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A Letter from the Editor interim
In key moments throughout my life, the Lord has not been subtle. For example, God called me in 2019 away from my job at a local network news affiliate to work for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. I did not seek the job, but it clearly seemed the next step for my career, faith, and growing family. In February of this year, I was again asked to fill a role I had not desired or imagined. Although my time as interim editor has been brief, it was a clear call from the Lord to serve Him. He asked me to keep this publication going during a time of significant change in our Archdiocese—with the retirement of Archbishop Schnurr and the installation of Archbishop Casey—and in the worldwide Church—with the passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV.
At those specific moments, my path forward was clear, and my “Yes” to God was easy. He handed me my next move; all I had to do was accept. Despite these reassuring steps, however, most individual days between them were marked with doubt, when the Lord’s voice did not feel loud, confident, and convincing. My “Yes” wavered in confidence because I didn’t know the next right step. I was unsure whether I was doing the right things—and if I was doing anything right.
Hearing my overwhelming feelings during Reconciliation, my confessor offered this advice: tend only the plot God has given to my care. He reminded me that, while God asks for all I have, He also provides all the grace needed to carry out His plans.
So, on the days when I feel neither called nor equipped, when the next step isn’t obvious, I can still say, “Yes.” Even if I am not confident that I am doing God’s will today, I can rest in the words of Caryll Houselander from her book The Reed of God:
Publisher: Archbishop Robert G. Casey
Editor: David Cooley
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Sometimes it may seem to us that there is no purpose in our lives. That going day after day for years to this office or that school or factory is nothing more than waste or weariness. But it may be that God has sent us there because, but for us, Christ would not be there. If our being there means that Christ is there, that alone makes it worthwhile.
There are still days when the small garden God has given over to my cultivation seems too large to tend, with weeds growing faster and stronger than the tender flowers I try to nurture. There are days where I fear I’ve failed at every endeavor and rejected the precious gifts God offered me. And there are days when I question why He thought me capable of handling so much.
But then, there are days when I can see Christ working through me. I see the green shoots poking through the soil that my hands tilled. God shows me that He was working below the surface to grow a garden for His glory, if only I can be patient enough to wait for the flowers to bloom. The Lord of the harvest provides.
This is my last time writing to you from the editor’s desk. Just as God made it clear when he wanted me to step in, it’s clear now that it’s time for me to step back. It is with joy that I hand over The Catholic Telegraph to our new editorial director’s care. I look forward to David Cooley’s leadership in guiding the magazine in its mission to share the good news with the faithful of our archdiocese. May the Lord of the harvest guide his hands. Thank you for allowing me to write to you these last few months. I can already see the garden taking shape.
Margaret Swensen cteditorial@catholicaoc.org
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Choosing Him
INTO YOUR HANDS | Archbishop Robert G. Casey
Since the death of Pope Francis on April 21, I have found myself reflecting on his papal motto, “Miserando atque eligendo,” which basically translates to “having mercy and choosing him.” Pope Francis first chose this motto when he was called to be a bishop in Argentina. He then chose to keep the same motto when called upon to serve as the Bishop of Rome and Holy Father of our Church.
The motto was derived from a homily that St. Bede the Venerable preached on the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle. St. Bede spoke of Jesus’ mercy toward the tax collector, choosing Matthew to follow him. Matthew’s experience, as one who received mercy and was chosen, reflects Pope Francis’ own personal experience of Jesus. As a young man, Jorge Bergoglio had his own experience of God’s mercy and of God’s choosing him. It was out of that personal experience that he would find himself capable to answer the call to shepherd the Church and guide her in the revelation of God’s love for the world, extending charity and compassion to all. His hope was that everyone might also come to experience a blessed encounter with God’s mercy and the joy of knowing God’s choosing of them.
When our eyes have been opened to see how the Lord has shown us mercy and chosen us as His disciples, we discover how we are not only called but also equipped for service in the Church. Whether that service will be offered as pope, bishop, priest, deacon, religious or layperson, the experience is the same. Our call must be rooted in a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. That encounter with Jesus Christ will transform us and serve to make us capable of living out the words
of the prophet Micah—to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Only when we are rooted in love and have a willingness to show mercy will our call truly come to life. If our call is born out of self-service or self-promotion, we will not find success in our discipleship. An experience of the Risen Christ alive and present to us, revealed in selfless love and in moments of mercy, will be what encourages and equips us for service.
I was serving as the pastor of a parish in suburban Chicago when Pope Francis introduced himself to the world following the conclave in March 2013. From the beginning of his pontificate, I have witnessed Pope Francis’ commitment to serve in humility, to be present and accompany others lovingly, and to offer a powerful witness to the truth both in word and in deed.
My life, thus far, has been spent under the care of six different popes, each one of them challenging me to answer the call of Christ first given to me in baptism. From my youth, throughout my priesthood, and now lived out as a bishop, I have been invited to join with the Church in her effort to proclaim the Good News and build up the Kingdom of God. As each pope has given his life generously in service to the Church, we are all invited to do the same so that our Church might fulfill her mission as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
We now join with our newly elected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, setting our sights on the journey ahead, confident that the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire and guide us, knowing that we have been called and equipped for the work of discipleship entrusted to us this day.
Eligiéndolo
EN TUS MANOS | Arzobispo Robert G. Casey
Desde la muerte del Papa Francisco el 21 de abril, me he encontrado reflexionando sobre su lema papal: “Miserando atque eligendo”, que básicamente se traduce como “lo miró con misericordia y lo eligió”. El Papa Francisco eligió este lema por primera vez cuando fue llamado a ser obispo en Argentina. Luego decidió mantener el mismo lema cuando fue llamado a servir como Obispo de Roma y Santo Padre de nuestra Iglesia.
El lema se deriva de una homilía que San Beda el Venerable predicó en la fiesta de San Mateo Apóstol. San Beda habló de la misericordia de Jesús hacia el publicano, eligiendo a Mateo para seguirlo. La experiencia de Mateo, como alguien que recibió misericordia y fue elegido, refleja la experiencia personal que el Papa Francisco tuvo de Jesús. Cuando era joven, Jorge Bergoglio tuvo su propia experiencia de la misericordia de Dios y de ser elegido. Fue a partir de esa experiencia personal que se encontró capaz de responder al llamado de pastorear la Iglesia y guiarla en la revelación del amor de Dios por el mundo, extendiendo la caridad y la compasión a todos. Su esperanza era que todos también pudieran llegar a experimentar un encuentro bendecido con la misericordia de Dios y la alegría de saber que Dios los ha elegido.
Cuando nuestros ojos se han abierto para ver cómo el Señor nos ha mostrado misericordia y nos ha elegido como sus discípulos, descubrimos cómo no sólo somos llamados sino también equipados para el servicio en la Iglesia. Ya sea que ese servicio se ofrezca como papa, obispo, sacerdote, diácono, religioso o laico, la experiencia es la misma. Nuestro llamado debe tener su raíz en un encuentro personal con Jesucristo. Ese encuentro con Jesucristo nos transformará y servirá para hacernos capaces de vivir las palabras del profeta Miqueas—actuar con justicia, amar
la misericordia y caminar humildemente con nuestro Dios. Sólo cuando estemos arraigados en el amor y tengamos la voluntad de mostrar misericordia, nuestro llamado verdaderamente cobrará vida. Si nuestro llamado nace del autoservicio o de la autopromoción, no encontraremos éxito en nuestro discipulado. Una experiencia de Cristo resucitado vivo y presente entre nosotros, revelado en el amor desinteresado y en los momentos de misericordia, será lo que nos anime y nos capacite para el servicio.
Yo era párroco de una parroquia en un suburbio de Chicago cuando el Papa Francisco se presentó al mundo después del cónclave de marzo de 2013. Desde el inicio de su pontificado, he sido testigo del compromiso del Papa Francisco de servir con humildad, de estar presente y acompañar a los demás con amor, y de ofrecer un poderoso testimonio de la verdad tanto con palabras como con hechos.
Hasta ahora, mi vida ha transcurrido bajo el cuidado de seis papas diferentes, cada uno de los cuales me ha desafiado a responder al llamado de Cristo que me fue dado por primera vez en el bautismo. Desde mi juventud, a lo largo de mi sacerdocio y ahora vivido como obispo, he sido invitado a unirme a la Iglesia en su esfuerzo por proclamar la Buena Nueva y construir el Reino de Dios. Así como cada papa ha dado su vida generosamente al servicio de la Iglesia, todos estamos invitados a hacer lo mismo para que nuestra Iglesia pueda cumplir su misión como una, santa, católica y apostólica.
Nos unimos ahora a nuestro pontífice recién elegido, Papa Leo XIV, fijando la mirada en el camino que tenemos por delante, confiados en que el Espíritu Santo continuará inspirándonos y guiándonos, sabiendo que hemos sido llamados y equipados para la obra del discipulado que se nos ha confiado este día.
Habemus Papam! A bio of the first American pope
Jonah McKeown | Catholic News Agency Staff
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, May 8—the first pope from the United States.
Smiling and waving while wearing more traditional papal garb than his predecessor—and appearing to hold back tears at certain points—Leo blessed the cheering masses assembled in St. Peter’s Square, proclaiming in confident Italian: “Peace be with you all!”
An Augustinian and a canon lawyer, Prevost spent over a decade ministering in South America before being called back to the U.S. to head the Midwest Augustinians and was later elected prior general of the Augustinian order, serving in that role for a dozen years. He later returned to South America after Pope Francis in 2014 appointed him bishop in Chiclayo, Peru. Francis later called him to Rome in 2023 to head the highly influential Dicastery for Bishops.
Prevost, 69, was born on Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago. He is of Italian, French, and Spanish descent. He studied at an Augustinian minor seminary in Michigan and later earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. He officially entered the Order of St. Augustine in 1978, making his solemn vows in 1981. He was ordained to the priesthood in June 1982 after studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
After being ordained, he earned a doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas (also known as the Angelicum) in 1987.
Prevost returned to Chicago for a short time in 1987, serving as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Midwest Augustinians (Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel). He was then sent to Peru, where he
served the Augustinians in various capacities including as a regional ecclesiastical judge and teacher of canon law in the diocesan seminary for Trujillo, Peru, for 10 years.
After being elected the head of the Augustinian Province of Chicago, Prevost returned to the U.S. in 1999. He was elected prior general of the Augustinians in 2001 and then reelected in 2007, serving as head of the order until 2013.
Pope Francis appointed Prevost as apostolic administrator of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014, and he was ordained titular bishop of Sufar that same year.
While serving the Church in Peru, Francis made Prevost a member of the Dicastery for the Clergy in 2019 and then a member of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2020. In 2023, Francis made Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. In that capacity, Prevost played a key role in the selection process for diocesan bishops around the world and in the investigation of allegations against bishops.
In 2023, Prevost spoke to Vatican News about what he considered to be the “portrait of a bishop.”
“We are often preoccupied with teaching doctrine, the way of living our faith, but we risk forgetting that our first task is to teach what it means to know Jesus Christ and to bear witness to our closeness to the Lord,” he told Vatican News.
“This comes first: to communicate the beauty of the faith, the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus,” he added. “It means that we ourselves are living it and sharing this experience.”
Pope Francis made him a cardinal in a Sept. 30, 2023, consistory.
Resisting Throwaway Culture with Pope Francis
A CLOSER LOOK | Dr.
Kenneth Craycraft
In his 1988 song “Death is Not the End,” Bob Dylan wrote, “When you’re standing on the crossroads / That you cannot comprehend / Just remember that death is not the end / And all your dreams have vanished / And you don’t know what’s up the bend / Just remember that death is not the end.” I thought of this song when I read Pope Francis’ preface for the forthcoming book, Awaiting a New Beginning: Reflections on Old Age, by Cardinal Angelo Scola, ArchbishopEmeritus of Milan. Like Bob Dylan, Pope Francis affirmed three things about aging and death. It is mysterious. It is inevitable. It is not the end.
In that preface, Pope Francis pursued a key theme of his pontificate, “Resisting throwaway culture,” as theologian Charles C. Camosy put it in his excellent book by that name. The pope challenged us to resist throwaway culture, explained Camosy, “and build up a culture of encounter and hospitality.” Pope Francis showed us how to “meet the vulnerable and marginalized personally by disrupting our routines and going to the peripheries of our familiar communities,” Camosy continued. These communities include, of course, the aged and infirm, for whom the late pope had a special affinity. This can be seen as the hallmark of his papacy: hospitable, vulnerable availability to “the other,” by whatever way “the other” confronts us. In
pursuing this theme, the Holy Father showed us both how to live and how to die.
The Holy Father showed us both how to live and how to die
He wrote in the preface, “We must not be afraid of old age, we must not fear embracing becoming old.” This requires work, because we live in a culture that both fears and loathes aging and the aged. Pope Francis urged us to resist this mentality. “To say ‘old’ does not mean ‘to be discarded,’ as a degraded culture of waste sometimes leads us to think.” The issue, he explained, is not that everyone grows old—that’s a given. Rather, the problem we must confront is “how one becomes old.” As Christians, we must “live this time of life as a grace, and not with resentment.” We must learn to accept “diminished strength … increasing fatigue” and slower reflexes “with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness.” If we learn this lesson, he wrote, old age “becomes an age of life which … is truly fruitful and capable of radiating goodness.”
But Pope Francis did not just write pious repetitions of urgent admonitions. Rather, he acted. And his actions spoke louder than his words. He did not merely make himself available to the marginalized and outcast; he pursued them. He proactively sought the company of those who many of us prefer to avoid. Whether embracing a severely disfigured pilgrim in St. Peter’s Square, washing the feet of prisoners in Rome’s Regina Coeli jail, or ministering to Roman prostitutes,
CNS Photo by Paul Haring
Pope Francis showed us how to be comfortable with those who cause us discomfort.
Where we flinch, he embraced. Where we flee, he pursued. And where we hide, he emerged. The Holy Father did not just encourage us to “smell the sheep”; he showed us how it is done.
This includes his very last appearances. On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis met with Vice President JD Vance, whom the pope reproved weeks earlier. Francis could easily have declined this audience and later public appearances, citing his severe difficulty in breathing and speaking. Instead, he made himself available as a sign of hope and reconciliation. And then Pope Francis made a final, definitive statement about the nature of his papacy: after his “Urbi et Orbi” speech was read on his behalf and while he was in clear distress and barely audible, he blessed the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, then, in one last exercise of smelling the sheep, he defied his doctors’ orders and went out among the people, to see them and to be seen.
In that Easter address to the city and the world—his final public speech—Pope Francis declared, “Christ is
Risen!” These words, he explained, “Capture the whole meaning of our existence.” Every life is precious, he continued, “The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded.”
In “Death is Not the End,” Bob Dylan also wrote: “Oh, the tree of life is growing / Where the spirit never dies / And the bright light of salvation shines / In dark and empty skies.” It is highly unlikely that Pope Francis even knew this song, but the final words of his last address echo Dylan’s hopeful lyrics. “In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery,” the Pope wrote, “death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever. He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all things new!”
Pope Francis didn’t merely wear his heart on his sleeve. He rolled up those sleeves to do the work the Gospel demands. May he now find the peace of his reward, embraced by the Christ whom he so faithfully served.
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The Angelico Project
Transforming the Culture through Beauty
While listening to Sacred Heart Radio in 2017, Maureen Teller heard about the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in New York City, a Catholic-affiliated venue dedicated to evangelizing through goodness, truth, and beauty.
“That was a galvanizing moment for me,” Teller recalled. “I thought, ‘If they can have this in New York, why can’t we have it here?’”
She immediately called Nancy-Carolyn Smith, a fellow homeschooling mom, grandmother, and accomplished sculptor, and with Catholic playwright Jay Muldoon and his wife, Loraine, they envisioned a local Catholic arts movement. Out of their shared faith and creativity was born The Angelico Project.
Named after Dominican friar and Renaissance painter Fra Angelico, the apostolate believes that beauty can lead the soul to God—and in today’s fragmented culture, this kind of witness is needed more than ever. Thus, it evangelizes through beauty in the fine and performing arts and sacred music, creating space for artists to gather, grow in faith, and share their gifts with the broader community.
The early days were marked by both excitement and uncertainty; however, “The archdiocese gave a small seed gift to start,” Smith said. “It was the ‘yes’—the shared sense that this was worth doing—that truly set things in motion.”
Purpose-filled trips to New York and Chicago confirmed and refined their calling. Smith attended the Catholic Art Institute’s Annual Conference in Chicago, meeting artists who shared their mission. And a return to the Sheen Center—which first sparked the idea—provided the blueprint needed for structuring the non-profit and developing programs.
“At first, we didn’t even have a home,” Smith said. When they rented space at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, “artists came to every workshop and class, and the community kept growing.” When that space became unavailable, Father Ethan Moore opened the UC Newman Center’s doors. “It was just what we needed, just when we needed it,” she says.
Now, The Angelico Project hosts Monday night gatherings with a rotating lineup of creative groups—writers, visual
susan B er G man
artists, theater enthusiasts, improvisers, and musicians. They study works like The Divine Comedy and The Great Divorce, and they’re expanding to include retreats, open studios, and workshops for artists of all ages and skill levels.
Getting the word out, especially to those who need it most, remains a challenge. “We have a million ideas for things we want to do,” Smith said, especially connecting patrons with artists. “Art should be seen— and it should bless the whole community,” she said.
She noted, “As homeschool moms, we’re used to identifying a need and just making it happen. I feel very inadequate for this beautiful job I’ve been given— but when I let go and give up control, God provides. That’s been the biggest lesson.”
Though not from traditional arts administration backgrounds, Smith and her co-founders each brought unique gifts and lifelong experiences that proved essential. Interested in art from an early age, Smith earned a degree in sculpture and printmaking from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and taught studio art and art history for 25 years. “My faith has deepened through the years, as has my awareness of the power art has to open hearts,” she said.
Recognizing how every step of her life prepared her for this calling, Smith said: “Unbeknownst to me, God has been leading me to this purpose my entire life. I know it’s true for Maureen and Loraine, too, and for all the many hearts and hands that have worked on this project. Each experience and skill has led to this point—and God continues to generously send us people He has prepared.”
What God was preparing began for four people as a prayerful question over coffee—What would it take to create a vibrant Catholic arts movement in Cincinnati? and blossomed into a living apostolate and a testament to what happens when ordinary people say “yes” to an extraordinary call.
The Angelico Project will host its annual gala June 12, which celebrates sacred music, visual art, and community. Bishop Earl Fernandes as the keynote speaker underscores the project’s commitment to both theological depth and artistic excellence. To learn more, visit: angelicoproject.org
I felt called upon like the undertow of the sea, undulating beneath the luminescence of the moon and its gravitational pull.
I was alone and that no one could possibly care less about me. But that simply wasn't true.
That letter reminded me of Jesus’ call to Saint Matthew, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt. 9:13).
I was filled with the Holy Spirit and allowed Him to lead me back, onto the narrow path.
By imitating Christ in everything I do and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me, I know that I will be able to continue walking with God. I must continue focusing on my spiritual growth. Fasting and almsgiving will further convert my heart from worldly ways so that I may become more conformed to the very heart of Christ.
I’ve learned that the more I allow myself to be transformed by God’s love, the greater is my capacity for loving others. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit! I am blessed.
Book Review
Matt Swaim
In the lengthy tradition of Christian theology, considerable attention has gone to understanding attributes of God that can be discerned through Scripture and natural revelation. For example, He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and perfect in justice, mercy, and holiness.
There is also a long tradition of “apophatic” theology, also called “negative theology,” wherein one seeks to understand God by explaining what He is not. He is immutable (without change), He is infinite (not limited by anything), and He is incomprehensible (we can know things about Him by analogy, but He will never fit neatly inside of our brains).
In The Faith Unboxed - Freeing the Catholic Church from the Containers People Put It In, Andrew Petiprin applies apophatic theology to explain the Catholic Church to those who may misunderstand her. We say the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, but what is the Church not? Petiprin’s answers focus on cultural, doctrinal, and sociological labels frequently assigned to classify her; then he explains why those labels are inadequate or misleading.
For example, in a world filled with different theological takes on Christianity, one easily falls into the tendency to talk about the Catholic Church as another denomination. Drawing from Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium document, Petiprin applies the principle that the Catholic Church is the fullest light of Christianity, of which the various denominations possess fragments and reflections.
Likewise, Catholicism (and religion in general) is often treated as a therapeutic escape. Perhaps the reader has heard that religion is harmless as long as it helps someone cope with life and gives him a sense of purpose. Petiprin counters that the Catholic Church is less like a fictional utopia filled with comfort shielding us from reality and more like an actual family with odd uncles and saintly grandmothers—where you will be frustrated and hurt but also challenged and loved. Those who approach the Church as a handy escape or an easy road are likely in for a rude awakening. As Flannery O’Connor put it, it is deeply naive to think that the Catholic faith offers “a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross.”
Petiprin raises an especially fascinating point when he discusses the dangers of reducing the Catholic faith to an ideology amid our cultural landscape saturated with “-isms.” He notes that the word “Catholicism” is found nowhere in the entire text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Those familiar with Petiprin's writing will be delighted to know that his style in The Faith Unboxed remains consistent with his previous work, which is characterized by numerous references to literature and film with a heavy dose of humor along the way. And coming from Catholic Answers’ print publishing arm, it is no surprise that the book heavily references Scripture and Church documents.
Petiprin comes by his perspective of the Church honestly. As a former evangelical Protestant who found a home and priestly vocation in the Anglican tradition, he addresses questions that were part of his own journey to full communion with Rome.
Any reader who’s been frustrated, especially during this papal transition, because friends, family, coworkers, and the media mischaracterized the Church, and who’s wanted to yell back, “That's not what the Church is! ” will find a welcome resource in The Faith Unboxed.
Matt Swaim is co-host of the Son Rise Morning Show and Director of Outreach for The Coming Home Network.
$18.95 The Faith Unboxed Andrew Petiprin Catholic Answers Press 160 pages
the Americas. As the 265th successor to St. Peter, he was also the first pope to take the name of Francis, which was chosen to honor St. Francis of Assisi because Cardinal Bergoglio wanted “a church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security” (Evangelii Gaudium, 41).
Pope Francis was just the fourth pope to visit the United States. his Sept. 22-27, 2015 apostolic journey marked the tenth visit by a pope to the U.S. and included events in Washington, New York, and Philadelphia. The trip concluded with the World Meeting of Families.
Throughout his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis emphasized the virtue of mercy, advocating for the poor and those on society’s peripheries. He notably canonized more saints than any other pope. He also significantly expanded the College of Cardinals, appointing 163 new cardinals from diverse regions to reflect the universality of the Catholic Church.
Death
Argentine Bishops Conference
TELEGRAM HOME
Father Jacob Lindle
More than anything else, these days have reminded me that I am a member of God’s own family.
As a young priest, I fell in love with parish life. Whether baptizing babies, witnessing weddings, sharing meals in homes, or having the solemn privilege of laying loved ones to rest, I received the gift of entering the lives of so many families. I was sad to relinquish that gift when assigned to study in Rome. Our loving Father always has a plan, though, and throughout this first year here, He has shown, again and again, the gift of living and studying at the heart of the Church. I’m surrounded by so much of our Catholic faith’s history and holiness: Peter, Paul, the martyrs, the churches, the artistic masterpieces. But since the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, I realize even more deeply that what I experienced at the local level in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, I can now experience at a universal level.
When Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father, He promised He would not leave us orphans. God is so generous that not only did He send us the Holy Spirit, He also chose men to be the vessels through which His Fatherhood would tangibly radiate to the world. He chose apostles and assigned Peter as the head. After Peter, we’ve had Linus, Cletus, Clement, all the way down to John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. God gave us fathers to reflect His own Fatherhood. More than anything any of these chosen men do or say, their very office reminds us of God’s continual Fatherhood.
Thus, even if we never met him, losing a pope is like losing a father. And so, on that morning of April 21, 2025, the whole earth-bound family of God mourned the death of Francis, our pope. In the following days,
God’s children from around Rome, Italy and the world came to say their goodbyes to the man who was their Holy Father for 12 years. Day after day, we lined up outside St. Peter’s Basilica in a hushed calm, passing through Bernini’s colonnade as through an embrace of outstretched arms. And on April 26, hundreds of thousands of our family members gathered down the Via della Conciliazione, all the way to the Tiber River, offering prayers to our heavenly Father on behalf of the man who was our father on earth.
I stood with priests from all around the United States, North and South America, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Turning, I saw thousands of teenagers who planned to see their brother, Bl. Carlo Acutis, canonized but, instead, faithfully stood by their father as he passed from this world. The young and old, men and women, people from all over the world—this is our family. And so, the Mass was read in Latin, the Church’s universal language, with one reading in English and one in Spanish; petitions in Italian, Portuguese, German, Polish, and Chinese; and glorious funeral chants in Greek and Arabic by our Eastern brothers.
It was a day of mourning, yes; and we continue to pray for Pope Francis’ eternal rest. But, it was also a day of great consolation. Our Father in heaven gathered us into the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, and He will never forsake us.
Fr. Jacob Lindle, ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in May 2022, is presently studying for a Doctorate in Patristic Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
t H e stor Y o F
St.
Peter Chains in
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in downtown Cincinnati has been a beacon of faith and hope for area Catholics since its dedication nearly 180 years ago.
Two of Cincinnati’s faithful shepherds played significant roles in its construction or renovation: then-Bishop John Baptist Purcell and Archbishop Karl Joseph Alter. Their planning and foresight ensured the structure stood the test of time.
“The first and most urgent want of this diocese is a suitable cathedral” said Bishop Purcell in 1941. Made bishop of the Catholic Church in Cincinnati in 1883, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1850 and died in 1883.
In an Oct. 29, 1840 letter to architect Thomas Spare, Bishop Purcell specifically described his plans for the new cathedral: “The cathedral I would propose is about seventy feet by one hundred feet, Grecian style of architecture, with portico and colonnade in front, with vestibule, all about 30 or 40 feet deep, and with a steeple carried up from the foundation … The ceiling I am inclined to have is flat, or but slightly curved. Also, a choir loft … It is intended to have
Eileen Connelly, OSU
a basement story destined for Sunday schools and places of meeting, chiefly above ground. The roof is to be covered with zinc or copper. These specifications, I presume, will be sufficient.”
A report in the May 22, 1841 issue of The Catholic Telegraph described the scene when the cornerstone for St. Peter in Chains was laid, noting that “the Rt. Rev. Bishop Purcell addressed the people who listened with the greatest attention” and expressed that “we hope that the good work so propitiously begun will continue to receive the divine blessing, until the edifice be completed, so as to be an honor to our holy religion, so wonderfully diffusing itself all around, and worthy of the Queen City. This is a great undertaking, but in God is our trust, for He knows that we do it all for His honor.”
The momentous occasion of the cathedral’s dedication on Nov. 2, 1845, saw it featured once again in the Telegraph, several days later: “The long expected and gratifying ceremony took place on last Sunday. Thus after more than five years labor, the Catholics of Cincinnati have crowned their hopes by the erection and consecration of a cathedral, which no one can
behold within expressing their admiration of its beauty, proportions and durability.”
Visitors to the cathedral who expect a Gothic style are often surprised to see it resembles a government building, an insightful intention by Bishop Purcell.
Father Jan Schmidt, current rector of the Cathedral Basilica, explained, “Amid the anti-Catholicism of the time, he wanted the cathedral to be a statement that the Catholic Church was a permanent institution on American soil and that Catholics were just as American as the Protestant population.”
By the 1930s, however, the cathedral was dilapidated, and its towering spire was covered with soot. Cathedral status transferred in 1938 to St. Monica Parish in Clifton Heights, north of downtown Cincinnati. But in 1951, Archbishop Karl J. Alter declared, “We are going home,” and began a complete renovation and reconstruction of the current cathedral. The work was overseen by architect Edward Schulte, who designed new transepts, a rectory, the sacristy and archdiocesan offices. In excerpts from The Lord Was My Client, Schulte noted Archbishop Alter’s commitment to returning St. Peter in Chains to its former beauty and to preserving its historic significance, and he expressed his gratitude for “entrusting this extremely important work to me.”
The church’s rededication as the cathedral on Nov. 3, 1957, opened a week of celebrations. At the Solemn Pontifical Mass following the structure’s rededication, Covington Bishop William T. Mulloy declared the restored Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains is a “monument of the love and veneration that the people … and their leaders in this area have for their God.” During the dinner after the Mass, Archbishop Alter said, “What could be more fitting than that we should gather together that which is most precious in stone and marble, gold and bronze, carved wood and jeweled glass, joined to the artist’s talents in form and color, in order to celebrate the glory of the most high God. Thus we make a return to Him of His own generous bounty on our behalf.”
He noted that some of the deciding factors for returning the cathedral status to St. Peter in Chains were “the architectural excellence of the building, its historical associations, and its accessibility.”
“We hope that the cathedral, by its very presence in the midst of our city, will lift up the hearts and minds of all our people to heavenly desires,” Archbishop Alter said. “If the cathedral were to endure merely as an architectural monument, if it were to become nothing more than an artist’s vision of earthly beauty, it would have failed notably in its purpose. It is intended rather to be a sermon in stone and an unending hymn of praise to the majesty of God and His goodness to men.”
Way the G ood S hepherd of the
Cincinnati native Deacon Nathan Beiersdorfer of St. Cecilia Parish has been appointed the first-ever Executive Director of the Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori (GSCM). After 11 years as Moeller High School’s Chief Financial Officer, he starts his new role in July.
“My ultimate goal here is to help this community discern what the Lord wants for this place and for us to go do it together,” Deacon Beiersdorfer said.
He was encouraged to pursue the position by the GSCM board chair, also of St. Cecilia Parish. It so happened that same week that Montessori principal Anne Marie Vega suggested he join the school vocations panel. Deciding it was worth applying for the job to learn more, Deacon Beiersdorfer spent a full day in the interview process, during which he was introduced to
many school community members, including teachers, students, and parents.
“I was just drawn to the deep faith that they exhibited there,” he said. “I already knew a lot of people … [many] are parishioners at St. Cecilia. I felt a sense of peace there and a deep calling to go and be a shepherd for them. It just felt clear that God was saying, ‘This is your next move. I need you to use some of the gifts I’ve given you, in new ways.’”
The overwhelmingly positive response to his appointment confirmed for Deacon Beiersdorfer that this is where God is calling him to be.
“All of my daily prayer has been devoted to asking God for help with this decision,” he said. “He started making things clear very quickly. It was actually one
REBEKAH DAVIDSON
of the easier discernments I’ve had. I would say the biggest part of the decision was praying through this together with my wife—it’s a pretty big shift for us. I also talked to my pastor and other priests for guidance.”
“We’re really looking forward to this new chapter!” Vega said. The executive director role will relieve her of the business aspects and community interaction duties which have grown since the school’s founding by the previous principal, Dan Teller, who retired. “I am [now] more the inward face of the school,” she said, “in charge of day-to-day operations, students, curriculum, and teachers.
“She is so committed to the school,” Deacon Beiersdorfer said. “The board of the school determined it was time to get her some help so that she can focus on being the principal.”
Founding GSCM in the late 1990’s, Dan Teller was a convert and long-time Montessori educator, when he felt inspired to start a Catholic Montessori School based on The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
“I felt that Montessori education combined with Catholic spiritual formation would truly be a complete education for a child,” he explained. Inspired to explore the idea, Teller said the vision rested on Luke 2:52. “We wanted to imitate Jesus’ wisdom, grace, and stature in the world.”
“They operate on three pillars: the Catholic Faith, The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and Montessori education,” said Beiersdorfer.
To found the school, Teller first formed a nonprofit corporation and then secured a location in the upper floor of a Christian church’s school building. He recruited students by hosting open houses and meeting individually with families, and he created a classroom setting by borrowing Montessori and Catechesis materials, along with children’s furniture from his own home. A board of directors formed, and the school raised $96,000 from grants and individual donations. When it opened in August 1998, the school had 28 students enrolled in preschool and kindergarten; and it grew one grade level each year
through eighth grade.
Teller said his early challenges included balancing teaching with administrating and promoting the school.
However, the families’ enthusiasm, joy, and commitment offset the challenges, Teller said. “The beautiful partnership with the parents really contributed to the strengths and success of the program.”
Finding Montessori teachers who were devout Catholics also proved a challenge for maintaining quality staff, Teller noted. “Because of that, our applicant pool was much smaller.”
That challenge continues. “The world can press in … pretty heavily, even at Catholic schools,” said Beiersdorfer. “We have to maintain a focus on who we are and who we hire, and help parents have the right tools to pass on this inheritance [of faith] to their children.”
Teller served as principal and managed administrative work until Principal Vega arrived in 2017. He transferred his role to her throughout the year then served as a catechist for a few years before retiring. The school moved to its current 13-acre location in 2002.
“The great joy of the children and experiencing this form of education [have] been a delight,” said Teller. “The freedom and the richness of the Montessori [model], along with The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, all coming together in a school: [it] provided an insight to how joyful a life of faith can be.”
“The way in which it’s done at the school is spectacular, and you can see it in the face of the kids they send forth,” Beiersdorfer added.
“We offer something very unique,” Vega said. “It’s a wonderful thing to be part of. I look forward to the future ... [I see us ] becoming a model of what it means to be a Catholic Montessori school and what [that] brings to society.”
Enter In
decision supported by his mother but not his father. He moved to Paris in 1856, enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts, began exhibiting at the Paris Salon in 1859, and there met Manet and Degas.
Although trained in academic and realist art, Tissot produced many of his most recognizable works during the PostImpressionist era. He planned to return to painting fashionable Parisian women, but had a profound conversion experience during Mass when he saw a vision of Jesus tending to people in a ruined building. Tissot then dedicated himself to illustrating Biblical scenes. While his technique occasionally reflected looser brushwork and the postimpressionists’ quiet, dreamy settings, his style ultimately transcended the movement, especially in later religious paintings, which combined historical and narrative accuracy with profound reverence.
Accuracy was so important to him that he traveled in 1886 to the Holy Land to begin a series on The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This collection comprised more than 350 watercolor paintings created over approximately 10 years.
Jerusalem who doesn’t know what’s happened these past few days?”
Jesus plays along. “What sort of things?”
With aching hearts, they recount Christ’s Passion, mentioning that some even believe He rose from the dead. They share that they “had hoped [for] great things [like the salvation of Israel], but God had disappointed them” (Sheen, Life of Christ, 412). Though their minds hold the facts, their hearts remain unconvinced.
Jesus speaks more plainly this time, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!” As Venerable Fulton Sheen explains, these disciples “are accused of being foolish and slow of heart because, if they had ever sat down and examined what the prophets had said about the Messiah—that He would be led like a lamb to slaughter—they would have been confirmed in their belief” (Sheen, Life of Christ, 413). They still do not recognize Jesus, but begin to catch on when He explains all in Scripture that points to Him (Lk. 24:27). At this moment, their hearts begin to burn, although only later, when He breaks the bread, do they fully recognize Jesus.
As we focus on the figures in Tissot’s painting, Jesus stands in the center between the two disciples: Cleopas, on the viewer’s right, and his unnamed companion on the left. Their clothing is quite interesting and initially puzzling, but given Tissot’s keen appreciation for fashion, he likely chose their attire intentionally.
Beneath the olive trees’ twisted trunks and silver-green canopy, two disciples tread along the rocky path from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Cleopas and his companion had been mourning with the other disciples when the women arrived joyfully announcing the empty tomb. They shared the angels’ appearance and proclamation that Jesus had risen from the dead.
However, weighed down by sorrow and uncertainty, the two men saw no reason to stay in Jerusalem. The painter captures them trudging home to their village, leaning on walking sticks, as they try to make sense of recent events.
Suddenly, a barefoot traveler wrapped in white garments and a black cloak approaches them. He requests to walk with them and inquires about their conversation. Cleopas, clearly annoyed, responds, “Are you the only visitor to
First, consider Jesus. He wears white, symbolically referencing His Resurrection—new life. Yet, a black shroud drapes over his shoulders, signifying His death and acting like a veil, spiritually concealing His identity from His disciples. His garments are not a traveler’s typical attire; rather, they resemble burial cloths, as though He freshly emerged from the tomb.
Cleopas’ attire closely mirrors those of Jesus, though wrapped more tautly. His unyielding garments suggest someone still bound by earthly distractions, not yet fully awakened by the truth of Christ’s Resurrection. Cleopas’ journey toward spiritual enlightenment is still in progress. He is tightly restrained by his doubts.
Continued on page 30.
God Doesn’t Call the Equipped; He Equips the Called
CATHOLIC AT HOME | Katie Sciba
As a 22-year-old bride with a theology degree, I was confident I knew what I was getting into on my wedding day. You can laugh; it’s funny, I know. This month, we’ll have 17 years under our belts. And when we look at the photos this year, we’ll have our annual chuckle at how little we knew and the huge education we were to get.
Had I known the implications of Andrew’s proposal— the tests we would endure, the heartache we would impose on each other, the crosses we would bear together, the huge differences between us that we couldn’t see in the blinding light of newlywed bliss, and the mix of heavenly joys and hope and growth—I would have stood frozen with hesitation. I wasn’t ready. Fortunately for my new husband and me, answering the Lord’s call is far more about trust than readiness.
Writing this month on the theme that “God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called,” I immediately paired the concept with marriage. The Father constantly invites us to Himself through love and service; His invitation has nothing to do with how capable or prepared we think we are, but with our willingness to accept the strength and ability He will certainly provide.
Throughout human history, God chose people who were totally unprepared for the mission ahead, and He continues to do so, today. When God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses immediately protested: “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent... but I am slow of speech and of tongue” (Ex. 4:10). Taking care to remind Moses exactly who He is and what He’s capable of, the Lord came back with, “Who has made man's mouth? ... Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” (Ex. 4:11-12). Because Moses believed and acted on God’s commands and His promise to be present, the Israelites were freed and their descendants entered the Promised Land.
The Father’s modus operandi: call them, then prepare them.
Of course, we can’t utter any kind of fiat without trusting God, which doesn’t come easily. We like to look before we leap, even in leaps of faith. Trusting God requires surrendering our need for certainty; trading it for confidence that the Lord is Master of every circumstance.
He had us when Andrew and I sat in loaded silence in our room, bearing together what felt like a heap of crosses. “Are we moving?” one of us asked. “Yep,” said the other. Our penny pile was depleted, and I was pregnant with our fifth child. Amid other factors, we were blindsided by a new challenge. How are You going to handle this, Lord? We wondered. We were in over our heads; yet, by grace and tightly clasped hands, we braved the uncertainty and emerged both wiser and more confident that Jesus is master of all.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote, “I will not become discouraged; I abandon myself into the arms of Jesus.” What’s so wonderful about this approach is that Saint Thérèse turned to the very One she wanted to trust in order to gain the ability to do so.
Saint Augustine said, “God does not choose a person who is worthy, but by choosing him, He makes him worthy.”
In confessing to Jesus every point of joy and every bit of anxiety we experience as spouses, we build our trust in His love and perfect will, so that, whether He asks us to hold our tongues or to carry on in courage, we’ll be able to accept the grace to do it. Being called by God doesn’t mean we already have everything we need. It means that when we say “yes,” He will shape us, strengthen us and send us.
Welcoming the Stranger
Supporting Migrants with Mercy
When Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35), He left His followers a clear command, one that Catholics in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati strive to live out each day.
Across parishes, schools, hospitals, and charities, many Catholics work to meet migrants’ spiritual and physical needs. Tony Stieritz supports much of this effort as CEO of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio (CCSWO) and Director of the Archdiocesan Department of Life, Human Dignity, and Charity.
“The Archdiocese of Cincinnati works with migrants on so many levels—spiritually in our parishes and ministries, academically in our schools, and through the works of mercy in our hospitals and charitable organizations,” Stieritz explained.
CCSWO and Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley (CSSMV) together serve tens of thousands of people from all backgrounds, including migrants and refugees. The mission is not new: “This population has been served by CCSWO since our founding in 1916, and we’re blessed to continue answering the Gospel call to ‘welcome the stranger’ over a hundred years later,” Stieritz added.
Migration: Part of the Human Condition
Migration is not a modern phenomenon. “Since the dawn of humanity, people have migrated to survive. It’s part of the human condition,” explained Stieritz. Today, an estimated 300 million migrants around the world are seeking safety, security, and a future.
The Catholic Church has always shown special concern for migrants forced to leave their homes due to violence, persecution, or extreme hardship. The Holy Family themselves fled to Egypt as refugees, relying on strangers’ mercy to survive—a profound reminder for Catholics today. “We're called to see the face of Christ in all God's people; what a powerful appeal to our hearts as disciples!” Stieritz said.
Pope Benedict XVI captured this connection when he said, “In the drama of the Family of Nazareth we perceive the sorrowful plight of so many migrants. ... The human person must always be the focal point in the vast field of international migration” (World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2007).
Migration, Stieritz stressed, is ultimately about human dignity, not politics. “Regardless of one's viewpoints on the migration process itself, migration does not need to be a political issue,” he said.
While it is ideal for people to flourish in their homelands, the Church affirms that when survival is impossible, people have the right to migrate, balanced with a nation's responsibility to protect its own citizens.
“It’s imperative that we continue to figure out what a better immigration system should look like. As we do, the Church reminds us that such a system should always include humanitarian pathways for the most persecuted, respecting everyone’s human life and dignity in the process,” Stieritz emphasized.
A just immigration system, guided by Catholic teaching, should honor five key principles:
• The right to opportunities in one’s homeland
• The right to migrate for work and family needs
• The right of sovereign nations to control borders
• The protection of refugees and asylum seekers
• The dignity and human rights of all migrants
Supporting Migrants in the Archdiocese
A variety of groups have immigrated to the archdiocese from other countries; a couple of the recent, higher profile groups being Hispanic and Haitians.
There are multiple areas where groups of Hispanic people have taken up residency, including Cincinnati, Dayton,
Hamilton, and some rural communities. Through ministries like the Su Casa Hispanic Center and Immigration Legal Services, CCSWO provides a wide range of support for migrants, including emergency assistance, case management, education, health promotion, legal aid, and bilingual mental health counseling. “Our Su Casa Hispanic Center was founded nearly 30 years ago and assists thousands of clients each year,” Stieritz noted.
Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese are equally dedicated to welcoming Hispanic students, helping them receive a faith-filled and academically strong education. Parishes continue to expand Hispanic ministry programs, offering Masses, sacramental preparation, and spiritual support in Spanish.
The Church’s outreach recently expanded to meet the needs of new Haitian migrants, particularly in Springfield, Ohio. Though Catholic Charities did not resettle these families, they responded swiftly to the community’s needs.
“By request of many local and state leaders, we felt a calling to introduce several of our services to support the community response,” Stieritz shared. These services include job development, English classes, interpretation services, and legal aid.
The archdiocese has offered spiritual support for the Haitian community. Earlier this year, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr personally celebrated a New Year’s Day Mass at St. Joseph Church, and local parishes offer Masses in Haitian Creole. Organizations like St. Vincent de Paul Springfield Council and Catholic Central High School also stepped up to provide critical assistance.
Refugee Resettlement: A Vital Ministry
Formal refugee resettlement is one of the most direct ways the archdiocese serves migrants. By definition, refugees are individuals unable to return to their homelands due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or social group. They make up a small percentage of all immigrants, and are not the same as those who have sought asylum by first crossing the border.
“Almost always, they come after living years, if not decades, in a refugee camp. They must first be recognized by the United Nations and then accepted for resettlement by another country,” Stieritz explained.
The U.S. refugee program, founded in 1980, has long
We’re called to see the face of Christ in all God’s people.
enjoyed bipartisan support. Refugees accepted into the country undergo a rigorous vetting process through multiple government agencies. Last year, CCSWO and CSSMV resettled nearly 700 refugees, primarily from Eritrea, Congo, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
Recent federal actions, however, have drastically impacted refugee admissions and resettlement processes. Catholic Charities continues to advocate for protection of the historically bipartisan-supported refugee programs and compassionate policies that reflect the dignity of every person.
What Can Catholics Do?
The need is great, but so are the opportunities to help. “First and foremost, we need to recognize that these people are human beings created in God’s image and likeness,” said Stieritz.
He encourages Catholics to:
• Pray for migrant families and for a more just immigration system
• Build relationships with migrants and refugees in their communities
• Volunteer or donate to organizations like Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Services that do critical humanitarian work
• Advocate for policies that balance security with compassion
Stieritz noted a recent rapid backpedaling on the commitment to help immigrants coming to the United States through refugee resettlement and asylum processes. “A humanitarian pathway has been part of our country from its very founding. It’s a mistake to say that we don’t have an obligation to provide it for those escaping war and persecution."
At its heart, migration ministry is not just about offering aid—it’s about recognizing Christ in those who come to our doors. In welcoming the stranger, we fulfill the Gospel and become, ourselves, the face of Christ to others.
Damascus Youth Summer Camp
Damascus began as a Catholic Summer Youth Camp for children in the Diocese of Columbus, but over the past 25 years it has grown into something much more.
“We often say that we are a Catholic missionary movement that's seeking to bring as many people as possible to an encounter with Jesus Christ,” said Dan DeMatte, co-founder and Executive Director of Missions and Advancement for Damascus. “We offer camps, retreats, and conferences throughout the year, focusing on middle school and high school students, but we do a lot for young adults and adults as well.”
DeMatte noted that Damascus also hosts women’s retreats, men’s retreats, and young adult conferences throughout the year.
“There’s a little bit for everyone,” he said, “however, our main focus is the summer camp apostolate.”
After a humble beginning—only 63 students attended the first Catholic Youth Summer Camp in 2001— Damascus reports that roughly 6,000 campers will attend this summer, with another 2,000 youth on a waitlist.
Originally a travelling camp, Damascus was founded by DeMatte and fellow Executive Director Aaron Richards. It had no permanent home, renting campsites around Ohio. By 2015 a more permanent home was clearly required, and they found it at the 471-acre campus in central Ohio.
Damascus now operates two campuses; the original in Knox County near Columbus, and another in Brighton, Michigan, just north of Ann Arbor. A third campus will open in Maryland in summer 2026, and its growth shows no signs of slowing down.
“Our young people have a profound encounter with Jesus Christ, and as a result, they go home and they tell their parents about it, and they tell their friends about it,” DeMatte said. “It’s such a vibrant, transformative experience for kids that parents tell other parents and kids tell other kids. … We can’t keep up with the demand. We've never been able to.”
The camp experience includes several traditional summer camp activities. There is time spent on the lake, rock climbing, zip lines, paintball, high ropes, and more. But the adventure isn’t just physical. The spiritual aspect is what sets it apart.
“We juxtapose [high-adventure activities] with a high-adventure of faith,” DeMatte said. “A high-adventure faith experience is that our Catholic faith isn't meant to be dull and boring, but it's a great adventure to be lived. We introduce young people to that adventure through our missionaries. Our missionaries are doing the activities with the kids throughout the day, but then they’re also the ones leading the faith conversations and the faith formation.”
“The person who’s playing paintball with you is then also your counselor
St. Bernadette
Feast Day: April 16 1844 - 1879
Background
Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844 in Lourdes, France. She grew up in a very poor family, was often sick from asthma, and had a very difficult time learning in school. By the time Bernadette was 14 years old, she struggled to read and had not yet received her first Holy Communion because she had not learned enough of the Catechism.
An Apparition
On February 11, 1858 Bernadette and her sister, along with some friends, set out to collect firewood. The other girls stopped to play along the riverbank but Bernadette chose to watch instead. As she sat, she heard a loud rush of wind. But nothing around her stirred except for a wild rose in the grotto. It was then that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette.
A Request
Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette 18 times in that grotto and she asked Bernadette to have a church built in the
same spot. Many people did not believe Bernadette’s visions were real until she repeated the words Mary said to her, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Bernadette’s poor education convinced people that she did not come up with these words on her own—that she was telling the truth.
Apparition Asthma Catechism Education Grotto Immaculate Lourdes Our Lady Riverbank Wild Rose
Quo Vadis
“Where are you going?” Christians today often reflect on these words spoken by the risen Christ to Peter. For young people especially, these words in Latin, Quo Vadis, are about discerning the trajectory of their futures as they ask, “Am I living a life that is centered on Christ?”
While in college in 2018, Jacob Kleinhenz and his friends recognized the need for a young adult community in Midwest Ohio to help them and others grow in faith. “You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” says Kleinhenz, “so you need to have friends and people in your life who not only care about you as a person, but also your soul.”
The Quo Vadis group they established for young adults (ages 18 to 29), has since grown as a community of fellowship and prayer to include more than 1,000 people. Open to those in the northern archdiocese area, the group offers free monthly events and services. Involved since its early days, Grant Garke credits this community with rekindling his relationship with Christ. “I would not be who I am in my faith without Quo Vadis,” he said. Kleinhenz invited him to join at a time when his faith had grown lukewarm. Garke credits the group and its opportunities to encounter God through prayer for helping him
deepen his faith.
Abby Ashbaugh joined a few years after Quo Vadis was up and running. She felt God pulling her toward the community as a way to continue deepening her faith. During her first meeting, she discovered other people like her, seeking a relationship with God. “The group calls you to strive for more; you can share ideas and faith practices to grow close to God,” Ashbaugh said. These friendships with like-minded people have sustained her faith and enabled her to deepen her involvement in the ministry.
Quo Vadis began by offering biweekly events featuring a speaker on Sunday evenings. Weekly Wednesday recreation nights have since been added, typically volleyball when it’s warm and basketball in colder months.
The group hosts a Holy Hour on every fourth Friday at a local church, for people of all ages, followed by fellowship for the young adults. And they even formed a choir to provide music during Adoration. For this Holy Jubilee Year, pilgrimages were scheduled to holy sites within the archdiocese. Organizers hope to offer additional pilgrimages in the future. Additionally, there is a Quo Vadis men’s group, Brothers in Arms, and a women’s group, Ladies of the Rose. Each meet monthly for other activities.
“Each event has its own qualities,” Garke said, finding it hard to say which is his favorite. “At Quo Vadis nights, you learn; at Men’s nights you grow in fellowship; and on the fourth Friday you experience prayer with the Blessed Sacrament.”
As with many ministries, putting it all together has its challenges. Quo Vadis’ structure enables young adults to minister to young adults and sustains its ministries through 25 volunteers who serve as missionaries for a year. “You don’t have to leave your own backyard to be a missionary,” said Ashbaugh. The team of volunteers organizes events in a way that responsibility does not all fall on the four-person leadership team.
With God’s grace, the ministry is seeing the fruits of their labor. “In just six years there have been 20 couples who met through Quo Vadis and are now married and living out their vocation,” Kleinhenz said. And several members are discerning a call to the priesthood or religious life.
For young people looking for community in our local church, Quo Vadis has a place for you. “Take that step of faith,” urges Garke, “You won’t regret it.” The fellowship in Christ you find with other like-minded adults will be the support you need to grow in faith.
matt H ess
Pope Francis’ Call to Care for Creation
with Andrew Musgrave & Jill Foster
Pope Francis was an extraordinary shepherd. Amid rapidly changing times, and multiple crises and challenges, he was filled with God’s grace and led the Church and world toward greater compassion, conversation, and justice.
Encouraging the world as he declared the Jubilee Year 2025 “Pilgrims of Hope,” Pope Francis said, “Even when around us many have succumbed to disillusionment, those who are inspired by hope and are patient are able to get through the darkest of nights” (General Audience, 8 May 2024, On Hope, the Second Theological Virtue).
Many of Pope Francis' contributions relate to Care for Creation, a significant concern as we’ve witnessed climate disasters reach a critical stage. Just recently, for example, warmer temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and poor land management contributed to the Los Angeles wildfires. Similarly, North Carolina’s 2024 hurricane floods brought an unimagined scale of destruction where severe hurricane flooding was unknown.
Wildly fluctuating temperatures and more frequent severe weather is a reality about which Pope Francis spoke urgently in two encyclicals: Laudato Si and Laudate Deum. They call for a conversion of heart and change of direction to combat climate change.
“The world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point…Some effects of climate change are already irreversible…We barely have time to prevent even more tragic damage” (Laudate Deum 2, 15, 16).
“Our responses have not been adequate…the unusual rapidity of these dangerous changes is a fact that cannot be concealed” (Laudate Deum 2, 14).
Pope Francis’ teachings are a strong voice in this issue, which was also acknowledged by his predecessor.
“Preservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for the entire human family” (Pope Benedict XVI, Seventh Symposium of the Religion, Science, and the Environment Movement, Sept. 1, 2007).
Thus, we must act and act now, on both individual and community levels. We all have the power to investigate, educate, and encourage individual and community commitments like recycling, composting, promoting indigenous plants, using renewable energy and energy conservation for homes, businesses, and parishes. As members of a church community, we can creatively explore sustainable practices for parish events, like fish fries and festivals. Jesus called us to live a life of radical simplicity (cf. Luke 12), and such actions are sacrificial, spiritually fulfilling, and inspirational to others.
While civil and church action are also needed from the local to the international levels, only a collective conversion of hearts and perspectives, of community beliefs, will bring effective policy revisions. In this Jubilee Year, we have hope that legislation and policy reduce carbon pollution for positive climate benefits.
The climate crisis is deadly to the most vulnerable and an existential threat to the world. Let us honor Pope Francis’ wise guidance: “All of us are pilgrims on this earth … may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home. … [We] have come to realize that care for creation is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will” (Letter for the Jubilee 2025, Nov. 2, 2022).
Written in consultation with the Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force. To learn more about the task force, please contact Jill at jfoster@catholicaoc.org
