I. Introduction A. On this particular Easter Sunday, taking place during the Jubilee Year of Mercy, I can’t help but think of Msgr. Art Valenzano. As many of you know, Msgr. Art served as Rector of this historic Basilica until his death last September. When I met him for the first time, in March 2012,...Read More

I. Introduction A. This night, a tiny, flickering light entered this Cathedral church. The deacon proclaimed three times, “Christ our light!” and gradually the light spread from person to person until its glow enveloped the whole Cathedral. And with the Church throughout the world, we gave thanks for the light that fills the dark night...Read More

I. Introduction A. For nearly 18 years, I worked on a daily basis with James Cardinal Hickey, formerly the Archbishop of Washington. After he retired and I was serving as Bishop of Bridgeport, I regularly visited the Cardinal, my mentor and my friend. We had conversed and dined together on countless occasions but as his...Read More

I. Introduction A. Well, dear sisters and dear friends, it’s been quite the day. If you attended the oral arguments in the chambers of the Supreme Court, you heard high level argumentation and questioning. For those of us who are non-lawyers, it is glimpse at the complexities of the law. I can only imagine the...Read More

I. Introduction: A Royal Entrance A. We have just celebrated the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem. He arrives on a donkey to the acclaim of many people. And while a donkey strikes us as a humble animal, Jesus makes an important claim by entering Jerusalem on a donkey as yet unridden. It is a signal...Read More

I. Introduction When he announced the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis also asked bishops and religious superiors to nominate priests whom he could commission as “missionaries of mercy” – priests who are good confessors, good preachers of the message of mercy who could travel the globe proclaiming the mercies of the Lord. On Ash Wednesday,...Read More

I. Introduction A. Thanks very much for inviting me to take part in this long tradition of a father-son communion breakfast. More than a few alumni of Loyola Blakefield have told me that this is one of the traditions they remember and value most of all – They were influenced the example of their fathers’...Read More

I. Introduction A. I want to begin by thanking Father DeAscanis and his staff here at St. Philip Neri Parish for hosting our Catholic Men’s Fellowship Annual Conference! We appreciate the support and leadership you give to this ministry! B. I also want to join with you in thanking Charlie Hawkins and the entire leadership...Read More