http://www.cardinalseansblog.org Cardinal Seán shares his reflections & experiences. Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:39:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Greetings, This past Thursday was Mother Teresa’s 100th birthday. In 1995, we were honored to have her visit us in Massachusetts. So many people here got to meet her personally. Those encounters were a special encouragement to all of us to be better Catholics and to be better witnesses ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/08/27/a-day-at-fenway-with-our-retired-priests/ Hello again, By now I am sure many of you have heard of the wonderful news that our Relic of the True Cross has been recovered. We are very pleased that the prayers of so many, the efforts of law enforcement agencies and the publicity that was given to the theft resulted ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/08/20/the-return-of-our-relic-of-the-true-cross/   Greetings and welcome back, Last Saturday we hosted the Catholic New Media Celebration here at the Pastoral Center. It was a gathering for Catholic bloggers, podcasters, and producers of other digital media formats. It was very successful and well-attended. About 200 people from ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/08/13/the-annual-vianney-gathering-with-our-priests/ Hello everyone, and welcome back. This week, we announced that our archdiocesan newspaper, The Pilot, is now available on Kindle and iPhone. I also understand it will be available soon on iPad and smart phones. Obviously, we’re delighted. Amazon reports that the majority of its hardcover ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/08/06/the-knights-of-columbus-annual-convention/ Greetings, once again. On Thursday, I met with new president of Merrimack College, Dr. Christopher Hopey. With Dr. Hopey and Father Raymond Delugos of Merrimack College Prior to coming to Merrimack, Dr. Hopey was vice president and dean at Northeastern University, where he oversaw many ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/07/30/bidding-farewell-to-coach-cotter/ Hello and welcome back, Last Friday, I was the main celebrant at the funeral of Father Jim Field, the pastor of Incarnation Parish in Melrose, who had been battling cancer for many months. Many parishioners were able to come to the Mass at his parish church. It was a Friday morning, but the ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/07/23/our-lady-of-mount-carmel/ Hello and welcome! This week I have asked David Thorp share some thoughts with you about the Catholics Come Home program, which invites inactive Catholics to once again return to the faith. David will be heading this important initiative that we will be beginning in the archdiocese in the coming months. However, before ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/07/16/catholics-come-home/ I hope everyone had a very happy Independence Day holiday! As I always do this time of year, I am taking a few days of vacation.   So, I have asked one of our newly ordained priests, Father Guy Sciacca to share his story with you. He was one of ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/07/09/its-never-too-late-to-answer-the-call/ I begin this week with some very exciting news. As you may know, the Holy Father has appointed Fathers Arthur Kennedy and Peter Uglietto as auxiliary bishops for our archdiocese. Both are rectors of seminaries in our archdiocese — Bishop-elect Kennedy at St. John’s and Bishop-elect Uglietto at Blessed John XXIII ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/07/02/new-bishops-for-boston/ Greetings everyone, On Friday evening, I went to the home of Steve and Ruth Barrett for a reception to show our gratitude for the work of the Improved Financial Relationship Committee. Steve and the other members of the committee have been working very diligently to improve the way parishes support the ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/06/25/closing-the-year-for-priests/ Hello everyone and welcome back, This week, John Garvey was announced as the 15th president of Catholic University. Many of you may know of him because he is currently the dean of the law school at Boston College. Dean Garvey will be succeeding Bishop-elect David O’Connell, who will become coadjutor bishop for ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/06/18/celebrating-married-life/ Hello and welcome back, It was very encouraging to follow reports of the events that were held in Rome this week marking the conclusion of the Year for Priests.  I was not able to attend this celebration due to a special meeting at the Catholic University of America, where ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/06/11/st-aidans-housing-development-dedication/ Hello again, This week it was announced that the Holy Father has appointed a group of bishops to lead an Apostolic Visitation to the Church in Ireland. I am part of that group. I want to share with you the statement we published when the announcement was made as ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/06/04/master-of-arts-in-ministry-graduation/ Hello again and welcome! I have announced this week the creation of the Catholic Media Group, which is wonderful news for the archdiocese. We are committed to do even more in the way we use the media to communicate the Gospel message. We are grateful for Scot Landry’s willingness to head ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/05/28/our-presbyteral-ordinations/   I was very happy to be back in Boston this week, though I enjoyed the pilgrimage and the opportunity to be with our Holy Father. His visit to Portugal was a great success. I was very privileged to have been a part of it. While I was there news reports focused ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/05/21/marking-the-year-for-priests-with-the-sisters-of-st-joseph/ As a young bishop in the West Indies I once celebrated a memorial Mass for a local “madame” who ran a brothel near my Cathedral. It was said she smuggled women in from other islands in oil barrels for her business. Some women suffocated in the crossing. She herself was ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/05/19/on-the-hingham-school-situation/   Hello again, Last Thursday, I was very honored to receive an honorary doctorate from Ave Maria University in Florida. Ave Maria is a relatively new Catholic university that was founded by Tom Monaghan, a man who had been raised in a Catholic ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/05/14/in-fatima-with-the-holy-father/ Welcome back, Our conversations between Caritas Christi and Cerberus Capital Management have continued, and it looks very positive. We announced yesterday that an agreement has been reached with Cerberus that ensures the Catholic identity of the Caritas Christi hospitals. The sale is still pending as the Attorney General has to review it, ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/05/07/our-youth-catechesis-symposium/ Greetings and welcome back, As I am sure many of you heard in the news, this week the state of Arizona passed a law that makes it a crime under state law to be an undocumented immigrant. Perhaps most disturbingly, the new law allows police to stop anyone they ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/04/30/the-cua-cardinals-dinner/ Greetings, once again. This past Thursday morning, I had a Mass at BC High where we presented the Ignatius Awards to three deserving recipients: John Mahoney Francis Furey Norman Swain All of them gave very moving witness talks in which they underlined their commitment to the faith and the values that had ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/04/23/back-in-haiti/   Last Thursday evening, I had the privilege of going to Regis College to join president Dr. Mary Jane England for the Presidential Scholars Awards ceremony.  At Dr. England’s initiative, with the support of the board of trustees, Regis College each year provides a series of four ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/04/16/honoring-peter-lynch/ Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! This week, we received word that the Holy Father has named Archbishop Jose Gomez, of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas to be the Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles, the largest diocese in the United States with over 4 million Catholics, 70 percent of whom are ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/04/09/christ-is-risen-2/ The media reports on the situation of the Church in Europe and on the Holy Father have been very disturbing to all faithful Catholics. We are saddened by much of the news and also saddened knowing that victims of sexual abuse in our own community are, in a sense, re-victimized ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/04/02/beginning-holy-week-2/   Hello again, This has certainly been a week of significant events in our archdiocese, the nation and the wider Church. As many of you may already know, earlier this week Caritas Christi Health Care announced an agreement to be acquired by Cerberus Capital Management, a private ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/03/26/a-week-of-significant-events/ Hello again, This is a privileged week in the Church’s calendar because we celebrate our diocesan patron St. Patrick, but we also celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus who is the patron of the Universal Church. Although Scripture gives us very ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/03/19/two-great-saints/ As many of you know, our government has begun their final push to enact comprehensive health care reform. The bishops’ position on health care reform has favored a new system that will provide universal coverage, but the current process may end up creating a bill that will provide federal funding for ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/03/12/beginning-our-annual-appeal/ Dear Readers, On Thursday, I had a visit with Sister Agatha Osarenkkoe, the newly elected superior general of the Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Sister Christiana Onyewache, and our Delegate for Religious, Sister Marian Batho. We are grateful for the work that Sister Christiana is doing in the archdiocese with ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/03/05/visiting-haiti-in-the-aftermath-of-the-earthquake/ Welcome back! On Sunday, I am traveling to Haiti with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help assess the impact that earthquake had on the local Church. The U.S. bishops are providing immediate assistance through Catholic Relief Services but we have created a commission that will advise the Subcommittee on the ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/02/26/the-rite-of-the-election/ Hello, once again! I want to begin this week by saying that I am deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Through parish special collections in the Archdiocese of Boston, $1,600,000 have been collected to date. The funds for this effort are still ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/02/19/beginning-the-season-of-lent-2/   Greetings, everyone: Last week, on the Sunday after the Feast of Candlemas (the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord) the Church observed World Day for Consecrated Life, a celebration which was instituted by Pope John Paul II. I took occasion of that event to send this letter to the women religious ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/02/12/the-light-is-on-for-you/   Hello everyone and welcome back! Last Wednesday, I attended a St. Andrew’s Dinner at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham. Regular readers will remember that these are the gatherings we hold periodically with young men who are open to considering a vocation to the priesthood.   This was the first time we met at St. ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/02/05/the-ordination-of-three-transitional-deacons/ Hello, and welcome back! As I do every year, I went down to Washington, D.C. last week for the March for Life.   After arriving in Washington on Thursday afternoon, I visited with Father Richard Duffield from the Birmingham Oratory in England and Patrick Reilly of the ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/01/29/the-march-for-life/ Hello, once again. The result of Tuesday’s special election was very surprising. It has captured the attention of the world because no one ever suspected that someone who was not a Democrat would be able to be elected to the seat the late Sen. Ted Kennedy held for nearly ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/01/22/celebrating-mass-with-the-catholic-deaf-community/ Greetings, News of the human tragedy unfolding in Haiti is heartbreaking, and it calls all of us to action to help the people impacted by the earthquake. We pray for those who have perished, for the injured, for the displaced and for relief personnel ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/01/15/devastation-in-haiti/   Happy New Year to all! Each year since I have been ordained a priest, I have always celebrated a midnight Mass to begin the New Year. This year was no exception. I remember that when I was in the Virgin Islands, ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2010/01/08/beginning-the-new-year-with-the-lord/ Greetings of the Christmas season. You may have noticed that like last week, I am preparing my post earlier than the customary Friday. Last week, Christmas fell on a Friday, so I blogged on Thursday. Being that New Years’ Day falls on a Friday as well, I am posting ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/12/31/visiting-the-homeless-and-the-imprisoned/   I am posting my weekly entry a bit earlier than normal this week to make time for my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day events – I’ll tell you all about those next week. - - - On Thursday afternoon, I celebrated a Mass for our staff ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/12/24/merry-christmas-2/   Greetings, I would like to begin this week’s post with some wonderful news. On December 11, the Holy See announced the beatification of Fray Leopoldo de Alpandeire, a Capuchin lay brother who was a “quester” — his mission was to quest for alms. He did that ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/12/18/the-40th-anniversary-of-the-planning-office-for-urban-affairs/   Greetings, Our leaders in the House of Representatives courageously passed the Stupak Amendment in their version of the health care bill, but the Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment did not prevail in the Senate’s version of the legislation. Of course, that was a great disappointment to us. We still hope and pray that some accommodation ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/12/11/a-week-full-of-events/ Hello, once again! If you stopped by to read last week’s blog, you know that I posted that entry a couple days earlier than usual. Like many of you, I traveled to be with my family for Thanksgiving, which is always a very special event in our lives as Americans. It was ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/12/04/the-feast-of-st-andrew-with-the-greek-orthodox/ Hello and welcome! As I’m sure you have noticed, I have prepared this week’s post a bit earlier than usual because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Each year we, as a country, dedicate this day to a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving to God for our freedom, our prosperity, our families, and the ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/11/25/the-cheverus-awards/ Greetings, This week, as many of you may know, I attended the fall general meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. Among the highlights of the meeting were approval of a pastoral letter on marriage, a study on the status of the religious life in the United ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/11/20/the-bishops-november-meeting/ Hello, once again! As you may know, last week the House of Representatives passed its version of the health care reform bill that included the Stupak amendment, which prevents the use of taxpayer money to support abortion. We were very pleased that the amendment was passed by such ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/11/13/the-st-james-society-cushing-awards/   This week, our nation experienced a tragedy at the U.S. military base in Fort Hood, Texas. There is a great deal of trauma and suffering at Ft. Hood following the shooting. I spoke with Father Edward McCabe, a priest from the Archdiocese of Boston who serves our troops at Ft. ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/11/06/remembering-the-faithful-departed-2/ Greetings to you all. Before I begin with the events of my week, I want to briefly comment on the news that the Holy Father is going to issue an Apostolic Constitution in order to accommodate Anglicans who wish to join the Church, and at the same time, preserve ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/10/30/the-catechetical-congress-2/ Hello, once again! First, I want to share with you some news from the archdiocese. This week, the Holy Father accepted Bishop Francis X. Irwin’s letter of resignation that he tendered last year. We are very grateful that he has generously served so long, even beyond his 75th birthday. ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/10/23/justice-convocation/ Hello again to you all! Last Thursday, at the Pastoral Center, I celebrated Mass for leaders and board members of archdiocesan schools, agencies, and other affiliated organizations. Following the Mass, they gathered in the Flatley Conference Room here at the Pastoral Center for a discussion on strategies for effective board governance. Father ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/10/16/a-week-of-many-events/ Greetings, once again! As I mentioned in last week’s post, I was in Ars, France, where I participated in the International Priests Retreat held to mark the Year for Priests. At Logan Airport, as I was about the take the plane to France, I was invited by the kitchen workers there to ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/10/09/the-international-priests-retreat/ This week we mark the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Boston and the United States. The Holy Father’s visit to Boston was both inspiring and energizing for millions of Catholics here and across the country. His presence radiated brightly across the city and all of ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/10/02/celebrating-my-jubilee-with-my-brother-priests/   Hello again! Last Wednesday, Mary Grassa O’Neill and I both addressed over 150 Catholic school principals and pastors at the Celebration of Education here at the Pastoral Center. Mary, who is our Secretary for Education and Superintendent of Schools, began her talk with an ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/09/25/gathering-with-the-seminarians-of-the-neocatechumenal-way/ At last Thursday’s noon Mass in the Pastoral Center, we hosted the Driscoll Family – Roland and Alice Driscoll, and several of their family members – as we offered a memorial Mass for two of their sons. Roland and Alice are daily communicants at the Pastoral Center ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/09/18/recognizing-our-priests/ Welcome back! Last Friday I celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary. This was their opening Mass for the year. It’s a great joy to see the seminarians at Blessed John XXIII, who come from dioceses ... http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2009/09/11/celebrating-the-opening-of-south-boston-catholic-academy/