With regard to your previous posts about the style of addressing cardinals and other officials, I feel that I must disagree with the other comments. It is important the community respects all of its prelates and the style “Eminence” is just that, a matter of respect, and in my case, admiration for the wonderful work that I read about.

Best Wishes

Thank you for speaking out so passionately about vocations to the priesthood. Please include prayers and exhortation for vocations to religious life for women and men. Again thank you for your powerful witness to our faith.

Sr. Cathy Beckley

Thank you for sharing your pictures and your experiences in Ethiopia by the way. I went to an Ethiopian mass once many years ago, and their celebrations are so full of life, it’s admirable.

Anyway, this is just a quick message. May 2007 bring you love and peace.

All the best,
Concepta

I do not have as much time for concentrated prayer on a daily basis right now, but am still able to do 2-3 days a week of my lunch hour prayer.

I just wanted to reiterate Cardinal Sean’s point that you need to make time for prayer every day in your life if you want to hear the Lord’s will for you and receive the grace to respond to His will.

Thanks for the fascinating articles. I love seeing the story of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Catholics. They are the most beautiful people on earth. I’m glad that they are able to worship in the Cathedral. I understand that because they worship in a different rite and are immigrants, there is not always an opportunity for them to build their own church immediately. Perhaps there can be misunderstandings. It’s tough; we always look for opportunities to reach out to other Christians, and sometimes the sui juris Churches have their own problems that are hard to see.

Thank you so much for your continued compassion toward survivors of sexual abuse by our Catholic Clergy. As a survivor myself of abuse I know all too well the importance of an apology and of not being overlooked. After many years the pain is still deep. I feel you recognize all survivors when you extend your words of healing toward those whom have been hurt by the church. Thank you for all your efforts to help people heal.

On a better note. I don’t get a chance to read all your blogs, but I think it was in a previous one that I read that you were planning a pilgrimage for Roman Catholics and those of the Eastern Rite to visit Rome and Turkey. Am I correct in this? My friend and I would be interested in this. Being out of the Diocese how can I keep informed about things like this? I imagine your blog is the way to go.

Thank you so much for this blog and all you do for the church.
We miss you here in Fall River.

I was thinking today that one beautiful outreach and expression of solidarity to all victims of child sexual abuse could be a chapel or shrine dedicated to all those children that have been sexually abused. You could even name it the Chapel of the Child Jesus.

Thank you for all you have done in helping to heal the church in Boston and the entire United States.

In Christ,

Sandor

I think that it doesn’t matter how they call you, because we are all Pastors of Christ.

In the Trinity:
Fr. Roberto Mena, S.T.
http://www.parishworld.net (Spanish and English articles and my spanish blog).

You are a prince of the church and According to international treaty, you hold the rank of prince. I recommend the poster who didn’t like your title read, “The ceromonial life and protocal of the Roman Catholic church” by James Noonan. It is fascinating.

Isn’t there a Coptic rite as well as the Ge’ez rite?? I find it interisting there are 22 churches that make up the catholic church. And now we have the Roman Rite Anglican use parishes in Boston ( I think there are two). Is the Pastoral provision temporary or will other priest be trained in this mannor and this be allowed to continue??

Didn’t Our Holy Father John Paul mentioned something like liturgiesof the East and West is breathing with both lungs.

Have a good week.

Jim H

I beg your blessing!

Kurt Mizzi

Que Dios y la Virgen le bendigan y acompañen siempre.

Myriam Frias-Dox

I enjoy your blog a great deal, many thanks for writing it. With regard to the style “Your Eminence” I consider it a wonderful privelege for me to use. I am a fairly recent (last Easter) convert from Protestantism. All of the trappings of Catholicism: the smells and bells of the liturgy, the reverence for the Pope, icons and statues of the saints; it’s like rediscovering my birthright. A healthy reverence for our bishops, the descendants of the apostles, only (in my mind) helps to reinforce that the Church is not some modern creation but rather the Bridegroom of Christ preserved through the ages. When I call you (or more locally Cardinal McCarrick) ‘Your Eminence’ it is more my privelege than yours.

I continue to read with great interest your postings.
Wishing you every blessing.

I have the honour to be Your Eminences’s devoted and obedient servant.

Pax et Bonum, Graham Lake

I was at the mass you said two years ago when my mother was inducted into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre on Cape Cod. I was deeply moved by your homily and continue to discuss it with my mother to this day.

The Holy Cross Cathedral is not my parish, but I would like travel there if that is where you say mass. I have looked around on different websites for information on where/when you will say mass, but cannot seem to find it. In your blog, you refer to what you have done, but do not really mention too much about what is coming up for you.

Anyway, if it would not be much trouble, could you let the me (your readers) know where they can find information on where/when you will be saying mass. I would travel far and wide to hear you deliver the homily every Sunday.

Best regards,

Brian Halligan

While I admit, addressing you by your new title takes some getting used to, it is important. Not ridiculous in the least.

The title “your eminence” referrs to placing the office of the cardinal in high esteem. This is not something which is necessarily reflective on the particular person, but on the office.

It is a title of respect, and I must say that you and your role as bishop and cardinal are deserving of much respect.

There is only one great high priest and He is Jesus Christ. It is not easy for a human being to remain a celibate. In fact emotions make us as human as God wants us to be. Or else we will be living robots. There are many who can hide from the burdens of this world but not themselves. If they are more courageous with themselves, they might save themselves from a lot of unnecessary mistakes and regrets that will live with them for all their lives to come. I watched a confession to the world by this man via the television. The words which he used to entice his victims were so full of love that if I had been the victim, I would not know exactly what was in his mind before the attack. It is scary.

It takes courage on your part and on the part of others to rectify the situation. Please do keep up this good and holy work. It is a holy act not to harm others.

Eve

Thank you for the photos and description of the Ge’ez liturgy – what a great way to reflect on the mystery of the Epiphany! And the vocation event looks very encouraging too.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us. I look forward every week to reading your blog. I’m very impressed that you are able to find time in your busy schedule to pen your thoughts and reach out into the deep. Your openness to the Lord and his people have been a great inspiration to us and we are very envious of the people of Boston who are so lucky and blessed to have a Shepherd in the mould of the Good Shepherd Himself.

God bless you, dear Cardinal and all the people under your care.

Andrew
From Malaysia