was the Upper School’s Social Action Program. On one Wednesday each month, Stone Ridge Upper School students participate in a day of community service. When she was at Stone Ridge, Ledecky volunteered with Bikes for the World, which provides donated bicycles to people in developing countries.

“I loved to be able to get out and help other people. … It’s so great to learn how to give back to your community,” she said.

The athlete, who is now 27, said she started swimming when she was 6 years old, and she loved swimming from the start.

The athlete said she has always set goals for herself. “I set my mind on something I want to achieve, whether that was in the classroom or whether that was in the pool, and I’d just go do it, do whatever it took to get those goals,” she said.

Describing the work involved in her training, Ledecky said she swims 10 times a week, and she added that she swims about two hours each time, and sometimes adds another swimming session on Sundays. One little girl emphatically asked Ledecky if she ever gets tired of swimming, and the Olympian responded, “I really love it!”

Ledecky is now training to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Olympian offered words of encouragement to all the students. “If there’s something that you do find that you love as much as I have found that with swimming, you’ve got to try to pursue it to the fullest and try to be the very best that you can be at it.” That might be a school subject, a sport or an extracurricular activity, she said.

Standing beside the pool at the Stone Ridge Aquatics Center, Ledecky was interviewed by journalists after he remarks.

She said that when she’s competing in the Olympics, she carries in her heart all those people from Stone Ridge and from Little Flower school and parish who have supported her. “They’ve all been so great and have all helped me learn how to have balance in my life,” she said.

Asked if she still prays the Hail Mary before her swimming races, Ledecky said, “I still do that. I joke that it’s probably more like a decade of the rosary now. Yes, I’ve always done that.”

Ledecky said her Catholic faith remains a source of strength for her.

That faith and the support of her Catholic schools and parish help “quiet my head and quiet my heart and help me feel balance and ready and prepared and supported. … I lean on everything I learned at Little Flower and Stone Ridge,” she said.

(Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

Annual US collection assists more than 20,000 elderly women and men religious

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WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The faithful will have an opportunity the weekend of Dec. 7-8 to support the more than 20,000 elderly religious sisters, brothers and religious order priests who have devoted their lives to service in the Catholic Church through an annual collection benefiting retired religious across the United States.

Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office, or NRRO, and taking place at weekend Masses in participating dioceses, this collection provides “crucial financial aid to qualified religious institutes, enabling them to address the growing needs of their retired members,” according to a news release.
“These men and women religious who taught in schools, served in parish ministries and helped provide social services for the Church selflessly devoted their lives to serving others, often for little to no pay,” said the release, issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 4. “As they age, many religious communities face a significant gap between the cost of care and available resources.”

Exacerbating the challenge are the rising cost of health care and the fact that religious over age 70 outnumber those younger than 70 by nearly 3 to 1.

An elderly nun walks along a sidewalk during a visit to Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay area in North Beach July 22, 2021. The faithful will have an opportunity the weekend of Dec. 7-8, 2024, to support the more than 20,000 elderly religious sisters, brothers and religious order priests who have devoted their lives to service in the Catholic Church through an annual collection benefiting retired religious across the United States. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

“In 2024, 71% of religious communities providing data to the NRRO reported a median age of 70 or higher,” the news release stated.

The collection was launched in 1988 to address the lack of retirement funding for religious communities. In 2023, it raised $29.3 million, yet the annual cost to support retired religious men and women exceeds $1 billion, according to the NRRO.

The average annual cost of care for each religious is about $59,700, with skilled nursing care lifting that cost to an average of $90,700 per person. Meanwhile, a religious’ average annual Social Security benefit is only $8,551, the NRRO said.

“The selfless dedication of these religious has enriched countless lives,” said NRRO director John Knutsen. “Your generosity ensures they receive the care they deserve in their retirement. Supporting our aging religious is a shared responsibility and an opportunity to express our gratitude for their lifelong service. By contributing to the Retirement Fund for Religious collection we ensure they receive the care and dignity they deserve while also upholding the values of compassion and solidarity within our faith community.”

The website for the Retirement Fund for Religious, retiredreligious.org, features the stories of religious helped by the collection, including Father Maury Smith, 87, a member of the Order of Friars Minor in St. Louis, and Sister M. Stephanie Belgeri, 72, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, Illinois.

“Donations are needed to have the ordinary kinds of things many senior religious need in terms of food, clothing and housing,” Father Smith said. “We owe it to them to take care of them. Maybe even more than we have in the past. … They need it.”

The friar has served as a retreat director, college educator, pastor, provincial staff and a deanery coordinator of ministry in San Antonio, “enriching countless lives by integrating psychology and theology into contemporary spirituality.”

He serves as a spiritual director and writes biweekly for Today’s Catholic, the archdiocesan newspaper of the San Antonio Archdiocese.

“I think I am in my eighth career,” he said. “I love doing it and am happy.”

A fellow Franciscan who joined her community in 1970, Sister M. Stephanie has been a nurse and a teacher and been involved in pastoral care. She spent four-and-a-half years in Brazil, setting up a foundation for her order.

Upon returning to the United States, Sister M. Stephanie was the director of nursing and later administrator at the Mother of Good Counsel Home, a skilled nursing facility in St. Louis, until 2014.
Sister M. Stephanie’s ministry continues in retirement as she manages her religious community’s library and translates English documents into Portuguese for the sisters in the Brazilian mission.

“Thanks to your generosity, we can provide the very best care to the sisters in our community,” said Sister M. Stephanie said about the Retirement Fund for Religious. “Your contributions enabled upgrades, including building an infirmary, ensuring our sisters’ well-being.”

Since 1988, the collection has distributed more than $973 million to support day-to-day care and self-help projects, as well as educational programs for long-term retirement planning.

Joy, gratitude over news of Acutis and Frassati canonization dates

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By Gina Christian
PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) – News that canonization dates have been set for Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, who have become popular patrons for teens and young adults, is being met with joy and gratitude by a number of Catholics in the U.S.

Pope Francis announced Nov. 20 that he will elevate Acutis and Frassati, both currently titled “blessed,” to sainthood in 2025, when the universal Catholic Church will mark a jubilee year. Acutis will be canonized April 27, during the April 25-27 Jubilee for Adolescents in Rome. Frassati’s canonization will follow amid the July 28-Aug. 3 Jubilee of Young People in Rome.

“This news ushers in great celebration for the Universal Church and especially for young Catholics,” said Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia in a Nov. 20 statement. “Both of these saintly young men reflect the call for today’s youth and young adults to live out their Catholic faith with courage, compassion, and divine love.”

Pope Francis recognized May 23, 2024, the second miracle needed for the canonization of Italian Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. He is pictured in an undated photo. (CNS photo/courtesy Sainthood Cause of Carlo Acutis)

“What a wonderful gift to the church militant both of these new saints will be,” Christine Wohar, president of FrassatiUSA – a Nashville-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting Frassati’s canonization, in collaboration with the Associazione Pier Giorgio Frassati in Rome – told OSV News in a Nov. 20 email.
Wohar, whose organization is planning a pilgrimage to the canonization, said that the canonizations are timely.

“Our culture so desperately needs Catholic models of courage, devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady, true manhood and fidelity to the church,” she said.

Father Francesco Maria D’Amico, pastor of St. William Parish in Philadelphia who served as interpreter and guide for Acutis’ mother, Antonia, during her U.S. speaking tour in 2023, also sees these saints as particularly relevant.

“God is the Lord of history, and I think that nowadays, he sees youth being attacked by different ideologies, by secularization, by the false promises of technology,” he said. “So I think that God, by raising these two youth and young adults as saints, is showing fatherly concern … because they (youth and young adults) are the future of the world.”

Born 90 years apart, Frassati and Acutis both lived brief but faith-filled lives that saw them devoted to Christ, particularly in the Eucharist, and to those around them.

Dubbed the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes” by St. John Paul II, Frassati – born in Turin in 1901 to an influential family – began receiving daily Communion at a young age, while serving the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and evangelizing his friends.

A lay Dominican, Frassati also participated in demonstrations to defend his faith against the Communist and Fascist parties in Italy. His passion for outdoor activities such as mountaineering has made him a patron of athletes. Frassati died in 1925 at age 24, having contracted polio, which doctors speculated he may have contracted from serving the sick. Pope St. John Paul II beatified Frassati in 1990.

Almost a century later, Acutis in many ways mirrored his predecessor’s qualities. The sunny-faced teen – who was born in London in 1991 and grew up in Milan, Italy – displayed an early attraction to the spiritual life, reciting the rosary and attending Mass daily, serving as a catechist, volunteering at a church soup kitchen and tutoring children with their homework. At the same time, Acutis was known for his enthusiasm for typical teenage interests, such as video games, pets, soccer and music.

Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, having lived a brief life of extraordinary holiness that was marked by a profound devotion to Christ and the Eucharist. His desire to foster awareness of the Blessed Sacrament, along with his formidable computer skills, led him to create a database of Eucharistic miracles throughout the world. Pope Francis beatified him in 2020.

Italian Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was a struggling student who excelled in mountain climbing. He had complete faith in God and persevered through college, dedicating himself to helping the poor and supporting church social teaching. He died at age 24 and was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1990. Pope Francis said he will canonize him in 2025. He is pictured in an undated photo. (CNS file photo)

Michael Norton, president of the Malvern Retreat Center in Malvern, Pennsylvania – home to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Blessed Carlo Acutis Shrine and Center for Eucharistic Encounter – told OSV News he has seen firsthand how Acutis offers a relatable vision for holiness to kids and young adults.

“Students are absolutely fascinated and drawn to Carlo,” Norton told OSV News Nov. 20. “It’s like, ‘Wow, he looks like me. I’m just like him. … He lived in our lifetime.’ He talks their language – he’s a computer programmer, he played soccer. And so the kids are really drawn to him.”

Similarly, Frassati has had a profound effect on students at a high school in Texas named in his honor.

“For us, this is yet another special grace upon our community, which has really been under the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,” said Tim Lienhard, director of enrollment, marketing and communications at Frassati Catholic High School in Spring, Texas.

Lienhard told OSV News Nov. 20 that the school has “really felt his spirit on our community, and you see that through our growth. We’ve grown from 46 students in our beginning year, 2013, to 350 today, and we continue to grow.”

The school is planning to send some 20 students to Italy during spring break in March 2025 for a pilgrimage that will trace some key places in Frassati’s life, Lienhard said.

Actor Jeromy Darling, who played Frassati in a 2021 play of the same name at Open Window Theatre in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, told OSV News that encountering the saint-to-be through pre-production research had a profound effect on him.

“It changed my life completely,” said Darling, who as a convert to Catholicism said Frassati’s bold witness to the faith was personally inspiring, as the actor navigated rejection experienced for his decision to become Catholic.

“He’s an enormous, enormous part of my life,” Darling said. “He’s one of my best friends. I talk to him every day.”

Many Catholics have been inspired by an Italian phrase Frassati wrote on a well-known photo of him mountaineering: “Verso L’Alto,” which means “to the heights.”

“As St. Frassati reaches his ultimate summit, we pray he will guide each of us on our journey to the top,” said Wohar. “We also share in the joy of all those with a devotion to Blessed Carlo Acutis who likewise offers great inspiration to today’s youth.”

(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @GinaJesseReina)

Movie review: “Wicked”

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By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (OSV News) – Considered purely from an artistic viewpoint, the lavish musical “Wicked” (Universal) represents a confluence of the best both Broadway and Hollywood have to offer. On a moral level, however, the film’s content, while largely free of overtly problematic material, nonetheless demands careful assessment.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the opulent production has a long lineage. It provides an origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo) – here dubbed Elphaba – who features in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” its classic 1939 film adaptation and the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire on which the show was based.

Born with green skin, which those around her find repellent, Elphaba grows up an unloved daughter and social outcast. But a turning point comes when Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), a revered professor of sorcery, discovers Elphaba’s magical powers and insists on enrolling her in the university her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is attending.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in the movie “Wicked.” The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. (OSV News photo/Universal)

There Elphaba meets – and initially clashes with – her unwillingly assigned roommate, Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande), the future Good Witch of the North. Though the two eventually become best friends, their bond is repeatedly tested.

First, both Elphaba and Galinda fall for their dashing and fun-loving fellow student, Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). While Fiyero becomes Galinda’s boyfriend, plot developments reveal that he may have more in common with Elphaba, who masks her attraction to him by an outward attitude of disdain for his apparent frivolousness.
A further strain on the pals’ relationship is eventually introduced by their encounter with Baum’s title character (Jeff Goldblum). Although Elphaba has long idolized the Wizard, on closer scrutiny, he may not prove to be what she was expecting.

Winnie Holzman’s script for this first installment in a two-part adaptation incorporates the stage tunes and lyrics of Stephen Schwartz. Moviegoers will not be left wondering at the outstanding success of the source material since excellent, hard-driving performances and soaring musical numbers fully sustain the ambitious two-and-a-half-hour plus running time.

Additionally, Holzman’s screenplay evokes sympathy for the pathos of Elphaba’s plight as she finds herself continually misunderstood and shunned while it garners laughs from Galinda’s vain ditziness. Mercurial Galinda turns out to be an ideal foil for the resolutely upright Elphaba since she is capable of maliciousness but is also often goodhearted.

“Wicked’s” basic message about the need to stand up against prejudice and persecution is obviously congruent with Gospel values. But a scene of marital infidelity as well as the subtle but clear gay sensibility by which the proceedings are occasionally tinged both suggest parental caution.

Sharp-eyed viewers will note, for instance, that the uniforms male extras playing college students wear have trousers but also half of what looks like a skirt. And at least one such background figure is in full-blown drag.

More substantially, a secondary character in Galinda’s entourage, Pfannee (Bowen Yang), is shown to be as susceptible to Fiyero’s appeal as any of the ladies. During a brief conversation with the prince, in fact, he does everything but fan himself to cool down.

The moment passes and we’re back on track. But, along with some bloodless but possibly scary scenes of action, these details point to an appropriate audience of older teens and their elders.

The film contains some stylized mayhem, an adulterous incident and momentary same-sex flirting. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Briefs

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For the image on the 2024 religious Christmas stamp, the U.S. Postal Service has selected this 17th-century “Madonna and Child” painting that has been in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art since 1938. (OSV News photo/courtesy U.S. Postal Service)

NATION
INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – Mary with the Christ Child has long been an iconic Christmas image for cultures and peoples around the world. Starting more than 60 years ago, the U.S. Postal Service began annually issuing Christmas stamps featuring various classic artistic portrayals of the image. This year, the USPS selected as the image for this stamp a painting that has been in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis since 1938. The “Madonna and Child” was created in the workshop of the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato in the 17th century. Belinda Tate, the Melvin and Bren Simon director of the museum, said she and the staff were “deeply honored” by having one of its paintings chosen for a Christmas stamp this year. “This selection brings a beloved piece from our collection to a broad audience, allowing us to celebrate its beauty, historical significance and the spirit of the season,” Tate added. A broad audience indeed. The USPS has produced 210 million stamps featuring this painting.

FAIRFAX, Va. (OSV News) – Pro-life organizers aim to inspire pro-life youth attending the national March for Life in Washington Jan. 24 with the merger of two pre-march youth events, announced Nov. 14. The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, and host of Life is VERY Good since 2009, and the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life, co-hosts of Life Fest since 2022, are joining forces to create one big pro-life rally called Life Fest. The two-day pro-life event will be held Jan. 23-24 at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, 20 miles southwest of the National Mall and the March for Life. Life Fest 2025 will begin with a night of praise, held the evening before the March for Life with speakers, live music and Eucharistic adoration. The following day, a morning rally and Mass will be held hours before the March for Life. Attendees will have the chance to go to confession and to venerate the relics of Pope St. John Paul II, Blessed Carlo Acutis, the recently beatified Ulma family and Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. Organizers hope to attract some 8,400 participants to the event each day.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – There are no second-class Christians, Pope Francis said. The laity, including women, and the clergy all have special gifts to edify the church in unity and holiness. “The laity are not in last place. No. The laity are not a kind of external collaborator or the clergy’s ‘auxiliary troops.’ No! They have their own charisms and gifts with which to contribute to the mission of the church,” the pope said Nov. 20 at his general audience in St. Peter’s Square. Continuing a series of talks on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church, Pope Francis looked at how the Holy Spirit builds up the Body of Christ through the outpouring of charismatic gifts. The Holy Spirit “distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts, He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the church,” he said, quoting from the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium.” A charism is “the gift given for the common good, to be useful for everyone. It is not, in other words, destined principally and ordinarily for the sanctification of the person. No. It is intended, however, for the service of the community,” Pope Francis said. “They are ordinary gifts. Each one of us has his or her own charism that assumes extraordinary value if inspired by the Holy Spirit and embodied with love in situations of life,” he said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis, who will celebrate his 88th birthday in December, has approved simplified liturgical rites for the death of a pontiff. His body will rest in a zinc-lined wooden casket, according to the new rites. Recent popes had been buried inside a cypress wood coffin surrounded by another coffin made of lead, which was then covered by a third wooden coffin. Vatican News carried a story Nov. 20 about the second edition of the “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis” (“Funeral Rites of the Roman Pontiff”); the book updates the rites originally approved by St. John Paul in 1998, technically published in 2000, but released only when St. John Paul died in 2005. Modified versions of the rites were used after Pope Benedict XVI died Dec. 31, 2022. Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, told Vatican News the revised edition was needed, “first of all because Pope Francis asked, as he himself stated on several occasions, to simplify and adapt some of the rites so that the celebration of the bishop of Rome’s funeral would better express the church’s faith in the risen Christ.”

WORLD
SAN SALVADOR (OSV News) – El Salvador has ordered a former president to stand trial for the 1989 murders of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her 16-year-old daughter – a notorious crime from the Central American country’s civil war, which has languished in the realm of impunity. A judge in San Salvador issued a Nov. 18 decision ordering former president Alfredo Cristiani, a former congressman and nine others to stand trial as the intellectual authors of the attack on the Jesuits. Cristiani, who was president between 1989 and 1994, was charged with murder, conspiracy and terrorism in 2022. His whereabouts remain unknown, according to media reports. The priests were killed by soldiers in their residence on the campus of the Jesuit-run Central American University – an institution they accused of being infiltrated by guerrillas. The university has long rejected that accusation and demanded justice for the eight victims. Catholics in El Salvador expressed mixed feelings on the decision to bring Cristiani to trial. The judge’s decision came just two days after the 35th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs’ murders, marked with a Nov. 16 memorial Mass. The slain priests’ memory continues to inspire Catholics in El Salvador and beyond. “The memory of the martyrs is very much alive,” said Jesuit Father Jeremy Zipple, who traveled with a group from Belize for the memorial.

PARIS (OSV News) – Miraculously missed by burning beams falling from the roof on April 15, 2019, and waiting for five years to make it back to Notre Dame Cathedral, the 14th-century statue of the Virgin of Paris returned home Nov. 15, accompanied by thousands of Parisians praying, singing and lighting candles as they walked their Virgin to Paris’ most iconic church, restored after the fire. Since the fire, the statue, also referred to as Virgin and Child, or the Virgin of the Pillar, has been housed near the Louvre in the Church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, from where the procession started at 6 p.m. local time. Transporting the real statue of the Virgin on foot was out of the question for security reasons. Instead, everyone was able to witness her departure by truck, before setting off, with candles and singing, behind a replica, illuminated and decorated with white flowers. The procession followed along the banks of the Seine River toward the Île de la Cité, one of two Parisian islands and home to Notre Dame Cathedral. Arriving in front of the cathedral at around 7 p.m., the pilgrims were greeted by the singing of the Maîtrise Notre Dame, the cathedral’s choir. The archbishop blessed the original statue, with the crate carrying it opened so that it could be seen. The truck then entered the cathedral’s construction site so the original statue could be installed inside the cathedral.

Hegseth controversy compounds Vatican institution’s concerns over religious symbols’ misuse

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By Gina Christian and Kate Scanlon
(OSV News) – Amid controversy over religious-themed tattoos sported by President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth, a U.S. office of a Vatican lay institution for the church in the Holy Land has expressed concern regarding the misuse of its historic insignia beyond strictly religious purposes.

The Jerusalem Cross and the phrase “Deus (lo) vult” (Latin for “God wills”), the elements of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, are symbols for an organization that “is set up to be a … visible presence of Christ and the people of Christ in the Holy Land,” and “of peace … of loving thy neighbor as thyself,” Deacon John Heyer, executive director of the order’s Eastern Lieutenancy, told OSV News Nov. 21.

The Equestian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem has responded to public speculation about tattoos with the order’s symbols worn by Pete Hegseth, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, amid accusations that the symbols may represent Christian nationalism. (OSV News photo/courtesy Eastern Lieutenancy)

The order – a lay institution under the protection of the Holy See with an estimated 30,000 members in close to 40 countries – aids the work of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, especially through efforts connected to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which encompasses Cyprus and Jordan as well.

But the Jerusalem Cross (a square cross inset with four smaller crosses) and particularly the Latin phrase that comprise the order’s insignia have drawn intense media scrutiny, as Hegseth – an evangelical Christian – has them tattooed on his chest and arm respectively.

Hegseth, a 44-year-old combat veteran and former Fox News host, is among Trumps’ more controversial nominees, as he has also been accused of sexual assault stemming from a 2017 incident he claimed was consensual, although he later paid the unnamed woman as part of a 2020 nondisclosure agreement.

The “Deus vult” tattoo prompted Hegseth’s fellow National Guardsman Sgt. DeRicko Gaither to flag Hegseth as a possible “insider threat” during President Joe Biden’s inauguration. In a 2021 email to Maj. Gen. William Walker ahead of the event – days after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol – Gaither described the image as “quite disturbing,” since the phrase “is associated with Supremacist groups,” both white and Christian. Army policy bars members from having tattoos deemed extremist, indecent, sexist or racist.
Several experts have cited the use of “Deus vult” by extremist groups. The phrase – attributed to Pope Urban II ahead of the First Crusade in 1095, which sought to regain Christian control of the Holy Land from Muslim rule – has become an online hashtag, and has also appeared in anti-Muslim graffiti, with two Arkansas mosques defaced in 2016 with the text.

OSV News reached out to Hegseth through the press office of the Trump-Vance transition team but did not immediately receive a response.

On Nov. 20, Deacon Heyer’s New York-based office issued a press release, noting the controversy over Hegseth’s tattoos and stressing the order’s political neutrality. While acknowledging that reports have asserted its symbols “have been embraced by what have been described as Christian and white nationalists,” it did not accuse the defense secretary nominee of espousing those views.

“The Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a non-partisan Catholic organization under the direct protection of the Holy See and as such does not express partisan political opinions on the qualifications or associations of the cabinet nominee, who is not a member of the order,” said the release.

Deacon Heyer’s office also clarified in its statement that “in today’s context, ‘Deus vult’ or ‘Deus lo vult’ (God wills) – once used to rally crusader knights in the Middle Ages to reclaim the Christian places in the Holy Land – reminds believers God alone has dominion over all, and commands us to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’”

The Jerusalem Cross itself “has been part of Christian iconography for more than a millennium and has been an inspiration to Christian pilgrims who no longer see it as a banner for crusades and war but of the passion and death of Jesus and his empty tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,” said the release, adding, “For centuries, Christian pilgrims from around the world have had the Jerusalem Cross inked on their skin as an indelible reminder of their pilgrimage to the Holy City and of their faith in Christ.”

The symbolically rich image, with five crosses corresponding to the five wounds of Christ, “is particularly important as it reminds Christians of Jesus’ sacrifice to die for the salvation of the entire world, so that we ‘may have life and have it abundantly,’” said the order in its release, quoting John 10:10.
Deacon Heyer told OSV News he has seen “there are groups that have taken over this symbol … or rather are using the symbol in a way that is evocative of what they consider a Christian crusade to be.”

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth speaks with the media as he departs a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington Nov. 21, 2024. The Equestian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem has responded to public speculation about tattoos with the order’s symbols worn by Hegseth, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, amid accusations that the symbols may represent Christian nationalism. (OSV News photo/Nathan Howard, Reuters)

“You often have to look at what is the motivation,” he added. “Are we using the church, are we using the faith to justify our political aspirations, or is our faith informing our decisions? Two very different things.”

The Jerusalem Cross is also the emblem of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and in the press release, Deacon Heyer’s office highlighted the widespread use throughout Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
The cross “is really meant to be not a symbol of war at all, but really a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ as well as his Gospel message of love,” Deacon Heyer told OSV News. “And so anything that goes beyond that is in strict contradiction … to the Gospel and to what that symbol represents.”

As of Nov. 21, it was not yet clear whether Hegseth would earn the requisite number of votes to be confirmed to the position by the U.S. Senate should he undergo a confirmation hearing in January. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the new Senate as of January, meaning each of Trump’s nominees could only afford to lose three Republican votes – with Vice President-elect JD Vance’s tiebreaking vote – without earning any Democratic support.

Several Pentagon officials have also questioned whether Hegseth’s resume shows enough experience for the role.

(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @GinaJesseReina. Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News based in Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)

Calendar of Events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Millions of Monicas – Praying with confidence for our children, each Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers, grandmothers and step-mothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: church office (601) 856-2054 or email millionsofmonicas@stjosephgluckstadt.com.

St. Joseph, Fatima Five First Saturdays Devotion, Jan. 4, Feb. 1, March 1, April 5 and May 3, 2025. Confession begins at 8 a.m. and ends with a period of meditation beginning at 10 a.m. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
COLUMBUS – Annunciation Parish, “Columbus Sings G.F. Handel’s Messiah,” Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets available in church office. No charge. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.

GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Christmas Tree Sale, Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 1-6 p.m. Proceeds go to St. Joseph School. Lot located next to Chillie’s store on Hwy 82. Details: church office (662) 335-5251.

JACKSON – Holy Family, Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration, Sunday, Dec. 15 after 10:30 a.m. Mass. Details: church office (601) 362-1888.

Holy Family, Simbang Gabi Mass with a Novena, Dec. 16-24 at 4 a.m. Come join this Filipino spiritual tradtion on the nine days before Christmas.

Holy Family, Las Posadas, Monday, Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. in Balsar Hall.

JACKSON – St. Peter, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 from 1-2:30 p.m. with speaker Constance Slaughter Harvey. You may write a short reflection on how Dr. King’s message impacted your life or society. Submit by Jan. 10. Details: amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Christmas Candlelighting Celebration for Deceased Loved Ones, Thursday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. in Foley Hall. A ceremony of prayer and rememberance is included, followed by refreshments. Details: RSVP to Nancy at (601) 942-2078 or ncmcghee@bellsouth.net.

St. Richard School, Cardinal Christmas at the new campus (4261 I-55 N Frontage Road), Thursday, Dec. 12 from 5:30-8 p.m. Enjoy a chili supper, arts and crafts, Santa, Advent pew auction and Special Kids Art Show. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.

MADISON – St. Joseph School, Gifts of the Season Performance, Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Details: school office (601) 898-4800.

St. Joseph School, $10,000 Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 25 from 6-10 p.m. at Reunion Golf Club. Details: visit www.stjoebruins.com/drawdown.

NATCHEZ – St. Mary Basilica, Lessons and Carols, Sunday, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. Donations welcome. Christmas party to follow in the Family Life Center. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Cocktails and Catholicism with Father Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, Friday, Dec. 13, doors open at 6 p.m. Event for 21+. BYOB. Details: register at https://bit.ly/494yJ7L.

Queen of Peace, Christmas Tree Sale, Monday through Friday 4-7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. Fraser trees available from 5-10 feet. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

TUPELO – St. James, Misa Mesa Musa, Sunday, Dec. 15, potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. with testimony, scripture and music beginning at 7 p.m. Details: church office (662) 842-4881.

St. James, Family VBS: “I Wonder,” Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10:15 a.m. in Shelton Hall. Details: church office (662) 842-4881.

DIOCESE
HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION – Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, Dec. 9. Consult your local parish for Mass times.

YOUNG ADULTS – Theology on Tap Karaoke Christmas, Thursday, Dec. 19 from 7-9 p.m. at Mr. Chen’s Restaurant in Jackson. Adults 21+ are welcome for an evening of food, fellowship and karaoke. Guest are responsible for cost of drinks and dinner. Details: amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org.

Campus Ministry Winter Retreat, Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Starkville. Join college students from across the diocese for a day of fellowship, games, prayer, song, scripture, Mass and more. Cost: $20. Details: register at https://bit.ly/3OoES58.

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. Cost: $125. Search weekend is an encounter that will transform youth and lead to a deeper more fulfilling relationship with the Lord. Details: sign up at https://bit.ly/SEARCH2025 or email abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org for more information.

DCYC for ninth through twelfth grades, March 21-23, 2025 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Theme is “Here I am Lord Work in Me.” Keynote presenter is Ali Hoffman with worship led by Josh Blakesley. Featuring talks, music, liturgy, games, small groups and more. Registration deadline Feb. 21, contact your parish to register. Details: contact your individual parish offices or contact Abbey at (601) 949-6934 or abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY – Event recognizes couples celebrating special anniversaries in 2025 – 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th or longer. Celebrations held in Jackson at the Cathedral of St. Peter on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. and in Tupelo at St. James on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. Register by Jan. 7, 2025. Details: email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.

PENANCE SERVICES
BROOKHAVEN – St. Francis, Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.
CLINTON – Holy Savior, Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 6 p.m.
CANTON – Sacred Heart, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.
COLUMBUS – Annunciation, Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Monday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m.
HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
JACKSON – Cathedral of St. Peter, Tuesday, Dec. 17 from 5:30-7 p.m.
MAGEE – St. Stephen, Monday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m.
MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
PEARL – St. Jude, Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE – DEC. 12
HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, 8 a.m.
HOLLY SPRINGS – St. Joseph, 7 p.m.
JACKSON – Cathedral of St. Peter, procession at 5:30 p.m. and Mass at 7 p.m.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Mass at 7 p.m. with dinner following in social hall.
SENATOBIA – St. Gregory, 5:30 p.m.
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Las Manañitas, 5:30 a.m.
Christ the King, 12 p.m. and bilingual celebration at 7 p.m.
TUPELO – St. James, 6 p.m. in Shelton Hall.

El Papa dice que el documento final del Sínodo es parte del magisterio y debe ser aceptado

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By Justin McLellan
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Reafirmando la centralidad de la sinodalidad en la Iglesia católica, el Papa Francisco dijo que ahora corresponde a las iglesias locales aceptar y aplicar las propuestas del documento final aprobado por el Sínodo de los Obispos sobre la sinodalidad.

Aprobado por el Papa, el documento final del sínodo “forma parte del magisterio ordinario del sucesor de Pedro y, como tal, pido que sea aceptado”, escribió el pontífice en una nota publicada por el Vaticano el 25 de noviembre.

“Las Iglesias locales y las agrupaciones de iglesias están llamadas ahora a poner en práctica, en sus diferentes contextos, las autorizadas indicaciones contenidas en el documento, a través de los procesos de discernimiento y de decisión previstos por el derecho y el propio documento”, escribió el Santo Padre casi un mes después de la clausura del sínodo.

El documento final esbozaba las prioridades clave para la Iglesia, entre ellas una mayor participación de los laicos a través de nuevos ministerios y estructuras de gobierno ajustadas, una mayor transparencia y responsabilidad entre los dirigentes de la Iglesia y la creación de un espacio para grupos anteriormente marginados.

El Papa Francisco se dirige a los miembros del Sínodo de los Obispos sobre la sinodalidad después de que aprobaran su documento final el 26 de octubre de 2024, en el Aula de Audiencias Pablo VI del Vaticano. (Foto CNS/Vatican Media)

Después de que los miembros del sínodo votaran para aprobar el documento final, el Papa Francisco anunció que no escribiría la exhortación apostólica que se suele publicar después del sínodo, sino que ofrecería el documento a toda la Iglesia para su aplicación.

Con la excepción de los primeros sínodos convocados por San Pablo VI en 1967 y 1971, todas las asambleas ordinarias del Sínodo de los Obispos han ido seguidas de una exhortación sobre los temas del sínodo y los mensajes del Papa.

En su nota, el Papa Francisco aclaró que, aunque el documento “no es estrictamente normativo” y debe adaptarse a los contextos en los que se aplica, sigue comprometiendo “a las iglesias locales a tomar decisiones coherentes con lo que en él se indica”.

También subrayó la necesidad de tiempo para poder abordar cuestiones más amplias de toda la Iglesia, como las asignadas a los 10 grupos de estudio que creó en primavera para explorar cuestiones planteadas durante el sínodo, como el ministerio de la mujer, la educación en los seminarios, las relaciones entre los obispos y las comunidades religiosas, y el papel de los nuncios. Es posible que se creen más grupos, dijo el Papa.

La conclusión de la asamblea general del Sínodo de los Obispos “no pone fin al proceso sinodal”, escribió.
Añadió que el documento final del sínodo contiene recomendaciones que “ya pueden ponerse en práctica en las iglesias locales y en las agrupaciones de iglesias, teniendo en cuenta los diferentes contextos, de lo que ya se ha hecho y de lo que queda por hacer para aprender y desarrollar cada vez mejor el estilo propio de la Iglesia sinodal misionera”.

Breves de la Nación y el Mundo

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NACIÓN
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Mientras los activistas presionan al Presidente Joe Biden para que conmute las sentencias federales de muerte existentes durante sus últimos meses en el cargo, un nuevo informe del Centro de Información sobre la Pena de Muerte examina lo que denomina disparidades raciales persistentes en los procesos federales de pena de muerte. El informe llega en un momento en que los activistas contra la pena de muerte, incluida la Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), han argumentado que Biden, que fue el primer presidente de EE.UU. en hacer campaña para poner fin al uso de la pena de muerte federal, no ha cumplido esa promesa. CMN está animando a Biden a cumplir esa promesa con acciones concretas en el período postelectoral antes de que el presidente electo Donald Trump, que ha tratado de ampliar el uso de la pena capital, regrese a la Casa Blanca. El informe del centro de información, con sede en Washington, criticó los argumentos de los defensores de la pena capital de que la práctica federal es un “estándar de oro” con “la representación legal de la más alta calidad para los acusados de un conjunto reducido de delitos excepcionales”, lo que lleva a un proceso más fuerte que sus equivalentes a nivel estatal. En cambio, según el informe, la práctica a nivel federal tiene los mismos problemas sistémicos que los sistemas estatales de pena de muerte, “incluida la arbitrariedad, la representación legal ineficaz y, especialmente, el sesgo racial”. Robin M. Maher, director ejecutivo del centro, dijo: “Esperamos que los funcionarios electos consideren seriamente este estudio en profundidad del uso histórico de la pena capital y su uso actual antes de tomar alguna decisión a futuro”.

VATICANO
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – No hay cristianos de segunda clase, dijo el Papa Francisco. Los laicos, incluidas las mujeres, y el clero tienen dones especiales para edificar la Iglesia en unidad y santidad.”Los laicos no son los últimos, los laicos no son una especie de colaboradores externos o tropas auxiliares del clero, sino que tienen sus propios carismas y dones con los que contribuir a la misión de la Iglesia”, dijo el Papa el 20 de noviembre en su audiencia general en la Plaza de San Pedro. Continuando con una serie de catequesis sobre el papel del Espíritu Santo en la vida de la Iglesia, el Papa Francisco analizó cómo el Espíritu Santo edifica el Cuerpo de Cristo a través de la efusión de dones y carismas. El Espíritu Santo distribuye gracias especiales entre los fieles de todo rango. Por medio de estos dones, Él los hace aptos y preparados para asumir las diversas tareas y oficios que contribuyen a la renovación y edificación de la Iglesia, dijo, citando la Constitución Dogmática sobre la Iglesia del Concilio Vaticano II, “Lumen Gentium”. Un carisma es “el don concedido ‘para el bien común’. En otras palabras, no está destinado principal y ordinariamente a la santificación de la persona, sino al servicio de la comunidad”, dijo el Papa Francisco. “Se trata, en cambio, de dones ordinarios, cada uno de nosotros tiene su propio carisma, que adquieren un valor extraordinario cuando son inspirados por el Espíritu Santo y encarnados en las situaciones de la vida con amor”, dijo.

Una réplica de la estatua de la Virgen de París es transportada durante una procesión mariana con velas por las calles de París el 15 de noviembre de 2024, ya que la original, por motivos de seguridad, fue transportada en un camión de vuelta a la catedral de Notre Dame. La estatua permaneció cinco años en la iglesia de Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, cerca del Louvre, desde que Notre Dame fue arrasada por un incendio en 2019. (Foto OSV News/Stephanie Lecocq, Reuters)

MUNDO
PARÍS (OSV News) – Tras haber evitado milagrosamente las que cayeron del techo durante el incendio del 15 de abril de 2019, y después de esperar cinco años para volver a la catedral de Notre Dame, la estatua del siglo XIV de la Virgen de París regresó a casa el 15 de noviembre, acompañada por miles de parisinos que iban rezando, cantando y encendiendo velas mientras caminaban a su Virgen a la iglesia más icónica de París, restaurada después del incendio. Desde el incendio, la estatua, también llamada Virgen con el Niño o Virgen del Pilar, se encuentra cerca del Louvre, en la iglesia de Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, desde donde partió la procesión a las 6 p.m. hora local. Por razones de seguridad, no fue posible transportar a pie la estatua real de la Virgen. En su lugar, todos pudieron presenciar su salida en camión, antes de partir, con velas y cantos, detrás de una réplica, iluminada y adornada con flores blancas. La procesión recorrió las orillas del Sena en dirección a la Île de la Cité, una de las dos islas parisinas y sede de la catedral de Notre Dame. Al llegar ante la catedral, hacia las 7 p.m., los peregrinos fueron recibidos por los cantos de la Maîtrise Notre Dame, el coro de la catedral. El arzobispo bendijo la estatua original, cuyo cajón se había abierto para que pudiera verse. A continuación, el camión entró en las obras de la cathedral para poder instalar la estatua original.