AN ‘AUDACIOUS’ DREAM REALIZED
OCTOBER 4, 2026
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE ■ OCCATHOLIC.COM
FINDING TIME FOR PRAYER IN A MODERN WORLD PAGE 10 FR. JOHN HENRY HANSON, O. PRAEM., AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK “THE FIRE AND THE SILENCE: PRAYER, THOUGHT, AND THE BATTLE FOR INTERIOR STILLNESS,” ARRIVES AT ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY FOR DAILY PRAYER. PHOTO BY ALAN WENDELL/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE
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OCTOBER 4, 2026
CONTENTS
5 7 8 13 14
CATHOLIC EDUCATORS GATHER FOR ANNUAL CONVOCATION
Teachers and principals from the 37 diocesan schools gathered to mark the new school year.
CHRIST CATHEDRAL MAKES SPACE FOR PERPETUAL ADORATION
A new chapel at the base of the Crean Tower will be home to the Blessed Sacrament.
ADORE HIM
A new film from executive producer and deacon Steve Greco examines Eucharistic Adoration.
MISSION WORK IN THE UNITED STATES
Fr. Christopher Heath talks about the structure of mission work in the U.S.
PURSUING HOLINESS WITH ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
He answered God’s call with the totality of his being.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT 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 Executive Editor: Jarryd Gonzales Managing Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com News Ideas: editor@occatholic.com Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com
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DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
SACRAMENTS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL AND JACLYN FORTINO
READER CALL-OUT
We are pleased to share a photo from our son Nicolas Fortino’s Confirmation, celebrated on May 24, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Placentia. Our family has been longtime parishioners at St. Joseph’s, and it was a blessing to watch Nicolas receive the Holy Spirit and be confirmed in his faith. The photo includes Nicolas and Fr. Martin Vu, who presided over the Confirmation Mass.
“
Lord of Life, you shaped every human being in your image…
SAINT PROFILE
— Pope Leo XIV
BLESSED MARIE-ROSE DUROCHER
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1811-1849
ULALIE DUROCHER WAS THE youngest of 10 children in a pious Quebec family; three brothers became priests and two sisters also became nuns. Because of ill health, Eulalie attended school sporadically and was rejected by several religious orders. For 12 years she helped one of her priest-brothers in his parish, organizing charitable works and the first Confraternity of Mary in Canada. In 1843, with two friends and episcopal permission, she founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary to educate poor youths, especially in the countryside. As Mother Marie-Rose, she led the congregation until her early death; she was beatified in 1982. Holy Names' sisters serve today in Canada, the United States, Lesotho, Peru and Brazil.C
—Submitted by Michael and Jaclyn Fortino OC Catholic is looking for photos of our readers receiving their Holy Sacraments. Baptisms, First Communions, Weddings — we want to see your special day! Please include a brief description of the photo and why it is special to you. Include your name and home parish, and send to: editor@ occatholic.com
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
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PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
GALATIANS 1:6-12; PSALM 111:1B-2, 7-8, 9 AND 10C; LUKE 10:25-37
GALATIANS 1:1324; PSALM 139:1B3, 13-14AB, 14C-15; LUKE 10:38-42
GALATIANS 2:1-2, 7-14; PSALM 117:1BC, 2; LUKE 11:1-4
GALATIANS 3:1-5; LUKE 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75; LUKE 11:5-13
GALATIANS 3:7-14; PSALM 111:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6; LUKE 11:15-26
GALATIANS 3:22-29; PSALM 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; LUKE 11:27-28
ISAIAH 25:6-10A; PSALM 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6; MATTHEW 22:1-14
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FEATURE
OC CATHOLIC EDUCATORS GATHER FOR ANNUAL CONVOCATION BY BRITNEY ZINT
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walking toward wreckage, and strangers helping strangers to safety. Many in the room remembered that day, but Sulick pointed out that none of the current students were alive yet; 9/11 is now just a part of history to them. “We’re being reminded that we are now the keepers of this story, the ones responsible for handing it to a generation that has no memory of it at all,” he said. “How we remember it, how we teach it, can shape how our students understand courage, sacrifice and love for the rest of their lives.”
Sr. John continued her conversation on the Catholic educator’s unique position to not just teach academics, but also formation. Sr. John spoke to nearly 600 K-8 teachers last school year for Elementary School Formation Day. The day was a professional development opportunity where teachers learned real-life strategies for implementing the new virtue curriculum piloted last year. Sr. John, a founder of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan, developed the curriculum. She holds a bachelor’s
degree in education, a master’s degree in theology, and has more than 40 years of experience in education as a teacher and administrator. “I hope what I’m able to offer to you in the short time that we have together is something that you can walk away inspired with, something that you can kind of hold on to in those moments when things are tense,” she said. Sr. John addressed the challenges teachers are seeing in the classroom, such as increased student anxiety and
RANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC educators recently came together for their yearly convocation to start the school year and deepen their commitment to providing students with more than just academics. Teachers and principals from the 37 diocesan schools gathered on Sept. 11 for the annual Educator Convocation, held at Santa Margarita Catholic High CONTINUES ON PAGE 6 School (SMCHS). This year’s theme, “There’s More: Living the Magis,” featured keynote speaker Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, O.P., and Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen. “This is one of my favorite times of the year and favorite days of the year, to be here with all of you,” said Superintendent Dr. Erin Barisano, “and it really is our only opportunity to gather as Catholic educators in the Diocese of Orange to celebrate this beautiful mission of Catholic education that’s been entrusted to us. We reflect on our call and our vocation as Catholic school educators, as leaders, as support staff, as coaches — all of the beautiful ways that God is working through us to minister to these young men and women who have been entrusted to us.” The convocation, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, opened with a remembrance of how that fateful Tuesday in 2001 exemplified Christ’s words in the Gospel of John: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” SMCHS president Andrew Sulick recalled the firefighters climbing the stairs of the damaged Twin Towers, the passengers of United 93 fighting FROM LEFT, ALTAR SERVERS AND MATER DEI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SUMMER BROMM AND VICTORIA VARGAS SHARE A MOMENT WITH BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN back against their hijackers, chaplains DURING THE ANNUAL CONVOCATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATORS IN ORANGE COUNTY. PHOTO BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE O C T O B E R 4 , 2 0 2 6 ■ O C C A T H O L I C
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FEATURE
SR. JOHN DOMINIC RASMUSSEN, O.P., APPEARS ON THE VIDEO SCREEN AS SHE SPEAKS TO TEACHERS AND STAFF FROM ALL 37 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AT THE CONVOCATION. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
depression, fragmentation from increased technology use, and relational poverty. There are also the pressures educators face to do “just one more thing.” She challenged the crowd to reconsider the dual importance of both education and formation. Instead of thinking, “What I have to do,” she suggested reframing the educator’s calling as a continual recollection that they “get to” teach formation. Educators see their students every day, look into their eyes and see their struggles and hardships. Teachers think about their students 24/7 because they are responding to a call, she explained. “The fact that you’re involved in Catholic education is different from someone who’s at a public school, because you’re looking and trying to make a difference eternally,” Sr. John said. “You’re trying to reach into the soul of that young man or that young lady who’s in front of you. It’s different. There’s more. There’s so much more that you do on a day-in and day-out basis. Our goal for you today is for you to really see that.” C
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FROM LEFT, CHRIST CATHEDRAL ACADEMY PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR PATTI ABEYTA AND SUPERINTENDENT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS DR. ERIN BARISANO ARE PICTURED DURING THE CONVOCATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATORS IN ORANGE COUNTY.
DIOCESAN NEWS
CHRIST CATHEDRAL MAKES SPACE FOR PERPETUAL ADORATION BY BRADLEY ZINT
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of the Holy Spirit. The Crystal Cathedral ministry placed a prayer capsule under the floor during the original construction. It contains 33,000 prayers from throughout the globe. Under the diocese’s renovation, the capsule has remained 33 cylindrical columns representing intact. Jesus’ 33 years of life. Each column is a The chapel was originally named after different type of marble from through- Crystal Cathedral donor Mary Tolerton out the world. It also contains 12 square Hood, wife of the late Clifford E. Hood, columns, symbolizing the 12 tribes of former president of U.S. Steel. All the Israel, the 12 Apostles and the 12 fruits memorial plaques outside the chapel’s
entrance, including Mary Hood’s, will remain to honor the campus’ legacy. However, instead of calling it the Mary Hood Chapel, it will be referred to as the Perpetual Adoration Chapel on the Christ Cathedral campus map and related materials. Christ Cathedral will be the fourth site in the Diocese of Orange to have Perpetual Adoration, the other three being St. Angela Merici in Brea, St. Martin de Porres in Yorba Linda and St. John the Baptist in Costa Mesa. C
HRIST CATHEDRAL PARISH in Garden Grove is transforming a small corner of its 34-acre campus into a space for Perpetual Adoration. Starting this fall, the chapel at the base of the cathedral’s Crean Tower will have 24/7 Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Adoration ministry is being headed by the Christ Cathedral parish, which is also raising $200,000 to fund transformation of the chapel. To accommodate its new use for Perpetual Adoration, the interior of the chapel has been reconfigured. Instead of a pedestal in the center surrounded by benches and prayer candles, the room contains a newly constructed marble stand at its far end, on which a new monstrance containing the fully visible Blessed Sacrament will be placed. The chapel has also been retrofitted with air conditioning and a new granite floor containing a cross. Chairs will be added. Bishop Kevin Vann is scheduled to bless the space on Oct. 14. The nearly 350-square-foot chapel dates to the construction of the Crean Tower in 1990, when the campus was known as the Crystal Cathedral headed by Dr. Robert Schuller. Designed by architect Philip Johnson, who also designed the Crystal Cathedral, the circular room has a solid domed ceiling inscribed with the Scripture verse: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people” (Mark 11:17). It was designed as a quiet prayer area blocked off outside sound and most outside light, defining Johnson’s idea of “isolated serenity.” ARTIST RENDERING OF THE PERPETUAL ADORATION CAHAPEL TO BE LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE CREAN TOWER. COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE The chapel symbolically contains
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DIOCESAN NEWS
ADORE HIM
adults, who share how experiencing God’s love through adoration changed their lives and inspired their faith journey.” BY MEG WATERS Johnson added, “I think we're seeing a resurgence of interest in adoration now, especially N SCIENCE, THEORIES CAN among the youth, and you know that's a good explain things that cannot be seen thing. What we try to do in the movie is set or touched directly. From subatom- adoration in historical context. We also want to ic particles to gravitational waves, make the point that this isn't something new God researchers confidently affirm their exis doing right now. He's always done this from the istence through careful experiments and beginning. God wants to be at a particular time at a particular place with you—physically. We tell reasoned inference. Yet matters of faith can be challenging the story all the way from the Ark of the Covenant when people want visible proof of the carried across the desert to the birth of Jesus and divine and God’s love for mankind. Jesus into modern times. I think if people see that this tells us, “Blessed are those who have not is what God wants, He's always done it this way, seen and have believed” (Jn 20:29). the adoration makes more sense.” Executive Producer Deacon Steve GreAdore Him provides the history and context for co, who also leads the Diocese of Orange adoration through live action sequences beginOffice of Evangelization and Formation, ning with the Ark of the Covenant. This prefigis following the critically acclaimed Jesus ures Jesus — as the shepherd, the law and the Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist doc- bread of life. umentary with Adore Him: He Is Here, Johnson explained, “We present adoration a docudrama that examines Eucharistic in its historical context, showing it's not a new adoration. practice but one rooted in Scripture and traAdore Him explores how Catholics dition. From the Ark of the Covenant to Jesus' can rediscover the gift of Jesus in every birth and beyond, the film illustrates how God tabernacle. Through stories of conversion, has always desired to be physically present with healing and renewed faith, it highlights His people.” how time spent before the Blessed SacraThe film includes testimony from several wellment transforms lives. known Catholic podcasters, including Fr. Chris To some Catholics, especially those Alar, Fr. Don Callaway and Chris Stefanick. new to the faith, the real physical presence These and many other priests and evangelists of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist can be credit their conversion from secular life to mindifficult to understand. Adoration of the istry to encounters with Jesus in adoration. Blessed Sacrament can be challenging “People don’t understand that God wants us because it invites the faithful to encounter to be connected to him in a very intimate way,” Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist held said Deacon Steve. “John 15, the Vine and the in a golden monstrance. Branches, illustrates this desire from God: ‘I For Deacon Steve and Donald am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever reJohnson, the film's director, producer mains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, and writer, Adore Him uses heartfelt because without me you can do nothing.’” testimonies to inspire hope in Jesus' real Deacon Steve is also the founder of Spirit presence and the transformative power of Filled Hearts Ministry. adoration. Audiences are taken through The ministry’s first film, Jesus Thirsts: The the historical context of adoration and Miracle of the Eucharist, was released in 2024 through several powerful testimonials and was developed in response to polling that from people transformed by God’s grace found many Catholics did not believe in the in adoration. true presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. “It’s all about transformation," said Adore Him goes deeper into the reality of Deacon Steve. “We feature testimonies God's presence in the Eucharist through the from a diverse group, especially young ancient practice of adoration, inviting viewers
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to deepen their reverence and spiritual longing. Mark Hart, chief innovation officer with Life Teen, a national Eucharist-centered movement within the Roman Catholic Church, summarized his experience with adoration most succinctly: “When I realized that it is really God in the Eucharist, my life changed forever.” Adore Him premiered on Sept. 8 at Christ Cathedral. The testimo-
nials were shot in locations around the world, while the live-action shots were filmed on the same sets as The Chosen. Adore Him recently opened in theatres nationwide and will be showing on screens throughout Orange County. Fathom Entertainment presents the film in partnership with Spirit Filled Hearts and Runaway Planet Pictures. For more information, visit adorehimfilm.com. C
PAGE FEATURE HEADING
AN ‘AUDACIOUS’ DREAM REALIZED CRISTO REY OC HAS PERMANENT HOME
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BY GREG MELLEN
UST THREE YEARS AFTER laying out what was called a “bold and audacious” plan to build from the ground up a high school dedicated exclusively to area students from low-income working-class families saw the dream come true. On Monday, Sept. 21, Cristo Rey Orange County High School officially opened the doors to its permanent home. The gleaming new 60,000-square-foot school building replaces the school’s home at the 23,00-square-foot former elementary school at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Santa Ana.
The building opens for the 2026-27 academic year just in time for the inaugural class of students who enrolled at Cristo Rey as freshmen in 2023 to enjoy a senior year in spacious new digs. The school opened with just 69 students and a promise. It has grown to more than 200 and expects to graduate a senior class of 52. This year, for the first time, four entire classes of students will be studying and learning together under one roof. "Three years ago, I stood in front of a group of nervous, hopeful freshmen in a building that was too small for our students and their dreams,” said founding CONTINUES ON PAGE 12
STUDENTS AND STAFF OF CRISTO REY ORANGE COUNTY HIGH CELEBRATE THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE SCHOOL'S PERMANENT HOME IN SANTA ANA. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE O C T O B E R 4 , 2 0 2 6 ■ O C C A T H O L I C
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FEATURE
FINDING TIME FOR PRAYER IN A MODERN WORLD BY GREG MELLEN
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homilies and writings. So, when Michael Aquilina, vice president of sales and marketing at Scepter Publishers, suggested “what to do with unwanted thoughts in prayer,” as a book topic, the priest was happy to take it on. As he said, it dovetailed with his interests and, “I didn’t have anything going.”
and find a closer, more meaningful relationship with the Almighty. The goal, he said, is to “pray with greater peace.” Fr. John Henry, whose first book was NO EASY TASK “Praying from Depths of the Psalms,” has In today’s world, various media given the subject plenty of reflection over encroach and vie for attention from all the years and addressed it in countless directions. There is the internet, hand-
held tablets and screens, television and radio. There are even Bible chatbots and AI Jesus apps. And, of course, we are constantly busied by families, colleagues, work and daily activities. As a result, amid the rush and din, something as pure as an unadulterated, unintruded-upon talk with God is anything but simple. In addition to the worldly encroachments, there is all the internal baggage we bring to prayer, such as the distrac-
N MANY WAYS, it's the best time of the day. The surrounding wildlife can be heard retreating to their dens and lairs ahead of the sunrise; the roosters, chickens and songbirds stir to CONTINUES ON PAGE 11 announce a new day; the fountain beneath the statue of St. Michael gurgles. This is when Fr. John Henry Hanson, O. Praem, a Norbertine priest at St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, begins his prayer day. “I like the early morning,” said Fr. John Henry, who is usually among the early arrivals for prayer. “All you hear are the animals.” The ambient sounds penetrate the hushed sanctuary providing a peaceful backdrop to the priest’s first communion of the day with God. By 5:45 a.m. the rest of the clergy members have filed into the sanctuary for the first of seven formal prayer times during the day. That is just what’s prescribed for official prayer. Throughout the day, in moments of quiet amid his active calendar, Fr. John Henry finds time for quick check-ins. Prayer is foundational in Norbertine life. That makes a priest like Fr. John Henry particularly qualified to serve as a guide. He has a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Cal. State Long Beach. The Norbertine priest brings expertise to the fore in “The Fire and the Silence: Prayer, Thought, and the Battle for Interior Stillness.” His fifth book weaves together both religious and scientific underpinnings of prayer to explore the benefits of daily prayer, understand the roles of memory, imagination and a FR. JOHN HENRY HANSON, O. PRAEM., STANDS IN THE LOBBY OF ST. MICHAEL'S ABBEY HOLDING HIS LATEST BOOK, WITH OTHERS DISPLAYED IN A BOOKCASE. PHOTO BY ALAN wandering mind within prayer, and helps WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE guide readers to better understand prayer
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tions of daily life, not to mention shame, self-sabotage, angst, doubt and a slew of other thoughts of restless and disordered minds. So, while the intent to focus on God is always admirable, most struggle with the follow-through. Fr. John Henry’s book begins with an amusing excerpt from a Flannery O’Connor short story in which a little girl begins prayer earnestly enough, but invariably wanders into thinking about a dog, a girl or something else she was going to do that day. As the priest puts it, “A wandering mind cannot be avoided. It matters not that (thoughts) happen, but what you do with them. Be gentle in bringing it back to the Lord with intention.” It takes time to settle into inner stillness, where one is able to be quiet, discerning, receptive in heart and mind and able to listen to and hear God. Like Carnegie Hall, the only way you get there is practice, practice, practice.
HOW TO GET THERE
Although his book is not a primer on prayer per se and more an examination of the contending aspects faced in reaching the proper state for prayer, Fr. John Henry has a couple suggestions for where to start. First, find a space where prayer needs can be cultivated. Naturally, Masses and churches and sacred spaces for scheduled Eucharistic adoration are ideal. Fr. John Henry said, “the gold standard,” as expressed by the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, would be a daily Eucharistic Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. To the extent that is not possible, there are do-it-yourself next best things. “You need to create a space that is sacred,” Fr. John Henry said. “An environment that’s quiet and allows stillness and absence of needless distractions.” That means no phones, screens or communication devices. If you use written material, such as psalm or Bible passages in prayer, he suggests paper rather than electronic images. Fr. John Henry said it is also important to establish patterns and routines for daily prayer. This helps precondition a person to prayer as a highlight of the day, “Start with 15 minutes, that is a good starting point,” Fr. John Henry said. He also suggests, “brief prayers throughout the day, even while driving or doing chores, to stay in the habit.”
NO SUCH THING AS PERFECTION
Finally, as the title of Fr. John Henry’s book suggests, there is an inherent tension in prayer between the fire of personal desires and silence. Although there is a “battle for inner stillness,” the effort needn’t be negative, particularly because of where it can lead. “Persevere in prayer,” Fr. John said, “as the most important relationship in your life.” C
FR. JOHN HENRY HANSON, O. PRAEM., LOOKS OVER HIS LATEST BOOK, "THE FIRE AND THE SILENCE: PRAYER, THOUGHT, AND THE BATTLE FOR INTERIOR STILLNESS,” AT ST. MICHAEL'S ABBEY. PHOTO BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE O C T O B E R 4 , 2 0 2 6 ■ O C C A T H O L I C
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the education. The school purchased the commercial office campus with four office buildings for about $20 million and was able to have it rezoned to include education through a unanimous vote by the Santa Ana City Council. At the time of the purchase, school president Steve Holte said, “this property is unique with possibilities,” noting the surrounding campus would be able to provide plenty of potential school partners for the student workforce. Through work study, students are exposed to a wide range of part-time jobs where they work about five shifts per A FIRST IN OC month. Employers include companies in Cristo Rey is Orange County’s inaugu- technology, law, finance and the health ral private, Catholic, college-preparatory industry. high school that features a corporate work The school also provides a demanding study program, offering real-world work four-year college preparatory curriculum. experience from among more than 80 OC Cristo Rey is part of a national network businesses, with wages used to help pay for of 42 campuses in the Catholic tradition president Steve Holte. “I told them to work hard and trust us, and they would have a campus before their senior year.” He added, “Today, by working together, we have delivered on that promise, and I couldn’t be happier for the students, their hard-working families, our supporters and donors who believed from day one in our students’ God-given potential. This is truly a moment to celebrate.” And celebrate they did, accompanied by proud families, staff, officials and well-wishers.
PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
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known as the Cristo Rey Network. It works closely with the Diocese of Orange but is overseen by an independent board under the authority of the pope. The school includes one-entire building and the top floor of an adjacent structure. The rest of the buildings on the nineacre campus are leased out to a variety of businesses. The new school will be able to accommodate about double the current population and features state-of-the-art classrooms and educational technology, as well as life science and robotics labs. There are also administrative offices, including space for visiting professionals, and
outdoor space, including basketball courts and a covered lunch area. Now, with the school year officially underway, Cristo Rey can get to fulfilling its motto as “The School That Works.” “Our students and school have been entrepreneurial since day one – making the most of what we had," said Karelyn Roberts, Cristo Rey’s founding principal. “This campus is built for our students and built for the size of their ambitions — it changes how they see themselves and will empower them to succeed. You can see it on their faces and hear it in their voices. Today is why I love my work.” C
GUEST COLUMN
MISSION WORK IN THE UNITED STATES FR. CHRISTOPHER HEATH, DIRECTOR OF DIOCESAN ARCHIVES, DIRECTOR OF MISSION OFFICE
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N THE MID-1500S Catholics first came to the New World. The Church was young and small and required fellow Catholics from Europe to assist in the slow expansion of the Faith along the east coast. In 1634 an English Catholic settlement was founded in Maryland, and over 100 years later John Carroll was named the first bishop of the first diocese in Baltimore in 1789. It may never have occurred to you, dear reader, that the Church in the original 13 Colonies was mission land, supported by generous donors in Europe who took up collections to support our forebears! It wasn’t until Nov. 3, 1908, that Pope St. Pius X declared that the Catholic Church in the United States was no longer a mission territory, that we had grown to a level of self-sufficiency and no longer needed support from the Propagation of the Faith. Foreign mission societies helped build our cathedrals, parishes, schools and seminaries for over a century. Now it’s our turn to “pay it forward” by supporting churches that are too poor, too young, or too persecuted to meet their own needs. This year is the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday, started by Pope Pius XI in 1926 as a day for the whole Church to pray to the Harvest Master for missionaries and those to whom they are trying to bring the Gospel, as well as to take up a collection to assist them in this saving work. Prior to this, missionary work was more unstructured and run by a variety of religious orders and mission-minded organizations, like those who helped the U.S. more than a century ago. Over the years, the Church in the United States has grown ever
FR. CHRISTOPHER HEATH IS THE DIRECTOR OF DIOCESAN ARCHIVES AND DIRECTOR OF ITS MISSION OFFICE. PHOTO BY THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
more generous through World Mission Sunday supporting missionary work in other countries. About 40 percent of the assistance received by missionary territories through World Mission Sunday comes from the United States, thanks to good people like you, dear reader. And this doesn’t account for other ways we give like the Missionary Cooperation appeal during the summer, or perhaps your parish adopted a missionary or mission project, or maybe you have sent money to a missionary yourself. There have been a large number of
national directors of the mission office in the U.S., most notably Archbishop Fulton Sheen whose charisma and media access made him the most wellknown director from 1950-1966. He personally raised over $200 million for the missions, and contributed another $10 million from his earnings from radio, television, and books, and bequeathed 40 percent of his estate and copyrights from his books and recordings which is still raising money for the missions! Sheen was beatified on Sept. 24, and one can only expect that a renewed interest in his works will continue to generate money for the missions for years to come! And now, for the first time, the Catholic Church has an American-born Pope! Robert Prevost grew up in Illinois; the same state where Blessed Fulton was born and raised. As a young man, he watched Sheen on television like millions of other Americans. Also, for the first time, we have a pope who was a missionary, working in Peru for many years as a priest and bishop. Now as Pope Leo XIV he had the honor of approving Sheen’s beatification and has made several remarks about the impact Blessed Fulton had on him and on the land of his birth. As a missionary, Pope Leo knows firsthand how essential America’s support is for the Church. In his message for World Mission Sunday 2026 (which I hope you will search for and read!), our Holy Father asks us and all Catholics worldwide to be true missionaries, to be “One in Christ, united in mission.” We are part of a network of relationships where each Church gives and receives. Evangelizing the world is not just about sending money someplace else, but about seeing where Christ is not yet known and help others to discover Him here, in our own homes, with our struggling families or challenging social problems, a divided political climate. Jesus Christ relies of each of us to be missionaries right here! It’s not for specialists like missionary priests or nuns, but for each Catholic to give witness to the reality of Christ in our own lives and helping someone else who is lost or broken or searching to find the Jesus we already know and love! I pray you will be generous with your support of the World Mission Sunday second collection in your parish Oct. 18! Blessed Fulton, pray for us! Pray for the missions! C
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CATHOLIC FAMILY LIFE
PURSUING HOLINESS WITH ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI of worship dedicated to St. Francis. The additional normal conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father) are required to gain the indulgence. In the Diocese of Orange, the faithful can visit the St. Francis Home chapel in Santa Ana, which is under the care of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. The chapel is open every day for prayer from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 4 p.m. Holy Hour; 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The faithful are also invited to join the Franciscans for Mass, Monday to Saturday at 7 a.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m. Locally, this Franciscan Jubilee offers a unique opportunity to encounter the witness of St. Francis of Assisi, deepen our journey of holiness and receive the graces God desires to give us so that we may become great saints. St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us! C
ANNA YOUELL AND JOAN PATTEN, AO
E
IGHT HUNDRED YEARS AGO, a humble, poor man radically in love with God and on fire for the Gospel died surrounded by his closest friends and religious brothers. His life is often reduced to his love of God’s creation and his charismatic spirit as a mendicant preacher in the 13th century. Yet his passionate union with Christ Crucified and his wholehearted surrender to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel reveal something far greater: the transformative power of God’s grace in a person pursuing his call to holiness. When he heard the Lord’s invitation, “Rebuild my Church,” he responded with the totality of his being and became a witness of what God can do through a life completely surrendered to Him. This man was St. Francis of Assisi. Francis’ initial call from the Lord came while he was praying in the abandoned chapel of San Damiano, which had fallen into ruin. Francis started selling his possessions to help restore the church building. But, as he subsequently realized, God wanted more than a physical structure. God desired the conversion of hearts and the renewal of lives in His grace and freedom. The Church in Francis’ time was struggling with heresy, greed and scandal. And as He does in every moment of need, God offers His immediate and concrete response to the needs of the times by raising up saints among us. God called on Francis to love truth and poverty. As he proclaimed the Gospel and the message of salvation many hearts were captivated. Francis came from a wealthy home. He renounced the
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SCULPTURE OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI IN BOSTON’S OLD NORTH MEMORIAL GARDEN. PHOTO BY WENHAO RUAN ON UNSPLASH
opportunity to run a successful family business and live comfortably, to follow the call of Christ. Francis was invited by God to let go of his possessions and trust in God’s providential care. Like many of us, he struggled with attachment to material goods and earthly pleasures. In giving everything back to God, Francis learned the great paradox that Pope Benedict proclaimed at his inaugural homily as pope in April 2005. “[Christ] takes nothing away, and He gives you everything.” Truth and poverty can be two paths to our own sanctity. We are all called to be saints, living forever with God in
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heaven. Only the truth can set us free, Jesus promised (cf. Jn 8:32). In Him, we find everything. Not grasping at our possessions and securities, but holding them with open hands before God, is a way to live out spiritual poverty. In honor of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a Franciscan Jubilee Year from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027, inviting the faithful to follow the example of the holy man who witnessed the Gospel with peace and joy. This jubilee offers a plenary indulgence to the faithful who visit as pilgrims any Franciscan church or place
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OC Catholic Afar
OC Catholic traveled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, this summer for the annual Catholic Media Conference and Awards, where it took home a first-place win for Best Diocesan Weekly. Built in 1870, the Atlantic City Boardwalk currently spans 4 miles and is considered to be the longest boardwalk in the world. It was originally built to prevent sand from drifting into beachfront hotels and businesses. A bit of American pop culture: Atlantic City inspired the board game Monopoly and is the birthplace of saltwater taffy. —Photo by Patty Mahoney, Managing Editor of OC Catholic
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. O C T O B E R 4 , 2 0 2 6 ■ O C C A T H O L I C
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