Historic black parish serves African immigrant families, longtime communities
BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Herald Correspondent
HOUSTON — St. Nicholas Catholic Church, more than 100 years old near downtown Houston, is surrounded by newly built townhomes and lofts as parishioners, led by St. Nicholas pastor Father Eliseus Ogbonna Ibeh, MSP, strive to raise funds to renovate their aging campus.
The repairs of the 1924 brick church started in September, so the historic building at 2508 Clay St. in the Third Ward is boarded up now. But every Sunday, Masses remain spirit-filled in its church hall. Mass starts at 9 a.m. in English for its longtime African American community, while an 11 a.m. Mass also in English has its Cameroon community, adding music and dancing from Central Africa.
OLYMPICS 2026
Catholic faith, saintly devotions help Italybound Olympians
▪ SEE PAGES 13 - 15
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964
THE VICAR OF CHRIST
See NICHOLAS, page 5
Then at 1:15 p.m., a Swahili Mass is celebrated, welcoming the East African MINISTRY
TEXAS CATHOLIC PRO-LIFE DAY
In the face of a winter storm, hundreds of local Catholics trek to Austin for the Texas Rally for Life at the Texas State Capitol
▪ SEE PAGE 4
Pope Leo’s official mosaic portrait revealed
VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — The Vatican has completed the official mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV, continuing a centuries-old tradition that marks the election of each new pontiff. The circular mosaic, known as a tondo, was created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter’s and was installed in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The pontiff blessed artists Jan. 14, smiling at the sight of his own image. The tiles for the mosaic tondo were created using the ancient cut mosaic technique and fixed with traditional Vatican oil stucco at the request of James Cardinal Harvey, the archpriest of the basilica.
The mosaic tondo, about 54 inches in diameter, was created with vitreous enamels and gold on a metal structure at the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter’s.
According to the studio’s website, “the history of the Vatican Mosaic Studio dates from the beginning of the 16th century, when Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni decided to entrust the painter Girolamo Muziano with the mosaic decoration of the dome of the Gregorian Chapel of the Vatican Basilica (1578-1580).”
“Following its success, it was decided to extend this type of decoration also to Michelangelo’s large dome (1603-1612) and to all the domes of the basilica.”
Today, the studio performs a dual function: the conservation of the basilica’s mosaics, with restoration work, and the production of mosaic works for sale to the public.
The mosaic tondo was executed based on a pictorial sketch by Rodolfo Papa, the Vatican said, calling it “an oil on canvas of the same dimensions as the mosaic tondo, specifically conceived for transposition into a mosaic.”
The work will then be installed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis, in the right nave of the basilica, at a height of approximately 42 feet.
The pictorial sketch will be preserved, along with the entire series of portraits of the pontiffs, at the Fabbrica di San Pietro in the Vatican. †
OSV NEWS PHOTO/SIMONE RISOLUTI, VATICAN MEDIA
Above, Pope Leo XIV looks at a round mosaic featuring his portrait at the Vatican Jan. 14. The mosaic is now visible where it is hung next to a mosaic of Pope Francis within Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, seen below. The circular mosaic, known as a tondo, was created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter’s.
A Shepherd’s Message
By Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez
Arzobispo Vásquez comparte su mensaje en línea en español. Visite www.archgh.org para leer su artículo en línea.
Catholic education has always been one of the great treasures of the Church. We believe this comes from Christ Himself who, at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, exhorts His disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). This mission has carried through the centuries and continues to guide us today. When we talk about Catholic schools, we are talking about more than institutions of learning. We are talking about places where young people encounter Christ and come to understand the gifts that God has placed within them.
ARCHBISHOP
In our schools, we want children to be formed well. We want them to grow in knowledge, of course, but we also want them to grow as persons. Catholic education does not stop at the intellect. It reaches the heart and the spirit. This is one of the blessings we hold dear. Catholic education has always been about widening the circle so that more children can benefit from what we believe is a true gift. These schools become places of encounter, where students from many backgrounds and experiences learn together and, most importantly, encounter Christ in the classroom, prayer, Sacraments, service and in the daily rhythm of school life.
This Archdiocese has a long history of forming young people through the dedication of many religious communities. We remember with gratitude the Ursulines, Holy Family Sisters, Incarnate Word Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Dominican Sisters, Blessed Sacrament Sisters, Jesuits, Basilians and so many others who gave their lives to the mission of Catholic education. Together, these communities have helped generations of young people learn the faith and live it with confidence and joy.
Central to Catholic education is the understanding that every human person has a dignity given by God. It is a gift that God has already placed within us, and because of that, we are called to honor each person. We help students understand that they are created in the image and likeness of God. We teach the virtues that help them grow as people of faith, hope and charity. We also form the moral virtues that guide their decisions in daily life so that they can live lives of justice and prudence and contribute to society in a way that benefits all people.
JOE S. VÁSQUEZ You make the ministry of our future Priests possible.
“When our students step out into the world, we hope they will work to create a just society by caring for others living as Christ did.”
Catholic education teaches students to serve. What they have received is a gift, and gifts are meant to be shared. When our students step out into the world, we hope they will work to create a just society by caring for others living as Christ did. This is part of the beauty of our tradition. We teach students not only how to succeed academically but how to see the face of God in the person beside them. Catholic schools create environments where young people can talk, listen and grow together. †
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THE FIRST WORD
Who are Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the other Feb. 14 saints?
(OSV News) — On Feb. 14, Christians and non-Christians alike remember St. Valentine, a priest who suffered a martyr’s death in Rome.
And it is fitting to do so, for he is among the saints of the day in the 2004 edition of the Roman Martyrology, the most recent edition of the Church’s official listing of the saints — who are honored throughout the universal Church — and the blesseds, whose liturgical veneration is permitted in certain places following beatification.
Not as widely known in the U.S. as St. Valentine are two other saints at the top of the list on Feb. 14, and recent popes have repeatedly sought to draw greater attention to them. Pope Leo XIII (1880) and St. John Paul II (1985) devoted encyclicals to them; Pope Pius XI (1927), St. John XXIII (1963), St. Paul VI (1969) and Pope Francis (2013) wrote letters about them; and Pope Benedict XVI (2009) devoted a Wednesday general audience to them. In 1980, St. John Paul declared them co-patrons of Europe.
Their names are Constantine and Michael, two Greek brothers better known as Cyril and Methodius, the names they took upon becoming monks. In evangelizing the Slavs, they changed the course of history.
Methodius was born around 815 in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, the second-mostimportant city of the Byzantine Empire.
Following in the footsteps of his father, who was an important government official, he became a leading provincial administrator in northeastern Greece, an area that had a significant Slavic population. He abandoned his career, however, to become a monk in what is now northwestern Turkey, and later he became an abbot.
Cyril, the youngest of Methodius’ six siblings, was born around 827. Educated in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, he became known for his high intelligence. When a professor attempted to arrange a marriage to a prominent woman, Cyril demurred. He also decided not to embark on a political career.
Instead, he was ordained to the priesthood, became librarian at the famed church of Hagia Sophia, and was appointed secretary to the patriarch of Constantinople, two centuries before the Great Schism between East and West.
Cyril and Methodius, brothers from Constantinople, became key figures in the evangelization of the Slavic peoples. Cyril first pursued monastic life before returning to the imperial capital to teach, earning the title “the philosopher.” After diplomatic missions, he joined Methodius at a monastery until the emperor sent them to the Khazars around 861, where they discovered relics of St. Clement I.
In 863, the brothers traveled to Great Moravia after local leaders requested teachers who could explain the Christian faith in the
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“Behold, my brother, we have shared the same destiny, ploughing the same furrow; I now fall in the field at the end of my day. I know that you greatly love your Mountain; but do not for the sake of the Mountain give up your work of teaching.”
- St. Cyril, on his deathbed, to his brother St. Methodius
LIVES OF THE SAINTS
people’s own language. They translated Scripture and liturgical texts into Old Slavonic, with Cyril creating its alphabet, a turning point for Slavic culture. Their use of the local language sparked opposition, leading them to Rome, where Pope Adrian II approved their work. Cyril died in 869, and Methodius continued the mission despite political resistance, training clergy and completing major translations until his death in 885. Their disciples carried their work across the Slavic world.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI said: “Cyril and Methodius are in fact a classic example of what today is meant by the term ‘inculturation’: every people must integrate the message revealed into its own culture and express its saving truth in its own language. The two holy brothers have left us a most important testimony of this.”
In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, a parish in Damon, in northwestern Brazoria County, is named after the two saints. Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 4, 2025, with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez and Father Marty Pham, parish pastor, as concelebrant. The current chapel was built in 1925 and is the original church. The chapel is still in use as a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament every Wednesday. †
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Registration for Feb. 14 race continues
HOUSTON — Registration is open for the 21st Annual Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk, held Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston. The event raises funds and awareness for the network of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.
The event will start with Mass at 7 a.m., followed by the presentation of the David Guite Spirit Award. The timed 5K race will begin at 8:30 a.m. and a post-race party will follow at the Catholic School Village in the Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Plaza. To register, visit www.steps4students.org. †
Catholic Charities’
food distributions
continue in Galveston, Harris and Fort Bend counties
HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston continues offering food assistance at three locations.
In Houston, the Guadalupe Center Market (326 S Jensen St.) hosts its next drive-through food distribution on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 8 to 11 a.m. Pre-qualified clients may visit by appointment only on Tuesdays, by drive-through only from 9 a.m. to noon; Wednesdays, by walk-up only from 9 a.m. to noon; Fridays, from 11 a.m. to noon for people without homes. The next distribution for pre-registered seniors, held on the third Tuesday of every month, is on Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 713-251-6919 for more information.
The Beacon of Hope Isle Market in Galveston (4700 Broadway, Suite B-101) is open for appointments only Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To make an appointment, which is required, call 409-762-2064. Drive-through distributions, held in partnership with the Galveston County Food Bank, are on the fourth Wednesday of every month, starting at 9 a.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 noon to 2:30 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To make an appointment or for more information, call 281-202-6200. Drive-through distributions are held on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Thursdays, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The next monthly Saturday community food fair is set for Feb. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
For general information, visit www.catholiccharities.org/ food or call 713-526-4611. †
Annual priests vs. seminarians basketball game set for April 17
HOUSTON — The ninth annual Priests vs. Seminarians Basketball Game is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, April 17, at Rice University’s Tudor Fieldhouse, located at 6100 Main St. in Houston near the Texas Medical Center.
The seminarians’ Saints will face off against the priests’ Martyrs. All proceeds benefit St. Mary’s Seminary. For more information, visit www.houstonvocations.com. †
forward to Lent
Braving the freeze to rally for life in Austin
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD
AUSTIN — The freezing temperatures didn’t keep 25 pilgrims from St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church in Houston from braving the cold and attending the Texas Rally for Life at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Jan. 24.
Thousands of pro-life Texans assembled at 14th St. and Brazos St. at the capital, holding signs, reciting the Rosary and dropping off diapers to be taken to pregnancy centers.
The mile-long march and procession stretched past the Texas State Capitol dome to the south steps, where the rally awaited.
As part of Texas Pro-Life Catholic Day, Austin’s Bishop Daniel Garcia also celebrated a Mass for Life at St. Louis King of France Parish in Austin, then also spoke at the Texas Rally for Life. According to Father Linh Nguyen, parochial vicar at St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church, Bishop Garcia prayed, “asking God to strengthen our conviction that human life is a sacred gift — to be protected and cherished.”
“He prayed for elected officials, for women facing difficult pregnancies and for healing for all who suffer from participating in abortion,” Father Nguyen said.
Also among the crowd listening to the speakers at the State Capitol was a crew of 73 parishioners from St. Katherine Drexel Parish in Hempstead who boarded three coach buses to make the trip to Austin.
Bundled up like so many others and wearing distinctive blue bandannas, they braved the near-chilly weather to bring a witness to life in Texas. Youth and adults both joined the group, including a musician who carried a guitar, helping lead the group in song.
Governor Greg Abbott, who addressed
the crowd, said, “Never have I seen a weather challenge like this. But I’m so proud and heartened to see that it hasn’t dampened your spirit.”
He reminded attendees that because of decades of advocacy, abortion is no longer legal in Texas. “As long as I’m governor, Texas will always fight for the unborn,” he said.
Claire Colwell, the emcee, is a twin abortion survivor. She shared with attendees that, when she was 21, she met her birth mother and learned that she had survived an abortion procedure. She had been a twin. They didn’t know she was there. She accidentally survived the very procedure that ended her twin’s life.
“Today, when you look at my face, you’re looking at the aborted baby — because you’re looking at my twin,” she said. “It’s difficult to turn a blind eye to the value of the unborn when you meet
abortion survivors like myself.”
Rebecca Contreras also shared her story with attendees. She said that at five years old, her mother left to go to the grocery store and never came back. Her baby sister was six months old at the time. Three days later, a neighbor called her grandfather.
Contreras said she grew up amid addiction, abuse and poverty. At 17, she found herself pregnant and spiraled. But her mother, who had since found God, refused to let her choose abortion.
“Had it not been for my praying mother,” Contreras said, “I would have aborted that baby. She refused to let me choose anything but life.”
That baby was her daughter, Krystaline, now 37, who led worship at the rally.
While Contreras went on to serve as an advisor to U.S. President George W.
Bush, she said her greatest achievement was not her career.
“The best gift a woman can be given is to give birth and be a mother,” she said. Amy O’Donnell, communications director of Texas Alliance for Life, said, “Every one of us standing here today is the same person we were in our mother’s womb, just further along in the timeline of life. Our value did not suddenly appear at birth. It was always there.”
Closing the rally, she said, “Texas values life. Texas supports women. And Texas is not done protecting the most vulnerable among us.”
At the rally, supporters gathered baby supplies for a large “Texas-Sized Diaper Drive,” which supports pregnancy centers statewide. Last year, more than 40,000 diapers were collected. Attendees were encouraged to bring larger-size diapers and wipes. †
PHOTOS BY LEA ANN FRANKLIN
St. Katherine Drexel parishioners from Hempstead, 73-strong, participate in the Texas Rally for Life as part of Texas Pro-Life Catholic Day at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Jan. 24. Despite freezing temperatures and winter storm warnings, several parishes from the Archdiocese attended.
from page 1
community, including those from Congo, in Houston’s first Catholic Church for black people freed from enslavement in the 1800s, a complete circle of life to freedom, church officials said.
The parish once hosted Venerable Fulton Sheen in 1947, according to Archdiocesan records.
Mike Fonge, chairman of the Cameroon Catholic Men Association, and Esther Angafos Samosi, of the Catholic Women Association for St. Nicholas, said their church is the heartbeat of their communities, although they drive in from across Houston as far away as Tomball, Richmond, Pearland and Friendswood.
Fonge, who immigrated first to England from Cameroon in 1994 and then to the U.S. to work in engineering, said, “The cultural aspect of singing in our language and dancing as part of our worshipping God brings us all together.”
Samosi said, “Our children are also very involved in the church, bringing forth the gifts and learning in religious classes. It’s a calling from back home because we want them to remember our culture and grow in their faith.”
More than 89,000 Cameroonians live in the U.S., according to U.S. Census data, with more than 1,000 in the Houston area.
“We’re asking for those in the community to help us with renovations. We are raising $1 million, but we need more to demolish one of the buildings with asbestos and build new classrooms,” Fonge said.
The Mass procession in the church hall for the 11 a.m. Cameroon Mass begins with women dressed in blue and white skirts adorned with the Virgin Mary singing and dancing as they sweep the floor with straw brooms. “We are cleaning the way for the Word of God,” they say.
Keyboard and bongo drums blend with the choir singing as the procession arrives at the altar.
Visiting priest Father Brian Okono celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass while pastor, Father Ibeh, was visiting Nigeria.
In Father Okono’s homily on the importance of Baptism, Father Brian tells the congregation, “You need to be active in your Baptism. We anoint that baby to arm them with the spirit of God and keep the devil away. But if you dance with the devil, you lose your eternity with God.”
As the children bring up their offerings and then the adults follow, the choir sings, “Yamba, Yamba eh mabonza, (Receive our gifts and sacrifices). They
“The cultural aspect of singing in our language and dancing as part of our worshipping God brings us all together.”
add in English, “He was born of the Holy Spirit. Do you believe? Yes, I believe.”
Among the Cameroon traditional dress and modern suits, a new visitor wearing jeans, a brown leather jacket, and cowboy boots offers his gift. After he and others were welcomed at the end of the Mass, he was asked how he liked the differences in the universal Mass.
Salvador Hernandez said he usually attends Blessed Sacrament church, but needed to find a new time for Mass that day. Through the internet, he found the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Nicholas.
“I think this was a beautiful Mass. Very uplifting music and mostly in English, but also the bilingual song sheet allowed me to follow along in the singing,” he said.
Anita Sendze, St. Nicholas parishioner, volunteer and sacristan, said the historic church is looking forward to continue into the future. Although a world traveler, leaving Cameroon to live in Italy as she attended medical school, she remembers ongoing conflict.
“In Africa, we had warriors to stand by to protect the Word of God to prevent attack,” she said. “There are still martyrs being made in Africa.”
In November 2025, Pope Leo XIV called for prayers and support for Christians in Africa, noting Nigeria where he said “many Christians have died.” He lamented the kidnapping of priests, Catholics and students in Nigeria and Cameroon, where two priests were kidnapped on Nov. 15, 2025, according to Agenzia Fides, a Vatican news agency. Four other priests were also kidnapped,
reports said.
Still, in Houston, Sendze said they continued forward in hope.
“But here we have 300 families registered, and we are working all week and then come together to give thanks,” she said. “We are looking forward to expanding, especially classrooms for our young.” In 2025, nearly 50 youth and
MIKE FONGE Chairman, Cameroon Catholic Men Association
leaders attended the annual Archdiocesan Youth Conference.
To learn more about St. Nicholas Parish, visit stnicholashouston.org. †
NICHOLAS,
PHOTOS BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA
Above, a Sunday Mass procession in the church hall for the Cameroon Mass at St. Nicholas Parish in Houston begins with women dressed in blue and white skirts adorned with the Virgin Mary singing and dancing as they sweep the floor with straw brooms. At right, Father Brian Okono elevates the Eucharist at Mass at St. Nicholas Parish in Houston.
BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald
HOUSTON — Nearly 70% of American adults have not prepared a last will. Many who have wills have not updated them for new children, wives, or grandchildren. When a loved one passes without a will, families face significant logistical and financial challenges, only adding to their grief.
In August 2025, the Archdiocese announced a partnership with MyCatholicWill.com to provide parishioners the opportunity to protect their families by creating a will for free.
Rhonda Bean, associate director of DevelopmentStewardship and Planned Giving, said the initiative “reflects our commitment to walk with our Catholic families in every season of life, ensuring their dignity and security.”
Through MyCatholicWill, every parishioner can access the website, walk through the questions, and complete a will, all for free, according to Bean.
“Those who participate are invited during the process to prayerfully consider a bequest to their parish, strengthening
the Church’s mission for generations to come,” she said. “Many parishes have embraced this resource and have been blessed with an outpouring of generous commitments from the faithful, a testament to the Holy Spirit moving in our communities.”
The goals of the program are to provide Catholic faithful a free resource to prepare their last will, safeguarding their family’s future and legacy; to ensure that every Catholic may receive a funeral and burial rooted in Catholic sacred traditions; and to encourage prayerful bequests to support parishes and the missions of the Archdiocese.
“This is important to many — they want to pass on the heritage of their Catholic faith and positively impact future generations of Catholics,” Bean said. “But it is most, or more, important to have a will in place to protect those you love — provide guardians for your children, ensure a Catholic funeral and burial, and ensure that your assets are directed to the people and ministries that you care more about. Accidents happen, cancer comes, we don’t know when God will call us home, but we know we need to protect our families and honor our faith.”
MyCatholicWill was founded in 2021 by brothers Thomas and Daniel Thimons because they recognized a need within the Church, and nothing is more important to them than their Catholic faith. Their mission is to secure Catholic legacies for future generations and, in the process, support Catholic nonprofits, like the Archdiocese and its parishes, by providing simple, practical tools to pass on the heritage of faith and positively impact future generations of Catholics across the country.
MyCatholicWill exists to hand on the light of faith to the next generation through online self-help forms and templates, along with educational content from a Catholic perspective.
With a bequest of $2,000 or more to the Archdiocese, the faithful can become members of the Sacred Heart Society.
Bean said, “The mission of the Sacred Heart Society is to leave an enduring footprint on our local Church and the advancement of our faith through legacy gifts, to provide enduring support for the advancement of our faith through our local Church, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.”
Planned gifts made through wills, trusts, life insurance policies, or other estate-planning tools provide churches and religious communities with dependable, long-term financial support.
By designating money, property or investments that take effect after a donor’s lifetime or as part of a broader estate plan, these contributions help fund future projects, building repairs and endowments. For donors, planned giving offers a meaningful way to leave a legacy and create a lasting impact on their faith community.
Anyone can use MyCatholicWill. Gift designations can be made for any Archdiocesan parish, a Catholic school, a ministry, St. Mary’s Seminary or simply to the Diocesan general fund. Leaving a gift is entirely optional and not required. One may also plan their Catholic funeral as they complete their will.
John Martinez said he and his wife, Teri, have always financially supported their church, St. Edith Stein Parish in Katy, or volunteered their time.
For them, using MyCatholicWill. com meant they could continue to offer support and help those who need
The Sacred Heart Society seeks to provide enduring support for the future needs of the Archdiocese and the advancement of the Catholic faith. Members name the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in their estate planning by an amount of $2,000 or more. Gifts can support areas such as a parish, clergy formation and training, Catholic schools and ministries. Learn more online at www.archgh.org/ sacredheartsociety.
assistance by leaving a contribution to the Archdiocese in thanks for the gifts the Lord gave them during their lifetime. He said being part of the Sacred Heart Society was “Our opportunity to offer love, charity, and to help lay people to pray and offer sacrifice for their salvation during their earthly journey and assist those young men entering the priesthood. It offers a way to complete and find a way back to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.”
He added, “The Sacred Heart Society emphasizes unity for those individuals having diverse backgrounds and guidance to those lacking spiritual growth, and a means to become active in their church by offering their time and talents.”
A special Mass and reception will be held annually for members of the Sacred Heart Society. To join, complete the online form at www.archgh.org/ sacredheartsociety. To start a will, visit www.MyCatholicWill.com. †
Archbishop Vásquez welcomes new Corpus Christi bishop
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD
CORPUS CHRISTI (OSV News) — A solemn installation Mass was held Jan. 28 at Most Precious Blood Church in Corpus Christi, which was filled to capacity to celebrate the installation of Bishop Mario
In his first homily as Corpus Christi’s shepherd, Bishop Avilés assumed his ministry with humility, honoring the legacy of his predecessors.
“As I stand before you as your new bishop, this role in our particular church is entirely new to me, filling my heart with profound gratitude in a solemn sense of responsibility,” he said.
“It marks the dawn of a new chapter in the life of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, a chapter we embark upon together under the guidance of divine providence. God calls, and we are sent,” he added.
Covering over 10,900 square miles in the state of Texas, the Diocese of Corpus Christi has a total population of 582,684, of which 209,726 are Catholic.
In his homily, Bishop Avilés invited “every priest, deacon, and consecrated soul to unite with me in fostering vocations to the priesthood, religious life and holy matrimony.” And he prayed “that the Lord may send laborers into his vineyard, building a community radiant with his grace and truth.”
hope for the future, and seeing that was very moving,” Archbishop Vásquez said. “The sight of the church filled with people welcoming him was powerful. What struck me even more was seeing his parents. They are older now, yet they
as the official mandate from the Holy Father,” he said. “The entire ceremony reflected a deep appreciation for our faith. The Liturgy was very moving. It was emotional for the bishop and for the people. It was a moment in which the Church was united, showing true unity
Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés was born in Mexico City on Sept. 16, 1969. The son of Rafael and María Guadalupe, he joined the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in 1986. He studied in Mexico City and later obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome and a master of divinity from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. He was ordained as a priest on July 21, 1998, at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine in San Juan. Bishop Avilés served nearly two decades in parish ministry in Pharr and Hidalgo, and later held leadership roles within the Oratory Academy and Oratory Athenaeum in Pharr, and the Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, where he was procurator general between 2012 and 2018.
Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Brownsville in 2017, and he was ordained a bishop the following year. After eight years of episcopal ministry in Brownsville, Pope Leo appointed him the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi Dec. 1. †
PHOTOS BY SUSANNE JANSSEN/SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC
BISHOP MARIO ALBERTO AVILÉS
Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés, at left, receives the papal bull from Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, at right, during Bishop Avilés’ Mass of installation at the Most Precious Blood Church in Corpus Christi on Jan. 28. He became the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
HOLY HOUR FOR THE UNBORN
IN BRIEF
PHOTO BY MEGAN DOHERTY
Consecrated women and men religious attend Mass celebrated by Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Feb. 1.
The annual Mass joins worldwide events that honor men and women religious for World Day for Consecrated Life.
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, concelebrated the Mass and was the homilist.
On Jan. 22, Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez presided over a Mass followed by a Holy Hour for the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston. The event was held as an effort to unite in prayer with other Catholics to commemorate those lost or harmed by abortion in the U.S., to give thanks for the recent Dobbs decision and to pray for the cause of life. This event was held at the same time as prayer at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., ahead of the March for Life.
Young adult mission trip to NYC set for August 2026
HOUSTON — The Office of Young Adult & Campus Ministry, in collaboration with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, invites all young adults to a mission trip experience to New York City (NYC) in August 2026.
The mission trip, set for Aug. 8 to 15, costs $1,150, with a deposit of $250 to register, not including airfare. The trip includes an on-site introduction to cultural, economic and spiritual realities from local NYC faith leaders; learning from and assisting at the NYC Catholic Worker Houses; exploring cross-cultural and immigrant concerns; meeting with faith-based immigration and community redevelopment initiatives; and a free day in NYC.
The registration deadline is April 15. For more information and to register www.archgh.org/ yamission. †
Black and Indian missions collection set for Feb. 21
HOUSTON — Local Catholics in the Archdiocese have the opportunity to support the Black and Indian Missions collection (BIMC) when it is taken up at parishes on Feb. 21 to 22.
Since 1884, proceeds from the BIM collection have been distributed as grants to dioceses supporting and strengthening evangelization programs. The BIMC exists to help bishops and dioceses to build up the Church in African American, Native American and Alaska Native communities.
Generous support helps the Church place Bibles and catechetical materials in the hands of priests, consecrated women and men, and lay leaders in Black Catholic communities in the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi; in Native American pueblos in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico; to the far-reaching villages of Alaska; and so many other places. Donations help address the need to train catechists, permanent deacons and seminarians for future generations.
To learn more, visit www.blackandindianmission.org. †
A
At a Jan. 16 Clergy Appreciation Night, the Knights of Columbus Galveston-Houston honored and expressed appreciation, respect and solidarity for Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, priests, deacons and religious. Held annually, the evening honors clergy, along with other religious orders and diocesan priests, deacons, brothers and sisters in the Archdiocese. The recipients of the Outstanding Clergy of the Year award were Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro; Father Roger Estorque, O.P., pastor of St. Dominic Catholic Church; and Deacon Mike Higgins of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Spring. The award is in recognition of their devotion to vocations and the Knights of Columbus.
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EDUCATION
Tomball Catholic school science teacher honors Challenger crew’s memory by encouraging curiosity, resilience, faith
BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald
TOMBALL — A Tomball Catholic school science teacher said the Challenger disaster remains one of the most defining moments of her early understanding of science and human exploration, shaping both her worldview and her vocation as an educator.
Cheryl McCoy, a middle school science teacher at St. Anne Catholic School in Tomball, was a college freshman studying biology when she first learned of the explosion on Jan. 28, 1986. Sitting in her campus cafeteria at lunchtime, she watched live coverage on the televisions mounted on the walls.
“I remember the sense of shock and disbelief as we all started to process what had happened,” she said. All seven of the astronauts aboard the Challenger died when the shuttle exploded shortly after launch.
Witnessing the tragedy forced her to confront the risks of spaceflight. The later discovery that a frozen O-ring had caused the failure initially made her question engineering competence.
“It was almost like, who made the mistake?” she said. But with time, she said she came to understand the limitations of human preparation, the complexity of space missions and the fragility of human life.
“There will always be unexpected curveballs in our plans,” she said. “Everyone involved in the program is necessary to the overall success.”
Although the Challenger accident did not immediately set her on a path toward teaching, the experience stayed with
her. She originally planned to pursue pharmacy, but by her senior year, she had begun taking education courses and discovered that she was more drawn to inspiring students with a love for science.
Forty years after the tragedy, McCoy said, the courage of the seven astronauts continues to resonate, especially that of high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, a Catholic, who was the first teacher in space.
“Sending a teacher up in space really helped draw attention to the need to have solid science and math programs for all students,” she said.
She believes McAuliffe’s planned experiments for students watching at home could have sparked a new generation of scientists. As a Catholic educator, she also reflects on the faith dimension of such sacrifice.
“I hope they, along with all future astronauts, had faith in God,” she said.
Catholic Schools nurture the
child: mind, body and spirit, offering an education that is academically excellent, rooted in Gospel values and dedicated to helping children become who God created them to be.
PHOTO BY NASA
As part of NASA’s Teachers in Space program, payload specialist Sharon Christa McAuliffe is briefed on launch/entry helmets at NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s crew systems lab in Houston on Sept. 12, 1985. McAuliffe, a parishioner and catechist at St. Peter Parish in Concord, New Hampshire, was one of the seven crew members who died in the STS-51L space shuttle Challenger accident, Jan. 28, 1986.
“Having a strong faith will allow us to continue to learn about God’s amazing creation.”
Today, McCoy openly discusses the Challenger disaster with her middle school students, presenting the facts while encouraging empathy, prayer and resilience. “They gave their all doing what they were called to do in life,” she said. “Never be afraid to follow your dreams.”
Her reflections echo those of another Houston figure who remembers the day with equal clarity: Gene Kranz, the legendary NASA flight director known for leading the Apollo 13 recovery effort. Kranz was the director of Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on the day Challenger broke apart in 1986.
now towering decades after they were planted in 1996. He paused before several markers and made the Sign of the Cross at a wreath honoring Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.
Together, McCoy’s memories and Kranz’s presence illustrate two sides of the same legacy.
One speaks for the generations whose lives were shaped by watching the Challenger accident unfold on television. The other represents the NASA leaders who bore the responsibility of guiding space exploration through tragedy, reform and renewal. Both share a deep respect for the crew and for the lessons their loss imparted.
Looking ahead to NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission, scheduled to carry astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, McCoy sees clear connections between Challenger’s legacy and the future of exploration. Today’s missions still depend on people across many fields who commit themselves to advancing knowledge and protecting crew members.
CHERYL MCCOY
Now 92 and a parishioner at Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church in Dickinson, he continues to honor the memory of crews lost in service to the nation’s space program.
On Jan. 22, Kranz joined hundreds at the Astronaut Memorial Grove at Johnson Space Center for NASA’s agency-wide Day of Remembrance. This year’s observance featured remarks by Cheryl McNair, widow of Challenger astronaut Ron McNair.
Like McNair, Kranz walked quietly through the memorial grove, its trees
“Not everyone must become an astronaut, but each role plays a vital part in the success of space programs,” she said. She tells her students that the future will require innovators who ask difficult questions and push for deeper understanding. Mistakes and setbacks are an inevitable part of exploration, she said, but they should not paralyze progress.
“We cannot let that stop us,” she said. “Fear of failure should guide us in making decisions based on facts and data.”
The day after the Challenger tragedy, Kranz courageously said, “We will fly again.”
McCoy said she honors the memory of the Challenger crew by encouraging curiosity, resilience and faith in her classroom.
“Our universe is expanding and changing,” she said. “We need to learn about how these changes will affect us and all life on Earth.” †
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“We live on the same planet, and must care for it together.”
- Pope Leo XIV
TECHNOLOGY
Cristo Rey expands school, technology of school
HOUSTON — Students and staff at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory broke ground on the new Sarofim Center for Art, Science and Innovation on Jan. 21. This new space will allow students learn and grow with technology equipment in three new science labs, an engineering room, a maker space, a chapel and more. †
PLACE TO GROW
St. Bartholomew preschool welcomes new playground
KATY — On Jan. 30, St. Bartholomew the Apostle Parish and Preschool welcomed the addition of a new playground for preschool students. Father Miguel Solorzano, parish and preschool pastor, blessed the new playground during a special gathering. †
PATRONAL HONOR
St. Agnes celebrates namesake
HOUSTON — On Jan. 21, the St. Agnes Academy community came together to celebrate the Feast of St. Agnes.
Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez celebrated Mass at the school to commemorate its namesake. St. Agnes, who died on Jan. 21, was executed for her faith in the 4th century in her early teens. †
SPRING — Frassati Catholic High School in Spring celebrated the groundbreaking of the St. Anthony of Padua Academic Building with a Liturgy and ceremonial blessing on Jan. 27 led by Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez.
Following the Liturgy, the community processed to the construction site, where Archbishop Vásquez blessed the grounds and led the ceremonial groundbreaking.
The building is a 20,000 sq. ft. academic facility, which will allow the school’s expansion up to 450 students. Current enrollment at Frassati Catholic stands at 350, and the school has grown by more than 100 students in five years. With that growth, the school is now reaching its capacity to welcome students seeking a Catholic education in the northern part of the Archdiocese. The $6-million facility will include seven classrooms, three science laboratories, a principal’s suite and conference space.
The total construction timeline is roughly 11 months, and the estimated start of construction is March 2026, with anticipated completion by spring of 2027. †
PHOTO BY ANTHONY NATOLI, FRASSATI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez (at center) turns over dirt during a ceremonial groundbreaking with Sister John Paul, O.P., (far right) Frassati’s principal, on Jan. 27 at Frassati Catholic High School in Spring. The new academic building will allow the school to expand, serving up to 450 students.
COLUMNISTS
Julia Greeley, Servant of God, on the way to sainthood
by FATHER REGINALD SAMUELS
This past September, I attended a conference for Black Catholic Administrators held in Denver, Colorado. As part of the conference, we were given a tour of Denver, which included visits to the Mother Cabrini Shrine, dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. At the conclusion of the tour, we had a prayer service at the cathedral near the relics of Servant of God, Julia Greeley. As we continue the celebration of Black History Month, it is important to acknowledge one of the six African American Catholics on their way to sainthood.
Julia Greeley, Denver’s Angel of Charity, was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri, between 1833 and
1848. Freed by Missouri’s Emancipation Act in 1865, Greeley subsequently earned her livelihood by serving families in Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. However, most of her work and charity mission were in the Denver area.
Greeley entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver in 1880 and was an outstanding supporter of the parish. The Jesuits who ran the parish considered her the most enthusiastic promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus they had ever seen. As a daily communicant, Greeley had a rich devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin and continued her prayers while continuing her work of charity.
As part of her one-person mission, Greeley spent her time assisting poor families in her neighborhood. When her own resources were inadequate, she begged for food, fuel and clothing. One writer of Church history would later call
her a “one-person St. Vincent de Paul Society.”To avoid embarrassing the people she helped, Greeley did most of her charitable work under the cover of night. Every month, she visited on foot every fire station in Denver and delivered Church literature to the firemen, Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Greeley professed in the Third Order of St. Francis at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in 1901. According to Church historians, she continued her charitable work at an astonishing degree, especially for a single African American woman at this time.
On June 7, 1918, while on the way to Sacred Heart for Mass, Greeley became
ill and was taken to St. Joseph Hospital and died. She was buried in the Church of her Baptism.
For nearly a century, the faithful Catholics of Colorado asked that Greeley’s cause of canonization be considered, a request which was finally granted in the fall of 2016.
On June 7, 2017, Greeley’s mortal remains were transferred to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez received them in a solemn ceremony. The remains of Greeley were placed in a red heart wood funerary chest, which was permanently placed in the northwest corner of the transept, where the faithful may now privately pray for her intercession. †
Father Reginald Samuels is the vicar for the Ministry for Catholics of African Descent and pastor of St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land.
The saint who transformed her suffering
St. Margaret of Castello has long been honored as the model and patron for persons with disabilities. She was born blind, with severe curvature of the spine; her right leg was an inch and a half shorter than her left, and her left arm was malformed.
St. Margaret’s parents kept her hidden away in their house in the Italian province of Umbria. She was 6 years old when the family traveled to a shrine at Castello, hoping for a miracle. When no miracle took place, St. Margaret’s mother and father abandoned her.
Women of Castello would find small Margaret and took care of her until they could arrange for her to be adopted. A local family invited Margaret to live with them; they treated her like their own daughter, with love and kindness.
There was a convent near St. Margaret’s home, and the nuns became fond of her. When she was about 13 years old, she asked to be admitted. St. Margaret was extremely devout, and her zeal made the nuns self-conscious and angry. As a result, the superior of the convent asked St. Margaret to leave. She returned to her adoptive parents and, at age 15, joined the Third Order of St. Dominic, which allowed her to wear the habit and take the vows of a nun while living at home, where she felt loved and secure.
St. Margaret’s disabilities did not make her resentful; instead, she became
by MELISSA ALVAREZ
one of the most compassionate people in Castello. She nursed the sick, consoled the dying and visited prisoners. St. Margaret said that in the sufferings of her neighbors, she saw the image of the suffering Christ. As for her own disabilities, she regarded them as a means to unite her pain with the pain Christ endured on the cross. Her courage, her patience and her deep religious devotion won her the fondness of everyone in Castello.
St. Margaret died at 33, but she continues to be associated with miracles of healing.
Knowing that our divine physician is at work through persons, sometimes overlooked. May we pray with humility and trust, seeking Christ’s instruments for our healing, and may we actively engage with the sacramental life of the Church and support one another.
“The Church’s solicitude for persons with disabilities springs from God’s way of acting. Following the principle of the incarnation of the Son of God, who makes himself present in every human situation, the Church recognizes in persons with disabilities the call to faith and to a life that is good and full of
“St. Margaret’s disabilities did not make her resentful; instead, she became one of the most compassionate people in her city.”
meaning. Communities are called not only to take care of the most fragile, but to recognize the presence of Jesus who in a special way manifests himself in them.
“This calls for twofold attention: an awareness of the possibility to educate in the faith the people with even grave or very grave disabilities; and a willingness to consider them as active subjects in the
community in which they live.” (Directory for Catechesis, 269) Do you need support and want to learn more about Disability and Mental Health Ministry? Join us for our next workshop opportunity as we collaborate with The National Catholic Partnership on Disability NCPD for a two-day training. March 13: Mental Health Ministry and Parish Life, and March 14: Disability Ministry and Parish Life. Sign up for one day or both at no cost. Registration is required, and lunch will be provided. Open to clergy, parish and diocesan staff, and ministry volunteers. For more information, visit www. archgh.org/mpd. †
Melissa Alvarez is an associate director with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis - Ministry for Persons with Disabilities.
SERVANT OF GOD JULIA GREELEY
WORLD
Pope Leo calls for ‘healthy competition’ to unite people at Winter Games
(OSV News) — In a message to the Archdiocese of Milan, Pope Leo XIV expressed his hope that the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, which began Feb. 6, and Paralympic Games, which start March 6, will be an occasion of solidarity and bridge-building between peoples and cultures.
The papal message was read during a Jan. 29 Mass marking the arrival of the “Cross of Athletes” and the official launch of the archdiocese’s Olympic pastoral initiative, “For Each Other.”
In his message, which was signed on his behalf by Pietro Cardinal Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the pope said he hoped the Olympic Games would bring about “sentiments of friendship and fraternity, strengthening awareness of the value of sport at the service of the integral development of the human person.”
“The Holy Father assures his prayers so that these days of healthy competition may contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples, promoting hospitality, solidarity and peace,” the message stated.
The “For Each Other” initiative, which coincides with the Feb. 6 to 22
IN BRIEF
Winter Olympics and the March 6 to 15 Paralympics, will feature activities, performances and events hosted in parishes across Milan. At the heart of the activities will be
First woman to lead Church of England in its history confirmed in ceremony
LONDON (OSV News) — Archbishop Sarah Mullally has been confirmed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England in what Anglicans claim as “nearly 1,400-year history” — counted since Catholic St. Augustine of Canterbury arrived on the island.
A legal “Confirmation of Election” ceremony took place Jan. 28 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Her formal installation is scheduled for March 26 at Canterbury Cathedral. Appointed by King Charles III last October, Archbishop Mullally succeeds Archbishop Justin Welby, who resigned in 2024.
In remarks after her confirmation, Archbishop Mullally called the role an “extraordinary and humbling privilege” and pledged a ministry focused on hospitality, unity and safeguarding. In these “times of division and uncertainty, she said, “I pray that we will offer space to break bread together and discover what we have in common.”
Catholic leaders welcomed the appointment in October. Vincent Cardinal Nichols of Westminster assured her of Catholic prayers, noting the significant challenges ahead. While many praised her historic leadership, opposition emerged from some Anglican groups, particularly in Africa, citing concerns over women’s ordination and same-sex marriage blessings. Archbishop Mullally acknowledged divisions and reiterated her commitment to listening to abuse survivors and strengthening safeguarding across the Church. †
Lack of faith, especially among youth, should spur evangelization, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The increasing number of people who do not see the Gospel as a fundamental resource for their life should inspire — not discourage — Catholics in rediscovering the joy of evangelization, Pope Leo XIV said.
The transmission of the faith is “a topic of great urgency,” the pope said in remarks to members and officials of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and others participating in its plenary session at the Vatican Jan. 27 to 29. Of great importance today, he said, is the “transmission of the faith, a topic discussed during the dicastery’s plenary. “We cannot ignore the fact that, in recent decades, there has been a breakdown in the way Catholics pass down the Christian faith” from generation to generation, he said, and that “there is an increasing number of people who no longer perceive the Gospel as a fundamental resource for their life, especially among the younger generations.”
In fact, he added, many young men and women “live without any reference to God and the Church, and while this causes us believers pain, it must also lead us to rediscover the ‘delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing,’ which is at the very heart of the life and mission” of the Catholic Church. The Church wants to be a missionary Church “that looks beyond itself, at others” and that proclaims the Gospel, “above all through the power of attraction,” reminding them that “it is not the Church that attracts, but Christ.” †
the 11th-century Basilica di San Babila, dedicated to St. Babylas of Antioch, where the opening Mass was celebrated and which will be known as the “Church of Athletes” throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
During the Mass, the“Cross of Athletes” was entrusted to the archdiocese by Athletica Vaticana, the Holy See’s sports association. Blessed by Pope Francis at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, the cross has been placed in chapels in the Olympic host cities of London in 2012 and Paris in 2024.
According to the Archdiocese of Milan, the cross, which will remain at the altar in the Basilica di San Babila until the end of the Paralympics, “symbolizes the close bond between sporting activities and the values of solidarity, inclusion and personal growth.”
In his homily, Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan said the Olympic and Paralympic Games could serve as a form of rigorous spiritual education, describing the athletic competitions as “school of asceticism” and a “school of life” where one learns how to handle both victory and defeat.
For Olympians and Paralympians, the games will be a chance to learn “what strength is needed to accept defeat without becoming depressed, to live victory without becoming arrogant, to live through the disordered reactions of others, the unexpected anger, the irritating stubbornness, the paralyzing discouragement.”
Reflecting on the presence of the “Cross of Athletes,” which features a void silhouette of Christ’s crucified body, Archbishop Delpini said the cross offered “more of a glimpse than a figure” of the body of Christ that “encourages our questions, our gaze and our attention.”
“If you want to know what love is, if you want to know if there is hope,” the archbishop said, “look to Jesus, adore the crucified and risen body, listen to His words and follow Him, for He is the way, the truth and the life.” †
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OSV NEWS PHOTO
Members of Athletica Vaticana, the Holy See’s sports association, entrust the “Cross of Athletes” to Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan outside the Basilica di San Babila in Milan Jan. 29. The cross was entrusted to the archdiocese ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
NATION Olympic-bound hockey player draws strength from her Catholic faith, devotion to St. Thérèse
(OSV News) — Britta Curl-Salemme’s love for skating and ice hockey began very early in her life. She remembers skating with her three siblings since “basically the time we could walk” after her dad built an ice rink in their backyard in Bismarck, North Dakota.
She told OSV News that she started dreaming of going to the Olympics when she was about 10 years old.
“As a girl, you had the NHL, which was all guys, but the thing you could see women doing was the Olympics,” she recalled. “I really looked up to the women’s Olympic players.” She would draw Olympic rings in her notebooks in grade school, hoping to go one day.
Along with her passion for hockey and Olympic dreams, she was also learning about her Catholic faith, which she credits her mom for making “a huge part of our family’s life.”
“My parents always made sure that we went to Mass every Sunday,” she said, “even when the four of us kids had travel for tournaments or were playing different sports, we didn’t miss a Sunday Mass.”
She said that consistency from her parents helped keep her faith strong, along with their choice to put her and her siblings in the Catholic school system in the area. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck.
During her college years at the University of Wisconsin, she also benefited from a supportive community at St. Paul’s Catholic Student Center and feels “very lucky” to have had the support of these strong faith communities over the years.
Now she is realizing her Olympic dream and will be heading to Milan, Italy, to compete on the U.S. women’s ice hockey team in her first Olympic Games.
She said her faith has given her strength in her journey to the Olympics.
“I think my life would be pretty chaotic and stressful if I didn’t have something steady and consistent that I can go back to that I drew strength from, and that’s my Catholic faith,” she emphasized, “just the routine of in the morning I get up and the first thing that I’m doing is going to my Bible.”
Looking to role models in her faith, she was inspired by the example of her mom’s “quiet faith” that’s evident in “the way that she lives,” and the example of the
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saints, especially St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who “reignited” her faith in college and “was the first saint that I really attached myself to.”
She read “I Believe in Love,” a personal retreat book based on the teachings of St. Thérèse, the summer after she graduated from high school. She said the book, which was given to her by one of her high school teachers, “just blew my mind” and St. Thérèse’s “spirituality and the way that she thought about humility just totally opened my eyes to a new way of thinking and of praying.”
She hadn’t heard of the Little Flower’s other Olympic connection, but St. Thérèse may have a special affinity for Olympic skaters, as Tara Lipinski, who won the 1998 Olympic gold medal in figure skating, also had a special devotion to St. Thérèse and credits the intercession of the saint in her victory.
In her travels as a player with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for the Minnesota Frost, CurlSalemme features masstimes.org on her Instagram page and said going to Mass every Sunday has helped her keep a good perspective on things and see some “beautiful churches” on the road.
“Being able to relate the things that I’m learning and the things I’m going through with my faith,” she said, “that’s just been super important for me just to keep perspective, and it’s a certain detachment from my sport. It’s been everything for me.”
That detachment came in handy when she faced a setback after initially being selected to play hockey in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
She had taken a year off from college and moved to Minnesota to train and try out for the Olympics, but was cut from the team toward the end of the selection process. She got a second chance as she
was chosen for the team when another player was injured, but was unable to go at the last minute after testing positive for COVID-19.
She said that time was a “roller coaster of emotions and adversity,” but she ultimately was “peaceful and grateful for the whole experience.”
“I look back, and I think God was really trying to teach me detachment and just to trust Him and realize that my happiness and my purpose and my worth come from more than just hockey,” she reflected.
For her upcoming trip to the Olympics, Curl-Salemme is excited about the experience and is also looking forward to seeing the Catholic culture and history in Italy. Her family has planned a trip to Rome and is hoping to see Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.
Among her teammates over the years, Curl-Salemme said she’s had fun interactions over the topic of faith and “people just enjoy asking me questions and talking about the faith.” She even has a couple of teammates who are Catholic and join her for Mass.
“That’s been really cool, just the way that God has given me this avenue to kind of go out and talk about my faith or just even be an example,” she said. “I’m not one that really super outwardly needs to bring it up all the time or talk about it, but I think my teammates see me going to Mass consistently and hopefully showing virtue and being a good teammate, and I think that opens the door for a lot of conversations.”
She said for female Catholic athletes one excellent resource that she discovered and has partnered with is the group FIERCE, an organization founded by Samantha Kelley, a Catholic author and former D1 soccer player, who aims to “empower female athletes to thrive in their God-given identity and femininity.” The group offers retreats, talks and mentorship for female athletes in high school, college and beyond.
What would Curl-Salemme tell a young Catholic athlete who is dreaming of one day going to the Olympics? “Live your faith boldly, especially in your sports, because we need that more than anything,” she said, adding that “you don’t have to do anything crazy, just live your faith. Keep going to the Sacraments and being a good teammate, it’s going to be way more beneficial for you than winning any game or championship.”
Ultimately, Curl-Salemme does see hockey as one of her “paths to be a saint.” She said there’s a lot to learn from “the daily ins and outs of being on a team and being with tons of different people with different backgrounds and different personalities and the way that, as a team sport, you’re tested to sometimes die to yourself and put the team ahead of yourself.”
“It’s such good practice for greater life and things that Jesus is asking you to do,” she emphasized. “I kind of see it as like a little training, a little training table for heaven and for how I’m supposed to be.” †
OSV NEWS PHOTO/MINNESOTA FROST
Minnesota Frost hockey player Britta Curl-Salemme is pictured in a March 26, 2025, photo. Curl-Salemme, a Catholic, will be part of the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team competing in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
NATION & STATE
(OSV News) — Top athletes from around the world are currently gathered in Northern Italy, competing in the Winter Olympic Games.
Twenty years ago, cross-country skier Rebecca Dussault was about to do the same. She traveled to Turin, Italy, to compete for the U.S. in the 2006 Olympics.
Though Dussault didn’t return with a medal, skiing in the hometown of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, her patron saint, was still a dream come true for her and her family.
Today, the devout Catholic homesteading mother and grandmother is using what she learned as an Olympian to help young people and women find success in sport, live a healthy lifestyle and stay connected to God.
“The physical experience of the Olympics is short, but the spiritual blessing is what goes on,” she told OSV News.
Dussault first started skiing while growing up in Colorado. Her mother encouraged her to play a variety of sports, including soccer, gymnastics, softball and swimming. But she ultimately fell in love with cross-country skiing. Dussault remembers one evening when her parish priest took a group moonlight skiing and then celebrated Mass for them in the wilderness.
“I said, ‘OK, I know what my sport is,’” Dussault said. “It was a beautiful moment bringing sport and God together in my life in a profound and memorable way.”
As she got older, Dussault competed at a high level, including the world championships for juniors. But after winning a national championship, she decided to retire at age 19, largely due to
Dussault also married her childhood sweetheart, Sharbel, at 19. Their families had become friends while attending the same parish, and in her teen years, they were homeschooled together, too.
Dussault credits her mother-in-law with igniting her faith life.
“She really had and has a deep interior life, and that’s what she continually conveyed to us — the love and the mercy of Jesus Christ and the beauty and the depth and the heights of the Catholic faith,” she said.“She showed us the universal Church with such passion and consistency that we just couldn’t not fall in love with the faith.”
After giving birth to her son, Tabor, at age 21, Dussault began to dip her toes back into the skiing world. She entered a local competition and kept pace with an Olympian the whole race.
After her unexpected success, she and her husband took a few months of prayerful discernment and then decided to launch Dussault’s ski career again.
For the next two and a half years, Dussault, her husband and her young son traveled around the world, allowing her to train and compete in the hope of making the Olympic team. “It was eat, breathe, ski, which was fun for that amount of time,” she said.
the friends she made during the Olympics, especially with the owners of the 300-year-old stone home where they stayed. Last year, they traveled with their whole family to Italy to see their friends again.
These days, Dussault is still skiing, often past chickens and cows on her 55acre homestead in Sandpoint, Idaho. She has eight born children — Tabor, 24; Simeon, 19; Anselm, 15; Emiliana, 12; Remi, 9; Nellie, 6; Narek, 2; and Gretta, 9 months. She also has two grandkids from her son Tabor and his wife, Hattie: Regis, 3, and Skadia, 5 months.
In addition to raising her kids and running her home farm, she offers wellness coaching for women.
“I weave together the pillars of faith and fitness and food, and help them to make sustainable life changes so they can really, firstly, love themselves and the beautiful, able-bodied person that God made them to be, but (also so they) can use that strength and stamina to serve,” she said.
challenges to her faith life.
“I had a completely different worldview and faith orientation than that of my competitors, and certainly than that of my coaches, and it became so lopsided that it took my joy from me,” she said.
After years of working to perfect her craft, Dussault said it felt incredible to compete on the world’s biggest stage, especially with her 4-year-old son cheering her on from the sidelines.
“It was our (family) dream that was being realized, not just mine,” she said.
Dussault used the occasion to spread devotion to then-Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. She even engraved his name on her Olympic ring. She fondly remembers
Dussault also coaches local sports, including soccer, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. As much as Dussault loves sports, she encourages those she coaches and their parents to put faith first.
“There is like a 10th of a percent chance that your son or daughter is going to become an Olympian — but they are called to be a saint,” she said.
All the joys of sports are nothing unless the athlete can point to glory to God, she said. “If you can do sport in the right conscience and be building the kingdom of God, then you’ve really latched on to some greatness.” †
competed in the Turin Winter Olympics.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF VICTORIA Garrett Donnelly, vice-chairman of the Texas Historical Commission, receives a ceremonial key from Bishop Brendan Cahill, seen holding a cowboy hat, of the Diocese of Victoria at a celebration of the handing over of the Presidio la Bahia. The Texas Historical Commission has invested in the property and will take care of the preservation and promotion of it as a part of Texas history. Senator Lois Kolkhorst is pictured on the left. She spoke at the event, as did State Representative A.J. Lauderback.
MUNDO CATÓLICO
La santa que transformó su sufrimiento
Santa Margarita de Castello ha sido durante mucho tiempo honrada como modelo y patrona para las personas con discapacidad. Nació ciega, con una curvatura severa de la columna; su pierna derecha era una pulgada y media más corta que la izquierda, y su brazo izquierdo estaba deformado.
Los padres de Margarita la mantuvieron oculta en su casa en la provincia italiana de Umbría. Tenía 6 años cuando la familia viajó a un santuario en Castello, esperando un milagro. Cuando no ocurrió ningún milagro, la madre y el padre de Margarita la abandonaron.
Las mujeres de Castello encontraron a la pequeña Margarita y la cuidaron hasta que pudieron organizar su adopción. Una familia invitó a Margarita a vivir con ellos; la trataban como a una hija, con amor y amabilidad.
Había un convento cerca de la casa de Margarita, y las monjas se encariñaron con ella. Cuando tenía unos 13 años, Margarita pidió ser admitida. Margarita era extremadamente devota y su celo hacía que las monjas se sintieran cohibidas y enfadadas. Como resultado, la superiora del convento pidió a
Margarita que se fuera. Regresó con sus padres adoptivos y, a los 15 años, se unió a la Tercera Orden de Santo Domingo, lo que le permitió llevar el hábito y hacer los votos de monja, pero vivir en casa, donde se sentía amada y segura. Las discapacidades de Margarita no la hicieron resentirse; más bien, se convirtió en una de las personas más compasivas de Castello. Cuidaba a los enfermos, consolaba a los desahuciados y visitaba a los prisioneros. Margarita dijo que en los sufrimientos de sus vecinos veía la imagen del Cristo sufriente. En cuanto a sus propias discapacidades, las consideraba un medio para unir su dolor con el dolor que Cristo soportó en la cruz. Su valor, su paciencia y su profunda devoción religiosa le ganaron el cariño de todos en Castello. Margarita murió cuando tenía 33 años, pero sigue asociada con milagros de sanación. Saber que nuestro médico divino actúa a través de las personas,
“Las discapacidades de Margarita no la hicieron resentirse; más bien, se convirtió en una de las personas más compasivas de Castello.”
muchas veces que son ignoradas. Que oremos con humildad y confianza, buscando los instrumentos de Cristo para nuestra sanación, y que nos involucremos activamente en la vida sacramental de la Iglesia y nos apoyemos mutuamente.
“La preocupación de la Iglesia hacia las personas con discapacidad surge de la forma de actuar de Dios. Siguiendo el principio de la encarnación del Hijo de Dios, que se presenta en toda situación humana, la Iglesia reconoce en las personas con discapacidad el llamado a la fe y a una vida buena y llena de sentido.
“Las comunidades están llamadas no solo a cuidar de los más frágiles, sino a
EN BREVE
reconocer la presencia de Jesús, que de una manera especial se manifiesta en ellas. Esto requiere una doble atención: la conciencia de la posibilidad de educar en la fe a personas con discapacidades incluso graves o muy graves; y disposición a considerarlos como sujetos activos en la comunidad en la que viven”. (Directorio de catequesis, 269)
¿Necesitas apoyo y quieres saber más sobre el Ministerio de Discapacidad y Salud Mental? Únete a nosotros en nuestra próxima oportunidad de taller mientras colaboramos con la Alianza Nacional Católica en DiscapacidadNCPD para formación. El 13 de marzo: Ministerio de Salud Mental y Vida Parroquial y 14 de marzo: Ministerio de Discapacidad y Vida Parroquial. Regístrese para un día o ambos, sin costo alguno. Se requiere inscripción y se proporcionará el almuerzo. Abierto a clérigos, personal parroquial y diocesano, y voluntarios ministeriales. Para más información, visite www.archgh.org/mpd. †
Melissa Alvarez es directora asociada de la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis - Ministerio para Personas con Discapacidad.
Masiva presencia juvenil hispana en Misa y Marcha por la Vida
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — La juventud católica se hizo presente en la Misa, concierto y reflexión sobre el gran valor de la vida y la importancia de defenderla, celebrada en la catedral de San Mateo en Washington, el 23 de enero.
“Defendemos la dignidad de la vida humana en todas las etapas”, fue la consigna del evento auspiciado por la Arquidiócesis de Washington y también el mensaje que promovieron posteriormente en la Marcha por la Vida.
“Desde que tengo 12 años, participo cada año en la Misa y Marcha por la Vida. Lo hago por los niños inocentes (en el vientre) que no han hecho nada. El Señor les ha dado la vida y me pregunto por qué los padres no quieren dársela”, expresó Stephanie Rivera, 19, de raíces salvadoreñas, parroquiana de la iglesia San Bernardino de Siena de Suitland, Maryland.
A la convocatoria denominada “Misa para jóvenes de celebración y en acción de gracias por la vida 2026”, acudieron 675 niños y adolescentes de 22 escuelas parroquiales, líderes y miembros de grupos juveniles, también jóvenes voluntarios y de diferentes diócesis tan distantes como Kentucky.
“Los niños que fueron y los que van a ser abortados son hijos de Dios y Él también los ama, ya que el amor de Dios es para todos”, comentó Joan Guevara en una entrevista con El Pregonero, el periódico en español de la Arquidiócesis de Washington. El joven de 20 años, de padres salvadoreños, es parroquiano de San Miguel Arcángel de Silver Spring, Maryland.
“Hay varias razones por las cuales los jóvenes deciden abortar, pero principalmente se trata de miedo a la responsabilidad y a que los juzguen. Otros toman la decisión porque no sienten el amor de sus padres”, dijo quien acudía por primera vez a la movilización provida. †
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 Arzobispo Joe Vásquez 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.
WITHIN THE ARTS
New stained-glass designs for Notre Dame now on display amid ongoing debate
PARIS (OSV News) — The models for six new contemporary stainedglass windows planned for Notre Dame Cathedral are now on public display in Paris following months of intense national debate.
Critics argue historic elements should not be removed, while supporters say the new windows honor tradition and reflect the living faith of the Church today.
The works, designed by French artist Claire Tabouret, are featured in the exhibition “In One Breath” at the Grand Palais through March 15. Since Dec. 10, 2025, visitors have flocked to the vast white gallery where the work is displayed along with sketches and other preparatory items.
Tabouret, a 44-year-old French painter of international renown, lives between France and Los Angeles. Her stainedglass windows models depict the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the Virgin Mary, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. Prints on display are figurative works nearly 23 feet high and 13 feet wide.
The theme of Pentecost was chosen for the stained-glass windows by the Archdiocese of Paris and Archbishop Laurent Ulrich as part of a new educational program designed by the chaplains of Notre Dame to help visitors discover the foundations of the Christian faith while exploring the cathedral. This journey takes them from Genesis to the beginnings of the Church, through Christ’s death on the cross, symbolized by the crown of thorns, which is in a reliquary located in the central chapel of the cathedral.
Tabouret, talking to France’s RFI radio, said, explaining the theme chosen, that “at this time, magnificent gatherings take place between people, despite their differences. This theme is reflected in six key moments. This is something we discover here at the Grand Palais, in a scenography where we truly see the horizontal dimension of the story unfolding before our eyes.”
The stained-glass windows are currently being made in Reims, in France’s Champagne region. They are to be installed by the end of the year in the iconic cathedral, which reopened in December 2024 after the fire in April 2019. The Simon-Marq workshop responsible for this project is famous for having created Marc Chagall’s stainedglass windows in the Gothic cathedral of Reims, once the coronation site of the kings of France.
Tabouret’s designs will replace six of the seven windows on the south aisle of the cathedral, originally designed by 19thcentury architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. In response to a request from the Archdiocese of Paris, Tabouret has strived to “stay as close as possible to the narrative” of the story of Pentecost, as she explained in the written presentation she made for the Grand Palais, “so that this story can be understood by as many people as possible.”
The exhibition sequence clearly traces
the breath and fire of the Holy Spirit to a diverse humanity, echoing both the birth of the Church and the global solidarity that rebuilt Notre Dame after 2019.
The stained-glass project has sparked much controversy since its announcement in 2023 by President Emmanuel Macron.
On July 11, 2024, members of the National Heritage and Architecture Commission, which reports to the Ministry of Culture, expressed their support for the project, but they objected to the fact that they were to replace those designed by Viollet-le-Duc.
Some French Catholics echoed these reservations.“Claire Tabouret is definitely a great artist,” art historian Pierre Téqui wrote in the Catholic weekly magazine La Vie in December 2024. “But the space that we must joyfully offer to contemporary creation must never be at the expense of the old,” he added. “Contemporary art must succeed the past, accompany it, add to it, but that does not give artists the right to take the place of our elders.”
The reluctance of some Catholics also stemmed from Macron’s involvement in the project, as head of state, which owns the cathedral. It was a statement from the Presidency of the Republic that announced the choice of Tabouret on Dec. 18, 2024, after reviewing 83 applications featuring the biggest names in the art world.
The statement specified that the president and the archbishop of Paris, “after consultation, had given a favorable opinion on this choice.” Over 323,000 people have signed a public petition in opposition to new stained-glass window designs for Notre Dame Cathedral. Launched by La Tribune de l’Art, it denounces the planned changes, saying,
OSV NEWS PHOTO
Models of the six contemporary stained-glass windows designed for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris are seen on display at the French capital’s Grand Palais of the Champs-Elysées in an exhibition titled “In One Breath,” which opened Dec. 10, 2025. They will be exhibited until March 15, and are to be installed in the cathedral by the end of the year.
“The president of the republic has decided on his own, without any regard for the heritage law or Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, to replace the stainedglass windows.”
Despite these opinions, the project has been carried out, with one of the reasons for the exchange given that Viollet-leDuc’s windows, called “grisailles,” are simply transparent panes decorated with geometric patterns and colorful interlaced designs. Their purpose in the past was to let light into a very dark cathedral. But the light that now floods the chapels of Notre Dame makes this use less essential today.
In the highly popular exhibition’s illustrated album, Philippe Jost, president
MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News
A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL
• David (PG)
• The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (PG)
A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN
• Zootopia 2 (PG)
A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS
• Anaconda (PG-13)
• Eternity (PG-13)
• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (PG-13)
• Greenland 2: Migration (PG-13)
• Hamnet (PG-13)
• Mercy (PG-13)
of the public institution Rebâtir Notre Dame, highlighted Tabouret’s talent in “renewing the figurative representation, rooted in a multilayered tradition, of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit, which for many believers is an essential dimension of their faith.” For him, this is “a fair, convincing, powerful and moving representation of the mystery of Pentecost.”
Once installed at Notre Dame, the new stained-glass windows will cover an area of 1,300 square feet, or just under 5% of the cathedral’s 27,000 square feet of stained-glass windows from all periods. They are scheduled to be inaugurated on Dec. 8, exactly two years to the day that the cathedral reopened to the public in 2024. †
• Song Sung Blue (PG-13)
L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE
• Avatar: Fire and Ash (PG-13)
• The Housemaid (R)
• Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (PG-13)
O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (R)
• Marty Supreme (R)
• Primate (R)
▶ For full movie reviews, visit www.osvnews.com/category/reviews
AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE
For the latest updates about listings in the Around the Archdiocese, contact event organizers and visit www.archgh.org/ata.
FEB. 11
WOMEN’S MEETING, 9:30 a.m. to noon, St. Mary of the Expectation (1612 E Walker St., League City). Bay Area Deanery Catholic Council of Women hosts its monthly social with refreshments, announcements and presentation by Kat Bruysschaard, “Seven Sisters Apostolate: Praying for priests.” 713-412-8559; YodaInOz@comcast. net.
FEB. 13
CHOCOHOLIC FEAST & GAME NIGHT, 7 p.m., St. Rose of Lima (3600 Brinkman, Houston ). St. Rose of Lima’s Altar Guild event includes a light dinner, dessert, games and silent auction. Cost: $15/ pre-sale, $20/door. stroselima.org/scheduleand-events.
FEB. 14
STEPS FOR STUDENTS 5K RUN AND WALK, 7 a.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Annual charity 5K run/ walk supporting 55 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, begins with a 7 a.m. sunrise Mass followed by 8:30 a.m. race start. Registration options ($27 - $30, includes shirts, race medal and post-race party) for timed, untimed, Family 1K and “Hit the Snooze.” steps4students.org.
FEB. 15
HISTORIC STATUE VISIT, at all the Masses (7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m.); St. Anthony of Padua (7801 Bay Branch Drive, The Woodlands). Statue blessed by Papal Nuncio to visit first U.S. parish. Event commemorates 100th anniversary of when Jesus asked if the First Saturdays devotion has been spread throughout the world. Free entry. communalfirstsaturdays. org/statue-staop; 713-997-6371; info@ communalfirstsaturdays.org.
VOCATION DINNER AND DANCE, 6 to 9:30 p.m., St. Anne Catholic School Gymnasium (1111 S Cherry St., Tomball). Knights of ColumbusCouncil 11472 hosts dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions with proceeds supporting vocations to the religious life. Cost: $50/person. Tickets to be purchased in advance. kc11472. org; cbear88@live.com; 832-948-0907.
LENTEN FISH FRYS
Contact parishes for latest information. To submit a listing, visit www.archgh.org/ata.
FRIDAYS OF LENT AND ASH WEDNESDAY
CHRIST THE KING (4419 N Main St., Houston). noon to 6 p.m., $15 plate includes fried fish, Spanish rice, French fries, cole slaw and hush puppies. Drinks and desserts sold separately at an additional cost. ctkcc.org.
FRIDAYS OF LENT
SACRED HEART, 4 to 7 p.m. (507 S Fourth St., Richmond). Plates include fried or grilled fish, green beans, coleslaw, hush puppies and French fries. $1 desserts by the slice. Dine-in or drive-thru. Stations of the Cross at 3 and 7 p.m. in the church. 281-342-3609; sacredhrt.com.
CORPUS CHRISTI, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (9900 Stella Link Rd., Houston). Knights of Columbus Council 12385 host a fish fry that includes fried or baked fish, French fries, hush puppies, cole slaw, dessert, ice tea, lemonade and coffee. $13 adults and $7 kids. 713-858-3291; paulsobieski@ att.net.
MARRIAGE RENEWAL RETREAT, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Prince of Peace (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). One-day marriage renewal retreat, “Love as He Loves,” includes Mass, talks, guided couple time, group discussion and opportunities for Confession with presentations in both English and Spanish. Cost: $150/couple (includes light breakfast and lunch). briones1@yahoo.com; 832-398-6004; tinyurl.com/rcmrr.
FEB. 21
BREAKFAST, 8 to 11 a.m., Holy Rosary (3617 Milam St., Houston). Gratia Plena’s benefit breakfast features “Healing the Mind by Nurturing the Soul” keynote by Matthew S. Stanford, PhD. and invocation by Archbishop Emeritus J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. Cost: $65/person, tables start at $500. gratiaplenacounseling.org.
PRESENTATION, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Laurence (3103 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). Fort Bend Theresians host “Morning of Inspiration” event themed “Peace in the Midst of Chaos” with Heather Reichert, spiritual director and retreat leader. Cost: $30/person. theresians.org/events.
MARCH 1
TURKEY DINNER, 11 a.m., Sealy Columbus Hall (1310 US-90, Sealy). The Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Elizabeth #1616 hosts turkey lunch with live auction, raffle and desserts to purchase. Cost: $15/plate. 979-2170601; patsyp17@hotmail.com.
ADVERTISING
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MARCH 4
ADORATION HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S Fourth St., Richmond). Adoration Hour on the first Wednesday of the month to pray for vocations, with Confession and Anointing of the Sick available. sacredhrt.com/adoration.
MARCH 13-14
TRAINING, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., St. Anthony of Padua (7801 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands). National Catholic Partnership on Disability and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston host Mental health and disability training on accompaniment, support and parish life; trauma-informed care and suicide awareness; and removing barriers for persons with disabilities. 713-741-8798; malvarez@archgh.org.
MARCH 14
ST. JOSEPH ALTAR & SPAGHETTI DINNER, 6 p.m., St. Maximilian Kolbe (10135 West Rd., Houston). Catholic Daughters of America Court 2493 host St. Joseph Altar with spaghetti dinner and children portraying the Holy Family seeking food and shelter (Tupa Tupa). Cost: $12/plate. Stmaximilian@stmaximilian.org.
ST. JOSEPH’S ALTAR, 5:15 p.m., St. Ignatius of Loyola (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). Free entry. Vigil Mass, Father Norbert Maduzia will lead the “Tupa Tupa,” a play where children dressed as Mary, Joseph and saints knock door-to-door for food and shelter before finding the St. Joseph
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table. Event includes a Sicilian “meatless” meal, raffle and homemade traditional cookies and cannoli for sale.
MARCH 21
ST. JOSEPH’S ALTAR, 6 p.m., St. Rose of Lima (3600 Brinkman, Houston ). St. Mother Teresa Ministry fundraiser includes a Sicilian pasta dinner in honor of St. Joseph, patron saint of Italy. RSVP required. Cost: By Donation. parishinfo@ stroselima.org. stroselima.org/schedule-andevents.
MARCH 22
ST. JOSEPH’S ALTAR, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Christ the Redeemer (11507 Huffmeister Rd., Houston). 18th annual St. Joseph’s Altar and traditional luncheon. Free entry. Lunch cost: $10/adults, $5/ children 3 to 10 years old. stjosephaltar@ctrcc. com; ctrcc.com/st-joseph-altar.
APRIL 1
ADORATION HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S Fourth St., Richmond). Adoration Hour on the first Wednesday of the month to pray for vocations, with Confession and Anointing of the Sick available. sacredhrt.com/adoration.
For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA
St. Laurence Catholic School unveils new ‘Freedom Shrine’
SUGAR LAND — During Catholic Schools Week, on Jan. 29, St. Laurence Catholic School celebrated the installation and dedication of a new Freedom Shrine on campus.
The Freedom Shrine, donated by the Sugar Land Exchange Club, includes replicas of foundational American documents that promote patriotism and civic education. A number of the shrine’s documents include authentic reproductions that include original spelling and grammar, though several plaques displayed only feature a portion of a manuscript.
Some of the documents in the shrine feature addresses or speeches from the Mayflower Compact, Jefferson’s “Rough Draft”of the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Star-Spangled Banner, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution’s 13 amendments and several others.
More recent documents include President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech from 1963.
The shrine’s dedication comes during the 250th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence, through which the 13 American colonies formally separated themselves from Britain.
The Exchange Club also presented an American flag in memory of Father Drew Wood, who served as pastor of St. Laurence Catholic Church and School from 2002 until his death in 2024.
The dedication ceremony included remarks from Principal Suzanne Barto, participation from Sugar Land Mayor Carol McCutcheon (who presented the Catholic Schools Week 2026 Proclamation), student-led prayer, a flag ceremony and Pledge of Allegiance, and performances by the school’s seventhand eighth-grade band and choir. †
YOUNG ADULT AND CAMPUS MINISTRY
PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE
In a continuing effort to provide pastoral care to victims of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel, Archbishop Joe Vásquez would like to remind the faithful of the Archdiocese of the availability of the Victims Assistance Coordinator. Anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel is encouraged to call Diane Vines at 713-654-5799. Please keep in daily prayers the healing of victims of abuse and all who suffer in any way.
Ten tips for a Christ-centered Lent
Ahead of Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, take some time and think about how you'll live Lent this year
BY TOM HOOPES
Special to the Herald
HOUSTON (OSV News) — We sell our faith short, and so we sell our Lent short. At least I do.
For much of my life, I treated the faith mainly as a set of rules to follow. I knew the rules were not the goal; they were meant to lead me to God’s will, God’s love and true happiness.
But faith is more than following God’s will. It is union with Jesus Christ. As St. Athanasius wrote, “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” God is love, powerful enough to desire union with us. He became man to make that possible and gave us the Sacraments, especially Baptism, to bring us into that union.
I used to approach Lent as spiritual conditioning to help me follow God’s will. Now I do many of the same practices but with a new intention: becoming one with Jesus Christ. Baptism makes this possible. If we cooperate with grace, Baptism allows us to share in the divine life, beginning with faith, hope and love.
1. PRAY WITH CHRIST IN THE DESERT TO GROW IN FAITH
Be intentional. Imagine yourself with Jesus in the desert or imagine him present where you pray. Jesus is not confined by time or space. As spiritual teachers like St. Ignatius remind us, using our imagination in prayer acknowledges what is already true: Jesus is with us. Christianity is not a religion of a book but of the Word. Faith is not merely agreeing to teachings; it is a relationship with a person. Jesus Christ is the light
of the world, the source of all goodness, truth and beauty. Spend time with Him in the desert and let His presence illuminate everything else.
Lord Jesus, give us the faith to recognize your presence everywhere in creation.
2. FAST WITH CHRIST TO LEARN HOPE
In the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert. This shows us what true consolation is. The Spirit does not assure us that life will always be easy. He assures us that we are rooted in a deeper relationship that sustains us through difficulty.
Fasting teaches this same truth. Yes, fasting strengthens self-control, but its deeper purpose is to anchor us in hope. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in “Spe salvi” that avoiding suffering leads to emptiness, not happiness. It is in facing suffering with God that hope grows.
Fasting helps us say, not “Everything is fine,” but “Even in the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me.”
Lord Jesus, as we fast, give us hope grounded in your presence, not in material comforts.
3. GIVE ALMS TO GROW IN LOVE FOR CHRIST IN OTHERS
Parents instinctively see their children as more precious because they are theirs. In a similar way, God sees every person as uniquely beloved because each one bears His image. To become like Jesus, we must learn to see others this way.
Mother Teresa summed up Jesus’ teaching with her“Gospel on five fingers”: You. Did. It. To. Me. Whatever we do for
Feb. 23 - 25 or March 27 - 29 CHRISTIAN RENEWAL CENTER
Join Catholic author, spiritual director and speaker Kim Brown for an Silent Lent Retreat focused on our Lord.
The Silent Retreat features meditations throughout the day, one-on-one spiritual direction, daily Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation and the CRC's beautiful 52 acres to encounter God.
Cost: $289 per person includes lodging with private room, all inclusive
the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Christ Himself.
Lord Jesus, as we give alms, help us love and console you in those who suffer.
4. PRAY THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS TO GAIN CHRIST’S WISDOM
Baptism gives us not only the theological virtues but also the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is the gift of seeing reality as Christ sees it.
The Stations of the Cross help form that vision. Use your imagination as you pray. You may be standing in the back of church, but you are also among the crowd in Jerusalem. Pray for the grace to see Jesus’ suffering not as a spectacle but as the revelation of God’s love for you.
Lord Jesus, help us pray the Stations deeply so that we see with your eyes and know that you gaze with love on us.
5. DO SPIRITUAL READING TO GROW IN UNDERSTANDING
The gift of understanding is the bright flash of spiritual insight that helps truth penetrate our minds. One way to cultivate it is through spiritual reading. Today, we have unprecedented access to the writings of saints, theologians and spiritual teachers. A few clicks can bring Thomas Aquinas, C.S. Lewis, Fulton Sheen or Bishop Robert Barron into our hands.
Spiritual reading helps us share in the insights of others and strengthens our own understanding.
Lord Jesus, deepen our understanding through your word and the wisdom of your saints.
6. ATTEND MASS TO SHARE CHRIST’S KNOWLEDGE
Our purpose is to know, love and serve God. To know Him means both learning about Him and being united with Him. The Mass accomplishes this through Scripture and the Eucharist.
The prophets Ezekiel and John describe visions in which they eat God’s
word. At Mass, we receive that same gift not in a vision but in reality, hearing the word proclaimed and receiving Christ in Communion.
Lord Jesus, help us receive you deeply at each Mass through word and Sacrament.
7. GIVE SOMETHING UP SO YOUR HEART GROWS IN FORTITUDE
Lenten sacrifices reveal what we cling to for comfort or identity. A friend once asked, “What is the one thing you would not give up, even for God?”That question stays with me.
Love gives fortitude. Lovers routinely give up preferences and time for each other. Parents give up sleep, plans and comfort for their children. We give things up for whom we love most. Giving something up for Jesus strengthens the heart’s courage.
Lord Jesus, give us the fortitude to surrender whatever keeps us from you.
8. LIVE ASH WEDNESDAY, FRIDAYS AND GOOD FRIDAY TO FOLLOW CHRIST’S COUNSEL
Counsel is the Holy Spirit’s guidance, formed through the habit of following God’s will. The Church’s Lenten practices shape that habit. Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstaining from meat on Fridays unite us with Christ’s sacrifice.
The nostalgia many Catholics feel for Lenten traditions reveals the Church’s deep imprint on our souls. These rhythms teach us that we belong to Christ and can rest in Him.
Lord Jesus, help us walk faithfully with your Church.
9. PRAY THE ROSARY TO GROW IN FEAR OF THE LORD AND PIETY
To share Christ’s life, we need both awe of God’s majesty and trust in His intimate love. Jesus expresses both when He prays, “Father, glorify your name” and “Abba, Father.”
Mary embodies these gifts. In the joyful mysteries, she brings Christ to the world. In the glorious mysteries, she shares in His victory. The sorrowful mysteries reveal her steadfast love at the cross, captured in the hymn “Stabat Mater.”
Lord Jesus, let us learn awe and tenderness from your mother.
10. RENEW YOUR BAPTISM AT EASTER TO BECOME ONE WITH CHRIST
At Easter, we renew our baptismal promises. This is the heart of Lent.
As the catechism teaches, Christ’s riches belong to all. The more we give ourselves to Lent, the more Christ conforms us to Himself, which is our greatest happiness. To live Lent well, we do not need extraordinary practices, only renewed intention. Lent is meant to make us one with Jesus. †
— Tom Hoopes writes for OSV News from Benedictine College in Kansas, where he is writer in residence and teaches journalism and communications.
PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD
A stained glass window at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Humble depicts the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene grieving at the foot of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This year Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.
