Dear Friends in Christ, Holy Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus returned to the glory of his Father forty days after his Resurrection, and for that reason, the Church traditionally celebrates the Ascension on the Thursday after the 6th Sunday of Easter — forty days after Easter Sunday. In recent years, however, the liturgical…

Dear Friends in Christ, In January 1964, Pope Paul VI made an historic pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem during which he made headlines with a number of “firsts.” He was the first pope to fly on an airplane. He was the first pope to leave Italy in more than a century. And he…

Dear Friends in Christ, When Catholics ask “Why isn’t the Church doing something about fill in the blank?”, what they’re really asking is “Why aren’t the clergy doing something about that?” And that tendency to identity the work of the clergy as the work of the Church comes from a tragic misunderstanding of the dignity…

Dear Friends in Christ, The Fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the Scripture readings and Mass prayers appointed for this day in the sacred liturgy. Today’s Communion Antiphon, for example, proclaims that “The Good Shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep and willingly died…

Dear Friends in Christ, 1. On Friday 16 May, Bishop Guglielmone will ordain two transitional deacons for service in our diocese and eventual ordination to the priesthood. They are Richard Wilson from St. Joseph’s, Anderson and our own Roger Morgan. The diaconal ordinations are at 6 pm at St. Joseph’s, Columbia, and all are welcome.…