Hello and welcome!
Last Thursday I was very happy to attend the annual gala dinner to support our Redemptoris Mater Seminary. 
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the seminary’s establishment, and so during the evening they showed a video highlighting the history of the seminary and also showing a little bit of the daily routine of the seminarians.
This year the seminary honored Archbishop Charles Chaput. 
He gave a very beautiful reflection as a keynote address, which I would like to share with you here:
They also honored Father Kevin O’Leary, who also addressed the group, talking about his experience of the Neocatechumenal Way in the Cathedral Parish and what a positive influence it has been.
I presented both Father Kevin and Archbishop Chaput with their awards.
Before we concluded for the evening the seminarians performed a selection of secular and religious songs for us, which is always very lively and enjoyable.
It was a very successful event, with about 500 participants. I was particularly happy to see many Hispanic parishioners participating in this event. There are not many archdiocesan events at which you would see so many members of the Hispanic community. That to me was a sign of the impact that the seminary is having in our community.
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As I mentioned last week, Friday morning we had the announcements of our new auxiliary bishops for the archdiocese, which was a wonderful event. 
Of course, there had already been planned the events around the episcopal ordination of Archbishop Paul Russell. Until recently, Archbishop Russell has served in the Holy See’s diplomatic service as Apostolic Delegate to Taiwan, and now he has been named Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey and Turkmenistan. As nuncio, he was ordained a bishop to represent the Holy Father there.
Following the press conference at the seminary with the new Bishops-elect, we had a luncheon for the family and guests of Archbishop Russell before the ordination. A great number of those in attendance at the ordination had traveled from all over the country and indeed all of the world, including several people who traveled from Taiwan to be present.
Then, in the afternoon we had the ordination Mass itself. It was a very beautiful celebration. The co-consecrators with me were Archbishop Alan Vigneron of Detroit and Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland and there were a great number of bishops and priests in attendance, as well. As I mentioned in my homily, it was the very anniversary of the death of Pope St. John XXIII, who was himself Apostolic Delegate to Turkey. In fact, I’d like to share the full homily with you here:
It was a very beautiful celebration and we are so happy that Archbishop Russell chose to celebrate his Episcopal ordination here with us in Boston.
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That evening, I departed for Rome to attend meetings with the Council of Cardinals advising the Holy Father.
On Saturday, the day I arrived in Rome, the Holy Father published his motu proprio “Like a Loving Mother,” which clarifies the existing norms already in place for abuse cases, particularly with regard to negligence on the part of bishops, eparchs and religious superiors.
This is clearly an important and positive step forward by Pope Francis. Its purpose includes establishing a clear and transparent means for ensuring greater accountability in how we, as leaders of the Church, handle cases of the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. We are grateful that our Holy Father has received the recommendations from our Commission members and that they have contributed to this new and significant initiative.
Then in the early part of this week, the Council of Cardinals met for three days with the Holy Father to continue our work to reform the curia.
This time we continued our conversations about the different dicasteries, with a particular focus on the Secretariat of State, the Congregations for Bishops, Catholic Education, the Oriental Churches and the Clergy, and the Pontifical Councils for Culture, Promoting Christian Unity, and Interreligious Dialogue.
We also presented the Holy Father with the conclusions of our work on other congregations, Doctrine of the Faith, Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Causes of Saints, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life — as well as the new dicastery on “Charity, Justice and Peace.” Of course, he will review them and may proceed with further analysis and consultation.
We were also updated on matters related to the Council for the Economy as well as the Secretariats for the Economy and Communications.
Msgr. Dario Vigano told us about the progress of reforms of the Holy See communications department and on the ongoing integration regarding Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre.
I was given the opportunity to report on the activity of the Commission for the Protection of Minors, and we reflected on the Holy Father’s new motu proprio.
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On Thursday I joined members of the Commission for the Protection of Minors in making a presentation to the Congregation for Religious. The entire congregation was there with Cardinal João Braz and Archbishop Carballo and all the staff.
Msgr. Robert Oliver, Father Hans Zollner and I gave about a three-hour session with conferences on child protection, followed by a period of questions and answers. The Congregation for Religious is a very key congregation, dealing with religious all over the world, so we wanted to ensure that they are aware of the work of the Commission and engage them on the subject of child protection.
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As I always like to do while I am in Rome, I took occasion of my visit to see as many people from Boston as I can.
On Tuesday I gathered with our seminarians who are studying in Rome and I had a chance to meet with Father John Abruzzese and our newly ordained Father Kevin Staley-Joyce during the course of the week.
Also, this morning Boston College president Father William Leahy accompanied me to the daily Mass celebrated by the Holy Father at Casa Santa Marta and afterward he had a chance to meet the pope.
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Finally this week, I want to leave you with this photo. As I was admiring the new lighting in St. Peter’s Square, which is very bright and inviting, I saw these two Sisters with a selfie stick and I couldn’t resist taking the picture!
Until next week,
Cardinal Seán