Introduction It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to offer Mass for the first time in this historic Church, dedicated to St. Patrick. Here, various bishops were ordained at sent forth as missionaries. I think in particular of Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget, who was consecrated by Archbishop Carroll in 1810 and sent to Bardstown,...Read More

News from Home Years ago, as a young priest, I accompanied my boss and mentor, Cardinal Hickey, to a Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dinner in downtown Washington. For those of you who have never been to these dinners, let me say that the spirits of every one there are high, or perhaps I might...Read More

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. Not surprisingly, recent polls have shown what we all have come to know about our new Holy Father: Pope Francis has caught the attention of American Catholics. But those same polls also show that this renewed interest has not yet convinced the unchurched to...Read More

Amigos, Queridos catecúmenos, candidatos, y todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas aquí presentes, Hemos escuchado en las Sagradas escrituras como Adán y Eva cayeron en la tentación; sin embargo también escuchamos como Cristo supero las tentaciones en el desierto. Cristo nos da vida nueva y nos invita a continuar el camino hacia Dios. Él también fue...Read More

Introduction My mother probably wouldn’t mind it if I told you she’s in her mid-90’s. Almost every day I call Mom and Dad just to see how they are doing. But it’s not a one-way street. Mom and Dad also want to know how I’m doing. Mom, in particular, often asks me if I am...Read More

Introduction: Food for the Journey As a kid growing up in the mid-West, I sometimes found myself on long car trips with my parents. In the days before the inter-state highway system, with service plazas featuring food and fuel, I used to sit in the back seat of mom and dad’s 1958 Ford, wondering if we’d...Read More

Introduction: Belonging It is often said that we human beings are social animals. Some of course are more outgoing than others but almost no one wishes to be isolated. The truth is, almost everyone desires to have a sense of belonging. And isn’t it so that, we often identify ourselves as members of a group,...Read More

Introduction A few days ago, I met with a physician who works in a Catholic hospital. We were discussing a document called The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care, nicknamed the ERD’s. It is published by the Bishops’ Conference as a resource, to help bishops ensure that Catholic hospitals follow the Church’s teaching...Read More