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TOKYO (CNS) — Hidilyn Diaz became the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal winner, set an Olympic record — and thanked her friends who prayed the Miraculous Medal novena. In a virtual news conference, the 30-year-old said she also prayed the novena and wore the medal. (CNS photo/Edgard Garrido, Reuters)

Orientation for new pastors, administrators and parochial vicars was held today. Please join us in welcoming Fr. Hyginus Boboh, Fr. Alwin Samy, Fr. Emmanuel Subaar, Fr. Vincent Ajayi, Fr. Truong Trinh, Myself, Fr. Charles Arthur, Fr. Arockia Doss, Fr. Alfred Ayem and Fr. Rofinus Jas to our diocese!

The spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional wellness of all students, faculty, and staff within our Catholic Schools remains our highest priority. The Office of Catholic Schools will closely monitor the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and will remain vigilant in identifying and implementing evidence-based health and safety practices. Administrators will continue to meet with health officials to discuss possible changes to the protocol as conditions dictate. (Read more...)

Bishop's Kihneman's Decree regarding Pope Francis' Motu Proprio

Today, July 14, 2021 is the feast day for St. Kateri Tekakwitha that holds a deep personal meaning for me. When I was younger, I took the journey to discovering my confirmation saint diligently. This was back in 1999, when Wikipedia was not considered a viable source of information and we were still flipping through encyclopedias. As I was researching saints, I kept coming across the cause for canonization regarding then Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Yahoo (no Google back then) kept directing me to EWTN for more information about her. Since my grandma watched EWTN, I figured well that was a good enough reason to trust the source of information...

Catholics today face many obstacles to a vibrant relationship with Christ. Many are without community and lack support in their faith journey. Many do not know what they believe, and even if they do, they may not be living out their beliefs or sharing them with others. Out of a passion to combat these obstacles and help people to have the relationship with Christ they desire, Franciscan University of Steubenville has conducted extensive research and created the Discipleship Quad. A Discipleship Quad is a group of four people who journey together as disciples through weekly gatherings of fellowship, ongoing conversion, and learning. This 12-month path of accompaniment fosters growth through prayer, accountability, and authentic relationships. Learn how to be a part of a Discipleship Quad today! It's free!

Bishop Kihneman asks you to keep Pope Francis in your prayers. He is scheduled to have surgery on his colon.

God, source of all freedom, this day is bright with the memory of those that declared that life and liberty are your gift to every human being. (Read more)

As restrictions continue to be lifted, many Catholics are wondering where we go from here. Word on Fire is now offering a follow-up eBook, Catholicism after Coronavirus: A Post-COVID Guide for Catholics and Parishes, which is intended to help answer that question. Featuring a foreword by Dr. Bullivant, this new collection brings together authors from across the Catholic world, offering what the Church so desperately needs to hear right now: bold, courageous, and realistic yet hope-filled insights and ideas from a diverse range of voices among the people of God—laity, clergy, and religious alike. It offers practical advice from those on the frontlines of the Church’s response to the pandemic, with meditations on bereavement, spiritual formation, evangelization, pedagogy and pastoral care, presbyteral ministry, the centrality of the parish, the works of mercy, creative means of pastoral accompaniment, authentic community, and intellectual formation.

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (CNS) — In the months leading up to the U.S. bishops’ spring general assembly held June 16-18, headlines in both secular and Catholic media focused primarily on one issue: the potential of a document on eucharistic consistency and what that would mean in the political sphere. Since the bishops’ vote to move forward with drafting the statement, media attention has become even more acute — and confusing. (Read more)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Vote to Write a Document on the Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church. (Read more)

During the June 5th, 2021 workshop at St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School, Deacon Bill Vrazel from Holy Family Parish in Pass Christian, spoke to several Pastors, Deacons, RCIA Directors & lay ministers about “what worked & didn’t work” in regards to their parish RCIA. We've broken the video up into six parts.

While mothers and fathers both must contribute to the upbringing of their children, each parent offers something different that the other cannot. So what can fathers specifically do in order to sanctify their families? The main thing they can do is practice their faith in front of their kids. As one priest I know puts it, we can no longer be “secret agent Catholics”, especially in front of our kids. We need to be bold in practicing our faith, especially if we profess that we love our kids so much. Let’s take a look at seven reasons why fathers absolutely should practice their faith in front of their children.

During the June 5th, 2021 workshop at St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School, Bishop Louis Kihneman spoke to several Pastors, Deacons, RCIA Directors & lay ministers about the recent release of the Pastoral Guide for Evangelization & its importance to the RCIA Program. All parishes were invited to attend with their RCIA teams. Click this new article for an excerpt from the day.

"I've been incorporating Visio Divina with the students more since our last morning [staff] training, and they really enjoy it. What was neat yesterday was that since we talked about icons and the Iconoclast Movement in Ecumenism this chapter, I did Visio Divina with them with an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I was amazed at the little things they picked up on or that stood out to them and the meaning they derived from it. This is definitely a visual generation! It also gave us a good chance to discuss how the Western church and the Eastern church view religious art. I've never used an icon before for Visio Divina but I think I will intentionally pick more images to pray with that relate directly to the culture or time that we are studying, rather than just picking one that goes with the Gospel for the day." - Audrey Mayer - Teacher at Our Lady Academy

Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. "I look at him and he looks at me": this is what a certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy curé used to say while praying before the tabernacle. This focus on Jesus is a renunciation of self. His gaze purifies our heart; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Thus it learns the "interior knowledge of our Lord," the more to love him and follow him. - CCC 2715

"Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him."(CCC 2708)

Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. He is "able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." The Holy Spirit "himself intercedes for us . . . and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." - CCC 2634

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