Joe Catholic

Throughout the Diocese are many small faith communities/discussion groups/prayer groups.  There is one unique group I would like to write about that I met with on Saturday morning, July 23, entitled "JOE CATHOLIC", which was started by a group of Catholic men from St. Catherine of Siena parish in Carrollton. The leader of the group is Don Gonzalez.  

Joe Catholic Men's Groups

They meet regularly each month in Carrollton, with a combination of prayer, catechesis, reflection and faith sharing. They started with the St. Joseph Covenant keepers as their initial foundation. [St. Joseph Covenant Keepers in the Catholic expression of "Promise Keepers."] About one or twice a year they come to St. Patrick's Cathedral where I can meet with them and spend sometime in faith sharing and prayer. This particular Saturday morning they were present at the 8:00 AM Mass, and then we went to the Cathedral Annex for another hour or so. There was time for personal prayer, and then a reflection on St. Maximilian Kolbe (whose  feast day is coming up August 14th), and then I spent some time speaking about, and teaching the importance of the revised translation of the Roman Missal. There were about 30 men in the group, and from the photo you can see that they have a type of "uniform" which identifies them as part of this group.  

 Joe Catholic Men's Group Meeting

Their sharing, reflection, prayer, and desire to learn more about their faith was edifying, and a powerful example of what can be accomplished by a group of men, who in communion with their pastors, desire to lead lives of holiness and faith. This in turn, becomes a blessing for their spouses, families, parish and Diocese. It is another example of living out the call to holiness, and also, then, by their lives, to become witnesses and instruments of what can be called the "New Evangelization." Congratulations, Don, and your friends from Carrollton. May the Lord continue to bless you in these efforts to live truly lives of holiness and apostolic witness.

The Franciscan Family

St. Francis of Assisi

The Diocese of Fort Worth is greatly blessed with the presence of many members of the Francisan Family: The Friars Minors, the Capuchin Friars, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (of the Capuchin family), the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception at All Saints Parish in Fort Worth, the TOR (Third Order Regular friars of whom four provinces are represented) and several fraternities of the "Third Order." Since the TOR Friars have their origins in the "Third Order" penitential movement, I would briefly like to recap the history of the Francis of Assisi by Michael de la Bedoyere. The history of the "Third Order" reflects the fact that the call to holiness for everyone - most recently enunciated in Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council - is rooted in a much earlier era in the life of the Church. In Chapter 20 of Francis of Assisi, called "Francis Draws Laymen to the Franciscan Way", we find: "We know, too, that Francis, during his travels, made many friends. These were often men and women of position and responsibility, like the lord of Montefeltro. Time and time again, he must have found people who showed that they understood him, yet could not literally follow him into his movement. The story is told of one such, a merchant of Poggibonsi, near Siena, called Lucchesio. He asked Francis to give him a special penitential rule of life, suitable to his condition in the world. Lucchesio's wife, Buona Donna, we are told, was not too pleased, but in the end, the couple devoted themselves together to good works, relying, if need be, on alms to carry out their plans for the poor and sick. Their example spread in the little towns. Those who were enrolled in a special way within the following of the saint were called 'penitential brothers' and 'penitential sisters.'"


Much later, a classification of the different types of followers of Francis became established.  The 'First Order' referred, of course, to the men who as priests or lay brothers, took the vows of religion in Francis's company. The 'Second Order' referred to the women who, under Saint Clare, lived the same rule in the cloister. The 'Third Order' naturally became the name of this loose grouping of lay followers in the world, comprising both men and women. This innovation was later to be imitated by orders." Thus, the "Third Order" movement, born out of the Franciscan Family, was also born out of the "penitential movement" of the time, and became a great source of holiness and apostolic work for lay men and lay women - married and single - who were not called to the First Order or Second Order of the Franciscan Religious Life. Yet, history also shows that as the Third Order grew and developed, new forms of consecrated religious life for men and women grew from this lay movement, even as it continued to grow and develop. Thus, we have many congregations of men and women religious who live according to the rule of the "Third Order of Saint Francis." 

Farewell Gathering at St. Bart's for Brother Paul

In the Diocese where I grew up we have the "Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis", and in our Diocese we are greatly blessed by the presence of the "Third Order Regular" Franciscan Friars. And, it is in this context that  I wish to publicly acknowledge the blessing of their community in our parishes and institutions, and especially thank Brother Paul McMullen TOR, as he completes his term as Pastoral Administrator of St. Bartholomew parish here in Fort Worth, and will be on a well deserved sabbatical this fall, returning to our Diocese after that to minister in another capacity. Brother Paul's teaching and leadership and pastoral care has been a great blessings to our Diocese in many ways over the years - at St. John's parish, later at St. George, and most recently at St. Bartholomew. I very much enjoyed a reflection he gave one evening on the rule of the Third Order. Recently, I attended two events back to back at "St. Bart's", the second of which was an overflow crowd for his going away reception. Thank you, Brother Paul, for your leadership, your Franciscan vocation, and your teaching and pastoral care. "Peace and All Good" and we look forward to our counting association with you in  your ministry.  

Congratulations Archbishop Chaput and May The Lord Give You Peace!

Archbishop Chaput   Credit: James Baca/Archdiocese of Denver

In Chapter One of "The Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops", the following can be read: "As Vicar of the 'great shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews 13:20), the Bishop manifests through his life and his episcopal ministry the fatherhood of God. He reveals the goodness, the loving care, the mercy, the gentleness and the authority of Christ, who came to give his life and gather all people into one family, reconciling them in the love of the Father. The Bishop alas manifests the constant vitality of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the Church and sustains her in her human weakness. This Trinitarian understanding of the Bishop's being and acting ("esse and agere") is rooted in the life of Christ himself...."


These words certainly describe the ministry of Archbishop Chaput, and he will bring the reality of these words in his ministry as Archbishop of Philadelphia. I first met Archbishop Chaput in Assisi years ago when he was the Capuchin Provincial. I later knew him through then Bishop John Myers of Peoria, but most recently since I was appointed Bishop here in Fort Worth. He was present at my ordination, and since that time he has been a great friend, mentor, and source of fraternal encouragement. His clarity of vision as a Shepherd, his courage and his faith are an inspiration to me and to so many.  My prayer and support, and the prayers of our Diocese go with him to Philadelphia.  

To Archbishop Chaput, as a son of St. Francis, I would refer to the following which I found in "Francis of Assisi" by Michael de la Bedoyere:  "Looking back on his life Francis was to say 'The Lord revealed to me what I must say when meeting anyone with a good wish:  'The Lord give you peace'. That is the prayer of the Diocese of Fort Worth and my personal prayer for Archbishop Chaput in this time, now, of transition, and in his new call as the Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Another Hot Weekend in Texas!

The days of summer in South and the Southwest have high temperatures, but they also bring some important gatherings and meetings of Faith.

Blessing of the World Youth Day pilgrims

After the Mass at the Carmelite monastery I made a trip to Immaculate Conception in Denton, Texas for the Vigil Mass. The Mass was con-celebrated by Father Richard Kirkham, one of our newly ordained priests. We were assisted by Deacon Manuel Houlgin, and an able group of altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and others. We were there to bless a large group of Pilgrims from our Diocese who were ready to head off for their pilgrimage for World Youth Day. The group you see part of a larger representation from our Diocese. Many youth leaders, chaperones and others were present for the blessing, in addition to Kevin Prevou, the Director of our Office for Youth and Young Adult ministry. This gathering of so many young people from our Diocese setting off for Spain, in addition to our Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference, which I cited earlier, reminded me of the words of Blessed Pope John Paul II in his work "Rise Let us be on Our Way" when he wrote, reflecting on his own experiences with youth that, "I remember those meetings I had with young people. I greatly value this wonderful experience. I brought it with me to Rome." Here too, I looked for ways to put it to good use, taking as many opportunities as I could to meet young people  In a sense, the World Youth Days could be seen as a fruit of that experience."  

Early on Sunday morning before the 8:00 Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral I went to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to see two of our seminarians who are heading off to Rome for the North American College: Joseph Keating of St. Mark's Parish in Denton and Matthew Tatyrek, of Holy Family Parish in Vernon, Texas. They are part of a group of several seminarians from all of Texas who will be going to the North American College in Rome, which will have a record enrollment in the Eternal City this coming academic year. I am a graduate alumnus of the College, having lived at the "Casa Santa Maria dell' Umilta", which is the original College building given to the US BIshops by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1859. The opportunity to study in Rome is a time in one's life to "learn Rome" (as Blessed Pope John Paul II said), and thus deepen one's faith and relationship to the Universal Church. Ad multos annos to Joe and Matt, and we pray, Vergine Immaculata, Aiutatici (in Italian, "Immaculate Virgin - come to our aid".  This refers to the fact that Our Lady, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the North American College, and the United States of America. We pray for both Joe and Matthew and their classmates and all of the seminarians for our Diocese. This year the Diocese of Fort Worth is blessed with 29 seminarians total and more to come.

After 8:00 Mass at the Cathedral, I briefly visited with the newly forming community of St. Peter the Rock (which I referred to during my reflections on the Anglican Use Conference) at our Catholic Pastoral Center, and then later on in the morning, installed Father Thu Nguyen as the pastor of St. George Parish in the city of Fort Worth.  

Mt. Carmel

               The Virgin of Carmel               
Moretto da Brescia

In his book, Gift and Mystery, the late Blessed Pope John Paul II referred several times to the influence that Carmelite Spirituality had in his life and vocation. In chapter three, for example, he says that he learned of Carmelite spirituality from a layman, Jan Tryanowski. He writes, "Tyranowski, whose own spiritual formation was based on the writings of St. John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Avila, helped me to read their works, something uncommon for a person my age. This increased my interest in Carmelite spirituality..." Any Diocese that has a Carmel is most blessed and fortunate, for it is both a great source of prayer and blessing and place of refuge for so many who seek the Nuns prayers and counsel.  We are fortunate in our Diocese to have the Carmelite Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington. One of the windows there depicts the Carmelite Martyrs. I celebrated Mass their on Saturday, July 16, the Feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel when there public chapel was full. I was joined by Fr. John Hennessy and Fr. Isaac Orozco.  I would like to share my homily for that day: 

                                

                                  HOMILY FOR OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL

                                                      July 16, 2011

                                                    

        

"The last time that I was in the Holy Land, in 2006, I had the chance to visit Mt. Carmel again.  Perhaps because by that time I had been a priest 25 years then when I was there the first time (I was in Third Year Theology then) the location made a greater impression on me.  Perhaps it was because I took with me in 2006 the 25 years of priestly ministry and experiences which had been both blessings and challenges.  From the top of Mt. Carmel one can look done and see the modern city of Haifa, and also have a clear view of the mountains (or range of mountains) that we call Carmel, and all of the surrounding country:  a perspective from "on high" where the height and beauty of God's creation seems to define everything.  

As we celebrate once more this great feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, in the midst of the summer, cannot we say that today - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - can give us a perspective on the rest of our lives?  How, from our prayer here and the spirituality of Carmel, we can see life from "on high", and how the presence of God in our lives can and must define who we are in this secular age.

What, in this feast day, can define our lives from "on high" today?  How about Mt. Carmel itself, where Elijah tried to run and hide in his fear, and yet God found him...that "still, small voice."?  We cannot run from the Lord as much as we might try - He will find us and seek us out in all moments, good and bad.  That still, small voice of God is there to give us a perspective, to define our lives.

The first hermits that settled on Carmel took the Mother of God as their patron and protector.  The readings today, then, in honor of Mary the Mother of God, give us another perspective from "on high" for our lives: to  praise God in all moments, as in the Psalm response for today that is the Magnificat, or what it must take for us to so the will of God, or how we must trust God in all moments.  And reflecting on St. John's Gospel for today, we with Mary must always have the perspective of standing at the foot of the Cross with St. John and Mary, and so define our lives from "on high."    

Stained glass of the Carmelite Martyrs  

The history of the Carmelite family can give us another perspective - a way to define our lives with the great Saints of their family over the ages: The Little Flower, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, Blessed Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), Saint Teresa of the Andes, the Carmelite Martyrs during the French Revolution, Blessed Titus Brandsma, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, and so many others.  In the midst of great trials and struggles and darkness and misunderstanding in the call to conversion and love, they let their lives be defined by a continued life of prayer and faithfulness to their vocations:  having experienced the presence of God "from on high."

All of the men and women had their sayings and writings which certainly furnish a perspective from "on high", for all who embrace the Gospel in following the rule of Carmel.  For priests, for example, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity said that "the life of  priest is like an Advent which prepares the Incarnation in souls (which I have framed and hanging in my office), and St. Therese (the Little Flower) once said "As we hope in God so shall we receive."  On this July 16, 2011, this feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel for this year, may these words of St. Therese be an inspiration for us, and help us from "on high" to define and shape our lives today and always.  May we alway be able to hope in God, and so then indeed we shall receive.

DCYC

The first reading at Mass for DCYC

Last weekend, youth from throughout the Diocese of Fort Worth gathered at the Hyatt DFW to learn more about their faith and sharpen life skills in the sweltering heat of summer. Every year, youth ministers, priests, seminarians and young people converge to participate in the variety of activities and workshops known as DCYC. The Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference isn't unique to Fort Worth but is a valuable part of the network of catechetical efforts that our diocese offers as proof that we take seriously the New Evangelization. Most realize that the essence of that movement isn't presenting something new or even just presenting something in a new way. Rather, its is the renewal of the context of Faith in a changing world, the refocusing on the Pascal Mystery to advance God's plan of salvation. Local efforts include complementing sacramental preparation with experiences that harmonize the universal call to holiness with elements of each of our own lives. In the following clip, for example, you can see how a pair of participants provided commentary on what the Revised Translation of the Roman Missal means for them.

Welcome to Fort Worth

FROM FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011


Bishop Vann censes the altar at the Solemn High Pontifical Mass

Bishop Vann preaching at the Solemn High Pontifical Mass

Fr. Charles A. Hough III of St. Peter the Rock,
addresses the Conference "On the road to the Ordinariate"

HOMILY FOR THE ANGLICAN USE LITURGY
St. Mary the Virgin Catholic Church, Arlington
Friday, July 8, 2011

Welcome again, all of you, to Fort Worth. If I might digress briefly, I would like to reflect a bit on our Cathedral. It is a House of God, like some of our older Churches in the center of our city, which still shines forth with art in their windows, statues, communion rails and even votive candles…which have never been taken out or moved or subject to any kind of iconoclasm. A place where the vocabulary of those who come to worship, still includes "Hail Mary Full of Grace" or "Bless me Father for I have sinned" or even entrance songs that are the entrance antiphons of the Sacramentary which are sung. The words of the Angelus are heard daily as well as during the Mass and later on the words of Sanctus, Sanctus, which at times still ring forth, as part of the full, conscious participation in the Liturgy envisioned by Sacrosanctum Concilium of the Second Vatican Council. And, not only here, but also in parishes throughout the Diocese. In fact, Diocesan celebrations at St. Patrick's will even echo Vietnamese, Latin, Spanish and other languages at times.

St. Patrick's Cathedral has been a place of worship and refuge, while giving glory to God since 1888. On bright warm Texas afternoons like today, the crucifix stained glass window, along with the Saints, shine forth so bright in fact that they seem to come alive. The Saints are many including: Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Rita, St. Anthony, and yes, even St. Oliver Plunkett. God's providence stands out to me in that regard, because at least a number of our gatherings of prayer with some of our brothers here have been in the sight of that window.

The Saints in our Cathedral echo the words of the opening hymn for us today, as we pray for unity and live in the historical reality of a Church strengthening in unity and ecclesial communion, and hear "Back to the Faith which saints believed of old...one with thy Saints in one unbroken peace...." And along with the Saints in glass and wood, all looking toward the Eucharist, the colors of the windows spill forth from them on to the darker parts of the wall -- creating together a portrait which is a union of connections of color, light, and human faces. All of which, call us all to be faithful to the vocations that we have been called to.

Not unlike what Cardinal Newman said in his "Meditations and Devotions, 301-2: "I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do his work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place...if I do but keep his commandments and serve him in my calling." On many an afternoon, the Saints of St. Patrick's, and these words by Cardinal Newman, have called me back to my commitment as Shepherd, as a point of unity and communion.

These days together -- as days of Faith, Hope, and Anticipation should do the very same for all of us gathered here. It is a time to reflect within our lives the Catholic vocabulary of "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" what we pray here this evening: "…In the communion of the Catholic Church; in the confidence of a certain faith; in the comfort of a reasonable, religious and holy hope; in favor with you, our God, in perfect charity with the world.”

How do these words and this Eucharist help us to do that? To give thanks, with the Lord in our midst. To know that even in our sometimes challenging history, we have but the gift of the present moment that God in His providence has placed us together. It is a moment of great history that we take for granted, and that in the communion of Saints we are being watched and prayed for -- just like St. Oliver Plunkett watched us Catholic and Anglo-Catholic Clergy pray together in the Divine Office -- to be those who are called to rebuild that communion and learn from one another. For all of us, but especially the priests here, to reflect with our lives the words of Newman:

"Had Angels been your priests, my brethren, they could not have
condoled with you; sympathized with you, have had compassion on
you, felt tenderly for you, and made allowances for you, as we can;
they could not have been your patterns and guides, and have led you
on from your old selves into a new life, as they can who come from the
midst of you."

In this Mass of the Holy Spirit, which has readings, then of Pentecost, we look once more to the "Birthday of the Church". That moment in time when the words, teaching and mission and life of the Son of God became visible in the communion of Faith. His visible body here on earth.

Reflecting on the above words of Newman, then, and this Mass, when we are celebrating a new birthday of the Church, the Ordinariate, are we not called to live lives of communion and charity as we are transformed from our old selves into a new life of ecclesial communion, guided always by the Holy Spirit. And, do not the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, need to take personal root in our own lives, so that our corporate life of a Communion of Faith will radiate all that Blessed John Newman hoped for, and indeed prayed for.

Should not our lives radiate the glory of God just as all of those saints and bright colors do on the walls of St. Patrick's in Fort Worth? Each color, each Saint, may be a thing of beauty, but how all the more so linked together. Do they reflect the living reality, the living glory of God in His people, when together those lives reflect love, patience, and even reconciliation, and the truth and reality of ecclesial communion? It is indeed a privileged and providential moment in history where the Lord has placed all of us together.

As the Holy Father himself said during the vigil in Hyde Park on September 18 of last year: "The drama of Newman's life invites us to examine our lives, to see them against the vast horizon of God's plan, and to grow in communion with the Church of every time and place: the Church of the apostles, the Church of the Martyrs, the Church of the saints, the Church which Newman loved and to whose mission he devoted his entire life."

"Praise to the Holiest in the height
And in the depth be praise;
In all his words most wonderful,
Most sure in all his ways!"

Solemn Evensong and Benediction

Participants from all over the United States gathered at St. Mary of the Virgin this evening to begin their annual Anglican Use convention. It was solemn and well beautifully sung, with a combination of Solemn Vespers, a sermon by the Rev. Chris Phillips of Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio, and Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

A "Collect for Peace", in the middle of the service, eloquently declared what we prayed for:

"O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works
do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot
give, that our hearts may be sent to obey thy commandments, and also
that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of all enemies, may pass
our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen."

Benediction

Bishop Vann addressing the Conference

Bishop Vann and Julia Smead of St. Peter the Rock

Msgr. Keith Newton - Ordinary of the Ordinariate speaking to the Conference.

On to Arlington and the Anglican Use Society Annual Convention

The Sanctuary at St. Mary the Virgin Parish, Arlington

Today, July 7th, begins the Anglican Use Society annual gathering and convention at St. Mary the Virgin Parish in Arlington. This is a "Pastoral Provision" parish. This certainly is a historical and momentous time of Faith for the Anglican use, those priests and faithful of the "Pastoral Provision" and others in the anticipation of an "Anglican Ordinariate" for the United States of America.

Stay tuned... more to follow! God bless always!
+ Bishop Kevin W. Vann

The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011

On Monday, July 4, I was blessed to be in Chicago to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the coming of the Holy Family of Nazareth Sisters to the United States. Upon arrival in New York in 1885, and then Chicago, their foundress, Blessed Mary of Jesus of the Good Shepherd [Frances Siedliska] said "When I think of this miracle of God's mercy to have chosen our small Nazareth in God's Church, for such work and that He entrusted to us such an important task in his Kingdom...I cannot tell you how grateful I am to the Love of the Lord.”

Present were almost all of the 300+ Sisters in the United States Province, including Mother Jana and the General Council of the Congregation from Rome. Also present were many associates of the community.

The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth minister within the Dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth, and were present in several hospitals in the late 1800's in frontier North Texas [Mineral Wells, Vernon, and Wichita Falls] for many years. Their life of "Nazareth" has left a lasting foundation of faith where they are no longer present, and continues in their present ministry today. I would like to thank Sister Sally Marie Kiepura, CSFN, their Provincial Superior, and her council for their invitation to be present on the third day of their three day celebration. What follows here is my homily for Mass:



Image from The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN) website.
www.nazarethcsfn.org/index.php



Homily for the 125th Anniversary of the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in the United States
Monday, July 4, 2011

Dear Sisters in the Lord and friends present this day,

Thank you so much for the invitation to be with you at this great celebration of Faith, for your community and for all that your community has been a part of, and a blessing for the families in this country these past 125 years - both the families to whom you minister to and the bigger family - what our Hispanic brothers and Sisters call the Church - "La Familia de Dios."

Although I certainly knew of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital here in Chicago from my days in Illinois, you have been a personal blessing for me since I came to Fort Worth, both in the foundations you laid, and in your ministry in Texas. I don't go through Wichita Falls without thinking of you. Even though you are no longer there, the lives of the people and their families were strengthened by the way you brought the living presence of the Holy Family to them. The Cross, which is still on the hospital and overlooks the city, is a visible reminder of "The word of truth, the Gospel of salvation" as stated in the hymn to Christ in Ephesians this morning. I can't go through Mineral Wells or Vernon, or drive on Stadium Drive in Fort Worth near St. Andrew's, without reflecting on the mission and ministry of your community in Texas. I am grateful to know that you are still in Tyler, but for me personally, presiding at your first and final vow ceremonies in Grand Prairie, being with you on the Epiphany, working with the Sisters at St. Rita, on our Diocesan pastoral council and in ministry with families and vocation work - and playing the piano for you - are all very much joys and blessings of the present moment that I give thanks for, and express my deepest gratitude for your ministry and presence in the Dallas/Fort Worth/Irving/Grand Prairie, the "Metroplex"!

The Church in Texas is a family that is vibrant, strong, and growing, and the story of Nazareth is a part of that story of Faith. Life in frontier Texas was not for the faint of heart, but the Family of Nazareth (all of you) were instrumental in building a family of faith that today is embracing its future in Faith, Hope, and Love! Your prayer for families "Help me and the members of my family to love, listen to, support and accept one another. Encourage us to challenge one another to be compassionate, merciful and forgiving as we struggle with the difficulties of our lives," certainly reflected the realities of those Catholic pioneer families in Texas, and it guides us still today.

Growing up, I knew that Holy Family Sunday was always between Christmas and New Years. We all knew the Holy Family was Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Although they were certainly real to us, more often than not, they were the figures in our nativity sets, creches, or presepi... however we named them.

That began to change for me. The Holy Family first began to take on a realness -- an incarnational sense, when I found the reading of Pope Paul VI for Holy Family Sunday. From then on I would read it every year. And, when I began to know all of you, the witness of your vowed life made the figures of the Holy Family real people, and gave clear witness to the reality of the love of the Holy Family for us, year round, not just for a few weeks of the year.

Pope Paul VI, in his homily, called Nazareth a "kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ's life was like and even to understand his Gospel." Here he would go on to say that at Nazareth we can learn to realize who Christ really is; here we can learn from silence; we can learn about family life; and we can learn about work, its redeeming value. Nazareth has much to teach each of us - and that is all of you here for those to whom you are missioned.

The school of Nazareth has had many students over the years that learned and later taught what Pope Paul VI spoke about. "When I think of this miracle of God's mercy to have chosen our small Nazareth, the last in God's Church, for such work and that He entrusted to us such an important task in his Kingdom... I cannot tell you how grateful I am to the Lord of love." These words, of Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, writing about the first Nazareth establishments in the United States, are words learned in the School of Nazareth, and words of invitation for others to come to that same school of faith!

In every school there are lessons and reflections, and these lessons and reflections in the school of Nazareth are certainly the Sacred Scriptures which are proclaimed today. As we recall "the favors of the Lord, all he has done for us, and his great kindness" in all of the moments of these 125 years - personally and corporately - in good and challenging moments - the Visitation and the Magnificat in the Gospel give us a road map for the present and the future. The journey of Mary to Elizabeth in Ain Karim can be a mirror for the journey of the Community a-day-at-a-time, a journey linked with the families whom you serve in so many capacities. "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled" is what you witness to in a world of increasing unbelief, skepticism and indifference, and sometimes hostility. "Blessed are you who believed" is a part of God's plan that is taught in the school of Nazareth and lived in the vows of consecrated life.

"Blessed are you who believed" is reflected in your vocation prayer as it says "Good and gracious God, you have a great and loving plan for our world and for me. I want to share in that plan fully, faithfully, and joyfully. Help me to understand what it is You wish me to do with my life. Help me to be attentive to the signs that you give me about preparing for the future. And once I have heard and understood your call, give me the strength and grace to follow it with generosity and love." That prayer has certainly been reflected in those joyful moments I have spent with you during the celebration of first and final vows and other community celebrations!

Blessed are you who believed! How important and essential it is for families in all of their daily challenges and struggles in this age to believe in the presence of God in their midst. Blessed are you who believed! Does not that reflect the life and faith as the sisters arrived in New York on July 4th - 125 years ago today? To profess and live that belief is the constant link in the history which we celebrate these days and the path to the future. And the witness of consecrated life is a testimony of FAITH, and yes, belief is not only possible, but necessary, and is learned and lived in the School of Nazareth!

"O Holy Family, bless and protect
all the families of the world;
safeguard their unity, fidelity, integrity and dignity.
Enable them to live according to God's law
that they may fulfill their sublime vocation.
May their lives be a reflection of yours
and may they enjoy your presence forever in heaven. Amen."

Changes in Priestly Assignments

During this time of the year, in many Dioceses after priestly ordinations in the spring, priests are reporting to their new assignments. This is always a time of change, challenge, transition, thanksgiving and grace for all. The process of priestly assignments is always a reminder that the life of a priest, and therefore a particular parish community or mission, is always greater than the local community and embraces the entire life of a Diocese or religious community. Reading recently in a book edited by Brendan Leahy and Bishop Michael Mulvey (a book based on the spirituality of the "Focolare" movement) I found this quote that I believe is very apt for all of us at this moment in time:

"The man who is ordained priest...leaves his home and the world becomes his home. His father, mother, and brothers are no longer only, and not chiefly, those people whose blood he shares, but are those whose condition he shares: the least...the disinherited, the unknown, the poor that no one sees. He leaves his particular family to become a minister of the total family."

At this time of the new assignments in our Diocese, I would like to especially thank Msgr. Phil Johnson, who is now "Pastor Emeritus" of St. Michael's Church in Bedford, Texas, for his years of faithful and dedicated priestly ministry. Many know him from his days of founding and beginning St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Arlington, Texas. He is now in residence at Holy Family parish in Fort Worth. Thank you, Phil, for all of your ministry and dedication to the parishes (both rural and urban) as well as your other ministerial endeavors.