The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com
SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT
Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams Art Director: Ryann Beveridge
THE DIOCESE’S PRIESTLY REVIVAL
BY GREG MELLEN
THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
is experiencing a very pleasant trend that has bucked the national direction in recent years. After a decades-long slide in priestly vocations, the Diocese could be on the leading edge of a revival.
The 2024 “Official Catholic Directory,” by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, for the first time in years, showed an increase nationally from 2,759 to 2,980 in men preparing for priestly ordination for the most recent academic year.
While it’s hard to generalize from a one-year 8 percent uptick, at least
it's hopeful.
Although that is way down from the 6,400 seminarians in 1970, it’s a start.
Just a year ago, the Catholic Vocations Ministry report saw a very different picture.
“A steady decrease in the number of priestly ordinations was observed in many dioceses across the country, continuing a long-term trend of fewer men entering seminary and completing formation,” the report stated.
However, that may be changing.
This year, the Diocese of Orange is on track to enter more than a dozen new applicants to study in affiliated seminaries, more than double the previous year. They will be joining 19 existing OC seminarians ranging in progress from discernment to pastoral year.
This year’s group also includes three graduating high-school seniors and the brother of a seminarian.
Overseeing the office of Priestly Vocations in the Diocese of Orange is
Fr. Cheeyoon Timothy Chun, who succeeded Fr. Brandon Dang after a year as his assistant.
“That’s a healthy number,” Fr. Cheeyoon said of the influx, which he sees as a potential sign of a broader attitudinal change since the pandemic. “Coming out of COVID, I think people are more open,” he said.
It is an opinion shared at other dioceses.
In 2023, the Catholic News Agency reported, “a notable surge in enrollment, signaling a potential turnaround in some regions.”
Fr. Cheeyoon said it’s too early to know whether this year’s influx is an outlier.
After assisting Fr. Brandon last year, Fr. Cheeyoon is now on his own. He notes having two fathers staffing Vocations — usually it is one — may have made a difference.
“I think that helped widen the net,” he said. “The true test will be next year.”
A BIG STEP
The process of discernment and formation to consider the priesthood is no small task.
Fr. Cheeyoon is a prime example. It took more than 20 years, from his first inklings in middle school to ordination as a priest at the age of 35.
In the Diocese of Orange, the Office of Vocations helps guide and encourage parishioners to find their path, regardless of whether it leads to ordination.
Taken from the Latin root vocare, which means to call, vocation in the Catholic Church is much more than just a job, it is a divine calling.
It all begins with discernment, which the Church describes as a “decision-making process that honors the place of God's will in our lives.”
OC Vocations hosts a variety of events, often in conjunction with Consecrated Life, to help congregants determine where they are led. These include workshops, re-
CONTINUES ON PAGE 6
FR. CHEEYOON CHUN IS THE DIRECTOR OF PRIESTLY VOCATIONS IN THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE. PHOTO BY THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
IN 2025, THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE IS ON TRACK TO ENTER MORE THAN A DOZEN NEW APPLICANTS TO STUDY IN AFFILIATED SEMINARIES, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THEY WILL BE JOINING 19 EXISTING OC SEMINARIANS RANGING IN PROGRESS FROM DISCERNMENT TO PASTORAL YEAR. PHOTO BY KAYLEE TOOLE/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE
treats, seminars and classes in multiple languages, where congregants learn, share, ask questions and, maybe most importantly, pray.
For many, questions are answered in one or two meetings.
Parishioners may choose to consider paths such as consecrated life for men or women, the diaconate or married life.
Consecrated life is “a call to make a radical, total and free gift of self to Christ and following his example by embracing for one’s entire life the evangelical counsels: poverty, chastity and obedience.”
There are more than 30 societies, orders and institutes for consecrated life in Orange County.
Deacons, many of whom are married, are a backbone of the Church, fulfilling many vital roles at the parish level and beyond, following discernment, education with wives and families and ministry and diaconate reviews and approval.
Married life is an option for couples seeking deeper discipleship and strengthened families.
Fr. Cheeyoon said he meets people in all stages of their journeys. Some are nearing a decision and “some are just curious and have questions.”
Regardless, the priest tries to be equally accessible and welcoming.
“When they come their hearts are open,” the priest said, although he also counsels those who might do better in other communities of the faith.
“It depends on their talents and personalities,” he said. “I try to cover the full gamut.”
At the end of the day it is up to the individual to listen, pray and decide.
No matter the choice, Fr. Cheeyoon said, “I will walk with them.” The decision is rarely easy, notwithstanding the seven-to-nineyear education commitment.
For his part, Fr. Cheeyoon gave up a successful, but ultimately lacking, career in architecture — something he still loves. Now instead of physical structures, he said he is involved in a different kind of construction.
“God still calls me to be a builder,” he said. “Now I am building the sanctuaries of people’s hearts.” C
CHRIST CATHEDRAL’S ORGAN AND CHORAL SCHOLARS TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENT
BY BRITNEY ZINT
THE NEXT GENERATION OF church musicians will be showcasing their faith, talent and enthusiasm for sacred music later this month.
Christ Cathedral’s Organ and Choral Scholars — who are some of the region’s finest organists and singers — will be presenting a free concert at 7:30 p.m. on May 21 at Christ Cathedral. Their performances will serve as the conclusion of their busy year in the Cathedral Music Program.
“It’s very exciting to finally have something to present,” said Eduardo Iñiguez, 23, who is studying both the organ and singing. “From week to week, we all had our moments to shine at Mass and that’s always really nice, but to have a moment where we can all get together and share in what we’ve learned over the year, that’s really a beautiful thing.”
The seven scholars studying the pipe organ and singing sacred music have spent the last school year rehearsing, perfecting their craft at voice lessons, performing at Masses and other holy days of obligation. They have also been mentored in what it takes to be a liturgical musician.
“I wasn’t really sure what I was going into at first, but the second I started rehearsing, taking my voice lessons and singing at Mass, I realized this program is really big, wonderful and amazing,” said Clare Donaldson, 18, a Choral Scholar. “I was just really grateful for all of it.”
Although Donaldson won’t be performing in the concert (she will be graduating from high school), the end of the program comes with emotion.
“It’s definitely sad for me,” she added. “This year helped shape me so much and I’m definitely going to be sad to see all that come to an end. But also it’s very cool to see my growth over the process. Looking at where I started in the beginning to where I am now, it’s just a
world’s difference.”
Personal growth is one aspect Iñiguez said he is excited to show. He hopes the people who have supported him, both with their time and financially, can see what can be achieved with such support. He remembers his first time playing the Hazel Wright Organ, the cathedral’s behemoth 17,000-pipe instrument.
“It is so hard to explain, it really is,” Iñiguez said. “I’ve never been so mesmerized by pushing a button.”
He added: “The first time I performed on the Hazel Wright Organ, I was so confused, because I would press the buttons and all these sounds would come out. It did not sound like that at the little chapel I practice in.”
Choral Scholar Theresa Sacher, 17, said she is surprised by how at ease she feels performing at Christ Cathedral.
“It’s just a very comfortable place for me to be in,” Sacher said. “It just feels like home.”
To be performing in such a prestigious, holy venue is a privilege, Iñiguez said. And although he did not think he was qualified to be in the program at first, he said everyone was immediately welcoming.
“I’m just super grateful for this opportunity,” Iñiguez added. “This place is such a privilege; I just feel like we’re super blessed.”
Several of the scholars commented how Christ Cathedral’s program differs from the average parish offerings. Intentional is the word, said Donaldson, who drives from Rancho Cucamonga to be a Cathedral Scholar. Very few churches offer such a high-tier program, she noted.
“I feel like they are very much focusing on helping us become better musicians and mentoring us,” Donaldson said. “I feel like here I’m truly being trained to become a church musician.”
The experience has more than lived up to the expectations of Sacher. Normally a soloist, CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
FR. CHEEYOON CHUN WITH HIS SISTER, SR. MARI JOSEPHINE CHUN, RELIGIOUS DIRECTOR OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP. PHOTO BY THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Sacher said her biggest takeaway from her time has been learning to sing in a choir.
“One of the things I really want to do in life,” Sacher said, “is be a cantor, so just being able to have that experience and being able to meet all these new peo-
ple that you’re singing with and building connections with is my favorite part of this program.”
There are seven students currently in the program. Sacher and Dayris Lira sing soprano; Donaldson sings alto; Iñiguez sings tenor. In addition to Iñiguez,
the Organ scholars are Phillip Dinh Hoang, Serra Kim and Agatha Teague.
Iñiguez and Teague also serve as interns for the cathedral parish music ministry.
Previous Organ and Choral Scholars have gone on to Juilliard, McGill Uni-
versity and Yale University, among other prestigious schools. Some are expected to return for the concert as alumni visitors.
To Learn more about Christ Cathedral Music, visit https://www.christcathedralmusic.org/ C
CHRIST CATHEDRAL’S 2024-2025 ORGAN AND CHORAL SCHOLARS ARE (LEFT TO RIGHT) EDUARDO IÑIGUEZ, PHILLIP DINH HOANG, THERESA SACHER, CLARE DONALDSON, DAYRIS LIRA, AGATHA TEAGUE AND SERRA KIM (NOT PICTURED). PHOTO BY EVRETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
A: The presence of the Catholic Church is inescapable. There are more than 900 churches across the city. At first, they may seem old and dark — maybe even overly opulent. But sit with them a while — look closer — and this is what you’ll see centuries of devotion and purpose, worn wooden pews, shaped by generations of faithful hands (and yes — no padded kneelers), altars dedicated to beloved saints, often adorned with family tributes — especially to the Holy Family, amazing acoustics, irregular electric lighting, and real votive candles, not opulence, but sacred craftsmanship — master artists who believed their highest calling
was to lift the soul to God and bring the scriptures to life.
It all leaves you with a quiet awareness: You are part of something far older and far bigger than yourself.
Q: What did this teach you about leadership?
A: Leadership succession is a topic that fascinates many — especially those who’ve grown through leadership roles themselves. At some point, people begin to imagine what it would be like to be “the boss” — to sit in the big office, to be the one with final authority. But is that really what leadership is?
All of us in positions of leadership understand the weight of responsibility.
We are not just leading — we are stewarding a mission far bigger than ourselves. A legacy. A purpose. People and communities who had entrusted us with their care. Our role isn’t to command, but to carry on what came before — and to prepare the way for what will come next.
In Rome, that truth felt even more vivid.
Each day, the energy in St. Peter’s Square built — Jubilee pilgrims, carabinieri, the Knights Templar, cardinals, global media and the faithful from every nation gathered near Castel Sant’Angelo and beneath the silent watch of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Chuck added: The Catholic Church is
built on community, it’s built on breaking bread at a table. This just demonstrates the Catholic Church is alive and strong. The pope carries responsibility for 1.4 billion Catholics. He is called to hold the spiritual coherence of the global Church. To become the 267th successor to Peter. To embody and steward the mission of Jesus and the apostles.
I can’t begin to comprehend the weight of that. Who could be ready? The only answer I know is this: No one is ready. But I trust that God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
For a full description of Annette and Chuck Walker’s pilgrimage, follow Annette M. Walker on LinkedIn C
ANNETTE AND CHUCK WALKER ARE WITH BISHOP ROBERT BARRON IN ROME. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNETTE WALKER
A STATEMENT FROM OUR BISHOPS ON THE ELECTION OF THE HOLY FATHER, POPE LEO XIV
DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Bishop Vann, the bishops, priests, deacons, religious and the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Orange join the entire world today in giving thanks to God for the election of our new Holy Father,
Pope Leo XIV, a man of great faith and integrity who will lead the church in a journey of faith, hope and love.
We are blessed that Pope Leo XIV harbors a deep commitment to proclaiming the Gospel and a pastoral heart that reflects Christ’s mercy and compassion.
To our diocese and all people of goodwill, we invite you to join in prayer for the Holy Father, so that God may grant him wisdom, courage and peace as he guides the Church into the future.
Lastly, we thank the College of Cardinals, guided by the Holy Spirit, in reaching this monumental decision.
May our Blessed Mother Mary intercede for him and all of us, as we continue the journey of faith together under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV.
In Christ’s love,
Bishop Kevin W. Vann
Auxiliary Bishop Timothy E. Freyer
Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen C
POPE LEO XIV, THE FORMER CARDINAL ROBERT F. PREVOST, IS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE AT THE VATICAN AFTER HIS ELECTION AS POPE MAY 8, 2025. THE NEW POPE WAS BORN IN CHICAGO. (CNS PHOTO/ LOLA GOMEZ)
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ST. JOHN’S SEMINARY CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA
This program will help lay ministers increase their
of the Catholic intellectual tradition and improve their ministerial skills for the life of the Church. Students will be prepared to work in different areas of ministry and make professional and personal connections with others of the same mind and spirit.
Watch a brief video about the program For more information Email: mapm@stjohnsem.edu or visit www.stjohnsem.edu
A studio with professional video, audio, and lighting equipment has been built to produce visually stunning content by our world-class faculty. This studio allows our students to have an enjoyable technological experience.
ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL CELEBRATES ITS 70TH ANNIVERSARY
FAMILIES, STAFFERS AT BUENA PARK INSTITUTION
CHERISH ITS TIGHTKNIT COMMUNITY
BY GREG HARDESTY
THE ALTAR WAS DECORATED in the school’s plaid.
Students lectured and sang in the choir.
And families, many of them alumni, attended Mass.
Wednesday, April 30, was a special day at St. Pius V Catholic School in Buena Park.
Not only was it the Feast Day of St. Pius, the Dominican friar and pope (1566-1572) known for his tireless quest to renew the Church, but it also was the school’s 70th anniversary.
Located on Orangethorpe Avenue a few blocks north of Knott’s Berry Farm, the school was established shortly after St. Pius V Parish was founded in 1948, when Buena Park had a population of about 5,000 and still was largely agricultural.
Originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, today the school staff consists of lay faculty plus instructional aides who accommodate 265 students in grades TK through 8.
Both staff members and families celebrate St. Pius V Catholic School for its tightknit community.
“The absolute thing I love about our school is the relationships I’ve created with the students and their families, the positive rapport I maintain with them, and the feeling that this community has given me for the last 11 years,” said Christine Adams, director of student support.
Adams has been associated with St. Pius V Catholic School since 1989.
She was a kindergartener and graduated as Student Council president
“I can name all of my teachers from kindergarten to eighth grade and can recall vivid experiences from my elementary years,” said Adams, who joined the school as a first-grade teacher in August 2014 and has been in her current administrative position for two years.
“I have watched with absolute pride several of the eighth-grade classes grow up as kindergarteners and graduate as eighth graders,” shared Adams. “I have ‘looped’ with several classes, having taught them in first grade, fourth grade and now middle school math. Having this experience is unique and special in that I literally am part of their academic, spiritual and physical growth.”
CONTINUES ON PAGE 13 in 1998.
FR. ANGELOS SEBASTIAN CELEBRATED THE ST. PIUS V FEAST DAY MASS AND SCHOOL EVENT ON APRIL 30 IN BUENA PARK. PHOTO BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL WHEN IT FIRST OPENED IN 1954. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL
CHICAGO NATIVE CARDINAL PREVOST ELECTED
POPE, TAKES NAME LEO XIV
BY CINDY WOODEN, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Cardinal
Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope May 8 and took the name Pope Leo XIV.
He is the first North American to be elected pope and, before the conclave, was the U.S. cardinal most mentioned as a potential successor of St. Peter.
The white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 6:07 p.m. Rome time and a few minutes later the bells of St. Peter's Basilica began to ring.
About 20 minutes later the Vatican police band and two dozen members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard marched into St. Peter's Square. They soon were joined by the marching band of the Italian Carabinieri, a branch of military police, and by units of the other branches of the Italian military.
As soon as news began to spread, people from all over Rome ran to join the tens of thousands who were already in the square for the smoke watch. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was among them.
French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at 7:12 p.m. He told the crowd: "I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope ('Habemus papam')," saying the cardinal's name in Latin and announcing the name by which he will be called.
Cardinals over the age of 80, who were not eligible to enter the conclave, joined the crowd in the square. Among them were Cardinals Seán P. O'Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston; Donald W. Wuerl, the retired archbishop of Washington; and Marc Ouellet, retired
prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
A longtime missionary in Peru, the 69-year-old pope holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship.
La Repubblica, the major Italian daily, described him April 25 as "cosmopolitan and shy," but also said he was "appreciated by conservatives and progressives. He has global visibility in a conclave in which few (cardinals) know each other."
That visibility comes from the fact that as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he was instrumental in helping Pope Francis choose bishops for many Latin-rite dioceses, he met hundreds of bishops during their "ad limina" visits to Rome and was called to assist the world's Latin-rite bishops "in all matters concerning the correct and fruitful exercise of the pastoral office entrusted to them."
The new pope was serving as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, when Pope Francis called him to the Vatican in January 2023.
During a talk at St. Jude Parish in Chicago in August, the then-cardinal said Pope Francis nominated him "specifically because he did not want someone from the Roman Curia to take on this role. He wanted a missionary; he wanted someone from outside; he wanted someone who would come in with a different perspective."
In a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, he said Pope Francis' decision in 2022 to name three women as full members of the dicastery, giving them input on the selection of bishops "contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the church in episcopal ministry."
To deter attitudes of clericalism among bishops, he said, "it's important to find men who are truly interested in
serving, in preaching the Gospel, not just with eloquent words, but rather with the example and witness they give."
In fact, the cardinal said, Pope Francis' "most effective and important" bulwark against clericalism was his being "a pastor who preaches by gesture."
In an interview in 2023 with Vatican News, then-Cardinal Prevost spoke about the essential leadership quality of a bishop.
"Pope Francis has spoken of four types of closeness: closeness to God, to brother bishops, to priests and to all God's people," he said. "One must not give in to the temptation to live isolated, separated in a palace, satisfied with a certain social level or a certain level within the church."
"And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today," he said. "The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers."
As prefect of the dicastery then-Cardinal Prevost also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America, where nearly 40% of the world's Catholics reside.
A Chicago native, he also served as prior general of the Augustinians and spent more than two decades serving in Peru, first as an Augustinian missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo.
Soon after coming to Rome to head the dicastery, he told Vatican News that
POPE LEO XIV, THE FORMER CARDINAL ROBERT F. PREVOST, WAVES TO THE CROWDS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE AT THE VATICAN AFTER HIS ELECTION AS POPE MAY 8, 2025. THE NEW POPE WAS BORN IN CHICAGO. (CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
bishops have a special mission of promoting the unity of the church.
"The lack of unity is a wound that the church suffers, a very painful one," he said in May 2023. "Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything. We bishops especially must accelerate this movement toward unity, toward communion in the church."
In September, a television program in Peru reported on the allegations of three women who said that then-Bishop Prevost failed to act against a priest who sexually abused them as minors. The diocese strongly denied the accusation, pointing out that he personally met with the victims in April 2022, removed the
priest from his parish, suspended him from ministry and conducted a local investigation that was then forwarded to the Vatican. The Vatican said there was insufficient evidence to proceed, as did the local prosecutor's office.
Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Augustinian-run Villanova University in Pennsylvania and joined the order in 1977, making his solemn vows in 1981. He holds a degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and largely worked in the country until 1999 when he was elected head of the Augustinians' Chicago-based province. From 2001 to 2013, he served as prior general of the worldwide order. In 2014, Pope Francis named him bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, and the pope asked him also to be apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru, from April 2020 to May 2021.
The new pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and can read Latin and German. C
PEOPLE CHEER AS THE ITALIAN MILITARY BAND PROCESSES INTO ST. PETER'S SQUARE AFTER WHITE SMOKE BILLOWS FROM THE CHIMNEY OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL AT THE VATICAN MAY 8, 2025, INDICATING THE ELECTION OF A NEW POPE. (CNS PHOTO/KENDALL MCLAREN)
WHITE SMOKE BILLOWS FROM THE CHIMNEY OF THE VATICAN'S SISTINE CHAPEL MAY 8, 2025, INDICATING A NEW POPE HAS BEEN ELECTED. (CNS PHOTO/LOLA GOMEZ)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
so I’d like to improve it. I sing at home, I sing in Mass and I like to sing with my friends. I think singing is just a great way to connect to God.”
Ibarra and her sixth-grader younger brother Quinlan Ibarra, 11, said they felt like role models going first.
“It feels nice to be a kind of role model for all the other schools,” Quinlan said. “[Calvo] told us we have to have some movement, and then the next people go up and they had a little movement, so I’m thinking they got that from us.”
St. Edward the Confessor hosted the annual event for several years until
COVID hit, said Yvette Itano, music program director at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Costa Mesa. After calling the superintendent last year asking to bring back the Choral Festival, the event was brought back in the Diocese of Orange, Itano added.
“It was such a wonderful thing,” Itano said. “I said we can’t let this go. It has to continue.”
She added: “It’s a way to come and get some pointers and some feedback, but mainly, I say, it’s about our Catholic identity. We’re so disconnected. We rarely get together and we should get together: directors, students, musicians and choirs.” C
ST. ANNE PARISH SCHOOL'S MARIACHI BAND PERFORMED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE 2025 DIOCESAN STUDENT CHORAL FESTIVAL ON MAY 1 AT ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN DANA POINT. THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR A MARIACHI BAND JOINED THE CHOIR EVENT. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARJORIE KELLY
SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PERFORMING ARTS FRANCISCO CALVO SERVED AS THE GUEST CLINICIAN ON MAY 1 FOR THE 2025 DIOCESAN STUDENT CHORAL FESTIVAL AT ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
OUR LADY OF HOPE
BY SISTER DIANE HEISS, SDSH
HAVE YOU EVER
THOUGHT about what an ideal mother would be like? Suppose you could pick any mother in the world to be your mother — who would she be? What qualities would you want her to have? Would it be your own mother or another?
Although theoretical questions since we have a mother, it is good to consider these qualities, for they are present in the most special mother of us all: Mary the mother of Jesus and our mother. As Jesus was dying on the cross, He gave Mary to be the mother of John, His beloved disciple, and a mother to each of us. He also gave each of us to Mary, to love and obey her as our mother. May has traditionally been observed as the month of Mary, and so it is fitting to focus on her in a special manner this month. Mary has received many titles throughout these past two millennia. Some refer to locations where she appeared (e.g., Our Lady of Lourdes), others highlight one or more of her virtues (e.g., Our Lady of Peace), still others to special devotions (e.g., Our Lady, Undoer of Knots).
In announcing the 2025 Jubilee Year, our recently deceased Pope Francis gave as the theme “Pilgrims of Home” and said “The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in
society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation.” (Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit 25 ) With hope as the theme, it is fitting to focus on Our Lady of Hope, especially in challenging circumstances.
One of the most ancient devotions to Mary is under her title Our Lady of Hope, with the first shrine of that title constructed in 930. A more recent experience with Our Lady of Hope occurred nearly 1,000 years later, as the Prussian army rapidly approached the small town of Pontmain in France in January 1871. The parish priest had asked children
to pray for peace. Mary appeared to six children with the message: “But pray my children. God will hear you in a short time. My Son allows Himself to be moved with compassion.” At that same time, the Prussian army received orders to withdraw. Let us always ask and thank her for her motherly love and protection.
FOR YOUR FAMILY:
■ Pray the Litany of Our Lady of Hope.
■ Pray the Rosary daily.
■ Visit nearby churches dedicated to our Blessed Mother during the month of May.
■ Research titles of Mary and their history.
■ Have a May Crowning. To do so, prepare a prayer area with a nice cloth, a Bible, flowers, candles and a statue of Mary, along with a crown of flowers to fit your statue. Start by singing a favorite Marian song; read a scripture story about Mary. C
OUR LADY OF LOURDES. PHOTO BY RIANA GEORGE ON UNSPLASH
OC Catholic Afar
The Ruiz Family celebrated Easter Mass at St. Augustine by the Sea in Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii. Here they are along with a copy of OC Catholic. Known for its impressive stained glass, the church dates back to 1854.
—The Ruiz Family attends La Purísima Church in Orange
We want your photos! Send your pictures of “OC Catholic Afar” — of you, family or friends visiting Catholic churches and other interesting places — to editor@occatholic.com. Please include a brief description of the photo, the name of the person(s) featured in the photo and their home parish.
