Texas Catholic Herald - June 10, 2025

Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964

How the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began

CONROE — Above the narthex of Sacred Heart Parish in Conroe, visitors can look up and see a massive painting of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in prayer, receiving visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an inspiring depiction of one of the most famous devotions of the Church. In fact, seven Catholic communities in the Archdiocese, from Pattison to Galveston, carry the name of the Sacred Heart, including the Co-Cathedral in downtown Houston. The image Sacred Heart is also found in many Catholic households shrines, seen on car visors and in the traditional Mexican milagros religious art icons.

Every liturgical year, on the third Friday following the great feast of Pentecost, this

GALVESTON — June 10 roughly marks the midway point of the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Archdiocese. The Ordinary Jubilee will conclude on Jan. 6, 2026, when the Holy Doors in Rome will close, also ending the Jubilee year in Galveston-Houston.

BY

In Pope Leo XIV’s first catechesis for the Jubilee Year, a continuation of what Pope Francis had begun, Pope Leo described the Parables of Jesus as a way to help the faithful “regain hope, because they show us how God works in history.”

“Every parable tells a story that is taken from everyday life, yet wants to tell us something more, to refer us to a deeper meaning,” Pope Leo said at a

To make a pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors in Italy is a beautiful way to celebrate one’s Catholic faith and find ourselves in the Jubilee Year’s story. Unfortunately, not all people have the time or money to make a pilgrimage to these great places of faith. There are, however, many pilgrim sites of special importance found throughout Texas — 87 to be exact — A Jubilee Road Trip: The Lone Star State is home to 87 Jubilee pilgrimage sites

May 21 general audience. “The parable raises questions in us; it invites us not to stop at appearances. Before the story that is told or the image that is presented to me, I can ask myself: where am I in this story?”

SACRED HEART, page 4

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

A statue of Our Lady of San Juan is seen at the Basilica of the National Shrine of San Juan del Valle in San Juan, which is a Jubilee Pilgrims of Hope pilgrimage site in the Diocese of Brownsville. Texas is home to some 87 Jubilee pilgrimage sites, including three in the Galveston-Houston region.

JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald

A Shepherd’s Message

By Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez

In this message, Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez reflects on Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, as well as the Eucharist with the upcoming Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Reflecting on the June 8 celebration of Pentecost, what makes the Sacrament of Confirmation a uniquely powerful gift and encounter in the life of the Church?

The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the Church’s seven Sacraments and a Sacrament of initiation, along with Baptism and the Eucharist. Upon receiving the Sacraments of Initiation, the person is a full member of the Catholic Church with all the rights and privileges but also the responsibilities to be actively involved in the life of the Church.

Confirmation comes from the Latin word confirmatio, which means to give strength or to reinforce, and so this Sacrament strengthens what has already been given in the Sacrament of Baptism. In Baptism, we die with Christ to sin, and we’re born to new life with Christ. Confirmation then strengthens the bond between Christ and ourselves, giving us the grace to be witnesses of Christ in the world.

The Pentecost event is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. The disciples were praying in the Upper Room and the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and the Holy Spirit revealed himself in two ways, namely, a strong driving wind and tongues of fire descending from Heaven.

Wind and fire are two powerful manifestations of God. Wind is something that comes and goes, and we have no control over it. The Holy Spirit cannot be controlled, and it’s the Holy Spirit that gives direction and guides the Church. Fire purifies, burns away and consumes, and it’s a sign of divine love. Like the disciples, who at one time were frightened and scared after they had seen Jesus crucified and die, we are strengthened through the Spirit in a new way. God pours His love into our hearts so that we are filled with courage, no longer afraid, and ready to preach and proclaim Jesus to others.

What inspires you when adults choose to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation later in life?

For different reasons, some men and women don’t receive the Sacrament of Confirmation earlier in life. What matters to me is that they have sought the Church, are asking for the Sacrament, and want to be full members of the Catholic Church.

The Church never considers it too late to receive a Sacrament, and also, Christ always wants us to experience His grace and divine life. The Sacraments

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Arzobispo Vásquez comparte su mensaje en línea en español. Visite www.archgh.org para leer su artículo en línea.

are always encounters with the Living Christ, the Risen Christ, and He always offers us eternal life.

Who is your Confirmation saint, and how has their witness influenced your spiritual journey?

My Confirmation saint is St. Stephen, one of the original seven deacons and protomartyr of the Church. We find his story in the Acts of Apostles, and we read that he witnesses to Christ through his preaching and ultimately dies for the faith. He even prays for forgiveness for those who are going to stone him; he says: “Do not hold this against them.” I pray that, like St. Stephen, I will be strong in professing my faith in Christ.

As we approach the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on June 22, how have you personally experienced the Eucharist as a source of strength and renewal in your vocation as a priest and Archbishop?

I remember my First Communion as a child. It was beautiful, and I’ll never forget that day. We’d been prepared by the nuns; we had gone to confession; we dressed up and I wore my little suit. We were all excited to receive the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time. This was a special moment for me in my faith journey. When my mother married my father, she became a Catholic, and that was significant for our family. She made sure that my brothers and sisters were properly instructed in religious education, that we were going to Mass on Sundays, and that we were participating in the Church. She had a great love and devotion for the Eucharist and taught us to understand that the Eucharist was a great gift since we were receiving Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

How is the Eucharist central to the life of the Church and in your ministry as Archbishop?

The Eucharist is the very heart of the Church because, without it, there would be no Church. St. John Paul II said it very clearly in his encyclical, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” that “The Church draws her life from the Eucharist.” The Church depends on the Eucharist for who she is. Why? Because it’s not just a Sacrament that strengthens the Church; it’s Christ Himself. Christ gives His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity to us.

The Church teaches that “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ ‘The other Sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ Himself, our Pasch.’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324).

The Eucharist becomes our source of life, as we celebrate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus: His Paschal Mystery. We’re participating in this Paschal Mystery, and from it, we receive life. The Living Christ, the Risen Christ, gives us His life. †

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THE FIRST WORD

MNOT SO ORDINARY TIME

Five ways to prepare for Mass

ost events in life require preparation. When you go on a trip, you get to the airport early so you can get through security. When you go to a concert or theater show, you arrive early to find your seat. When you host a party, you make sure you have all the right food and supplies. Preparation is important for a successful day at work, at school or even at the gym. Getting in the right mindset, anticipating what might happen and setting goals for what you want to achieve is a recipe for success. It helps you feel a sense of security, readiness and satisfaction.

The same holds true for Mass. For some people in the parish, taking time to prepare for Mass is absolutely essential. Your parish priest prepares a homily. Lectors spend time reviewing the readings. Music directors select hymns

1. Know why you are there

The Mass is a Liturgy. The word Liturgy comes from a Greek word meaning “the work of the people.” You come to Mass not as a spectator but as a participant. You join with other members of the parish community in prayer, worship, thanksgiving and communion. You are no longer just an individual. You are an important part of the Body of Christ.

Take a few minutes each week to think about your place in the Body of Christ. It will give you a deeper appreciation of who you are. It will help you recognize the unique gifts and talents that you were given and inspire in you a deeper appreciation of the other people in your community.

2. Reflect on the readings

Set aside a few minutes on a specific day each week to read the first reading, the psalm, the second reading and the Gospel for the following weekend. Let the words penetrate your mind and your soul. How do these readings apply to your life? What is the Lord saying to you in these readings? Is there something that you are being asked to do? Is the Lord leading you in a new direction?

Finding the weekly readings is easy. You can purchase a Sunday Missal at a nearby Catholic bookstore or the parish gift shop or subscribe to a magazine with the readings, many available online in large-print editions and mobile devices. You can also find the readings online, like at www.usccb.org/readings.

As you become comfortable in reviewing the readings ahead of time, you might begin looking forward to going to Mass. During the Mass, you will have a deeper awareness of how the introductory prayers tie into the theme of the readings. When you hear the readings

BRIEFS

Popular summer young adult speaker series starts June 30

HOUSTON — Café Catholica, the annual young adult summer gathering presented by the Archdiocesan Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry, is set for Mondays from June 30 to July 21 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, located at 6800 Buffalo Speedway near the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The theme for the summer series is “Hope in the Lord,” drawn from Isaiah 40:31.

Open to young adults aged 18 to 39, Café Catholica offers opportunities to gather with nearly a thousand fellow young Catholics for Mass, dinner and talks. The event will be held June 30 and July 7, 14 and 21. It begins at 5:15 p.m. with Confession, followed by Mass at 6:15 p.m., dinner at 7:15 p.m. and the keynote speaker at 8:15 p.m.

that tie into the readings. The choir practices. The sacristan prepares the ambo, the hosts and the wine. Volunteers and other staff make sure altar linens are pressed and flowers are arranged. Ushers make sure bulletins are ready for distribution. Someone cleans the church.

Most Catholics would agree that these kinds of preparations are important for a prayerful Liturgy. But what most Catholics don’t realize is that it is also important for the people in the pews to prepare for Mass.

Here are five simple things you can do to prepare for Mass, especially as we enter Ordinary Time. They aren’t difficult or time-consuming, but they will help you enter more deeply into the celebration of the Mass and grow closer to Christ and the other members of the worshiping community.

proclaimed and listen as the priest gives the homily, the insights you receive can be more profound, and you can have a heightened spiritual awareness.

3. Think about your offering

When you come to Mass, you bring everything that you are to the altar as an offering to the Lord. It’s a good idea to spend a little time throughout the week thinking about what you will offer to the Lord. What joys will you share? What sorrows would you like to unburden? How have you used the gifts that you have been given? What anxieties or tensions are troubling you? Do you want to offer up any pain or suffering you have experienced? Do you have questions or doubts that you want to give to God?

Think also about the state of your soul. Do you need to seek the Lord’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Are you ready to give yourself to God entirely? Are you holding anything back, carrying any anger or resentment? Do you need to forgive someone or seek the forgiveness of someone you hurt? It’s also a good idea to think about what you want to ask God. Is there something or someone that you want to pray for? Do you need guidance in some area of your life? For what are you grateful?

4. See yourself as part of the community

Your experience of the Mass begins the moment you arrive at church. Plan to get there a little early. Outside of the church, you could greet others who are arriving, keeping in mind that everyone in the parish community is part of the Body of Christ. Maybe take a moment in the parking lot or narthex to introduce

yourself to someone you don’t know but see often at Mass. A friendly hello makes everyone feel wanted and welcome.

As you enter the church, bless yourself with holy water. Making the Sign of the Cross with holy water is a reminder of your Baptism, which made you a part of the Body of Christ. It is through your Baptism that you can participate in the fullness of the Eucharistic celebration.

You might try sitting in a different pew every once in a while. It will give you a new view of the altar and a chance to interact with different people. Be sure to genuflect or bow before entering your pew. We do this as an act of reverence and an acknowledgment of God’s presence.

5. Enter into God’s presence

Spend some time in silence before Mass begins. Quiet your mind, letting go of any tensions or anxieties that you brought with you. Think about how you purposely avoided food for an hour before Mass. One reason for this fast was to create in you a feeling of hunger for the Eucharist. Allow your soul to yearn for the Lord. Ask God to fill all of the empty places inside you.

Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you in the readings, the music, the homily, the prayers of the Mass and your Communion meditation. Everything that you think and do in these final moments before Mass instills in you a joyful anticipation for your encounter with the Lord.

When you take the time to prepare for Mass, your attitude begins to change. The Mass becomes much more than something that you do every weekend. Your mind discovers a deeper appreciation of the mystery that you experience during the Liturgy, your heart becomes more open to God’s love, and your soul becomes more receptive to the graces that God is bestowing upon you. † – OSV News contributed to this story.

Keynote speakers include Catholic speakers Jackie Francois-Angel and Paul J. Kim, Katie Villareal, a school counselor at Holy Family Catholic School in Austin, and Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, who began leading the Archdiocese in March.

No registration is needed to attend. Donations are accepted. For more information and to see the schedule and speaker information, visit archgh.org/cafecatholica or call 713-741-8778. †

AYC registration continues

HOUSTON — The 2025 Archdiocesan Youth Conference (AYC), set for July 25 to 27 at the Hilton Americas Hotel, gathers participants both youth and adults from all over the local Church.

This year’s theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.” Major presenters include Gian Gamboa, Katie Prejean McGrady and Sister Nicole Trahan, FMI, Abraham Salas and Father J Serrato. To register, contact your parish’s youth ministry leaders, and for more information, visit www.archgh.swoogo.com/ ayc2025. †

Catholic Charities’ food distributions continue in Galveston, Houston and Fort Bend counties

HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston continues offering food assistance at three locations.

In Houston, staff at the Guadalupe Center Market (326 S. Jensen St.) are hosting the following distribution schedule: On Wednesday and Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., walk-ins are open to the public; On Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., walk-ins for individual food bags are available for homeless clients. Drive-through distributions are available on the last Saturday of each month, June 28 and July 26, from 7:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 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 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To make an appointment, which is required, call 409-762-2064. Emergency pre-packaged food bags are available on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 409762-2064 for more information.

In Fort Bend County, the Mamie George Community Center (1111 Collins Rd., Richmond) hosts client-choice food distributions by appointment only on Mondays, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To make an appointment, which is required, or for more information, call 281-202-6200.

For general information, visit www.catholiccharities.org/ food or call 713-526-4611. †

THE POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JUNE

THAT THE WORLD MIGHT GROW IN COMPASSION

June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV’s intention this month: “That each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from His Sacred Heart, learn to have compassion on the world.” We reflect on how to look at humanity with the sentiments of Christ and to take action to alleviate the suffering of the weakest.

Pope Leo-inspired garden takes shape at the Vatican

Vatican gardeners plant botanical reproduction of pope’s coat of arms. ▪ SEE PAGE 26

How Jesus’ visits to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque spread love of His Sacred Heart

year, June 27, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The heart has always represented the whole person, and the Heart of Jesus is the symbol of His eternal love for us. The solemnity is our opportunity to acknowledge His love and offer repentance for the times when we have ignored His affection.

It was a young nun named Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Visitation order at Paray-le-Monial, France, who would become Jesus’ conduit to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart throughout the Church.

This is an ancient devotion that began when the Roman soldier stuck his spear into the side of our crucified Savior, and God’s grace, in the form of water and blood, flowed from His side, from His heart. Saints, theologians, writers and individuals have long recognized the Sacred Heart as the source of endless blessings, mercy and love.

But for centuries, it was mostly a personal devotion. In the 17th century, Catholicism was under attack from the spread of Protestantism and the heretical beliefs of Jansenism. The Jansenists, who

were Catholics, claimed that only a chosen few people would reach heaven and that God was to be feared. They degraded the humanity of Jesus, including His Heart, and wanted the Church to return to the

rigorous penances of the past. Both Protestantism and Jansenism impacted the fervor the faithful had for many Church teachings.

Beginning in 1673 and over a period of more than 18 months, Sister Alacoque claimed to have received visions during which our Lord Jesus displayed His Sacred Heart as the symbol of His love for mankind and told her that she was to be his instrument to spread a universal devotion to His Divine Heart.

In one vision, Jesus appeared with His “Divine Heart, enthroned, as it were, in flames, was surrounded by a crown of thorns, and the wound it had received was still open, while a cross more brilliant than the sun, surmounted all,” according to “The Beauties of the Catholic Church” by F.J. Shadler.

Sister Alacoque said Jesus told her that despite loving mankind so much that He gave His life for them, He was being treated with irreverence, coldness and ingratitude. He wanted the world to recognize the love He continually poured out for them symbolized by His Sacred Heart, and for mankind to make amends for their ingratitude.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise to the Sacred Heart

Lord, You deserve all honor and praise because Your love is perfect and Your heart sublime.

My heart is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the many blessings and graces You have bestowed upon me and those whom I love.

Forever undeserving, may I always be attentive and never take for granted the gifts of mercy and love that flow so freely and generously from Your Sacred Heart. Heart of Jesus, I adore You.

Heart of Jesus, I praise You.

Heart of Jesus, I thank You. Heart of Jesus, I love You forever and always. Amen.

little influence beyond her order, so it was St. Colombiere and St. John Eudes who promoted the feast day to the faithful and the Holy See.

Universal approval eventually came from the Vatican in August 1856 during the reign of Pope Pius IX (r. 1846-78). In 1899, Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878-1903), encouraged by Catholics around the world, consecrated humanity to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

BY D.D. EMMONS Special to the Herald

He urged her to begin a personal devotion to His Divine Heart by receiving Communion every first Friday and spending an hour in prayer the night before; both focused on seeking His pardon and making reparation for mankind’s desertion of His love.

In another vision, Jesus asked her to establish a Church feast day to honor His Sacred Heart. On that day, the faithful would attend Mass, receive Communion, profess their love and offer reparation for the insults He had suffered. These visions are the basis for the First Friday devotions and the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The love and compassion of Jesus’ Heart dispel the heresies of Jansenism.

When Sister Alacoque first shared her visions, many were skeptical. St. Claude de la Colombiere, her Jesuit spiritual adviser, recognized her holiness and sincerity. As a cloistered nun, she had

Today, the devotion is celebrated at every first Friday Mass, which is found at many parishes, and the solemnity is part of the Church calendar. It is honored through prayers and countless images, including depictions of our Lord holding His flaming, compassionate heart. Many homes are consecrated to the Sacred Heart with home enthronements.

During Eucharistic Adoration, the faithful revere the Sacred Heart in Benediction prayers: “May the heart of Jesus, in the most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time.”

Sister Alacoque died in 1690 and was canonized alongside St. Joan of Arc in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. Some argue that, like in the 17th century, our fervor for the Sacred Heart is again waning today. Turning to the visions and words of Margaret Mary, once again we can rally to this symbol, this source of Christ’s love. † –

D.D. Emmons writes for OSV News from Pennsylvania.

OSV NEWS PHOTO

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is depicted witnessing visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a painting at the Church of St. Martin de Montchamp in Valdallière, France.

SACRED HEART, from page 1

from page 1

that can help us grow in faith. Here are a few sites worth considering.

Catholics in the Archdiocese have two pilgrimage sites designated as special places of prayer in Galveston-Houston: St. Mary Cathedral Basilica (2011 Church St., Galveston), also known as the Mother Church of Texas, and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Additionally, Catholics can also visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham (7809 Shadyvilla Ln., Houston), which is part of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

A HILL COUNTRY JOURNEY

For many at Archdiocesan parishes more distant from the cathedral basilica in Galveston and the downtown cocathedral, it might be a shorter (and less stressful!) drive to pilgrim sites designated by neighboring dioceses.

For example, Catholics in Grimes and Montgomery counties could visit St. Joseph Parish (507 E 26th St., Bryan) and St. Mary’s Catholic Center (603 Church Ave., College Station), the latter which features a new sanctuary with a soaring dome and intricate paintings.

Those on the Archdiocese’s far west side could pack up a suitcase and a cooler and make the trek to the Archdiocese of San Antonio, where pilgrims have a choice of 23 sites to visit, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower (1715 N Zarzamora St., San Antonio; Phone: 210-735-9126; Web: littleflowerbasilica.

org), which will host the Centenary Reliquary of St. Thérèse from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, one of only two of French saint’s major reliquaries in the world.

Alternatively, the Concepción, San Francisco de la Espada, San José and San Juan Capistrano missions, part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and collectively Texas’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site, are also welcoming Texas pilgrims. These famous missions, some more than 300 years old, also comprise the Camino de San Antonio, a 12-mile pilgrimage trail to all five mission sites, including San Fernando Cathedral in downtown San Antonio, plus the optional Mission San Antonio de Valero, known as the Alamo. The trail, which can be taken north to south (and south to north), can be done

all at once in one day (if you can!) and across a series of visits or days, both of which can be done by foot, bike or car.

With adequate preparation for the Texas Hill Country’s heat, an early sunrise trek on the Camino de San Antonio can be a physically invigorating and spiritually renewing encounter, perhaps ending with Mass at the Cathedral or the Espada mission. And maybe bring a change of clothes.

Of note, pilgrims who walk the entire route in San Antonio can receive 30 km credit toward the Camino Ingles (English route) along the famous El Camino de Santiago, making the Camino de San Antonio part of an official route of the Spanish Camino and the only place to begin the journey outside of Europe. Pilgrims can begin their journey and find support facilities at the Padre Margil Pilgrimage Center (263 Felisa St., San Antonio. Open Monday to Saturday, 9

a.m. to 5 p.m.; Phone: 210-357-5601; Web: caminosanantonio.org).

A TRIP TO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

For Catholics looking to head down to the U.S.-Mexico border, consider a visit to the Brownsville Diocese’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral (1218 E Jefferson St., Brownsville) and the Basilica of the National Shrine of San Juan del Valle (400 Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan; 956-787-0083; Web: olsjbasilica.org) and its sprawling Stations of the Cross, popular Sunday Masses with Mariachi music, mosaics, iconic candle-lit shrine and even an on-site hotel and café.

PRAYER BY THE BAY

On the way down to the Valley, Catholics can also visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt (134 Front St., Rockport; Phone: 361-729-2019; Web: schoenstatt-lamar.us) in Lamar, near Rockport. Facing the rustic Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi in the distance, built in 1959, this small chapel is a scaled replica of a German chapel that’s home to the Schoenstatt movement. On Nov. 11 and Dec. 4, the shrine will host a special day of prayer for the Jubilee Year. At each pilgrim site, Catholics can receive a special jubilee indulgence, and the standard indulgence conditions apply: be in a state of grace, have gone to confession or plan to go soon, receive Communion and pray for the pope’s intentions. As with any journey, call pilgrim sites before leaving home and visit their websites to confirm open hours, Mass times and other details.

To learn more about the Jubilee Year and find other pilgrimage sites, visit www.archgh.org/jubilee2025. †

JUBILEE,

CAMINO DE SAN ANTONIO

LITTLE FLOWER BASILICA SAN JUAN DEL VALLE SHRINE

st. thomas high school 2025

Marcos Arriola

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Eduardo Villalobos

David Vingerhoedt

Evan Wagner

Mitchell Weatherford

Basilio Williams

Evan Wisnoski

Lucas Wood

Nickolas Yankowsky

Nicholas Zakarevicz

Eli Zamore

Jack Zaunbrecher

Conference aims to inspire parishioners into fully engaged church participation

BY RHONDA BEAN  Special to the Herald

HOUSTON — While priests and deacons are required to offer Mass and celebrate the Sacraments at the parishes, they cannot do the ministry and outreach required to fully serve the people of God without help. It takes the entire parish community offering their gifts, talents, donations and prayers to make it all possible. By drawing the faithful into a deeper participation in parish life, parishes can be more impactful and prolific in their ministries.

To promote best practices and new ideas in using stewardship and effective communications to reach the people in the pews, the Archdiocesan Office of Communication and the Office of Development are collaborating to bring the fourth-annual Parish Engagement Conference to the Archdiocese on July 19.

The conference, set from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., will be hosted at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, located at 19222 Tomball Pkwy. in Houston. This one-day conference includes more than 20 inperson presentations and workshops, with offerings in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as networking opportunities and access to over a dozen vendors and sponsors.

The conference aims to offer stewardship and effective communication strategies that can be applied to all parishes around the Archdiocese, according to Sean O’Driscoll, senior communications manager for the Office of Communications.

“The conference is for clergy, parish staff, stewardship committees, pastoral councils, finance councils and anyone who wants to learn how to more effectively invite parishioners to participate more fully in the life and ministry of the Church,” he said.

O’Driscoll said parish engagement requires an ongoing commitment to education and awareness. Workshops and presentations will cover topics such as volunteer recruitment, increasing parish offertory, welcoming new parishioners, effective messaging strategies, and more.

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Scott Whitaker, secretariat director for Stewardship and Development of the Diocese of Austin, speaks at the second-annual Archdiocesan Parish Engagement Conference. The conference returns to Prince of Peace on July 19.

“It offers opportunities to hear ideas, insights and best practices from both national ministry leaders and local parish leadership,” he said. “We will also have several workshops in Spanish and Vietnamese to address the needs of those specific communities.”

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O’Driscoll said motivating parishioners to give of their time, talent and treasure requires creating effective messages that connect with people, inspire, inform

WANT TO GO?

PARISH ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE

When: Saturday, July 19

Where: Prince of Peace 19222 Tomball Pkwy. Houston, TX 77070

Cost: $10 per person, includes lunch. No charge for clergy. Info: www.archgh.org/engage

and call them to action. Whether it is moving from being a one-time volunteer to committing to a ministry, giving $10 a week instead of $5, attending Mass every Sunday instead of once or twice a month, or simply deciding to pray more and possibly attend an adult faith formation class.

“We must recognize that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God,” he said. “We are called to be grateful and generous with those gifts.”

The cost is $10 per person and includes lunch. There is no charge for clergy. For more information and to register, visit www.archgh.org/engage.

CONGRATULATIONS

TO THE 2025 GRADUATING CLASS OF FRASSATI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

The Board of Directors, administration, faculty and staff of Frassati Catholic High School are proud to recognize the Class of 2025.

The 69 members of the Class of 2025 have been accepted to 73 colleges and universities, earning over $8.1 million in scholarship offers. Two students will join Holy Trinity Seminary through the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to discern the priesthood. Acceptances include Ave Maria University, Benedictine College, Catholic University of America, Christendom College, Creighton University, Duquesne University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Gonzaga University, Marquette University, Seton Hall University, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, Universidad de Navarra, University of Dallas, University of Notre Dame, University of St. Thomas, Villanova University, and Xavier University. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

PRESENTING THE CLASS OF 2025

Sophie Grace Albert*

Mary Lynn Anderson

Noah Astorga-Araya*‡

Joshua Sutton Blakesley*

Brynn Broussard

Felipe Jose Campos-Amaya

Bailey Claire Carney*

Celina Marie Rose Cecil

Regina Chapa Espinosa*‡◊

Christopher Thomas Cline

Jacob Elliot Cordova

Jasiah David Cordova

Gustin Charles Cornwell

Joseph David Davenport

Hannah Michelle de Koster*◊

Jimena de la Maza*‡

Manuel Thomas Del Valle*◊

Melina Addison Doucet*‡

Julie Ann Erickson

Leonardo Tarcisio Esparza*◊

Luca Alejandro Fournier

Zane Alexander Gilliam

Nicholas Dylan Gonzalez

Alexander Groning

Chloe Katherine Heim*

Emily Clair Hellen*

Lucia Hernandez

Lorelei Marie Hoff

Caitlin Ariel Jacobs

Thomas Raymond Laher◊

Braxton Landry

Ignacio José Lasta*‡

Elizabeth Anne LeCompte*

Abigail Lee

Christopher Albert Lenz

Rebecca Christine Liepman*

Fabiola Sophia Linscott-Benavente

Jacqueline Arabella Lorenzetti

Tripp Reiley Martin

Savannah Taylor McClintock*

Madeline Ann McCollor

Anthony John McCracken*

Elizabeth Ann Messa‡

Adelaide Fall Miggins*◊

Breelyn Ann Miller*

Agustin Mora◊

Zoe Jude Nobile

Nathalie Domina Nolin

Amelia Grace Payan*‡

Anne Elizabeth Pesce*

Leighton Joseph Pinchback

Stefan Pratt‡

Patrick Naquin Rice

Raul Guillermo Rincon Gallardo

Martinez*◊

Augustine Luke Rudolph*

Ethan Andrew Lawrence Schubert

Jacob Michael Shurman*

Kade Smith

Natalie Anne Splawn

Tatum Louise Spurlin

Clare Strecker*◊

Luke Geyer Tucker*

Ella Louise Valdez*

John Michael Thomas Valka

Alison June-Rose Voisin

Audrey Clara Wall

Jade Jean Wilson

Abigail Grace Womack*

Sonia Rose Gonzalez Zakielarz *National Honor Society

National French Honor Society

Spanish Honor Society

Program helps Gulf coast women religious flourish

The Flourishing Sisterhood project, an initiative of the Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM) at Loyola University New Orleans, was made possible by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Rooted in practical theology, the project was designed to enhance the ongoing spiritual formation, well-being and understanding of aging among Catholic sisters in the Gulf South region. Participating sisters also earned a Loyola Certificate in Spirituality.

For me, this project was a movement of the Holy Spirit, offering me tremendous renewal in my relationship with Jesus, my religious community, my family and my ministry. Over the course of four 10-week terms, more than 60 sisters from about 20 congregations participated in small, intentional learning communities. Each group was led by a trained facilitator and met either in person or on Zoom for two hours a week. While some of the content was new knowledge, other parts served as a renewal of past knowledge that had been set aside due to the many distractions within my ministry. The courses on spirituality, aging and storytelling were practical theology par excellence. They offered practical applications and great relevance to my own personal relationship with Jesus, religious life, ministry and life within the Church and world. It changed my perspective of aging as a religious sister and helped me to look to the future with hope.

The weekly gatherings offered opportunities for sharing the wealth of wisdom, knowledge and experience amongst sisters, contributing still now to my physical, mental, psychological and spiritual growth and that of the other sisters in my group — I refer to them as “my flourishing sisters.” I felt energized at the end of each Zoom meeting — the two-hour gatherings every week were “holy moments.”

I always felt the excitement from the sisters, and I looked forward to

everyone’s enthusiasm to gain new knowledge to share our lives, our stories and ministries together. The trust we built in one another in the midst of vulnerable sharing, serious moments and even good laughs uplifted my spirit every time we met. We cultivated a safe environment where nobody felt judged.

As the facilitator for my learning community, I feel fulfilled and can now say to myself, “This is indeed what it means to flourish in religious life!” There were 11 of us sisters in my learning community, and I’m grateful that we were able to complete the program together, using all that we gained from the program as our motivation and enrichment. One sister in our group even transferred to Rome for studies in the middle of the program but remained committed to joining us weekly for the final two courses despite the seven-hour time difference.

Ours was a diverse group, not only in terms of race and culture but also in being inter-congregational. We shared the unique spiritualities and charisms of our congregations, along with a wealth of ministry experiences from across many continents. We were able to

connect deeply through intercongregational friendship, helping us to share one another’s occasions of joys and sorrows. This is the hope of the Church and of consecrated religious life.   It can be rather difficult to find that sense of hope when we are aging, but the Flourishing Sisterhood program helps me to look to the future with an open spirit, knowing that we, as religious sisters, can and will continue to flourish

at all stages of our lives, even after death. There was no better time to complete the Flourishing Sisterhood Program than during this Jubilee Year of Hope. As Pilgrims of Hope, this program has enhanced our lives with the opportunity to receive the renewing graces of transformation, reconciliation and nourishment. It has helped us to grow in holiness through learning and through sharing of life, knowledge and experiences in communion with one another.

This is not only about what we can do when we are physically strong but also about the legacy of life we leave behind in sharing our stories, told in our own voices and heard by those who listen now and even those who will listen after we have gone to eternal rest. We remain excited to go forth and continue to flourish as we nourish and enrich the lives of others through our consecration and commitment to serve humanity. †

Sister Morenikeji “Francisca” Faseemo, SSMA, is a U.S. mission superior of the Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel, a congregation celebrating its 25th year of serving in schools, hospitals and pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese.

CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA

Clemson University

College of Charleston

Colorado College

Colorado State University

DePaul University

DePawl University

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Southern College

Fordham University

George Mason University

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University New Orleans Manhattan University

Marquette University

Michigan State University

Mississippi State University

New York Institute of Technology

North Carolina A&T University

Northwestern University

Oklahoma State University

Pennsylvania State University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhodes College

Rice University

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Saint Leo University

Saint Louis University

Saint Mary's College

Savannah College of Art and Design

Seattle University

Southern Methodist University

St. John's University

Syracuse University

Texas A&M University

Texas Christian University

Texas Tech University

The American University of Paris

The Catholic University of America

The George Washington University

The University of Alabama

The University of Tennessee

The University of Texas at Austin

The University of the South

Trinity College Dublin Tulane University

University of Arkansas

University of Calgary

University of Connecticut

University of Dallas

University of Florida

University of Houston

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

University of Mississippi

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of the Incarnate Word

University of Tulsa

University of Vermont

Utah State University

Yale University

OBITUARIES

Father Vincent Chacko

KERALA, India — Father Vincent Chacko, former parochial vicar of Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church in Katy, died May 27 in Kerala, India. He was 73 years old.

He served at Epiphany of the Lord from 2020 to 2025.

A funeral Mass was celebrated in Kerala, India, on June 2 at St. Xavier’s Knanaya Catholic Church. A memorial Mass was celebrated May 31 at Epiphany of the Lord in Katy. †

Patty Espenhover

KERRVILLE — Patty Alspaugh Espenhover, mother of Deacon Mitchell Schumann, who is a transitional deacon studying in Rome, died May 20 after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 60 years old.

Her funeral Mass was held May 31 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville. Interment is in Kerrville Garden of Memories. †

IN MEMORIA

July 1, 1993 Rev. Anthony T. Orlando

July 2, 1891 Rev. John Lafarge, SJ

July 2, 1991 Rev. Edbert Staresinic, OCarm

July 4, 1888 Rev. Pierre Dumont

July 4, 1989 Rev. Justin O’Connell, OCarm

July 4, 1992 Rev. Rene M. Vermillion, CSB

July 5, 1895 Rev Patrick Kellett

July 5, 1984 Msgr. Thomas M. Cemon

July 6, 1927 Rev. Morgan J. Crowe

July 6, 2022 Msgr. Seth Hermoso

July 7, 1939 Rev. Patrick J. O’Reilly, CSC

July 8, 1920 Rev. Michael Martin Crowe

July 8, 2002 Rev. Guy Fregeau

July 9, 1930 Rev. James Chaland

July 9, 2005 Rev. Walter N. Sheffield

July 10, 1989 Rev. John D. Oster, SJ

July 10, 2003 Msgr. C.J. Alleman

July 11, 2002 Rev. Warren J. Freret

July 12, 1968 Rev. A.M. Maechler

July 12, 1980 Rev. John C. McDonald, MS

July 13, 1999 Rev. Angelo Moscato, cs

July 14, 1962 Rev. Eugene Burbott, CSB

July 14, 2014 Rev. Charles Lynch,CSB

July 15, 1970 Rev. Chester C. Ball, SSJ

July 15, 1985 Rev. Peter S. Harnett

July 15, 2008 Rev. John LaBauve, SVD

July 16, 1960 Msgr. Matthew J. Daly

July 16, 1962 Rev. Joseph G. Robinson

July 17, 1932 Rev. John Joseph Harte

July 17, 1994 Bishop Enrique San Pedro, SJ

July 18, 1943 Rev. Robert C. Frei

July 18, 1996 Rev. John Nijenhuis, OCarm

July 18, 2002 Rev. Eugene Gillece

July 18, 2002 Rev. Clifton J. Natho

July 19, 1947 Rev. Louis A. LeBlanc

July 19, 2001 Rev. Ralph G. Schmidt Jr.

July 19, 2011 Rev. Richard DiLeo, SCJ

July 19, 2013 Rev. Bernard C. Snock

July 20, 1918 Rev. William J. Lee

July 20, 2023 Rev. Roy Oggero, CSB

July 22, 2002 Rev. J.B. Huynh Ngoc Tran

July 23, 2009 Msgr. Leroy H. Braden

July 24, 2000 Rev. Thomas D. Sheehan, OP

July 25, 1968 Rev. William B. O’Toole, CSB

July 26, 1988 Rev. Rodney Poythress

July 28, 1849 Rev. James Fitzgerald

July 29, 2011 Rev. Frank W. Jones

July 30, 2001 Rev. Alvin F. Dixon, SVD

July 31, 1997 Msgr. Gilbert F. Pekar

July 31, 2001 Rev. John O’Rourke, SSJ

July 31, 2022 Rev. Peter Thang Nguyen

Shop online at www.saccos.com Our downtown location has temporarily relocated. We are NOW OPEN at 2409 Austin Street

(two streets behind our San Jacinto Street building) We will re-open our main location as soon as possible. Order by phone or email 713-659-4709 or sacco@saccos.com • Catholic Gifts • Catholic Devotional Items • Church Supplies • Clergy Apparel

Enjoy the Good News? Pass it on!

Finished reading your Texas Catholic Herald? Recycle it or pass it on to someone else!

“Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical calls us to renew the dialogue on how we are building our planet’s future, as we unite in the pursuit of sustainable and integral development, taking care to protect the common home entrusted to us by God.”

– Pope Leo XIV

HOUSTON — Catholics in the Archdiocese have two opportunities this month to support seminarians in formation for the priesthood and the pope’s humanitarian and social initiatives.

The Archdiocese continues to prepare the men who will shepherd the city’s rapidly growing 1.7 million Catholics at St. Mary’s Seminary.

On the weekend of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ — Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22 — also known as Corpus Christi, the total offertory in every parish of the Archdiocese supports the formation of seminarians of the Archdiocese studying at St. Mary’s or at other seminaries, the operation of St. Mary’s Seminary and the formation of seminarians of the religious communities who serve in our Archdiocese.

Catholics are called to unity with one another — not merely as individuals in their own communities but as the Body of Christ united in prayer and fraternity with their bishops in communion with Pope Leo XIV. On the weekend of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul — Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29 — parishes will host the Peter’s Pence collection, sharing the opportunity to express this unity with the pope in a practical way.

Since the earliest days of the Church, Christian disciples have given some of their resources to support the preaching mission of

the apostles and to give aid to the poor and needy, both in their local communities and abroad. Based on this foundation, Catholics throughout the centuries have given an annual collection to the Holy Father as a sign of unity with his mission of mercy to preach the Gospel and aid those most in need.

This tradition continues to this day, when Catholics around the world answer the Holy Father’s call with “concrete signs of hope” by supporting the twofold mission of the Peter’s Pence Collection as set by the Holy See: “to support the Holy Father’s mission, which extends throughout the entire world, from the proclamation of the Gospel to the promotion of integral human development, education, peace and brotherhood among people: thanks also to the many activities of service carried out by the dicasteries, organizations of the Holy See that assist him every day; and to support the numerous charitable works in aid of people and families in difficulty, populations afflicted by natural disasters and wars, or who are in need of humanitarian assistance or support for development.”

To learn more about Peter’s Pence, visit www.obolodisanpietro.va/en.html. †

Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of July.

Corpus Christi June 21 - 22, 2025

Peter’s Pence June 29 - 30, 2025

Douglas Arrajj

Lorenzo Aveledo

Madilynn Barragan

Sophia Beller

Brooke Bengel

Daniel Ignacio Bigott

Picasso

Caroline Bland

Ana Caldentey

Anna Clement

Grayson Coveny

Valerie Cruz

Maelle Davey

Ella Delaune

Anastasia Dementyev

Ciaran Donovan

William Doughtie

Jack Ebel

Bethany Englishbee

Walker Focke

Nairod Fonseca

Brennan Garcia

Averi Garrity

Roser Ginebra Saavedra

Ethan Givens

Andrew Gomez

Kylee Gomez

Gabriel Gonzalez

Lillian Gorham

Melissa Guthrie

Michael Hanania

Annelise Hancock

Catherine Hebert

Caroline Higgins

Samuel Hildebrand

Sophia Hugenberg

Karter Kavanagh

Jaclyn Khong

Sammy Khoury II

Eleanor Kline

Parker Koons

Samuel Lahr

Jaxson Lawton

Simon Lee

Lauren Leech

Chang Li

Alyssa Lozano

Angelina Mandel

Monica Martin

Dante Gage Mazzoccoli

Jenna McGuire

Ryan McIntyre

Giovanni Melendez

Samantha Monarch

Megan Morello

Sofia Morris

Emma Morrison

Isabella Munoz

Elise Myers

Mark Naddaf

Paul Naddaf

Rosemary Neslony

Gia-Khanh Nguyen

Le Nhat Anh Nguyen

Michelle Nguyen

Preston Nguyen

Riley Nieting

Molly Oelkers

Matthew Ojo

Panayiotis Palumbis

Matthew Parmenter

Gabriela Parra

Josh Pfeifer

Hoang Khanh Nguyen

Karla Pham

Matthew Pham

Christopher Pietrak

Nathan Purvis

Priya Ramharack

Robert Ramirez

Jose Antonio Ricaud

Calleigh Richardson

Peter Rider

Breyten Rijken

Julia Rodger

Elise Rogers

Emma Sáenz

Therese Salazar

Sarah Sanchez

Robert Silas

Juan Carlos Sosa

Jackson Stoddard

Caroline Suire

Peter Sutton

Kylie Tran

Andrew Underwood

Fabiana Urdaneta

Nicholas Villarreal

Valeria Villasana

Lorenza Villegas

Hudson Waits

Youyang Yang

You You

Alyssa Zeidan

Eight things that make for a great Catholic dad

BY CORY BUSSE Special to the Herald

Being a Catholic dad is both a great privilege and a big responsibility. Along with their mothers, we fathers, grandfathers and godfathers have been entrusted to raise our kids to know and love God and to prepare them for lives as Catholic men and women. Odds are, we’re good at it, we enjoy it, and we all deserve a pat on the back for the work we do raising our children in the faith.

In this list, you will undoubtedly see some things suggested that you’re already doing. But you may also see some that serve as reminders of how to be a better and more effective Catholic dad.

As we celebrate Father’s Day, pick one or two of the following practices that will make a big difference for your family and start doing them.

1. Keep holy the Lord’s Day and all those other days, too

Fatherhood is the ultimate exercise in getting priorities straight. In too many households, mom is the “keeper of the faith.” She’s often the one who herds the family into the car on Sunday morning for Mass. But this cannot be good enough for us. Our kids are watching, and they will do what we do.

They’re watching if we’re ambivalent about getting to Mass. They’re watching if we’re checking the time during the homily, calculating whether or not we’ll make it home before kickoff. But the good news is, they’re also watching when we do things right!

their forgiveness when we mess up, and show them that we and their mothers forgive and ask forgiveness of each other all the time. This reminds them — as God reminds us — that mistakes are allowed. They are fully human and fully expected as part of our faith journey.

4. Give and let give

An old expression advises, “When there’s a piano to be moved, don’t reach for the stool.” Generosity certainly isn’t a value unique to Catholicism. But making it a non-negotiable part of our families’ lives — no matter what our circumstances — is a part of our faith.

Again, this is the behavior we, as dads, can and must model if we expect our children to learn compassion. Let your kids put the envelope in the church collection basket on Sunday. When family, friends, or charitable organizations ask for your help, identify what you enjoy or what you’re best at and pitch in. Let your children see you giving, and talk with them about why you give and why giving is important.

5. Play and have fun

LIVING A LIFE OF PRAYER

My dad can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but he sings in full voice every Sunday; our kids notice when we have our priorities straight — when we sing, pray and actively participate with our faith communities.

2. Teach your children faith

If we want our children to have faith in God, we’ll teach them to believe in things they cannot experience with their five natural senses. Talking about molecules, germs or black holes is a good start. We all accept that there are everyday realities we’ll never see firsthand, but they are real. This is, of course, the foundation for teaching them our faith.

We need to nurture our own faith in order to be able to teach it — whether that means regular prayer and Scripture study, spiritual reading or active involvement at the parishes. Faith is learned best by example, and it requires genuine belief. It requires surrender. And the single best way to raise children who have unshakable faith in God is to teach them that there are things they can trust and believe in unconditionally — like their dads.

3. Don’t forget forgiveness

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a uniquely Catholic ritual. Few other traditions require that sinners confess sins aloud. In this way, Catholicism teaches accountability as well as reminding us of God’s bottomless well of forgiveness — great lessons to teach our kids. But it’s easy to leave those values at the confessional.

As Catholic fathers, we have an added responsibility. The accountability our faith has taught us requires us to admit to our children when we are wrong, ask

A Prayer to St. Joseph for Fathers

Dear St. Joseph, Patron of Fathers, just as you watched over Jesus, guide and protect all fathers so that they, in turn, can guide and protect their families. Give them the graces of wisdom, courage, understanding and forgiveness. Through your intercession, help them show us the path to holiness. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

My wife, a Catholic theologian, has a favorite quote from Rabbi David Wolpe’s book “The Healer of Shattered Hearts”: “It doesn’t have to be somber to be sacred.” Many of us mistakenly expect children to apply adult maturity to our faith, but one way to reveal Catholicism’s beauty is by letting kids experience it on their own terms. Using play, story and song to unfold Scripture and tradition for the youngest of our flock is the foundation of children’s Liturgy of the Word, vacation Bible school and religious education. When my wife and I read Bible stories to our kids, we do character voices. Driving home from Mass, we re-sing the closing song (the upbeat ones, anyway). If we truly believe we are created in God’s image, then surely laughter and lightheartedness can enrich our faith as well.

6. Get caught praying

Don’t let the only time the kids hear their dad talk about God be when His name is (accidentally, hopefully) taken in vain or when that three-word phrase becomes a blurred-word exclamation when someone cuts you off on the freeway. Get “caught” praying and pray with your children — over meals, at bedtime, anytime. Praying with someone is a pretty intimate act. In our house, we have a little outline we like to follow. We always start with prayers of gratitude, thanking God for our many blessings. Then, we move to asking for blessings for people we know and love or for people who might need God’s help. Finally, we can get into the nitty-gritty “gimmes”: praying for good weather for field trips or for the strength and wisdom to do well in our work or at school. Doing so teaches our kids that we’re all in an ongoing relationship and conversation with God. And that the conversation requires them to talk as well as to listen.

7. Be “Mr. Doesn’t-Know-It-All”

The sky is blue. “Why?” Because of the sun. “Why?” Because when shortspectrum light waves from the sun enter our atmosphere, they strike air molecules and our eyes perceive the effect as blue.

“Why?” Sigh. We’ve all played the “Why?” game. Dads often put a lot of pressure on themselves not to get stumped. But questions of faith are common (and often come out of the blue):“Why do we die?” ...“What’s a soul?” ...“How does that Trinity thing work?” Unfortunately, satisfying answers aren’t always at the ready. “Go ask your mother” is only acceptable once — twice if it’s Father’s Day. “I don’t know” is a legitimate answer, but the real grace comes in what we say next: “Let’s look it up together.”There is something special about finding answers with our children. Those are the lessons that stick.

8. Traditionnnnn! Tradition!

My mother collected more than 100 statues of the Madonna, and her devotion had a huge impact on me, my four siblings and scores of others she met throughout her life. After she died, most

of those statues went back to the people who gave them to her as reminders of my mother’s belief in the strength of Mary’s holy intercession.

When I tell that story to non-Catholics, however, it never has the impact I look for. Let’s face it, like Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” we as Catholics hold on to much “tradition” that other religions just don’t “get.” Ashes on our foreheads. The Hail Mary. The communion of saints. Rosaries. Novenas. Holy water. These “sacramentals” are what make us uniquely Catholic. They give comfort, grow faith and are very much worth preserving. Passing on these rituals to our children — not just by rote, but by practice — teaches them that being Catholic means that they are part of deep and long-held traditions. And it teaches them that, as Catholics, they will never be alone. † – Cory Busse writes for OSV News from Minnesota.

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

JESUIT

STRAKE JESUIT

College Preparatory

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STRAKE JESUIT

CLASS OF 2025

As graduates of a Catholic, Jesuit institution, these young men of the Class of 2025 are uniquely prepared for both college and the world that awaits them. They are Men for Others, formed to live out the call of Christ to actively contribute to building a more just and loving society. The five traits that they carry with them are described as the Strake Jesuit Graduate at Graduation. These young men have been challenged to become Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Doing Justice.

Graduation marks the end of the first frontier of life. From prekindergarten to high school, family and friends have helped the senior Class of 2025 embrace their victories, disappointments, goals and life lessons, steering from one to the next frontier.

For the Class of 2025, the new frontier is packed with opportunities, with several students already discerning religious vocations and pursuing science and technology careers. With their challenges and discoveries, these frontiers have no boundaries and change their lives, mold their futures and increase their faith, all preparing them for life on their terms in the light of the Gospel.

The Texas Catholic Herald salutes the accomplishments of the top students of the Archdiocesan graduating Class of 2025.

CRISTO REY JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

An Outstanding student from Cristo Rey Jesuit (CRJ) College Preparatory School’s 2025 graduating class is Khiem Nguyen. He will attend the University of St. Thomas in Houston in the fall, where he plans to pursue a degree in nursing.

At Cristo Rey, Nguyen participated in the Corporate Work-Study Program, which introduced him to healthcare while working at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He also participated in football, student orientation and the Boys and Girls Club. He was also an altar server, in Boys Scouts and the Vietnamese Scouts.

Another Outstanding student from Cristo Rey’s 2025 graduating class is Michell Lopez. She received a full scholarship to Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, where she will double major in computer science and biology, focusing on advanced medical research and the progression of patient care.

At Cristo Rey, Lopez participated in the Corporate WorkStudy Program, which introduced her to the rapid immersion of technology in medicine. She served as treasurer/ secretary of the Wood Club project, student ambassador, and member of the Keystone Club and National Honor Society. She also played basketball and softball.

In the community, she volunteered at organizations such as Bread of Life, Hermann Park Conservancy and the Houston Food Bank. A particularly impactful experience was a junior year spring break mission trip to Eagle Pass, Texas, where she helped rebuild housing for migrants and assisted at the migrant center.

DUCHESNE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART

Addison Welo is the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Class of 2025 Valedictorian. This fall, she will attend the University of Texas at Austin and study accounting at the McCombs School of Business. Her goal is to complete the integrated five-year Master in Professional Accounting program, and then sit for the

HONORING THE CLASS OF 2025

ON TO NEW FRONTIERS

CPA exam and apply for licensure immediately after graduation.

Over the past nine years at Duchesne Academy, Welo has developed both leadership and serviceoriented skills. She served as a school ambassador, was a member and captain of the Duchesne Charger Girls varsity dance team, and was inducted into the National Honor Society. Welo also volunteered as a teacher’s assistant at the Tuttle School and on-campus through Duchesne’s Global and Social Awareness program.

Cecilia Pritchett is the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Class of 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend Texas A&M University in College Station, where she plans to study engineering in the honors program. After earning her undergraduate degree, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in aerospace engineering and ultimately work for NASA in the space program. Throughout high school, Pritchett volunteered at a local elementary school as part of Duchesne’s Global and Social Awareness program. This past year, she ran the volunteer tutoring program at Duchesne, helping students with their coursework. In addition to service, Pritchett was engaged in several

The Frassati Catholic High School Class of 2025 Salutatorian Amelia Payan is an AP Scholar with Honors, a National Merit Commended Student and also earned recognition on the Principal’s List and Honor Roll.

She has been an integral part of the school’s theater productions as a stage manager and was a leader on the cheer team as well as a four-year band member. Additionally, she was a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society and a student ambassador. Payan will be attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.

INCARNATE WORD ACADEMY

The Incarnate Word Academy Class of 2025 Valedictorian Ruby Ramirez will be attending Trinity University in San Antonio and majoring in engineering and possibly minoring in astronomy with hopes of having a career in aerospace engineering. Throughout her high school career, Ramirez has been active in her community through the hours she spent in service. She volunteered at Vacation Bible School for two summers, and she has served with the Stitching Angels group, crocheting baby blankets for young, single mothers in need of support. At the beginning of her senior year, one of her friends and she co-founded the school’s chess club. Other organizations she’s participated in include clubs and sports like golf, book club, origami club and crochet club.

organizations, including the debate team, where she competed in public forum events and ran the team as co-president this past year, the varsity swim team, and the National Honor Society, in which she served as vice president.

FRASSATI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

The Frassati Catholic High School Class of 2025 Valedictorian Breelyn Miller will be attending Texas A&M University at College Station in the fall. She was a CLT10 Regional Scholar, an AP Scholar with Honors and a National Merit Commended Student, earning also recognition on the Principal’s List and Honor Roll.

The Incarnate Word Academy Class of 2025 Salutatorian Erin Baumeister will attend Rice University and major in biochemistry with hopes of pursuing a career in medical research.

At Frassati, she was the president of the National Honor Society and has participated in and served in leadership roles in three different sports: cross country, soccer and track, for which she has earned many awards, including the Falcon Award and all-district honors. Miller also serves as a student ambassador, a peer tutor and has volunteered many hours for local charities and at her parish.

Baumeister served her community at DECATS and also volunteered as a grad assistant every summer in high school to help run the camp, support mentors in the courses and help young students explore new interests. She plans on working as a junior mentor this year and have an even more involved role in teaching courses. Baumeister also participated in the National Charity League throughout high school, volunteering with a variety of philanthropy organizations, planning and running charity events, and participating in grade-level and chapter-wide meetings.

Baumeister was co-president of the Stitching Sisters crochet club for 2 years, co-president of the STEM+ club for 1 year, a member of the Environmental Club, a Falcon Ambassador for 3 years, captain of the tennis team for 2 years (and went to the state tournament three times), and a member of National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica and Mu Alpha Theta. She also earned the National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction awards.

O’CONNELL COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

The O’Connell College Preparatory School Class of 2025 Valedictorian

Juan Manuel Lance Callis will attend Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and study mechanical engineering, then aerospace engineering.

Callis has served his local community by serving at parish food banks and fish frys while also participating in beach clean-ups. At school, Callis has volunteered more than 100 hours for the music program, also raising more than $1,000 to benefit that program. He has also been involved in the National Honor Society, Student Council, student ambassador, and the NASA High School of Aerospace Scholars.

The O’Connell College Preparatory School Class of 2025 Salutatorian Pamela Cabada will attend the University of Houston this fall, pursuing a public health major with a minor in biology. She hopes to attend medical school and become a physician.

Cabada has worked at several food drives for the past several years. He volunteered more than 100 hours, raising $1,400 for the M.I. Lewis Social Service Center in Dickinson, where she interned for most of her senior year.

In school, Cabada was part of the varsity volleyball team for four years and served as captain for the last two, ran on the cross-country team, and was a manager for the school’s basketball team. As a member of the National Honor Society, she served as secretary and then vice-president. She was a member of the Student Council, also serving as class president during her junior and senior years. She was also a student ambassador since her freshman year.

ST. AGNES ACADEMY

Anika Harpavat is the St. Agnes Academy Class of 2025 Valedictorian. She will attend Stanford University in California in the fall to study biology and economics.

In school, Harpavat was involved in AP Mandarin, researched biosensors as a Welch Summer Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin and contributed to carbon-negative biotechnology during an internship at Solugen in Houston. She also served as student body president.

Alyssa Wang is the St. Agnes Academy Class of 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, next fall to major in biochemistry.

At St. Agnes, she earned recognition as a National Merit Finalist and established the Biology Olympiad Club. Wang also pursued research as Welch Summer Scholars at the

University of Texas in Arlington, the University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine, presenting her research findings at international conferences.

In the community, Wang volunteered with Out Loud Dance, an organization that provides an inclusive environment for students with and without disabilities to create, collaborate and share through dance.

ST. JOHN XXIII COLLEGE PREPARATORY

Roser Ginebra Saavedra is the St. John XXIII College Preparatory Class of 2025 Valedictorian. She will attend the University of Texas at Austin, where she plans to pursue neuroscience.

During her time at the school, Saavedra played volleyball for two years and was an active member of several clubs, including Key Club and the Spanish Club. Outside of school, she played club volleyball for four years and tutored math during the school year.

Saavedra’s academic achievements include being recognized as an AP Scholar, a recipient of the National Hispanic Recognition Program award in her junior year, and a member of both the Science National Honor Society and the National Honor Society during her senior year. She was also a member of the Spanish Honor Society in her sophomore and junior years.

Outside of school, she volunteered at the Brookwood Community, the Westview School, Vacation Bible School and the Houston Food Bank.

Anastasia Dementyev is the St. John XXIII College Preparatory Class of 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend Hillsdale College in Michigan on a full-tuition scholarship, majoring in chemistry with possible plans for a music minor, then pursue graduate studies in neuroscience.

During her time at the school, Dementyev served as Key Club secretary and senior representative for Loreto House, a position she also held during her freshman and junior years.

Dementyev was a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the Science Bowl and Quiz Bowl teams. She also showcased her talents in the school play during the spring semester. She was also a member of the varsity swim team for all four years, qualifying for the TAPPS State Meet each year. She earned recognition as a Commended National Merit Scholar, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and was a CLT10 National Award recipient. She was also honored as a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate.

In the community, Dementyev sings with the choir at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Memorial Park. She has served for two years as a core team leader for St. Theresa’s youth group, where she leads weekly faith formation sessions.

ST. PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL

The St. Pius X High School Class of 2025 Valedictorian Vincent Avery Burns will attend Rice University in the

fall to major in biosciences, studying biophysics, cell biology, and chemical and biomolecular engineering. He is also interested in studying epigenetics and the aging process. He hopes to continue his education at Johns Hopkins University and complete an MD/ PhD program there to research the effect of quantum mechanics on chromosomal dynamics and gene mutations.

In the community, he and his family are involved in the Alport Syndrome Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit supporting those with a rare kidney disease. Last year, Burns helped scan some 300 mice kidneys for research and attended the organization’s national conference in Denver in support of his brother, who received a kidney transplant. His brother’s experience inspired him to create a website, Kidney Kid, to share their family’s journey.

In school, he was a member of the Book Club, Panther Peer Tutoring and National Honor Society.

The St. Pius X High School Class of 2025 Salutatorian Kathryn Kirby Gray will attend Texas A&M University in College Station in the fall to study nutrition on a predental track with hopes of becoming an orthodontist. Gray was involved in her church’s youth group and served as a small group leader on many retreats. She went on mission trips and was a part of a national charity league.

In school, she was involved in Student Council for all four years and was student body president her senior year. She was in the National Honor Society and a student ambassador. She also played volleyball as a freshman and sophomore and softball as a freshman and junior.

ST. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL

Evan Wisnoski is the Valedictorian of the St. Thomas High School Class of 2025. This fall, Wisnoski will attend the University of Texas at Austin to study biomedical engineering, hoping to attend medical school and pursue a career in orthopedic medicine.

In the community, Wisnoski volunteered with the Star of Hope Men’s Development Center, Bread of Life, Challenger Baseball, and his home parish, St. Ambrose, where he was a lead altar server, earning recognition at the annual Bishop Sheltz Altar Server Mass.

At St. Thomas, he served as National Honor Society presi-

dent, a four-year Student Council member, a Mu Alpha Theta tutor, a yearbook editor and a Senior Leader. He was also a three-year varsity letterman in baseball and earned First Team All-State honors.

Wisnoski’s commitment to service also included roles in Round Up, campus maintenance and school events. Mathew John Michael is the

Salutatorian of the St. Thomas High School Class of 2025. This fall, Michael will attend Texas A&M University in College Station to study nutrition, hoping to pursue a career in healthcare.

An Eagle Scout, Michael organized and led over 150 hours of environmental restoration with the Galveston Bay Foundation, removing invasive species to support native ecosystems. He also volunteered extensively with HCA Houston hospitals, assisting in emergency and trauma departments.

At St. Thomas, Michael served as student body president, senior leader, an Eagle ambassador and altar server with campus ministry. He was Eagles for Life president, founded the Hispanic Culture Club, played on the rugby team, and served as Environmental Club secretary and Green Terra Project member.

STRAKE JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY

Henry Omanga is the Valedictorian for the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Class of 2025. He will be attending the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to study philosophy.

At Strake Jesuit, Omanga was a twoyear starter and team captain for the football team, a three-year letterman track athlete, the first-ever student leader for the school’s freshman retreat, and vice president of the Veterans Appreciation Club.

In the community, Omanga volunteered at a summer camp, fostering faith and leadership for middle school boys; served as an after-school mentor for middle school boys; and was a teachers’ assistant at Strake Jesuit’s summer enrichment program for middle schoolers from underserved communities.

Matthew Mejia is the Salutatorian for the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Class of 2025. He will attend the University of Notre Dame, majoring in applied and computational mathematics and statistics with a planned supplementary major in medieval studies.

At Strake Jesuit, he helped found an elementary school math tutoring club. He was a four-year member of the orchestra — a first violin his last two years, a Crusader Crew member, Ciszek leader, Bellarmine House captain and Key Club president.

Mejia also served the school community through his faith by leading freshman and Kairos retreats and by altar serving Strake Jesuit’s school-wide Masses. Outside of school, he served St. Dominic Village, playing music to the nursing home’s residents. He was also a competitive foil fencer, having won three national championship medals.

After college, Mejia aspires to enter the seminary and follow his vocation to the priesthood in the hopes of serving God and His people through the Sacraments. †

JUAN CALLIS

PAMELA CABADA

ANIKA HARPAVAT

ROSER SAAVEDRA

ANASTASIA DEMENTYEV

VINCENT BURNS

KATHRYN GRAY

EVAN WISNOSKI

MATHEW MICHAEL

HENRY OMANGA

MATTHEW MEJIA

ALYSSA WANG

YOUTH

Living the Gospel after high school graduation

As a mom trying to raise tiny humans who love God, I can only imagine what it’s like for parents of high school seniors or college students — trying to pass on the faith while also preparing them to survive “adult” life, midterms and figuring out how to do laundry without shrinking everything they own.

by STEPHANIE RUIZ HALLECK

We’ve all seen the statistics — how many young people drift away from their faith during their college years… Jesus calls us to something more, to a deeper connection with Him, no matter where life leads us.

I’ve been a youth minister in our Archdiocese for nine years. I’m also a mom to two little ones. I always tell my 6- and 3-year-olds that I have two main jobs: to keep them safe and to help them

“In ministry, we often see two paths unfold: some teens slowly drift from their faith, while others grow more deeply rooted. What makes the difference? It’s connections.”

fall in love with Jesus and our Catholic faith. (Though let’s be honest — right now, their greatest devotion is to snacks and Bluey.)

As graduation season comes to an end, many teens are filled with both excitement and uncertainty. In ministry, we often see two paths unfold: some teens slowly drift from their faith, while others grow more deeply rooted. What makes the difference? More often than not, it’s connections, specifically connections to a community, that help them stay grounded in their faith.

A good place to start to help your teen look for this is Catholic Campus

Ministries and Newman Centers. These ministries provide a spiritual home away from home — a place to ask questions, meet faithful friends, grow in relationship with Christ and receive the Sacraments during one of the most transformative seasons of life.

As both a parent and a minister, I’ve seen just how important it is to prepare teens not just for college academics or dorm room logistics but for the spiritual challenges they’ll face as young adults. We can’t choose their path, but we can equip them with encouragement, prayer and practical tools for staying rooted in Christ.

Here are a few simple ways to support

ministries, ensuring they know where to go and what times is key.

STAY SPIRITUALLY PRESENT

Attend Mass on campus with them when you go visit. Check in, ask questions, and, most importantly, pray together.

MODEL THE FAITH

Show them what a joyful, consistent and authentic relationship with God looks like. (This is big!)

A joyful, authentic relationship with God is contagious. My own spiritual director, who has walked with me for years, found her way to Jesus simply by watching someone live out their faith with quiet conviction — day in and day out. No lectures, no pressure — just the witness of a life rooted in Christ. That kind of witness can speak louder than words.

SHARE RELEVANT RESOURCES

Find podcasts, books and social media accounts that speak to their season of life and help faith feel personal.

In the end, our role is to walk with young people as they learn to live the Gospel beyond the comfort of their home and parish youth group. Because no matter where life takes them, Christ is already there, calling them deeper. †

Stephanie Ruiz Halleck is the director of youth ministry at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

RECEIVING A JUBILEE INDULGENCE

The conditions necessary for a Jubilee indulgence include:

1. Being in a state of grace and disposed to receive the indulgence

2. Having confessed one’s sins sacramentally

3. Receiving Holy Communion

4. Offer prayers for the Holy Father and his intentions

5. If able, make a pilgrimage to a designated Jubilee pilgrim site, such as Houston’s Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart or St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston

Learn more about the Jubilee online at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/JUBILEE2025

Find multilingual immigration guides, resources and referral information for local

COLUMNIST

For graduates, the journey of faith must continue

May is the season of graduation — a time marked by celebration, reflection and transition. On Sunday, May 4, like many campuses across the country, the Catholic community at the University of Houston gathered to celebrate a special Graduation Mass, honoring more than 20 of our students and their guests. Our celebration was a bittersweet one. While we were filled with pride in their accomplishments and hope for the journeys ahead, we also felt the weight of farewell. These brothers and sisters — who have prayed, worshiped, served and grown with us — are now being sent forth with our love and prayers.

Though their regular participation in our campus community may be coming to a close, the bonds formed in faith remain strong. Our graduates leave with our blessing and the hope that they will continue to seek and find Christ in every

JUNE 15

JUNE 22

JUNE 29

JULY 6

by FATHER QUANG NGUYEN, SCJ

step of their professional and personal journey.

We hope it is clear to our students — and to all of us — that the mission of evangelization does not end with graduation or the closing of a familiar chapter; it simply takes a new form. Isn’t this the rhythm of life for many of us? Change is constant. Yet, the call to live and share the good news of God endures through every shift in our circumstances.

The real question is this: Can we recognize the same Christ who once sent out the disciples now sending our graduates — and us — forth as missionary disciples? He is sending us to

First Reading: Prov 8:22-31

First Reading: Gen 14:18-20

First Reading: Acts 12:1-11

First Reading: Is 66:10-14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 8:4-9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 110:1-4

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 66:1-7, 16, 20

be salt of the earth, light of the world, and leaven in the midst of our daily lives.

Carrying a missionary spirit after graduation doesn’t necessarily mean going overseas or working in formal ministry — though some are called to that path. At its core, it means continuing to live the Gospel wherever we are: in our workplaces, relationships, neighborhoods and communities. It sounds simple, but it is not always easy. It requires intention, effort and perseverance. It may include frustration, disappointment or heartache. And yet, the missionary spirit we are called to embody is one that chooses, again and again, to love, to serve, and to lead with faith, especially in an ordinary and often unseen way.

Even as they leave the familiar rhythm of campus life, we hope our graduates continue to participate in the Church’s living mission — now expressed in a

broader setting. To do so, we must remain rooted in prayer, active in faith, and courageous in witnessing to Christ in both word and deed. In doing this, we allow the seeds planted and nurtured in a faithful and caring community to bear lasting fruit in the world.

May our graduates — and all of us — always remember this simple truth: God goes before us, walks beside us and strengthens us for the journey ahead. Their journey of faith continues. It is not just a path for them to walk — but a way through which Christ reaches others. In the world beyond the walls of campus, they now become His living presence. They are, and always will be, our coworkers in the vineyard of Christ. †

Father Quang Nguyen, SCJ, serves as chaplain-director at the University of Houston Catholic Newman Center.

Second Reading: Rom 5:1-5 Gospel: Jn 16:12-15

Second Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-26 Gospel: Lk 9:11-17

Second Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18 Gospel: Mt 16:13-19

Second Reading: Gal 6:14-18 Gospel: Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

Lisette Mercedes Adrogue

Sabra Mae Ahlquist Zahra Ajani

Anne Olivia Amling

Kaydee Leigh Amorosa

Liliana Rene Anchondo

Irene Ada Aneke

Gabriela Tisha Arenas

Gabriella Rosalio Arzu

Carissa Rose Beil

Sophia Maria Bellard

Analiese Elizabeth Bellows

Abigail Elizabeth Bergman

Justine Ivonne Bering

Jenna Elise Beyer

Sophie Michelle Bireley

Lauren Elizabeth Blasingame

Gabriella Michelle Bode

Isabella Sadie Bosell

Olivia Taschler Botard

Carter Rae Bower

Mackenzie Grace Elaine Bowes

Leah Karen Boyle

Elle Collette Bradley

Sofia Marie Brodie

Isabella Bendana Castro

Elizabeth Danielle Cerda

Sofía Chavez-Lujambio

Chizaram Esther Chinwuba

Zoe Parker Chung

Kendall Claire Clay

Charlotte Carolyn Cohan

Eislen Elizabeth Cohan

Sofia Concha Pinto

Maya Cristina Condon

Katherine Marie Coogan

Gabriela Marie Cook

Ella Leigon Cowan

Caroline Clare Croker

Olivia Elaine Cronin

Megan Thuymi Cung Ace Curtis

Mary-Ann Tran Dang

Rachel Elizabeth Davila

Nadia Elise Dawlett

Mia Adrian de la Garza

Abby Lorraine DeGregori

Sophia Cecile Deutschen

Sadie Rose Dvorachek

Zoë Christianna Rahuba Dypiangco

Piper Reese Egan

Annabelle Theresa Elacqua

Sophia Alessandra Ellestad

Summer Caroline Ellison

Katerina Louise Escobar

Madeline Cecilia Escobedo

Ella Ann Etlinger

Kyra Onyeomachim Ezikeuzor

Lily May Fellows

Abigail Catherine Fendrick

Helena Weber Fernandes

Maria Paulina Ferrante

Caroline Paige Ferretti

Kendall Paige Fisher

Natalie Jianyue Fitzpatrick

Arabelle Sofia Francisco

Grace Isabel Fritsch

Alessia Maria Fuentes

Karina Anabel Fung

Eva Cristina Gamez Galka

Amaya Miriam Gangjee

Julianna Ava Garcia

Sara Cristina Garcia Nunez

Gabriela Marie Garcia-Prats

Peyton Elizabeth Gildea

Marin Evelyn Goebel

Brenda Yuridia Gomez

Emily Ann Gomez

Lillian Grace Goodman

Ashlyn Olivia Gorski

Ella Myong Graves

Alannah Kinsey Grimes

introducing CLASS OF 2025

Mariella Suzanne Grover

Olivia Sloan Guyre

Courtney Goodwin Haas

Christina Haddad

Eden Tai Haight

Natalie Elizabeth Halphen

Anika Kadambari Harpavat

Anne Elizabeth Hoag

Amber Nhi Hoang

Elyse Thuy Hoang

Laila Sarai Holloway

Donna Rebecca Hren

Charlotte YueHong Hudson

Etta Rae Huffman

Alexis Somachi Ibe

Scarlet Lynn Jacobson

Emily Rene James

Sydney Mae Jamison

Rebecca Elizabeth Jarosz

Winston McCormack Jenkins

Jaina Devi Jhunjhunwala

Megan Lynn Johnson

Morgan Maria Johnson

Madeleine Rose Johnston

Lillian Katherine Jones

Kendall Claire Jordan

Faith Mariella Junghans

Thuy-Linh Reagan Junk

Ayda Rush Singleterry Junker

Olivia Kao

Isabela Karaszewski

Elinor Isabella Keeler

Avery Elizabeth Kelling

Amelia Kate Kennedy

Charlotte Grace Kent

Haley Elise Kimble

Mirabela Kiran Kumar

Kendall Lynn Kyle

Karina Ruth Lancaster

Isabella Molossi Lawrence

Ryleigh Ann Leo

Kaylyn Li

Mikayla Elizabeth Liebl

Gabrielle Marie Louis

Lauryn Makenna Louis

Charlotte Blair Loweth

Gabrielle Christine Luna

Isabelle Grace Luna

Margaret Ann Keefe Lykes

Chloe Rita Makhoul

Lillian Mary Marino

Madison Abigail Martin

Rachel Anne McAshan

Anne Marie McCarthy

Catherine Faye McConn

Kellen Anh McConn

Calista McIntosh

Abigail Grace McNally

Jameson Margaret McTague

Genevieve Michaela Meagher

Caroline Grace Medeiros

Kiran Anjali Mehta Suria Mehta

Isabella Sophia Menegaz

Georgia Lorraine Menough

Katherine Kelly Mey

Hannah Mae Meyne

Blair Cherie Middleton

Lucille Drohan Miggins

Gabriella Alexandra Montalvo Villalba

Saige Tessany Montecillo

Shilo Theory Montecillo

Lydia Grace Morehead

Sol Ariana Mota

Caroline Helena Mould

Evelyn Joyce Muskat

Audrey Leigh Nasser

Clare Tuyet-An Nguyen

Gemma Thien-An Nguyen

Jennifer Anna Nguyen

Michelle Do Quyen Nguyen

Addison Grace Noser Bitsis

Faith Madison O’Connor

Lucy Patricia Fairey O’Dwyer

Adanna Amala Okeke

Emma Michelle Olsen

Nora Maria Orozco

Lorena Sofia Orribo Bustamante

Alexis Gayle Othon

Katharine McKenna Palmer

Natalie Amanda Pedroza

Catherine Elizabeth Pfeiffer

Addison Grace Phelps

Anna Rose Pilibosian

Hannah Elise Polnau

Madeline Marie Ponce de Leon

Meredith Kathleen Pryor Kaitlyn Raj

Mia Nicole Ramos

Sophia Melanie Ratchford Isabella Recinos

Isabella Cristina Recondo

Isabel Argentina Reynal Lily Luisa Riddle

Elyse Marie Ridley

Olivia Nolan Rissmiller Kayla Rivera

Lily Wren Roberson

Cecilia Cristina Rocha

Zoe Rebecca Rocha

Amaya Christine Rodney

Lauren Grace Rodriguez

Isabella Nicole Romero

Grace Alexandra Rossetti

Lia Ashley Rowell

Maria Victoria Rowsey

Julia Elizabeth Sanchez Cisneros

Sara Sanmiguel

Ava Renee Santiago Anjana Sethi

Sofia Madalyn Sinclair

Madeleine Tara Skaufel

Sarah Marie Skinner

Evyn Rose Slagle

Abigail Catherine Smith Ella Clare Sorensen Deja Marie Sowells

Sarah Elizabeth

WORLD Reach out to families; let them know God loves them, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church, its ministers and its members must find new ways to reach out to and welcome families who are distant from the Church and have no understanding of how much God loves them, Pope Leo XIV said.

Writing to 40 theologians and pastoral ministers participating in a seminar on evangelizing with families, the pope said the first goal of outreach is to help people longing for love and meaning to find that in Jesus.

“How often, even in the not-too-distant past, have we forgotten this truth and presented Christian life mostly as a set of rules to be kept, replacing the marvelous experience of encountering Jesus — God who gives Himself to us — with a moralistic, burdensome and unappealing religion that, in some ways, is impossible to live in concrete daily life,” the pope wrote in a June 2 message.

The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life gathered the experts at its Vatican office June 2 to 3 to reflect on the theme, “Evangelizing with the Families of Today and Tomorrow: Ecclesiological and Pastoral Challenges.” The seminar followed the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly.

Pope Leo told them,“This theme clearly expresses the Church’s maternal concern for Christian families throughout the world as living members of the Mystical Body of Christ and the primary nucleus of the Church, to whom the Lord entrusts the transmission of faith and the Gospel, especially to the new generations.”

Every human being, as St. Augustine taught, has a longing for God, the pope said. And parents have the first responsibility to respond to that longing by making their children “aware of the fatherhood of God.”

And while Church attendance and formal religious affiliation in many places are declining, he said, “ours is a

IN BRIEF

time marked by a growing search for spirituality, particularly evident in young people, who are longing for authentic relationships and guides in life.”

“Hence, it is important that the Christian community be farsighted in discerning the challenges of today’s world and in nurturing the desire for faith present in the heart of every man and woman,” he said.

But that, the pope said, requires paying special attention “to those families who, for various reasons, are spiritually most distant from us: those who do not feel involved, claim they are uninterested or feel excluded from the usual activities, yet would still like to be part of a community in which they can grow and journey together with others.”

“How many people today simply do not hear the invitation to encounter God?” Pope Leo asked.

Another problem, he said, is “an increasingly widespread ‘privatization’ of faith” so focused on the individual that newcomers have no experience of “the richness and gifts of the Church, a place of grace, fraternity and love.”

“What drives the Church in her pastoral and missionary outreach is precisely the desire to go out as a ‘fisher’ of humanity, in order to save it from the waters of evil and death through an encounter with Christ,” the pope said.

As an example, he pointed to young people who choose cohabitation instead of Christian marriage. What they need, he said, is “someone to show them in a concrete and clear way, especially by the example of their lives, what the gift of sacramental grace is and what strength derives from it. Someone to help them understand ‘the beauty and grandeur of the vocation to love and the service of life’ that God gives to married couples.”

When reaching out to families who are distant from the Church, he said, patience and even creativity are needed. †

Polish nuns beatified for heroic witness amid wartime horror BRANIEWO, Poland (OSV News) — Their names may have faded from history books, but on May 31, the Church officially remembered them forever. In a solemn ceremony in Braniewo, northeastern Poland, 15 nuns from the Congregation of St. Catherine Virgin and Martyr were beatified — recognized as martyrs who gave their lives during the final, brutal months of World War II.

The sisters were killed in 1945 as Soviet troops advanced into the region. Rather than flee, these women of peace chose to remain with the vulnerable people in their care, offering comfort and protection amid chaos and violence. Their witness, long overlooked, was honored by the Church in a Liturgy rich with gratitude and reverence. Pope Leo XIV, in his remarks after the Regina Caeli prayer June 1, said that “Despite a climate of hatred and of terror against the Catholic faith,” the sisters “persevered in their service to the sick and orphans.”

Marcello Cardinal Semeraro, presiding as the pope’s envoy, called their martyrdom a “supreme testimony of faith” and a challenge to today’s culture of hatred and division. He emphasized their legacy of forgiveness and courage — not revenge.

“Sister Krzysztofa Klomfass and her 14 companions offer us today a special lesson — resilience in the face of a culture of hatred and division so prevalent in our society today. We seek to receive what is most precious from them: forgiveness, mercy and love for every human being,” Cardinal Semeraro said. Their beatification comes as the world reflects on the 80th anniversary of the war’s end. Church leaders say the sisters’ sacrifice carries a message of hope, resilience and mercy in the face of violence.

As one nun put it: “They trusted God to the end. They all forgave.” †

CNS PHOTO

Pope Leo XIV greets a child as he rides in the popemobile before celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican June 1 as part of the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly.

CHICAGO (OSV News) — Outside the many less-than-official Chicago celebrations honoring Pope Leo (airbrushed “Da Pope” T-shirts, beefdipped sandwiches, baseball cards and bobbleheads), the Archdiocese of Chicago has scheduled a Mass and a special program on June 14 to celebrate the election and inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, and participants will get a video message from the native son of the Windy City.

“Pope Leo XIV will greet us in Chicago and offer a special video message to the young people of the world, which will be broadcast first from our event,” the Chicago Archdiocese said on its website.

The archdiocese said the June 14 events, including the Mass, preceded by music, a film, speakers and prayer, will all take place at Rate Field, the ballpark of the Chicago White Sox. The stadium has capacity for some 40,000 participants.

In that announcement, the archdiocese said, “Pope Leo XIV’s message of peace, unity and the key to a meaningful life have touched hearts across the globe. This celebration is an extraordinary opportunity for people from the city and beyond to come together in shared pride for one of our own.”

The archdiocese posted a short YouTube video of Blase Cardinal Cupich of Chicago inviting the public to the celebration, recorded during a short visit home after the conclave in Rome and before returning there for the pontiff’s May 18 inauguration Mass.

POPE SAW SOX SWEEP THE ASTROS AT 2005 WORLD SERIES

The White Sox said the pontiff has a seat ready for him any time he wants to watch a game. The team unveiled a stadium mural on May 19 depicting Pope Leo (near Section 140, where he watched the Sox sweep the Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series) and sent the pontiff his own team hat and jersey upon his election on May 8.

“He has an open invite to throw out a first pitch,” Brooks Boyer, the White Sox executive vice president, chief revenue and marketing officer, told MLB.com. “Heck, maybe we’ll let him get an at-bat.”

Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago and grew up in Dolton, Illinois, a south suburb just outside the city limits,

has followed the Southside team since childhood, according to his brother Louis Prevost.

“He was big into baseball,” Prevost said. “He was a big Sox fan.”

The 69-year-old pope also did root for the Chicago Cubs, the Sox’s crosstown rivals, but that was while he was away on mission in the deeply impoverished mountains of Peru, according to his superior at that time, retired Bishop Daniel Turley of the Chulucanas Diocese in northern Peru. A fellow Augustinian and Southsider, Bishop Turley said being far removed from home, living in South America, the missionaries supported all Chicago teams, including the Cubs.

Then-Father Robert J. Prevost worked in the missions for about a dozen years shortly after completing his doctorate in canon law in Rome at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also called the Angelicum. In between mission stints, he spent a year as vocations director of the former major seminary run by the Midwest Augustinians province in a Chicago south suburb. Bishop Turley said that with extensive travel back and forth, Father Prevost became a dual citizen holding both American and Peruvian citizenship.

He then became prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, visiting his

religious order’s communities worldwide, including those in far-flung areas where Christians are a minority.

Father Prevost held the post for 12 years, then served as formator at the seminarians’ theologate in Chicago for a couple of years. Then the late Pope Francis made him apostolic administrator (in 2014) and later bishop (in 2015) of the Diocese of Chiclayo, a few hundred miles north of Trujillo, Peru’s third largest city, where a decade earlier, he taught at the seminary of San Carlos and San Marcelo.

A now-famous photograph shared widely online shows then-Bishop Prevost in a Chiclayo parish center scooping a hearty plate of rice, chicken and a bean stew, an iconic Peruvian recipe, during the parish’s soup kitchen ministry service to the poor. During the mealtimes, parish

officials said he’d sit, eat and meet with visitors and hear their stories.

According to reports, parish volunteers also said Pope Leo often visited the kitchen with an avid interest in Peruvian recipes, specifically seco de cabrito, a traditional Peruvian stew of goat meat slow-cooked with cilantro and spices.

HOT DOGS, PIZZA, JUST A FEW OF LEO’S WINDY CITY FAVES

As more details emerged about Pope Leo XIV’s early life, many were struck by how deeply his Chicago roots shaped him. The future pope grew up in a devout Catholic home in a south suburb of the city, where the Rosary was prayed nightly before dinner.

His older brother recalled how “Rob” left for seminary at 13, just as Louis entered the military.

He remembers his youngest brother as someone who’d eat anything — but had a soft spot for local staples like Giordano’s deep dish and Chicago-style hot dogs (no ketchup, of course).

“He liked cooking; he liked Italian food,” confirmed Augustinian Father John Lydon, a college classmate and longtime friend from Pope Leo’s missionary days in Peru. “After [his graduate studies in Chicago], he had gone to Italy for his doctoral degree in canon law, and he would prepare pizza for us.”

Father Lydon, the formator of the seminarians, said the pizzas then-Father Prevost made were not deep dish.

“We were in a poor place, living more simply than you can imagine here in the United States. So you had to make the pizza go for a lot of people; the crust had to be thin. He liked it, and we talked about Chicago-style pizza. But in Peru in the ’90s … that would have been luxurious,” said the formator, himself a Canadian. † 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.

MUNDO CATÓLICO

Evangelizar y no al proselitismo

Hace un mes, la Iglesia recibió la noticia de que el Colegio de Cardenales había elegido al nuevo Sucesor de San Pedro, el Papa León XIV. Sus primeras palabras al salir a la logia central de la Basílica de San Pedro fueron “!La paz este con ustedes!” y continuó “sin miedo, unidos, tomados de la mano con Dios y entre nosotros sigamos adelante. Somos discípulos de Cristo. Cristo nos precede.”

Me detengo en las siguientes palabras del Papa León XIV “Sigamos adelante”, y para esto se necesita la pasión por la evangelización, o el celo apostólico, un tema que el Papa Francisco tocó en el 2023 a través de una serie de audiencias generales que quisiera expandir, profundizar y que considero algo relevante para nuestros tiempos y para esta Iglesia local.

La Iglesia nace apostólica y misionera, su esencia es evangelizar, pero evangelizar no es lo mismo que hacer proselitismo, y esto es clave para

por ADRIAN ALBERTO HERRERA

que todo discípulo de Cristo conozca y comprenda. Pero, “¿qué es proselitismo?” su término etimológico es (proselytos) del griego, que significa “convertido”, y esto se entiende como el esfuerzo de ganar adeptos o seguidores a una causa, ya sea ideológica o religiosa. Entendiendo esto, podemos comprender que es muy lamentable cuando grupos o apostolados dentro de la Iglesia tienen actitudes o comportamientos proselitistas solamente para hacer crecer seguidores y encausarlos solo para su iniciativa y no para la edificación del Reino de Dios. Entonces, ¡si la evangelización no es proselitismo! ¿entonces que es la evangelización? Es más que una simple

transmisión doctrinal y moral, es ante todo como lo explicaba San Papa Pablo VI “dar testimonio del encuentro personal con Jesucristo”. Evangelizar no es transmitir una doctrina o una ideología sobre Dios, es mas bien “transmitir a Dios que se hace vida en mi”, es “anunciar a Jesús de Nazaret y lo que ha hecho en mi vida”, y acompañarla con una fe profesada. En pocas palabras, el testimonio de vida no puede prescindir de la coherencia entre lo que se cree y lo que se anuncia y vive, ha esto le llamamos lo que se conoce como hipocresía. Cuantas veces escuchamos que tal persona va a Misa o se la pasa en retiros, pero vive así o así, o de tal manera, y no demuestra coherencia con lo que hace y cree. Para ilustrar este punto sobre la incoherencia, recuerdo que, a mediados del año 1988, se escuchaba un nuevo cantautor llamado Ricardo Arjona, su canción, “Jesús es Verbo no sustantivo” y un

fragmento que decía:  “De mi barrio la más religiosa era doña Carlota. Hablaba de amor al prójimo y me ponchó cien pelotas.” Seguir adelante como el Papa Leon XIV pide, requiere armonía de vida, es hacer un examen interior y preguntarse, ¿creo lo que en verdad anuncio?, y esto que anuncio ¿lo vivo realmente? Y esto que vivo realmente ¿lo comparto con otros para que crean? Evangelizar es vivir el camino de santidad de la cual Dios me invita hacer en mi vida, y compartirlo dando testimonio con mis acciones hacia los demás. Es permitir que el Espíritu Santo impulse mi vida a una autentica y nueva evangelización. †

Adrian Alberto Herrera es director asociado para la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis en la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston.

Corte Suprema de Texas permite investigación de Paxton sobre Annunciation House

AUSTIN (OSV News) — El fiscal general de Texas, Ken Paxton, puede seguir adelante con su investigación de Annunciation House (la Casa de la Anunciación) de El Paso, una organización católica sin fines de lucro que sirve a los migrantes, dijo la Corte Suprema de Texas el 30 de mayo. En presentaciones judiciales y declaraciones a la prensa desde febrero de 2024, la oficina de Paxton ha tratado de cerrar Annunciation House, alegando que la organización facilita el cruce

ilegal de fronteras, oculta “extranjeros presentes ilegalmente de la aplicación de la ley”, y no entregó los documentos que la oficina buscaba en su investigación. Sin embargo, Annunciation House y sus abogados han negado haber cometido infracciones o conductas ilegales y han afirmado que la fiscalía no siguió los procedimientos legales adecuados para solicitar documentos a la organización.

En julio, un juez estatal denegó el intento de Paxton de cerrar la organización sin ánimo de lucro, al

considerar que su oficina “no había establecido motivos probables” para ello, argumentando que había violado la Ley de Restauración de la Libertad Religiosa de Texas, entre otras irregularidades. Poco después, Paxton apeló directamente al más alto tribunal del estado para reactivar su iniciativa.

Una decisión escrita por el juez de la Corte Suprema de Texas Evan A. Young dijo que la naturaleza de la apelación directa significa que “debe abordar esta controversia mucho antes de lo que

normalmente lo haría”, argumentando que inicialmente considera que el tribunal inferior fue “prematuro” en el bloqueo de la iniciativa de Paxton.

“Es demasiado pronto para nosotros, o para cualquier tribunal, para expresar una opinión sobre el fondo de las cuestiones subyacentes”, escribió Young. “Tal vez el caso termine rápidamente por motivos probatorios o jurídicos; tal vez vaya a juicio. Tal vez la Ley de Restauración de la Libertad Religiosa de Texas afecte a los procedimientos de un modo determinante para el resultado; tal vez esa ley no desempeñe ese papel”. Young, sin embargo, dijo que, si bien hay “una serie de cuestiones serias” presentadas por el caso, Annunciation House “está ciertamente en lo correcto en un punto” que “simplemente proporcionar refugio a las personas que resultan ser migrantes, independientemente de su estatus legal, no viola el estatuto de detención de extranjeros”.

La oficina de Paxton no respondió inmediatamente a una solicitud de comentarios de OSV News

Una declaración del obispo Mark J. Seitz de El Paso compartida en la cuenta de medios sociales de Annunciation House dijo: “Tengo fe en que la justicia prevalecerá y me solidarizo con Annunciation House que trabaja para mantener fielmente la misión de la Iglesia de ayudar a los más pequeños entre nosotros”.

Paxton — quien está llevando a cabo una campaña de primarias contra el también senador republicano de Texas John Cornyn — es visto como un aliado cercano del presidente Donald Trump. Annunciation House opera varios refugios en el área de El Paso, ayudando a los migrantes y refugiados con alimentos, vivienda y otro tipo de asistencia, así como proporcionando información sobre cómo completar los documentos legales requeridos para solicitar asilo en los Estados Unidos. †

Congratulations Class of 2024

Congratulations Class of 2025

Houston’s Catholic, identity-forming, college-prepatory school for girls age three through Grade 12

Katherine Abbott

Madeleine Elise Agee

Elyse An

Rana Karolin Anjom

Nayeli Arriaga

Madelyn Isabel Arango

Carolina Beatriz Balboa

Mariana Benitez-Monroy

Eva Sophia Barton

Paige Bortner

Hannah Claire Barton

Camille Broughton

Calah Bell

Mila Cocco

Blake Lauren Blanton

Anne Coulter

Lauren Edith Campbell

Avery Donovan

AnaPaula Campos

Adelaide Dutt

Callista Danielle Caramonta

Cecilia Maria Carrasco

Emma Edmonds

Victoria Isabel Carroll

Izza Effendi

Sophia Lauren Castro

Alessandra Esparza

Isabella Sofia Chavarria

Isabel Fernandez-Cueto

Sophie Grace Clark

Paloma Figueroa Valenzuela

Carmen Sophia Colón

Ciara Finan

Victoria Ann Cramp

Giavana Fugate

Anjelina Liana Dadoushian

Katherine Lillian Davidson

Isabelle Ganchan

Molly Grace Day

Mary Garrett

Alexis Elizabeth Descant

Andrea Garza Estebanez

Annette Marie Dillihunt

Elise Gore

Charlotte Rose Donaldson

Simone Gore

Tatum Frances Dutton Lewis

Rebeca Garcia Alemán

Colette Gorgue

Margo Graham

Jismi George

Charlotte Hergesell

Grace Elizabeth Giveon

Sadie Marie Gomez

Sophia Hernandez

Sophia Hanan Haddad

Taryn Hopkins

Pia Hagemeister

McKenzie Leggett

Berkley Caroline Hamilton

Sophia LyBrand

Julia Long Harfenist

Giselle Madrid

Tessa Ling Harfenist

Sophia McClung

Olivia María Elia Hess

Isabella Mollai

Sarah Marquel Jordan

Ava Moore

Anna Erin Kayser

Elizabeth Morrison

Grace Manning King

Mikah Dominiqe Kreuzer

Addison Mouton

Madeline Melody Leal

Noor Naseem

Andrea Lessmann

Hannah Nehme

Mary Angela Longo

Camila Olivera

Karla Lopez

Ana Olivero-Kamrath

Julia Wallis Marsh

Bayan Othman

Beatriz Elena Maruri

Ariana Pangilinan

Julianna Natalie Masso

Isabel Maria Maus Bracamonte

Marta Sanchez-Dehesa Pereda

Isabella Menicucci

Lillian Petree

MaryAnn Gladys Montano

Cecilia Pritchett

Nayeli Montoya

Eva Raborn

Ada Kathryn Moore

Anjelina Ramirez

Paula Alejandra Olivera

Sienna Reid

Reese Elizabeth Painter

Juliana Reyes

Julia Waverly Pinell

Emmelene Gray Prendki

Citlali Rivera

Natalia Reyes-Rangel de Alba

Gabriella Romano

Peighton Grace Riha

Rose Royston

Sophia Helena Rivera

Macarena Santacruz-Valencia

Anne Renee Sellers

Carina Savarino

Sarah Morgan Sims

Janan Shamshy

Dahlia Isabel Soto

Archana Shrestha

Aashna Edayal Sreedharan

Annabelle Elizabeth Strange

Katarina Solari-Neumann

Kaely Marie Suarez

Mia Strathman

Hannah Adele Thompson

Keely Thompson

Kathryn Thorne

Mia Thompson

Ruby Makayla Villalon

Shelby Vice

Lauren Brinley Wilson

Emily Voelkel

Mara-Catherine Rábago Wissinger

Addison Welo

Kennedy Leigh Wolf

Samantha Abena Yeboah

Brinkley West

Caroline Rose Young

Natalia Zaldivar

Class of 2025 College Acceptances

Class of 2024 College Acceptances

Class of 2024 graduates earned more than $10.8 million in merit-based scholarships and were accepted to 127 colleges and universities:

Class of 2025 graduates earned more than $10 million in merit-based scholarships and were accepted to 106 colleges and universities:

Abilene Christian University

New York University

Trinity University

Arizona State University-Tempe

Alabama A&M University

Northeastern University

Mississippi State University

Universidad de Navarra

Universidad de Navarra

American University

Auburn University

Oberlin College

Morgan State University

University of Arizona

University of Alabama, Birmingham

Arizona State University, Phoenix

Babson College

Ohio State University

New York University

University of Arkansas

University of Arizona

Arizona State University, Tempe

Baylor University

Belmont University

Auburn University

Binghamton University

Austin College

Blinn College

Baylor University

Boston University

Belmont University

Butler University

Oklahoma City University

Northeastern University

Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University

Pace University

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Pennsylvania State University

Pepperdine University

Purdue University

Queens University of Charlotte

Prairie View A&M University

California Institute of the Arts

Blinn College

Case Western Reserve University

Boston College

Clemson University

Boston University

Colorado School of Mines

Catholic University of America

Colorado State University-Ft Collins

Clark Atlanta University

Denison University

Clemson University

DePaul University

Colorado State University

Drexel University

Cornell University

Eckerd College

Elon University

DePaul University

Drexel University

Fashion Institute of Technology

Eckerd College

Flagler College

Gonzaga University

Hampshire College

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Hendrix College

Georgetown University

Houston Christian University

Goucher College

Howard University

Hampton University

IE University-Madrid

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Indiana University-Bloomington

Holy Cross College

James Madison University

Kansas State University

Howard University

Kent State University at Kent

Indiana University

Louisiana State University

Jackson State University

Loyola Marymount University

Lone Star College

Loyola University Chicago

Louisiana State University

Loyola University New Orleans

Loyola Marymount University

Lynn University

Loyola University Chicago

Manhattan College

Loyola University Maryland

Marist College

Loyola University New Orleans

Marquette University

Ludwig Maximilian University of

Marymount Manhattan College

Mississippi State University

Munich

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Millikin University

Randolph-Macon College

Rhodes College

Reed College

Rice University

Rhodes College

Rollins College

Rice University

Saint Louis University

Rider University

Saint Mary’s College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Sam Houston State University

Saint Louis University

Santa Clara University

Saint Mary’s College of California

Saint Michael’s College

Southern Methodist University

Sam Houston State University

Southwestern University

San Diego State University

Spelman College

St. Edward’s University

Savannah College of Art and Design

Seattle University

Stephen F. Austin State University

Seton Hall University

Stonehill College

Southern Methodist University

SUNY Buffalo State University

Southwestern University

St. Edward’s University

Syracuse University

St. Mary’s University

Tennessee State University

Stephen F Austin State University

Texas A&M University

Syracuse University

Texas Christian University

Tarleton State University

Texas State University

Texas A&M University-College Station

Texas Tech University

Texas Christian University

The Ohio State University

Texas State University

The University of Alabama

Texas Tech University

The University of Tampa

The American University of Paris

The University of Alabama

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

The University of Texas, Austin

The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas, Dallas

The University of Texas at Dallas

The University of Texas, San Antonio

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Trinity University

The University of the South

Tulane University

University of California-Davis

University of Arkansas

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Cincinnati

University of Connecticut

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Connecticut

University of Dallas

University of Houston

University of Denver

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Florida

University of Illinois Chicago

University of Kansas

University of Georgia

University of Kentucky

University of Houston

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

University of Kansas

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Kentucky

University of Memphis

University of Miami

University of Louisville

University of Miami

University of Mississippi

University of Mississippi

University of North Carolina-Charlotte

University of North Carolina School of the

Arts

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

University of North Texas

University of North Texas

University of Notre Dame

University of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma-Norman

University of Pittsburgh

University of Oregon

University of Pittsburgh

University of Rochester

University of Portland

University of San Diego

University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina-Columbia

University of St. Thomas (TX)

University of Southern California

University of the Incarnate Word

University of St Thomas

University of the Pacific

University of Vermont

University of Vermont

University of Washington

University of Virginia

University of Wisconsin

University of Washington-Seattle

Ursinus College

Villanova University

Villanova University

Webster University Leiden

Virginia Tech

Wellesley College

Wichita State University

Xavier University of Louisiana

Willamette University

William & Mary

Xavier University duchesne.org

WITHIN THE ARTS

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A new pope means a new papal coat of arms topped by the papal miter and a set of crossed keys.

Most churches in Italy will soon be replacing the metal shield of the coat of arms of Pope Francis that adorned their façades with Pope Leo XIV’s shield; however, Vatican gardeners have already made the switch.

Workers spent about two weeks planting and rearranging evergreens, flowers and plants to complete a gigantic botanical reproduction of Pope Leo’s shield on the sloped lawn in front of the Vatican’s governing office.

Visitors to the Vatican Gardens and those climbing to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica will be able to see the emblem created from hundreds of colored plants arranged like “tiles of a mosaic,” according to a May 28 press release by the governing office.

They kept the same “frame” around the emblem, which does not change: a green

the religious order he joined in his 20s.

The shield is divided diagonally into two. The upper half features a blue background with a white lily or fleur-delis, symbolizing the Virgin Mary but also his French heritage. The lower half of the shield displays an image common to the religious orders named after and inspired by St. Augustine: a closed book with a heart pierced by an arrow.

To create the blue background, gardeners were able to reuse 400 blue dwarf Ageratums from Pope Francis’ shield, and the white lily was made with 50 silver curry plants.

The background of the lower half of the shield is made up of 400 Nightlife red begonias.

The book was made with the help of the Vatican metal shop, which created a metal frame shaped like a closed book.

The gardeners filled it with reddish vulcanic gravel to represent the cover and white gravel for the pages, and the pierced heart on top was created with red Blood Leaf plants.

MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News

A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL

The King of Kings (PG)

A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN

A Minecraft Movie (PG)

Lilo and Stitch (PG)

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (PG-13)

The Last Supper (PG-13)

The Legend of Ochi (PG)

Vatican releases first Pope Leo postage stamps

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican postal service began selling its first Pope Leo XIV stamps on May 27 and offered a special cancellation of the postage featuring a line drawing of the new pope waving to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square.

Two of the stamps, with values of 1.25 euros ($1.42) and 2.45 euros ($2.78), feature photos taken of Pope Leo on May 8 when he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica immediately after his election.

The other two, with values of 1.30 euros ($1.48) and 3.20 euros ($3.63), are close-up photos of the pope taken May 9 when he celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the College of Cardinals.

The Vatican post office said it was printing 390,000 of the stamps, which have his name in Latin across the top, “Leone PP. XIV,” and in smaller print along the side, “Anno I S.P. MMXXV,” a notation that 2025 is the first year of his pontificate. †

Vatican News said the book and the heart are “a direct reference to the conversion experience of St. Augustine himself, who described his personal encounter with God’s word using the phrase: ‘Vulnerasti cor meum verbo tuo’ — ‘You have pierced my heart with your Word.’” †

A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS

• Drop (PG-13)

• The Woman in the Yard (PG-13)

L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE

• Mickey 17 (R)

O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE

• Another Simple Favor (R)

• Death of a Unicorn (R)

• Final Destination Bloodlines (R)

• Sinners (R)

CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF THE OFFICE GOVERNING VATICAN CITY STATE

A detail of a botanical reproduction of Pope Leo XIV’s coat of arms can be seen in this photo taken in May at the Vatican. Visitors to the Vatican Gardens and those climbing to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica will be able to see the emblem created from hundreds of colored plants.

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

For the latest updates about listings in the Around the Archdiocese, contact event organizers and visit www.archgh.org/ata.

JUNE 13-14

AGAPE CONGRESS, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Prince of Peace, St. Andrew Discipleship Center (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). On Friday, AGAPE Congress is a free event for high school students in the St. Pedro Calungsod Youth Center, which includes dinner, a talk by Evan Lemoine and Q&A. On Saturday, the $10 adult event features guest speakers on love, identity and sexuality in today’s culture. Topics include Theology of the Body, intimacy in marriage, parenting and living with integrity. English and Spanish sessions with childcare available. 281-627-0340; agapecongress.com; agape@pophouston.org.

JUNE 21

GAME NIGHT, 6 to 10:30 p.m., Prince of Peace (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). Hosted by the Knights of Columbus #8482 and Catholic Daughters of the Americas, event includes games, finger foods, prizes and fellowship. Cost: $40 per person in advance, $45 at the door. 713899-9275.

STUDY GROUP, 9 a.m. to noon, St. Theresa in Memorial Park Library (6622 Haskell St., Houston). The Secular branch of Discalced Carmelites for lay men and women 18+ years old, who are called to Carmelite spirituality, host a study group every third Saturday of the month. sttheresa.cc/carmelites; 832-758-0186; therese.lisieux111@gmail.com.

DANCE, 6:30 to 11 p.m., Holy Family (1510 5th St., Missouri City). Event includes food and raffles. Cost: $15 presale; $20 at door. 713-894-4215.

BOOK LAUNCH , 6 to 8:30 p.m., St. Rose of Lima Parish Hall (3600 Brinkman St., Houston). Parish hosts book signing and Q&A with Deacon David Dufilho, launching his new book, “Discernment, Not Decisions: Navigating Life’s Choices with Faith and Confidence.” Space is limited. Cost: Free, RSVP

required at bit.ly/EveningWithTheAuthor. parishinfo@stroselima.org.

JUNE 22

GALA, 1 p.m., Doubletree Hilton Hobby Airport (8181 Airport Blvd., Houston). The Knights of Peter Claver Council & Court 72 of Our Mother of Mercy Parish host the 24th scholarship luncheon fashion gala benefiting high school scholarships. Cost: $60 donation. cynthlrk@aol.com.

JUNE 28

EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION, following 8 a.m. Mass, Sacred Heart (109 N Frazier St., Conroe). Downtown Conroe procession honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus beginning at the church at 9:15 a.m. with Benediction inside the church after the procession. the99sh@gmail.com.

EUCHARISTIC CONFERENCE, 8:30 a.m., St. Paul the Apostle (18223 Point Lookout Dr., Nassau Bay). A day of reflection on the meaning of the Eucharist with bilingual Mass, speakers (English and Spanish) and Eucharistic Adoration. Cost: $25 per person, includes lunch. 281-333-3891.

ANNIVERSARY MASS, 10 a.m., St. Francis of Assisi (5102 Dabney St., Houston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrates a Mass honoring the 75th anniversary of the parish. 713-672-7773; stfrancisofassisihouston@gmail.com.

JULY 2

ADORATION HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S 4th St., Richmond). Adoration Hour on the first Wednesday of the month to pray for vocations. Confession and Anointing of the Sick available.

JULY 4

CELEBRATION , St. Justin Martyr (13350 Ashford Point Dr., Houston). Young adult event includes food, drinks, games, water balloon fights and more. No age limit. Cost: $10. 832602-6396; sjmyoungadults@gmail.com.

JULY 17-19

GARAGE SALE, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (6646 Addicks Satsuma Rd., Houston). July 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $20 entry; 5 to 8 p.m., $10 entry; July

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18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., free entry; and July 19, 8 to 11 a.m., is 50% off; and noon to 3 p.m. is fill a bag/box. seascatholic.org.

JULY 19

CONFERENCE, 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Prince of Peace (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). Archdiocese Communications and Stewardship group hosts the fourth-annual Archdiocesan Parish Engagement Conference, a one-day event to help parishes more effectively engage the faithful in the pews. Cost: $10, includes lunch. rbean@archgh.org; 713-652-8217.

STUDY GROUP, 9 a.m. to noon, St. Theresa in Memorial Park Library (6622 Haskell St.,

Houston). The Secular branch of Discalced Carmelites for lay men and women 18+ years old, who are called to the Carmelite spirituality, host a study group every third Saturday of the month. sttheresa.cc/carmelites; 832-758-0186; Therese.Lisieux111@gmail.com.

ROSARY PROCESSION, 8 a.m., The Church of the Annunciation (1618 Texas Ave., Houston). Join the Annunciation Rosary Center for Mass, Divine Mercy Chaplet, a light breakfast and a Rosary around Discovery Green. annunciationcc.org.

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and Rosary on Mondays and Wednesdays starting June 16 - July 30 at 11 a.m. This event

while doing

MILESTONES

A CENTURY OF FAITH

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish marks 100th anniversary in Damon

DAMON — The parish of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Damon celebrated their 100th anniversary of the parish on May 4. Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez celebrated the centennial Mass with Father Marty Pham, parish pastor, as concelebrant. Following Mass in the church, Archbishop Vasquez processed to the chapel next door for a blessing.

The current chapel was built in 1925 and is the original church.The chapel is still in use as an Eucharistic Adoration Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament every Wednesday.

During the celebration in the parish hall and pavilion, which featured Czech pastries and a spaghetti dinner, the parish received a U.S. flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of their centennial anniversary. They were also presented with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from U.S. Rep. Randy Weber of Texas’ 14th congressional district. †

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PHOTO COURTESY OF STS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS IN DAMON

At left: Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, second from right, celebrated a May 4 Mass, seen below, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Damon to honor the 100th anniversary of Damon parish. Pictured, from left to right, are Deacon Brady Williams Sr., Deacon Don Murrile, Father Marty Pham, Sts. Cyril and Methodius pastor, and Deacon Jason Sulak.