Podcasts about when fr

When Fr. Burke Masters was a kid, he dreamed of playing professional baseball. Now he's hit a grand slam for God. He shares the story.

When Fr. Burke Masters was a kid, he dreamed of playing professional baseball. Now he's hit a grand slam for God. He shares the story.

Recently on X (formerly Twitter), Fr. Douglas Hunter announced to his followers that he was retiring, resigning, or stepping down from his role as the Catholic Chaplain of the Indianapolis Colts. When Fr. Edward saw the Tweet, he immediately messaged Fr. Hunter to set up an interview! In this conversation Fr. Hunter shares how he became the Colt's chaplain, what his duties were, how he managed doing so while serving in a parish, how he would have handled the Damar Hamlin situation, and his thoughts on Indianapolis becoming a center for Catholic America events like NCYC and the Eucharistic Revival. Follow Fr. Hunter on social media: https://twitter.com/frdouglashunter You can follow Fr. Edward on Youtube at: http://youtube.com/@edwardlooney ColtsChaplain #SportsSpirituality #FaithInFootball #ChaplainRetirement #NFLFaith #ColtsCommunity #CatholicLeadership #TeamChaplain #SpiritualJourney #SportsMinistry #ColtsFamily #RetirementInterview #GridironFaith #ChaplainLegacy #FaithOnTheField #ColtsNation #AthleteSpirituality #ChaplainFarewell #FootballMinistry #ThankYouChaplain

When Fr. Ed Steiner was just 5 years old, there was a knock on his front door during supper. Fr. Ed excitedly ran to see who it was. What he found he never could have imagined.  It was Santa Claus!   To the day Fr. Ed still finds himself stirred with a similar sense of awe he experienced that very moment he saw Santa as a young boy. Yet Fr. Ed recognizes what he is really waiting for is the coming of Christ.  In this Advent podcast Fr. Ed reflects on our need to remember why Christ came—and how the true meaning of Christmas fills our hearts and homes during this special time of year.  Let us strive to make awe-filled memories and practice the Gospel with our loved ones this Advent Season.

INTRODUCTIONThe product is the packaging's reason for being! But what if we start to rethink products? In this episode, we delve into the journey of MYNI, a company offering cleaning and personal care products concentrated in a water-free tablet.With Frédérique, the general director of this innovative manufacturer, you will discover how they tackle toxic ingredients, water usage, and CO2 emissions issues, all at once;how they eliminate the need for single-use plastics with wheat straw reusable bottles, but not only;and how they collaborate in B2B with all kinds of shops, from small refilleries to big brands.When Frédérique is sharing her experience, you can feel that she is driven by living in a healthier and cleaner environment. MYNI is a good example of how rethinking commonly used products could be paired with finding alternative packaging… and even other distribution systems. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEThe burning question came from Célia Rennesson of Réseau Vrac in Episode 36: The bulk: How to free products and consumers from the packaging?: https://www.look4loops.com/packaging-podcast/ep36-bulk-network-packaging-free-products-consumersCanada Goose was one of their B2B partnership named in this episode. Another partnership mentioned was with Mimi & August: https://mimiandaugust.com/ The Québec based company for their future packaging, BOSK: https://www.bosk-bioproducts.com/index.htmlThe “Sustainability Defined” podcast: https://sustainabilitydefined.com/  WHERE TO FIND FREDERIQUE DROUIN AND MYNI?    The MYNI website: https://myni.ca/    Their Tik Tok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@mynicleaning    Their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/mynicleaning/    Their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Mynicleaning/    Drop a line to Frédérique on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9rique-drouin-799714b6/  ABOUT FREDERIQUE DROUIN FROM MYNIFrédérique Drouin is a dedicated professional who began her career as a Chartered Professional Accountant. Throughout her professional journey, she has consistently demonstrated a deep concern for the environment and a strong desire to make a positive impact. It was this passion that led her to join MYNI, a renowned organization committed to fight single-use plastics, toxic ingredients and CO2 emissions by offering cleaning and personal care products concentrated in a tablet.At MYNI, Frédérique is leading operations and is strongly involved in the supply chain management. She diligently works to implement efficient and eco-friendly processes within the company, ensuring that MYNI remains at the forefront of environmentally conscious business practices. PODCAST MUSICSpecial thanks to Joachim Regout who made the jingle. Have a look at his work here. I am happy to bring a sample of our strong bonds on these sound waves. Since I was a child, he made me discover a wide range of music of all kinds. I am also delighted he is a nature lover and shares the Look4Loops 'out of the box philosophy'. He is an inspiring source of creativity for me. 

Hosts: Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Mark Teresi. Fr. Mike Bradley recently ran his 50th marathon. When Fr. Mike runs, he raises money for the Heart to Heart Ministry at St. Gertrude parish on Chicago's north side. Fr. Mike and Sr. Susan Quaintance are the guests.

Matthew Bunson joins us with the latest on Fulton Sheen, the Synod and a wide variety of other Church news. When Fr. Burke Masters was a kid, he dreamed of playing professional baseball. Now he's hit a grand slam for God. He shares the story.

"N'ayez pas peur." And the formal lessons continue into the wilderness and beauty of the French language. Or should I say langue française. And yep, we have just dove into to learning the imperatif form, and as the command directs above in French - Have no fear! Which is a great place to start because when we choose to learn a new language, especially as an adult, and anyone proficient in any field other than the French language, humility must be brought with us on the journey. To trip over any new language we wish to learn, or any new skill for that matter, is a practice in being vulnerable, and being vulnerable is scary. It's scary to try to form the words and say them outloud, even if we have practiced and know the alphabet of our new language. It is scary to bravely raise our hand and attempt to answer a question when we know the answer may be a direct and frank 'no' from the professor. And it is scary to keep raising our hand, to keep speaking the new language, after we have mispronounced and incorrectly answered in the past which is why, it is imperative to hold this directive with us as we choose to learn - Have no fear. After all, what is there to be afraid of really? This is when we need to set our ego aside, take the many (many!) corrections from the professor and just keep trying, just keep speaking and gradually, ever so very gradually, improvements and a depth of understanding as our long-term memory begins to hold this new language in its arsenal of knowledge it draws upon when we least expect it to be easy to grasp, the new language becomes easier. I write the words of encouragement for you, readers and listeners of the blog and podcast as much as I write them for myself because it is a slow journey, but all of a sudden, I will find myself in moments grasping and understanding what to say and how to say it when in the past such an occurrence would never happen. And it is in these moments, I know that the regular effort, vulnerability and bravery (and mental exhaustion) are worth it and are paying off. Today, we return to the series of what I have learned so far in French class. A journey that began in 2016 as I shared in Part Quatre just a couple of months ago (visit that post/episode #349 here) and is continuing as I begin FR 104 (A2.2) with Washington D.C. Alliance de Française having begun with them FR 101 in September 2022. Part Quatre brought us to the mid-way point of FR 102, so today's episode will focus on what I have learned as FR 102 concluded and all of FR 103 which wrapped up in mid-April. Admittedly, FR 103 is when I felt I was in brand new territory as up to 102 I had a clear awareness of present tense, the numbers, basic 'get to know you' phrases, and had been exposed to the components taught, but needed to polish them as well as fill in a few of the fundament gaps (proper pronunciation of the alphabet for example!). So now I am in the thick of new knowledge, and my head is exhausted each week, following each day of classes (two, two hour classes each week). However, well, I am getting ahead of myself. Let's take a look at the list of what I have learned so far in French class . . . 1.The mental exhaustion improves with time As I shared above, when FR 103 began, with a new professor who has high expectations and uses every minute of class, after each week and each class, my mind was exhausted; however, that was the worst of it. In other words, my mind was working in a way it had not, and therefore, had to 'get into shape' by being stretched. Now, yes, I still have mental fatigue, but part of me is used it, but the other part of me knows, my mind as it pertains to learning the French language, is getting better toned and used to searching, remembering and applying the new knowledge. All the more reason to hang in there and keep attending class, keeping signing up for the next class. 2. Être, Avoir, Savoir, & Vouloir are the only verbs that are irregular in the imperatif As hinted at above in the opening quote, we've begun learning the form and function of the imperatif! And it is really quite simple, especially when I discovered (and it makes sense logically) that there are only ever three forms of the imperatif for conjugation (tu, nous, and vous), and so long as you know your Present tense forms, and memorize the four new irregular forms of être (to be), avoir (to have), savoir (to know) and vouloir (to want), you know how to properly use/write/speak the imperatif! What is the imperatif? The exact same thing imperative is in the English language, a command or direction given with an understood subject (so the sentence begins with the verb). 3. How to communicate time properly (formally and informally) A simple concept, but knowing how to form a sentence when asked the time is slightly different compared to English, but it is quite simple. The key is to remember to once you begin speaking the time formally (military time) to continue to do so - only numbers, no phrases; and when you speak heure informelle, then you can use the common phrases - midi (noon), minuit (midnight), moins le quart (less than a quarter - 15 minutes), et demi (half past), etc. 4. What "liaision" and "enchaînement" are as they pertain pronunciation in the French language Large, odd words, but all they are, and they are very important if we want to pronounce the language correctly, is how the sound of the word changes due to the words around it. Enchaînement: What is affected? Words that begin with "h" or a vowel. How is the pronunciation changed? If the word that precedes the word that begins with the 'h' or a vowel ends in a consonant sound, then the speaker must combine the words and drop the last consonant sound of the first word, combining the sounds into one. EXAMPLE: neuf heures —alone, you would pronounce 'neuf' as [nuf], pronouncing the 'f' sound; but when the word 'heures' follows as it begins with an 'h' or a vowel, you drop the 'f' sound and pronounce neuf as [neuv] leading into 'heures'. Liaison: What is affected? words that end with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel or 'h' How is the pronunciation changed? Pronounce the consonant of the first word that previously was not pronounced. EXAMPLE: trois heures — alone, you would pronounce 'trois' as [twah], not pronouncing the 's'; but when the word 'heures' follows, the 's' is pronounced and is pronounced as a [zzz] sound. 5. How to construct passé composé Finally learning the past tense (aka the passé composé) was a big step in my learning journey of the French language. And it is soooooo much simpler than I had anticipated. While I won't teach the entire lesson to you, the key is knowing that every single conjugated verb will be preceded by either être (conjugated to fit the form) or avoir (conjugated to fit the form), and there are only approximately 15 verbs that use être (simply memorize them), and the reset all use avoir. Below are the fifteen verbs that use être, and how I remember them is they are all verbs in which they describe a change of state or motion. Now do note, not EVERY verb that involves motion or a change of state uses être, but all of these in this list fit that definition. entre (to enter) sortir (to exit, go out) monter (to go up/to climb) descendre (to descent) passer (to go/to go pass) rester (to remain/to stay) retourner/tourner (to return) tomber (to fall out/to fall) arriver (to arriver/to reach) partir (to leave/to depart) aller (to go) venir/revenir/devenir (to come/to come back/to become) naitre (to be born) mourir (to die) Extra one: déceder (to be deceased) And then, the verb that follows has a fixed ending for all forms (je, tu, il, elle, on, vous, nous, ils/elles, which comes down to memorizing, but most, if they have a certain ending in the infinitive form (i.e. -er, -ir, etc.) end in the same ending for that form. For example, my list captured in the image below: 6. Passé composé is easier than I thought and gives me so much flexibility in constructing phrases It is worth reiterating that again, what I thought prior to learning was incorrect. I just needed to be taught by someone who knew the language. Once I had the knowledge, great progress in communicating was made and ease experienced knowing I could share what I had done in conversation, whatever that may be! 7. Positive encouragement and praise are wonderfully powerful no matter what the student's age It has been a fascinating experience being a teacher who taught for 20 years and stepping into someone else's classroom who is the expert on a basic subject - the fundamentals of a language. Apart of the skills they are teaching and I am trying to learn, the energy and connection a teacher brings to the space determines the probability of their students remaining in the class, believing they can do it and the confidence to try. As well, a teacher is a human being, and it is easier to notice when my professor is exhibiting an immense amount of patience, restraint and strength to keep us accountable, so I empathize and try to be aware that she will have good days and not so good days, but what I appreciate about my current professor is that she wastes not one minute of our class time, and is determined to teach us the language. There are moments when it is clear that teaching a lower-skilled class to students such as myself and being someone who knows the French language superbly as my professor does, gets to be a bit 'why don't you know this?!' at times, and whether through their repetition of the skills we are just being introduced to, her patience is a bit lacking and I know that for my confidence in learning the language, I could use a bit more acknowledgement of my effort and willingness to try to speak out or try to speak. However, in those moments, it is also a very helpful exercise for myself to set my ego aside and dig down and choose to learn than to take it personal. After all, I can honestly say, she is the best and most knowledgeable and capable of explaining the language clearly professor that I have had in my 20+ years of trying to finally learn this beloved language, and I am grateful these classes and the quality of classes are available. 8. Le Passé Recent While we just received a taste of how to construct the recent past (le passé recent), so anything that has just happened, seeing the formula for how to construct the phrases, knowing that all it is is the simple formula: use the verb Venir (to come) in the present tense + de + le verb de l'action a1 l'infinitif form, reminds me that I simply need to bulk up my knowledge of vocabulary with a variety of verbs I might need or use. 9. Hearing the language spoken first without the transcript is key to eventually (and more quickly) comprehending what you are hearing, even if it is more uncomfortable initially When FR 103 began with my new professor, she quickly told us (gently scolding us) to not look at the transcript when we were listening to passages that we were trying to decipher what was being said. I can remember in FR 101 being so perplexed that other students were able to easily understand what was being said on the first go-round and even stating my confusion in class, but what I didn't realize was that they were reading the transcript as they listened and the professor had not told them not to, so why not? Not the case in FR 103. Our professor - Olga, pointed out emphatically that if we are going to understand what we are hearing more quickly, we need to first hear it (without peeking at the transcript), struggle with what we hear, and similarly to the mental fatigue that is intense initially, it become easier more quickly than we might realize. Needless to say, lesson learned. Nobody is looking at the transcripts anymore and struggle with audio comprehension is expected, so long as we try. 10. Just 10 minutes a day of studying, everyday, is better than hours sporadically Another quick tip Olga shared with us was to make sure we practice or study at least 10 minutes each day on the days we don't need to complete any homework or in between class sessions - our two week breaks, for example. As opposed to studying intensively for a couple of hours, but not doing so regularly, we will actually acquire the language more quickly through consistent, short efforts. 11. Phrases for moving a story along chronologically d'abord (first) en suite (further then) puis (then) après (after) en fin (finally) 12. Vocabulary for frequencies of occurrence (la fréquence) et l'habitude jamais (never) parfois (sometimes) souvent (often) toujours (always) tôt (early) en retard (late) d'habitude (normally) en général (generally) chaque (each) 13. Reflexive verbs aren't as scary as they seem FR 103 began with reflexive verbs. A verb whose direct object is the same as its subject. For example, se lèver (to wake up); se doucher (to take a shower/wash oneself); se brosse les dents (to brush one's teeth); se coucher (to go to bed); se preparer (to prepare oneself). Once I learned where the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, etc.) needed to go in the formation of the sentence, and in negated sentences, it was just a matter of remembering the reflexive verbs. Simply by writing out these lessons has been helpful to remember all that was covered over the past two+ months, and now the journey continues forward. And while of course, there is guaranteed to be times in which I scrunch my forehead up and scream inside because it isn't coming quickly or at all, I also know that at the end of each class, I am grateful I am there. I am proud of myself for trying, and over-archingly I am following the directive seen below in the imperatif form, to have fun. Because if there is any class I would want to be enrolled in right now to learn something new, it is the French language, so I know I am exactly where I want (and need) to be. "Faites-vous plaisir." Look for Part Six late this summer. Merci pour la visite! À la prochaine, bonne journée! SIMILAR EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY episode #349, What I Have Learned in French Class, So Far . . . Part Quatre episode #276, The Art of Mise en Place episode #248, 12 French (or Set in France) Feel-Good Films I Love (having premiered in the past 10 years) ~Explore all of TSLL's French-inspired posts and episodes. Petit Plaisir —Chevalier, film ~Explore all of the episodes of The Simple Sophisticate podcast here.

When Fr. Paul Mankowski, SJ died in September 2020, friends, colleagues, and long-time readers mourned the loss of the biting wit and keen insight that characterized his writing, much of which was published under the pseudonym “Diogenes.”   In this episode, two men who knew and admired Fr. Mankowski—his fellow Jesuit, Fr. Joseph Fessio, and his editor at Catholic World Report and later Catholic World News, Philip F. Lawler—remember their friend, whose writing spanned decades and covered Church news, art and culture, politics, and more.   A sampling of Fr. Mankowski's writings, most of which he published as Diogenes, has been collected in the new book, “Diogenes Unveiled: A Paul Mankowski Collection,” edited by Lawler and available at Ignatius.com: http://bit.ly/3X6UuNR   You can read more essays by Mankowski in the book “Jesuit at Large,” edited by George Weigel: https://ignatius.com/jesuit-at-large-jlerp/   You can find Philip F. Lawler's writing at CatholicCulture.org: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/authors.cfm?authorid=3   And you can follow him on Twitter, @PhilLawler.

Many people are surprised to learn that Fr. Doug Grandon is a married Catholic priest!In our last episode, we left off with Fr. Doug's undercover missionary work in communist Yugoslavia as an Evangelical Christian. In this episode, Fr. Doug shares with us how Jesus took him from sharing the Gospel in Yugoslavia to becoming a priest in the Anglican Church and finally to converting to Catholicism. Fr. Doug also shares with us the Biblical concept of the "death and resurrection of a dream". When Fr. Doug converted to Catholicism from the Anglican Church, he thought his dream of being God's priest could never be fulfilled, but God surprised him!Fr. Doug Grandon is a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver and a FOCUS National Chaplain.

Watch full video explanation on YouTube Follow on me Instagram Summary/Synopsis : Xavier "Xavi" Lavezares was supposed to be a brilliant psychiatrist with a bright future ahead of him, until his sister Mara killed herself in front of him in the throes of a supposed demonic possession. Trying to find answers in a vocation he thought he'd never take up, Xavi becomes a man of the cloth who spends his spare time taking apart cases for exorcism. After the Vatican calls for an increase in the number of exorcists worldwide, Fr. Xavi is tapped to become to an exorcist. But when a botched exorcism ends in murder and leaves a supernatural echo from the trauma of his past, he enters a downward spiral as he is forced to confront the possibility of a reality far greater than his own. When idealistic young clairvoyant Sister Barbara "Barbie" Vergel de Dios finds one of her former students experiencing the symptoms of possession, she is convinced that it is real. But she has trouble finding an exorcist to believe her. When Fr. Xavi is put on the case as a last resort, she sees one last chance to find help for the girl. The cynical Fr. Xavi must find the means to confront a gripping darkness bigger than himself, and in doing so find some measure of purpose and redemption. Copyright Disclaimer : Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

When Fr. James Moore finished college, he felt called to become a Dominican priest. After making a total consecration to Mary, he came to desire to be a Father in the Church.

When Fr. Bill Barry, SJ, passed away late in 2020 at the age of 90 years old, he left behind a long and storied legacy as a spiritual director, author and Jesuit priest. Though he wrote many, many books, mentored generations of Jesuits and guided countless retreatants, there was one consistent theme that everyone who encountered Fr. Barry walked away with: God desires a friendship with each of us. His final book, “God's Great Story and You” – published by Loyola Press earlier this year – returns to that theme and pulls together insights and experiences from Fr. Barry's nine decades of life with God. On today's episode, Fr. James Martin, SJ, editor-at-large for America Magazine, and Vinita Wright, managing editor at Loyola Press, share stories, memories and reflections on Fr. Barry – his life, his work and his legacy. You can purchase a copy of his final book here: https://store.loyolapress.com/gods-great-story-and-you.

When Fr. Patrick makes his podcast singing debut.

Summary of today's show: When Fr. Michael White was assigned to Church of the Nativity parish in Maryland, he nearly burned out trying to serve all the demands on him, until he realized that they were doing it all wrong. Scot Landry, Fr. Matt Williams, and Dom Bettinelli discuss the new book “Rebuilt” written by Fr. White and his associate, including the ten assumptions about parish life that everyone believes and is almost universally wrong. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Domenico Bettinelli Links from today's show: Today's topics: “Rebuilt”: A new book about transforming a parish 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Matt Williams to the show. They discussed the new Jesus in Harvard Square program they'll be doing at St. Paul's in Cambridge, which is just like the Jesus in the North End program they've been doing for the past several years. Young adults and college students will come for Mass, adoration, and fellowship, including evangelistic outreach in the streets of Harvard Square. Scot added that on Friday at noon, Cardinal Seán will celebrate a Mass for the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter for Pope Benedict and his eventual successor. It will be broadcast on WQOM and at http://www.bostoncatholiclive.com. He noted that this Friday will also be the 7th anniversary of Cardinal Seán being named a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI. He also noted that tonight starts The Light Is On For You initiative from 6:30 to 8pm in every parish and chapel in the archdiocese. To find churches in the archdiocese, see http://www.pilotparishfinder.com. More confession resources are at http://www.thelightisonforyou.org Today's topic is a new book called “Rebuilt”, the story of the Church of the Nativity, a parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore that excels at the use of new media and also is very strong in evangelization. Scot said he's learned a lot more about this parish in recent weeks and is fascinated about how strategic they have been about addressing the problems that many priests in our archdiocese have said they face in their parishes. Scot said he's watched the webcast of their Mass the past two Sundays. He said over the past couple of weeks, the pastor Fr. White has given a background on this book. We're going to hear some of that to give a flavor of the background that led to the transformation of this parish. It gives an idea of what parishes may do wrong, thinking they're doing what is right for their parish. The first clip addresses a key problem in the Church today where parishioners think of themselves as consumers. 2nd segment: Scot said the pastor talks of how he arrived at the parish and had one staff member and tried to better and more service to the parishioners who were coming. And the more they provided, the more demanding they became. They were so preoccupied with those who were coming, they forgot they were supposed to be reaching out to those who weren't coming to church. They concluded it was a waste of time in terms of people growing in holiness. Fr. Matt said he was interested how the parishioners went from being consumers to becoming superconsumers. Rather than becoming intentional disciples, they just wanted to receive more and more. Scot said historically immigrants needed help in many ways and the Church served them. As they became settled, they became quiet consumers. After Vatican II, they became demanding consumers or cafeteria Catholics. Dom talked about the societal context of the consumer mentality and passive entertainment. Scot reflected on his own consumer mentality when it came to Catholic schools. He used to think about Catholic schools as the responsibility of just those sending their children to Catholics schools. Scot said he was moved by Cardinal Dolan's message that Catholic education is at the core of the mission of the Church to evangelize. Now another clip where the pastor, Fr. White, talks of his experience as a one pastor who gives his all. It ends with him saying that understanding Why we are doing something matters. Dom talked about the fact that it sounds like a codependent girlfriend or boyfriend. Scot recalled former Celtic coach Rick Pitino saying that the carping of fans was just incessant complaining and whining. Many people don't step back and consider how hard people are working parishes and how difficult it is. Fr. Matt said if we only inhaled or only exhaled we'd die. We need both. But in the consumer mentality, it's only inhale with no invitation to exhale. What makes for a vibrant faith community is people breathing fully, not only coming to be blessed but also to give. he recalled this parochial mentality, where God forbid someone sits in our pew or the Mass goes on more than 45 minutes. Scot said at parishes like that, nobody is thoroughly satisfied from the pastor on down, but we accept it because the path to change it isn't always clear. Chapter one of the book “Rebuilt” is entitled “Church is not easy”. They analyzed some of their assumptions and why they didn't work. They assumed if they did more and did it better, people would grow in their maturity and commitment. They thought they did more and did it better, people would give more financially. If they did more and did it better, they took it for granted people would automatically get involved and help out. They looked to their stalwart church-goers (mostly senior citizens) as their natural allies going forward and they were wrong. They were surprised at their anger at younger generations. They didn't appreciate how detached the second- and third-generation of demanding consumers had grown. Even for those who were coming, they didn't understand how marginalized the whole enterprise of faith and religion had become in the lives of parishioners. They weren't reaching student populations They didn't understand how profoundly uninterested the non-church-going population had grown, how distrustful of any outreach efforts they made, and how cynical they could be about all organized religion They were not turned toward God. They were not relying on his leadership. And they were not looking to go where he was blessing. They thought it would be easy. So they spent a lot of time asking why this parish exists. What is the parish's why? Another clip from Fr. Michael White's homily. He defines disciples of Christ as students. They've defined their mission as “Love God. Love others. Make disciples.” The Church exists to make disciples. He challenges the experience of his own parish, which is to make disciples not to provide comfort and care for themselves. Where to start: Define your mission field Describe the “lost” in your mission field Design a simple, specific invitation strategy 3rd segment: This week's benefactor card raffle winner is Colleen Sears from Sudbury She wins by Lizzie Velazquez If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program.

Summary of today's show: Fr. Rick Martignetti grew up in the North End of Boston before becoming a Franciscan priest of the Order of Friars Minor. The Lord has returned him to his old neighborhood where he serves at St. Leonard's Parish among the people he grew up with. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams talk with Fr. Rick, who was at St. Joseph's in Wakefield where he was preparing to speak on the third night of the 2012 God of This City Tour. They discussed how to discern God's call in our lives and how we can best respond in love and faithfulness. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Fr. Rick Martignetti, OFM Links from today's show: Today's topics: Fr. Rick Martignetti, OFM 1st segment: Scot Landry wished everyone a happy feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Scot welcomed Fr. Matt from St. Joseph Parish in Wakefield where they're preparing for the third night of the God of This City Tour. He said they will be having Mass at St. Joseph's for the feast tonight. For him, Our Lady reminds him of the dignity and humanity of the unborn. He noted that in that miraculous image, Our Lady is pregnant with Jesus. He said Our Lady has been the protagonist for his priestly ministry. Scot noted that Cardinal Sean published a rare non-Friday message on his blog today about this feast and also gave a major address in Spanish in Rome today at a conference on the Church in the Americas. 12-12-12 is an interesting date, as it represents the last time in this century that the month, day and year will all match. But December 12 for Catholics, during this Year of Faith, is also a very important day. First, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI (@pontifex), begins his tweeting ministry, symbolizing in a new way the Church's embrace of technology and tools of communication as a way to share the eternal and saving Truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The other reason for the day's importance, and one of the factors in Pope Benedict's choosing of this day to launch his newest communication initiative, is that it is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who we revere as the Mother of the New Evangelization and the Patroness of all the Americas (North, South and Central). After Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego 481 years ago, one of the most rapid periods of evangelization in the history of the Church began. During this Year of Faith, I ask all Catholics to study the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. Our Catholic brothers and sisters from Mexico and in Central and South American countries are devoted to her motherly care, but many Catholics raised in the United States are not as aware of what happened in December of 1531 as I hope they soon will be. Now is a great time for this connection with Our Lady of Guadalupe to be established, renewed or deepened. We can begin by attending Mass and praying a family Rosary on December 12. Scot asked Fr. Matt how the first two nights of the tour have gone. Fr. Matt said the first two nights were in Framingham and Marshfield. The focus of the first night was the meaning of the word “revelation”, which literally means lifting the veil. He used as an example a scene from the movie Elf where the main character meets a fake Santa and is able to tell the difference between the real Santa and the fake because he knows him. The second night featured Jason Deramo speaking on being called. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Rick to the show. He posed to him and Fr. Matt the questions that Pope Benedict have answered on his twitter account today. First was How we can celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives. Fr. Rick said anything that moves us closer to Jesus is good. For some it might be going to Mass more than Sundays. It's a way to say the Lord that I'm here not just for obligation, but because I love you. Scot posed this one to Fr. Matt: “How can faith in Jesus be lived in a world without hope?” Fr. Matt quoted the Holy Father's response: “We can be certain that a believer is never alone. God is the solid rock upon which we build our lives and his love is always faithful.” The third question was “Any suggestions on how to be more prayerful when we are so busy with the demands of work, families and the world?” Fr. Rick said we're all so busy, but we don't have to run 24/7. Sometimes we need to push back for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Slowing down is an art which takes practice. Scot's sense that the questions the Holy Father will answer from the hashtag #askpontifex will be the bigger questions of life. Scot asked Fr. Rick about his background. Fr. Rick said he's from Boston originally and it's been 16 years since he's lived here. For the last four years he was at Franciscan University of Steubenville, which has about 2,500 students all on fire for their faith. He said he grew up knowing the friars at his home parish of St. Leonard's Parish and Christopher COlumbus high School in the North End. He got away from the faith in college and a pilgrimage got him back into his faith and the friars were there for him at 23 years old when he was asking the big questions of life. It was an experience of coming home in coming back to the friars. Fr. Rick said he is with the Order of Friars Minor and he is in the Immaculate Conception Province. St. Leonard's is their formation house for young men discerning whether they are called to the order. From there, they could become novices with the order. Fr. Rick was struck by the friars as men of prayer, who made Our Lady part of their lives and spent time in daily prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Daily prayer has become more important than food or oxygen. The Holy Spirit does the real work. All we have to do is lead people to Christ and set up a structure for them to hear him daily. In time, Jesus will reveal to the young men and young women where they are called to be. Fr. Matt asked how he responds to the question, How do I know? Fr. Rick said young people often want to know everything immediately. He encourages them to go slowly and begin a life of discernment, not just a program of discernment. We start to take steps based on hunches. He was drawn to the Franciscans and spent time with them and the Lord confirmed this as the months went by as he felt more and more at home with these men. He was surprised and excited to be back in Boston at this time. He loves what Fr. Matt and Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults are doing. He thinks the faith is taking root in Boston again among young people looking for Christ. This wasn't going on when he left 16 years ago. Scot said it's uncommon for a priest, religious or diocesan, to be given the task of pastoral care of the community that nurtured him. He said it's been fun coming back to his roots. He could have ended up anywhere but it's a beautiful gift to be called back to Boston and the Italian community in the North End with the festivals. He grew up doing that. Scot said the Church looks to Franciscan University for the way it conducts ministry for young people. He asked what Fr. Rick has learned. He said the summer conferences get the most attention. They are based on the belief that young people can meet Jesus, have fun, and receive fulfilment. They have wonderful speakers, great music, and the sacraments. They lead them to Jesus and let Him do the rest. To speak to young people today, you have to be into modern technology and music. Fr. Matt agreed that music plays a huge role. We were created to worship God and that includes singing. It's how God has wired us. It's important for people to learn the Church's music, from chant to modern hymns and even Christian music in popular genres. He's also learned that large event gatherings—like conferences, World Youth Day, the March for Life—they learn they are not alone and they see the Church on the national or international level. In those gatherings you see priests in habits and collars and religious in their habits. All of this is meant to help young people come to a personal encounter with Jesus in his Church. Franciscan University packages these dynamic practices together and offer them in a weekend format. Scot asked about people who don't see how Christian rap or heavy metal can lead young people to God. Fr. Rick said the Lord transcends culture and taste. The Lord is everywhere; how do we express our love for him best. The trouble comes from trying to put Jesus in a box. Jesus is for everyone an he came to set us free. When we take our need to worship and bring it to Jesus, we discover our purpose. 3rd segment: This week's benefactor card raffle winner is Denise Sherman from Lakeville She wins two CD's from Michael John Poirier: “The Voice of A Child: Advent” and “The Voice of a Child: Christmas”. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Scot asked why Fr. Rick is speaking on the third night of the tour. He noted that it's Prince Spaghetti Day (a reference for older folks who remember the old TV commercials). He said he will talk to tonight about how God equips those he calls. They will look at the story of Jonah who finds himself in the belly of a fish, realizing he needs to rethink his life. He is a model for going in the right direction and having the courage to be a voice for God. Fr. Rick said St. Francis has a beautiful story with some key turning points. One is when he encounters a man suffering from leprosy. He'd avoided people like that his whole life, but he feels the movement of God in his life so much he embraces and holds the man. He later said that's when everything in his life changed. The Lord led him to the people with leprosy and everything changed. What he'd been avoiding his whole life was actually the means of salvation. From then on, he lived among them. Fr. Rick said his experience is that ministry is called out of him; other people sometimes call you to something. He feels more comfortable that something is of God when others ask him to do it. He used to be terrified of public speaking and being called to the priesthood, he tried it and met God there. When Fr. Rick thought of teaching he was terrified, but when he thought of it as faith sharing that became do-able. Before he preaches he looks for the personal message in the Scripture and then share it with others, inviting them to a space where they can hear something. Once the focus shifted from him to Jesus, it got a lot easier. Scot said beyond the music and speaker, at God of This City, people take concerns on their minds and bring them to the Lord. Fr. Rick said where the Church is alive and being renewed you find Eucharistic adoration. People don't know the power of just being in the presence of Jesus. Scot asked him why Eucharistic adoration is so important to him. Fr. Rick said the vows he takes of poverty, chastity and obedience only make sense when he meets Jesus in the Eucharist. Jesus offered his body on the cross, but it makes offering of the body for celibacy seems a natural response. Scot said another aspect of tonight will be confessions. When people pray in an intense way before the Eucharist, they feel the call to the sacrament of confession. Fr. Rick said he was away from the sacraments in college and when he finally back after 7 years. He found receiving Christ through his priest felt welcoming and an experience of coming home. He said the Lord stands with his arms wide open waiting to embrace you. Of St. Anthony Shrine, he said it's a beautiful ministry and it's beautiful to see people stop in all day long to hear confessions. He talked about taking people on pilgrimages to Assisi and how permeated by the spirit of St. Francis it is. Fr. Rick said they try to keep St. Leonard's open all night long for the sake of the people visiting the North End. He said about once per month the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults also does Jesus in the North End for college students and young adults. He said it's a haven for those in a busy neighborhood needing a place to be quiet for a few moments, which is just as important as finding a good cannoli. Scot said you can see the amazing photos from the God of This City events at or at the Archdiocese of Boston's Facebook page at .

Summary of today's show: For the past four years, Lift Ministries has taken a week in Advent for the God of This City Tour, traveling to five different churches in five towns to bring contemporary and original praise music, powerful speakers, and Eucharistic adoration to the five regions of the Archdiocese, each year ending in our mother church, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Next week, they do it again with their 2012 edition. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams are joined in studio by Jon Niven, Heather Flynn, and Brett St. Gelais to discuss the history of the event, its powerful effect on those of all ages who attend, and what people can expect to experience if they come to one or more nights next week. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Jon Niven, Heather Flynn, Brett St. Gelais Links from today's show: Today's topics: God of This City Tour 2012 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show. He noted that one year ago today was a priests' convocation that kicked off the big pastoral planning initiative. Scot said the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults is now publicizing registration for the Pilgrimage for Life in January. Fr. Matt said this year Cardinal Seán will be celebrating the Mass in Washington, DC, ahead of the March for Life. He added that the cardinal has never missed a March for Life and has always made it a priority to invite young people to go with him. There will be three distinct tracks for the pilgrimage for Middle School, High School, and Young Adults. Scot said this is something every Catholic should do once in their lifetime and this year will be the fortieth anniversary. The pilgrimage is January 24-26. For more information go to . Fr. Matt talked about empowerment in the Holy Spirit. He said he has often preached to youth about the importance of praying to the Holy Spirit. This past weekend, they had a special night on empowerment in the Holy Spirit at Immaculate Conception Parish in Salem. They concelebrated Mass and then prayed with the young people, laying hands on them, asking God's power to come upon them. He's still hearing stories from the kids about how they experienced the power of God's Spirit. He said he just found out there was a young woman who was there who has suffered from scoliosis for years and has worn a back brace 24/7 the whole time. She had a doctor's appointment today, they took the brace off, and it appears she has been healed. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Jon Niven and Heather Flynn back to the show. He said this year if the fourth God of this City tour. It's five nights in five parts of the Archdiocese. Jon said they started Lift six years ago and for the majority of the time have been located at Fontbonne Academy in Milton, so they wanted to make it more accessible. They also wanted to connect the five regions of the archdiocese. He said it's almost a revival of sorts. The culmination of these five nights is at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the whole archdiocese praying together. On Monday, December 10, at St. George, Framingham, with Fr. Matt as speaker; Tuesday, St. Ann, Marshfield, with Jason Deramo; Wednesday, St. Joseph, Wakefield with Fr. Rick Martignetti; Thursday, Immaculate Conception, Stoughton with Fr. Paul Houlis; and Friday, Cathedral of the Holy Cross with Mother Olga Yaqob. Friday night ends an hour later than the others at 10pm. Heather said the night begins at 7 with about 1/2 hour of music, a speaker for 25 minutes or so, 45 minutes of Eucharistic adoration and then closing with more music and then announcements. The adoration is punctuated by silence, music, and prayer reflection by Fr. Matt. Jon is the music leader. Scot asked Jon what people should expect from the music. He said part of the goal is for people to have an encounter with Christ, that they would be a vehicle, that they would connect with someone in the church on a deeper level. Heather said this event was originally targeted at young adults, although they never said it explicitly, and it has become something that everyone of all ages comes to. She said the music and staging are geared toward a younger audience, they get everyone coming. Scot asked Fr. Matt if there's a connection to Advent in the timing. Fr. Matt recounted the thinking of the original idea in getting the Lift events out to a greater audience. He said they wanted to tie it to a liturgical season. Lent is difficult because there's already so much going on in parishes and they're so busy. So they looked at Advent as an opportunity to bring some more of the focus that is made on Lent to Advent. Fr. Matt said the locations are chosen through an application process. They ask parishes to apply because they want to know that the parish really wants it and will really work for it and advocate for it so it's as good as it can be. Heather said they have a questionnaire they ask parishes to submit and they ensure that all the regions are represented. Heather said there's definitely a handful of people who come to all five nights. There are more who go on another night and then go to the cathedral on Friday. Scot asked how much variety there is each night. Jon said each night's music is different. The band has added 8 to 10 new songs they've never done before, which is a lot. They also have their staples. If you come on Monday and on Friday, you won't hear all the same music. Each night has a different speaker too with a different theme. On Monday, Fr. Matt will speaking about God revealing himself. Tuesday is God calling us for life. Wednesday is God stretching us. Thursday is God accomplishing great things. Friday is us responding to His call (cf. Isaiah 61). Jason Deramo is speaking on Tuesday. He was a youth minister in St. Mary in Dedham at the same time Fr. Matt was a parochial vicar there. Jason now teaches at Cardinal Spellman in Brockton. Fr. Rick Martignetti is a Franciscan who lives at St. Leonard's in the North End. He is a frequent speaker at Steubenville conferences. Fr. Paul Houlis is from Newark and was ordained in 2011. Heather said they met him at a SoulFest concert in New Hampshire. Scot noted that Fr. Paul's biography says: When Fr. Paul graduated from high school, he immediately started acting and doing stand-up comedy in New York City. He thought fame was coming his way and that's all he wanted. However, after the attacks on our nation on September 11th, 2001, Fr. Paul's life, like thousands others, was changed forever. Scot said it's unusual to hear of a priest who was a stand-up comic. On Friday, Mother Olga is speaking and she's spoken every year in the Tour. Fr. Matt said Cardinal Seán will also be joining them for a short time on Friday evening to welcome the people and offer some words of encouragement and give a blessing. 3rd segment: This week's benefactor card raffle winner is Tomas Lichauco from Belmont, MA He wins the prayer book “Oratio: Rhythms of Prayer from the Heart of Christendom,” available at If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Heather told a story about a night they had in Franklin two years ago about a man who came to the night, who was struggling with family issues. He came to the night and decided to return to his family and try to make it work out. Jon said over the course of four years in 20 parishes, they've set off fire alarms half a dozen times. Most of the time it was due to incense. They end up having to rush out of the church during adoration. He said it's amazing how when people come back, their demeanor often changes. They come back more determined to adore even more. Fr. Matt said it tends to happen in newer churches which have sensitive smoke detectors while the older churches have heat detectors. Heather said one time Jon brought his guitar with him and played outside until they could return. Fr. Matt said what makes him blessed and humble each year is the dedication of the team and their servant hearts. They're all volunteers with their own full-time jobs and they make great sacrifices all week. By Thursday they're exhausted and they persevere. Second, the priests who come out in the midst of busy schedules to hear confessions. Confession is very important during these nights because the attendees are often moved to the point of wanting confession. He's also heard some very powerful confessions during the tour as people are drawn by God's mercy and called. Scot said he's often struck at Catholic events, that they're so fruitful to the point of encouraging people to go back to confession after a long time away. Fr. Matt said they invite people throughout the night to come. At the cathedral last year, they could have used twice the number of confessors because the lines were so long. Brett St. Gelais just joined the show. He said one of his favorite moments was in Franklin when he was a speaker. Other years, he produces the technical aspects of the tour. He loves the moment of people not sure what to expect from lights and speakers and electric guitars in a church and then to experience the power of adoration. He said those who have been going to Lift, they know what the expect. But first-timers see who the Holy Spirit guides them. The team allows the Spirit to guide them and they often don't know exactly how everything will go. And all these elements provide an experience that people have never seen. Scot said he always hears people at events say they weren't planning to come, but the Spirit led them there. But Scot always ask why they were thinking of not coming. Jon said it's the same for the tour. A lot of times people have misconceptions about what it will be like. Sometimes people associate a guitar with something that can't be worshipful. Jon said their goal isn't to put on a show, but to reflect the light of Christ. Heather said to people who are worried about coming solo that it's not a clique and they are always very welcoming. Every month at Lift they have new people coming. For many people it's become a monthly meeting place where they don't see each other at other times. Brett said if people aren't sure they're going to be comfortable, that's good. We should step out of our comfort zones to experience God in new ways. Scot said part of allowing God to stretch us is to say God I trust iun you. Fr. Matt said this past Sunday marked the one year anniversary of the new translation of the Roman Missal. Ever since he's been struck by the new line that God has chosen us worthy to stand in his presence and minister to Him. It's a work of service and a gift of self to the Lord. As we minister to Him, He in turn showers down the gift upon us, He sanctifies His people. Lift is not the Mass, but it is para-litugical. It is based in the biblical imagery of the Psalms. Heather said that Jon and the Lift Ministry band put out an album called Glory Road, which is available on iTunes.

Summary of today's show: The country of South Sudan has been in existence for just about one year and still struggles to provide even basic needs for its people. Last year, Scot Landry interviewed Fr. Peter Loro right after independence and now Fr. Loro has come back and sits down with Scot and Fr. Chip Hines to talk about the progress since independence and the many pastoral needs experienced by one of the poorest countries in the world with a population starving for the sacraments. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chip Hines Today's guest(s): Fr. Peter Loro Links from today's show: Today's topics: Fr. Peter Loro and South Sudan's first year of independence 1st segment: Scot wished his mom a happy birthday today. Fr. Chip Hines also said he was asked by Cardinal Seán to become the pastor of St. Joseph in Medford. He broke the news to his parishes in Wrentham and Plainville this past weekend. They discussed how a priest says yes to a bishop unless there's a very important reason. Fr. Chip said as hard it is, it's a time of reflection with the people he's leaving. It's difficult because you become family as their priest. Scot noted that St. Joseph's is the parish that Fr. Chip was baptized in. His grandparents and parents were married there. The parish also has a school and Fr. Chip is very interested in working with a parish school. Scot noted his own brother just transferred from one parish to another in the Diocese of Fall River. He asked what's going through Fr. Chip's mind. He said his parish staff is helping him with logistics, pack all his stuff, clean up all his paperwork, see what he needs in his new parish. He will start in his new parish on August 1. Scot said Fr. McLaughlin that Fr. Chip is replacing in Medford was in the parish for 35 years, 25 as pastor. He said perhaps a third or more of the parish have never known a different pastor. Fr. Chip said it's a great opportunity to offer some different or new approaches to being a pastor. Today's guest is Fr. Peter Loro, who will talk about the challenges for the Church in South Sudan, Africa. He was on the show last summer by phone to talk about the country right after its independence from Sudan. He will update us on the first year of the country and the current state of the Church there. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Peter Loro of the Archdiocese of Juba to the show. Scot said Fr. Peter has just completed a decree in canon law in Rome. Fr. Peter said he was sent to study in Rome three years ago and completed those studies last month. He'd been invited at the time to come to Boston to participate in the mission appeals in Boston by the Pontifical Mission Society here. Then he will return to South Sudan to take up his new assignment at home. Scot said Fr. Peter will speak at six or seven parishes throughout the Archdiocese. Fr. Peter said the situation in South Sudan is challenging because before independence they went through more than two decades of war with the north. Now that peace has come there have been many challenges. For instance, Juba is filled with displaced people returning to the country from abroad and from the countryside. The Church has been challenged to provide for the spiritual and physical needs for these people. This is why they have turned to the universal Church. Fr. Peter said the Pontifical Mission Society is more than just a charity providing handouts of money and goods. First and foremost, their work is to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people. He said behind the donations the people of Boston may give is the intention to bring the Gospel of Jesus. Scot noted most people are familiar with the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which is just one of four Pontifical Mission Societies. Another is the Society of St. Peter the Apostle. They provided for Fr. Peter's education in canon law in Rome. Fr. Peter said the society has done great work in forming priests. They don't just pay for priests to be educated in Rome, but also continue to assist them when they return to their home dioceses. Whatever donation people can give to this office, they will participate in the formation of young men who will be very useful in supporting the Church in South Sudan. The St. Peter Society is supporting the seminary in Juba which is the lifeblood and future of the Church there. Fr. Chip asked the difference between Sudan and South Sudan and why the need to establish the new country. Fr. Peter said Sudan received independence from the British in 1956. They handed power to the northern Sudanese on whom most of the resources had been concentrated. Given that situation, the people of southern Sudan asked to be given their independence, rather than be forced into a quickie marriage that will break up eventually. Right away, they had their first civil war in opposition to that first decision. That war continued until 1972. Right after that peace agreement, it was abrogated by the northern Sudanese president. From 1972 to 1983, the people of southern Sudan prospered a little and by 1983 they wanted more independence. The people of southern Sudan were second-class citizens. The northern Sudanese are mainly Muslim Arabs versus the Christian Africans. The civil war started in 1983 and lasted until 2005. That peace agreement included a requirement that after 6 years the people of southern Sudan were to be given a choice for independence or unity. That led to a January 2011 referendum on the issue and 98.9% of people voted for separation. They celebrated their independence on July 9, 2011. If you go to Sudan today in the north, it is Islamic. It is a desert climate. In southern Sudan, it is Christian, African, and more temperate climate. They were historically different people forced together artificially by the British empire. The problems were political, religious, and cultural. Fr. Peter said they are bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the south, Ethiopia to the east, Central African Republic to the west. There are nine dioceses in the whole of Sudan, north and south. Now they have seven dioceses in South Sudan, including the Archdiocese of Juba, which is the capital. The majority of the Christians are Catholic, followed by Anglicans. The majority of the people have access to weekly Mass, in cities or villages. In some of the outlying areas, including Fr. Peter's former parish of St. Thomas, the parishes don't have churches. Instead they celebrate Mass outside, often under the trees. Fr. Peter didn't have a rectory when he first went to his parish. They built a grass hut where he lived for three years. He said it was a good shelter, not ramshackle at all. Fr. Chip asked how many baptisms Fr. Peter would do on a general Sunday. Fr. Peter said he had to cover 16 villages in his parish and visited them on a monthly basis. The people would come in the hundreds and he would baptize the children. The people didn't come to the parish center because of the danger of robbers and land mines which made travel dangerous. He said he would anoint so many people his arm would grow tired. He might baptize 100 children at a time. The people are hungry for the sacraments. It isn't easy, but it is rewarding. Fr. Peter said he would stay for a week at a time in the villages. When Fr. Peter isn't in the villages, he has catechists that he has trained. He would bring them together and show them how to teach the faith to the people. Fr. Peter said they have many materials in their native languages, including the Bible. the basic parts of the Catechism have also been translated. Scot asked what kind of money the parish of St. Thomas had and where it came from. Fr. Peter said the people of the parish want to help with the programs of the parish, but they look to him as a provider of the material needs they don't have. They look to the Church to bring in international aid to the village. Fr. Peter said the Church there appealed to the Pontifical Mission Societies to provide a little money to create local projects to rise money. For instance, they built a ferryboat crossing the Nile River to raise money, which among other things helped them build a school. Fr. Peter said it's important to have a school because you have to preach Jesus but also teach them how to preach Jesus to others themselves. Fr. Chip asked how many priests in the Archdiocese. Fr. Peter said there are 54 priests, plus the archbishop. Not all of the priests are in parishes. Some work in institutions, but those who work in parishes are paired together. There is a major seminary for all of South Sudan. While some studies still go on in the seminary in Khartoum in the north, they will have to transfer soon because the northern government treats the students as foreigners who need permits to study there. Fr. Peter said when he was in Juba last September they opened a new parish. The archbishop celebrated the Mass under threes. Fr. Peter said a parish should have a church, a place for the pastor to live, a basic primary school for the children, a health clinic and dispensary. Today, to get malaria medicine, people have to walk sometimes 55 miles to Juba and some die on the road. Fr. Peter said these basic needs would be a huge contribution to the life of the people. Scot asked what people do in south Sudan for jobs. Fr. Peter said most people live on subsistence agriculture. They grow just enough to feed themselves and to buy medicine or pay school tuition comes out of that. Fr. Peter said before the peace agreement, most kids didn't even reach secondary school, whether due to lack of schools or because of insecurity. Now there is the possibility with new roads that people could even get to the towns for university study. Fr. Peter said war had scattered the people from their homes to other African nations or even to the rest of the world. In a way that was a blessing because many people were able to get higher education, even college degrees, while displaced and are now returning to contribute to the country. Fr. Peter said the United Nations is providing some aid through non-governmental organizations, which Fr. Peter said often have selfish ends. He said a number of NGOs did help to provide simple education and healthcare and food and shelter. Scot said the Pontifical Mission Societies help the Church there, but also Catholic Relief Services helps as well. Fr. Peter said CRS has helped southern Sudan for many years. Fr. Peter said they have particularly helped in education, building schools. They also provided healthcare and food and shelter. Other organizations include Aid to the Church in Need. But outside groups always want to manage their programs themselves as opposed to letting the local leaders prioritize their needs. Scot asked Fr. Peter what he thinks the people of the Archdiocese of Boston can help with. Fr. Peter said he hopes to support the pastoral needs of priests to reach the people. He means mobility. They don't have cars in most cases and when they do it's very old. Most walk on foot, which wastes a lot of time. He said people also look to the Church for food, shelter, medical services. All of this takes money and so hopes all of this can be supported. Scot recalled Fr. Paul O'Brien in Lawrence saying that the kids in the local Catholic school do better in school because they care for the whole person and the kids study better because they aren't hungry or aren't sick. Fr. Peter said the people need care for the whole person, the body and soul. Christ came to save us body and soul. Scot said if people wanted to help, the Catholic media secretariat in Boston will help create a website for Fr. Peter at which people can make donations.

Summary of today's show: There are several living legends among the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston and Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell welcome one of them today. Fr. Walter Waldron has been a priest for 48 years and pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Roxbury for 29 years. Fr. Walter tells our listeners about seeing the Second Vatican Council firsthand, putting the lessons of the Council into practice in the inner-city in the 1970s, and then serving a parish that's like three parishes in one for nearly three decades in a neighborhood many have written off. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell Today's guest(s): Fr. Walter Waldron, Pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Roxbury Today's topics: Pastor Profile: Fr. Walter Waldron 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show and started with the startling news that Fr. Mark was taken by ambulance to the hospital from his rectory yesterday. He fell down a few steps and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.Fr. Mark said the neck brace they put on had four settings: tall, medium, short, and no neck. He was highly insulted that they had it on no neck. Last night, Fr. Mark was able to go to a special Mass at Regina Cleri, where Fr. Bob Oliver is also recovering from an accident and a broken hip. Scot said it's been a busy week preparing for the live, interactive town hall meeting on CatholicTV Monday night with Cardinal Seán. He said it's never been done before over all the different media: TV, radio, and the Internet. He encourages everyone to tune in via WQOM or CatholicTV. On Monday's The Good Catholic Life we will have one of the panelists, Kim Daniels, to talk about how we got to this point. The town hall meeting begins at 8pm. Scot said today's guest is one of the legends of the priesthood in Boston and he's been looking forward to this conversation. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Fr. Walter Waldron. Fr. Walter said he grew up in Milton and went to school there. He had two brothers and two sisters. One of the gifts in his life has been his family and extended family. He realizes how much all those cousins mean to him and made him what he is today. His vocation came from his family and the community was very Catholic. He went to St. Agatha School. He wanted to be a lawyer, teacher or priest. He went to BC High and considered being a Jesuit. When Fr. Walter's father was at BC High in the 1920s and he considered becoming a Jesuit. His grandfather had a work accident that prevented him from working and so his father was counseled he should stay to support his family. So it comes full circle to him. Fr. Walter said Fr. Riley, who was a younger priest in charge of the altar servers at St. Agatha's, was an influence on his vocation too. He said there were no priests in his family. Fr. Walter said he ended up deciding he would end up encountering more people in the diocesan priesthood than if he joined the Jesuits, who at the time specialized in education. He went to Cardinal O'Connell Seminary for two years out of high school. He went to St. John's Seminary for two years and then went to the North American College and was ordained in St. Peter's. He was there in the early Sixties and was there during the death of Pope John XXIII and election of Pope Paul VI. Scot asked what it was like being in Rome during the Second Vatican Council? Fr. Walter said it was very exciting, partly because some of the US bishops stayed in the North American College and had interaction with the seminarians. Some seminarians were even able to sneak into the sessions in St. Peter's. He and his classmates were on the side of those who were most forward-looking. During his time in Rome, he wasn't able to come back from Rome, but his family did come visit once before ordination. He took a ship over with the other seminarians. He recalled how the seminarians were all seasick at first, but he loved it so much that he came back by boat rather than fly. Scot asked Fr. Walter is he learned the old and the new liturgies. He said he was trained in the older missal. There was no transition while he was there. Fr. Walter was ordained in 1964 and has had only three assignments in those 48 years. He was first assigned to St. Margaret in Beverly Farms. He remembers saying to the people that first Sunday, “I'm so glad to be here in Beverly Hills.” He was there for two years. Then he was a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for 18 years. He had asked Cardinal Cushing to be assigned to work in the city and to live in an apartment among the people. Cardinal Cushing said no, but offered him a position at the cathedral. He made many friendships and is still involved with some of the groups from them. He loved living in the city and came to learn the movement of the city. He has remained in the city, going to St. Patrick's parish in Roxbury in 1984. Fr. Walter wanted to live in the city because of the priests he knew in Roxbury at the time. He liked the life they lived and how they had freedom to interact with people. He talked about how he was mentored and affirmed by Msgr. Russ Collins. Fr. Mark said the monsignor was a real innovator in our archdiocese. He helped form a group called the Boston Urban Association of Priests. They were very vocal about public policy and even endorsed a candidate. They thought they were reading the signs of the times. Scot said it was a tumultuous time in Boston with the busing crisis. Fr. Walter said it gave him an identity with the people that were there. He came to understand their difficulties and pain and how far they felt from the mainstream of Boston. It was an eye-opener for him. Scot noted that the Boston Urban Priests helped the Pine Street Inn form itself. Fr. Walter said there was a place called the Dawes Hotel that was pulling out of the business of serving the poor, and no one wanted to take over the ministry. They took over the place and re-named it the Pine Street Inn. They didn't know they were supposed to ask the cardinal first. They had some advisors on how to help people who were addicted to alcohol. They had only one employee and each priest would take a night to be there. Scot perceives that time as a time for the Church asking herself what she was to be in this town and in this world. What do the condiments of Vatican II mean in practical matters? There was a lot of adjustment. Fr. Walter said there wasn't a model to follow. Fr. Walter at the time took on a foster kid and moved out of the rectory into an apartment. He was then called in by Cardinal Medeiros. He told Fr. Walter that he knows what he did and only wanted to know that he was taking good care of him. He had the foster kid for four years. Scot asked what it was like to move to St. Patrick's in 1984. He didn't want to move out of the cathedral after being there so long. In fact, he'd just been asked to be the chaplain at Walpole State Prison and he said no because it would be the same population day after day. So when St. Patrick came up, he took it. He's attracted to variety in his priestly ministry. Scot said you couldn't get more variety in St. Patrick's. Fr. Walter said they just celebrated their 175th anniversary. They had three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese Creole. He feels like he's already in charge of three parishes. In 1989, the Boston Globe did a big three-page article on him in the newspaper. It showed how he had a presence on the streets, a consistent presence over a period of time. After a while he wasn't a stranger there and people came to know he was interested in all communities. He showed how they could come together as one parish with three communities. Fr. Walter said for a long time they had three parish councils. He didn't think it made sense o he established a supercouncil. After a while they formed one parish pastoral councils for the last 5 to 10 years. It's helped him to learn better the other language groups, to know them on a personal and a professional Catholic level. Scot said half of the parish are newcomers to the country. 85% of all parishioners are from Cape Verde. He said much of the ministry must be helping people adjust. Fr. Walter said the question has been whether to focus on people's background and culture or do you try to acculturate them? They've found a balance. They've been able to do a lot of outreach in the native languages, mainly through a lot of sisters who spoke the language. There's a commonality between the pastoral staff and the people who came here. Cape Verde is traditionally Catholic and so there's no difficulty in attracting them to the Church. Like in the past, so much of their lives focus on the Church. Fr. Mark asked if the Church is sanctuary. Fr. Walter said “sanctuary” is a loaded word, but Fr. Mark said he didn't intend it that way. Fr. Walter said they've always had good relationships with civil authorities. He's never been faced with a person asking for sanctuary from immigration issues. Scot said growing up, Roxbury was never portrayed in a positive light in the news. He asked Fr. Walter to describe it. He said it is home for people. He tells priests that they have to come in recognizing that they are people just like you. People are sometimes afraid to come to Roxbury, but he encourages them to come. He said the safest part of the city on a Sunday morning is Roxbury because everybody's in church. It's hard to drive the image of the shootings in the street from people's minds. But it's not an everyday occurrence. There are people who are interested in raising their kids, keeping their homes neat, and living their lives. Fr. Mark said he regularly says Mass with the Carmelite Sisters in Dudley Square. Fr. Walter calls them the spiritual powerhouse. He'd never before met cloistered sisters, but he found them to be just like the rest of us. He said a number of religious orders work with St. Patrick's so they make a big deal in February for World Consecrated Life Day. Now they have the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance in the parish. Fr. Walter said their desire is to live a life as close as possible to St. Francis' life 800 years ago. They wear a rough habit, they sleep on the floor, they eat only what they've begged that day. They are very good at reaching out to others. They've only been there two year,s but everyone knows them. Fr. Walter said they are living in one of their buildings, but have a broader vision than the parish. Several of them have learned Creole in order to say Mass and do confessions in the language of the people. When they first came they came over the parish to offer to help. They've established a monthly holy hour for vocations to the priesthood. One of the brothers of the FPO is being ordained to the priesthood tomorrow. Br. Michael Sheehan will be ordained by Cardinal Seán at the Cathedral. After the Mass, they will have a reception at St. Patrick's. He will continue doing the work of the order in the community. Fr. Walter said they are like worker-priests whose work is for the advancement of the Church, being out where the people are and making sure there's a normal interaction with them. They are concerned the people are not only Catholic in name, but in practice too.They want the folks to see the Church as an essential part of their lives. Scot asked what is one of his biggest joys as a priest. Fr. Walter said being a priest and being fortunate to be in a life he just loves. He loves it as much today as he did the day he was ordained in St. Peter's. He said he's heard stories of priests burdened by the stress of their priesthood. He doesn't recall a moment he felt that way. He said it's the joy of being with the people and being astounded at how they take him into their homes and family. He remembers a couple of years ago after some surgery and seeing how concerned the people were for him. 3rd segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Scot said we tend to think of John the Baptist as preparing for way of the Lord during Advent, but we should think of him at all times because he's always pointing us to Jesus. Fr. Walter said he was an evangelizer and it's believed to have belonged to a spiritual sect of Judaism that was looking to reinvigorate the faith for the coming of the Messiah. Fr. Walter said it is traditional in Judaism for a boy to be named after the father or an ancestor. But we don't know why Zecharaiah wanted to name him John. It shows the importance of names in Scripture. Jesus renamed Peter, Saul was renamed Paul. Fr. Walter said this is true today. It's common for recovering addicts to give up the name they used while they active, they went back to their real name or a nickname they had as a kid. Scot said Popes take on a new name. Cardinal Seán grew up as Patrick O'Malley, but took on the name Seán when he became a religious. Fr. Mark said he was struck that John is about humility and his birth, which references much of the Old Testament, has lots of triumphant images. In the Gospel, John says that he must decrease while Christ increases. He was humble and our Lord was heralded through humility. Scot related that Zechariah couldn't speak because he doubted the news from the angel Gabriel that he and his wife would have a son in their old age. Scot said the entirety of John's life pointed to Christ.

Summary of today's show: Fr. Joseph H. Casey, S.J., is a native son of Lynn, Mass., but has been a Jesuit for 75 years, a priest for 63, and he's assisted at St. Julia Parish in Weston for 56! Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell talk with the 94-year-old Fr. Casey about how he came to his vocation, his many years teaching theology and philosophy, and his relationship with one of the pre-eminent moral theologians in the Church today, Germain Grisez. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell Today's guest(s): Fr. Joseph H. Casey, S.J. Links from today's show: Today's topics: Priest Profile: Fr. Joseph H. Casey, S.J. 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Mark talked about how Fr. Mark got a few people who volunteered to work in the tribunal in expert fields based on his bulletin announcements in parishes last week. He has up to 4 people volunteered. He also hired a new employee to fill an open position. Fr. Mark also talked about how Fr. Kevin Sepe, the pastor of St. Francis in Braintree, threw a barbecue for Fr. Mark's family on Memorial Day. Today's guest is Fr. Joseph Casey, S.J. Fr. Mark said Fr. Joe has been a key advisor and mentor for him, especially over the decade Fr. Mark has worked in the Pastoral Center. They noted that Fr. Joe has been a priest for 63 years and has been active, teaching classes up into his 80s. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Fr. Joe Casey to the show. Fr. Joe said it's been an inspiration to work with Fr. Mark. Scot said Fr. Casey grew up in Lynn and asked him about it. Fr. Joe said he was born in West Lynn. It was a very Catholic atmosphere. Their parish was St. Patrick's, which had a building with a school downstairs and a church above. It was ghetto-lie, but he was very content. He attended daily Mass with his sister. Then he went to St. Mary's Boys High School (which is now St. Mary's High School). It was the second year it was open. Fr. Casey talked about the priests of the parish and school and how he related to them. He said he first began thinking about the priesthood when he was in grammar school with the Dominican nuns. In high school it was encouraged by the atmosphere. He did half-expect to see an angel appear to tell him to go, but it didn't happen of course. He went on to Boston College and met Fr. Tommy Feeney. He suggested Fr. Joe enter the Jesuits. After a time, came to love the Society more after spending a week at St. Mary's in the North End when his mother was dying at Mass. General. Fr. Mark said it was interesting that he gained his calling to the Jesuits in the novitiate. Scot said there so many religious order priests in the archdiocese and have been blessed by them. It sounds like Fr. Joe was thinking of the diocesan priesthood and it was just happenstance that God put the Jesuits in front of him and it was only then that he felt the call to the order. Scot asked about Jesuit formation. Fr. Joe said they have two years of novitiate and two years more. He did those years at Weston College, which is now Campion Center. He said there were 24 men in his class. He did three years of philosophy at Weston and then went to teach at the new prep school in Fairfield. After that he went for a Master's degree in Philosophy at Fordham. That's where he also discovered his love of Broadway plays. Then he went back to Weston College and did four years of theology. He was ordained after the third year of theology. In the fourth year, they helped in the parishes. Fr. Mark asked him how many years he has lived in Weston/Campion. Fr. Joe started there in 1940 and with a few interruptions, including going to Rome and Belgium between 1950 and 1953, he has lived there ever since. That's 57 years. And for 56 years, he has helped at St. Julia's in Weston. He recalled many of the pastors who had been there over the years. In fact, Fr. Joe served as pastor for six months in the absence of Fr. McGlinchy. Fr. Joe said in the early 1960s, he was absorbed into the faculty of Boston College when Weston's classes were sent there. He taught until he was 87 in 2004. He taught natural theology and linguistic analysis. Natural theology is what we can know about God through reason. God is intelligent because he made intelligent people. But he's intelligent in a super-eminent way. When Fr. Joe moved into BC, he was assigned to a core course on philosophy and ethics. In doing that he used Germain Grisez's text “Beyond a New Morality.” Fr. Joe got to know Grisez. Fr. Mark said he's a married layman who is a moral theologian at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He wrote a four-volume work called The Way of the Lord Jesus, and he would send each manuscript to Fr. Joe for him to comment on. When the Vatican had said Catholic moral theology needed to new revamped from the ground up, he set out to the work himself. He spent a whole year just outlining his work ahead of him. When he published the first volume at 791 pages, he got the Knights of Columbus to subsidize it and sold it for $35 each. He hasn't yet published the fourth book. Scot said Fr. Joe has just published a book about Germain Grisez and claims to have read every word written by Grisez. The book is called “Guiding Your Own Life On The Way Of The Lord Jesus: Liberated By The Profound Theologian, Germain Grisez”. Fr. Mark clarified that Fr. Joe is one of the readers who helps Grisez, editing each book before it comes out. Scot asked Fr. Joe what motivated him to write a book about Grisez at 94. Fr. Joe said Grisez has had a huge impact on his spiritual life to the point where he's requested that at his funeral a copy of Grisez's book be in his casket. The key point is that God elected to expand the divine family by creating human beings who could become the adopted children of God, that we would be divinized. Scot said it's wonderful to hear how a layman father of 4 deeply impacted a well-educated Jesuit priest. Fr. Joe said Grisez is a profound thinker and devoted to the Church. When he presents a position, it is always profoundly logical. Fr. Mark said Grisez is hard to read, except for a little book called . Fr. Joe said this book was written in the middle of the third volume of his great work. It was co-written with Russell Shaw, a Catholic journalist. They write a history of the idea of the personal vocation, which began in the New Testament, lasted until about the 3rd or 4th century and only came back strongly around Vatican II. Fr. Mark said there are neutral choices. It's not good v. bad, but multiple options that are neither good nor bad. We can choose the option that best serves our vocation. Scot said the sense he's hearing that there are 3 levels of vocation: be a Christian; a state of life (marriage, religious, ordained); and personal vocation, a unique blend of skills and talents to serve God's plan of salvation. Fr. Joe said Grisez so emphasizes this personal vocation that it's a grave error the way we're pushing vocations today. Have people seek their personal vocations and the priestly and religious vocations will come. Scot asked what it's like to be serving Communion to the great grandchildren of people he served 56 years ago. Fr. Joe said it's very comfortable. He's still asked to give the homily on occasion and concelebrate. He never got too involved in the parish and so he was never party to any politics, which made everyone comfortable with him. Fr. Joe recalled his ordination retreat and he asked how much pastoral work he should do and the response was enough in order to keep it incorporated with his apostolic teaching. Fr. Joe has also seen Blessed John XXIII Seminary from its beginning in Weston. He said he was impressed by the many men who have come to the seminary after long careers in the secular area. Fr. Mark said it's amazing how many diocesan priests this Jesuit has affected. He's like a diocesan Jesuit with a split heart for both the archdiocese and the Society of Jesus. About he priesthood, Fr. Joe said it's a glorious vocation filled with joy and awe that he can celebrate Mass. He's recently become so aware that at Mass he's standing with Mary at the crucifixion of Jesus. Secondly, to know that God was so condescending to our weaknesses that he gave us the sacrament of reconciliation and that God uses Fr. Joe as a conduit. Jesus tells the penitent through Fr. Joe that he forgives and loves him. 3rd segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. Moses said to the people: “Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.” Second Reading for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, June 3, 2012 (Romans 8:14-17) Brothers and sisters: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Gospel for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, June 3, 2012 (Matthew 28:16-20) The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Scot asked Fr. Joe about how we can overanalyze the Trinity, which is the communion and relationship of Three Persons in love. Scot said we are called to call God “Abba” which is the equivalent of a child calling his father “daddy”. FR. Joe said it is mystery, but he always starts with Jesus, because he is easier to understand in his humanity. And Jesus tells me that there is a Father, but he is not the Father, and that he is sending the Holy Spirit. And because he trusts Jesus, he believes in the Trinity. Fr. Mark said his favorite passage on the Trinity is by Romano Guardini that we don't want to understand the Trinity because to understand the Trinity it would limit God. Fr. joe summed up that if you understand the Trinity, then you are a heretic. The Trinity teaches us that to be a human person is to be a member of a community of persons in love.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Today's guest(s): Fr. Willy Raymond, National Director of Family Theater Productions Links from today's show: Today's topics: Family Theater Productions Summary of today's show: Family Theater Productions wants to bring faith and family values back to Hollywood and Fr. Willy Raymond, national director of the ministry, talks to Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor about some of the ways they're doing that, including an annual student film festival, faith-based outreach to the entertainment industry, and creating original productions. Fr. Willy also shares some stories about celebrity encounters, including meeting Patriots QB Tom Brady on his wedding day. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chris O'Connor back to the show after a month off. Fr. Chris said Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He traveled in the footsteps of St. Paul, going to Istanbul, Turkey, and Ephesus, near Izmir, Turkey. He recalled the Letter to the Ephesians and was in the amphitheater where St. Paul would have spoken. They also visited St. John the Evangelist's church there and Catholic tradition is that the Blessed Mother lived with St. John there until she was assumed into heaven. He was able to pray in St. John's house there. Fr. Chris thinks that Ephesus is where she was assumed into heaven. As early as 451 AD, the Church documents refer to Ephesus as the final earthly home for Mary. Fr. Chris said being in a Muslim country was very interesting. He visited the Blue Mosque. He said the only Turkish he learned was, “Let me out of this cab immediately.” The men have returned to St. John Seminary. Archbishop Alfred Hughes, who was a rector of the seminary and was most recently in New Orleans, is leading a retreat for the men today. Scot said Archbishop Hughes confirmed him and his brother when he was an auxiliary bishop here. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Willy Raymond to the show. Fr. Willy is in Hollywood, California, but was born in Old Town, Maine. There were 12 siblings and they spoke French primarily at home. His father was a lumberjack. His mother never learned to speak English. He grew up in a close-knit parish community and it was the social center of their lives and they used to pray the Rosary every night in French. He owes a lot of his vocation to the priests and sisters of his parish. He's now a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. They're known for Notre Dame University and Father Peyton. Fr. Willy said the pastor had encouraged a lot of the boys to go to college in New Brunswick, Canada, and he won a scholarship to go. The Holy Cross Fathers operated that school. He pointed out that they are not Congregation of the Holy Cross, but Congregation of Holy Cross, because their founder was from a place called Holy Cross. The charism of the Holy Cross Fathers is somewhat eclectic but somewhat family-centered. The order was founded after the French Revolution and the founder, Bl. Basil Moreau, aw the family as the foundation on which to rebuild the Church. He modeled them on the Holy Family and the charism is unity for the mission and the virtue is complete trust in divine providence and zeal for the mission. They wanted to reach young people to educate both their mind and heart. They also seek to help out in parishes wherever they are located. Scot said many people know Fr. Peyton for “the family that prays together, stays together” and promoting the Rosary. He was born in County Mayo, Ireland, as one of 9 children. They ended up in Scranton, PA, and he was working as a janitor. He heard a parish mission by a Holy Cross priest and felt called to a priestly vocation so he went to Notre Dame. When Fr. Willy was eight or nine years old, he became an altar server, which every Catholic boy wanted to be at the time. When he went to the university, it was not to enter the seminary, but to get an education. In his sophomore year, the prefect of studies told him that if he was thinking of entering seminary, he had to decide whether to apply then. He took the test, was accepted, and the next year went off to the seminary in Montreal. But then changed his mind and wanted to go to the Holy Cross Fathers instead and then went to Stonehill to the seminary there. Fr. Peyton's drive to promote the rosary came from a miraculous healing from tuberculosis through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. He wanted to promote a devotion to her and found that he could do so more widely through radio and television. So he came out to Hollywood convinced that the glue of the family is prayer. 3rd segment: Scot asked for an overview of the types of projects that Family Theater Productions has done. Fr. Willy said they are evangelizing the culture through the mass media through programs that entertain, educate, and inspire the family. they do everything through that lens. In radio, Fr. Peyton broadcast a half-hour radio drama nationally. The network agreed as long as there was a Hollywood actor involved each week. They were able to do it 22 years until 1969. The first program featured Jimmy Stewart. Fr. Peyton came to know many stars, including James Dean who got his first screen credit through Family Theater Productions. They have a list of the celebrities who worked with Family Theater over the years. Scot read some names from the list which includes stars from the past and present. Fr. Willy said after John Paul II issued his letter on the Rosary, they wanted to find a fresh way to introduce the rosary to a new generation. They asked young people what would make the rosary helpful to their spiritual life. They came up with Rosary Stars praying the rosary. It's available at . The Angelus Student Film Festival is for college students and the theme is exploring respect for the dignity of the human person. Last year, they had over 500 submissions. They weed about 80% of them in the first round. They have blue-ribbon committees that select winners in documentary, animation, and live action categories. A prior overall winner last year also won an Oscar. The film was “God of Love” by Luke Matheny. Fr. Willy said many of these students will end up in Hollywood as key figures and they want to engage with them early to encourage them to make true works of art, to make what is true and beautiful and good. Fr. Willy believes that Hollywood can change, especially through prayer. Every day at Family Theater, they have Mass and the rosary for the conversion of Hollywood, to use these incredibly powerful communication tools to shape a culture open to life and the Good News. Scot asked how Hollywood is changing to be more friendly to family-friendly and faith-friendly films. Fr. Willy said this year, there are several films, like Hugo and The Artist, that deal with serious issues and do it well. There are a lot of films that wouldn't have been made 10 years ago. He credits the Passion of the Christ for convincing a lot of people that religion is something that the public will come and see if it is well done and isn't trivialized. He said most of the truly successful small-budget films are films we could take our whole family to see. Fr. Chris said there's a fascination in media and the culture with faith. He cited the example of Tim Tebow, who some are rooting for and others are rooting to fail. HE then asked what stars today are good role models. Fr. Willy said some Eduardo Verastegui is a noble figure for sacrificing part of his career to put his faith and our Lord first. Matthew Marsden is another, Jim Caviezel too, who is in a successful TV series, Person of Interest. Martin Sheen is another faith-filled Catholic, who just made the movie The Way. He named Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond and the current show, The Middle. There are also a lot of writers and producers who are less well-known but very serious about their faith. Fr. Willy noted Boston native Mark Wahlberg who has a checkered past, but goes to daily Mass now. Fr. Chris said he read an interview with Wahlberg in Time magazine where he said the most important thing to teach his children is the faith. Fr. Willy brought up Tom Brady, who lives in his parish, St. Monica's. He told the story of meeting Tom Brady in the sacristy of the church during Tom's wedding. He noted that Tom's grandmother prays the rosary for him and that Gisele's family was involved in the Sao Paolo Rosary rally. They then discussed rooting for Tim Tebow or Tom Brady. Fr. Willy said he also celebrates Mass for the Dodgers when they're at home, but he still roots for the Red Sox. 4th segment: They discussed which came first, St. Monica parish or the name of the town, Santa Monica. Fr. Willy said the town was named first by Blessed Junipero Serra. Fr. Willy said Family Theater's archives have the whole Life of Christ filmed by Fr. Peyton in the 1950s in Spain. They have a number of documentaries filmed over the years and are in the middle of producing a series of dramas intended for teens for catechetical purposes. They are also located right on Sunset Boulevard, so they have an outreach to young Catholics, mainly through an open house called Prayer and Pasta, which includes prayer, meal, and a speaker or film and discussion. They also have a Bible study and holy hour every week for people in the industry. They have an RCIA program and they are also discussing Fr. Barron's Catholicism series. Fr. Chris noted the new series coming out this spring called Faith Bowl. Fr. Willy said it was filmed last year with Vin Scully as the host and five-time All Star baseball player Mike Sweeney. Fr Willy talked in an aside about how difficult it can be for professional athletes to go to Sunday Mass. For Faith Bowl IV, Mike and his dad were interviewed about their faith life and then a young woman, Kristen Sheehan, who runs the program Play Like a Champion Today out of Notre Dame. This promotes that faith and morals and virtue should be integrated into sports. They are now working on Faith Bowl V, hoping to get NFL players on board.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell Today's guest(s): Fr. Michael Harrington, Director of the Office of Outreach and Cultural Diversity Today's topics: Celebration of the Priesthood dinner; Priest Profile: Fr. Michael Harrington Summary of today's show: Fr. Michael Harrington discusses with Scot and Fr. Mark the 2011 Celebration of the Priesthood dinner, a moving opportunity for the people of the Archdiocese to express their appreciation for all that their priests do and are for them; Also, Fr. Harrington's vocation story; how priestly vocations have grown rapidly in the years he's been working with the Vocation Office; and the readings for Mass this Sunday. 1st segment: Scot noted that at the Red Mass, Cardinal Sean gave a great homily on assisted suicide that got a lot of national press. Fr. Mark said Chief Justice Rapoza also gave a powerful talk on St. Thomas More to the Catholic Lawyers Guild. Both stories and talks are in the Pilot this week. Fr. Mark said Justice Rapoza quoted G.K. Chesterton as a great model for what was going on at the time (the 1920s) and will be an even greater model for 100 years from then. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Harrington to the show. He said 1,110 people were at the Celebration of the Priesthood dinner at the World Trade Center in Boston last night. He said he was happy to see so many people turn out to support priests and encourage them in their ministry. Fr. Mike said it was good to see so much support for priests. Scot said it was announced that the dinner raised over $1 million plus another $150,000 over the next few years to benefit the Clergy Funds for priests' medical and retirement needs. Scot said the spirit of the night was wonderful. Fr. Mike said each presenter was so positive and highlighted how the priests of this archdiocese had done so much for them in their lives. Fr. Mike said one of the speakers, Chris Boyle, went through a list of the priests who have connected with him through his young life. He is a 7th and 8th grade theology teacher at Catholic Memorial. When Fr. Mike speaks about vocations in parishes, he encourages people to think about the many places and ways that priests have had a positive impact in their lives: marriages, baptisms, confessions, when people were sick, etc. It helps us to realize how much the priesthood means to us as Catholics. Scot said Cardinal Sean gave a very strong address. He related how a five-year-old boy once told him that he is the “communion guy” and said that it's true that all priests are the Communion guy. Fr. Bob Reed of CatholicTV was the host of the evening. Scot said Joe D'Arrigo, executive director of the Clergy Funds, Some stats, for every 1 active priest we have, there are 10 retired priests. They also shared some charts data on the last four years of work on the Clergy Funds. Four years ago, there was a prediction the funds would run out by the end of 2011, but now the expenses for the funds have been cut without cutting benefits and revenues have been raised. They went from a $10 million deficit to a break-even budget. Fr. Mark said he wasn't at the event because he was teaching, but he wanted to give kudos to Joe D'Arrigo. A few years ago, Fr. Mark was running the Clergy Funds, but confesses most of the priests who ran it didn't have the expertise to do so, so he's very grateful to Joe. Fr. Mike added that Joe is here for nothing but to serve the priests of the archdiocese. Scot said everyone who were involved did a very great job. The highlight of the night was an eight-minute video highlighting the work of some of our priests: The priests in the video were Fr. Mark Murphy, Fr. Richard Clancy, Fr. Jack Ahern, and Fr. Joseph Fagan. Scot said one of the moving parts was hearing Fr. Clancy choke up when he said it mattered in his life for people to take a few minutes and write the priest a note to thank him. the dinner started in the Year of the Priest as a way to thank priests not just for what they do, but for who they are in this special vocation in the Church. He encouraged listeners to think about saying thank you to their priest at church this Sunday. Scot emphasized that none of the priests go to the dinner to be celebrated personally, but it does make a difference to be thanked en masse. 3rd segment: Fr. Mike said he had great role models in the priesthood growing up. He had a well-known pastor, Msgr. John Carroll, who was a great witness to him. Then he had Fr. Bill Schmidt as a pastor at St. John's in Swampscott, who had a special way of ministering to young people. Fr. Mike said he didn't develop much of a sense of a personal vocation in his high school or college years. He said he didn't consider his vocation very much at all. But after college, he realized he was living his life for himself and so he started to see how he could live for others. He started to teach religious education in his parish and seek out other young adults active in their faith. In his early 20s, he started to ask for the first time what God wants him to do in his life. He started to walk more closely with the Lord and as he did so the idea of the priesthood started to come clearer. Little by little, God worked on him to understand his ways are greater than our ways. He entered seminary at age 27 in 1994. In his class, he was one of the younger guys, but today men are averaging younger when they enter. After ordination, his only parish assignment so far was St. Paul in Wellesley. He said he had great priest examples there and couldn't have asked for better pastors. The Cardinal called Fr. Mike into diocesan service in 2005 as assistant vocation director. He loved his work in the parish and he had a lot of great projects on the horizon. His term was coming to an end, but he had been told he would stay on a little longer. Then he had an unexpected call to come meet with the Cardinal. It was a surprise, but he wanted to do whatever God called him to do. It was tough to leave the parish, but he was committed to whatever the Cardinal thought best. Scot said Cardinal Sean had made a commitment to having two full-time priests in vocations office and that has born fruit with more than 70 young men in the seminary right now. It requires a lot of time and effort to create a culture of vocations. Fr. Mike said their work is only done in collaboration with all the priests of the archdiocese under the leadership of Cardinal Sean. The Cardinal sets the tone. Fr. Mike said recently there were only 27 men in residence at St. John Seminary. Today there are over 80 men in residence and more than 120 studying there total for several dioceses. Today 70 of them are studying for the archdiocese when just a few years ago there were only 45. Fr. Mike said they do many type of outreach to help men to consider what God is calling them to. They try to help them ask the question what God wants. We are so focused on what we want to be, but we need to help young people approach the much greater question. Scot said Cardinal Sean, Fr. Mike, and Fr. Dan Hennessey all rely heavily on prayer to grow vocations and are constantly asking everyone to pray for vocations. Fr. mike said Jesus gave the instruction: “Beg the Master of the harvest for more workers in the harvest.” Prayer is at the heart of vocations. They sometimes ask religious orders to pray for young men who are discerning; they have holy hours for vocations. Many parishes have prayers for vocations during Mass. Fr. Mark asked how vocations are growing in ethnic communities. Fr. Mike said they just ordained a young man from the Korean community and two more are in the seminary. They are not a huge community so having three men is an outsized contribution. They have had vocations from the Vietnamese community and other communities are beginning vocations programs. Scot asked for a profile of the types of men in the seminary and where they're coming from. Fr. Mike said most of the new men are in their 20s. They have three men who are 45. They have more men studying at Blessed John XXIII Seminary in the last few years. Most of the young men are just out of college. The work being done on college campuses are paying off in vocations. Several men come from Boston University. Three men were associated with the Life Teen ministry at St. Mary's in Dedham. Fr. Mark said there used to be a seminary college for men about 18 years old. Fr. Mark said they've accepted two men just out of high school this year. They go to a formation house in Providence and will either attend Providence College or another one in Rhode Island. They're also seeing more young men discerning a vocation in high school. Scot said on October 22, there is a big gathering put on by the Serra Club. They are having a Mass of Blessed John Paul II at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 10am in recognition of the Adopt-a-Priest apostolate. October 22 is the feast day of Bl. John Paul II. George Weigel will give a talk after the Mass. Scot said adopt-a-priest is a prayer apostolate. The Serra Club asks people to volunteer to pray for a particular priest every day for a year. Scot said two years ago his family was randomly assigned Msgr. Bob Deeley, our new vicar general. When he was assigned to be vicar general and Scot's new boss, his kids said they should pray for him even more now. Fr. Mike said the Serra Club does a lot of work helping with vocations. They are having an altar server appreciation Mass soon that the Serra Club will be assiting with. 4th segment: Now, as we do every week, we look forward to this coming Sunday's Mass readings to help us prepare to celebrate together. Thus says the LORD: You say, “The LORD's way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, ‘I will not, ' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir, ‘but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.” Scot said imagine being on the receiving end of that admonition from Jesus. Fr. Mike said the Lord's way is not always easy, but it's a far cry from saying the Lord's way is not fair. Fr. Mark said Ezekiel is writing to a community who thinks that the bad things happening to them is because of their ancestors sins, but Ezekiel said it's their own sins that are the cause. In the Gospel, the better thing is to say yes and do it, but we give more credit to the guy who thinks about the consequences and changes his mind. We're given fair warning by God to make the right decision. Scot said the reading brings to mind the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He had a friend who described it as hitting the reset button. Scot said he's been both of these guys in the Gospel. in the spiritual life, it's the ongoing conversion to conform our hearts, minds, and will to God that leads to the right way. Fr. Mike said we can all relate to the claim the Lord's way isn't fair. Even the saints in Scripture have said that, but they recognized that it's not the Lord who abandoned us, but we who abandoned the Lord. Fr. Mark said he assumes Fr. Mike sees these two paths among the men who are discerning. Fr. Mike said God often calls us to expand our love, which can be hard at first. Scot wonders who is the analagous “tax collectors and prostitutes” of today that we might reject based on their past or surface appearances. It's easy to claim we won't be pharisaical, but we have to seriously examine whether we are being prideful or whether we really are that open to God's will. We have to constantly examine our hearts to ensure we are open to everyone who God might be calling to follow him.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Fr. Michael Medas, Director of Clergy Personnel Today's topics: Priest Profile: Fr. Michael Medas; How a priest gets assignments Summary of today's show: Fr. Michael Medas shares with Scot his many and varied assignments, from parishes to deaf ministry to military chaplaincy and now the clergy personnel office. Fr. Medas also explained the detailed 48-step process that goes into assigning a priest to a parish. 1st segment: Today's guest is Fr. Michael Medas of the Clergy Personnel Office. We'll be discussing how priests get assigned to new positions and who gives input to the assignments. But first, Scot offered congratulations to the 13 new permanent deacons ordained by Cardinal Seán at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Saturday. Deacons Jim Leo and Kevin Wynn were our guests on The Good Catholic Life a few weeks ago. Photos of the ordination are at . Fr. Medas' office also assigns deacons as well as priests. It's an exciting time for his office, he said. Scot said most of the deacons participated in their first Masses on Sunday along with their first homilies. Fr. Medas said a key element of the diaconate is the ministry of preaching. Fr. Michael was ordained in 1988. Scot asked him how he came to discern the call to priesthood. Fr. Michael said is experience of the call was unique. When he first entered the seminary after high school, he found many of his fellow seminarians mentioned a priest who said something in their life or saw a particular quality in them in the context of the Church. A number of his classmates mentioned the influence of religious sisters in their schools. But for Fr. Michael, it was a quiet experience. His family would go to Mass and he would feel a quiet attraction to the ministry of the priest. He was thinking of law enforcement or a medical vocation at the time, but a quiet voice told him maybe priesthood was possible for him. He entered the seminary thinking they were going to kick him out. There was a priest his parish, Fr. Bill Shea, OMI, who gave a homily once about having dinner with a married friend who'd wondered whether he should have considered the priesthood. At the time, he thought that he didn't want to look back in his old age wondering if he should have considered the priesthood. So he entered the seminary, still planning on another career, waiting for them to decide he should leave. Fr. Michael said his time in the seminary was divided into undergraduate and graduate years and he finally discerned that calling at the end of his undergrad years. It was still a quiet confirmation, a feeling that it felt right and fit him. It was still very challenging to be conformed to God's heart, mind, and will, but it still felt comfortable. Fr. Michael grew up in Bridgewater and it at the time it was still quite rural with many dairy farms. It was a small town with good family values. Two aspects of the parish that influenced him was the great preaching at Masses that helped him understand that Christ is present in the Eucharist. It is interesting to him that so many who are responding to vocational calls today, that the Eucharist was so central to them. They also had First Friday devotions with Eucharistic exposition all day. As altar servers, they were called to participate. He said the core of what called him to ask if this was what God was asking him to do, was that he had such a great understanding that the Eucharist is Jesus. He knew that whenever he was seeking Christ, he could find him in the Eucharist. As a priest, he wants to continue to share it as gently and firmly as those parish priests. 2nd segment: Fr. Michael's first assignment was at St. Patrick's in Watertown, which had many older folks who built the parish and continued to support it. It had a grammar school and high school. Also, being close to Boston, it was a Catholic parish where younger people working in Boston started to locate. Scot said it's a beautiful big church and still going strong. CatholicTV has its headquarters in the former convent right behind the parish. Fr. Michael said part of our Catholic life is how older members can share faith with the newer folks, while newer folks share energy and vibrancy with the older folks. After that, Fr. Michael went to St. Theresa Parish in Billerica. It is a very vibrant family community. There were 2,000 kids just in religious education alone. There were 3,000 people at Mass every weekend. He recalls how the traditions of the faith were passed on within families from one generation to the next. In 1994, he was invited to prepare himself through study to lead the Office of the Deaf Apostolate. The Clergy Personnel office had sent out a survey to priests listing a series of non-parish ministries to see if they'd be interested. Fr. Michael checked off deaf ministry. When Fr. Michael was in the last four years of seminary, the deaf community came to the seminary with the hopes of attracting the interest of some future priest to work with them. He remembers sitting in the back of the chapel and the Scripture was proclaimed. A seminarian read the Word and a deaf person sat next to him signing the Word. He thought to himself that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the signing. We have a different access to understand God's Word. After meeting with a priest in 1994 who worked in the deaf apostolate, he prayed about God's will for him. Fr. Michael went to in DC to learn American Sign Language. It is a university specifically for deaf people. It is a place where the language is learn, but also the culture of the deaf is experienced. He earned a degree in social work there and then led the Deaf Apostolate for close to a decade. On the weekends when he celebrated Mass for hearing communities, he'd lose his voice because he stopped using it during the week serving deaf Catholics. He would travel more than 450 miles per week visiting deaf people throughout the Archdiocese, helping them with pastoral needs. Scopt said Fr. Sean Carey is the only deaf priest in the Archdiocese and when he celebrates Mass, it helps Scot to appreciate the Mass more. Fr. Michael shared a story of Fr. Shawn's vocation. He had been with the deaf community praying for a vocation from the deaf Catholic community. They had received a statue of Our Lady from the Archdiocese and each family in the deaf community would bring that statue home and pray every evening at dinner time that God would send them such a vocation. About two years later, Sean Carey stepped forward. Fr. Michael said God can call anybody because it's not about the individual, but it's about God's ability to work around our sinfulness and weakness. If you hear the Word of God calling you to discernment, it can be a quiet call not a lightning bolt. He said as a priest learning sign, celebrating Mass, he has to consider carefully what the Church means by the words of the Mass as well as the words as themselves. It was a deepening of the understanding of Mass and it also slowed him down in celebrating the Mass. It was a great gift. He still celebrates Mass in American Sign Language about once per month. It's not always with the deaf community. Often if he goes to Mass with a lot of kids, he will pray the Eucharist prayer in Sign. Many children today learn some signs in school and at home so it's somewhat familiar and they are often intrigued. After the deaf apostolate, he was assigned to chaplaincy with the Air Force Reserves and then the Air National Guard. Fr. Michael said there's an even greater shortage of priests within the military communities. There is a sacrifice for a diocese to send a priest to the military, but they are serving people from our own communities who are already serving us in dangerous, life-threatening jobs. Scot said the Archdiocese of Boston has always been a leader in encouraging priests to consider military service. Fr. Michael said many years the bishop of the military archdiocese asked the dioceses to pledge 3% of their priests to the chaplaincy. When people are in harm's way, they want the comfort of the sacraments, especially the comfort of Jesus in the Eucharist. He served at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. He also served at the National Security Agency, Maguire AFB in New Jersey, and the Air Force Academy. He has served at the academy for three summers now. He said he wishes every American could meet the young men and women who attend the academy. The chapel there seats 350-400 people and overflows when they come for a time of prayer, seeking to serve their country in the context of serving God. In some ways, his reserve service takes up his regular vacation time. The obligation is two weeks anytime during the year, particularly during the summer, and two days per month. When he finished a prior assignment to the one he is in now, he thought he'd be going back to parish ministry and so he switched to the Air National Guard so that he would have more stability. His ANG assignment is actually in Rhode Island because if their need for a chaplain in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Prior to this assignment, Fr. Michael was Director of Pastoral Formation at St. John Seminary. He said it was a privileged moment in his seminary formation to just be in the seminary, but then to be called back, knowing how important seminary formation is for the lives of parishioners. He was pleased to have some role in that, particularly in pastoral formation, to help the men develop their skills for the parish. 3rd segment: One of the most important duties of a bishop is to prayerfully discern the assignment of priests to parishes. Fr. Michael coordinates the process that provides the options for Cardinal Seán to choose from. Scot said Fr. Michael's predecessor, Fr. Bob Deehan, once made a presentation that listed 48 steps for assigning a priest. He was shocked at how detailed the the process was. Fr. Michael has been in the job for a little more than a year. Scot asked for an overview of the process. Fr. Michael said the people in his office give great assistance and play an important role, especially Ruth Cox who has been in the office many years and knows every priest. When a parish becomes open, the Cardinal makes an announcement in the Pilot that the present pastor is leaving the parish and moving to a new assignment. The Personnel office contacts the old pastor to create a parish profile, including all the projects, goals, and hopes of the parish for now and the future as well as the current state of the parish. At the same time, priests of the Archdiocese would be bringing the assignment to prayer and putting their name forward to be considered. Within two to three weeks, Fr. Michael will respond to contacts from interested priests and give them the results of the parish profile. The priests will also be in touch with the outgoing pastor. Scot asked if others could nominate priest they think will be good for the parish. Fr. Michael said parishioners do give their input through the parish profile compiled by the outgoing pastor. Another priest can nominate a priest by telling Fr. Michael why a particular priest would be a great fit. Occasionally, a pastor will invite Fr. Michael to meet with the parish pastoral council or parishioners to speak to them in person. It puts people's names and voices behind the parish profile. Scot said regional bishops assist Cardinal Seán with relationships with pastors and vicars forane, pastors within those regions who also work with the bishops. Fr. Michael said the bishops and vicars are helpful for considering the needs of a particular town or region or parish cluster when assigning a pastor. Once the process has begun and the Clergy Personnel Board— nine priests who are elected by ordination years and are responsible for knowing the priests in their year-groups— meets and considers those who've written in, those whose names have been put in, and every single priest in the Archdiocese. They consider the profile and have lots of discussion, discernment, and prayer. They come up with a list of names for the Cardinal, but first they bring the list to the regional bishop for him to weigh in. They always try to have a list of three names of priests who would be a good next fit. As the Cardinal reviews the three names, Fr. Michael explains the strengths of the three men. Scot asked when nominated priests find out they've been nominated. Fr. Michael said when a priest nominates another, Fr. Michael tells him he should talk to that priest so that when Cardinal Seán asks the priest to be the next pastor, it won't be a surprise and if there's a reason not to become pastor they will know it ahead of time. Scot said Cardinal Seán sometimes chooses a name that wasn't on the list, but for the most part the Cardinal is understanding of the process of all the work that goes into compiling the list. There's so much work into understanding the parish and the priests who've applied. But the Cardinal is the bishop and the Cardinal has the grace of his office for the Lord to work. There may also be particulars that the Cardinal knows as the bishop, that others might not. Fr. Michael said the Cardinal has a personnel board too with the vicar general, Fr. Michael, and the secretary of pastoral life and leadership. At the end of the meeting, Fr. Michael's task is to call the priest that Cardinal Seán has selected. If the priest didn't know he was being considered, very often he wants to speak to his spiritual director first. There's a respectfulness on the part of Cardinal Seán for God's working in the priest's life. If he accepts the assignment, then it all starts all over again if the priest was already a pastor. Scot said typically there's a couple of months before the pastor takes on the new assignment in order to allow him to wrap up his previous ministry and for the new parish to prepare. Fr. Michael's office also assigns parochial vicars to prepare them to be pastors someday. How many assignments should a young priest have before becoming a pastor. They hope for two assignments of 3 years apiece. The first assignment they are transitioning from seminary, living with a pastor. In the second assignment they learn how to be a pastor. But today, they are finding that even within 4 years or in one recent case, less than 4 years, they are becoming pastors. Some pastors are particularly good at forming parochial vicars and being mentors. The younger priest sees from his mentor how to live out his priesthood. Scot said many priests today are second-vocation priests ordained after a long professional career. They still need to transition to the priesthood, to stop seeing things through his old profession and to see it through the eyes of his priesthood.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Religious womens' jubilee; bishops mobilize against contraception; Protecting priests; incardination and the case of Fr. Pavone Summary of today's show: Scot and Susan discuss the news of the week with Greg and Fr. Roger including the dispute between Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life and his bishop; the US bishops mobilizing Catholics against violation of conscience in healthcare legislation; Fr. Roger's editorial on protecting priests from false accusations; and women religious in Boston celebrating jubilees and over 5,000 years of combined service to the Church. 1st segment: Scot caught up with Susan this Thursday. She's off and running with the new school year and so has religious education. This Sunday is Catechetical Sunday and most parishes will begin their programs on Sunday. Parish catechists are frontline apostles, as John Paul II called them. Scot said every parish needs more catechists and listeners should consider helping out. 2nd segment: Scot and Susan welcome Greg and Fr. Roger. Scot said the centerfold in this week's Pilot is about religious sisters who are celebrating their jubilee anniversaries. Greg said it's a joyous celebration to celebrate their 25th, 50th, 60th, and even 75th anniversaries of religious life. All combined all these women have given more than 5,000 years of service! The Mass took place at St. Theresa of Avila in West Roxbury, which is Susan's parish. She said it's a wonderful celebration. The oldest jubilarian was Sister Declan Sullivan, 93, at 75 years of service and she said it was one of the most beautiful celebrations she's had. Bishop Dooher celebrated the Mass and praised the sisters for their service and witness. He also connected the celebration to the commemoration of 9/11 which occurred on the same day. Sister Sean Mayer of the Daughters of St. Paul was the youngest at 45 with 25 years of service. She entered the order at 14 and professed at 20. Fr. Roger said in an age where so few make commitments and where those who do don't keep their word, these women who've kept these commitments are a sign of fidelity and what God is saying to us through them about the great mystery of their vocation and God's great faithfulness to them. It is a sign that God calls each of us in our own way and their vocations are signs to us of our own eternal vocation to be with God in heaven. The Pilot article on Friday will have a complete list of the names of the jubilarians. 3rd segment: The US bishops are asking all Catholics to mobilize to contact Congress and the Dept of Health and human Services to guard our consciences on issues of contraception. Greg said the new healthcare reform law pushed by the Obama administration, health care plans must cover the abortifacient morning-after pill and contraceptives. While there is a conscience protection clause in the regulations, it is so narrowly written that Catholic hospitals, schools, and charities would be required to pay for these drugs and sterilizations. There is a public comment period for these regulations that expires at the end of this month. The bishops are urging people to register their objections at . Susan said we have a moral obligation to act and to let our elected officials know how we feel about this. She noted that antibiotics aren't being made free or children's vitamins, but these morally objectionable drugs and services are. Scot said parish bulletin announcements have been sent to parishes. Greg said that if these rules get passed, church organizations may be forced to stop offering health care benefits to employees and their families. Fr. Roger said as Christians we have to vote. He said not to worry about exactly how you word your objection because they're just adding up Yeas and Nays. Congress is also considering a Respect for Conscience Act that would require all federal agencies to include respect for conscience in their actions and regulations. 4th segment: Scot said on the front page of the Anchor this week is a story about the incardination of Fr. Andrew Johnson, a religious order priest who is becoming a diocesan priest. Fr. Roger said incardination means you belong to a diocese or religious institute or congregation. When Fr. Johnson, he was ordained into the Cistercian Order. Fr. Roger was incardinated as a priest of Fall River. Incardination is a process of moving between dioceses or between a diocese and religious order. Fr. Johnson, with the permission of his religious order, has discerned becoming a parish priest of Fall River. He is currently serving as a hospital chaplain. Scot and Susan recalled that in 2009 Fr. Ken Cannon was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Boston at a Mass at the Pastoral Center as Cardinal Seán recounted in his . Related to incardinations, Fr. Frank Pavone is a priest of the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, but was originally was a priest of the Archdiocese of New York. He moved to Texas at the invitation of the previous bishop to start a pro-life priests' group, but now the current bishop, Bishop Zurek, has asked Fr. Pavone to leave Priests for Life and return to the diocese. Bishop Zurek's letter was strongly worded and accused Fr. Pavone of having an inflated ego and questioning the finances of . Greg said he was unaware of having seen any other public letter that was this strongly worded. He said it recalls the recent situation regarding Fr. Corapi. He did not the statement correctly saying that there cannot be a freelance priest. A priest must answer to a bishop or a religious order. He believes Bishop Zurek is trying to reassert his authority over a priest who has become a freelancer. Scot said Fr. Pavone's response letter was respectful and responded to many of the issues raised in the bishops' letter. Fr. Pavone has been focused on providing priestly leadership throughout his priesthood at the urging of bishops like Cardinal John O'Connor of New York. Among Bishop Zurek's points was that Priests for Life raises $10 million per year without oversight. Fr. Pavone countered that a board of bishops oversees the organization. Fr. Roger said it's terrible is being played out in public. He doesn't think there is a more articulate pro-life advocate in the US and he is able to write credible and original weekly columns on this issue throughout the year. Fr. Pavone moved to Amarillo to found a religious order of pro-life priests, but that didn't happen for various reasons. So he is still a parish priest under obedience to his bishop. Fr. Roger said it's very unfortunate to have this compared to other celebrity priests who've had scandals because even Bishop Zurek's letter doesn't allege actual wrongdoing on the part of Fr. Pavone. Fr. Roger pointed out that the Bishop does have a right to ensure that Fr. Pavone is on the up and up with regard to his personal finances because he has a duty to shepherd his soul. The bishop may have gone overboard in his language, but Fr. Pavone has to remember that he is a priest of the diocese. Fr. Roger guesses that Fr. Pavone will eventually incardinate somewhere else under a bishop who will respect his desire to engage in pro-life ministry full-time. Susan said the bishop's letter was very harshly worded. As is often the cause, the real loser in this is the Church's work for the unborn. She said the CNS story says Fr. Pavone doesn't get a salary but that Priests for Life pay for his housing expenses (about $2,000 per month) and his expenses in working for Priests for Life. Scot said some people are trying to tie this to the Corapi situation of a couple of months ago, but there is nothing to compare this with that case or of the previous case of . 5th segment: Scot encouraged listeners to remember the telethon is coming up and asked them to tune in. Fr. Roger write an editorial in this week's Anchor about a priest in Niagara Falls who was extorted by a drug addict who demanded money in exchange for not filing a false accusation of abuse. Fr. Roger said the priest eventually gave him all his savings, maxed out his credit, borrowed from friends, and even took money from the parish to pay off this man. It came to $90,000. Fr. Roger asked why a priest would feel so vulnerable to a false accusation from a drug addict with so many credibility problems. The answer is that any accusation, no matter how outlandish, sets in motion a series of protocols that aren't actually in the letter of Church policy but that treat any accusation as credible. At the moment of an accusation, a priest has to leave his ministry, move out of the rectory, stop wearing his clerical clothes, and endure a press release about it. He said in many ways the same injustices that occurred prior to 2002 are now being foisted on priests. In both cases, it wasn't the policies but a lack of adherence to policies in place. Another point is that it takes so long for these investigations and trials to occur in the Church that it leaves priests in limbo and sometimes they never resume their priestly ministry. Susan asked how long it takes to decide if an accusation is credible. We need to balance protection of the innocent victim of abuse with the protection of the innocent victim of false accusation. How can we speed up the process so these men won't have their reputations and priestly ministries suspended. Scot said some priests say two wrongs don't make a right. Greg agreed that the process drags slowly even though some cases are immediately not credible. On the other hand, he is torn. He started working at the Pilot just as the scandal in Boston broke and he saw how the trust of the people was broken. It's a very difficult call to make. Fr. Roger has some ideas how to defend the full rights of accusers and the accused, to remove guilty priests as fast as possible and return innocent priests. First, there needs to be a real preliminary investigation when an accusation comes in by someone who is competent and trained to determine whether it is a truly credible and plausible accusation. Many times priests are just told they've been accused and not given the details of what he's accused of. Second, a priest who maintains his innocence should be entitled to a speedy investigation by both civil authorities and ecclesiastical review board. There's no excuse for a priest accused in 2002 to not have an answer to his circumstance today. We need to have the same outrage for false accusations of innocent priests who are hung out to dry just as we had for the abuse of children and the lack of response by the Church. Third, everything must be done to protect the reputation of a priest who has been accused but not convicted or admitted guilt. Scot said he hears similar comments from priests all the time. He said priests recognize that the pendulum needed to swing back to protection of children, but it's swung too far.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Peter Loro Bambu, a priest from the Archdiocese of Juba, South Sudan * [Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference](http://www.eglisesoudan.org/eaccueil.htm) * [CIA World Factbook on South Sudan](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html) **Today's topics:** The Catholic Church in the new country of South Sudan in Africa **Summary of today's show:** Fr. Peter Loro, a priest of the new country of South Sudan, tells Scot of the extreme poverty of his country and the difficult conditions they have endured over the past 50 years. Yet he also considers himself blessed because of the astounding faith of the people. **1st segment:** Scot introduced today's topic of the Church in South Sudan. He said perhaps no group of Catholics has suffered more than the Catholics in the new Republic of South Sudan. The country gained its independence on July 9. Fr. Peter said the independence came as a result of a long struggle. It was a colony of Britain until 1956. Then the political and economic power was held by the Arab majority in the north of the country of Sudan. The south, which was mainly Christian and animist, was subjected to a lot of suffering. In 1947, the people of southern Sudan had been asked whether they wanted to be one country or to be separate. In 1955, the people of southern Sudan decided to choose to be free, but there were many difficulties. All the power, including the country's resources, were held in the north. The north resisted the separation which brought civil war until 1972. Then there was 10 years of relative peace and in 1983, the president of the country abrogated the peace agreement and declared the country an Islamic country. Civil war began again. The fighting lasted for 22 years until another peace agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2005. In that agreement, southern Sudan was again given the choose to split or remain as one country. Last January, the people voted overwhelmingly to separate. Fr. Peter said they were at war for 38 years out of the 55 years of independence since colonial times, because they refused to be second-class citizens in their own land. Scot asked Fr. Peter if religion was the primary reason for the fighting. Fr. Peter said in the south they are mainly Christian African versus the mainly Arabic Islamic north, but they were also treated poorly. Fr. Peter's own family was separated by the war. Many of them had to run to Uganda when war broke out. Those left behind were separated as well. He fled to northern Sudan with his brother and the rest of his immediate family stayed behind. both of his brothers were killed in the war. Today, they are still re-grouping. Almost all families in southern Sudan were affected in one way or another. Fr. Peter said about 2 millions people died in the 22 years of Sudan since 1983. Most of them died as a result of direct fighting, but a number also died as the consequences of the war. Scot said South Sudan has a population of 8 to 9 million. Fr. Peter said the government of northern Sudan tried to say that there were only 5 million before the referendum on independence. Scot asked if many South Sudanese have returned since July 9. Fr. Peter said even before the referendum, millions of people were returning to South Sudan because they knew they were going to cast their own votes for freedom. Now the key towns and villages are overpopulated from all the refugees returning. Fr. Peter said he went to seminary at 14 years old and became a priest in December 1996. He has been a priest for 14 years and 7 months serving in very difficult situations. He has served in war and hates war. He says to his people now to live in peace. Scot asked him what it's like to be a priest in his country. When Fr. Peter was ordained, he was assigned to a rural parish. He stayed for three weeks and then the parish priest traveled abroad and never returned. He had to assume the role of pastor. The people looked to the priest for everything: money, food, clothing, school tuition. But he had none of that because he came from a background as poor as they are. He stayed there for two years. He also had to travel miles throughout the parish to reach people, and didn't have a car. The best he could do was ride a motorcycle. From there, he was sent to another parish in August 1999, even further from the city of Juba. There was no home for a priest to live. He was living in a military camp, traveling via canoe to villages and military camps along the Nile River. He did that for three years. When he left, he left behind a church and a school. Scot asked Fr. Peter to tell him about the hunger of the people of South Sudan. He said the people lived on less than 1 dollar per day, which can provide one meal per day. He said to have one meal in a day for these people would be a grace from God. And when he says a "meal", it would not even be considered a meal in the United States. Most people cannot afford even that. People are forced to choose between food and shelter and education for their children. Many people choose the very basics just to survive. **2nd segment:** Scot asked Fr. Peter about the Archdiocese of Juba. Juba is the capital of the new Republic. It has been there since the colonial years. The Archdiocese has 11 parishes at the moment and they're setting up 7 more parishes. Fr. Peter said the largest parish is St. Mary Immaculate Parish. They have 103 chapels. It is the size of the state of Rhode Island. They have just two priests. The priests must travel miles and miles to reach the chapels over under developed roads. He said the Archdiocese is just too large. * [Statistics on the Archdiocese of Juba](http://catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/djuba.html) Fr. Peter said there are 54 active priests. There are also two bishops, Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro and Auxiliary Bishop Santo Loku Pio Doggale. Because of the great distances, the chapels have lay catechists who prepare the people for the visits by the priests. In a year, a chapel might see a priest six times. They have not just Mass, but the priest administers the sacraments and stays for a couple of days to see how the community is doing. Scot asked how the priests are supported. Fr. Peter said the priests' families don't have the resources to help them. The archdiocese is even poorer because it serves an even bigger family. The parishes ask for help from the priests instead of the other way. So the priests go on foot to the chapels because they don't have the resources, even for buses. Scot said it sounds like the people are poor, the Church is poor, and the country is poor. The people often have to walk miles to celebrate Mass and even then only get to Mass a few times a year if they live in a rural area. Fr. Peter said the Mass is the consolation of the people. The priest brings the message of Christ and of love to them. when Fr. Peter went to villages for the first time, he would encounter 14 year old children who had never seen a priest and others who had never seen a black priest. The people move not only your sense of faith, but also show what humanity is all about. Sometimes the people had to overcome great obstacles as they travel to Mass. Some would even been killed by land mines or maimed. Some children are kidnapped on the journey, often on their way to their First Holy Communion. Yet they place an immense value on the practice of the faith. They are willing to risk their lives and limbs for the sake of receiving the Eucharist and the other sacraments. Scot said in the US we can take it for granted how it easy it is to get to church. He asked Fr. Peter what it's like for him to share these stories with Americans, who can easily take their faith for granted. When he celebrated the first Mass at Fr. Roger Landry's parish of St. Anthony, New Bedford. He was shocked at the big and beautiful church was so empty. If the church was in a village back home, it wouldn't be big enough to contain all the people who would come for prayer. He sees in the US that the sense of faith is lost. Perhaps people have other "gods". But in the Archdiocese of Juba, the truth of the Catholic faith and the sense of faith is so valued. Even though the people of South Sudan are so poor, they are in a better situation than most American Catholics because they know and love God so much. Scot asked how the people of America can help the priests. Fr. Peter said the Church in South Sudan is the home of the people because the Church brings education and medical care and the basic necessities. He said a single priest can make a big difference to many people, and if he doesn't have even enough to support his own basic needs, then they can't help the people. He said there is a need for the Catholics of the US to support the priests of South Sudan to provide spiritual and pastoral services to the people. If they cannot travel to the villages scattered throughout their parishes, they cannot bring Christ and the Gospel to the people. He recommends if people want to help financially that they can send contributions to Fr. Roger Landry at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Bedford, MA and he will ensure that the money will be sent to Fr. Peter. **3rd segment:** Scot asked Fr. Peter how South Sudan is trying ti build itself as a new country. Fr. Peter said the infrastructure of the country was virtually destroyed during the civil war, civil, government, and Church. They are starting from nothing as a country and a church. Before the war, most of the villages had churches and schools built by missionaries, but the war destroyed them all. As a Church, they have a duty to rebuild the churches and schools. This requires money. Much more than that, they need to build the people. They don't have a sense of culture, of peace, or of human rights. The people need to learn what it means to have peace and liberty and what it means to have rules that guide a people for a healthy and good life. They need doctors, mechanical engineers, and not just foreigners who will come, but their own people to be trained. They need qualified priests, who get further training and formation after seminary. He said the government has public schools, but they are not as effective as the Catholic schools. Scot said he has read that South Sudan has one of the highest percentages of infant mortality and of maternal mortality, dying during childbirth. Fr. Peter said in many of the villages, they don't even midwives. Fr. Peter said there are plans to welcome foreigners who wish to come and help with their specialized skills, including doctors and others. Fr. Peter said the United States has been most helpful to South Sudan and has been the driving force that has resulted in the independence of South Sudan. He thanked the people of America for this. He said many American organizations are also working in South Sudan, including [Catholic Relief Services](http://www.crs.org). They have helped enormously in education, health, and building capacity. They have suffered with the Sudanese and even died with them. He is grateful in addition to the workers to the people who have donated to CRS from their own means. Fr. Peter himself is a beneficiary of CRS' work because it funded his theological education. His bishop paid for him to go to the north for advanced theology studies and he was supported by this money from the bishop. And the money came from foreign donations, including some from Catholic Relief Services. Scot said when the second collection for Catholic Relief Services is taken up this year, he hopes the people of the Archdiocese of Boston will recall the voice of Fr. Peter and and the suffering of our Catholic brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. Fr. Peter asked the people of America to pray for the people of South Sudan. He asked them to pray for a meaningful peace and freedom and independence for South Sudan and that the people of South Sudan to know that they were not alone in their days of struggle, but that they received assistance from their American brothers and sisters. They should pray for a greater communion among people, so that they come to know Christ and see Christ in their neighbor. Fr. Peter will be in the US for another month and then he will go back to Rome for a time and then back to South Sudan. He hopes to become a parish priest, which will make him the happiest, to be with the people who need him.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Susan Abbott **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese * [The Anchor](http://www.anchornews.org) * [The Pilot](http://www.pilotcatholicnews.com) * Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. **Today's topics:** Archbishop Charles Chaput; Transitional deacon ordained; Chinese cardinal in Boston; study of Catholic parishes **Summary of today's show:** Our usual Thursday panel discussed the appointment of Archbishop Charles Chaput to Philadelphia, with Fr. Roger Landry's personal recollection of time spent with the archbishop recently; the unusual timing of the ordination of a transitional deacon for Boston; the visit of a Chinese cardinal to Boston as tensions between the Vatican and China reach an all-time high; and a study of parish life in the United States with some surprising results. **1st segment:** Scot welcomed Susan back to the show. The Pilot is back from summer hiatus and The Anchor is now on hiatus this week. The big non-Church news is the weather and specifically the heat. **2nd segment:** Scot and Susan welcome Gregory and Fr. Roger back to the show. The appointment of Archbishop Charles Chaput to Philadelphia is significant. Scot said it is traditionally seen as a cardinalatial see and one of the largest in the US. It's also significant because the archdiocese is in the midst of a major scandal due to revelations concerning clergy priest abuse. Audio excerpt from the press conference: >"Press conferences like this have a formula of humility and gratitude that can sometimes seem like theater. I'm a poor actor. What you see is pretty much what you get. Philadelphia is one of America's truly great cities, rich in history and achievement, with an extraordinary community of Catholic faith that goes back to saints like John Neumann and Katharine Drexel. Many of you will ask me this question, so I will answer it in advance. I don't know why the Holy Father sent me here. But I do trust his heart, and I do believe in his judgment. I know other bishops would have been smarter than I am, or more talented, or more connected to Philadelphia's past. I know that Cardinal Rigali is one of the great churchmen of my lifetime. He has served the Church in Rome, in St. Louis, and here with enormous dedication and in ways I will never be able to duplicate. > >"But I do promise that no bishop will love the people and priests of this local Church more than I will. No bishop will give more of himself than I will. And no bishop will try harder to help persons who have been hurt by the sins of the past, or work harder to strengthen and encourage our priests and renew the hearts of our people. > >There's a lot I *don't* know how to do. But over the years, a great many good people have shown me how to love and how to lead by the generosity of their witness. And everything I've learned, everything I know and have, I will give to this ministry, because all of you -- the people of God -- deserve at least that much." * ["Archbishop Chaput succeeds Cardinal Rigali; Savannah bishop retires", CNS, 7/19/11](http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1102854.htm) * [Cardinal Seán's statement on Archbishop Chaput's appointment](http://www.bostoncatholic.org/Utility/News-And-Press/Content.aspx?id=21004) * [Archdiocese of Philadelphia](http://archphila.org/home.php) * [Archdiocese of Denver](http://www.archden.org) Susan said his words were very moving. He reinforces his honesty and sincerity and passion with his words about how he will love and work for the people. If she were in Philadelphia, she would be thrilled. Scot said there's no hyperbole in this man, he is what he is. Gregory said the Archbishop is know for being a straight shooter. He was formed in the West: South Dakota and Colorado. So he's got that Western straight-talking manner. Fr. Roger spent some time in Denver recently when Archbishop Chaput invited him to lead a retreat for the priests of Denver. Fr. Roger said he's always been impressed by the archbishop publishing his email address and giving quick responses to people who would email him. Of the past 10 years, Fr. Roger has continued to receive emails from the Archbishop commenting on articles he'd written and encouraging him. At this retreat, he experienced a camaraderie he'd never seen before. Some of the priests told him that every priest knows where he stands with the archbishop. The archbishop is very responsive to requests by his priests, which is hugely important for priestly morale. He does that for anyone who emails him. He spends 10 minutes of every hour answering email. One of Archbishop Chaput's fears in going to Philadelphia is that he won't have the same amount of time for responding to people. Fr. Roger said the priests of Philadelphia are very excited, having heard him preach a clergy day in 2005 and having taught at the seminary in Philadelphia before becoming a bishop. * ["Rise of the Evangelical Catholic Bishops", George Weigel, National Review, 7/20/11](http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/272258/rise-evangelical-catholic-bishops-george-weigel) Scot said George Weigel called the appointment is extremely significant for examining the Holy Father's heart for appointments in the US. Weigel said it is rumored that the Holy Father picked Archbishop Chaput himself rather than relying on the Congregation for Bishops' recommendations and sent the best bishop available to the very troubled Philadelphia archdiocese. Gregory said Chaput has a reputation as a great communicator with very strong leadership skills and who formulates the teachings of the Church in an accessible way. He has a similar charisma to that of Pope John Paul II. That charisma comes from speaking the truth in love. Weigel said: >With the appointment of Charles J. Chaput as archbishop of Philadelphia, the deep reform of the Catholic Church in the United States — the reform that is giving birth to Evangelical Catholicism even as it leaves the old post–Vatican II arguments fading into the rear-view mirror — has been accelerated. Susan said she is in favor of bishops standing up to preach the Gospel, which it seems is what Weigel means. Fr. Roger said John Paul II recognized that every part of the truth is part of the Good News and that the answer to every question is Jesus Christ. Chaput has a similar outlook. That type of boldness comes from a deep prayer life. During that retreat, he got together with Archbishop Chaput for breakfast and he asked him how his usual workday would go. Chaput gets up at 4:30 and prays, then works on various talks he needs to give. About 10am, he goes to his office and starts his meetings and other work for the archdiocese. He begins with prayer and that fuels all his other work. * [Archbishop Chaput talks to the "Denver Catholic Register" about his new appointment](http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/6469) **3rd segment:** This week, the Pilot has a story on the ordination of transitional deacon Eric Bennett at his home parish, St. Patrick, Natick. He is planning to be ordained to the priesthood next summer. Gregory said traditionally transitional deacons are traditionally ordained in January, about 4 months before priestly ordination. But Bennett is studying at the North American College in Rome, and it's normal for them to be ordained when they're home for the summer. He will be ordained with the rest of his classmates in 2012. He was recently featured in the Knights of Columbus magazine, "Columbia". He comes from a large, Catholic family. Susan said Deacon Bennett received a personalized homily from Cardinal Seán. He called Eric to be a "master of prayer, sharing the fruits of your contemplation with those entrusted to your pastoral care." She also noted a quote from his mother, who recalled during the moment when he lay prostrate before the altar that he used to lay on the floor as a toddler in a temper tantrum and how far he has come.  Fr. Roger was also a transitional deacon at the North American College in Rome. An advantage is that he could be a deacon for a papal Mass or other bishops in Rome. A disadvantage is that they don't get to serve in parishes every weekend like those in the seminary in the US. Fr. Roger knew Deacon Bennett his first few years in seminary. He admires his love for the priesthood and his docility. When Fr. Roger was at St. John's, he saw young men visiting the chapel in the mornings before their regular prayer time with everyone at the seminary and Bennett was among them. Scot noted that Fr. Kiely, Eric's pastor, said: "When I was watching the cardinal impose hands on Eric, I was thinking this is a great moment for him, but's also  terrific moment for the future of the Church in Boston." Eric also said he's receive wonderful support while in seminary. **4th segment:** Scot said earlier this week, Cardinal Joseph Zen visited the Pastoral Center and celebrated Mass. Gregory said he is the retired archbishop of Hong Kong. He's been touring the United States to visit Chinese Catholic communities. He also spread the word about the Church in China. On Monday, he gave an interview to the Pilot as well. He spoke at length about the situation of the Church in China. Gregory talked about the situation of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong and Macau as he experienced it after World Youth Day in Australia. The cardinal spoke about the illicit ordination of three bishops. The Communist Chinese government requires Christians to worship only in state-controlled associations, including the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which eschews any connections to the Vatican or the Pope. Many Catholics worship in illegal, underground churches, following only bishops appointed by the Pope, although the divisions are not hard and fast. Many priests and laypeople, and even bishops, are members of the patriotic association in public, and of the underground Church, in secret.  Recently, the association appointed three bishops without the Holy Father's approval. They were validly ordained by other bishops, but it was illicit because it was done without communion with the Pope. So the new bishops are successors of the apostles, but the Vatican said they are not leaders in the Catholic Church because of the illicit nature of the ordinations. * ["Vatican: Latest illicitly ordained Chinese bishop is excommunicated", CNS, 7/18/11](http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1102833.htm) It's almost unprecedented for the Chinese to take this step. In the past, the association would choose candidates for bishop and the Vatican would approve, but this time they did not ask the Vatican to approve. Fr. Roger said part of the Good Catholic Life is that every day is a day to pray for the Church in China. In other news, Scot said the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate did a study that found a decline of about 1,900 parishes in the past 15-20 years, resulting in larger parishes, more Masses, fewer priests, more languages at each parish, and more. Susan said the good news is that Catholic population is up, relying upon immigrants entering the Church in the US. * ["Report finds fewer priests celebrating more Masses at fewer parishes", CNS, 7/18/11](http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1102844.htm) * [The CARA study's website](http://emergingmodels.org/) * [CARA study press release and summary](http://cara.georgetown.edu/NewsandPress/PressReleases/PR071511.pdf) * ["The Changing Face of US Catholic PArishes"](http://www.emergingmodels.org/article.cfm?id=75) In the Archdiocese of Boston, about 40 percent of parishes don't have enough revenue to meet expenses, but that number across the US is about 30 percent. Gregory said he was interested to see that as a general trend Mass attendance has been declining since the 1960s, over the past decade that percentage has held steady. And as the population increases in the next decade, they see the total number of Catholics grow. Also the number of parishes in the US now is about equal to how many there were in 1968. Fr. Roger said he was happy to see this report done to help us with our pastoral planning. He said we have to confront the reality in the northeast that we don't have as much of a priest shortage as a parish surplus. He said a century ago, we thought ethnicity was more important than catholicity. We built parishes for every language group. Now, because of fewer priestly numbers, we need to consolidate those buildings. In the 1960s we had a baby boom of priests as well and we could build parishes for them to serve in, but now we need to consolidate those resources. He's compared his parish of St. Anthony in New Bedford to these average numbers in the report and he finds northeastern parishes fall very far short of the national numbers on realities such as parish revenues, weekly offertory, and parish staffs.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Gerry Dorgan, Pastor of St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in Danvers * [St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Danvers](http://stmarychurchdanvers.org/) * ["A day to celebrate Father Dorgan," Danvers Herald, 4/10/08](http://www.wickedlocal.com/danvers/news/lifestyle/religion/x1620715324#axzz1RRfpaqIU ) **Today's topics:** Pastor Profile: Fr. Gerry Dorgan **Summary of today's show:** Fr. Gerry Dorgan joins Scot and Fr. Mark to discuss his 53 years in the priesthood; his 20 years at St. Mary in Danvers; how he ended up teaching in the seminary after just 5 months as a priest; what makes a good homily (hint: not that's short!); and his love of art and art history. Also, this Sunday's Gospel from Mass. **1st segment:** Scot welcomed Fr. Mark back to the show. He asked how his summer is going at its halfway point. He is starting his vacation this weekend.  on today's program, one of Fr. Mark's former pastors, Fr. Jerry Dorgan, will be on the program today. Fr. Mark was at Fr. Dorgan's parish for two years before he was sent to Rome to study canon law. Fr. Mark will always remember how Fr. Dorgan gave him a good sendoff from the parish. Fr. Dorgan was also Fr. Mark's homiletics professor in the seminary. When Fr. Mark presented his first homily to the professor, Fr. Dorgan said it would be a very good children's homily. Unfortunately, Fr. Mark was not writing a children's homily. **2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Fr. Dorgan to the show. He is celebrating 53 years as a priest this year. He has been at St. Mary in Danvers since 1991 and was at the seminary before that. He began his priesthood at St. Margaret Mary in Westwood, but wasn't there long because he was suddenly drafted to Cardinal O'Connell Minor Seminary. He attended graduate school at night and studied English Literature and also taught American history. He was 24 years old, had been ordained for four months, and was suddenly teaching English and history. Fr. Dorgan graduated from St. John Prep at 16 and then attended Holy Cross College. He'd already been thinking about the priesthood and at the end of the year he transferred to the seminary. After ordination he taught at seminaries until being made pastor in 1991. Scot was surprised that Fr. Dorgan has had only three assignments in his priesthood, which is very unusual over such a long period. He also did a religious talk show on WBZ Radio. The year he was ordained, there were 61 in his class. St. Mary's in Danvers is a wonderful parish. They have about 100 people who come to daily Mass to the 7am and 9am Masses. Scot has heard that there is a tradition in the parish that after Sunday Mass, the people kneel after the final song and pray a prayer of thanksgiving. Fr. Mark also heard that the original St. Mary's Church was demolished during the construction of Route 128 and that it was a good thing because the old building in such bad shape. The new church was built by [Gray Architects](http://www.grayarchitects.net), who have built many beautiful churches in the area. In 1998, they built a parochial school. Fr. Dorgan said it is going very well. It is shared with St. Richard of Chichester Parish in Danvers. It was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph. There is a strong relationship with St. John's Prep. * [St. Mary of the Annunciation School](http://www.smadanvers.org/) * [St. John's Prep](http://www.stjohnsprep.org/) Having taught at the college seminary for many years (St. Clement's Seminary), he had taught many of the priests who serve in the Archdiocese today. Fr. Mark noted that Fr. Dorgan's collection of books took over many rooms at the seminary. Fr. Mark estimated that there were many more than 10,000 volumes. One day he told Fr. Dorgan about a favorite Wyeth painting in the Museum of Fine Arts. So Fr. Dorgan found a book with the image of the painting and gave it to Fr. Mark. He told him he'd been hoping to count down his collection and Fr. Mark said he would need to give away many more books to even make a dent. **3rd segment:** Fr. Dorgan taught homiletics in the seminary. He noted it's never been particularly noted as a strength in the Catholic Church. Scot asked him why it's not one of our strong suits compared to other Christian faiths. Fr. Dorgan said in Protestant churches the primary experience of Sunday worship is the homily while the Liturgy of the Eucharist is of equal importance to the Liturgy of the Word. He thinks it's important for the people to hear God's Word and to love and live it. Scot wonders if the problem is that laypeople encourage shorter homilies or if it's that priests are so busy during the week that they don't put as much preparation into it, especially if people aren't going to appreciate a long homily. Fr. Mark asked how helps a seminarian who is a terrible preacher. Fr. Dorgan said they often just need help determining what the message should be and how to deliver it. He believes that prayer is a key part of preparing a homily. Fr. Mark said Fr. Dorgan would not allow his students to have notes in front of them when preaching. Fr. Dorgan said a man would not read from a paper when on a date with his wife or girlfriend. Scot said he would certainly never do that if he wanted a second date. Fr. Dorgan said a Sunday homily should be 10-12 minutes. If it's well done it doesn't seem very long at all. During the week, he might speak for a minute or two.  Scot asked when you have such a diverse audience for the homily, how do you prepare for it to address everyone. Fr. Dorgan said that strictly speaking the Lectionary is the basis of the homily and so the priest studies the readings to determine what it means to him and to the situation of his parish. **4th segment:** Scot noted  that Fr. Dorgan also studied art history to teach it in the seminary as well. Fr. Dorgan said he thinks there's a tremendous potential in art history, particularly in Western art where so much of it is religious. He puts reproductions of fine art in his church to expose the congregation to beautiful religious art. A picture is worth 1,000 words. Art in Roman Catholicism is a tremendous part of our tradition. He was not himself an artist, but his family were lovers of art and he went to many art auctions as a child. He has a triptych of the [Annunciation](http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/the_cloisters/annunciation_triptych_merode_altarpiece_robert_campin/objectview.aspx?page=1&sort=6&sortdir=asc&keyword=annunciation&fp=1&dd1=7&dd2=0&vw=1&collID=7&OID=70010727&vT=1&hi=0&ov=0) in the Museum of Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is in the [Cloisters Museum](http://www.metmuseum.org/cloisters/) of the Metropolitan Museum. He is also a big fan of [Albrecht Durer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer). His favorite museum in the world is the Louvre in Paris. He loves [Chartres Cathedral](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral) outside of Paris. In Italy, Florence is his favorite place for art. When showing art, he prefers reproductions instead of slides. He prefers to be able to see the art in three dimensions as it was intended. There was a discussion of the sacred art in the churches of Boston, especially in churches that have closed. Most of the art has been preserved. Scot noted that Immaculate Conception in Newburyport and St. Mary in Dedham have beautiful art. They also agreed that the two parish in Charlestown and St. Mary in Melrose are also beautiful. Scot added that [St. Anthony of Padua in New Bedford](http://www.saintanthonynewbedford.com/images/virtualtour.html), where his brother is pastor, is the most beautiful church in the United States. The church was built to be the cathedral when the area become a diocese, but it was placed in Fall River instead. Scot said the [Cathedral in Covington, Kentucky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_the_Assumption,_Covington) has the largest stained glass window in the United States. **5th segment:** Now, as we do every week, we look forward to this coming Sunday's Mass readings to help us prepare to celebrate together. * [Gospel for Sunday, July 17, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 13:24-43)](http://www.usccb.org/nab/071711.shtml#gospel) >Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?  Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”'” > >He proposed another parable to them.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.  It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'” > >He spoke to them another parable.  “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” > >All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.  He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world. > >Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.  His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”  He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.  The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun  in the kingdom of their Father.  Whoever has ears ought to hear.” Fr. Dorgan recalls a professor telling him that great writers have one thing to say. The Bible is a big book and has one thing to say: I'll be with you. I'll be the one who'll be there with you. In exodus 3, the Lord says to Moses to go to Pharaoh to let his people go. The Lord says, "I'll be with you." He does about 130 funerals in his church each year and the people often choose the reading, "If God is with us, who can be against us." The good news is that we do not walk alone. Scot said God is sowing good seed, which is us. Even if we have a small seed of faith, God will make it grow. Mother Teresa going to Calcutta with millions of people in need. Look at the good she did for Calcutta and the entire Church. The weeds are those things in life which take us away from God, which distract us from him. Fr. Mark recalled Mother Teresa said that if you want to feed everyone in the world, start with one. The message of the mustard seed and the yeast is essentially the same. When Fr. Mark was ordained his uncle, Fr Dana Delaney, preached the homily. He said the yeast is the opposite of the bad apple. You plant the yeast and it makes everything grow, whereas one bad apple ruins the barrel. Scot said the last line is almost in-your-face because everyone has ears and so they are all called to hear. Fr. Mark notes that the owner of the field lets wheat and weeds grow together. We give the weeds a chance because they might be wheat in the end. God is patient with us and stays with us in difficult times.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Susan Abbott **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese * [The Anchor](http://www.anchornews.org) * [The Pilot](http://www.pilotcatholicnews.com) * Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. **Today's topics:** Cardinal Seán's Pastoral Letter on Evangelization, tornado in Springfield, new cause of canonization in Boston, US bishops on assisted suicide **A summary of today's show:**  **1st segment:** Scot welcomes Susan back to show. Susan said she's just back from the Sacred Hearts Retreat House in Wareham where she met with New England regional diocesan catechetical directors in a day of reflection. Scot said the Pastoral Center has been busy today because the convocation of the archdiocese's priests has been taking place nearby at Lombardo's in Randolph. Fr. James Moroney addressed them on the changes to the Roman Missal that are coming this Advent. Videos of recent workshops on the changes coming  to the Liturgy are available on the archdiocese's website. * [The New Roman Missal at BostonCatholic.org](http://www.bostoncatholic.org/newromanmissal.aspx) **2nd segment:** Scot begins by talking about the Cardinal's new pastoral letter called "The New Pentecost." He asked Fr. Landry to explain pastoral letters. It is meant to help Catholics to approach an issue from the perspective of the Catholic faith. It's a study by the author on a theme that he believes those to whom he's writing it need to react and respond to. This pastoral letter is a response of Cardinal Seán to starting in 1992, Pope John Paul II began calling for a New Evangelization of the Americas on the 500th anniversary of the discovery by European Christians. This calling to a new evangelization is meant to address those 83% of Catholics who don't regularly go to Mass very Sunday as well as those of the other 17% who have not let the Gospel fully impact their lives. Scot asked Gregory what he makes of the Cardinal releasing the document on Pentecost and linking evangelization to Pentecost. The Holy Spirit overshadowed the apostles, converting them from cowering in fear and calling them to go out and proclaim the Good News. We're also called to proclaim the Good News like the apostles did. * [Cardinal Seán's Pastoral Letter on Evangelization](http://www.BostonCatholic.org/Pastoral Letter) (Will be available on Friday, June 10) * ["Church must find more effective ways to evangelize, says pope" CNS, 5/31/11](http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20110531.htm) Susan said that she's this letter as being right up her alley in terms of using in catechesis, formation and religious education and see hiow it's applicable to her ministry. Scot said we're called to evangelize and spread the word to others. He asked Fr. Roger how important it is to make people understand this isn't just the mission of the priests or professional lay ecclesial ministers. Fr. Roger said if we're not bursting forth with the desire to share the Good News with others, we have to wonder if we've fully receive the Gospel and recognize what great news it is. Pope John Paul II said in the encyclical [Mission of the Redeemer](http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio_en.html) said 15 times that the work of evangelization is the work of all the disciples of the Lord. Jesus' two great verbs are to "come" to Him, but also to "go" out into the world. Scot said there are 11 sections to the Cardinal's letter. The first one states that Pentecost is the beginning of Evangelization. Then he talks about Catholics Come Home, evangelization as the start of each Catholic's ongoing conversion; evangelization as the primary mission of the Church; the meaning of evangelization; parishes as centers of evangelization; pastoral planning & evangelization; the new Roman Missal as an opportunity for evangelization; new Church movements and communities; immediate steps we can take to evangelize; and Blessed John Paul's oft-stated desire that all may know Jesus. **3rd segment:** Scot recalled the tornadoes in the Springfield diocese last week, the four deaths and more than 200 injuries. The diocese was hit very hard as well. Susan's counterpart, Sister Paul Robelard, said it was just terrifying. The chancery building wasn't damaged, but St. Michael's Resident, a home for retired priests and religious, was damaged. The chapel was ripped out of the middle of the building. The recently restored cathedral high school was also severely damaged. * [Massachusetts diocese seeks prayers, assistance during tornado recovery," The Pilot/CNS, 6/8/11](http://www.pilotcatholicnews.com/article.asp?ID=13429) There are many people still without homes and it will be a long time getting back on their feet. Scot said in the weeks prior to that was the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. His children, seeing the news, were very fearful and he assured them that we don't get tornadoes in Massachusetts, and now this happens. It left us all feeling vulnerable. Scot asked Gregory's take as a journalist. Gregory said as terrible as the devastation as the Missouri was, it didn't feel so close to home, but many of us know people in Springfield, and especially with those he works with in the diocese there. As important as reporting what happened is reporting the efforts that the diocese is making to assist those in need. Fr. Roger said people should pray. Bishop McDonnell has asked for prayers those who died in the storm, those who lost homes, those who were injured. These are our neighbors in both a literal sense and in a Gospel sense, so we could assist with monetary donations. But we also need to recall that our lives are a gift of God. It's easy to go about our lives and not recall that this could happen to us at any time. We need to be grateful to the Lord for every day he gives us. We need to respond, not with fear, but with gratitude and trust. Also, be ready, because at any time our death could come. Are we ready to face the Lord in our personal judgment? Bishop McDonnell said Catholic Charities is looking for help with immediate needs for household items, toiletries, baby supplies, and monetary donations. * ["Cause of canonization opens for Opus Dei priest," The Pilot, 6/7/11](http://www.pilotcatholicnews.com/article.asp?ID=13423) On June 2 at the Pastoral Center was the opening of the cause of canonization for Fr. Joseph Muzquiz, a priest of Opus Dei, who brought the movement to the United States. Fr. Roger knows Fr. Dave Kavanaugh, the promoter of the cause and priest of OPus Dei. He said Fr. Kavanaugh told him that Fr. Muzquiz was one of the first three Opus Dei priests ordained in Spain the 1940s. St. Josemaria Escriva had asked Fr. Muzquiz to bring Opus Dei to the US. They first went to Chicago and then came to Boston, coming here literally with nothing, trusting in God. Eventually, the movement has flowered in the United States with many beautiful facilities, chapels, and retreat centers. Fr. Muzquiz was known for his incredible peace and heroic virtue. He lived the real message of Opus Dei, to become holy in the midst of your ordinary activities. You don't have to be a martyr or travel to the end of the earth. He died on June 1, 1983.  In order to be canonized, you need two miracles, so they have printed up holy cards with prayers so that people can pray for their own needs and those they love. At this stage, he is called Servant of God and they will now investigate whether he lived the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love to a heroic degree.  Gregory said this is the first cause that he has experience with that has opened in Boston. The usual practice is that the cause opens in the diocese where the person died. He said though there were about 150 people present, many of whom knew Muzquiz personally, it was a highly canonical proceeding, with the reading of testimony and the signing of documents. There was a great sense of solemnity and it showed that the process of canonization is not just superfluous, but is very rigorous and much attention to detail is paid. Susan said she's only familiar with the archdiocese's connection to the cause for Blessed John Henry Newman, but that was an investigation of a miracle that occurred here, not the opening of the the cause and investigation. Scot said it was interesting to know about the formal roles in the process: the bishop of the diocese, the postulator of the cause (Fr. Kavanaugh), the episcopal delegate (Bishop Allué), the judicial vicar (Fr. Mark O'Connell), the promoter of justice (Fr. Rodney Kopp), and notaries (Fr. Michael Medas and Fr. Dan Harrington). Now the investigation will take testimony from many people and send that along with many other items of documentation to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican for consideration. They will investigate any possible miracle and perhaps make a recommendation to the Holy Father for beatification. Fr. Roger said those looking for miracles are encouraged to go to St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury to pray at the tomb of Fr. Muzquiz for that miracle. **4th segment:** In the Pilot this week is an obituary for Fr. Thomas Keane, former Air Foorce chaplain and Quincy pastor. In The Anchor this week are the obituaries of Fr. Luis Cardoso and Msgr. Edmund Levesque. Msgr Levesque is Fr. Roger's predecessor at St. Anthony's in New Bedford. When Fr. Levesque arrived in the parish in 1990, he decided to renovate the church, which is a massive church. Because he had no money, he did it himself, erecting scaffolding and washing and painting the ceilings, then sanding and repainting the pews. He started to raise money for the school by cooking the dinner at Bingo every week. He died at he was going up the steps of a church to celebrate Mass. Fr. Luis Cardoso was an immigrant from the Azores and spent his whole priesthood in Fall River ministering to Portuguese Catholics.  Also this week, both dioceses celebrated the 25th anniversaries of a number of priests. The Boston priests celebrated Mass together at the Pastoral Center on Wednesday. * List of Archdiocese of Boston priests celebrating their Silver Jubilee: * Fr. Russell Best, St. Patrick, Boston * Fr. James Butler, Senior Priest * Fr. Richard Cannon, St. John the Baptist, Quincy * Fr. Thomas Foley, Episcopal Vicar and Secretary for Parish Life and Leadership * Fr. David Michael, St. Joseph, Needham * Fr. William Minigan, St. Joseph, Malden * Fr. Gabriel Lormeus, St. Mary, Lynn * Fr. Janusz Chmielecki, OFM Conv., Our Lady of Czestochowa, Boston * Fr. Gerard McKeon, SJ, Boston College High School * Fr. Joseph O'Keefe, SJ, St. Mary Hall, Boston College * Fr. Jose Ruisanchez, Opus Dei * Fr. Kevin Sepe, St. Francis of Assisi, Braintree * Fr. Mark Mahoney, St. Rose of Lima, Topsfield * Fr. Albert Faretra, St. Joseph, Belmont * Fr. James Doran, OMV, St. Joseph Retreat House, Milton * List of Diocese of Fall River priests celebrating their Silver Jubilee: * Fr. David Andrade * Fr. Freddie Babiczuk, Jr. * Fr. Thomas Frechette * Fr. Maurice Gauvin Jr. * Fr. Timothy P. Reis Susan said she has worked closely with Fr. Foley and Fr. Mahoney in the central ministries and has worked with many of the other priests as well. Moving on to other news, Fr. Roger said the US bishops when they meet in Seattle next week will be discussing assisted suicide and will be giving us a document on it. In Massachusetts, there is a new movement to promote assisted suicide. It comes as Dr. Jack Kevorkian, advocate of assisted suicide and antagonist of the culture of life, has recently died. He said this will be short enough for most people to read and pass along. * ["Bishops' document on assisted suicide will be first by full conference," CNS, 6/2/11](http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1102179.htm) * ["Assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian dies at age 83," The Pilot/CNS, 6/8/11](http://www.pilotcatholicnews.com/article.asp?ID=13425) Gregory said The Pilot will have an article about Fr. Frank Pavone's recent visit to Hingham and will summarize his talks on the pro-life cause. Also, Fr. Tad Pacholczyk writes this week on the topic of brain death and how to approach the issue from a Catholic perspective. Susan said she's interested in the article in The Pilot on the workshop that was recently held in North Andover on the changes to the Roman Missal.  Scot points out the article in the Pilot on the status of the archdiocese's pastoral planning office. He said Msgr. Will Fay was on The Good Catholic Life yesterday to clarify some of the misreporting on pastoral planning in the media recently. The article has direct quotes from Fr. David Couterier from the archdiocese's pastoral planning office that echo Msgr. Fay's comments yesterday.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry, Fr. Matt Williams, and Fr. Mark O'Connell **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, president and founder of Ignatius Press * [Ignatius Press](http://www.ignatius.com) * [YouCat](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586175165/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pilo0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399701&creativeASIN=1586175165) * On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week, WQOM and the Station of the Cross network are holding their [2011 Spring Fund Drive](https://www.thestationofthecross.com/wqom-spring-fund-drive-2011.html). All donors over $30 will receive a Station of the Cross "Benefactor Card" and are eligible to win great daily and hourly prizes. Consequently, the recorded shows for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as heard on this site and downloaded through iTunes will not include the Spring Fund Drive segments as heard live as they aired. **Today's topics:** The new Catholic catechism called YouCat; the Mass readings for Sunday **A summary of today's show:** Fr. Joseph Fessio tells Scot and Fr. Matt about the origin of the new YouCat youth catechism, which is not a replacement for the universal Catechism, but a formulation addressing the particular concerns of the young in new ways. They also discuss Pope Benedict's very direct and surprising appeal to young people in the foreword to the YouCat. Finally, Scot and Fr. Mark discuss this Sunday's Mass readings. **1st segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. Mark back to the show. Scot said this is the 62nd broadcast of The Good Catholic Life. He said it's been fun to learn more about his faith, to meet a lot of new people, and to get to know his co-hosts better than he had. Fr. Mark said it's a blessing in his life as well. More and more people come up to him to say they've heard him on the radio. The other week a priest said to him, "I stole something from you that you said on the radio when you were on with Msgr. Connie McCrae." Fr. Mark thinks it's great. Scot thanks WQOM and all its benefactors for allowing him to broadcast The Good Catholic Life every day to the Boston area. Fr. Mark encouraged everyone to spread the good news of The Good Catholic Life, which is unique to Boston and it's always current. Fr. Mark said his parents gather on Fridays to listen faithfully and comment to him about the show. He said his mom corrected him when he referred to something his pastor, Fr. Sepe, cooked for him as slimy. She told him that everything Fr. Sepe cooks is good and he should apologize. Scot's mom also had a strong reaction to the show with Fr. Sepe. He grew up in St. Michael's Parish in Lowell, the same parish Scot grew up in, and Scot had expressed surprise at this because he hadn't known. Scot's mom called him to say, "How could you not Kevin Sepe from St. Michael's? We knew him growing up." **2nd segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. Matt Williams and Fr. Joseph Fessio to the show. Scot said the YouCat is a new initiative for youth, a catechism designed to be youth-friendly. He asked Fr. Fessio how it's different from other catechisms that are out there in the Church. Fr. Fessio said when the universal [Catechism of the Catholic Church](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385508190/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pilo0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0385508190) came out, the Holy Father, Bl. John Paul II, in his preface said that this was for the whole Church, but that there would have to be adaptations for different groups and different cultures and so on. This youth catechism is not only done for younger people, but also by younger people, collaborating in the effort. He was in Rome in April for the presentation to the Holy Father of the YouCat in 13 languages so far, and there was a reception that evening put on the Knights of Malta at their world headquarters. Cardinal Schönborn gave a description of how the catechism came about. One of the editors, a mother of six who's a well-known writer in Germany, and one of the young people who was involved were there with Cardinal Schönborn. The cardinal was appointed by Cardinal Ratzinger back in 1987 to help oversee the preparation of the universal Catechism, which came out in the early 90s. But there was felt a need to have something a little shorter with a question and answer format and so they produced later, the [Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1574557203/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pilo0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1574557203) and that was presented in Europe in 2005. Cardinal Schönborn was present for that release of the Compendium. At the press conference, a German publisher was there. A woman stood up in the audience and said to the cardinal that the Compendium is wonderful, but she wouldn't buy it for her young children because they can't understand it and she said they should create a catechism for young people. Cardinal Schönborn took that to heart and the German publisher, who was involved with a summer Catholic youth camp, asked if he could take the idea as a subject for the youth camp that summer. They brought in 50 young people--mainly high school and college age--and spent the whole week going over the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium, asking their questions and discussing things they needed to hear about. Then a team of writers--two theologians and two educators--got together for the draft of the new catechism. The next summer they had the same 50 kids back for another week, they went over the draft, took pictures, added elements to the sidebars, and that was what led to the YouCat. So back to what makes it different. While many catechisms are question-and-answer format, it has commentary--all based on the universal catechism--and sidebars with sayings of the saints, lots of graphics, a glossary of terms, and other supplementary materials. Plus the whole graphic layout is very attractive to young people.  The only problem they've found is that it's hard to get it into young people's hands, because the old people get it and start looking at it, they get excited about it, and they won't give it to their kids and are reading it themselves. Scot said that he found the quotes in the sidebars to be great. He's never seen a better reference yet. Mother Teresa, St. John Vianney, and various recent Popes. That in itself is tremendous to take into holy hours and pray one of the 527 questions as well as the sidebars and explanations. He asked how the language used is different from the universal catechism to make it more appealing to youth. Fr. Fessio wouldn't say it's dumbed down. After all, it's mainly a group of German kids working on this and they are pretty academically oriented, but it's simplified. It's readable, while challenging. In the preface, the Holy Father said it isn't going to be easy, that there are hard sayings here and complicated things to learn, but it is adapted as much as possible for younger people.  Scot said one of the neat parts he found were stick figures at the bottom and as you flip through the pages, they're animated like in a flipbook. The stick figure is in a journey and at the end he's walking with Jesus. Fr. Fessio said that's exactly it and on the last page he jumps out of the book. He's saying, now that we've learned our catechism let's go out and live it. Scot said that aspect alone will be appreciated by some of the youth and hopefully that it encourages them to flip through the pages far more frequently and just stick on a question, stay and read it, and then think about it.  **3rd segment:** Young people were very involved in the production of this book. How specifically did they influence what the final product turned out to be? Fr. Fessio said it's based on the four pillars of the Catechism: What we believe, how we worship, how we live, and how we pray. That was a parameter that was given by the nature of the Catechism. But they recognized certain areas--especially sexual morality--that they were particularly interested in and needed to know more about the Church's teaching. They took all the pictures and illustrated it. They picked out all the quotes, which they thought would speak to themselves and other about whatever topics were treated on those pages. That was their main contribution. They also told those writing the catechism when they didn't understand something and needed clarification.  Fr. Matt said that it takes into consideration the concerns of today's youth and young adults in a relevant way. He asked Fr. Fessio how he sees that playing itself out in YouCat, especially considering all the different cultures around the world it seeks to address. Fr. Fessio said that was part of the idea of this catechism. The central part, the Church's teachings, would be the same for all countries, but the sidebar quotes and graphics would be done by the young people of those countries and there was a lot of leeway. Interestingly enough, what people found was that in no country--22 so far--did they want to make any substantial changes to the sidebar quotes and commentary. He thinks the Internet has changed our culture in such a way that there is a youth culture that is pretty common around the globe for kids who are pretty well-educated. From that point of view, it doesn't need too much of the adaptation that was planned for it, although it's always possible to do that. In India, they are very excited about it. When Fr. Fessio suggested they get some native Indian youths to participate in inculturating the catechism, they said it wasn't necessary, that they're using to seeing these things. They didn't want to change.  Secondly, it's not a book to read from cover to cover. It's more of a reference book and a guide. In fact, Ignatius even did a binding so it looks like a guidebook. They are in the process now of working with [Ascension Press](http://www.ascensionpress.com/shop/Scripts/default.asp) to prepare a confirmation program that would use this YouCat as the central reference for it. He's told that's one area of catechesis that's weak in this country, that is the standard preparation for confirmation.  As for young adults, they heard youth ministers say they wanted to prepare a guidebook for their use so that when they meet with young people, they can use YouCat with them. But then Midwest Theological Forum has received requests to prepare a marriage preparation course based on YouCat because a lot of the couples who come in to get married are fairly uncatechized. This can draw them into greater interest in the Church's teaching. Fr. Matt said it does feel like a guide, tremendous resources being able to direct you the saints and other sources. He said he's heard how Ignatius Press is looking to using social media to make this more available to young people. The average young people is engaged in some form of media about eight hours a day. What plans are there to use this in social media? Fr. Fessio said the Italians have put together apps for iPhone and Android--available very soon--that will give one question per day and the answer. They're also going to create Facebook page and other social networking sites where young people can talk about their faith. They're also planning to help train young people to catechize their peers using YouCat. Fr. Fessio thinks this will be a major focal point of catechetics for the next decade or so. **4th segment:** Scot wanted Fr. Fessio's perspective on the Holy Father's powerful foreword to the YouCat. It's one of the more direct pieces that the Holy Father has written in recent years. One of his quotes: >You need to know what you believe. You need to know your faith with that same precision with which an IT specialist knows the inner workings of a computer. You need to understand it like a good musician knows the piece he is playing. Yes, you need to be more deeply rooted in the faith than the generation of your parents so that you can engage the challenges and temptations of this time with strength and determination. Two very powerful analogies, but Scot was struck by his directness about knowing their faith better than their parents. He asked if Fr. Fessio was surprised by this directness? Fr. Fessio said he's never surprised by the Holy Father because he knows he's going to be surprising. He wants to make a slight correction: The Holy Father is very careful. Scot summarized by saying that kids should know more than their parents, but what the Holy Father says they need to be more deeply rooted in their faith than *the generation* of their parents. He's not saying that their parents aren't catechized but gently saying the generation isn't catechized. It's typical of him to have a delicacy or courtesy in the way he expresses these things. He gets the point across but the "iron fist has a velvet glove." Scot said it seems like tougher talk than most poeple expect from the Holy Father, directly challenging the young people to study their faith, in this foreword. Scot hoped that the bold challenge from their father in faith, the Holy Father, will motivate young people to want to pick this up. They probably have not heard this Holy Father challenge them that directly. Fr. Fessio said he was almost shocked too when he read this preface. Another quote: >Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. Make a sacrifice of your time for it! Study it in the quiet of your room; read it with a friend; form study groups and networks; share with each other on the Internet. By all means continue to talk with each other about your faith. That's very direct! Why did he do that? Fr. Fessio said it's the kind of person he is. Years ago, Fr. Fessio was a student along with then-Fr. Schönborn of then-Fr. Ratzinger at Regensburg, Germany, and that's where Ratzinger met Schönborn and recognized Schönborn's talent and what led to Schönborn becoming a bishop and then being appointed by Ratzinger to be in charge of the catechism itself. They've had a close relationship. Cardinal Schönborn said when he went to the Holy Father with this idea that the woman had proposed , the Holy Father was almost ecstatic and that it was exactly what was needed. He got behind it right from the beginning and put his whole weight behind it. Scot said another quote that stood out to him was: >This Catechism was not written to please you. It will not make life easy for you, because it demands of you a new life. It places before you the Gospel message as the “pearl of great value” (Mt 13:46) for which you must give everything. So I beg you: Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. It's not written to please the young people. It's a gift to them, that gives them the teachings of the Church and through that come to understand what our destiny is in God's love. Fr. Fessio said we've had two great Holy Fathers in a row and both of them have not been afraid to challenge people. We're blessed to when we see the difficulties and evils in the Church in our time to have two leaders like this, both great intellects that are able to touch people's hearts and able to engage people of all different ages and cultures. Fr. Matt said as one working in youth and young adult ministry in a diocese, you see their passion and love for young people and how they see them as the protagonists of the new evangelization and they express such great hope in them. Quoting Pope Benedict again: >Many people say to me: The youth of today are not interested in this. I disagree, and I am certain that I am right. The youth of today are not as superficial as some think. They want to know what life is really all about. A detective story is exciting because it draws us into the destiny of other men, a destiny that could be ours. This book is exciting because it speaks of our own destiny and so deeply engages every one of us. So I invite you: Study this Catechism!  Even at the end where he talks about the prophet Jeremiah and encourages them to see and understand their place in the Church and not to say that they're too young, but they have an important role in the life of the Church now; not to underestimate themselves.  Fr. Fessio said both of these popes have had great gifts of intellect and expression. When he speaks you want to listen and you want to go and do what he tells you to do. Scot said the lead-up to the publication of the YouCat was much more understated than the release of the Catechism in the early 90s and even the Compendium after that. Is the word just getting out? Did we want to tie the launch of this to World Youth Day and that's one of the reasons we maty not have heard as much about it as we will? Fr. Fessio said it's a good question and he doesn't know the answer to it. He knows that when Ignatius was asked to be the English-language publisher, he was interested but they thought it was just going to be another catechism for young people. But when they got the German original, with all the graphics and layout, they all got excited about it. The word has come out only because people have gotten to know what it really is and as they see, it's not just another book and another catechism, but something amazing. People are getting excited about it. Ignatius was cautious about it. They only printed 15,000 copies in the first printing, and sold them out in the first week. They did another printing of 10,000 and sold those out. They're printing 20,000 more now. It's catching on. Scot asked Fr. Fessio if there's anything else about the YouCat that listeners should know. He said go to [Ignatius.com](http://www.Ignatius.com) to get it online. **5th segment:** Scot returns with Fr. Mark to discuss the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday. The readings for this week are for the 7th Sunday of Easter. Some parishes in the listening audience will be celebrating the Feast of the Ascension, which was moved from last Thursday in some dioceses. * [First Reading for June 5, Seventh Sunday of Easter (Acts 1:12-14)](http://www.usccb.org/nab/060511c.shtml#reading1) >After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. > >When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. * [Gospel for June 5, Seventh Sunday of Easter (John 17:1-11a)](http://www.usccb.org/nab/060511c.shtml#gospel) >Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. > >“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.” Scot said a unifying aspect of these readings is that they're about prayers. When the Apostles return to the upper room, they pray, surrounding the Blessed Mother. Then we read in the Gospel that Jesus Himself prays for each of us. If Jesus prays and the Blessed Mother prays and the Apostles pray together, then it makes Scot want to evaluate how often he prays. He tries to pray every day, but does he make it a central part of his day. It should always be a central part of his day. Fr. Mark said this is a particularly important moment in the Church year. The time between the Ascension and Pentecost. That's when we pray specifically for the coming of the Holy Spirit in a new way in our life. The Apostles and Mary were in that room. They were still troubled--even though they'd seen the Risen Lord and had seen the Ascension. Soon Pentecost comes and the Holy Spirit comes and it relieves that trouble. God begins to work new things in their lives and that happens to us too. Scot said the Gospel readings call us to a deep sense of prayer, not just where we go by a church and sit by the Blessed Sacrament or kneel beside our bed and just ask God for things. The kind of prayer talked about here can involve that, but it involves a really deep relationship, a deep friendship, a deep communion with Jesus. As we saw the Apostles, those who were his friends, they surrounded the Blessed Mother and through her intercession and maternal care, their prayers were deepened because the Blessed Mother helps us know her son.  Fr. Mark said it's also a deep discerning prayer. We discern with the Blessed Mother helping us, she intercedes for us. We can go to her for help in discerning where God is calling us. Where are we being asked to go with our life in the Holy Spirit. Scot said the Church universal should be praying that we all receive--collectively and individually--gifts of the Holy Spirit to be more effective at what God calls us to be. We're called to similar things: to share our faith with others, to live our faith the best we can every day. We're also called in a particular to be the best we can be with the blessings and talents God has given to us. Sometimes we're not fully aware how our talents can serve the Church more effectively, our families, our friends, our communities. Praying for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to understand how to utilize our gifts and if we're called to a specific ministry to be gifted even more to carry out that ministry. That's what we should be praying for as we come to Pentecost next Sunday. Fr. Mark said this Gospel gives us what it's all about too. That prayer, that hard work of doing Jesus' will, is about being glorified as Jesus was glorified. There's a beautiful reflection that Jesus gives us about being glorified by the Father. C.S. Lewis wrote a very good essay called ["The Weight of Glory"](http://www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf) in which he tells us the end result is to be child-like in front of God, basking in God's praise. That is the result in that we can meet God face to face in heaven and God is pleased with us because of our good work. He says, "Come in my good and faithful servant." That's what glory is all about. That's why we work and why we pray: to be glorified as Jesus was glorified by the Father. Scot has heard some priests relate that people say, "Father, I'd really like to pray more. I just don't have time." And the priests then ask them how TV they watch, how much of the newspaper do they read. We can always make a decision to spend more time with God. 99.9% of us can find more time for prayer. Through the wisdom in prayer and the communion with our Lord, whatever problems we face, he'll help carry the burdens with us.  We focus everyone listening to the show to focus more on prayer this week. Fr. Mark added that you don't start off as a mystic when you want to pray. You start off as a person who struggles with 10 minutes. So give God 10 minutes.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Kevin Sepe, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi parish in Braintree * [St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Braintree](http://www.sfab.org/) * [Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda](http://www.catholicbermuda.org/) **Today's topics:** Fr. Kevin Sepe shares his path to the priesthood, the wonderful community at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Braintree, how the clergy personnel board assigns priests, and what does a vicar forane do? **1st segment:** Scot welcome Fr. Mark back to the show and Fr. Mark says he was in Bermuda this past week. Boston has been appointed by the Vatican for many years as the tribunal for the Catholic Church in Bermuda and Fr. Mark made a pastoral visit with the priests on the island. He also spoke to laypeople on the topic of annulments. He said Bermuda is at the same latitude as North Carolina and only two hours by plane. Scot was at St. Michael's in Andover, the largest parish in the Archdiocese, for a vicariate meeting on the work of Catholic media. Also tomorrow is the priestly ordination for six men in the Archdiocese of Boston, at the Holy Cross Cathedral at 9am. Fr. Mark taught them canon law in the seminary and said they are a very fine group. They will receive their assignments tonight from Cardinal Sean. Fr. Mark resides at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Braintree, where the pastor is today's guest, Fr. Kevin Sepe. **2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Mark welcome Fr. Sepe to the show. He is also pastor of the geographic region in which the Pastoral Center resides. The first day the Pastoral Center was open, Fr. Sepe brought collection envelopes to the Chancellor. Fr. Sepe grew up in St. Michael's in Lowell and attended high school. In 1977 there was a graduating class of 17 men, 3 of whom are now pastors in the archdiocese. They never discussed the seminary in high school, but they all came to the seminary later. He believes its the foundations they received from the priests in the parish. Scot said he was stunned to learn that Fr. Kevin grew up in  the same parish Scot grew up in. When Fr. Kevin was in high school, he admired the headmaster of St. Michael's school, who was also his Latin teacher. One day at the end of school, the priest asked him, "Sepe, did you ever think of the priesthood?" He said, "No", and the priest replied, "Start." Fr. Kevin said that seed developed and grew and he couldn't escape it. It wasn't in his brain, so much as his heart. After that, he talked to a parish priest who recommended he talked to someone at the seminary who offered a weekend retreat for college-age men. While he was a little rambunctious on the weekend, it was a foundation. Fr. Kevin's father was a classic WWII vet and while he had a profound faith, he was no theologian. To have a son as a priest was an honor. His mother was a registered nurse and had worked in a psychiatric hospital and seen many difficulties in people's lives so she wanted to make sure he would be happy. Scot said Fr. Kevin is celebrating 25 years in the priesthood this year. His experience is far different from the day of his ordination. At the time, you couldn't expect to be pastor for 25 years, but that quickly changed. His first assignment was St. Joseph, Quincy, where had a wonderful five years with the pastor and a parish school in a city. He stayed friends with the pastor afterward. After that assignment he went to Middleboro and learned how large the archdiocese is. The parish itself is 75 square mile and is the southernmost part of the archdiocese. On a communion call one time he got lost on the back roads and it took him all day to get back home. After that assignment, he was at St. Mary in Randolph with Fr. Richard Harrington. Fr. Kevin has been a pastor for 14 years this coming August. He remembers being on a board that investigated making rectories separate from the church's offices, which has turned out to be a good respite for many priests to enable them to have a place of prayer apart from the work place. It's a relief to leave the office, come home, and rest and have a prayerful place. At St. Francis, the rectory has the parish offices in the building, but there's a clear separation. It's a former convent and it had a cloistered area built into the architecture. **3rd segment:** Scot said St. Francis is known as a busy parish. He said they have a parochial school with 360 students and they provide them with a Mass once per month and he's in the school regularly. Their religious education program has 700 students. They have an active sacramental life, they have about 100 funerals per year and about 120 baptisms. With the school, there is an access to a percentage of parents you would not normally connect with during the week. About 50% of the students live within Braintree and the rest are commuters from other parishes or other towns. Fr. Mark said there is a lot of charitable activity in the parish. There is an active St. Vincent de Paul Society. On Thursdays, there is a food pantry day serving a number of people in the parish. They have a monthly canned food drive to stock the pantry. There is also an agreement with [Panera Bread](http://www.panerabread.com/) where they receive the day-old bread that would normally be thrown away. It allows them to give baked goods to families who not have access to them. They help on the average of about 60 to 120 families and that number has increased in recent years, as well as requests for assistance with rent, fuel, and clothing. The parish has an annual giving tree at Christmas where parishioners supply gifts for specific children. Fr. Mark said they also help parishes overseas. Each week 10% of the parish's offertory is sent to organizations locally and globally. The parish is involved with the [SMA Fathers](http://www.smafathers.org/), where they host a priest for 2 months from Africa, giving them a respite from the missionary labors. At the end of their stay, there is a collection from parishioners. Last year, the provided a roof and a generator for a parish in Northern Nigeria and even a motorcycle for the catechists to reach remote parishioners. After Hurricane Katrina, the parish collected $60,000 for relief efforts to the people of the Gulf region. The parishioners are very aware of their need to give of their time, talent, and treasure. Fr. MArk said this comes from the leadership of a priest like Fr. Sepe who models the behavior and encourages. Scot said the numbers of kids involved in religious ed and the school makes it sound like it's a very young parish. What works to bring them to the parish? Fr. Kevin said they have a weekly family Mass on Sunday at 9am and encourage families to bring them. The kids come up to sit near the altar during the homily and  the homily is geared to the children. At baptisms, they make them prayerful liturgies and they encourage parents to bring the kids even if they make noise. It's how the kids become comfortable in the church. They also have religious education meeting on a Sunday in order to invite them to the 9am Mass and the 10:30 Mass. They do their First Communions at their Sunday Masses, small groups at every Mass over two weekends. It reminds them of the importance of coming to Mass as a family. He wants to draw them back to the Church on Sundays. They have a unique ministry called the prayer shawl ministry. Fr. Kevin said there are many women who gather to pray as they crochet or knit. They do it in silence as they listen to meditative music and pray for people. They then give the shawls to the homebound or people in hospice or to expectant mothers who know they are connected to a parish that cares for them. **4th segment:** Fr. Kevin is also a vicar forane and serves on the clergy personnel board and is a fire and police chaplain. Scot asked Fr. Kevin how Cardinal Sean assigns a priest. For the newly ordained, they are interviewed by the board. They are asked questions and the board gets to know them, their talents, and more mundane matters like allergies to pets or the like. Whether they'd like to be near a school or in a city or if they need to be assigned near a relative who needs their care. Also, their language abilities. Meanwhile, the board has prepared a list of parishes that would be suitable assignments for new priests. Their first assignment is only 3 years. They might become pastors in only 8 years, but recently one priest was made a pastor after his first assignment. They want the priest to be able to learn quickly how to become a pastor. They're thinking of making them only two year assignments. When a pastorate opens, a priest can submit his name for a particular parish. Or one of his friends can nominate him. Or his name can be generated by members of the clergy personnel board. They look at the statistics of the parish: demographics, financials, and the ministerial staffing. They then look at the list of the priests of the archdiocese, their current assignments, and when they were ordained and maybe find a name of a parochial vicar who might be a good fit. They come up with a slate of three names recommended to the Cardinal. they put them in order of who they believe would best fit. Fr. Kevin has been on the board for 6 or 7 years. Today, they consider assignments with pastoral planning in mind and they consider not just the parish, but the whole region and the whole archdiocese. They now use GPS and mapping technology to show the locations of parishes around the open pastorate and see, for example, priests who are close to retirement in nearby parishes and thus affect who they will assign in the currently open assignment. The slate of candidates goes to the cardinal and he can choose one of the names or he can choose anyone he wants. The cardinal usually runs the list by several other priests as well. But he typically goes with the recommendation even if he changes the order of the priests on the list. Fr. Michael Medas of the Clergy Personnel Office calls the priest and meets with him to talk about the parish and to encourage him to accept the assignment. A new wrinkle is that pastors are now being asked to be pastors of more than one parish at a time. They've asked pastors of nearby parishes to take on neighboring parishes as well. Scot said the Archdiocese is divided in 5 regions and each region is divided in vicariates, sub-regions. The vicar forane helps the Cardinal in administering the vicariate. He hosts meetings of the pastors and allows for an avenue of communication from the archbishop to the priests and back. As vicar forane he coordinates that communication. At a vicariate meeting today they had the vicariate's representative the presbyteral council give a report on the recent meeting of the council. The priests give their feedback to the representative and then he brings it back to the cardinal and the council. The vicariate meets about every 4-6 weeks. Fr. Kevin tries to schedule them for just after the presbyteral council meetings. Fr. Mark said the Church works with principle of subsidiarity, pushing all activity to the lowest level applicable. **5th segment:** We look at this coming Sunday's Gospel as we do every Friday. * [Gospel for Sunday, May 22 (John 14:1-12)](http://usccb.org/nab/052211.shtml#gospel) >Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? > >And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” > >Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'? > >Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” Fr. Kevin said many priests would select this Gospel for a funeral Mass. He dwells on the Lord saying, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places." What does he mean? Is this like a giant house at the beach. Scot said his kids are at the stage of asking him what heaven will be like and he tells them we cannot know, but that it will be greater than we can imagine. Fr. Kevin tells them to dream and imagine what they would like to be there. He recalled the graveside ceremony prayer: "Inflame in our hearts a desire for heaven." What does it mean for heaven to be like a banquet? It's a giant feast that we never have t o get up from, we're never full and we move from table to table to be with one another. Scot notes Jesus's response to Philip, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?" He imagines what Jesus might say to himself: Have I been with you in prayer and in Mass and in the people you love, do you still not know Me? We have to make sure to be aware of the ways in which Jesus is present to us every day. Fr. Mark notes that in John's Gospel that Philip is often portrayed as not having a clue and always needs a little reassurance and yet does great things in his life later on. Scot said to imagine being Philip, and how confused Philip must have been to hear these teachings for the first time without the benefit of two thousand years of trinitarian theology to help him. Fr. Mark likes to have a role model in Philip who needs some help and may not be the best student. That will conclude today's presentation of The Good Catholic Life. On Monday, Michael Miller from the Acton Institute and Andreas Widmer from the Seven Fund will talk about entrepreneurial solutions to poverty and on Tuesday, Fr. Robert Reed of CatholicTV will be on the show to tell us about all their great programming. For recordings and photos of today's show and all previous shows, please visit our website: TheGoodCatholicLife.com. You can also download the app for your iPhone or Android device at WQOM.org to listen to the show wherever you may be. We thank our guest, Father Kevin Sepe. For our co-host, Father Mark O'Connell, our Production team of Rick Heil, Anna Johnson, Justin Bell, Dom Bettinelli, and George Martell, this is Scot Landry saying thank YOU for listening, God bless you and have a wonderful evening!

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Wayne Belschner, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, East Boston * [Sacred Heart Parish, East Boston](http://www.rc.net/boston/sacredhearteast/) * [East Boston Central Catholic High School](http://www.ebccs.org/) **Today's topics:** Fr. Wayne Belschner's vocation story and the unique pastoral situation of Sacred Heart Parish, East Boston **A summary of today's show:** Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Wayne Belschner to discuss his journey to the priesthood, his seminary years in Rome, his first assignment in Woburn, and his present parish of Sacred Heart in East Boston, where he serves an ethnically diverse parish that comes together as one Catholic family. **1st segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. Chris O'Connor back to the show. This Saturday 5 men are preparing for ordination to the priesthood as well as a brother with the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance. This week they are on retreat at the retreat house in Milton run by the Oblate Fathers. The ordination on Saturday is at 9am. It's a busy time for the men and the Mass itself is 3 hours long. After, they will have a reception with family and friends where they offer their first priestly blessings. On Sunday, they have their first Mass celebrated throughout the diocese, typically in their home parishes. They will have a week off, but will typically return to the parishes they served as seminarians and celebrate Mass there. Usually during the month of July, Cardinal Sean's blog includes the new priests writing their stories. At their first Mass, the new priests typically ask another priest to preach the homily. It's usually a spiritual director or another priest who was instrumental in their vocation. This week's [Pilot](http://www.pilotcatholicnews.com) will have profiles of each of the men and [CatholicTV](http://www.catholictv.com) will show the Mass live. Everyone is welcome to the cathedral for the Mass. **2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Wayne Belschner to the show. Fr. Wayne was the youngest of 11 children in his family. He one sister and 9 brothers. They lived in a small house with just 4 bedrooms for everyone. They all ate dinner at one table and this was family time where everyone shared their day. His whole family remains extremely close. Having nine brothers prepared him well for the fraternity of the priesthood. His parish growing up was St. Mary of the Assumption in Revere. His parish priest was an example and a mentor that had a tremendous impact on his vocation. He first had thoughts about a priestly vocation as a sophomore in high school. His pastor, Fr. Mahoney, took ill and he spent a lot of time helping him and saw how remarkable he was in how he worked in his ministry. He was a gentle person, but his example affected his life deeply. Fr. Mahoney's recommendation for his entrance into seminary was received on the day that Fr. Mahoney's funeral was celebrated. When Fr. Wayne first asked him for a letter of recommendation, Fr. Mahoney tore it up and said he would only sign it if he knew Fr. Wayne was not being pressured to enter the seminary. He studied for a time in Rome at the North American College. During the four years of college seminary, there 70-80 men there in the late 80's and early 90's. And as he was finishing, he was asked to go to Rome for the NAC. He made some close relationships with friends in Italy that he remains in touch with. His mother was Italian and she was very proud that her son was becoming a priest. His father was like Fr. Mahoney who wanted to be sure he was doing this not to prove something, but because it was what he really wanted. His parents came over to Rome to visit, which was their first trip overseas. His parents were very supportive. A highlight of studying in Rome was meeting Bl. John Paul II. They had many opportunities to go over for Mass with him and he served Mass with him in his private chapel. The classes, as well, showed him the universality of the Church. There were religious and lay people in the college. He studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Some of the professors were in fact many of the experts at Vatican II, who wrote some of the documents of the council. Fr. Wayne was ordained 16 years this week. His class of priests was 21 men, 18 from St. John's. The cathedral was completely silent as their names were called and as they approached the altar. It's an awesome feeling. They got an understanding of being part of something bigger. The priest who was supposed to preach at his Mass became ill and he had someone come in at the last minute. Like Fr. Chris, he remembers being so nervous. His mother said her favorite part of the Mass was the end when the deacon gave the dismissal because it was the first time in public they'd ever seen anyone get the last word over Fr. Wayne. **3rd segment:** In the past 16 years, he's had two assignments. His first assignment was at St. Charles Borromeo in Woburn, where he had two different pastors. After his first term of five years was up, he got two one-year extensions. He was going to go to work with the Military Archdiocese, but that fell through and he stayed for an eighth year. The parish was thriving and it seemed the lives of the people were centered on the church. The community allowed the church to be very active in the community and they valued the input of the church. Leaving after his eighth year was the most difficult transition for him. Then he went to Sacred Heart Parish in East Boston. He went to check out the parish ahead of time in street clothes and he tried to go into the church during First Communion practice and was literally pushed out the door by the religious education director. That was his introduction to his new parish. St. Charles in Woburn is known for producing many vocations, to the priesthood and religious life. Fr. Hank Garrity was a pastor there and was very strong working with the youth in the city and promoted vocations. The city is a very close-knit community that values faith and the input of the church. All of that is a recipe for vocations. It is a vocations factory. He learned by example also from a pastor, Fr. Paul Sughrue, on how to be a pastor. When the abuse scandal broke, Fr. Sughrue was proactive and provided good leadership. Fr. Timothy Shea came in and continued the momentum of the parish looking forward. He was very good at shoring up the finances of the parish, paying all of the parish's debts and the school was operating in the black as well with a full enrollment. His favorite part of being a priest is the opportunity to say Mass every day. It is at the table that families and friends exchange the intimate moments of our life and at God's table we share our moments, but also God's intimate moments. The Mass fuels everything that takes place. At his deacon assignment there was a sign over the chapel door: "This is the most important thing you will do all day." One of his favorite saints is St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei. His spirituality was that you find God in the ordinary moments of the day, being with ordinary people. And then you come to the Mass you see that this is the most extraordinary thing that you'll be doing. He likes the movie "There Be Dragons" and it presents both the man and the message in a positive way. **4th segment:** Fr. Wayne describes Sacred Heart as unique and very diverse. Their weekend Masses are celebrated in English, Italian, and Vietnamese. When the parishes closing around them, they started to absorb different ethnic groups and they were intent on being one parish, not three different parishes. All holy day Masses are celebrated trilingually and they incorporate all the groups into the liturgies. This was done with very little effort. The people were very accommodating. In East Boston, they are characterized by their understanding of family. When someone comes to the door, they are brought right in to the table and they are the same way at church. When Fr. Wayne was in Woburn, he found it too quiet, but when he got to East Boston, he found the planes flying so low over the house, he heard the stewardesses telling *him* to sit down. But what he finds the most difficult part of being pastor is the language barrier with the Vietnamese community. He feels he could be doing more to minister to the elderly Vietnamese community. They have priests who come in on the weekend for Masses, but they have difficulty ministering and reaching out during the weekend. He has been learning Vietnamese from the young people in the parish, and he's trying to learn the prayers of the Mass in that language. He finds the community to be quite stable. Even though people may move out of the city, they come back to the parish for Mass on Sunday with their parents or grandparents. They may live in Saugus or Lynn or Randolph, but they come back for Mass. This is true for both the Italian and Vietnamese communities. The Vietnamese community has many activities for the whole group from about 1pm until 8pm at night. Fr. Chris notes that the communities all have their own special traditions that continue to live on, whether Italian or Portuguese or Vietnamese. Fr. Chris celebrates Masses on the weekends and the community has embraced him. It is very welcoming. In their diversity, there is a unity. Scot asked what lessons Fr. Wayne has learned about bringing together merging parish communities. Fr. Wayne said East Boston at one time had 9 parishes, 11 worship sites (including the Madonna shrine and the airport chapel) and 7 schools. But the demographics changed and some of the churches could not be maintained. People were tied to and identified with their parish. But the people of Sacred Heart were ready to welcome others from outside. Out of the 7 schools, four pastors closed their schools and opened East Boston Central Catholic School in 1972, one of the first regional consolidated schools in the archdiocese. When Star of the Sea school closed, the parents from that school were invited over the next day. They didn't join the school. They became part of the family as one group together. They also recognize that they don't have all the answers. They are open to having a dialogue. The spiritual life of Sacred Heart took off when they welcomed these other communities in. **5th segment:** In his spare time, Fr. Wayne is studying for a doctorate in church history, as if he doesn't have enough to do. He's studying at Boston College School of Ministry. He received a Licentiate degree (STL) (which is the ecclesiastical academic degree equivalent of being halfway between a Master's and Doctorate). He has now moved on to the doctoral thesis stage. Scot said the history of the Church in East Boston must be amazing. So many of the ethnic parishes in the archdiocese have been closed because they were no longer needed for the original purpose of ministering to people of a particular language because people now spoke English or have moved out to the suburbs. In East Boston, there were two parishes across the street from each other. Fr. Wayne said ethnic parishes were established with an eye toward the own closure when they had helped the immigrant assimilate into the wider Catholic community. Instead, the national parishes become closely identified with the people. In East Boston, there were Spanish, French, Italian, Irish parishes. Over time, those groups moved on and other parishes moved in who didn't need the Mass in those languages. That will conclude today's presentation of The Good Catholic Life. For recordings and photos of today's show and all previous shows, please visit our website: TheGoodCatholicLife.com. You can also download the app for your iPhone or Android device at WQOM.org to listen to the show wherever you may be. We thank our guest, Father Wayne Belschner. For our co-host, Father Chris O'Connor, our Production team of Rick Heil, Anna Johnson, Justin Bell, Dom Bettinelli, and George Martell, this is Scot Landry saying thank YOU for listening, God bless you and have a wonderful evening!

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell**Today's guest(s):** Msgr. Cornelius McRae, currently Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Norwood* ["Norwood pastor going back to Rome" (The Pilot, 4/15/11)](http://pilotcatholicnews.com/article.asp?ID=13233)* [Casa Santa Maria](http://www.pnac.org/casa-santa-maria/about-casa-santa-maria/)* [St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Norwood](http://www.stcatherinenorwood.org/)**Today's topics:** Msgr. Connie McRae's reflections on 50 years in the priesthood, his current pastorate, and his impending return to ministry in Rome**1st segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. Mark O'Connell back the program. Last Friday, Fr. Mark was at the cathedral with Cardinal Sean for Good Friday. Fr. Mark said he is looking forward to seeing the beatification of Pope John Paul II this weekend.Msgr. McRae, our guest, was a spiritual director for Scot when Scot was a seminarian for a year at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Fr. Mark said Msgr.McRae was a close friend of Fr. Mark's uncle, Fr. David Delaney. They owned a house together with two other priests many years ago. When Fr. Mark was in Rome for four years, he lived at Casa Santa Maria, where Msgr. McRae will be serving starting in June. Those four years coincided with Msgr. McRae's previous years in Rome.**2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Mark welcome Msgr. McRae. He recalls the wonderful days he shared in Rome with Scot and Fr. Mark and he's not unhappy with the idea of returning to Rome. Msgr. McRae remebers Fr. Mark as a toddler visiting his uncle's house at the beach. He also remembers Fr. Mark's first day in Rome. He just came off the plane and was very nervous, saying that he wasn't going to venture out the door into Rome.Scot said the Casa Santa Maria is in the heart of Rome, right near the Trevi Fountain. He asked Fr. Mark how much of an affect these four priests he knew as a child on his vocation. He remembers that they were happy in their lives and that their house was a joyful house and that had an influence this summer.This summer will mark 50 years as a priest for Msgr. McRae. The last 11 have been spent at St. Catherine of Siena in Norwood, one of the largest and busiest in the archdiocese. Msgr. said it is a parish that welcomes priests. They've had a number of priest gatherings throughout the year. He said  the parish is unique and is about 120 years old. The church building celebrated its 100th anniversary this past Christmas. The people, even more than the building, are astonishing. They have two Masses during the day and they need four people distributing Communion at the morning Mass during Lent. He's trying to summarize in his own mind what it has been like. He believes there have been dramatic changes in his life as a priest. Fr. Mark said the past 10 years have been a time of great challenges in Boston and they correspond to his time in the parish. Msgr. said he recalls having to do a listening session in the parish at the beginning of the sex-abuse scandal. St. Catherine's was an island of peace where no abuse had occurred. They had a powerful experience of listening over the course of a night to the pain of the people who came to the session. He's learned that whatever shame or anger or frustration priests have felt is nothing to compared to that suffered by those who were abused.Fr. Mark said there's also been a decline in number of priests and closings of parishes in the past 10 years and he's had to guide the people in this time. Msgr. said he was aided by the people of the parish and the parishes that were closed.Scot asked what it's like to be pastor of such a large parish, where for example, there are so many first communions and so many weddings. Msgr. said once the parish had seven priests, but isn't that way now. He said it's important to have a clear vision of why they are there: They are there to assist in building and continuing to build a faith community. It's easy to create division. It's hard to build unity in the Lord. As pastor,m if you have a light schedule, you have a 12-14 hour day.One thing he will miss terribly is going out every day in the morning, meeting the schoolchildren and the parents in the yard and leading them into the school and leading them in morning prayer. This is the most important lesson: Forming a good habit of learning how to speak to God.Msgr. said the hardest part of leaving is leaving behind the people who he's come to love so much. Every Sunday, at every Mass he wasn't celebrating, he stood at the door of the church, greeting the people as they come into the church, rain or shine or snowstorm.He thinks it elementary and important to be greeting people, both enlisting their help, but also getting to know you and trust you, so they will talk to you. What kind of signal do parishes give when there is no welcome? We must be ambassadors, to be a welcoming faith community. It's not just the pastor, but everyone in the parish.He has a parishioner who runs hospitality for families after each morning Mass on Sundays. They invite families after Mass to welcome them. He also has a staff member to is working to encourage family Mass. Msgr. McRae also has a big staff to assist him in his parish.**3rd segment:** When Msgr. McRae first went to Rome in the late 90s, the rector of the seminary was then-Msgr. Timothy Dolan (now the Archbishop of New York). He was spiritual director at the North American College. It was a very lively time, but he wanted to come back to Boston to be a pastor. The last time he'd been in a parish was in 1969. From that time, he served on the faculty of St. John Seminary and as rector of Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston and then as spiritual director in Rome.Scot asked what it's like to serve as priest in Rome, where so many saints and martyrs have walked and where one experiences the universality of the Church. Msgr. said all the online social networking with people all over the world that people do on Facebook today is just the modern version of the global village people have experienced in Rome for hundreds of years. He looks forward to working with priests doing graduate studies in Rome. In a parish, there hasn't been a lot of time to do much studying and engaging in the world of ideas. He's looking forward to engaging people in what they are studying. Fr. Mark said Msgr. has been thinking about the spirituality of diocesan priesthood. Among other things, he says  that involves in the willingness to do administration. If you are the head of a household with a family, your vocation includes taking care of the home. A priest who doesn't take care of his parish's facility and other material matters, then people won't feel comfortable and welcome. Our vicar general, Fr. Richard Erikson, often speaks of the ministry of administration, which has the word "ministry" right in the middle of it. Good administration allows the parish to be healthier and reinforce the good things people bring to the parish ministry.Msgr. said that with fewer priests, the demands are getting more and more piled on fewer people. In Rome, he will try to convince the younger priests of the need to help each other bear the burdens and joys of being priests. He says people don't have a fair sense of the priest's needs. If they have a spiritual need, they expect you to be there.Fr. Mark said the priests who arrive at the Casa in Rome are often shell-shocked at being out of a parish and back in studies, while the men who have been in Rome for a while are somewhat out of touch with being a diocesan priest. Msgr.'s role will be to keep them in touch with what it means to be a priest and to understand that their present assignment of study is as much a priestly role as being a parish priest.Msgr. said the priests in Rome have a time to pray and to think, building up a spiritual reservoir which will be tapped when they come back to do whatever the bishop is going to ask of them. That time to pray and think is not a luxury. The Church needs priests who will continue to be students to serve the people well. Scot believes we may have the most educated laity in Boston, priests need to be well-educated in order to preach effectively. Msgr. said the people of St. Catherine's are very varied and alert to what is going on around them, but at his previous parish in Belmont, he had nine Nobel Prize winners in the parish.Scot asked Msgr. what a spiritual director does. Msgr. said that every day as Christians we have to discern the Lord's will for us. To know what God wants and to do it is the source and peace of our life. He will be working with the men to look at their past and their future to know and do God's will.At St. Catherine's, he doesn't have the luxury to meet with every person, so the preaching has to help them to be able to do God's will in whatever their state in life they have now.**4th segment:** Considering the [readings for Sunday Mass](http://www.usccb.org/nab/050111.shtml) for May 1, the Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday* Gospel (John 20:19-31)>On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”>>When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”>>Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” >>Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”>>Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” >>Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.Scot said the Apostles were in the room, huddling in fear, but after this encounter with Christ they had the courage to proclaim the Gospel and eventually to be martyred.This was also mainly about Thomas who had a strong skepticism, despite the testimony of his 10 brothers in the Lord. Fr. Mark said to consider that Thomas was not in the community. Sometimes when we're not with the Church, not in the community, we can become more skeptical. But when we experience the Lord in the community, in the Church, then we no longer need that proof because we've already received all that we need.Scot said Thomas might have been thinking that Jesus had let him down, by not fulfilling Thomas' expectations. When we think of being let down by the Church at times, Christ comes to us and embraces us.Msgr. McRae said there is a lot of competition this weekend for people's attention. People will be thinking of the royal wedding and of the beatification of John Paul and other things. A homily must connect people's lives with what is revealed in the Readings. Msgr. McRae pointed out that today would normally be the feast of St. Catherine and the royal wedding was chosen on this date for that reason.Fr. Mark said he will never think of this Gospel in the same way after Cardinal Sean said in his first homily in Boston to the victims of abuse that they are the wounds in the Body of Christ. Msgr. said Thomas told the apostles he would not believe until he saw the wounds and now Fr. Mark has identified those wounds.Fr. Mark also said the Christ comes in His new glorified Body. Pope Benedict has said that the resurrected Body is a like a great leap forward in human evolution. Christ does not just pass through locked doors, but also through the locked door of Death. Msgr. said the children at his parish last week drew pictures for the Stations of the Cross and some wrote prayers for the Stations and he sees that they have seen the wounds of Christ and are prepared for this Gospel on the second Sunday of Easter.Scot said there's a certain amount of Thomas in all of us and a certain amount of the other apostles. While Thomas gets a bad rap, he is the one who responds to Christ with the Act of Faith, identifying Him as God.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams**Today's guest(s):** Andreas Widmer, former Swiss Guard to Pope John Paul II and CEO of Seven Fund* [The Swiss Guard](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/index.htm)* [Seven Fund](http://www.sevenfund.org/)**Today's topics:** Pope John Paul's lessons for how to elevate our work into a vocation.**1st segment:** Fr. Matt joins the program via phone. He's on a planning retreat for his office. He spent the Triduum on the Hunger for Justice retreat for teens. Holy Week is the Super Bowl for priests. About 200 teens from the northern part of the archdiocese came together for the retreat on which they fasted for 30 hours. Their fasting was sponsored, each one raising about $250. They raised about $15,000 total for Japan earthquake relief. They started on the beach in Nahant with a theme that sin leaves us homeless because sin alienates us from the Lord, from each other, and ourselves. We are outside the loving embrace of the Lord. But the cross of Jesus welcomes us home. They had Good Friday service at St. Thomas Aquinas in Nahant, then went back to St. Mary in Lynn where they had a final meal for the fast.On Saturday they served the homeless in Boston. One man in a wheelchair told one of the girls how he sometimes finds himself sleeping in a garage in a sleeping bag. He had only a thin shirt under his jacket and the girl gave him her own sweatshirt she was wearing. It was raining all day, but they didn't have a rain contingency. The homeless get rained on whenever it rains, so the kids took part in solidarity with them. It helped them appreciate the blessing they have and what the homeless go through.Toward the end of today's show, we will answer listener questions about the Holy Father's Beatification. If you have a question, please email [LIVE@TheGoodCatholicLife.com](mailto:LIVE@TheGoodCatholicLife.com), text or call us at 617-410-MASS.**2nd segment:** Andreas Widmer joins Scot and Fr. Matt. Andreas was on the show a few weeks ago and he shared how he became a Swiss Guard and his first encounter with Pope John Paul II. Andreas has since studied John Paul's life and has written a book, "The Pope & The CEO: Nine Lessons in Executive Leadership Learned by a Swiss Guard at the Feet John Paul II" (coming soon from Emmaus Road) on how to apply those lessons to his life. After the Swiss Guard, he entered the high-tech industry and went through the ups and downs of the tech boom. In the downs of life, you can sometimes find God more easily. In one of those downs, he started to think about those lessons of John Paul.Vocation is often talked about a religious vocation, but John Paul made sure to emphasize that vocation is whatever mission we are sent from God. 98% of Christians have a vocation outside of religious life. John Paul said you know that you're working well, you don't just make more, but you become more. Is my job helping me to become more? How do you approach your job? How do you see your job?How did John Paul teach someone to find their specific vocation? Andreas said John Paul would say that God is asking you what you are going to do with all the talents and opportunities He has given you? We present what we are going to do and then God will bless us and help us to excel in life and become a saint.Fr. Matt said Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to young people in 1985, [Dilecti Amici](http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_31031985_dilecti-amici_en.html). John Paul saw young people as the hope of the future. In the letter, he identified adolescence as a time of intense discovery where we ask what is our life's project. God has created us in a particular time and place for a purpose that we have to discover. In our culture, we are constantly surrounded by noise and distraction and it keeps the heart and soul from listening. That's why Eucharistic adoration is so powerful. When Fr. Matt was first thinking of a priestly vocation, his dad went to an Oblate priest and asked him about it. The priest asked if Fr. Matt prayed and if not then he didn't have a vocation.Andreas said the second chapter is prayer after the first chapter on vocation. The Church gives us many ways to pray. It is our particular way to have a loving relationship with the Lord. Be careful not to fall into the trap of going before the Lord and "putting in your order." It needs to be a two-way street. It's okay sometimes to just go and sit and listen. Some prayers can help you to calm the mind and then have a period of silence at the feet of Christ.**3rd segment:** Andreas observed John Paul's prayer in his time as a Swiss Guard. One of the key experiences was once during a rosary on Vatican radio with the Pope and about 50 other people. The pope was kneeling and Andreas was standing in front of him looking out at all the people. Andreas suddenly felt different, he had a peace that he hadn't felt before. Andreas thought, "Whatever this guy has, this peace and humanity, that's what I want." Many people would tell Andreas how they would find the Holy Father in his private chapel late at night, sitting with the Lord, often writing in a notebook. Or they would find him prostrate in front of the Eucharist for hours on end. He had a comfort and a sense of being at home in front of the Lord. We can do a physical action that brings our heart along with the body. Fr. Matt said the translator of John Paul's "Theology of the Body" once said that the Holy Father wrote that masterpiece at a desk that was in his chapel. The Holy Father's tremendous love of the Blessed Mother is worthy of emulation. Before he entered the seminary, John Paul was introduced to St. Louis de Montfort and the total consecration to Mary, the prefect disciple and model for being the best disciple we can be. Almost everything he wrote, he turned at the end to the Blessed Mother for her intercession and mediation. The rosary was one of his favorite prayers. When he was praying he felt his prayers. He valued intercessory prayer. When the Holy Father visited the Philippines in 1995, he had an occasion to pray the rosary with a group. As the rosary ended, he took another 30 minutes to pray by name for specific bishops around the world and their intentions.Andreas pointed out that the bishops and priests he prayed for were part of his work. Likewise, we can take that opportunity to pray for those we work with. We are sent from Mass to carry Christ with us to the world. When we go about our daily work, wherever it is, we can take the opportunity for prayer, to offer up our work to God. This is why John Paul is so inspiring, because he left us many ideas and ways to do this.Fr. Matt said our suffering is a kind of prayer, whether it's diseases or difficulties in life and in our work. The Holy Father helped us rediscover the value of redemptive suffering. The Holy Father himself suffered in the years after being shot in the early 80s. The pope's base state in life is prayer. He prayed, went to do his work, and then returned to prayer. The infusion of prayer in his life was n't forced, but an attitude that came naturally. Being a saint is what we're here for. Becoming a saint is a decision we make and continue to make as we stick to the plan. Holiness is a part of life. It's not about being gloomy or pietistic.Andreas said there was always so much laughter in the papal apartments. As a 20-year-old he was drawn to Pope John Paul because he wanted to be just like him.**4th segment:** Discussing the extraordinary virtues of Pope John Paul II and the Church's sense of his holiness. Scot said flowing from Pope John Paul's prayer was how he treated people he encountered. Andreas told us during his last appearance on the show about how Pope John Paul saw how Andreas was hurting inside when others didn't. When you perceive the world as God sees it, then you can see the basic human dignity of the person you encounter and you are present to them. Whenever you met Pope John Paul, you felt like he got out of bed that day just to meet you. He did that with everyone from presidents to the homeless. How he treated others then changed how everyone around him treated those people as well.Fr. Matt said grace builds on nature and John Paul's human nature was so great. He was a healthy and vigorous man who loved so greatly. His humanity was a bridge by which people could encounter Christ. John Paul saw every person as a unique, unrepeatable soul, a masterpiece crafted by the hand of God. In our culture we get caught up with appearances, with what we do, with our education, etc. That didn't matter to John Paul. And this why so many flocked to him from all over the world.Andreas said the model of someone who is beatified shouldn't someone who is on a pedestal above, but that being like him is easy. That's why John Paul made so many saints. We are all called to be saints and it is attainable for us. John Paul was a like a coach who tells us that we are made for greatness and he can't wait to see how far we will go. The coach is tough on you--"You can do better than that". The coach doesn't bend the truth for you in some false Kumbaya sense, dumbing it down for us. No, he says we can do better because we are made in the image and likeness of God.**5th segment:** It's time to announce the winner of this week's **WQOM Benefactor Raffle**. Our prize this week is the “Messengers of Faith Talking Jesus and Mary Doll Set – Donated by [BibleToys.com](http://www.BibleToys.com).”  Children can learn more about Jesus and Mary as these dolls narrate their lives while children play with these 11" tall dolls. This week's winner is **Jacqueline Bouzan from Abington, MA**.  Congratulations to Jacqueline. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit [WQOM.org](http://www.WQOM.org). For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for our weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program.**6th segment:** Andreas is going to Rome this week for the beatification of Pope John Paul this Sunday. It's a dream come true for him. Andreas was in Europe when John Paul died and was able to go the funeral, which was one of the most spiritually charged events of his life. It was an experience of the universality of the Church, with people from all over the world praying together in communion and receiving Communion. In other beatifications, people often had a devotion to the beati, but didn't personally know them. But in this case, no other person in the world may have been as exposed to the person of John Paul. Andreas said John Paul's spirit will be present as they celebrate John Paul as the vicar of Christ. It's going to be just as much about being with the people around him at the event as it is about the beatification itself.Fr. Matt said for those who can't be in Rome, keep in mind that it's Divine Mercy Sunday, also May 1 which is usually the Feast of St. Joseph and the beginning of the month of Mary. We can imitate the Holy Father by entering into the Divine Mercy mystery, which was a powerful message promoted by John Paul. St. Faustina was the first saint canonized in the new millennium. Enter into the spirit of the day by embracing Divine Mercy.Andreas said in Europe, May is also Labor Day, and John Paul was himself a laborer. He was a stonecutter in a quarry in his youth. So on Sunday, we can contemplate our work and see how we can elevate our work into a prayer and find a spiritual meaning in it.* [Divine Mercy](http://thedivinemercy.org/)Fr. Matt explained a little about the Divine Mercy devotion and St. Faustina. Jesus wanted us to embrace more deeply the mercy brought to us by the power of the cross. Even the worst sins can be blotted out by the mercy of God. God's mercy is infinite and anyone who turns to Jesus can experience this great mercy. The Divine Mercy chaplet is prayed on the rosary beads. It was the wish if Jesus in those Divine Mercy messages to St. Faustina that the Sunday after Easter would be the feast of Divine Mercy. Andreas pointed out that John Paul died right after celebrating the Divine Mercy Mass in 2005.