The Archdiocese Office for World Mission’s recent grant from The Catholic Community Foundation will support expanded programming in the Dominican Republic in four areas, including the educating and feeding of children. (Submitted photo)

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Office for World Mission is pleased to announce the receipt of a $100,000 grant from The Catholic Community Foundation to support expansion of ministry and service within La Sagrada Familia, the archdiocesan sister parish in the Dominican Republic.

Celebrating 40-plus years of supporting the archdiocesan sister parish relationship, the Office for World Mission works with the parish’s staff, which includes two archdiocesan priests (current pastor, Fr. Javier Guativa, and associate pastor, Fr. Thomas Naidu) and pastoral associate Dolores Puértolas, a member of the Community of St. Paul, as well as dozens of volunteers from the parish. In addition to nurturing the parish’s spiritual needs through evangelization, catechesis, the celebration of the sacraments in every village, prayer groups, adult and youth formation, and leadership training, the priests and staff strive to address the various material needs of parishioners. These include providing access to healthcare, educational resources, job training, micro-loan programs, clean water and emergency support.

The grant from The Catholic Community Foundation will support expanded programming in the following areas: care for the elderly, educating and feeding the children of the parish, providing help and relief to the local Haitian immigrant community, and providing academic scholarships.

With this grant, the Office for World Mission can support individuals like Nairobi, a 25-year-old woman born and raised in Galindo, one of the most remote communities supported by La Sagrada Familia Parish. Through an academic scholarship, Nairobi is studying biology in Azua, about an hour away by public transport. She began her studies a year ago with hopes of becoming a doctor, and Nairobi’s dedication to her studies is evident. Although commuting to school can be difficult, Nairobi said it is worth it. With access to an academic scholarship, Nairobi can study biology in Azua.

Since 2001, The Catholic Community Foundation has supported effective philanthropy in southeastern Wisconsin. The Foundation is independent of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Its board of directors includes Catholic religious and community leaders. The foundation was established to serve the needs of individuals and families who wish to provide lasting support to those Catholic causes they care most about. Donors can make a gift of at least $25,000 to establish a separate fund from which grants are awarded annually to support those causes that are dear to them — causes that ultimately advance the mission of the Church.

The foundation focuses on four priority areas: education; leadership development; healthcare for the underserved in Milwaukee; and community building to strengthen families, parishes and those suffering from poverty, discrimination and violence.

Antoinette Mensah, Ph.D., director of the Office for World Mission, said, “Our receipt of this grant … allows us, as Pope Francis has stated in his encyclical ‘Lumen Fidei,’ to work toward a ‘sure future’ with faith and hope as our foundation. Additionally, we are able to work alongside our brothers and sisters of La Sagrada Familia, demonstrating by our actions that God’s concrete actions make a public avowal that he is present in our midst and that he desires to solidify every human relationship. In the end, we serve as witnesses of faith and the goodness of faith for all, leading us collectively on our journey toward a future of hope.”

For more information about La Sagrada Familia or the Office for World Mission, visit www.archmil.org/offices/world-mission.htm, or contact the office at wmo@archmil.org or 414-758-2280.

For more information on The Catholic Community Foundation, visit legaciesoffaith.org.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

While I’m saddened by the news of his passing, I consider myself fortunate to have had several opportunities over the decades to meet Pope Benedict. The first time was in the early 2000s when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Years later, after he appointed me as Archbishop of Milwaukee, I received the Pallium from Pope Benedict in Rome. In 2012, I and hundreds of other U.S. bishops met with him during the USCCB’s Ad Limina visit to the Vatican.

I always found Pope Benedict to be quite gracious and humble, despite being the pontiff and the greatest theologian of the century. May he now rest in peace.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki

Act of Consecration

to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Basilica of Saint Peter

25 March 2022

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you.  As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you.  Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence!  You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Yet we have strayed from that path of peace.  We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars.  We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations.  We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young.  We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns.  We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons.  We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home.  We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters.  We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves.  Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life.  He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity.  By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart.  We are your beloved children.  In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion.  At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort.  Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?”  You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times.  In you we place our trust.  We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs.  To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3).  Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded.  We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace.  We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness.  How greatly we need your maternal help!

Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts.  May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew.  Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace.  May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs.  May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land.  May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26).  In this way he entrusted each of us to you.  To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27).  Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history.  At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ.  The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.  Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love.  Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.  The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace.  We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more.  To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.  Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God.  May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts.  In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion.  You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.  Amen.

Seek and you will find (seek.focus.org), hosted by FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), will bring together thousands around the globe to encounter Christ during the hybrid, immersive broadcast Feb. 4-6. College students, parishioners, clergy, benefactors and others will gather in small groups for SEEK22, which will present the heart of the Gospel and missionary discipleship in a format that’s flexible, accessible and meaningful for every person.

Last year, SEEK21 brought together more than 27,000 people from 20 countries and six continents, launching more regular Bible study participants into discipleship than any previous conference. FOCUS projects that more than 100,000 people will attend a FOCUS conference in the next five years, drawing them into a deeper encounter with Christ and inspiring increased zeal for evangelization.

At SEEK22, well-known speakers and evangelization experts will take attendees through the crucial message of the Gospel, inviting them to encounter the person of Jesus Christ and live in relationship with him. Keynote speakers include Msgr. James Shea, Fr. Josh Johnson, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, Sr. Bethany Madonna, S.V., Tina Augustine, Hilary Draftz, Jason Evert, Curtis Martin and Dr. Edward Sri.

More than 20 impact speakers will challenge and inspire participants, including Fr. Sean Kilcawley, Fr. Brian Larkin, Fr. Agustino Torres, C.F.R., Fr. Scott Traynor, Sr. Mary Grace, S.V., Dr. Ben Akers, Ryan Anderson, Chika Anyanwu, Matt Fradd, Tim Gelmkowski, Paul and Kay Halfmann, Paul J. Kim, Damon Owens, Mari Pablo, Dr. Jonathan Reyes, Lila Rose, Carrie Wagner and Emily Wilson. Several Spanish-language talks are scheduled, including Fr. Rafael Capó’s talk about evangelization and Priscilla Garza’s session about loving and being loved by God. 

FOCUS expects thousands of people from hundreds of parishes to participate. The diocese with the most groups committed to date is the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, which has 15 small groups registered. The largest single parish represented so far is the Catholic Church of the Magdalen in Wichita, Kansas, one of the parishes at which FOCUS missionaries serve. They expect 140 people to experience SEEK22 in small groups.

Dcn. Matthew Hahn is the executive director of Parish Operations at St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois, which is hosting SEEK22 along with a neighboring parish, Mary, Seat of Wisdom in Park Ridge. He expects more than 200 people to participate in the event and said, “We’re excited about SEEK22 because SEEK21 was fabulous. The love that our Triune God has for us was truly on display throughout that weekend. Engaging keynote speakers challenged us to deepen our faith in new ways.

“SEEK22 will help us more deeply fulfill our parish mission statement of being disciples and making disciples. I am excited to see how the Holy Spirit continues to inspire our parishioners so that we can be a light and a beacon of hope to the Archdiocese of Chicago and to the Church.”

Shannon and David Spargo from Omaha, Nebraska, registered for SEEK22 after seeing the incredible fruits of the Holy Spirit from SEEK21. David shared, “At SEEK21, 12 teens joined us and forged strong friendships that continued through monthly meetups. Six of them moved away, but teens from 10 more families joined this faithful friend group. The Holy Spirit has been pivotal in the past year working in the lives of these teens — it’s been incredible to witness the fruits of these encounters.”

The sacraments are a vital part of SEEK22. People are encouraged to participate in Mass and Eucharistic adoration with small groups and in person at local churches. Several bishops are planning to participate in regional events, including Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila (Denver) and Bishop James R. Golka (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Eucharistic adoration will be livestreamed from the FOCUSCatholic Facebook page Saturday, Feb. 5, from 8 to 10 p.m. CST.

Campuses around the world will gather for regional SEEK22 events, including one in Knoxville, Tennessee, which will host 15 campuses from five states.

“We can’t wait to host SEEK in Knoxville again. SEEK21 transformed our community and set many of our disciples on fire to share the Gospel on campus,” said Chris Livernois, SEEK22 Campus Liaison and FOCUS Missionary at the University of Tennessee. “We expect 1,000 students to come together for live entertainment and small group discussions throughout the weekend. In addition to watching the many livestreamed talks, we are blessed to have Paul J. Kim here to present his live impact session.

“Encountering Jesus in the Sacraments led me to give my life to Christ, so I’m most excited for everyone to experience Mass, adoration and Confession. Bishop Richard Stika (Knoxville), FOCUS National Chaplains Fr. Kevin Dyer, SJ, Fr. Michael Drea and Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P., and many local priests and religious will be here to accompany students throughout the event. I know lives will be changed at SEEK22.” 

SEEK22 builds upon the best of live conferences and virtual gatherings and can be scaled up or down. Each host site, whether a household, small group, parish or campus location, has the flexibility to personalize the SEEK22 schedule. Registrants receive SEEK Hosting Resources that include videos with tips for leading a small group, the SEEK22 Workbook and other important resources.

The cost is $75 for students at FOCUS campuses. The registration price for non-students is $175 for individuals and a group price of $595 for up to 10 participants. Special group pricing for parishes is available. Prices will increase Jan. 29. SEEK22 momentum will continue through an exclusive FOCUS Lenten Bible Study for attendees hosted by Martin and Sri. More information and registration for SEEK22 can be found at seek.focus.org. 

More than a dozen podcasters are involved with SEEK22, including All Things Catholic, Amar y Ser Amados, Ask Father Josh, Beyond Damascus, Fr. Mike Schmitz Podcast, Godsplaining, Poco A Poco Podcast, She Believed and The Liturgy Guys.

A billboard will be placed in Times Square promoting The Bible in a Year podcast from Dec. 19-Jan. 9. (Submitted photo)

When the ball drops in Time Square, ushering in the New Year, a neighboring billboard will announce to the world that “The Bible in a Year” podcast tops the Apple charts in all categories. It will also announce a new Spanish-language version the next day.

The enormously popular Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz, featuring Jeff Cavins, debuted Jan. 2 of this year. It quickly shot to the No. 1 position on Apple Podcasts in all categories from Jan. 2-18, and accounts for 3.3 billion hours of listening worldwide.

Produced by Ascension Catholic Faith Formation, part of Ascension Press, the daily podcast recently hit 142 million downloads. Each episode features two to three scriptural readings, a reflection on those readings by Fr. Schmitz and a prayer. Fr. Schmitz is a well-known author and speaker who is also director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries in the Diocese of Duluth.

Instead of reading the Bible linearly, the podcast follows “The Great Adventure Bible Timeline,” which was developed by scripture scholar Jeff Cavins, who was a featured guest on the podcast.

In a Nov. 3 press conference, Ascension announced several new initiatives aimed at highlighting the show’s lasting success and plans to reach even more with God’s Word:

• A New Year’s Eve billboard in Times Square promoting the podcast at 7th Avenue and 48th Street, New York City, from Dec. 19-Jan. 9;
• La Biblia en un año Podcast: The Jan. 1 launch of an all-new Spanish-language version of the Bible in a Year podcast with original commentary and a new, native-Spanish speaking host; and
• “The Bible in a Year Retreat,” a virtual event for Bible in a Year listeners, designed to help Catholics cultivate a lifelong relationship with the Word of God – one that extends far beyond the podcast. (Limited capacity; Feb. 18-20)

Fr. Schmitz said he is grateful that he was able to offer this podcast to help those who felt displaced and disoriented during the COVID-19 lockdowns last year.

“I experienced a conviction in early 2020. I was distracted by all the voices I was pumping in my ears and distressed by the battles everyone is facing with what is going on in our Church, the culture and in our country. I was reading the Book of Judges at the time, and I just realized, this is nothing new. Things are relatively stable compared to our story in the Scriptures,” he said. “That is one of the reasons I wanted to get that biblical worldview out.”

With the challenge of recovering worldview, Fr. Schmitz realized he liked to hear things rather than read, especially when it comes to reading the Bible. He decided to collaborate with Cavins and read the Bible following his Bible timeline.

“We’re humbled by testimonials from people of all walks of life who’ve started to apply a biblical worldview to their lives – gaining clarity on God’s will, overcoming addictions, returning to the sacraments or are converting to Catholicism, renewing marriages and relationships – and many more incredible stories,” Fr. Schmitz said.

The Spanish-language version of the podcast will be produced by the Juan Diego Network, which was awarded a $100,000 grant by the Our Sunday Visitor Institute for Catholic Innovation.

Cavins explained that many have lost their way over the past couple of years and he is excited to play a role in helping others find their way.

“In the last couple of years, in these unprecedented times, people have been really distraught,” Cavins said. “They have lost their North Star, and as a result, they are going into an emotional, financial and social vertigo in their life. They are looking for a brighter future and for someone to trust, and they are not finding that in social media or in government, but they are finding it in the heart of their heavenly father and that he has a plan for their life.”

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the following statement on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The full text of Archbishop Gomez’s statement follows:

“As we remember the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, our hearts are with all those who lost loved ones on that day. We pray for the innocent lives that were lost, and we pray for those who grieve, and for the many who still bear the wounds from these attacks, physical, emotional, and spiritual.

“It was a dark day of destruction and death, but we remember also the heroes — first-responders, firefighters, police, emergency medical and rescue teams. Many gave their lives in the service of their neighbors. This violence, borne of worst evil in the human heart, also brought out the best in our humanity. We think today of the courage and generosity of countless ordinary people and the spirit of unity and authentic patriotism we saw in the days after these attacks.

“We honor the dead by the way we live. And today we pray for a new spirit of national pride and unity. May God inspire in all of us to seek fellowship, reconciliation, and common purpose.

“We ask God to bring comfort to those who mourn and peace to every heart that is consumed by hatred, and may he bring peace to our troubled world.

“We entrust our prayers and our nation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and the mother of each one of us.”

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has sent a letter to all U.S. bishops asking them to consider taking up a voluntary special collection in their dioceses for the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund. Donations to the special collection will assist with the humanitarian, long-term recovery, and significant Church needs stemming from Hurricane Ida which made landfall in the Gulf Coast and made its way inland as a tropical storm, causing damage across several states. Archbishop Gomez’s request follows another request he made several weeks ago to the bishops where he asked them to consider a voluntary special collection for Haiti in the aftermath of the August 14 earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace.

In his letter sent to bishops, Archbishop Gomez detailed that the funds collected in this special appeal would be used to support the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church, as well as the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and/or Catholic Relief Services. These official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church along with their local agencies respond to immediate emergency needs and recovery efforts.

“Funds will be used in response to the hurricane and the impact of subsequent flooding and tornados and any other disasters that occur and will be distributed where they are most needed. However, if such purpose(s) become unnecessary, impractical, or impossible to fill, USCCB may use such contributions for other emergency disaster relief where it is most needed as determined by the Committee on National Collections using its emergency response protocol,” he said in his letter.

Recognizing the financial challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on parish and diocesan activities, but also acknowledging the great need for supporting the recovery efforts from the natural disasters that have hit the dioceses, Archbishop Gomez expressed hope in the generosity of the faithful and their care for those in need.

More information about the Office of National Collections and its support of emergency relief efforts can be found at https://www.usccb.org/committees/national-collections.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities issued a statement on supporting pregnant and new mothers.

Archbishop Naumann’s full statement follows:

“As chairman of the Pro-Life Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I wish to echo the words of the Texas Catholic bishops who expressed gratitude for the growing network of support for pregnant mothers and their families in Texas. Recently, the Texas legislature increased support for low-income mothers by 25 percent through their Alternatives to Abortion program, in addition to expanding Medicaid coverage for new mothers.

“Another new Texas law, which has elicited far more controversy, seeks to use civil rather than criminal law to protect the lives of vulnerable children in the womb. Tragically, the President, Speaker of the House, and other public officials have responded with statements that ignore our nation’s sacred interest to protect the life and health of both mothers and their unborn children, instead responding with radical pledges to mobilize the full force of the federal government to block all efforts to protect the life of the child in the womb. And they seek to enshrine into federal law the failed policy of Roe v. Wade, which pits the welfare of mothers against their children.

“As Catholics, we are committed to working and praying for the conversion of minds and hearts so all people will respect the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death. Our national outreach, Walking with Moms in Need, helps parishes to identify and help provide the full range of needs for mothers and their unborn children, not only during pregnancy, but for years to come. We stand with Pope Francis, who reminds us that killing a child is never a solution to a problem. We advocate for surrounding both mother and her child with love and practical support as the humane response to a difficult pregnancy.”

To learn more about the Walking with Moms in Need nationwide initiative to serve pregnant and parenting mothers, visit www.walkingwithmoms.com.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following statement praying for the lives and safety of all those impacted by Hurricane Ida. which has made landfall in the Gulf Coast and has moved inland as a tropical storm, continuing to cause damage across several states:

“Hurricane Ida has hit the Gulf Coast and brought with it catastrophic damage with wind, rain, storm surges and flooding. As the storm moves inland, it continues to hit communities in several states and causing damage. Multiple dioceses of the Church in the United States have been affected. I call on people of good will to join me in praying for the safety, well-being and protection of everyone in these impacted areas. We also pray in a special way for the first responders, health care workers, and emergency personnel who bring relief, comfort, and healing. I urge our Catholic faithful and all people of good will across the country to stand in solidarity with these impacted communities. We entrust all our brothers and sisters in harm’s way to our Blessed Mother, and we ask for her continued protection and for her intercession in comforting the those who are suffering.

“Catholics and all people of good will may help our brothers and sisters in their recovery by supporting the work of Catholic Charities USA at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/2021-priorities.”

This week, the House Committee on Appropriations will mark-up the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) and State, Foreign Operations (SFOPs) appropriations bills which currently exclude longstanding bipartisan policies that prevent taxpayer dollars from being spent on elective abortions. Three decades-old provisions, which were eliminated from these appropriations bills, prevent taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortions in the District of Columbia, through foreign assistance and for federal employee health plans that cover abortions.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee of Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued the following statement:

“The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations should not eliminate the long-standing, bipartisan provisions that prevent taxpayer funding of abortions. The FSGG bill that currently excludes the Dornan and Smith Amendments would force taxpayers to fund abortions in the District of Columbia and within the Federal Employees Health Benefit program. Deletion of the Helms Amendment in the SFOPs bill would force taxpayers to fund abortions throughout the world, running contrary to principles of integral human development. The Appropriations Committee must re-insert these provisions, and retain all life-saving, Hyde-related provisions across the various appropriations bills.

“The prohibition on taxpayer funding of elective abortion is a consensus policy that is supported by a majority of Americans – including low-income women, and women of color. I call on the Appropriations Committee and all members of Congress to protect taxpayers from having to pay for the evil of abortion, and to instead use our tax dollars for the common good and welfare of all.”