Greetings Faithful Parishioners in Christ,
Catholic News Agency Friday, September 17th released an article with the following title: “Pope Francis hopes new ministry of catechist will ‘awaken this vocation’.” The pope established the new ministry through the apostolic letter Antiquum ministerium (“Ancient ministry”) on May 11th , 2021. The following link will take you to the article: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247613/what-is -the-new-ministry-of-catechist-a-cna-explainer.
Pope Francis calls the role of catechist an “ancient ministry” in the Church. He has now made it a formal ministry in the Church with a new rite (ritual). I have been teaching and preaching since July about how instead of needing religion teachers, we need catechists, and they have to be people who are not just deciding for themselves to be one, but rather, prayerfully reflecting and listening to the call of God to properly discern if God is calling them to this vocation. (God often calls individuals through others who recognize that gift and ask them to consider this vocation.) I did this without any foreknowledge of what Pope Francis had done on May 11th . I found out about it on Friday, September 17th . Obviously, Pope Francis and I independently recognized this need in a similar time frame to promote the role and need for catechists. I say this is another confirmation that we have been on the right track.
One of the most popular articlesin recent Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) newspapers is “Do you doubt the Real Presence? Learn about these Eucharistic miracles” which appeared in the September 12-18, 2021 edition. It does a good, succinct job of presenting Eucharistic Miracles in their proper context. If you are interested in this four page article, you can pick up one of the few remaining newspapers in the Sacred Heart Church lobby or go to https://www.osvnews.com/2021/0 9/10/do-you-doubt-the-real-presence-learn-about-these-eucharisticmiracles/. For what is probably the most comprehensive website on Eucharistic miracles go to http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/Liste/list.html. Priesthood Sunday is a special day set aside to honor priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one. This nationwide event is coordinated and sponsored by the US Council of Serra International. Priesthood Sunday is celebrated on the last Sunday of September which is this Sunday.
I will be gone for our diocese’s annual Clergy Days Monday, October 4th through Thursday, October 7th .
