Everyone was very pleased by the great outpouring of enthusiasm and love for the archdiocese that was evidenced in the celebration of the Mass closing the Bicentennial Year.

We opened the Bicentennial Year on the first Sunday of Advent, which is the first Sunday of the liturgical year. We ended the Bicentennial celebration on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Feast of Christ the King, which was a very fitting occasion to conclude our celebration.

The Feast of Christ the King is a beautiful time for us to reflect on our history. The gospel is from Matthew 25, and it described the time Jesus tells the Apostles: “What you did not do for the least ones, you did not do for me.”

In my homily, I said this prompts us to reflect on the history of the good works of the Church and how we are trying to fulfill that special command from Jesus to have a special love for the poor, the sick and the disenfranchised.

I also spoke on Jesus’ new commandment: that we seek the love that should unite us as disciples in his body. It is the kind of love that is nourished in the Eucharist. I challenged all of our people—as I did in the beginning of the Bicentennial Year — to be Apostles of the Sabbath, to be a welcoming and inviting Church, to gather people around the Eucharist, to bring people to Christ.

We were pleased that Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop Hughes and so many other bishops and more than 150 priests participated.

There were also many deacons and religious there, as well representatives from the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver, the Order of Malta, the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher, the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters.

When I looked out into the crowded pews, I saw so many different ethnic communities, parishes and various youth groups. I was struck by how the catholicity of the Church was showcased by the liturgy and particularly the music. It was so beautiful to hear the intercessions expressed in different languages of the Church in Boston. We were also pleased to see a strong turnout from the new Syro-malabar parish.

I was also very happy that Father John Connolly arranged for the Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums to play before the Mass. They added a great festive spirit to our celebration.

During the Mass, we blessed the Bicentennial Plaque, which will be a permanent marker at the cathedral of this remarkable year.

Also at the Mass, after Communion, we awarded our new Cheverus Medal to 68 individuals who have given outstanding service to the Church. The nominations for the medal came to the regional bishops, who then submitted them to me. They are all people who have given years of service to the Church. Being able to present the medal for the first time was very special.

My plan is to have the pastors and the parish councils recommend people, particularly volunteers, for the Cheverus Medal based on years of generous service, which will be awarded every year on the Feast of Christ the King.

Bishop Cheverus was a very holy missionary. He lived his faith courageously, during a terrible time of persecution, coming here from France with Father Matignon. At the time, they were the only priests in Boston.

These two men really established the Catholic Church in Boston.

Bishop Cheverus was the first bishop and his motto: “Diligamus nos invicem” or “Let us Love One Another,” which is inscribed on the medal, is a reminder of the new commandment that we must love one another.

I’d like to share my homily with all of you here:

Thursday I offered Mass for all of you and for the whole Archdiocese at the tomb of St. Peter, the Rock on which Christ has built His Church.  As we gather to celebrate 200 years of our history as the Church of Boston, we thank God for the blessings we have received and ask forgiveness for our failures. 

Today, I recall something I have heard Tom Finneran say on various occasions, a declaration that has touched me very deeply.  He says that no government, no other Church, no organization, no political party has fed, clothed, educated as many people, cared for as many sick, buried the dead or even begun to perform the works of mercy performed by the Catholic Church.

In our short history, the Catholics of Boston, despite the many challenges and the prejudices against us, we have made many contributions to our local community.  In the last century our Archdiocese’s Catholic elementary schools educated 1.1 million students.  A half a million students graduated from our high schools, Catholic orphanages cared for over 25,000 orphans.  Catholic Hospitals have served 3.5 million individuals.  In the last four decades, the Archdiocese’s Urban Planning Office has provided permanent affordable housing for 11,000 people and the number of those served by our Catholic social services, food pantries, Cor Unum, St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities is estimated to be in the millions of individuals.

We are not here to brag.  In the Gospel, Jesus tells us:  “When you have done all you have been commanded, say:  ‘We are useless servants; we have only done what we had to do.’”  (Luke 17:10)   Perhaps we should have done more.  More than pride, we feel gratitude that Christ gave us the faith and love to be able to do what we have done.  We have simply done what He commanded us, to love our neighbor, to feed the hungry, care for the sick, share with the poor.  And all things we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we are doing for Jesus.  And what we fail to do to them, we fail to do to Jesus.

Among the stories I remember from childhood, I recall one about a good king who disguised himself as a peasant and traveled around his kingdom to get to know his people, their reality, their suffering so as to be a better king.

Jesus is the good king that comes to us in human vesture as a good shepherd.  He does not come to get to know us, but so that we can know Him, so that we can experience His love.  He came to teach us about love so that we can learn to love and thus become part of His Kingdom.

As children we used to play hide and seek.  Our God is playing hide and seek with us.  He hides in the form of a little baby.  He hides in the form of bread.  And when our God is crucified, He is the most hidden.  And today’s parable reminds us that our God is to be found hiding behind the faces and places of suffering people:  the old woman with Alzheimer’s, the drug-addict, the AIDS patient, the homeless schizophrenic off his meds, the autistic teenager.  They are the ones Jesus calls the least of our Brothers and Sisters, the ones He identifies with completely.  They are as Mother Teresa says, Jesus in a distressing disguise.

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has commented that the Gospels indicate that Jesus uses the expression “Brothers and Sisters” to describe two categories of people.  First there are the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the least of our brothers and sisters in today’s Gospel.  Jesus also uses the expression “Brothers and Sisters” to describe His followers, the members of the Church, those who are striving to follow Him, to do the Father’s Will, to be members of His family, the Church.

Today, we gather to celebrate the fact that in Christ we are truly brothers and sisters.  Sometimes there are tensions in a family.  There are sibling rivalries.  But discipleship in the Church means being brothers and sisters in the Lord.

On the night before His death on the cross, Jesus gathered his Apostles in the upper room.  There He bid us farewell and gave us a New Commandment and a new Sacrament.  The Great Commandment had been that we love God above all else and that we love our neighbor as ourselves.  But now at the end of His time on earth, Jesus gives us the New Commandment.  He washes the feet of His disciples as a striking gesture of what Eucharist is about, and He gives us a New Commandment:  “Love one another as I love you.”  This commandment is directed in a special way to those who are members of the Church, Jesus’ disciples, Jesus’ family.  We must love each other as Jesus loves us. Jesus’ love is the measuring stick for the fraternity that must characterize the community of faith.

Love as Jesus loves:  those are our marching orders.  How did Jesus love us?  Jesus loved us first, while we were still in sin, still indifferent to His love.  So often we wait for others to love us, forgive us, give us something—then we reciprocate.  But Jesus wants us to love first, to forgive others, to the end, to the point of laying down our life.

John the Evangelist wrote about the New Commandment in his description of the Last Supper.  It is said that at the end of His life, St. John the Apostle was in exile on the Island of Patmos.  He lived in a cave in the hills.  Each Sunday they carried St. John to the village to preach at the Sunday Eucharist.  And each Sunday John gave the same sermon.  Finally someone had enough courage to ask why he always preached the same sermon, he said that he preached, “Little children, love one another” each Sunday, because when the Master walked with us on the earth, Jesus said over and over again:  “love one another.”  Our first Bishop, Bishop Cheverus had these words as his motto – Diligamus nos invicem: “Let us love one another.”  These are the words inscribed on the Cheverus Medal.

Jesus wants us to be brothers and sisters to the poor and suffering.  He also wants us to be brothers and sisters in a very special way with our fellow members of the Church, the family of Christ.  At the first Eucharist, the Last Supper, Jesus gives us the new commandment of fraternal love among His disciples, and He gives up the gift of Himself in the Eucharist so that we might have the strength to make a gift of ourselves to God and to one another.

In the Eucharist, we discover God’s love, who we are, and why we are here in this world. 

In his homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Pope Benedict commented on the stained-glass windows.  When we look at them from outside, they seem dark and dreary, but inside the Church the windows are splendid with a light and color and a beauty that teaches the mysteries of faith.  One can only really appreciate the beauty of the Church from the inside.  The Church is a gift to mankind, which has been brought into being according to the eternal plan of God.  Her mission is to continue Christ’s work of salvation.  The Church is at the service of our authentic freedom by opening a window onto God and the eternal, the Church takes us beyond the limitations of this world, it points to the depths of God’s love for us.

We must never tire of inviting people to come into the Church, to discover the beauty and light inside.  Part of our mission is to build up the body of Christ, the Church, by being an inviting and welcoming community.  Be Apostles of the Sabbath.

In the year 304 in North Africa a number of Christians were arrested for gathering together to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday.  When the pro consul challenged them for doing what was forbidden, a Christian named Emeritus answered:  Quoniam sine dominico non possumus – “Without the day of the Lord, we cannot live.”  Pope Benedict commented on this history by saying “For them it was not a question of a choice between one precept and another, but rather a choice between all that gave meaning and consistency to live and a life devoid of meaning.”

The Sunday Mass obligation is a sign of fidelity, but it is not an external legalism.  We have an obligation to celebrate our Mom’s or Dad’s birthday, but we do not see that as a constraint or an imposition but rather an expression of our love, of who we are.  If we want to love God and love our neighbor and yet do not want to join our neighbor in worshipping God, then something essential is missing in our lives.  Being a Catholic today more than ever means being an Apostle of the Sabbath, helping the Good Shepherd to gather His people so that we can be Christ’s Family, Christ’s very Body.

A year ago we began our observance of the Bicentennial on the first Sunday of Advent.  I asked our Catholic people to put a light in the window harkening back to the old Irish custom at Christmas time.  In the Penal Days it meant that a Mass was to be celebrated clandestinely in a home.  It was also seen as a sign that there was room in the inn, that the Holy Family would be welcomed there.

At the end of our observance of the Bicentennial Year, I ask you again to place the light in the window.  Christ said:  “let your light shine before men.”  Today’s Gospel reminds us that that light is love – a love that is spontaneous and gratuitous, a love that is a response to God who first loved us.

Our task is to work together to make Christ’s Kingdom of love, truth, justice, and peace more present and more visible.  It is a great challenge, but we are the Church of the Martyrs, the witnesses of the Church’s faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in the mission of His Church.  It is never easy.

In 1927 on this very date, November 23, a young Jesuit priest, Father Miguel Pro, 36 years old – that is young for a Jesuit – stood before a firing squad in Mexico City.  He declined the blindfold and stood with a crucifix in one hand and a Rosary in the other.  As the soldiers took aim, he shouted with every fiber of his being – “Viva Cristo Rey” – “Long live Christ the King!”

Today we stand in the shadow of the Cross, that living symbol of God’s love and shout “Viva Cristo Rey.”  Let us rededicate our lives to the mission that Christ has entrusted to us.  Let us serve Christ in the poor and the sick.  Let us love each other as Brothers and Sisters in the Lord.  Only what is done in love will last.  Only love brings life and joy.  As today’s Gospel tells us, all the way to heaven is heaven.

The Good Shepherd is gathering us and feeding us to make us collaborators in His Mission.  He is inviting us to inherit His Kingdom of love and of joy.  On Good Friday, the people shouted, “We have no king but Caesar.”  Today we say, “We have no King but Christ.”  Together, let us make our lives a prayer – “Thy Kingdom come.  Thy Kingdom come!”

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During the course of my meetings in Rome last week, I had the opportunity to see a number of friends.  I was hoping to mention them last week but I was waiting to receive the photos.

Every time I visit Rome, I enjoy meeting the local priests and seminarians who are spending time there. So this time was no different and I had dinner with a number of them.

Here I am with Msgr. Bob Deeley who is on lend-lease at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Eric Bennett, a Boston seminarian studying in Rome; Father John Cappucci, who was in Rome on Sabbatical and is coming back to become Pastor of St. Malachy’s in Burlington; Msgr. Paul McInerny who is teaching at the Urbaniana University; Father Derek Borek, who is studying in Rome and my secretary, Father Jonathan Gaspar.

I also want to mention that Father Jose Herrera, a priest from the Virgin Islands who is currently a military chaplain in Vicenza in Northern Italy, came down to spend a couple of days in Rome while we were there.

Another evening, I was happy to have the chance to have dinner with Mary Ann Glendon, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and Father David Pignato, a priest of Fall River, who is studying for his doctorate with the view to becoming a professor at our St. John’s Seminary.

It was wonderful, especially hearing Ambassador Glendon’s reactions to what is happening in the Church and the world today.  She is so knowledgeable about world affairs and the situation of the Church.

Many friends in Italy have told me what a positive impression Ambassador Glendon has made. She has been interviewed on Italian television many times and she speaks excellent Italian. Although her tenure in Rome has not been a long one, she has made a wonderful contribution and one that all Americans can be proud of.

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Saturday night I was at the Bishop James Augustine Healy Award Dinner. Every fall, the Office of Black Catholics presents the Healy Award to an outstanding member of the community.

At this year’s dinner, held at The Lantana in Randolph, the award was presented to Mercedes Evans, who is an attorney at the Massachusetts College of Art.

Bishop Boles introducing Mercedes Evans

Mercedes grew up in Baltimore, where she went to Catholic schools. I learned that her mother studied with the Sisters of Providence, which  is a community of black Catholic sisters founded in that city.

It was wonderful to see Mercedes joined by her children and her brothers and sisters. Bishop Boles, who for many years was her pastor, introduced her.

Also at the dinner, there was a keynote address delivered by Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn Guy Sansaricq, who is Haitian.  

When I began the Haitian Apostolate in Washington in 1972, Bishop Sansaricq was the one I turned to for help. He was then the pastor of a very large Haitian parish in Brooklyn. I was so pleased to hear that he was named a bishop.

This is, of course, his second visit to the archdiocese this year. The Haitian Catholics had their annual convention here in Boston earlier this year and he was part of that event. It was good of him to deliver the keynote and stay for the closing Mass of the Bicentennial Year the next day.

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Monday night, I was in the North End with members of Memores Domini. This is a lay institute of consecrated life that came of out Msgr. Luigi Giussani’s Communion and Liberation movement in Italy.

The members are men and women who live in communities and make promises of poverty, chastity and obedience. They also promise to live by the rules and spirituality of the movement.

In Italy, there are many professionals, especially doctors, who are Memores Domini. A number of members have come here from Italy and formed a community here in Boston.

In the past, popes would have nuns operate their households, but Pope Benedict XVI has consecrated laywomen members of Memores Domini instead.

The gathering Monday was a dinner to celebrate that one of the members, Alessandro, is going back to Milan to make his profession.

There are four members in Boston, and they have a larger community of women in New York City. My understanding is that they have hundreds of professed members around the world, but they are strongest in Italy.

Each year, they have an annual gathering in Rimini, Italy, called “Il Meeting,” at the seaside resort of Rimini, Italy, which is attended by one million young people. This week of religious and cultural activities is the largest in Italy.

The Communion and Liberation movement has made a very valuable contribution to spiritual formation, especially with university and high school students, first in Italy, and now throughout the world.

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Finally, this week is, of course, Thanksgiving.  As Christmas approaches, these times that are meant to be joyful are often times of sorrow for people experiencing hardship.

This year, given the economic crisis in our country, Thanksgiving should be a time when we are mindful of our obligation to share of our blessings when so many people are in need.

I am looking forward to visiting with my family because I did not have an opportunity to be with them last year. We will have a Mass and large dinner with many O’Malley’s!

Cardinal Seán

The main theme for the meeting was monastic life and its significance in the Church and the world today.

At the meeting, we tried to address some of the issues and challenges that monastic communities are facing. In Europe and North America we are facing a decline in the number of vocations as well as the progressive aging of monks and nuns. At the same time there are signs of hope. For instance, I met there a young Cistercian nun who is the superior of a flourishing community in Denmark. Also, in other parts of the world like Asia, Africa and Latin America, vocations to monastic life are growing.

Currently, there are 12,876 monks living in 905 monasteries and 48,493 contemplative nuns living in 3,520 monasteries, two-thirds of which are found in Europe. Spain has, by far, the most of any country.

At the plenary meeting there were cardinals, bishops and religious. Among those attending were the Father General of the Franciscans, Father Jose Rodriguez Carballo and Father Aldolfo Nicolas, the Father General of the Jesuits. There were also a number of monks and nuns, who made presentations on the experience of monastic life in the Church today.

During the plenary meeting, Cardinal Franc Rode, who is the prefect of the Congregation, told us how fondly he remembered his trip to Boston in September and the Symposium on Religious Life he attended at Stonehill College.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Congregation’s audience with the Holy Father on Thursday. The audience was at the Sala Clementina or Clementine Hall, which is a magnificent hall inside the Vatican, where the pope holds his larger audiences. The ceiling is two stories high and was built by Pope Clement VIII.

The pope greeted all of us personally and made an address. Though, as of today, the full text of the Holy Father’s remarks is available online only in Italian, I did find a Vatican Information Service bulletin which gives a nice summary of the pope’s remarks in English:

The Pope today received participants in the plenary assembly of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year. The assembly was held from 18 to 20 November.

Having recalled the theme of the meeting — “Monastic life and its significance in the Church and the world today” —the Holy Father indicated that “consecrated persons are a special part of the People of God. Supporting and protecting their faithfulness to the divine call is the fundamental role you play”, he told the members of the dicastery.

Benedict XVI expressed the view that the work of these days, “which focused particularly on female monastic life, may provide useful guidance to monks and nuns who ‘seek God”, practising their vocation for the good of the whole Church”. In this context he recalled how during his address last September to the world of culture in Paris, France, he had “highlighted the exemplary nature of monastic life in history, and underlined how its aim is both simple and essential: ‘quaerere Deum’, seeking God and seeking Him through Jesus Christ Who revealed Him, seeking Him by fixing one’s gaze on the invisible truths that are eternal, in the expectation of the glorious manifestation of the Saviour”.

“When consecrated people live the Gospel radically, when people dedicated to an entirely contemplative life profoundly cultivate the nuptial bond with Christ, … then monasticism can, for all forms of religious and consecrated life, become a reminder of what is of essential and primary importance for all the baptised: seeking Christ and placing nothing before His love.

“The way indicated by God for this search and this love is His own Word”, the Pope added, “abundantly present in the books of Sacred Scripture for mankind to reflect upon”.

The recent Synod on the Word of God “renewed its appeal to all Christians to root their lives in listening to the Word of God as contained in Sacred Scripture, and invited religious communities in particular, and all consecrated men and women, to make the Word of God their daily sustenance, especially through the practice of ‘lectio divina’”.

The Holy Father concluded by expressing the hope that “monasteries may increasingly become oases of ascetic life, where the allure of the nuptial union with Christ is felt, and where the choice of the Absolute … is immersed in a climate of constant silence and contemplation”.

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Another highlight of the trip was a visit to my titular church in Rome, Santa Maria della Vittoria, or Our Lady of the Victory.

The Carmelite Fathers who operate the church arranged for me to celebrate Mass there Sunday. Though it is a magnificent church, it is fairly small, so it was filled to capacity.

The bulletin on the door announcing that I will celebrate the Mass

The interior of Santa Maria della Vittoria

The choir was lovely and I was joined by the Capuchin Roman Provincial, Father Carmine De Filippis, and many of the friars.

Speaking with Father De Filippis before the Mass

Hanging over the door of the church you can see the pope’s coat of arms to the left and mine to the right, indicating it is my titular church.

One of the first cardinals to have Santa Maria della Vittoria as his titular Church was Napoleon’s uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fesch.

They say that Napoleon wanted to take the beautiful Bernini statue of the Transverberation of St. Teresa back to Paris but his uncle stopped him. They told me that story when I said I wanted to bring the statue back to Boston!

After the Mass, with the Carmelite friars who are in charge of Our Lady of the Victory Church. I am very thankful of all their work there and very grateful of their welcoming every time I visit. 

After the Mass, the Capuchin provincial invited us to visit the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception.

The Church and convent, which is located on the Via Vittorio Veneto, was built by a Capuchin cardinal, Cardinal Antonio Barberini, who was the brother of Pope Urban VIII. The church, built in the 17th century, is the first in Rome that was named for the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

It is a very historical church, but it is mostly known because of its crypt-ossarium, a capuchin cemetery, that contains the skulls and skeletons of nearly 4,000 capuchin friars buried there between 1528 and 1870.

Pope Urban brought the remains of St. Justin Martyr to this Church which are located under the altar. St. Justin is one of the most well known martyrs of the early Church. He was martyred in the second century.

St. Felix of Cantalice, one of the first capuchin saints is also buried there. His feast day is May 18. You can read about his life here.

There are also beautiful paintings, including this one of the Archangel Michael fighting Lucifer, painted by Guido Reni.

Also in the church is this painting of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen. Born in 1577 in current day Germany, Mark Roy — he took the name Fidelis upon entering the order — was a lawyer who eventually became a capuchin friar.  You can read more about him here.

The Church is the burial place of several Capuchin cardinals, which are in the central aisle.

Among those is the tomb of Cardinal Barberini, whose epitaph reads “Hic iacet pulvis cinis et nihil” which means. “Here lies dust, ashes and nothing.”

On Thursday, after the audience with the Holy Father, we had Mass in the Chapel of the Madonna of Partorienti.  The chapel is in one of the grottoes underneath St. Peter’s Basilica very near the tomb of St. Peter.  I offered for the people of Boston and particularly for God’s blessing upon us on this Bicentennial year.

On Sunday, we will be celebrating the closing of the Bicentennial year of the archdiocese with a Mass that will take place at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 2 p.m. We are looking forward to that beautiful liturgy and I encourage all of you to attend.

In Christ,

Cardinal Seán

There were several discussions in our regional meetings and when we gathered as bishops in our executive sessions.

Many ideas were proposed. Out of those, Cardinal Francis George, the Archbishop of Chicago and the president of the conference, distilled a very good statement that reflects a strong and unified sentiment of the Catholic bishops of the United States.

Therefore, I have asked that the statement be read or distributed at all the parishes at Sunday Masses.

Of course, we are eager to work with the incoming president and cooperate with the government on the good works that the Church has been involved in historically, such as serving the poor, in social services, education and working for peace and reconciliation.

But, we want to make it very clear that as Catholics we are committed to work to establish just laws that will protect human life, which is the most basic of all rights.

We realize there are many threats on the horizon, particularly the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act.” The intent of FOCA is to make abortion much more common and to have these abortions funded by the people’s tax dollars.  It would also remove any possibility of parental oversight. FOCA would be a radical and disastrous legislation that we need to make people aware of.

We also want to point out that the outcome of the presidential election was in great part a result of the economic crisis and our global involvement in the war on terrorism, particularly in Iraq. It was not a mandate for a liberalization of laws concerning abortion or marriage. In fact, some of the states that voted for President-elect Obama also passed referendums defending traditional marriage.

The pro-life cause will always be at the center of the Catholic social teaching.

There is not some “new way” of being pro-life by saying, “I am going to work for economic justice” and that, somehow, is going to substitute for trying to put guarantees in the laws that will protect human life from the first moment of conception.

Traditionally, the Church has worked for a more just social order and to provide services and help to women in difficult straits. But, we must not lose sight of the serious obligation that we have to work for just legislation.

Cardinal George expresses those themes very eloquently in his statement drafted on behalf of the bishops conference that I am sharing with you today:

STATEMENT of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
"If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil." (Psalm 127, vs. 1)

The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States welcome this moment of historic transition and look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all. Because of the Church’s history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad. The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods.

The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents. A good state protects the lives of all. Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This was bad law. The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself.

In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any "interference" in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.

Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.

FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.

On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.

The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.

This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful. We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation. The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.

Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government. Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected "watchman." (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.

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The assembly with the bishops in Baltimore was very productive. Our plenary session began Monday morning, but we have always added committee meetings before and after our general session. This saves time and money on travel because we are already together.

The view from the hotel

I arrived Friday night because Saturday morning I had the administrative board meeting, and then in the afternoon, I chaired the committee meeting on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

Meeting with the Committee  on Immigration

Also on Saturday and Sunday, I participated with the committees on Latin America, Africa, Immigration and pro-life activities. Sunday, I also attended the board meeting for the National Shrine.

The pro-life committee

It was a busy weekend, and so much of the business of the bishops conference is done in the committee meetings, where we have participation from bishops, priests, religious and the laity.

One of the highlights of the trip was the dinner hosted by the Military Archdiocese on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.  Three of our priests who are working with the military attended with me, Coast Guard Chief of Chaplains Father Bill Cuddy, Father Paul Hurley and Father John McLaughlin. Father McLaughlin is on loan to the Military Archdiocese to support and increase vocations to the military chaplain corps.

At the dinner, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the ordinary of the Military Archdiocese, gave a talk about the heroic work of military chaplains and how important they are. He expressed his gratitude to the dioceses that are sending chaplains.

In my office with Archbishop Broglio earlier this year

There is a terrible shortage of chaplains. It is my hope that more bishops will see their way to share their clergy with the Military Archdiocese. It is an important way to reach young people at a time in their lives when the most need the Church to be present.

I took some photos of the gathering with my cell-phone camera

The entertainment for the dinner was provided by the Army Chorus, which gave us a great performance

At the dinner, there was a chaplain recruiting poster whose message struck me: “Taking God to Soldiers and Taking Soldiers to God.” I hope you can make it out

We were very happy to have Catholic TV at the fall assembly with us and they interviewed a number of the bishops. Many of the bishops thanked me for the wonderful mission and services of our Catholic Television.

Kevin Nelson, Bonnie Rodgers and Tim Stonesifer of CatholicTV

One of the presentations given before the meeting began was on the importance of new technology. They talked about blogs and other ways to use the Internet to spread the Word. Of course, with all the committee meetings I could not attend, but I really felt re-affirmed in my own blog.

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Friday, we had our annual gathering of the alumni at St. John’s Seminary. Over 140 priests came for the Holy Hour and we all had dinner together. For some of the priests, it was their first time back in the seminary in years.

Many of them were impressed to see how beautifully the chapel has been refurbished. We were also encouraged by the increased number of seminarians, who joined us.

The alumni night was an opportunity for the priests to see their classmates—especially those who are serving in other dioceses and join them at the celebration.

Of course, we are very grateful to Father Arthur Kennedy, the rector, and the rest of the seminary community for hosting what is always a fine event.

Until next time, blessings to you all!

Cardinal Seán

The election of an African-American as president certainly is a historic moment in our history. Hopefully, it indicates that the worst legacies of slavery and racism are behind us. It is also a sign to the world that the majority of Americans do believe in equality and want to promote racial equality in our country and in the world. Our prayer is that the new administration and the new Congress will work for a just and lasting peace and to protect the dignity of human life in all its stages, from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death.

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Sunday, I attended the 2008 Humanitarian Award Dinner in New York City for the group Hope for a Healthier Humanity. The organization was founded by Dr. Mary Healey-Sedutto, who was the CEO of Catholic hospitals in New York under Cardinal O’Connor, and her husband, to provide support for the Latin American missions.

Dr. Sedutto

The dinner is sponsored by the law firm Ropes and Gray every year and is a major fundraiser for the organization. The dinner was held at the firm’s office on the Avenue of the Americas in Mid-town Manhattan.

Speaking with Cardinal Rodriguez

This year, they honored Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Madariaga, the president of Caritas Internationalis and the archbishop of  Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Cardinal Rodriguez has been a supporter of Hope for a Healthier Humanity since the beginning.

There were many priests from the Archdiocese of New York there, as well as many Franciscans from the Immaculate Conception Province. These are the friars that are here at the St. Francis Center and St. Leonard’s in the North End, and have missions in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.  These missions have been the beneficiaries of the medical services and supplies Hope for a Healthier Humanity provides.

Here in the archdiocese, we sponsor a similar organization, Caritas Por Cristo, which operates a health care mission with a focus on Ecuador. Our Por Cristo Health and Nutrition Center was started in Guayaquil 10 years ago and since then has provided care to thousands of the residents there, especially the women and children under five. The Community Health and Tuberculosis Project in Barrio Jaime Roldos was inspired by a missionary from the Society of St. James. The project offers free TB screenings and other services to combat infectious diseases.

In addition to its facilities and its modern medical equipment, Por Cristo brings our world-class doctors, nurses and technicians from the Caritas Christi system to some of the most underserved and underprivileged people in Latin America.

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On Halloween evening, the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults organized a Mass for young adults at St. Leonard’s Church in the North End.

Although it was Halloween, there was nothing really Halloween-ish about the night. The theme was all about the Feast of All Saints and the fraternity of bringing people together for socializing afterwards. Still, I didn’t really know what to expect. I thought some might show up in costumes.

In fact, some of the younger priests who attended told me that, as they walked through the North End, people kept asking them, “Are you a real priest? Is that a Halloween costume?”

The Mass started at 9 p.m. and afterwards there was a reception with coffee and pastries provided by the local merchants. The church was full for the event and it was quite an eclectic group. There were young adults form some of the ethnic ministries, the campus ministries of the various colleges and universities and from youth groups at some of the parishes.

This was the second event we had there. Last spring we had the Eucharistic Congress at St. Stephen’s, the Eucharistic Procession through the North End and the closing Mass at St. Leonard’s, which was a great success. It is a great venue to bring people together.

Our hope is to have an event in the North End every month. It is an area where young people tend to congregate. The inspiration came from what they have done in Rome at the Piazza Navona, at the Church of Santa Agnese. There they have Mass for young adults and Holy Hours and other activities, right in the heart of the night life for young people in Rome.

I want to thank Father Matt Williams, the vocations office and, of course, Father Antonio Nardoianni, the pastor of St. Leonard’s, who is always so gracious.

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Saturday, we visited with the Carmelite Sisters in Danvers to help them celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of their Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns. The sisters invited more than 1,200 people. I think all of them came and the weather was simply spectacular. Needless to say, the church was packed, and there was a large group of people outside.

Bishop Frank Irwin, who is very close to the community, concelebrated the Mass with me, as did many other priests. After the Mass, we all went through the cloister to the cemetery, where we prayed the litany at the graves of the founding sisters there.

The reception was held in the monastery garden with the sisters.

The community is obviously very much loved and many of their benefactors, friends and relatives accompanied them on this very important day.

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Saturday evening, I attended the Centennial Dinner of the cathedral parish of The Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Newton. It was a weekend long celebration and I was glad to be able to attend the banquet.

Archbishop Cyril Bustros of the Newton Eparchy was there and so was the Melkite Patriarch His Beatitude Gregory III. At the dinner, the Melkites presented me with this wonderful icon of the Annunciation.

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Later on that day, I attended a banquet in honor of His Beatitude Ignatius IV, Patriarch of the Antiochian Orthodox Church who is visiting the United States. I was very happy to be able to offer greetings on behalf of the archdiocese. The majority of their faithful in Syria and Lebanon and they have a very close affinity for the Catholic Church.

His Beatitude Ignatius IV

So, Saturday night, I was with two patriarchs, who both live in Damascus, very close to each other, one is Catholic and the other is Orthodox, and both happened to be in Boston on the same night.

Both men told me how involved they were in the Pauline Year and how significant it is in Damascus, which of course was the place of St. Paul’s conversion.

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Sunday was All Souls Day, and on this day, priests are allowed to celebrate three Masses. I celebrated my first Mass at the cathedral at 8 a.m. Afterwards, I went to celebrate Mass at St. Clare’s in Braintree with Father Paul Sughrue, the pastor, and join them for the 50th anniversary of their parish community. Then I celebrated a Mass for the Society of Saint James at Boston College High.

The Mass at St. Clare’s was a wonderful service, with great participation and enthusiastic singing. I told them I really felt particularly at home, especially now that our Pastoral Center is in their town. It is also nice that their 50th anniversary coincides with the 200th anniversary of the archdiocese.

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Later in the day, I celebrated Mass at Boston College High School for the St. James Society with retired Bishop John Boles, and then attended their annual banquet. The Cushing Dinner and the Cushing Awards are named for the society’s founder, Cardinal Richard Cushing. The current leader of the society is Msgr. Finbarr O’Leary.

The society gave the Cushing Award to three outstanding individuals Kathleen Driscoll, Patty Brett and Thomas Martin.

Kathleen Driscoll

Patty Brett

Tom Martin

The Cushing Award Medal itself was designed by Patty Brett

Cardinal Cushing died on All Souls Day, Nov. 2, 1970, and is buried in a simple grave at the Portiuncula Chapel at the St. Coletta Home for Special Needs Children.

Bishop Boles

Fifty years ago, he had the wonderful idea of sending regular diocesan priests to the missions of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Since its founding, the St. James Society has sent more than 300 priests to those countries, including Bishop Robert Hennessey. Many of those priests returned to serve in the Hispanic ministries of the archdiocese.

In recognition of their service I presented special lapel pins to the alumni priests who were present.

Presenting the lapel pins

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Tuesday night, I joined 50 or 60 young men discerning their vocation to the priesthood at a vocational dinner, called St. Andrews Dinner, organized by the Vocations Office.

The highlight of the evening was the speaking program when three of our seminarians shared their experiences with those attending.  I encourage all those young men to continue to discern if God is calling them.

Until next week, blessings!

+ Cardinal Seán

In defending the cause of life, we are not only fulfilling our vocation as Catholics, but we are also defending the vision of democracy that is embodied in the Declaration of Independence that states “We hold these truths to be self evident,” namely, that we are all created equal and are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, the first of which is the right to life.

Today, this most fundamental human right is threatened. As the Bishops of the United States have said in our document Living the Gospel of Life: “As we tinker with the beginning, the end, and even the intimate cell structure of life, we tinker with our own identity as a free nation dedicated to the dignity of the human person.”

If we ask ourselves what is the leading cause of death in the United States, we usually think of heart disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. Actually the leading cause of death in the United States is abortion. The architects of the pro-abortion movement in the United States thought that within a year or so the opposition would go away or die off. More than thirty years later the issue is still alive because people care about life, and an ever increasing number of young people are making it known that they too are committed to upholding respect for life.

The American people are not in favor of abortion on demand, partial birth abortion, or allowing babies who have survived an abortion to die. If we had the opportunity to vote as a nation there would certainly be limitations imposed on the abortion industry that destroys not just the lives of the babies but also the lives of all involved. A dictatorial court has imposed an unethical decision on our country and divided the American people.

We pray for the opportunity to allow the American people to have a voice in such a crucial issue. As people of compassion we must defend the rights of the most vulnerable. The Church’s social teaching is very coherent and extends to all aspects of economic justice, racial equality, war and peace, immigration, education and health care issues. But the centerpiece of our teaching will always be the right to life.

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Saturday, we held our annual Catechetical Congress at The Lantana in Randolph. We had about 600 catechists and religious education directors attend.  The group was almost evenly divided between the English and Spanish-speaking programs.

It was my privilege to deliver the keynote address this year, which I first gave in English and then separately in Spanish.

The name of the speech was “Passing on the Faith: An Imperative. Not an Option.” For those of you who weren’t in attendance, here is the audio of the my address in english

In Spanish:

I was very happy to present the Sister Marion O’Connor Award for Excellence in Catechetical Leadership to Carmen Guerrios from Holy Family Parish in Dorchester for the Spanish program and to Marge Donaher from St. Francis Parish in Braintree for the English program.

Pilar Latorre with Carmen Guerrios

Susan Kay with Marge Donaher

It was also wonderful to see Sister Clare Bertero receive an award in recognition of her tremendous work over the years in religious education. Sister Clare is now my personal assistant staffing two important committees: one is looking into faith formation for adults and the other is looking at catechetical texts and programs to identify best practices in religious education.

With Msgr. John McDonough, Susan Kay, Susan Abbott and Sister Clare Bertero

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Saturday Evening, I celebrated the Closing Mass of the four-day 32nd annual conference of the American Maritain Association at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton.

Maritain was a Catholic philosopher. Born in 1882, he was raised Protestant and converted to Catholicism, devoting his life to the study of St. Thomas Aquinas. He contended that natural law is at the foundation of human ethics and human rights. In fact, he was involved in the drafting of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The association is based at Notre Dame University, where Maritain once taught and where many of his writings are kept, and is dedicated to discussing and preserving his ideas. This year’s conference focused on the theme of “Love and Friendship,” based principally on the chapter of the same name in his collection of essays “Notebooks.”

It was an absolutely beautiful Mass. The seminary choir sang some magnificent polyphonic music for us in Latin.

After the Mass there was a reception at St. John’s, and then an awards banquet at the Marriott Courtyard Boston Tremont Hotel.

There were three awards presented during the evening. Father Joseph Koterski of Fordham University received the Maritain Medal for Scholarly Excellence and Stephen Chamberlain of Providence College received the Eve Simon Institute Graduate Student Award. I was very honored to be presented the association’s Humanitarian Award.

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Sunday, we visited St. Joseph Church in Medford as they celebrated their 125th anniversary.

Both Bishop Walter Edyvean and Bishop Francis Irwin are from that parish, so they were both there concelebrating the Mass with me.

With Bishop Irwin, Deacon Bob Breen, Father McLaughlin, Father Diem and Bishop Edyvean

Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn

It was a beautiful Mass and the church is simply stunning. The renovations that have been done to the building over the years have been done beautifully. The altars are beautiful carved wood from Oberammergau, Germany and the stained glass windows are stunning.

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Wednesday, I met with members of the visitation team of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) as well as members of the board of trustees at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston.

Every ten years religious schools must develop and submit a detailed self-study report as part of the process to reaffirm their accreditation from the ATS. The association is a membership organization of roughly 250 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant theological schools in the United States that reports directly to the U.S. Department of Education.

It was a very positive exchange and the visitation team seemed to be very impressed by the seminary. I know we are very impressed with the work that Father Peter Uglietto and his staff is doing there. We are so blessed as an archdiocese to have two seminaries that are both strong and vibrant as they prepare future priests for ministry.

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Finally I leave you this week with a photo of the view from my office window.  Our Pastoral Center overlooks Blue Hill Cemetery. This time of year the foliage is stunning, particularly at dusk. It is such a beautiful resting place.

And of course, in the coming days, as we will be celebrating the feasts of All Saints and All Souls, it is important that we pray for all those who have gone before us into the Kingdom. 

I think the following traditional prayer says it best: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

Until next week,

Cardinal Seán

Last weekend, during the Magnificat Pilgrimage of Hope, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Gaetan Boucharlat de Chazotte, who runs the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese of Lyons, France.  The Propagation of the Faith was founded in Lyons in 1822, to help the missions in the East and the West.

Back then, the United States was still considered "mission territory," and so the Propagation actually supported the Church in Boston.  Mr. Chazotte brought with him copies of letters that Bishop Fenwick had sent to the Propagation, looking for support for the Church here in Boston. 

You can see a copy of one of the letters below.  If you click on them, they will open in a new window, full-size. 

I didn’t realize Bishop Fenwick was so proficient in the French language.  He even signs his name "Benoit," for Benedict, his first name!

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The news from the Vatican - Synod of Bishops on the Bible now taking place in Rome is that an observer from Hong Kong suggested that the Holy Father begin a blog on Scripture. I would encourage him to do so! He is a wonderful teacher and it would be a great vehicle for him to be in touch with all of us.

Also, it is my understanding that Bishop Kicanas of Tucson is blogging from the synod to share his experiences there with the faithful of his diocese.

It is encouraging to see that more and more people are availing themselves of this modern technology as a way to spread the Good News.

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Last Thursday, we had a Mass and dinner for the Boston chapter of Legatus here at the Pastoral Center. There were 60 members there and I was asked to deliver the keynote address.

It was nice to see Andreas Widmer, the president of Legatus, again. He is a former member of the Swiss Guard and has been very active in helping organize our annual Men’s and Women’s Conferences.

I was pleased to host the event at the Pastoral Center because we are eager to have more groups come and see this grand new facility that is the headquarters for the archdiocese.

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On Friday, anticipating the Feast of St. Luke, the Guild of St. Luke, the organization for Catholic physicians, held their annual White Mass and dinner at St. John’s Seminary.

Greeting Dr. Joanne Angelo after the Mass

The Guild’s chaplain is Msgr. Timothy Moran and Dr. Helen Jackson is their president. I was very happy to celebrate the Mass and meet so many local Catholic doctors and other health care professionals, including a good contingent of medical students from both Boston University and Harvard medical schools.

The group from Harvard Medical School

The keynote speaker for the evening was Dr. Ralph de la Torre, the CEO of Caritas Christi Health Care. His talk was very impressive and gave us all a sense of his vision of the future of the archdiocese’s hospital system.

With Dr. de la Torre

At the dinner the Guild also presented their annual St. Martin De  Porres Award for an outstanding Catholic doctor to Dr. Frank D’Ambrosio, who is an ophthalmologist as well as a senior deacon.

Deacon D’Ambrosio

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Saturday, I traveled to Connecticut to join the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford in celebrating their 50th anniversary.

We have always had a close relationship with the former bishop, Bishop Basil Losten, so we were very happy to be invited by the current bishop, Bishop Paul Chomnycky, to be part of their celebration.

Bishop Chomnycky

As some may know, the Ukrainian Church has had a very difficult history of persecution in Ukraine. We are very happy that they are flourishing here. It was also an opportunity to meet with Eastern Rite Catholic bishops.

The ceremony was held at their seminary because their seminary chapel is actually larger than their cathedral!

The iconostasis, or icon screen, of the chapel is magnificent

The liturgy the Ukrainian Church uses, written by St. John Chrysostom, it is such a beautiful liturgy.

The Communion prayers are especially beautiful. Our Communion prayer is based on the words of the Centurion to Jesus: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. Say, but the word…”

They have a long prayer based on the words of the Good Thief: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom.” It is just beautiful.

I want to share it with you:

O Lord, I believe and profess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the World to save sinners, of whom I am the first. Accept me as a partaker of your mystical supper, O Son of God, for I will not reveal Your mysteries to our enemies, nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will I confess to You.

Remember me, O Lord, when You shall come into Your kingdom.

Remember me, O Master, when You shall come into Your kingdom.

Remember me, O Holy One, when You shall come into Your kingdom.

May the partaking of your holy mysteries, O Lord, be not for my judgment, or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.

O Lord, I also believe and profess that this, which I am about to receive, is truly Your most precious Body and Your life-giving Blood, which, I pray, make me worthy to receive for the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting. Amen

O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.

O Lord forgive me for I have sinned without number.

Their liturgy really stresses the transcendence of God, the heavenly liturgy and the splendor of God’s glory.

My connection to the Ukrainian Catholic Church goes all the way back to my early days in Washington.

I lived in Washington for 20 years and their formation house there, St. Josaphat, was right across the street from Capuchin College, so we had a wonderful relationship with the Ukrainian seminarians. I would always go there in November for the Feast of St. Josaphat which was always a big occasion.

A picture of St. Josaphat Seminary at its rededication in 2004

In Washington, the Ukrainians have a their National Shrine of the Holy Family that is also on Harewood Road.  It is a beautiful building with the traditional zwiebelturm, or gold onion-domed towers. It is one of the highest points in Washington and is very near the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

I was happy to be a part of it and we wish many blessings upon the eparchy as they continue to carry on their mission.

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Saturday, we were in Kingston for the 100th anniversary of St. Joseph’s Parish. They had a wonderful choir and great participation in the singing. The church looked lovely and afterwards, in front of the church, we blessed and dedicated a new statue to St. Joseph.

Following the ceremony, there was a reception in the parish hall and there a young man came up to me and identified himself as Chuck Mason. My brother Ted is his godfather.

The pastor, Father Charlie Higgins, joked he was going to have to remove Chuck from the parish finance committee to avoid a conflict of interest!

Talking with Father Higgins

Later that day I had to call my brother and tell him that I met his godson, his lovely wife and beautiful children. It is such small world. Chuck’s father was Ted’s roommate at Notre Dame.

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Sunday afternoon, we had a memorial Mass for Tom Flatley with his wife, Charlotte, his children and their spouses and their 18 grandchildren at the Pastoral Center.

After the Mass, we dedicated at plaque to Tom at the entrance lobby of the building.

Unveiling the plaque

Proclaiming the prayer of blessing

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Monday night we had dinner with the seminarians at the Redemptoris Mater House of Formation in Brookline.

We began the evening with Vespers and I was able to see the new icon they had placed in the chapel of Jesus appearing to the Apostles after the Resurrection passing through the locked doors. The seminarians presented me with a smaller replica of the icon.

The dinner was a wonderful opportunity to speak with the rector of the House, Father Tony Medeiros. After dinner, the seminarians sang some Spanish songs for us.  One of the seminarians from Mexico, Emmanuel, even put on a sombrero and serape!  It was great fun.

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Wednesday, I attended the annual Mass and dinner for Order of Malta at St. Mary’s Church at Boston College. The Mass was very well attended and at the dinner they gave their Bishop Fitzpatrick Award to John McMannon.

The master of ceremonies for the evening was Hap Redgate and Joe Feitleberg, the chair of the Boston Area, was there as well.

It was nice that, at the end of the meal, they gave grants to organizations from the proceeds from the dinner. One of the recipients was Cathedral Cares, and Lynn Finn, who runs the program was there to accept the grant along with the cathedral rector Father Kevin O’Leary.

This year the keynote speaker at the dinner was Sister Janet Eisner, the president of Emmanuel College. Earlier in the day, I had Sister Janet over for lunch and gave her a gift for to celebrate her 50th anniversary of consecrated life.

I am especially grateful to Sister Janet for all she has done to help the archdiocese, particularly in support of our Catholic Schools.

—

On Thursday afternoon, I was so pleased that Father Bill Kelly, the director of the Office of Clergy Support and Ongoing Formation, brought together a good number of priests for our first Day of Recollection for Priests at the new Pastoral Center.  Priests need these opportunities to pray together, to share a meal with one another, to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to meditate on the Word of God. 

Many of the priests came to concelebrate at the noon Mass in Bethany Chapel, and then joined us for lunch in the cafeteria. 

Following lunch we had a holy hour during which I gave a spiritual conference on the theme of humility in a priest’s life.  I recalled that moment during our ordination when we placed our hands in the hands of the bishop and promised respect and obedience.

We priests and bishops must always listen for the voice of God and be willing to obey.  We must also be willing to hear the voice of the Lord’s people in the Church and be willing to serve them in all charity and humility. 

After the talk, we prayed the Liturgy of the Hours together and returned to our ministry.  I’m so happy that many of our fine priests were able to make time for this.  As always, I ask you to pray for the many fine people, especially our priests, who have given their lives for the Church.

Until next week, blessings to you all!

+ Cardinal Seán