“Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you have anyway. You see, in the final analysis it is between you and GOD; it was never between you and them anyway.” – Mother Teresa

Mary Jane and I are delighted to hear of Father Robert Hennessey’s recent appointment to Bishop in the Archdiocese. Although we are now in Fr. Robert Donovan’s parish at St. John The Evangelist, we were previously parishioners of 40 years in Needham at St. Joseph Parish. A finer priest you could not have picked. May Our Lord continue to bless you in your work.

Frank and Mary Jane Seery
Monument Beach, MA

I am so grateful that you take the time out of your busy schedule to write these wonderful blogs. I think this is so important to the catholic community. You radiate your true faith and commitment to the archdiocese of Boston each day.

I look forward to meeting you as we celibrate the 5th anniversary of the most successful merge of three parishes in Revere. Saint Anthony of Padua Parishoners cannot thank you enough !

May the blessing of our Lord Jesus be with you always.

Thank you, Fred Miller

Thank you for such a wonderful blog. People really need to hear the things you are saying. You have such a gift of faith which the internet is spreading to so many! I will keep checking weekly for more information to share with my 7th grade religious education class. God Bless you!

God Bless,
Allen

Greetings from Singapore. This is my first time reading a Cardinal’s web blog… ahaha! maybe Your Eminence you can give me some advise on vocation, entering the Franciscan Order or Redemptoris Mater Seminary. lastly if you would like to share about your vocation story…

~fjm outta……

I’m glad I learned on the evening news that your Eminence had started a blog. It is a wonderful blog, and we enjoy your splendid photos of Rome and elsewhere. I was only a child of six or so, when my devoted parents (my dad was career U.S. Army), stationed in Frankfurt, Germany after WWII, took our family to the Vatican. Oh, how magnificent! Even today, I remember that trip so vividly. It was a visit so special and holy to all my family, and was capped by the blessing we received from the papal window of Pope Pius XII. When I see that our nation has remained safe after September 11, I see the hand of the Lord, the hand of Divine Providence, not the bluster of politicians. The thwarting of the shoe bomber, the thwarting of the July 21 attempted attacks last year in London, and the thwarting of the recent plot in London against airliners, are all examples of Divine Providence at work. I wish people would give God more credit for these miracles, but few do. I invite your Eminence and all of the Holy Church to devote yourselves more fully to the causes of peace, understanding, reconciliation and social justice on this Earth that has been torn asunder by religious strife and hatred, sadly invoking the name of the Most High. The divisions and violence on Earth are not God’s plan. All of us need to work more fervently for real and meaningful peace. Real peace is possible. I commend the hard work of our new Pope Benedict XVI in these efforts and his reaching out to other faiths. The Holy Father’s lead is one we all should follow.

Yours in Christ,

John Umana
Washington, DC

Greetings from Ibadan, Nigeria. I enjoyed reading what you wrote about how you celebrated the feast of Blessed Father Francis. It is wonderful that you bring your Franciscan spirituality into your ministry as bishop. I often say to my Dominican brothers and sisters here in Nigeria that the greatest contribution a Dominican can make to the Church and to the world is simply to be Dominican. The same is true of the Franciscan. It is gratifying that I have among my students at the Dominican Institute in Ibadan Capuchin students who do just that.
God bless you and the people of God in Boston.

A la prossima!
With all of my best wishes!
Elsa.

Thank you for your wonderful blog, may God Bless You, and May Our Mother, The Blessed Virgin Mary shower you with all the graces and gifts you need to continue this blog and to one of the many Holy Shepherd’s she cares for with her intercessions. I would like to know if you will be able to venerate the Relic of St Jean Vianney’s Heart that will be there in Boston? I have a devotion to him among other saints, and I pray that you will be able to venerate his relic and in turn will be blessed with many holy vocations. God Bless this work for you and may Our Lord’s peace be always with you.

May God continue to bless your efforts, to renew the faith in Boston and to call down the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance on you and the Archdiocese of Boston.

Soon, I will move to Palm Bay, Florida and after unpacking hoping to again do foreign missionary work. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to give me discernment. On November 26, I wil lbe 45 years professed as a Secular Franciscan and instead of just taking the promises of poverty, chastity and obedience, is it possible to actually take the vows of poverty,chastity and obedience on that day? Thanks and again, God bless.

It was with much nostalgia that I read about your titular church Santa Maria della Vittoria. I spent 4 years two or three blocks down the street at San Carlino at Quattro Fontane. Santa Maria is a beautiful church. I do believe time for me to return.

Thank you for your blog from italian young people! Grazie per voler essere vicini ai giovani, per voler comunicare loro la bellezza della Chiesa e della sua fede.
Ci benedica.

Sandro Feola
http://www.sandrofeola.ilcannocchiale.it

As for that cross above the altar, I am ashamed to say, it’s really not beautiful. When I first saw it I thought it was some gigantic mechanical bug from those horror fiction movies. Mordern or not, it does not correspond to the sublime beauty of our Savior’s throne of love. Should modernity be an excuse for ugliness ? and should that be tolerated when it touches the most sacred elements of our divine religion ?
Please accept my utmost respect & sincere prayers.

Thank you so much for blogging your thoughts. It really inspires me to know that technology is being used to reach out to everyone. I am in my mid 20′s married with no kids. My husband and I fall into the gap between going to CCE classes/youth groups and needing the church for CCE classes for our kids. We have struggled over the past few years to find a place at a local church. (We are not in Boston, we live south of Houston, TX.) I honestly feel that we are forgotten by the church. Thats why we have started to rely more on podcasts and blogs to find a connection with the church.

Thanks and God Bless you!

Cat

Did you read other blogs? If so, which are your favorites? I didn’t see any favorite links on the page and was curious.

Thank you for having the courage and taking the time to blog. It means a lot to some of us.

On a news note, your brother bishop Thomas Olmsted has just had published through Basilica Press a new booklet called “Catholics in the Public Square” addressing the moral responsibility Catholics have to properly form their consciences as they live the gospel through their actions in the public square. It addresses the important questions of the day especially as they concern voting and politics.

I recommend that your office secure copies for review and possible use.

See you in January at the March for Life.

Best regards,

John Jakubczyk
Arizona Right to Life
Phoenix, AZ

Unlike Augustine, I find myself called to married life. However, it has been impossible for me to meet anyone of like age, interests and even religion. I have, therefore, struggled to hold fast for that person, and involved myself with women who do not share my religious convictions. Do you have any suggestions on how I can meet, or hold on until I do meet, a good Catholic woman. Again, thank you for your time and consideration.

granted it IS difficult, as we often tend to confuse our pain and grief with “vengeance, revenge or some form of “justice” . . . but in the Lord’s prayer (The Our Father) we say, “forgive Us OUR trespasses as WE forgive those who trespass against US.” — as we are all tainted by “the human condition’ we often fail at doing, trying or achieving this (and i’ll bet there are many Amish who hold their true emotions in check today) . . . but it is what our goal should be.

thank you for allowing me to interject these thoughts here . . . i am sure that Cardinal Sean will address your question with greater thought.

As a lapsed Irish Catholic from Boston in his late 20′s, I can tell you that your blog is an excellent way to connect with the younger generation. I have found it fascinating to read and do hope that you continue it while back in Boston.

Thank You and God Bless!

I enjoy your blog. It’s exciting that a cardinal of the Catholic Church should even have a weblog. I think you should post about theology and philosophy. You could post on things taught in the Catechism and the Bible, and explain on them even more. It would be a great way to catechize people online!! I’ll say a few prayers for you.

God Bless!

I first wish to offer my congratulations to you on your elevation to the College of Cardinals. You have a wealth of experiences too offer the Church.

I appreciate you sharing your trip to the Eternal City with us. I enjoyed reading about the Baptism you perfomed in St. Peter’s. What a grace filled moment.

I continue on my vocation journey, closer to Ordination. I thank you for your kindness and friendship to me.

May the Good Lord continue to Bless you in your ministry.

Oremus Pro Unvicem,

Richard

My friend is your friend also. My friend is Reverend John Ayoob Pastor of Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Moon Township PA. He sends me Post cards from his holidays. He was just in Italy for two weeks. Father Ayoob and you served together in Prison Ministry in Butler PA.

Best wishes for Health and Courage in your service.

I have enjoyed reading your daily postings from your recent trip to Rome. I was so pleased to learn that you plan to continue with the postings.

Graham Lake
London, United Kingdom

Your blog is truly warm and wonderful and inspiring, and I’m not even catholic. As the late Oriana Fallaci said, “If an atheist and a pope [Papa Ratzi] think the same things, there must be something true.”

My question for you, should you find time and interest to respond in a future post, is what are we to make of the Amish community’s forgiveness of the torturer and murderer of their children? My thinking is that their response is only the other side of the coin of Islamic radicals’ violent response to the slightest offense. In my view, both — presumably justified by religious arguments — are not only extreme but inhuman. The Amish response amounts to appeasement of bad behavior, which would seem to encourage rather than restrain future bad acts.

Thank you for taking the time to maintain this blog. It is so wonderful to get a glimpse into the great work that you do as our Archbishop.

— Vince

Every place I went this past weekend, everyone was raving about your blog. It would appear that not as many people respond on your blog as compared to the vast numbers of those who read it.

YOU ARE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

The Lord give you peace!