A POLISH EASTER
Polish Catholics around Houston prepare for Easter
A JUBILEE OF FAITH
What is it like to walk through the Jubilee Holy Doors in Rome?
▪ SEE PAGE 13
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of
‘A
‘WITH
ALL MY HEART’
Installed as Houston’s third Archbishop, Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez promises to serve all
BY JAMES RAMOS
Texas Catholic Herald
HOUSTON — The new shepherd of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston pledged March 25 to serve his new flock “with all my heart.”
“Together, we will move forward, following our Savior, who leads, protects and watches over this local
▪ SEE PAGE 7 See STATIONS,
Church,” Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez shared in his heartfelt homily, partly delivered in Spanish, at his installation Mass on the feast of the Annunciation at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston.
“Mary has accompanied me in my vocation, and I trust that she will be with me throughout these years as I continue to lead you,” he said. “I also
entrust myself to St. Joseph to help me shepherd you. Pray for me that, despite my unworthiness, I may be faithful to the great trust that has been handed on to me.”
He added, “Pray that I may become like Jesus Christ, the good shepherd and great high priest, the teacher and servant of all, and so become more and more a sign of Christ’s loving presence among you.”
Thousands of the faithful from Texas and beyond gathered for the Mass.
BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald
HOUSTON — An important part of Lent leading up to Easter is the election of catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates studying in formation to be welcomed into the Church in full initiation as new Catholics.
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, celebrated the Rite of Election for those preparing to enter the Catholic Church
See RITE, page 4
The Stations of the Cross help us make sense of suffering
BY MICHAEL R. HEINLEIN
Special to the Herald
HOUSTON (OSV News) — Christians know the life of a disciple will not be easy. Christ did not mince words about this — telling His disciples they must take on life’s sufferings as in the form of capital punishment that would later be used to take His life: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).
How do Christians make sense of the crosses they bear?
The question of why suffering exists finds its answer in Christ’s transformation of suffering through love. Christ’s cross makes sense of
APRIL 8, 2025
VOL. 61, NO. 20
Galveston-Houston since 1964
Celebrating 60 years of Catholic news in Texas
PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD
Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez smiles as he blesses the congregation during his installation Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston March 25, the feast of the Annunciation. Formerly the head of the Diocese of Austin, Archbishop Vásquez is the ninth bishop and third archbishop to lead the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
A Shepherd’s Message
By Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we enter this holy season of Lent, we are marked with ashes as a sign that, as Catholics, we begin a journey that will lead us to Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
May this Lent be a time to quiet our minds and open our hearts to God’s holy word. Let us embrace silence and encounter Christ in prayer, fasting and works of mercy.
Throughout these 40 days, we reflect on Christ’s experience in the desert and the temptations he faced. With Jesus, we enter the desert of Lent, guided by the Holy Spirit, to confront our own temptations. We are never alone — our Lord Jesus Christ is with us, offering comfort and strength to triumph over our temptations.
I encourage all of us to seek the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, for it is through these Sacraments that we receive the grace from Christ to know, love and serve Him.
Dear friends, after this season of conversion, may you experience the joy of the Risen Christ who lives and reigns forever and ever!
And may almighty God bless you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen †
Arzobispo Joe Vásquez comparte su columna en línea en español. Visite www.archgh.org para leer su artículo en línea.
CATHOLIC ADVOCACY DAY
At top, Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez gives the closing prayer of a gathering of Texas bishops with Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, during Catholic Advocacy Day at the State Capitol in Austin on April 1. The biennial statewide gathering unites Catholics from across the state in Austin. See the April 22 issue for more Advocacy Day coverage.
African clergy, religious gather for Day of Recollection
HOUSTON — On March 8, African priests and religious from across the Archdiocese gathered in Galveston for a Day of Recollection.
The event, moderated by Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, provided a sacred space for reflection, prayer, and fellowship.
The Day of Recollection provided an opportunity for African priests and religious to come together, share their experiences and deepen their spiritual lives.
During the retreat, Bishop Dell’Oro reminded participants of the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States (ACCCRUS) the importance of Lenten practices, emphasizing that “Fasting is caring for the poor.” His words served as a powerful reminder of the need to care for the most vulnerable members of society. †
Pope stable; his lung infection slightly improved, Vatican says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ condition remains stable, and an X-ray showed there has been a slight improvement regarding his lingering lung infection, the Vatican press office said.
The pope continues to show improvements in his mobility and ability to speak, the press office told reporters April 1. The pope continues to receive supplemental oxygen through a nasal cannula during the day and high-flow oxygen at night when necessary. He can remove the nasal tube for “brief periods” during the day.
A significant portion of his day is spent doing physical therapy to restore the level of movement he had before he was hospitalized Feb. 14 for breathing
difficulties. The pope later was diagnosed with double pneumonia, as well as viral and fungal lung infections.
While the pneumonia cleared before his release from the hospital March 23, the 88-year-old pope still has a lingering lung infection, which showed “slight improvement” in a recent X-ray, the press office said.
The pope concelebrates Mass every morning in the small chapel near his rooms on the second floor of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican City, and he works during the day at his desk.
The pope is in “a good mood” and welcomes the many signs of affection from the faithful, the press office added. †
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Let us pray that the use of the new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us
PHOTO COURTESY OF FATHER OSAS ONAIWU, CRS
The Houston chapter of the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States (ACCCRUS) gather for Day of Recollection on March 8.
CNS PHOTO
Pope Francis greets well-wishers at Rome’s Gemelli hospital before returning to the Vatican March 23 after 38 days of treatment at the hospital.
PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD
THE FIRST WORD
A Lenten Culinary Tour: Meatless meals from around the globe
During Lent, we bring you a series that features different easy-to-make meatless recipes from around the world.
This week, the Catholic Relief Service’s (CRS) Rice Bowl program highlights a popular dish from Guatemala, a country in Central America bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize, that’s home to 18.2 million people, making it the most populous country in Central America. Black bean soup is a dish made with black beans, vegetables, and spices, and is often enriched with ingredients
like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro. In Guatemala, it is a traditional dish due to its nutritional value and the local availability of beans.
As we abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, journey with us around the world and incorporate these Lenten recipes into your meatless Fridays. Give the money you saved each week by not eating meat — about $3 per person per meal — to your CRS Rice Bowl to feed those in need around the world.
For more information and other free recipes, visit www. crsricebowl.org/recipe. †
Black Bean Soup - Guatemala
INGREDIENTS
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups of water or vegetable broth
• 3 cans (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 green chili, diced
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• Cilantro, minced (optional)
METHOD
In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until brown. In a blender, combine 1 cup of water/vegetable broth and 2 cans of beans. Blend until smooth. Add to onion mixture. Stir in tomatoes, chilis, remaining beans, spices and remaining water/broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with cilantro.
PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS
Effective March 12
Father Biju Antony Hospital Chaplain
Effective March 31
Father Ian Balisnomo, FLP Parochial Vicar – Epiphany of the Lord Parish, Katy
BRIEFS
Archdiocesan young adult pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi celebrates Jubilee year
HOUSTON — Pope Francis has declared that 2025 will be a Jubilee year, and all young adults, ages 18 to 39, are welcome to register for the Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi to participate.
This pilgrimage, coordinated by Verso Ministries and the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministries, offers an opportunity to explore the rich history of Rome, walk through the holy doors for the Jubilee year, participate in the Canonization Mass of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and visit the home of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi. The cost for the trip is $3,881 per person; flights are not included. There are spots open. For more information or to register, go to www. archgh.org/yapilgrimage. †
Catholic Charities’ food distributions continue in Galveston, Houston and Fort Bend County
HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston continues offering food assistance at three locations.
In Houston, staff at the Guadalupe Center Market (326 S. Jensen St.) are hosting the following temporary distribution schedule: on Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., walk-ins are available for seniors aged 62 and older; On Wednesday and Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., walk-ins are open to the public; On Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., walk-ins are available for individual food bags for unhoused people. Call 713-251-6919 for more information.
The Beacon of Hope Isle Market in Galveston (4700 Broadway, Suite B-101) is open for appointments Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To make an appointment, which is required, call 409-762-2064. Emergency pre-packaged food bags are available on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 409-762-2064 for more information.
In Fort Bend County, the Mamie George Community Center (1111 Collins Rd., Richmond) hosts client-choice food distributions by appointment only on Mondays, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; on Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To make an appointment or for more information, call 281-202-6200. For general information, visit www.catholiccharities.org/ food or call 713-526-4611. †
DSF annual appeal to support Archdiocesan ministries continues
HOUSTON — This year, the theme of the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal is “Cry Out With Joy to the Lord.”
The annual campaign to support 64 Archdiocesan ministries is underway, and the local Church is asking parishioners to continue their generous giving to DSF. The fund supports a variety of ministries, such as those forming youth in the Catholic faith; providing support and preparation for clergy; teaching, evangelizing, worshiping and outreach to the incarcerated, aging, poor and sick; and programming to strengthen Christian families, among many others.
To pledge online or see a full list of the ministries supported, visit www.archgh.org/dsf. †
Save some trees and get the Texas Catholic Herald sent straight to your inbox with The Digest, our free email newsletter. For free features, exclusive content and more, sign up at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/TCHDIGEST.
Archdiocese has employment opportunities
HOUSTON — The Archdiocese has job openings in the chancery offices, parishes and schools across the diocese. See the job postings online at www.archgh.org/employment. To have an Archdiocesan position posted on the website, contact Monica Nolasco at MNolasco@archgh.org. †
LOCAL
New book collects pope’s reflections on poetry and literature
“Viva la poesia,” combs through documents from the 12 years of Pope Francis’ pontificate. ▪ SEE PAGE 18
Rite of Election brings record group of candidates, catechumens to next step of faith journey
at Easter, welcoming the largest group of candidates and catechumens to date. A total of 2,669 people from 114 parishes across the Archdiocese are set to join the Catholic Church.
The rites were celebrated across the Archdiocese at six different Liturgies on March 8 and March 9. The bilingual Liturgies were held at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Spring, Mary Queen Parish in Friendswood, Christ the Redeemer Parish in northwest Houston, St. Michael Parish in the Galleria area, St. Anthony of Padua Parish in The Woodlands and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston.
Faithful from parishes all around the Archdiocese, from Navasota to Galveston, attended the Liturgies. Among the parishes with the largest numbers of soon-to-be new Catholics were St. Jerome in Houston, with 97 catechumens and three candidates, and St. Juan Diego in Pasadena, with 77 catechumens. Though some parishes may have fewer numbers, such as a trio from Rice University, their faith journey is equally significant and recognized during the Rite of Election.
During the Rite of Election, the catechumens — those who will be Baptized, Confirmed and receive their First Communion this Easter — are presented with their Godparents to the bishops and to the faith community. After the catechumens publicly affirmed their intention to join the Church, the bishops, on behalf of the Church, accept or “elect”
them as being ready to take part in the Sacraments of Initiation.
A unique moment happens at each Liturgy: representatives from each parish announce the names of those intending to join the Church to the bishop, who then views these names in the Book of the Elect. After the Liturgy, the bishop signs the book as a witness to their faith.
Following the Rite of Election, the catechumens, now known as “the elect,” begin a period of purification and enlightenment, which is the final, intense preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation during the Easter Vigil.
Also celebrated was the Call to Continuing Conversion, which presented
Archdiocesan Chrism Mass set for April 15
HOUSTON — Catholics across the Archdiocese are invited to attend the annual Chrism Mass, which will be held on Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston.
Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez will be the principal celebrant for the Chrism Mass, during which the priests of the Archdiocese will renew their vows and commitment to the priesthood. As part of the Church’s preparation for Easter, the sacred oils are blessed and consecrated for the celebration of the Sacraments throughout the upcoming year. At the end of Mass, the oils will be presented to and received by all parishes of the Archdiocese.
the candidates, or those who were already baptized in other Christian traditions recognized by the Catholic Church, who desire to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
During Easter Vigil Masses at 114 parishes across the Archdiocese on Holy Saturday, April 19, some 2,669 people are
These holy oils — the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens and the holy Chrism — are used in the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick, Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. †
expected to enter the Catholic Church, setting a new record for the Archdiocese, the highest since 2011, when 2,490 joined the Church. †
Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro signs a Book of the Elect after a Rite of Election Liturgy at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on March 9 in Houston. The Liturgies welcomed the largest group of candidates and catechumens to date. A total of 2,669 people from 114 parishes across the Archdiocese are set to join the Catholic Church at Easter.
Embracing Faith: Lenten guidelines
Lent continues through Good Friday, April 18, which is a day of fast and abstinence. Abstinence from meat is obligatory for all who have reached their 14th year. Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence. According to the U.S. bishops, fasting is obligatory for all who have completed their 18th year and have not yet reached their 60th year. Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may be taken, not to equal one full meal. Through works of fasting, prayer and abstinence, we heed the Prophet Joel’s exhortation to “return to God with our whole heart” (2:12). Lent is a penitential season and practices such as daily Mass, reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, works of charity and justice and acts of self-denial are highly encouraged. For more resources, including prayer guides, videos and links to
retreats, visit www.archgh.org/lent.
and
PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo reviews the names in a Book of the Elect during a Rite of Election Liturgy at Christ the Redeemer Parish in Houston on March 9.
‘The
Way of the Cross is the path to true love’ for
our own, hence the universal appeal of popular devotions like the Stations of the Cross.
The Stations of the Cross finds its roots in the Franciscans, who helped rebuild the Christian sites of the Holy Land following the medieval Crusades. Given the prominence of Christ’s passion within Franciscan spirituality, the order encouraged pilgrims in Jerusalem to journey along Christ’s way to Calvary.
While it began as a pious devotion, its enduring relevance in the Christian life, however, caused the devotion to spread. Over time, the pope gave Franciscans the prerogative to erect “stations” of the cross for popular devotion in parishes the world over. Eventually, the role of the Franciscans was eliminated, and yet it is hard to find a parish building or complex that don’t have the Stations of the Cross.
The universal reality of suffering makes devotions inspiring meditation on the passion and death of Jesus particularly relevant in Christian life. Such prayer forms like the Stations of the Cross are popularized particularly in the season of Lent. They should not necessarily be restricted there alone, however, since the Stations of the Cross have become a primary opportunity for the faithful to learn the purpose of their crosses.
Through fostering the communal celebration of the Stations of the Cross, priests have the privilege of accompanying their flocks in this understanding. Assisted by praying with the Stations of the Cross, the faithful enter into the experience of Christ and others — such as Pilate, Mary, Simon, Veronica, the women of Jerusalem or those who crucified the Lord. In this way, devotions like the Stations of the Cross assist the faithful in appropriating the fruits of Christian suffering.
It makes sense, then, that those who have “put on Christ,” becoming members of His body through Baptism — a bond renewed and strengthened in each reception of holy Communion — should expect nothing less than a share in Christ’s own passion and cross. In light of Christ’s passion, it likewise makes sense to understand suffering’s purpose as rooted in love. “If you really want to love Jesus,” St. Gemma Galgani said,“first learn to suffer because suffering teaches you to love.”
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). God is love, and love is the source of all that is. “Love is also,” St. John Paul II wrote in his encyclical on suffering,“Salvifici Doloris,” “the fullest source of the answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the Cross of Jesus Christ” (No. 13). Out of love, Christ gave of Himself completely, even unto death — handing over His spirit out of obedience to the Father’s will (see Lk 23:46).
Christ’s own suffering and death has untold value and immense purpose — whereby God bought us back from the slavery of sin and death. So, too, does ours, because, as St. John Paul II described it, “each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ” (“Salvifici Doloris,” No. 19).
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote,
“The great tragedy of the world is not what people suffer, but how much they miss when they suffer. Nothing is quite as depressing as wasted pain, agony without an ultimate meaning or purpose.”
The Stations of the Cross make every imaginable aspect of human suffering real, which was on full display at Christ’s passion. And they teach us to see the fruit of suffering.
On His way to Calvary, Christ experienced the sufferings ordinary men and women experience every day throughout the world. He showed not only how to deal with them but also how to transform suffering’s destructive power into something life-giving through the power of love. In Christ’s passion and death, St. John Paul II wrote that Jesus “has taken upon Himself the physical and moral sufferings of the people of all times, so that in love they may find the salvific meaning of their sorrow and valid answers to all of their questions” (“Salvifici Doloris,” No. 31).
Meditating on the Stations of the Cross exposes Christ’s suffering heart — “sorrowful even to death” (Mk 14:34). In His condemnation to death, Christ teaches that we have the freedom to accept life’s sorrows. He does not let condemnation be levied upon Him, but rather He chooses it out of love. Taking up His cross, Christ models how to accept suffering as an act of love in obedience to God’s will.
Christ falls three times on the way to Calvary. The sufferings due to sin in our lives continually cause failure. In falling Himself, Christ shows that, despite suffering’s tendency to bring us down, discouragement can be overcome by dependence on God’s grace.
Christ teaches us how to persevere through the failure and exhaustion through which our suffering inevitably leads and be of one heart and mind in pursuit of the Father’s will. Such is redemptive suffering — as the old saying goes, “no pain, no gain.”
Christ’s way to Calvary illustrates, too, how God graces us with models of love in the midst of our suffering. But like Christ, we must be attentive and receptive to them. The compassion, cooperation and generosity of others — such as Christ experienced in the fourth, fifth and sixth stations — are examples of how love is returned to love. And when unburdened by our own sufferings, through love, each of us can be channels of God’s love
through service, like Mary, Simon and Veronica. “In the face of evil, suffering and sin, the only response possible for a disciple of Jesus is the gift of self, even of one’s own life, in imitation of Christ;
from all earthly power, pleasure, wealth and honor.
The Christian must be unhesitant to cast aside anything necessary to advance the kingdom of God. In this way, suffering is a gift that enables us to focus on the new life in Christ that awaits believers. Through the pain of suffering we gain the joy of heaven itself — eternal happiness with God — the gates to which Christ opened for “the many.”
In meditating on Christ’s passion and death, through devotions like the Stations of the Cross, comes the realization that life’s sufferings can be joined to Christ’s — by which one learns that love forms suffering’s foundation. “The road is narrow,” St. John of the Cross said. “He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, weeks before he was elected pope following the death of St. John Paul II, referenced this when he said that Jesus not only taught us how to pray the Stations of the Cross but also their meaning. “The Way of the Cross is the path of losing ourselves,” he
PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD
the fruits of Christian suffering.
Stewards: Follow Jesus in word and action
SUGAR LAND — “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy!”
This Responsorial Psalm, proclaimed in our parishes this season, contains a great truth: It is the Lord who does great things for us. Everything we think of as “ours” is given to us by God: Our lives, our families, our talents, our jobs, our homes, our health, this beautiful world — and yes — our next breath.
All is a gift. As Catholic Christians, we believe this and are filled with gladness and joy.
What, then, is our response to God? Hopefully, we recognize and receive His abundant gifts gratefully, cherish and tend them responsibly, share with others lovingly, and return “with increase” to the Lord.
This is what Jesus asked of us and, as His disciples, this is our response. The word for this response is “stewardship,” which, most simply put, is what we do when we say we believe.
Stewardship, therefore, encompasses so much more than what we choose to put in the Sunday Offertory. Stewardship is ultimately a way of life. It is the way we “live and move and have our being.”
STEWARDS AMONG US
Look around your own parish. I bet you recognize the stewards among you and know them by name. They are the people in your parish who are grateful, generous, kindhearted, willing, responsible and accountable. Each has made a conscious decision to follow Jesus and this is the
by SHARON EHRENKRANZ
decision that defines their actions and their lives.
Their desire to show up and share their time, talent and treasure with your parish is centered in their love of Christ. Jesus is the reason for their cheerful giving. This is why they are so dependable, even when they are going through personal hardship. It’s because they understand that all is a gift, and their natural response is based in gratitude.
GROWING A STEWARDSHIP PARISH
Every pastor would love a parish of cheerful givers. Can you imagine? People working cheerfully side-by-side, each using their own God-given talents in a unique way to build the Kingdom, sharing freely of their time and resources, and serving others with patience, love and dignity. It sounds like heaven.
Yet we can experience this bit of heaven on earth in our own parishes.
As a shepherd of his flock, a pastor can inspire his parish to grow in discipleship and stewardship through his leadership, vision, messaging and good example. Each will have his own way of doing this, but what our priests have in common is a conscious decision to give their lives fully to God and His Church. These men are living examples of discipleship, so let’s
STEWARDSHIP NETWORKING GROUP MEETING
Thursday, May 8
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
St. Laurence Catholic Church
TOPIC: Forming Pilgrims of Hope
SPEAKER: Christine Hernandez, St. Laurence director of Faith Formation
RSVP to Coni Perez: coniperez@sbcglobal.net
follow the leader.
We can also learn from one another. Here in the Archdiocese, a grassroots group of people committed to stewardship as a way of life has been meeting for 14 years. Every other month, the Stewardship Networking Group gathers in a different parish in the Houston metro area to share ideas and best practices for growing stewardship in our parishes. These meetings are open to everyone and include clergy, people from parish staff and laypeople who serve in parish leadership and ministry. Join us at the next Stewardship Networking Group meeting on Thursday, May 8, at St. Laurence.
Each summer, our Archdiocese hosts a Parish Engagement Conference featuring national and local stewardship leaders who inspire attendees with fresh ideas and valuable resources. The conference
fee is affordable for anyone who wishes to attend, and there is no charge for clergy.
Each fall, the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC) sponsors a conference that attracts clergy and laypeople from around the world. This year, the 63rd annual ICSC Stewardship Conference is Sept. 21 to 24 in Chicago. Our Archdiocese is a member, so if your pastor and others from your parish are interested in attending, contact Michael Schillaci in the Chancery Development Office to get the member rate.
STEWARDSHIP, A WAY OF LIFE
Today, make a conscious decision to follow Jesus and be His disciple. Learn from the clergy and cheerful givers in our midst. Take advantage of opportunities offered right here in Galveston-Houston to grow a culture of stewardship in your own family and parish. Your decision will define your life and transform your parish and the lives of those you love for generations. Our Lord has done great things for us. How can we best respond with gladness and joy? †
Sharon Ehrenkranz is a founding member of the Stewardship Networking Group in the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston and is the director of Parish Life at St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land, winner of the 2019 Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Parish Stewardship Award.
This
season provides you with a timely opportunity to help a
who is at serious risk of
For just $10 a month you can provide a needy family with food for an entire month and make a life-saving difference for a family each and every day of the year.
Will you help a vulnerable family in your community by becoming a Hero of Hope monthly donor this Lenten season?
Polish Catholics start Easter with blessings
BY RON KUZLIK Special to the Herald
HOUSTON — Polish people around the world observe what is called Święconka (pronounced shvjen-SOHN-kah), that is, the blessing of the baskets on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.
This includes the many Polish immigrants and Polish Americans in Texas, particularly in the Houston area.
Father Tadeusz Rusnak, S. Chr., is the pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in Houston.
Known colloquially as “Father Ted,” he points out, “In Poland, this is a very traditional and beautiful custom.”
The tradition is believed to date back to the 7th century in its original form. The more modern version containing bread and eggs — symbols of resurrection and Christ — is believed to have originated in the 12th century.
“This is not only a religious tradition, but one that brings families together as well,”
Father Rusnak said. The basket is customarily lined with white linen and contains a variety of different foods, each with its own special symbolism or meaning.
Salt, representing wisdom, purity and preservation, serves as a reminder that our dealings with others be an example of Christ. Butter, often in the shape of a lamb, represents Jesus as the Lamb of God. Babka, the sweet Easter bread, often round in shape
and always topped with a cross, symbolizing Jesus.
Bread, often sourdough rye bread, the staff of life. Kielbasa (sausage) is symbolic of God’s favor and generosity. Tradition alleges the sausage links are a reminder of the chains of death that were broken when Jesus rose from the dead. Bacon and/or ham are symbolic of the abundance of God’s mercy.
Horseradish, this bitter herb, symbolizes the harshness of life and Passion of Christ.
In the Polish Easter tradition, horseradish is sweetened by mixing it with red beets called “ćwikła.” Cheese is a symbol to remind Christians to show moderation for all things.
Eggs, called “pisanki,” are colorful, intricately decorated eggs symbolizing beauty, fertility, rebirth and life. Wine is the drink of the Passover meal and Last Supper.
Children’s baskets may also include chocolates — in the form of eggs and bunnies — and jelly beans, which are modern additions to the baskets and symbolic of the sweetness of life. Also included may be a candle, the only non-edible item in the basket, representing Jesus, the Light of the World. It is lit during the blessing.
Yessica Krozel is a volunteer coordinator helping with the preparation for the Święconka. She has been a parishioner at Our Lady of Czestochowa for more than 31 years.
“I was baptized at this church,” she said. “I am also the artistic director and choreographer of Dance Group Wawel, the church’s Polish folk dance troupe for 15
would like into their basket. My aunt provides dog food in hers and electrolyte gels for her cyclist husband. I’ve even seen bottles of wine in baskets before!”
But there’s more to it than just the blessing of the baskets.
“The Polish School also organizes fun activities for all the kids attending, such as an Easter egg hunt, face painting, etc.,” Krozel said.
“We are a small parish, about 400 families,” Father Rusnak said. “But, for Święconka, we have upwards of 2,000 people that come to have their baskets and foods blessed. And it’s not just Polish people. It’s many people from around the area, too.” For more information, visit polishchurchhouston.com. †
PHOTO COURTESY OF FORUM POLONIA HOUSTON
Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church in
traditions where people bring elabo-
to be blessed at church on Holy Saturday.
Office of Aging Ministry honors seniors, fosters community and dignity
BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent
HOUSTON — In a world that often overlooks the elderly, the Archdiocese’s Office of Aging Ministry ensures that seniors are not only cared for but also celebrated for their wisdom, contributions and unique gifts.The vision of the ministry is that all seniors are seen and heard, valued and loved, with a commitment to meeting their needs while providing opportunities for them to continue contributing to their communities.
Kristine Kerlin, director of the Office of Aging Ministry since fall 2024, said the ministry serves over half a million seniors in the Archdiocese and those who love and care for them. She has more than 15 years of experience in counseling and nonprofit work, along with a deep knowledge of and passion for supporting seniors through programs that honor their dignity and contributions and assisting their caregivers.
“Our seniors have tremendous gifts to share, and we want to meet their needs while providing opportunities for them to do so,” Kerlin said. “Their lives are filled with many chapters, and I love learning about their past experiences — and the chapters still to come.”
With guidance from Sister Maureen O’Connell, OP, director of the Secretariat for Social Concerns, Kerlin and her staff are laying down a foundation for the ministry, shaping its vision and planning for the future. A dedicated team of parish volunteers also plays a critical role in its success, assisting in organizing events, providing resources and supporting seniors and caregivers in their communities.
“Our senior population is growing exponentially, both in the U.S. and worldwide, and people are living longer,” Kerlin said. “These extra years are a gift, but we want to ensure they are meaningful by providing opportunities and programs that enrich the lives of
seniors and their caregivers.”
Under Kerlin’s leadership, one of the Office of Aging Ministry’s newest initiatives is Saints University, which provides a space for faith, fellowship and fun through programs that enrich participants’ lives. Designed for maturing adults and their loved ones, this learning community embraces lifelong growth, recognizing that “nobody graduates from God” and all are called to holiness. Like most Office of Aging Ministry events, the program is offered across four communities — the northern, southwestern, central and Spanish-speaking communities — welcoming Catholic and non-Catholic seniors.
The ministry’s senior communities, formerly called “senates,” were once limited to select representatives from the parishes. They are now open to all adults 50 and older and their caregivers. This more inclusive approach encourages broader participation in ministry activities, ensuring all seniors feel welcome, regardless of parish affiliation.
As the Office of Aging Ministry expands its outreach, seniors across the Archdiocese are finding new ways to stay engaged and connected. Leticia Turner, a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Community, is a senior who has benefited from the ministry’s work as a participant and longtime volunteer. She became active in her parish’s Golden Age group, enjoying plays, musicals and concerts with like-minded friends who share interests.
Turner has also participated in workshops on important retirement issues organized by the Office of Aging, which have allowed her to meet seniors from other parishes, build meaningful friendships, and share new experiences. Beyond these connections, she has found joy in serving others who need support.
“I feel like I can give back to others and use some of my energy and caregiving abilities,” Turner said. “Like driving — since I love to drive, and some
“Being with seniors and listening to them, hearing them, seeing them — valuing them and loving them is being in the presence of God.”
KRISTINE KERLIN Director, Office of
Aging Ministry
seniors are at the age now where they don’t want to navigate the streets or freeways. This allows me to help and share time with those who appreciate similar interests and activities as me.”
Turner encourages her peers to step outside their comfort zones, participate in parish activities and local events, and not let age hold them back. She suggests checking church bulletins, neighborhood newspapers and online resources, noting that many seniors are computerliterate. By actively participating, she believes seniors can build friendships and find joy in sharing their time and talents. Seeing many opportunities for engagement, she supports the Office of Aging’s efforts and hopes to assist in recruiting volunteers.
“Volunteering is a treasure,” Turner said. “I try to encourage other seniors in my parish and community to recognize the gifts they can give and consider opportunities to serve.”
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As one of more than 60 ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF), the Office of Aging Ministry relies on annual funding to make these programs possible. Kerlin said most services are offered at little or no cost to ensure accessibility for seniors on fixed incomes, and without DSF support, many initiatives wouldn’t be feasible.
“At the Office of Aging level, we have just such a treasure in our seniors — they are wise, very talented and have so much to offer,” Kerlin said.
The Diocesan Services Fund operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out 64 ministries.
DSF IN ACTION
This video series brings to life the ministry featured in these stories. Hear from leaders and people personally impacted by God’s grace through these DSF ministries.
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“Contributions to the DSF from people in the Archdiocese enable us to support and utilize the diverse talents and gifts within our community, and for that, we are deeply grateful.”
For Kerlin, working with seniors like Turner is more than just a job — it is a deeply spiritual experience.
“Being with seniors and listening to them, hearing them, seeing them — valuing them and loving them is being in the presence of God,” Kerlin said. “It puts us both in the center of God’s love and care, and the impact of that is immeasurable.”
To learn more about the Office of Aging Ministry, visit www.archgh. org/aging. To support DSF ministries, visit www.archgh.org/DSF. Every DSF gift directly funds ministries like the Office of Aging Ministry, ensuring they continue their vital work in service and education. †
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HOUSTON — On Feb. 8, St. Ambrose Catholic School was the only Catholic school to represent the Archdiocese’s Catholic Schools at this year’s Houston Regional History Fair at the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy in Houston.
St. Ambrose competed against larger schools in Galveston ISD, Houston ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and private schools like Awty International School and The Kinkaid School.
Students won in several categories, including documentary, historical papers, group exhibit and individual exhibit.
The medal count of students and their titled projects:
• First Place Website – Ava Floyd, “Women’s Roles in World War II.”
• First Place Group Exhibit – Alberto Garza and Jackson Kohl, “Viva Cristo Rey.”
• Second Place Historical Paper – Cash Neil-Dobbs, “D-Day.”
• Second Place Individual Exhibit – Ali Cisneroz, “Pearl Harbor.”
• Third Place Historical Paper – Addisyn Ramirez, “Emancipation Proclamation.”
• Third Place Individual Exhibit – Miguel Adame III, “Cesar Chavez.” †
BY SARAH GARZA/ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL
PHOTO
St. Ambrose Catholic School history fair participants and winners, left to right, are Hudson McKirahan, Ava Floyd, Ali Cisneroz, Jackson Kohl, Miguel Adame III and Alberto Garza.
To watch videos, including Archbishop Vásquez’s homily and a recap of the Installation Mass, and read more, visit www.archgh.org/welcomearchbishop
PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS AND JONAH DYCUS/HERALD
St. Mary’s Seminary 9845 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77024
ARCHBISHOP VÁSQUEZ PLEDGES
ARCHBISHOP, from page 1
The congregation included three cardinals, several archbishops, numerous bishops, hundreds of priests and other clergy, men and women religious, and laity.
Under the depiction of the Holy Spirit in the cocathedral’s soaring dome, Christophe Cardinal Pierre, the apostolic nuncio, witnessed Daniel Cardinal DiNardo hand over the crozier to Archbishop Vásquez, who, seated upon his cathedra, assumed his role as Galveston-Houston’s ninth bishop and third archbishop.
Archbishop Vásquez, 67, succeeds Cardinal DiNardo, 75, who headed the Texas Archdiocese from 2006 until the pope accepted his resignation Jan. 20 and named then-Bishop Vásquez of Austin as his successor.
The Mass, which was livestreamed by thousands more across the Archdiocese and beyond — began with a literal bang. Preceding a solemn procession
and an ancient tradition as Archbishop knocked three times on the co-cathedral’s a wooden gavel.
The procession into the co-cathedral lasted about nearly 27 minutes — was led of the Knights of Columbus, Knights Claver, Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian the Holy Sepulchre, Knights and Dames of Malta, hundreds of deacons, more than and at least 45 bishops from across the
After receiving the papal bull, document from Pope Francis that officially Archbishop Vásquez as Galveston-Houston’s ordinary, Archbishop Vásquez processed portions of the co-cathedral displaying to several different groups, including who were beaming as he walked passed.
After taking his seat on the cathedra time, Archbishop Vásquez then greeted representatives from the Archdiocese,
You make the ministry of our future Priests possible.
Nearly 60 men are currently in formation at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston to become the next generations of priests. These men spend anywhere from 5 to 7 years preparing for their Ordination to the Priesthood.
To read more about our seminarians and how you can support them, visit www.smseminary.com.
PLEDGES TO LEAD BY LISTENING
Archbishop Vásquez co-cathedral’s doors with co-cathedral — which led by members Knights of St. Peter Equestrian Order of Dames of the Order than 200 priests nation. the pontifical officially declares Galveston-Houston’s new processed through the parchment his own family passed. cathedra for the first greeted a variety of Archdiocese, including
ministry leaders, women religious, seminarians, deacons and priests.
Of Mexican American descent, the archbishop is one of 26 active Hispanic Catholic bishops in the U.S. His episcopal motto is “Sigueme,” Spanish for “Follow me,” in reference to Jesus’ words to Peter in the Gospel of St. John.
In a letter to the faithful, Archbishop Vásquez said he was “profoundly grateful” to Pope Francis for appointing him as the next archbishop of GalvestonHouston, reaffirming his “fidelity” to the pontiff.
He also expressed deep appreciation to his predecessors, Cardinal DiNardo and the late Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, who ordained him as a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984 and as an auxiliary bishop for Galveston-Houston in 2001. “He was truly a spiritual father to me and continues to be a source of inspiration,” he said.
He called Cardinal DiNardo “a true shepherd” who has provided “this local Church with wise leadership
and excellent service. ... I hold him in the highest esteem and will depend on his counsel to help me serve the people of this vibrant and growing Church.”
“I look forward to working with the many dedicated priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful in this Archdiocese,” he continued. “You are a Church rich in diversity, goodness and generosity, and I look forward to meeting with you and listening to you as together we grow in our faith and love for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
He thanked the people of the Austin Diocese “for the prayers, love and support they have shown in allowing me to serve there for nearly 15 years. I will always have them in my heart.” Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Austin’s fifth bishop on Jan. 26, 2010.
Archbishop Vásquez remarked that he is“humbled” to serve the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and entrusted himself “to the tender embrace of Our Lady of Guadalupe and to the compassionate protection of St. Joseph,” a sentiment he echoed in his homily.
“You are a Church rich in diversity, goodness and generosity, and I look forward to meeting with you and listening to you as together we grow in our faith and love for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
ARCHBISHOP JOE S. VÁSQUEZ
Ninth Bishop and Third Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
He said he would serve “the needs of this local Church to the best of my ability.” “Your love and your prayers are greatly needed and appreciated,” he added. †
YOUTH
Is discernment for teens possible?
As a former youth minister, I have seen how every family household has a different dynamic, whether spiritual or physical. Yet, every family shares a similar goal, which is to want their child to know, love and serve God. However, the struggle is often figuring out how to encourage our teens to discern their vocation or how much we should encourage them.
We must first remember the obligation undertaken at a child’s Baptism. “You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so, you are accepting the responsibility of training him (her) in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him (her) up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?” (Rite of Baptism). We must also remember that our vocation, in a general sense, is to live a life of holiness and of Christ.
One of our greatest roles is to guide and nurture children and grandchildren as they grow into the individuals God calls them to be. One crucial aspect of this guidance is helping them discern their vocational call — whether that be
by BRANDON RIOJAS
priesthood. Discernment is a profound journey of listening to God’s voice and seeking His will for one’s life. In a world full of distractions, it can be challenging for teens to recognize their vocation, but with our support, encouragement and prayer, they can grow to know God’s will for them.
St. John Paul II said, “The family must educate the children for life in such a way that each one may fully perform his or her role according to the vocation received from God. Indeed, the family that is open to transcendent values, that serves its brothers and sisters with joy, that fulfills its duties with generous fidelity, and is aware of its daily sharing in the mystery of the glorious Cross of Christ, becomes the primary and most excellent seed-bed of vocations to a life of consecration to the Kingdom of God” (Familiaris Consortio, 53).
One of the most important steps parents and grandparents can take as is
openness. Helping teens find the prayer form(s) that is most meaningful to them is a key task. The way we pray is not necessarily the way they will pray. By encouraging teens to pray, especially in moments of uncertainty, we help them open their hearts to God’s guidance. Through prayer, they learn to listen for God’s voice, which is often quiet but always gentle and loving. It is also essential to support our teens in seeking counsel from spiritual mentors. St. Ignatius of Loyola encourages us to find spiritual direction as we seek God’s will. By encouraging teens to seek advice from priests, religious brothers and sisters, or other holy women and men, we help them discern their vocation more clearly and with a deeper sense of peace.
Additionally, grandparents and parents must model a life of vocation for their teens. Are we living a sacramental life through the Church? Are we praying ourselves? Our example speaks louder than any words we can say. St. Teresa of Calcutta often reminded us that “the fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service and the fruit of service is peace.” By living out our own vocations
“Are we living a sacramental life through the Church? Are we praying ourselves? Our example speaks louder than any words we can say.”
understanding. Vocational discernment is a lifelong process, and our teens may not have all the answers right away — nor may we. But by walking with them in love and prayer, we help them build a foundation of faith and trust. God invites each of us, no matter our age, into a deeper relationship with Him. Let us continue to foster an environment of prayer and discernment for our youth, and may we continue to stay close to the Sacraments! †
Brandon Riojas is a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston at St. Mary’s Seminary.
Marking Moments of Grace: Entering the Jubilee doors
Every now and then, working for the Church has a few perks. This coming July, I’ll be leading a group of more than 60 young adults from the Archdiocese to Rome to participate in the Jubilee for Youth and Young People. Because of that summer trip, our pilgrimage company, Verso Ministries, offered for one group leader to attend what they called a Pack and Prep trip, and I was able to accept that offer and visited Rome in February to prepare for the summer pilgrimage.
This was my third trip to Rome, but it was my first time entering through the Jubilee holy doors. Entering through these four doors at the four major Basilicas is a graced moment that is only available during a Jubilee year. There is grace available, but, like so many other grace-filled moments in our lives, I think it would have been very easy to miss the importance of this moment.
On the surface, it’s just entering a door. We enter multiple doors every day — doors to our homes, our work, our cars, restaurants, coffee shops, offices, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens and (hopefully) churches. Walking through a door does not take a lot of time or effort to complete. At one moment, we’re on one side of the door, and in the next moment, we’re on the other side.
If we look deeper, this door represents so much more. The Jubilee is a time “to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Lk 4:19). On one side of this door lies spiritual captivity, blindness and oppression. Passing through the Jubilee door is meant to help us realize that Jesus is calling us forward to freedom, fuller spiritual sight, and an abundant life free from fear. But again, it’s a moment that can be easily missed.
One thing we did on the February pilgrimage was to
by ANGELA POMETTO
mark this moment with a group prayer. Before we entered each holy door, our pilgrimage directors stopped the group and led us in a group prayer. After we came through the door, the directors stopped us again and concluded the prayer. That was such a simple step, but it really helped mark the moment of grace.
Before entering the Jubilee holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica, there was a longer prayer provided by the Vatican. This prayer included reciting several psalms and a Litany of Saints, which was led as a sung chant by one of our fellow pilgrims, a deacon from Michigan.
It was an incredibly beautiful moment to be standing at the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica, singing as a group: “St. Peter, pray for us; St. Paul, pray for us…” It is a moment that I will remember for a long time. It is also a moment that could have been very easily missed if we had not taken the time to intentionally enter into that moment with prayer.
Whether you are traveling to Rome this year or celebrating the Jubilee here in Houston, I hope that all of us can take time to mark moments of grace happening in our lives. Those moments of grace are available to all through Sacraments, through faith-filled friendships and through personal prayer. Don’t let those moments pass us by. Mark the moment. Keep it in your heart. Accept the grace to live an abundant life of freedom and hope in Christ. †
Angela Pometto is the director of the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry.
The difference in cultures
It was during Holy Week that I first came to the U.S. from Mexico to join the Carmelite Order at a monastery in San Antonio. My imagination was immediately captured by the similarities and differences when it came to the way that people celebrated the sacred mysteries of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. I was puzzled by what I perceived as a lack of activity at the parish to which the monastery was attached. After the initial burst of activity during Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday went by with the regular patterns of many parishes on any given day. I wondered where all the children and teens were and what had happened to all the penitential processions around the neighborhood with people of all ages and all the preparations for the massive celebrations of Holy Thursday and Good Friday taking place.
One thing I did not really think much about was the preparation for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday, and yet that was all I was able to observe. Truckloads of flowers, loads of altar servers and ministers rehearsing. About 50 people
by MIGUEL VENCES
were somehow involved in the Easter Vigil as newly baptized, sponsors, first communicants and one or two professions of faith. When the Easter Day celebrations came, I saw Easter egg hunts, brunches everywhere, family gatherings in parks around a barbecue and music, and a very festive atmosphere.
It was then that it dawned on me what the biggest difference is between the focus of attention in my native Mexico (and perhaps most of Latin America) and the U.S. when remembering the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord. In my culture of origin, the emphasis was on the passion and the suffering of Christ, hence the massive crowds all through Holy Week until Good Friday and even the fact that there is a “Holy Week” vacation period in all of Mexico that allows children to roam free at all processions (like the living stations of the cross around the neighborhood).
when it comes to Easter
In contrast, there was virtually no celebration activity on Easter Sunday. It was as if the festivities had ended on Friday.
At the same time, the focus of attention in my new home was placed on Easter Sunday, on the resurrection, rather than the Passion of Christ. Participation at all Holy Thursday and Good Friday events and liturgies was a little over half of the Church’s capacity, but overload Masses had to be added for Easter Sunday.
While there is a lot of history that may lead us to understand why there is such a different focus of attention among Catholics on different sides of the south border, the thought that keeps coming up to me is how much cultural diversity enriches all the cultures that coexist within a community, within a city, a state or a country. By being open to seeing in a different culture something that I had been missing without me knowing it, I came to have a more complete view of how to celebrate the Easter mysteries, one that focused as much on the Passion and death of our Lord as on the celebration of His
“Now, more than ever, let us pray, speak and work so that in our community, our city, our country, and beyond, we can be open to the enrichment of cultural, ethnic and racial diversity.”
triumph over death.
Now more than ever, let us pray, let us speak, and let us work so that in our community, our city, our country, and beyond, we can be open to the enrichment of cultural, ethnic and racial diversity. †
Miguel A. Vences is an associate director with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.
40 days of detachment, fast and penance
What is Lent? Its Latin name, Quadragesima, meaning “fortieth,” gives us a clue. Lent is the 40-day journey leading up to Easter — a time of preparation. Throughout salvation history, 40 days have often signified a period of purification and readiness. We see this in Israel’s 40 years in the desert after the Exodus and in our Lord’s 40 days of fasting and prayer before beginning His ministry.
But what exactly are we preparing for this Lent? First and foremost, the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord. To do so, we seek to remove from our lives anything that is not of Him, that He may become our all — that our “joy may be full” (Jn 15:11). It is only when we make more room in our lives for Christ that we truly experience the joy and peace only He can give.
Who lived out this poverty of spirit more fully than Our Lady, the Mother of God? A humble woman from
by KEENAN ANNICCHIARICO
the poor village of Nazareth, Mary possessed little in worldly terms, yet she had everything, for she had Christ. Detached from earthly goods, she lived wholly for the one thing necessary: God Himself.
In the simplicity of her life, she did everything out of love for her Son — feeding Him, teaching Him to pray, caring for His every need. Her life was never about herself but always about someone else. So, too, should our lives be.
This self-giving reached its fullest expression at Calvary, where she stood beneath the cross, offering her Son back to the Father for the salvation of the world. As Eve took the fruit from the tree and brought
death, Mary allowed her Fruit to be placed back upon the tree, bringing eternal life.
Mary had spent her entire life in quiet surrender, denying herself and giving everything for the One she loved most. She is our exemplar for this Lenten season, showing us what it means to give up all things for the love of Christ. May we turn to her daily, calling upon her intercession, that we may persevere in our fasts and penances. In so doing, we will grow in greater love of our Lord, which is all Mary desires for us.
For just as she raised Christ, she raises all Christians — that He may raise us up on the Last Day. †
Keenan Annicchiarico is a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston at St. Mary’s Seminary.
Lent: Being renewed in His sacred truth
“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
These words are repeated over and over again on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of the Lenten season, not only in churches but in a variety of locations around the world. One such place where these words carry particular meaning is in juvenile detention facilities across the Archdiocese, where volunteers carry this message to the youth every year.
Ever since experiencing my first Ash Wednesday at the downtown juvenile detention center as a volunteer with Special Youth Services, I was struck by the meaning of these words in a new way. What I came to realize was that behind the cement walls and metal doors of a detention facility, there are many young people who are open to receiving the message of repentance more readily than many people I know. Speaking for myself, I know that there have been many years where I have approached
by MÓNICA RAMÓN
the start of the Lenten season unprepared, reluctantly and sometimes even defiantly. However, I realized that there was a lesson for me here in the facility and that I had better open my eyes to what the Lord wanted to teach me from this experience.
When we arrived on the floor, there was the normal shifting of chairs as the kids made space for our regular weekly Bible study. We shared with the youth that this week was different from a normal Bible study and why.
As we briefly explained the season of Lent — the 40 days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving leading up to Easter — curious eyes and ears focused completely on our message, and I
realized that these kids had probably never learned of this tradition before. We explained the symbolic nature of the ashes and that these ashes had been blessed by clergy members. We shared that Lent was an opportunity to focus on getting closer to God and removing the things that were keeping us from Him. Before beginning the prayer service, we asked the group if they wanted to pray for anything specifically. I was struck by the young men who courageously prayed for God’s forgiveness and for His assistance in making better choices in their lives.
Despite the noise in the background of the space we were sharing, as we launched into the prayer service, there was reverent silence from the young people in our group. As I spread ashes on the foreheads of these young people, I spoke over them the prayer I wished for them: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Believe in the good news of
“Believe in His mercy and love for you: a love that took Him to the cross and beyond the grave.”
God’s suffering and resurrection and what that means for your lives. Believe that He wants to forgive you and that He has a good plan for you. Believe in His mercy and love for you: a love that took Him to the cross and beyond the grave. As we enter into Lent, may we all be renewed in this simple and sacred truth for each of our lives as we, too, repent and believe in the Gospel. †
Mónica Ramón is an associate director with Special Youth Services.
WORLD Vatican statistics: Baptisms down, but First Communions, Confirmations up
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and Baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics.
However, the Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook of the Church said, 9.1 million people received their First Communion in 2023, up from 8.68 million people the previous year, and almost 7.7 million people were confirmed, up from 7.4 million people in 2022.
At the end of 2023, the number of Catholics in the world reached 1.405 billion, up 1.15% from 1.389 billion Catholics at the end of 2022, according to the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics, which publishes the yearbook.
This came despite a smaller growth rate in the world’s population, which, for that period was 0.88%. According to the United Nations’ Demographic Yearbook, the estimated mid-year world population for 2023 was approximately 8.045 billion.
The Vatican published its statistical yearbook offering data “on the life and activity of the Church in the world in 2023” at the end of March.
The yearbook cautioned that its numbers were based on the information it received back from its surveys and that of 3,188 dioceses and other jurisdictions about 140 did not send information.
The number of Catholics “does not include those in countries that because of their present situation have not been included in the survey,” it said, adding that it estimated that number to be about an additional 5 million Catholics. Mainland China and North Korea, for example, had no data in the yearbook.
The percentage of Catholics as part of the global and continental populations remained about the same as in 2022. Catholics represented about 17.8% of the global population at the end of 2023, it said. The highest proportion is in the Americas, with 64.2% of its population being baptized Catholic. Europe follows with 39.6% and Oceania with 25.9%. In Africa, 19.8% of the population is Catholic and the lowest proportion of Catholics by continent is Asia with 3.3%.
While the number of Catholics is increasing, the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism has continued to decrease worldwide, according to the yearbook. It fell from 17,932,891 Baptisms administered in 1998 to 13,327,037 in 2022 and 13,150,780 in 2023. A peak was reported during the Holy Year 2000 when 18,408,076 Baptisms were administered worldwide.
The yearbook said the “general downward trend in the relative number of Baptisms” has been “following closely the
trend in the birthrate in most countries.”
It said the ratio of infant Baptisms to the Catholic population is of “great significance” because it notes differences between one country and another. While the world average is 7.4 infant Baptisms per 1,000 Catholics, the highest ratios are in American Samoa (71.2), several islands in Oceania (37.7 to 21.8), followed by Burundi (23.6), Cambodia (22.3), Timor Leste (20.3) and Myanmar (20.1). The lowest ratios are in Armenia, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Tunisia and Algeria (below 1) followed by Russia and Djibouti (1.1).
The total number of adult Baptisms registered in 2023 was 2,696,521, which is about 20% of the total number of Baptisms. The highest proportion of adult Baptisms is in Africa (35.9%) and the lowest is in Europe and the Middle East.
The Catholic Church had 5,430 bishops at the end of 2023, an increase of 77 bishops from 2022. The majority of them are serving in the Americas and Europe.
The total number of diocesan and religious order priests decreased by 734 men to a total of 406,996, the Vatican office said. The only significant increase in the number of diocesan and religious order priests was in Africa and Asia, which was not enough to offset the declines in the Americas and Europe.
While the number of religious-order priests had increased by 297 men in 2022, the number went down to 128,254 in 2023, about what it had been in 2021. The number of diocesan priests continued to decrease globally, with 278,742 men at the end of 2023.
The yearbook also offered a chart
tracking the overall change in the number of diocesan clergy from 2013 to 2023 by calculating how many of those already serving were newly ordained, minus those who died and those who left the priesthood.
It showed there was modest growth from 2013 to 2016 (0.31% to 0.05%), followed by a negative rate starting in 2017 that peaked in 2020 during the pandemic (-0.73%). The rate was recorded at -0.45% in 2021 and -0.12% in 2022.
The number of Catholics per priest increased slightly to 3,453 from 3,408 Catholics per priest in 2022.
The total number of religious brothers continued to decrease in 2023 from 49,414 to 48,748 and the total number of religious women, it said, was down to 589,423 from 599,228 at the end of 2022 — a decrease of 9,805 women or 1.64%.
The number of permanent deacons continued to increase. There were 51,433 permanent deacons at the end of 2023 — a 2.54% increase over the previous year, with the highest numbers being in the Americas.
The number of seminarians continued to decrease globally with a 1.67% average rate of decline from 2018 to 2023. There were 106,495 seminarians at the end of 2023 with the only growth — 383 men — being in Africa.
The number of Catholic weddings celebrated around the world in 2023 was down from 1.97 million in 2022 to 1.85 million; of those, about 10.3% involved a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic. †
CNS PHOTO
Pope Francis baptizes a baby during Mass in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Jan. 7, 2024, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
NATION
Brother of Terri Schiavo says fight to protect life at all stages more urgent than ever
(OSV News) — Bobby Schindler still remembers his older sister’s love of animals.
“We had a Labrador growing up, a family pet that she just adored,” he told OSV News about his sister, Terri Schiavo, and their dog, Bucky. “He had … a brain tumor, and he fell over and collapsed … and Terri reached out and tried to give it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”
“I don’t think she knew how to do it,” he added, but “she was trying to do everything she could to save her dog.”
Schindler spoke about Schiavo ahead of the 20th anniversary of her death — a death that followed a years-long legal battle that made international headlines and captured the attention of thenPresident George W. Bush, U.S. members of Congress and even the Vatican.
Schiavo, who had suffered a serious brain injury, died on March 31, 2005, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed at the decision of her husband, Michael, against the wishes of her parents and siblings. She was 41.
Her case led Schindler to dedicate his life to helping families in similar situations through the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope
Network, an organization dedicated to upholding human dignity by serving those who are medically vulnerable. The network, which provides a 24/7 crisis lifeline service for at-risk patients and families, has helped thousands since its founding in 2005.
Schindler, together with Dr. Tim Millea, chair of the Catholic Medical Association Health Care Policy Committee, spoke with OSV News about the challenges since Schiavo’s death to upholding the dignity of life for the medically vulnerable.
“We knew Terri had a severe brain injury, and we knew that she most likely was never going to improve to the point where she was going to be able to take care of herself,” said Schindler, a Paige Comstock Cunningham senior fellow at Americans United for Life and an associate scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “That never mattered to our family: Terri was a human being. She had value and worth and … she only needed food and hydration to live.”
Schindler revealed why, 20 years later, he still talks about his sister.
“I want people never to forget about the injustices of what happened to my sister,” he said. “But also because it’s happening to others just like my sister every single day across countless hospitals, hospices, nursing homes.”
“It’s legal now in all 50 states to either withdraw or deny a person feeding tubes just like my sister,” he added, saying that this challenges Catholic Church teaching.
A year before Schiavo’s death, St. John Paul II addressed this topic in “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State: Scientific Advances and Ethical Dilemmas,” where he writes that the “administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act.”
“Its use, furthermore, should be considered, in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such morally obligatory, insofar as and until it is seen to have attained its proper finality,” the late pontiff teaches, “which in the present case consists in providing nourishment to the patient and alleviation of his suffering.”
This issue has also been addressed in other Church documents, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services” and the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith’s “Responses to Certain Questions of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Concerning Artificial Nutrition and Hydration.”
Schiavo and her siblings were raised Catholic. Schindler said that while Schiavo’s husband was not Catholic, the couple married in a Catholic church, and Schiavo continued attending Mass. He revealed his sister’s story played a role in his own faith.
“When I went to college in the ’80s, I left the Church,” he said. “It was actually my sister’s case that brought me back to my faith.”
Schiavo was 26 when she unexpectedly collapsed while home with her husband in 1990.
“She went several minutes without oxygen and sustained a pretty serious brain injury as a consequence,” Schindler said. “To this day, we do not know what caused it.”
He challenged people today who call people like his sister human “vegetables,” something he has written about previously.
“How we’ve twisted things in our culture today and use euphemisms today to describe people like Terri as having no worth, having no utility, justifying her death because of her poor quality of life,” he said.
Looking back, Millea at the Catholic Medical Association recognized “the inexorable decline in the respect for the dignity of every life over the past several decades.”
“Even prior to Terri Schiavo’s death, our society was already beginning to
accept the unethical premise that an unnatural death was reasonable,” he said in emailed comments. “Whether it be by assisted suicide or withdrawal of nutrition and hydration without consent, or ultimately euthanasia, the risk to our most vulnerable people is great.”
As president of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, Schindler revealed that his organization receives calls from families pressured by hospitals, doctors or administrators, or insurance companies to stop treatment for a loved one within hours or days of a brain injury instead of giving them the chance to recover through therapy and rehabilitation. He expressed concern over “a shift in control over treatment decisions from patients and their loved ones or surrogates to external authorities.”
“What I’m seeing more of today is … how quick decisions are being made to stop treatment after a brain injury,” he said. “We get all kinds of calls, but if you had to ask me, they are the most frequent.”
Like Schindler earlier, Millea said that incidents like Schiavo’s are continuing, in addition to efforts to legalize and expand assisted suicide.
“This begs some simple questions,” he said. “Aren’t we better than that? Why are we not increasing funding for hospice and palliative care rather than making people die sooner? What is to stop a ‘right to die’ from devolving into a ‘duty to die’? Why should we do the ‘easy’ thing instead of the ‘right’ thing? Is medicine becoming a profession that ends life rather than protecting it?”
At the same time, he said, awareness is growing.
“The fight to protect life at all stages will continue, but there is an encouraging trend,” Millea concluded. “More and more Americans are recognizing the darkness of deaths like Terri’s, at the hands of those who should be helping them at their most vulnerable times.” †
OSV NEWS PHOTO/COURTESY OF THE SCHINDLER FAMILY
Siblings Suzanne, Bobby and Terri Schindler stop for a photo at Bobby’s 1987 graduation from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. March 31, 2025, marked 20 years since the death of Terri (Schindler) Schiavo, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed at the decision of her husband, Michael, against the wishes of her parents and siblings. She was 41.
MUNDO CATÓLICO
Estadísticas del Vaticano: Los bautismos disminuyen, pero las primeras comuniones y las confirmaciones aumentan
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — El número de católicos y diáconos permanentes en el mundo aumentó en 2023, en tanto que el número de seminaristas, sacerdotes, hombres y mujeres en órdenes religiosas, y bautismos experimentó una caída, según las estadísticas del Vaticano.
Asimismo, el Anuario Estadístico de la Iglesia, publicado por el Vaticano, informó que 9,1 millones de personas recibieron su primera comunión en 2023, frente a los 8,68 millones del año anterior, y casi 7,7 millones de personas fueron confirmadas, en comparación con los 7,4 millones en 2022.
Al cierre de 2023, el número de católicos en el mundo alcanzó los 1,405 billones, un aumento del 1,15% respecto a los 1,389 billones al final de 2022, según la Oficina Central de Estadísticas de la Iglesia del Vaticano, encargada de publicar el anuario.
Esto ocurrió a pesar de una tasa de crecimiento menor de la población mundial, que, en ese período, fue del 0,88%. De acuerdo con el Anuario Demográfico de las Naciones Unidas, la población mundial estimada a mediados de 2023 fue de aproximadamente 8,045 billones de personas.
El Vaticano publicó su anuario estadístico a finales de marzo, ofreciendo estadísticas “sobre la vida y actividad de la Iglesia en el mundo en 2023”.
El anuario advirtió que sus cifras se basan en la información provenientes de sus encuestas y de 3.188 diócesis y otras jurisdicciones, de las cuales unas 140 no enviaron información.
El número de católicos “no incluye a aquellos en países que, debido a su situación actual, no han sido incluidos en la encuesta”, señaló, agregando que estima que esta cifra equivale a unos 5 millones de católicos adicionales. Por ejemplo, el anuario no incluye datos de China continental y Corea del Norte.
El porcentaje de católicos respecto a las poblaciones global y continental se mantuvo aproximadamente igual que en 2022. Los católicos representaban alrededor del 17,8% de la población mundial a finales de 2023. La proporción más alta está en América, donde el 64,2% de la población es católica bautizada. Europa le sigue con un 39,6% y Oceanía
El cardenal Giorgio Marengo, prefecto apostólico de Ulán Bator, Mongolia, administra el sacramento de la confirmación en la Catedral de los Santos en esta fotografía de archivo del 11 de junio de 2023.
con un 25,9%. En África, el 19,8% de la población es católica, mientras que la proporción más baja por continente se encuentra en Asia, con un 3,3%.
Aunque el número de católicos está en aumento, la administración del sacramento del bautismo ha continuado disminuyendo a nivel mundial. Desde 17.932.891 bautismos en 1998 a 13.327.037 en 2022 y a 13.150.780 en 2023. Registrándose el nivel más alto en el Año Santo 2000, cuando se administraron 18.408.076 bautismos en todo el mundo.
El anuario remarcó que la “tendencia general a la baja en el número relativo de bautismos” ha estado “siguiendo de cerca la tendencia de la tasa de natalidad en la mayoría de los países”.
Agregó que la proporción de bautismos infantiles en relación con la población católica es de “gran importancia” porque muestra diferencias entre países. Mientras que el promedio mundial es de 7,4 bautismos infantiles por cada 1.000 católicos, las tasas más altas se encuentran en Samoa Americana (71,2), varias islas de Oceanía (entre 37,7 y 21,8), seguidas por Burundi (23,6), Camboya (22,3), Timor Oriental (20,3) y Myanmar (20,1). Las
APOYO PASTORAL A VÍCTIMAS DE
ABUSO SEXUAL DEL CLERO
En un continuo esfuerzo por facilitar atención pastoral a las victimas de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, el Cardenal DiNardo gustaría recordar a los fieles de la Arquidiócesis la disponibilidad del Coordinador de Ayuda a Víctimas. Si alguien ha sido victim de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, se les anima llamar a la Diane Vines al 713-654-5799. Por favor rece por la sanación de las víctimas del abuso y por todos los que sufren de alguna manera.
tasas más bajas se registran en Armenia, Georgia, Arabia Saudita, Omán, Irán, Túnez y Argelia (por debajo de 1), seguidas por Rusia y Yibuti (1,1).
El número total de bautismos de adultos registrados en 2023 fue de 2.696.521, lo que equivale aproximadamente al 20% del total de bautismos. La proporción más alta de bautismos de adultos se encuentra en África (35,9%), mientras que la más baja está en Europa y Oriente Medio.
La Iglesia Católica tenía 5.430 obispos a finales de 2023, un aumento de 77 obispos respecto a 2022. La mayoría de ellos sirven en el continente americano y el continente europeo. El número total de sacerdotes diocesanos y de órdenes religiosas disminuyó en 734, alcanzando un total de 406.996, de acuerdo con la oficina del Vaticano. El único aumento significativo en el número de sacerdotes se dio en África y Asia, aunque no fue suficiente para compensar las disminuciones en América y Europa.
Mientras que el número de sacerdotes en órdenes religiosas había aumentado en 297 en 2022, este se redujo a 128.254 en 2023, una cifra similar a la de 2021. El número de sacerdotes diocesanos continuó disminuyendo a nivel global, con 278.742 sacerdotes al cierre de 2023. El anuario también incluyó un gráfico que muestra la variación en el número total de clérigos diocesanos de 2013 a 2023, calculando cuántos de aquellos que están sirviendo eran recién ordenados menos los sacerdotes fallecidos y aquellos que dejaron el sacerdocio. Se observó un crecimiento moderado entre 2013 y 2016 (de 0,31% a 0,05%), seguido por una tasa negativa a partir de 2017, con un punto crítico en 2020 durante la pandemia (-0,73%). La tasa fue de -0,45% en 2021 y de -0,12% en 2022. El número de católicos por sacerdote aumentó ligeramente a 3.453, en
FOTO DE CNS
Vea VATICANO, pagina 18
WITHIN THE ARTS
Poetry key to understanding Pope Francis, cardinal, speakers say
ROME (CNS) — Pope Francis’ love for poetry is not just a personal interest but a key to understanding his vision of faith and humanity, said speakers at the presentation of a new book collecting the pope’s reflections on poetry and literature.
“We cannot adequately appreciate Pope Francis’ immense contribution without including this aspect of the symbolic, poetic, evocative and even gestural language that he knows how to use,” said Víctor Cardinal Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, during the presentation March 21.
“One does not come to understand Pope Francis by analyzing his texts,” the Argentine cardinal said.
As an example, the cardinal referenced the pope’s encyclical “‘Dilexit nos’ (‘He loved us’): on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ,” in which the pope recalled sealing pies with a fork alongside his grandmother, a moment he described as a tender apprenticeship in both love and responsibility.
“No algorithm will ever be able to capture” the nostalgia one feels for such a childhood memory, Pope Francis wrote, reflecting on how such seemingly ordinary details embody the beauty of human dignity and care. “In this age of artificial intelligence, we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity,” the pope added.
Such expressions, Cardinal Fernández said, go beyond doctrinal explanation. “There are certain truths that can only be
communicated poetically, never without poetry.”
The book, “Viva la poesia” (“Long Live Poetry”), released in Italian March 21, combs through documents from the 12 years of Pope Francis’ pontificate to highlight his reflections on poetry, literature and the human imagination.
Edited by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the volume
• Director of Faith Formation for Catholic Schools
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• Administrative Assistant for Hispanic Ministry and more
• Youth Formation
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teaching is shaped by a poetic way of engaging with reality. “There is a poetic logic that molds his magisterium,” he said, noting that the pope’s references to poetry are “primary, not secondary” to his teaching. He added, “For him, poetry is the first way of engaging with reality, especially in times of crisis.”
Pope Francis often begins not with abstract ideas but with artistic and poetic references, Father Spadaro said. In Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Querida Amazonia” (“Dear Amazonia”), for example, he begins each of its four chapters with poetry, drawing from both popular and local poets, some of whom are little known and unpublished outside of the internet. The pope cited more than a dozen poets throughout the document.
includes excerpts from major papal texts, letters and speeches, as well as a handwritten note from the pope.
“We must recover the taste for literature in our lives but also in formation, otherwise we are like a dried fruit,” Pope Francis wrote in the letter included in the book and dated Jan. 25.“Poetry helps all of us to be human beings, and we are in such great need of that today.”
Father Spadaro said that the pope’s
VATICANO, de pagina 17
comparación con los 3.408 católicos por sacerdote en 2022.
El número total de hermanos religiosos continuó disminuyendo en 2023, pasando de 49.414 a 48.748, mientras que el número total de religiosas cayó desde 599.228 a finales de 2022 a 589.423, lo que representa una disminución de 9.805 mujeres o un 1,64%.
El número de diáconos permanentes continuó en aumento. Al cierre de 2023, había 51.433 diáconos permanentes, un incremento del 2,54% respecto al
MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News
A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL
• Paddington in Peru (PG)
A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN
• Snow White (PG)
• The Chosen: Last Supper - Part 1 (NR)
• The Last Supper (PG-13)
Maria Grazia Calandrone, an awardwinning Italian poet who also spoke at the presentation, highlighted the pope’s emphasis on poetry’s grounding in the real and the material, particularly its role in shaping imagination, community and social engagement. “The basis of everything, whether it concerns faith or poetry, is the body, matter, reality, people,” she said.
Calandrone also praised the pope’s call for the creation of university “chairs of poetry” and his concept of “social poets” — individuals whose lives and actions reflect a poetic commitment to justice and dignity. “There is no difference between poetry and social activism,” she said. Both are about resisting “the danger of resignation” and building “the courage to hope.” †
año anterior, alcanzando las cifras más altas en América.
El número de seminaristas siguió disminuyendo a nivel global, con una tasa de declive promedio del 1,67% entre 2018 y 2023. A finales de 2023, había 106.495 seminaristas, con el único crecimiento de 383 hombres en África.
El número de bodas católicas celebradas en todo el mundo en 2023 disminuyó de 1,97 millones en 2022 a 1,85 millones; de estas, aproximadamente el 10,3% correspondía a matrimonios entre un católico y un no católico. †
A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS
• Captain America: Brave New World (PG-13)
• I’m Still Here (PG-13)
• Last Breath (PG-13)
• The Woman in the Yard (PG-13)
L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE
• Mickey 17 (R)
O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE
• A Working Man (R)
• Novocaine (R)
• The Monkey (R)
CNS PHOTO
Víctor Cardinal Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, poses for a photo with a copy of the pope’s book, “Viva la poesia” (“Long Live Poetry”), after its presentation in Rome March 21.
AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE
LENTEN FISH FRYS
Contact parishes for latest information. FRIDAYS OF LENT
CHRIST THE KING (4419 N. Main St., Houston). $15 plate includes fried fish, rice, French fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. Drinks and desserts sold separately. ctkcc.org.
EPIPHANY OF THE LORD, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (1530 Norwalk Dr., Katy). KofC #9759 hosts a fish fry with blackened salmon and Bam Bam shrimp and bake sale. Dine-in, take out or drive thru.
HOLY ROSARY, after 5:15 p.m. Mass (3617 Milam, Houston). $10 plate includes fried fish, French fries, coleslaw, hush puppies, and a drink. $15 plate includes additional French fries and cake. holyrosarycatholic.org.
OUR LADY OF LOURDES, 4 to 6:30 p.m. (10114 Hwy. 6, Hitchcock). Held in Knights of Columbus Hall, $12 plates include fried or baked fish, French fries, hush puppies, coleslaw, a vegetable, tea/ water and homemade desserts made by the ladies in the Altar Society.
SACRED HEART, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Family Life Center - 602 S. Third St., Richmond). $12 plate includes fried or grilled fish, green beans, coleslaw, French fries and hush puppies. Desserts also available. Dine in, carry out or drive thru. 281-342-3609; kathy@sacredhrt.com.
ST. CECILIA, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (11720 Joan of Arc Dr., Houston). KofC #13357 hosts fish fry. $14 plate includes fried fish, French fries, hush puppies, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, and a dessert. Shrimp cocktail, glazed salmon, shrimp and po’boys also available for purchase. 713465-3414; saintcecilia.org.
ST. FRANCES CABRINI, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Francesca Hall (10727 Hartsook St., Houston). $10 plate includes fried fish, coleslaw, French fries or rice. Also available for purchase are sodas, Mexican Bread pudding capirotada, etc. Dine in or carry. 713-946-5768; facebook.com/ SaintFracesCabriniHouston.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, 5 to 8:30 p.m. (8200 Roos Rd., Houston). $15 plates include 10 fried fish nuggets, six large fried shrimp, shrimp fried rice and a drink. Every Friday in Lent except Good Friday.
ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, 5 to 7 p.m. (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). KofC #10861 hosts a fish fry with $14 plates with two pieces of fish and three sides, $12 plates for one piece of fish and sides, or a $10 child’s plate of one piece of fish and two sides. $5 gumbo also available. silcc. org/lent-holy-week-schedule.
ST. LAURENCE, 5 to 8 p.m. (3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). KofC baked or fried fish plates (Adults: $15, Kid’s spaghetti: $8) with hush puppies, French fries, tater tots, green beans and coleslaw. $58 to-go family four-pack meal preorder only. stlaurence.org/fish-fry.
ST. MONICA, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (8421 West Montgomery Rd., Houston). $15 plate includes three pieces of fried fish, potato salad, green beans, a slice of bread and a slice of cake. Baked fish dinner, fried fish sandwich and salad also available. Dine in or drive-thru. Pre-order available and encouraged. 832-567-8539; SMCCFishFry@yahoo.com.
ST. PETER CLAVER, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6005 N. Wayside Dr., Houston). $15 plate includes two pieces of fish or crawfish etouffee dinners with green beans, potato salad, bread, slice of cake and your choice of soda or water. $20 Combo.
Free delivery with a minimum of five orders. 281-862-8989; 713-674-3338.
ST. PHILIP OF NERI, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (10960 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston). $15 plates include four pieces fried fish, two sides, slice of bread; three pieces of stewed fish in tomato sauce over rice, two sides, slice of bread; or two pieces of stewed fish, one piece of fried fish, two sides, slice of bread. More will be available. Phone orders: 281-974-1722. Yard sale all items $2. 713-882-1134.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, 5:30 p.m. (6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston). $10 plate includes fish (fried or baked) and a choice of two sides (dirty rice, green beans or coleslaw). Drive thru is available on the Buffalo Speedway parking lot.
► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.
APRIL 11
FISH FRY, 5 to 7 p.m., St. Angela Merici (9009 Sienna Ranch Rd., Missouri City). $20 per person ages 11 and up, and $10 children ages 6 to 10. Kids ages 5 and under eat free. Prices go up at the door. Buffet includes fried catfish, fried shrimp, hush puppies, French fries, coleslaw and beans. stamericigh.com/knights-of-columbus.
APRIL 11-13
CATHOLIC MEN’S RETREAT, Friday at 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). This three-day retreat includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences, and time for private prayer. Parish groups, father/sons (16+), and individuals are welcomed. $265. holynameretreatcenter.com/ catholic-weekend-retreats.
APRIL 12
SENIOR RESOURCE FAIR, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Ignatius of Loyola (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). For older adults 50-plus years of age and their families and people who love them and care for them, this event includes 50 exhibitors from community partners, Catholic family ministries and parish ministries who serve seniors and their loved ones in the areas of health, caregiving, grief, volunteer opportunities and more. Cost: Free. archgh.org/aging.
YOUNG ADULT PILGRIMAGE WALK, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Joseph (1505 Kane St, Houston). Open to young adults, the day starts with 9 a.m. Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, followed by a 5-mile walk/hike along the Bayou Trail near Memorial Drive. Wear comfortable walking shoes/activewear and your Jubilee T-shirt. Bring your own filled water bottle and a lunch to eat at end of walk. Register: archgh.org/ yapilgrimage.
APRIL 13
BILINGUAL ITALIAN AND ENGLISH MASS, 10 a.m., Italian Cultural Center (1101 Milford St., Houston). Bilingual Italian and English Mass. After Mass, a $15 pasta and meatball plate with salad and dessert is served.
APRIL 16-20
CATHOLIC MEN’S VOCATION RETREAT, Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). A vocational discernment retreat for single men ages 18 to 40, celebrating Holy Week with the Passionists in prayer, reflection and sharing. passionist.org/see.
APRIL 18-27
DIVINE MERCY NOVENA AND CHAPLET, Mary Queen (606 Cedarwood Dr., Friendswood). Novena and Chaplet begin in the St. Joseph Chapel after the 3 p.m. Stations of the Cross held in the Church. Each remaining day of the Novena, April 19 to 26, continues at 3 p.m. in the St. Joseph Chapel, including Easter Sunday. On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m., prayers
include Divine Mercy Chaplet, Adoration and Benediction in the St. Joseph Chapel.
APRIL 22
MASS FOR FAMILY HEALING, 7 p.m., Prince of Peace (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). Marian Servants of the Incarnate Wisdom host a Mass for Family Healing. Preparation dates are April 8, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Prince of Peace St. Joseph Center, and on April 15 at 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Mother of Perpetual Help Retreat Center (3417 W. Little York, Houston). 832-322-4541; info@marianservantshouston.org.
APRIL 23
GAME NIGHT, 9:30 a.m., St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception - Rosary Hall (816 Park Dr., La Porte). Event includes prizes, raffles and snacks. No experience required. Cost: $5 per person. RSVP by April 21. 281-827-4232.
APRIL 26
GAME NIGHT, 6 to 10 p.m., St. Mary of the Expectation (1612 E. Walker St., League City). KofC #9310 and League City Ladies Auxiliary, host event with card games, desserts and drinks. Cost: $40 per person before the event and $45 at the door. 361-215-7151; wograce@msn.com; saintmcc.org/ladies-auxiliary-k-of-c.
PRO-LIFE MASS, WALK, 8:30 a.m. Christ the Good Shepherd (18511 Klein Church Rd., Spring). Helpers of God’s Precious Infants and the Knights of Columbus host a Mass followed by prayer at Planned Parenthood, 4747 Louetta in Spring.
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ROSARY PROCESSION, 8 a.m., Annunciation (1618 Texas Ave., Houston). Holy Mass followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a light breakfast and a Rosary procession around the periphery of Discovery Green. annunciationcc.org.
For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA
MILESTONES
Catholic Extension honors Marek Family with immigrant roots for serving Church, community
Special to the Herald
HOUSTON — A Houston Catholic family whose forebears immigrated to Texas from Czechoslovakia, lost everything in the Great Depression, experienced homelessness and went on to start what is now one of the largest companies in the Southwest has been honored by the Chicago-based Catholic Extension Society with its eighth annual Houston Spirit of Francis Award.
The award recognizes an individual or group who has made a significant impact on the mission of the Catholic Church in America through service or philanthropy.
The Marek family of the Marek Family of Companies, one of the largest interior specialty contractors in the Southwest was recognized for their service and dedication to the Catholic Church within the Houston community.
“Through it all, the Marek family stayed convinced that God was up to something and that their lives were important and sacred,” Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, said.
“The Spirit of Francis Award simply highlights the long-standing commitment
and dedication” of the Mareks to “Catholic principles of social justice,” the priest added.
The award is inspired by its three namesakes: St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis and Father Francis Clement Kelley, who founded Catholic Extension in 1905 — all of whom are known for embracing and helping the poor. Catholic Extension presents two Spirit of Francis Awards each year; one is specific to the Houston area and the other is presented on the national level. Catholic Extension has supported Catholic communities in the nation’s poorest regions since its founding in 1905.
The Marek family came from Czechoslovakia and settled around Praha, Texas, raising cotton and other crops to support their family, and living the American dream — until they lost everything in the Great Depression and were homeless for four years, according to a Catholic Extension release on the award.
“However, they never lost their faith. The difficult years forged a strong culture in the Marek family and their business,” it said, adding that their difficulties
developed in them “a desire to create a company to help others learn a trade and realize their American dream.”
In accepting the award, Stan Marek, chairman and CEO, said the family would cherish the award and thanked Catholic Extension for its “enduring legacy of helping the least of our brethren.” Its “work in rural parishes and building up faith communities has never been more
vital to the preservation of our nation,” he added.
The Mareks support numerous organizations and events. Among them are the Society of St.Vincent de Paul in the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese and the WorkFaith Connection. The connection was developed in 2006 to address the challenges of unemployed men and women in Houston. They sponsor an annual Rise & Shine event to benefit a nationally recognized Houston preschool for children with Down syndrome or other disabilities.
Attendees at the Houston dinner included Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Emeritus of GalvestonHouston, and Sister Jane Meyer, OP, the 2024 Houston Spirit of Francis Award recipient. The late Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza was also a past recipient of the award.
Catholic Extension has built and repaired over 1,400 church structures in all 15 dioceses in Texas and currently provides support to the dioceses of Amarillo, Beaumont, Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, Lubbock, San Angelo and Tyler. †
Compassionate Help in Times of Need
Like many veterans, Jim had challenges adjusting to civilian life. But when he got sick and lost his job, he didn’t lose his home thanks to rental assistance from Catholic Charities.
We are here for Jim and thousands of others who need a hand up to avoid homelessness and regain stability. Beyond help with rent, we assist with utility bills so families don’t have to live in the dark and suffer during cold winters or hot summers.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the past five years...
We provided $147,860,430 in rental assistance to help 151,015 families remain safely housed
We provided $1,138,769 in utilities assistance to keep the lights burning for 4,050 families
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston brings hope and help to our most vulnerable neighbors, regardless of their faith, thanks to generous donors, parishes and volunteers.
PHOTO BY CATHOLIC EXTENSION
Father Jack Wall, president of the Catholic Extension Society, center, presents the Houston Spirit of Francis Award to Stan Marek, chairman and CEO of Marek Family of Companies, and his wife, Reinnette, in Houston on Feb. 27.