How grateful I am to Bishop Vikan for the invitation to join you this evening. We now reflect together on one of the most tragic events of the 20th Century, the terrible slaughter of so many Armenians in what is aptly described as a genocide, one of a number of events in Armenian history that...Read More
It is a joy to welcome so many to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen for the annual blessing of the holy oils to be used during the coming year in the conferring of the Sacraments Jesus gave to the care of the Church. For how many is this the first visit to the Cathedral?...Read More
To Monsignor Arthur Valenzano and all involved in this truly historic effort, I express in the name of the Archdiocese of Baltimore deepest appreciation and congratulations. The presences of Archbishop Borders, who recently marked his 90th birthday, and of the other bishops remind us of the resonance of this event within the whole local church....Read More
For me, it is a source of enormous joy to come here to Seton Hall to celebrate the 50 years of studies, under the aegis of Seton Hall, of the relationships between Jews and Christians. Monsignor John M. Oesterreicher was a gifted and able consultant to the then-Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity during the Second...Read More
Thanks to Supreme Knight Carl Anderson for the invitation to offer these reflections on the word of God proclaimed here today. It is early in the day, too early perhaps for me to ask questions of you, but not too early for us to recognize that the prophet Daniel knew how to catch the attention...Read More
Amid news from far and near that speak of continued painful events in our world and Church, I invite you to enter with me into the wonder of the gift of Jesus to us that is the Holy Eucharist. On Holy Thursday, Pope John Paul II published his Encyclical on the Eucharist. Clearly it is...Read More
Welcome to the Chapel of Loyola College, for this Eucharistic Celebration and for the ordination to the priesthood of Michael J. Guzik of the Province of New York and of James J. Kelly, of the Province of Maryland. With genuine gratitude I acknowledge the invitation extended me by Father Timothy B. Brown and by Father...Read More
The most humbling task of a bishop, and at the same time a great joy and privilege, is to ordain a priest for service to the Church. It is humbling because it is a moment when the power of Jesus uses a weak human instrument to continue what Jesus did on the night before the...Read More
At the outset with words of welcome I want to combine words of thanks to the wives, to the pastors, to the formation team, to other deacons who have given encouragement and support to the candidates who come here for ordination today. To the candidates for the diaconate themselves goes my appreciation for their selection...Read More
Our celebration of the Eucharist on this Mother’s Day in the Mother Church of the United States takes on its full meaning from the readings of the word of God just now proclaimed. We pray for and we give thanks to God for our mothers in the context woven by that powerful word. As we...Read More
I am very grateful to Rabbi David Rosen for the invitation to be with you today. Vividly do I recall the times we have been together: in 1992 in Baltimore for a meeting of the International Liaison Committee; in 1994, in Jerusalem for the same purpose;Read More
I am very grateful to Rabbi David Rosen for the invitation to be with you today. Vividly do I recall the times we have been together: in 1992 in Baltimore for a meeting of the International Liaison Committee; in 1994, in Jerusalem for the same purpose; in 1997, in Auschwitz, in a panel on peace-making;...Read More