On Thursday, October 11, Archbishop William E. Lori will unveil the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s plans for marking the Church’s worldwide observance of a Year of Faith. The Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 – November 24, 2013) coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Last year, Pope Benedict XVI called for a Year of Faith to mark these important events in the Church’s modern history and to strengthen the faith of all Catholics and draw the world to faith by their example.
The Archbishop will make the announcement Thursday at 12 noon, prior to the meeting of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Review Media at the Review’s headquarters, 880 Park Ave. in Baltimore. In addition, he will unveil and demonstrate the Archdiocese’s new mobile phone application, a tool designed to make it easier for Catholics and others to navigate the Archdiocese’s website for information such as locations of Catholic churches and schools, Mass times, news and other information. He will also publicly unveil the new bi-weekly Review in the Pew, which is distributed to every parish in the Archdiocese as a supplement to The Catholic Review newspaper.
The Archbishop celebrated an opening Mass for the Year of Faith on Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 5 p.m. at St. Mark Catholic Church in Catonsville. Parishes throughout the Archdiocese will bless church doors the weekend of October 13-14 to symbolize the Church’s openness to active and inactive Catholics. The Archbishop will also serve as the principal celebrant at a Mass and Pilgrimage for Life and Liberty at the National Shrine of the Basilica of the National Conception in Washington, D.C. Sunday, October 14 at 12 noon.
The Second Vatican Council, which lasted three years, officially began on October 11, 1962. The Council is credited with ushering in a period of renewal for the Church and its impact—from how Mass is celebrated to the increased role of the laity to the Church’s relationship with other Christians and non-Christians—is still felt today.
The Archdiocese has partnered with Fig Leaf Software in the development of its website and mobile application. Fig Leaf CEO, Mr. Dave Gallerizzo, said of the Archdiocese’s commitment to using technology to fulfill its mission, “The Archdiocese of Baltimore is a leader in the use of technology and the launch of this application demonstrates the organization’s commitment to provide valuable tools to connect with the Archdiocese in meaningful ways by accessing news, events and finding important information related to parishes and schools.”