Hello and welcome!
Last Thursday evening, I went for Mass and dinner with the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master at their house on West Street.
Sister Kathryn Williams, Delegate Superior for the U.S. and Ireland, and Sister Louise O’Rourke, Delegation Vicar and a canon lawyer were in Boston, and it was an opportunity to greet them.
Both Sister Kathryn and Sister Louise are from Ireland, and at the end of Mass, Sister Louise sang a beautiful Irish hymn that was sung for Pope John Paul II when he visited Ireland. I enjoyed it very much.
Friday, I went to St. Mary’s in Hanover to celebrate the funeral Mass of Father Martin Connor. Father Chris Hickey gave a very inspiring homily, and Father Connor’s nephew offered a beautiful reflection on his life.
There was a very large number of priests with us for the Mass. Father Connor had been on the faculty of St. John’s Seminary for almost three decades, and, over that time, he had been a mentor and spiritual director for many of them. Their presence was a great testimony to the tremendous impact he had on their lives and ministry.
That afternoon, I attended the wake of John Zofchak and led a prayer service with his family.
In addition to being a great family man and businessman, John was a great friend of the archdiocese. His wife Lynn served on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, and he was always eager to support works of evangelization, particularly our Redemptoris Mater Seminary. All of this was a reflection of John’s strong Catholic faith. So, I was very happy to be able to have this opportunity to be with the family, pray with them and tender my condolences.
Saturday morning, I went to St. Cecilia Parish in Boston to celebrate a Mass offered for Dr. Paul Farmer, who passed away in late February. Although he traveled extensively for his work as a world health expert, Our Lady of the Angels in Roxbury and St. Cecilia’s were the two parishes that he would principally attend when he was here in Boston.
The pastor, Father John Unni, concelebrated the Mass with me.
There was a visiting choir from of St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, which provided beautiful music for the Mass.
Sunday, we had the joy of once again celebrating the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The rite is an important step in the formation of our catechumens, who will be baptized at Easter.
Last year, we were only able to hold the celebration virtually, so it was wonderful to be able to gather in person once again this year.
Though the ceremony was slightly modified, it was very meaningful. This rite is a significant moment for the catechumens to gather with their bishop and to help them realize that they are joining not just a parish but the larger archdiocese and the Universal Church.
We had such great weather that day that, following the Mass, we went out to the front steps of the cathedral, where I was able to greet many of the catechumens and their godparents.
Following the Rite of the Election, I departed for Washington, where I was invited to give a Lenten conference at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament. I spoke on the vision of Pope Francis and the message of his encyclical Fratelli Tutti.
Whenever I’m in Washington, I stay at Capuchin College, where my community has been for 100 years.
The Ukrainian National Shrine of the Holy Family is just across the street, so I went there to pray for the people of Ukraine.
While I was there, I picked up a copy of this prayer they are offering for Ukraine.
Of course, in addition to our prayers, the people of Ukraine need our material support at this time. So, earlier today, I announced that we would be taking up a special collection in all our parishes. I want to share that announcement with you here:
Due to the unprecedented needs brought about by the devastation of the attacks on Ukraine and the immigration of millions of victims fleeing the ravages of the war, I am authorizing a special collection to be taken up at all parishes on the weekend of March 19 and 20. The proceeds from the collection will be sent to Catholic Relief Services, the overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and to the Vatican agency for outreach to the Churches in Eastern Europe.
Through news coverage of the war, we have witnessed the immediate human crisis needs, including those caused by the horrendous bombing of a maternity hospital. There will also be longer term needs, for rebuilding churches and hospitals, and other recovery and reconstruction programs.
The people of our Archdiocese have a long history of generosity in times of local, national, and international disasters and for assisting with relief of human suffering. Please join me in supporting the people of Ukraine through our prayers, our concern, and our contributions.
Finally, we were pleased to see that the sainthood cause of Venerable Francesco Saverio Toppi has recently been advanced. He was a Capuchin archbishop in Pompeii, Italy, whom I knew very well, and I was in many General Chapters with him. 
He sort of breaks the mold for our order, though. Usually, to be a saint, you have to be a lay brother. So I guess there’s hope for me yet!
Until next week,
Cardinal Seán