Hello and welcome!
Sister Marie-Paul Jaston, who has been living consecrated life for many years, has requested to become a diocesan hermit. So, she worked with our Delegate for Religious, Sister Germana Santos, to prepare for this. Her profession was last Friday, becoming the fifth diocesan hermit in the Archdiocese of Boston.
We were so pleased to be able to preside at this important event in her life.
Saturday, we had the ordination of “Seven men of good repute, filled with the Holy Spirit,” as in the Acts of the Apostles, where the Apostles are called “the Twelve,” and the deacons are called “the seven.”
Unfortunately, another of our diaconate candidates, Richard Johnston, was called home to eternity, or he would have been with us. But we were so pleased to be joined by his family and his wife Cheryl, who proclaimed the second reading in American Sign Language.
Among the ordination class was Nelson Pimentel, who is from the Azores, and a very large contingent of Portuguese accompanied him to the Mass.
It’s always encouraging when we have deacons representing the different linguistic groups, which is how the diaconate started because of the tension between the Greek and Hebrew-speaking Christians in the Early Church.
I have come to have a great appreciation for this ministry and vocation in the Church. I think one of the best decisions we’ve made in the last several years is to expand our diaconate program by accepting new candidates every year. So, now we have ordinations to the permanent diaconate every year.
It was a great joy to be able to ordain these men, and we are very grateful to Deacon Christopher Connelly and all of those involved in the formation of our deacons.
Sunday morning, we had our annual Respect Life Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The Mass. State Council Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and our Pro-Life Office sponsor this Mass each year, and I was happy to celebrate with them.
Of course, we had a number of Knights serving as the color guard.
In my homily, I spoke about discipleship being a costly grace and how, in the Gospel reading, Christ holds up a child, saying that they should receive the children as they receive him. The Church is telling us today to embrace the child and find room at the table of life for everyone.
Then, that afternoon, I went to the Pastoral Center to celebrate a special Mass for the 100th anniversary of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master.
The chapel was standing room only, full of friends and collaborators of the Sisters from throughout the archdiocese.
We were delighted to see how many priests came. I think there were about 60 priests and several bishops present for the Mass. It was a beautiful tribute to the Sisters. I teased the Sisters, saying, “I wonder who is celebrating the Masses in the parishes because all the priests are here. It’s all your fault!”
The great turnout was just an indication of how beloved the Sisters are and what an impact they have made through their ministries. Their life is one of Eucharistic adoration, promoting the liturgical arts and caring for priests at Regina Cleri. They have also worked at several offices in the Pastoral Center.
At the conclusion of Mass, we heard lovely remarks from their provincial, Sister Catherine. She resides in New Zealand but was originally from Ireland.
The Sisters are such a gift to our archdiocese, and we are happy that so many turned out to celebrate their centenary with them.
Immediately after the Mass, I left for Upstate New York to attend the funeral of Bishop Basil Losten on Monday at St. Andrew Church in a town named Campbell Hall.
Bishop Basil was the Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, which encompasses New York and New England. He was a bishop for over 50 years, so we served a long time together.
He was very active in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and had a larger-than-life personality. Everyone knew Bishop Basil. He really helped us Latin Rite bishops be aware and conscious of the presence of the Eastern Rite Catholics in our country. (Many don’t know this, but the Ukrainian Greek Catholics are the largest Eastern Rite branch of the Catholic Church.) Because of our long association, I thought it was important to be present for his funeral Mass.
Following the funeral, I stayed at the Capuchin Friary in Manhattan.
Thursday, when I was out for a walk, I saw volunteers from the Order of Malta conducting their outreach to the homeless.
They were in front of St. Francis Church, which is just down the street from the Capuchin parish. There is so much homelessness here in New York. It really is disturbing to see how many people are on the streets. So, I was happy to see how many of their volunteers were there serving breakfast to the people in front of the church.
Finally, I have been saddened by reading the many commentaries that have recently come out about the Haitian community in Ohio.
Here in Boston, we have one of the largest Haitian communities in the United States, and we have had many refugees come here because of the deplorable situation on the island. However, I was very heartened to hear that over 90 percent of the Haitians who have come to Boston are already employed and working.
Our experience with the Haitian immigrants is that they are such a hard-working community and make a wonderful contribution to the larger society. So, when I saw the statement by the bishops of Ohio, I wanted to share it with all of you here:
September 19, 2024
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ and all people of goodwill,
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is asked by a scholar of the law, “And who is my neighbor?” when faced with upholding the greatest commandment. Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Today, our nation is divided by partisanship and ideology, which blind us to the image of God in our neighbor, especially the unborn, the poor, and the stranger. These negative sentiments are only exacerbated by gossip, which can spread quickly across social media with no concern for the truth or those involved.
From the beginning, the human race was made in the image of God, which distinguishes us from all other created things. The arrival of Jesus Christ in human history confirms the dignity God has given to each of us, without exception. It is our belief in the dignity of human life that guides our consciences and rhetoric when engaging in politics or personal conversation. Each of us, therefore, must turn to God and ask for eyes to see the infinite dignity of every person. Throughout our nation’s history, Catholic immigrants have come to our shores seeking freedom to worship and raise their families. Over 70 years ago, Pope Pius XII urged the Body of Christ to understand the Christian responsibility to care for migrants and refugees, writing, “Indeed, there never has been a period during which the Church has not been active in behalf of migrants, exiles and refugees.” Today, we witness newcomers to our dioceses who have escaped extreme violence and poverty and are seeking work to support themselves and their families. Some are Catholic, some are not, but all are welcome in our parishes, and all are individuals loved by God. What is our duty, as Catholics, to ensure all segments of our society, including our political leaders, view newcomers first as children of God while understanding the need to enforce reasonable limits to legal immigration? Do we ask ourselves how we would want to be received if forced to flee our homes?
Though national attention has turned to Springfield, we know that throughout Ohio our neighbors include Haitians and others fleeing inhumane conditions in their countries. Our Haitian brothers and sisters in Springfield have been granted ‘Temporary Protected Status,’ a humane federal program that protects foreign nationals from deportation to unsafe home countries. Like all people, these Haitians should be afforded the respect and dignity that are theirs by right and allowed the ability to contribute to the common good. The recent influx of so many migrants in a brief time has caused a strain on the city’s resources. We applaud all those community groups working hard to advance the flourishing of Springfield, given the need to integrate newcomers into the social fabric. If we remain true to our principles, we can have a dialogue about immigration without scapegoating groups of people for societal issues beyond their control
The Letter of Saint James warns, “Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire… With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God” (James 3:5-6, 9). As the residents of Springfield, Ohio struggle with violent threats and life disruptions fueled by unfettered social media posts, we exhort the Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill not to perpetuate ill will toward anyone involved based on unfounded gossip. Instead, we ask for prayers and support for all the people of Springfield as they integrate their new Haitian neighbors and build a better future together.
Pope Francis, like Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II before him, reminds us that we are all migrants on this earth headed toward the “true homeland,” the Kingdom of Heaven. On September 29, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, we are asked by the Holy Father to reflect upon the need to open our eyes to those brothers and sisters who might live in the shadows of our parishes and communities. The Catholic Church continues to pray and work in places of violence and economic despair so that individuals and families do not have to flee their homeland. In the meantime, let us reject a mindset of judging who belongs to our community and put on the mind of Christ to understand that God walks with all his people, especially those in need.
With you in Christ Jesus,
The Most Rev. Dennis M. Schnurr, Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Most Rev. Edward M. Lohse, Diocese of Steubenville
The Most Rev. David J. Bonnar, Diocese of Youngstown
The Most Rev. Edward C. Malesic, Diocese of Cleveland
The Most Rev. John Michael Botean, St. George Byzantine Catholic Diocese
The Most Rev. Robert M. Pipta, Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma
The Most Rev. Bohdan J. Danylo, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
The Most Rev. Daniel E. Thomas, Diocese of Toledo
The Most Rev. Earl K. Fernandes, Diocese of Columbus
The Most Rev. Michael Woost, Diocese of Cleveland
Until next week,
Cardinal Seán