MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH
A TASTE OF EAST TIMOR
CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOLS
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Try this easy vegetable medley stew on Friday
texas catholic herald
Schools embrace new traditions for Catholic Schools Week
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964
MARCH 9, 2021
YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH
Embracing St. Joseph
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VOL. 57, NO. 18
LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM
BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald
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head of the March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated a jubilee Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston on Feb. 10. The special Mass marked the 150th anniversary of the saint’s naming as the Universal Church’s patron by Pope Pius IX in 1870 and also celebrated the Year of St. Joseph, which began on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 2020, as decreed by Pope Francis. Though the pandemic put a pause on the usual St. Joseph celebrations, such as the iconic St. Joseph’s Altar and processions held at parishes around the Archdiocese, the faithful can still join in the spiritual celebrations even while at home. “St. Joseph is very much a man of faith,” Cardinal DiNardo said in his homily. “We look to St. Joseph as a heavenly patron See ST. JOSEPH, page 5
VATICAN
Honoring suffering, building bridges: Pope’s Iraq trip has dual focus
PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. LAURENCE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
A sign at St. Laurence Catholic School honors Olivia, Edison and Collete Nguyen, three students at the Sugar Land school who died in a fire during the February winter storms that wrecked Texas. St. Laurence Catholic Church hosted the funeral services for the family on March 2 and 3.
Parishes, schools resilient in storm’s aftermath BY JAMES RAMOS AND REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing security concerns, Pope Francis was determined to visit Iraq to pay homage to Christian and other minorities persecuted for their faith and to strengthen the commitment of the overwhelming majority of Iraqi Muslims to creating a future of peace and harmony. As a pilgrim March 5 to 8, Pope Francis visited churches that were destroyed by militants of the Islamic State group, and as a global religious leader, he held an interreligious meeting near the ancient city of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham. “Pope Francis is truly a father because he really wants all human beings to be
HOUSTON — In the days after another historic weather storm pushed into Texas – this time with frigid temperatures – on Valentine’s Day, the snow that once surrounded St. Laurence Catholic School’s sign was replaced by bright red, purple and yellow tulips to honor the lives of three of their own students. The Sugar Land parochial and school community in Sugar Land mourned a tragic loss, as three of their students — Nguyen siblings sixth-grader Olivia, second-grader Edison and kindergartener Colette, died in a devastating house fire along with their grandmother, Loan Le. Suzanne Barto, school principal, said the school was concerned about canceling classes and dealing with the aftermath of the ice storms when they learned Feb. 17 that one of their families had lost “three precious children” and their grandmother. “Immediately, all our thoughts were for the mother,”
See IRAQ, page 2
See STORM, page 4
THE FIRST WORD † 3
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COLUMNISTS † 13
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PHOTO COURTESY OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
The preschool building at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Houston, known as “La Escuelita,” sustained extensive damage in their Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 classrooms after an Arctic Blast ravaged the Houston area in February.
ESPAÑOL † 17 - 18 |
MILESTONES † 20