Tag: Christianity

St. Joan of Arc was born into a peasant family in Lorraine, France, in the 15th century. When she was young, she heard the voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret speaking to her. In 1428, when she was 13, she received a vision, which told her to go to the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom, under siege from England and Burgundy.

Joan overcame opposition and convinced members of the court and the Church to give her a small army. She led them into battle, bearing a banner emblazoned with the names “Jesus” and “Mary,” and an image of the Holy Spirit.

At the siege of Orleans in 1429, Joan’s faith in God and leadership skills proved successful. She went on to win a number of battles, helping the king enter Rheims. He was crowned with Joan at his side.

In May of 1430, Joan was captured by the Burgundy army. When her king and army made no efforts to save her, she was sold to the English. Joan spent time in prison before her trial, at which Bishop Peter Cauchon of Beauvais presided. He hoped that in dealing with Joan harshly, he would receive help from the English in becoming an archbishop.

At trial, Joan was condemned to death for heresy, witchcraft, and adultery. On May 30, 1431, at the age of 19, she was burned at the stake in Rouen, France.

Thirty years after her death, St. Joan’s case was retried, and she was exonerated. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV canonized her. St. Joan is the patroness of France, captives, soldiers, and those ridiculed for piety.

While participants made their concerns clear, they also laid out a path forward for the American Church.

According to the report, participants expressed a desire for the Church to thrive as a “safe harbor” – a place where the faithful are embraced, sustained, and loved. To do so, the report notes that parishes with numerous small faith communities, bible studies, and prayer groups prove most successful in welcoming and integrating people from diverse backgrounds. And therefore, parishes should promote interculturality to create more unity between cultures that share the same Church.

The report states that participants also want a greater emphasis on faith formation and evangelization. Specifically, the report highlights a desire for stronger catechesis and formation focusing specifically on programs for evangelization, Catholic Social Teaching, and the role of the family.

The report also highlights that many participants emphasized the importance of co-responsibility, and the importance that lay people rely on their pastors and vice versa. They said there needs to be more female held leadership roles within parishes, dioceses, schools and organizations. Similar desires were expressed about the need for young adults to actively participate in their faith.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, chair of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine who leads the synod process for the American Church, said in the report’s introductory letter that it’s clear American Catholics have a desire to rebuild and strengthen the faith, and that speaking and listening is a way to do so.

“This document reflects the sense that there exists among Catholics in the United States a deep desire to rebuild and strengthen our communion as the Body of Christ,” Flores said.

Rebuilding trust where it is frayed involves practicing the humanly graceful art of listening to each other and speaking together,” Flores continued. “The more we do this, the more we realize that it is the Lord who never fails us. He responds to us, and knows well how to accomplish his will through the communion of his imperfect and often wounded servants.”

In terms of the American bishops’ interim phase listening session, the report states that several bishops highlighted the challenges posed by changing cultures within their presbyterates. It states that priests from other countries need to be appreciated for their gifts, and bishops should try to visit their diocese of origin.

Some bishops, according to the report, expressed that they feel that they must act as “the episcopal referee” among priests with different views. Fostering fraternal relations and unity with the priests and among them was often mentioned as a, but challenging priority.

Polarization – both theological and political – was also highlighted, as was the importance of a synodal style of conversation to make progress in different areas.

“It was affirmed that integration of a synodal style of conversation, especially in the parishes and dioceses, in search of better human relations and mutual understanding can help diffuse resentment and suspicion. This will require patience and perseverance,” the report states.

The section of the report dedicated to the bishops’ listening session also touches on the American bishops’ relations with the Vatican. The verdict was that relations are “generally positive. However, several noted that direct contact with Rome is not very frequent, and that communication between the bishops and offices of the Holy See could be better.

They did, though, credit Apostolic Nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre for work “in fostering a spirit of communion, and in facilitating communication with the Holy See. And it was expressed that the Ad Limina visits to Rome are occasions of “fraternity and joy,” and that conversations with Pope Francis are “fraternal and encouraging,” according to the report.

“Overall, there was a great attitude for the experience of gathering synodally as bishops,” the report states. “These moments allowed for a deeper reflection of how synodality can best be integrated into Church life in the United States.”

“The reopening of the window has made every diocese in California susceptible to more claims,” Brennan wrote.

He said the extended window “gives us the opportunity to redouble our efforts in creating a safe environment for everyone in and out of the Church and address real issues in atoning for the sin of clergy abuse against children.”

The Chapter 11 filing “will allow us to address the substantial number of claims brought forth by victims collectively, and it will allow us to address those claims honestly, compassionately, and equitably,” the bishop wrote.

The bankruptcy will ensure that “all victims are compensated fairly and funds are not depleted by the first few cases addressed,” Brennan said. It will also allow diocesan schools, parishes, and other organizations to continue operating.

The diocese “will pay for the claims from funds that are available to be used for such purposes,” the diocese said on its website. There is also “some insurance to cover abuse that occurred in past decades.”

Fresno joins several other California dioceses in filing for bankruptcy over sex abuse claims. The Dioceses of Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Oakland, and Stockton have all filed for bankruptcy in recent years. The Archdiocese of San Francisco also filed for bankruptcy last year.

    

The bodies of our war dead lie buried in hallowed plots throughout this land, and it has long been our custom as Americans to decorate their graves on Memorial Day as a token of our respect for them as beloved friends and kinsmen and of our aspiration that war may be removed from the earth forever.

Our American Memorial Day was initially known as “Decoration Day,” an opportunity to decorate many graves of the over 600,000 men who died in the US Civil War. It was, by far, our nation’s costliest war in terms of human life—about two percent of the entire population. Today that would translate to 6.5 million people. The sacrifice of the Civil War is especially felt by the Monastery of St. Demetrios in Spotsylvania, Virginia, which is surrounded by the bloodiest battlefields in America. The Confederate General Longstreet marched his troops past the site where the Monastery of St. Demetrios now is, while the Union General Hancock marched from Chancellorsville toward him. East and south was General J.E.B Stuart, while the main action of the Battle of the Wilderness took place along Plank Rd. The battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness were bloody, difficult encounters in a brutal war that pitted brothers against brothers.

To quote President Roosevelt on Memorial Day in 1904, “Here fought the chosen sons of the North and the South, the East and the West. The armies which on this field contended for the mastery were veteran armies, hardened by long campaigning and desperate fighting into such instruments of war as no other nation then possessed. The severity of the fighting is attested by the proportionate loss, a loss unrivaled in any battle of similar size since the close of the Napoleonic struggles; a loss which in certain regiments was from three-fourths to four-fifths of the men engaged. Every spot on this field has its own associations of soldierly duty nobly done, of supreme self-sacrifice freely rendered. The names of the chiefs who served in the two armies form a long honor roll, and the enlisted men were worthy of those who led them.

“All are at one now, the sons of those who wore the blue and the sons of those who wore the gray, and all can unite in paying respect to the memory of those who fell, each of them giving his life for his duty as he saw it.”¹

From an Orthodox perspective, we know that the vast majority of the reposed lying within the battlefields of Central Virginia were outside of the Orthodox Church, as the number of Orthodox immigrants to the United States was exceedingly small in the 1860s. With that being said, there is evidence that some Greek Orthodox from New Orleans could have perished in the battles occurring in Virginia along with other Orthodox immigrants to the United States.² Regardless, the reposed are remembered daily in the monastic life of the St. Demetrios Brotherhood, which by the great providence of God has been placed as the first ever Eastern Orthodox monastery in Central Virginia. On Memorial Day this year, the monastery served an Akathist for the Repose of the Departed along with prayers for departed veterans during the Divine Liturgy. Through these prayers, it is hoped that this long-suffering land will be sanctified and that the reposed veterans of all wars in this area will rest in peace.

Despite the great suffering and bloodshed upon this war-torn land in Central Virginia, a ray of Christian virtue was shown during the Battle of Fredericksburg (ten miles away from the monastery) that Orthodox Christians can reflect upon on this day:

“During Sunday, the 14th… the two great armies lay in positions, each expecting when the morning fog lifted to be attacked by the other. There was some firing at different points along the extended lines, but nothing which approached an engagement.” Sergeant Kirkland and his comrades waited, watched, and listened. “All that day those wounded men rent the air with their groans and their agonizing cries of ‘Water! Water!’” At some point, Sergeant Kirkland could not endure the suffering cries any longer. Perhaps it was one particular man’s plea and groping hands or perhaps it was the constant dying chorus which prompted Kirkland to make his decision. Perhaps he spoke to some of his comrades and received incredulous looks. It is probable that his superior officers were unwilling to permit his request and sent him to higher authorities. Alone, he went to the brigade commander’s headquarters. Years later, General Kershaw recorded his memories of that incident.

In the afternoon the general sat in the north room, up-stairs, of Mrs. Steven’s house…surveying the field, when Kirkland came up. With an expression of indignant remonstrance pervading his person, his manner, and the tone of his voice, he said: “General, I can’t stand this.”

“What is the matter, sergeant?” asked the general.

He replied: “All night and all day I have heard those poor people crying for water, and I can stand it no longer. I come to ask permission to go and give them water.”

The general regarded him for a moment with feelings of profound admiration, and said, “Kirkland, don’t you know that you would get a bullet through your head the moment you stepped over the wall?”

“Yes, sir,” he said, “I know that; but if you will let me, I am willing to try it.”

After a pause the general said. “Kirkland, I ought not to allow you to run such a risk, but the sentiment which actuates you is so noble that I will not refuse your request, trusting that God may protect you. You may go.”

The sergeant’s eye lighted up with pleasure. He said, “Thank you, sir,” and ran rapidly downstairs…

Kirkland returned a few seconds later to ask General Kershaw if he could raise a flag of truce while he went out onto the field. The general regretfully refused and expected Kirkland to resign the mission, but the young man expressed his desire to continue.

After filling some canteens with fresh water, Sergeant Kirkland stepped onto the battlefield. Most likely he had to walk about forty yards before reaching an enemy soldier—that was plenty of time to be shot. Surely Union soldiers had him in their rifle sights, but they waited, perhaps astonished at what they saw. Unharmed he reached the nearest sufferer. He knelt beside him, tenderly raised the drooping head…and poured the precious life-giving fluid down the fever-scorched throat. This done, he laid him tenderly down, placed his knapsack under his head, straightened out his broken limb, spread his overcoat over him, replaced his empty canteen with a full one, and turned to another sufferer. By this time his purpose was well understood on both sides, and all danger was over. From all parts of the field arose fresh cries of “water, water; for God’s sake, water!” More piteous still the mute appeal of some who could only feebly lift a hand to say there, too, was life and suffering.

For an hour and a half did this ministering angel pursue his labor of mercy, nor cease to go and return until he relieved all the wounded on that part of the field. He returned to his post wholly unhurt. Who shall say how sweet his rest that winter’s night beneath the cold stars!³

The actions of Sergeant Kirkland on that fateful day bring to mind the following verse from the Book of Proverbs, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.” Despite the horrors of war, true Christian virtue shone in the actions of one man on that fateful day that serve as an example of a lived-out Gospel. In the later words of General Kershaw, “Sergeant Kirkland has bequeathed to the American youth—yea, to the world—an example which dignifies our common humanity.”

Let us, as Orthodox Christians, make this Memorial Day one of twofold dedication. Let us reverently honor those who have fallen in war and rededicate ourselves through prayer to the cause of peace, to the end that the day may come when we shall never have another war—never another Unknown Soldier.

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled-down death by death, and given life unto Thy world, do Thou the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of green pasture, a place of repose whence all sickness, sorrow, and sighing have fled-away. As Thou art the good God Who lovest mankind, do Thou pardon their every transgression, whether of word, or deed, or thought, for Thou only art without sin, and Thy righteousness is unto all eternity, and Thy Word is truth.

For Thou art the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of our Orthodox warriors, those who have laid down their lives in battle for the Faith, our freedom, and our land, and likewise the veterans of wars who have gone to their rest, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, to Thy Father Who is from everlasting and to Thine All-holy, Good, and Life-creating Spirit. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages.⁴

Photo: Pinterest     

On Wednesday of the fourth week after Pascha, we celebrate the Mid-Pentecost

“>Feast of Mid-Pentecost. This day unites two great feasts—Pascha and The Feast of Pentecost, or Holy Trinity SundayThe Feast of Pentecost, or Holy Trinity Sunday”>Pentecost. On this day we remember how, on the mid-feast of the Jewish Sukkot (the feast of Tabernacles), the Lord entered the Jerusalem Temple (Jn. 7), and revealed the teaching about Himself as the Messiah, after which He called out, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink (Jn. 7:37). In the hymns of Mid-Pentecost we now glorify the Resurrection of Christ, now are reminded of the coming feast of Pentecost, when the Risen Lord sent down the Holy Spirit upon His disciples. In the image of this water, which the Lord offers all who thirst to drink, is this very grace of the Holy Spirit, which abundantly waters and quenches the thirst of those who believe in Christ as the Messiah and Redeemer of the world. On the day of Mid-Pentecost we serve Great Vespers with the Old Testament readings—the Paremeia, but we read the ordinary Kathisma instead of “Blessed is the man”. We sing the troparion: Having come to the middle of the feast, refresh my thirsting soul with the streams of piety. For Thou, O Savior, didst cry to all, whoever thirsts, come to Me and drink! O Christ God, Source of Life, glory be to Thee!

There is no Polyeleos at Matins, only the Great Doxology. The Katavasia on the day of the feast and on the leave-taking of the feast is not the Paschal one, but, “Thou Who didst turn the waters of the sea into dry land.” At the Matins and Liturgy, instead of “More honorable than the Cherubim” and “It is truly meet”, we sing the irmos: “Virginity is alien to motherhood…” On the feast day itself, we have a cross procession to the wells, and a lesser blessing of the waters. Mid-Pentecost is celebrated for eight days and its Apodosis is on Wednesday of the fifth week. At the Apodosis we also sing, “Virginity is alien to motherhood…” instead of “It is truly Meet”. There is no forefeast for Mid-Pentecost.

On June 1, Archbishop José H. Gomez will ordain 11 new priests for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

In the days leading up to their ordination, we’ll be introducing a new soon-to-be Father. Los Angeles, meet your new priests!

Age: 40

Hometown: Tenancingo, Mexico

Home parish: St. Louis of France Church, La Puente

Parish assignment: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Downey

When Jaime Arriaga was a kid, he told his mom he was going to be a father.

“Oh yes, you’re going to be the father of many children,” she said.

“But I specifically told her no, I will be a father like those who say Masses,” Arriaga said.

What he didn’t expect is that he might be saying those Masses outside of his hometown in Mexico. Arriaga, the youngest boy with two older sisters, moved to California when he was 11 years old.

While he was happy in Mexico running in cornfields and playing soccer with neighborhood children, in California, it was more stifling.

“We did things as a family, but mostly going to the mall, to the market, going to do our laundry,” he said. “And that was basically it. If I wanted to go to the market, I couldn’t go by myself. So I felt that I didn’t have the same freedom as I did over there.”

He went to La Puente High School for one year, but then the family moved back to Mexico. At age 17, Arriaga returned to California, but rather than go back to school, he instead went to work.

Working in a food-processing plant is a far cry from priesthood, but that’s where he felt the first pangs of God calling him.

One day while talking with a coworker, the man spoke of his experience in the seminary in Mexico. Arriaga was moved by the possibility.

“I just felt this burning sensation in my chest,” he said. “And I was thinking to myself, I could probably do that. But I didn’t say anything to him, to no one.”

Another encounter happened when a friend invited him to a young adult retreat and something inside of him changed after that.

“I think it was the happiness that I saw in the young adults,” Arriaga said. “And that’s something that I needed in my life at that time.”

The experience prompted him to get more involved at his home parish, becoming a lector and an extraordinary minister of holy Communion.

But still, there was something missing. He was still yearning for something else, something more.

“So I was like, ‘What more is there for me?’ ” Arriaga said. “And as I kept asking this question, I finally asked God, what do you want from me? And that’s when I started considering priesthood.”

The problem is, he didn’t know anything about the priesthood or how you became one. So after doing research online, he contacted the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and left a message. Not expecting to ever receive a response, he was contacted a couple of days later.

He spent two years discerning, then more years at the Juan Diego House (now Queen of Angels Center for Priestly Formation) before continuing at St. John’s Seminary.

Despite finally being on a path to priesthood, he remained racked with doubt, wondering if he should continue or not. At the year-end retreat, he received a book on St. John Vianney. In it, he read that St. John Vianney had a devotion to St. Philomena and encouraged people to pray for her intercession.

Knowing that nearby was St. Philomena Church in Carson, he took it as a sign and went to the parish to pray.

“And that’s when I finally felt at peace,” Arriaga said.

As his ordination approaches, Arriaga hopes to minister and be a sign to everyone, but especially those less fortunate, including immigrants and the homeless.

“Sometimes we have the impression that they chose to be there, but it’s not,” Arriaga said. “Some people just don’t have an option and that’s where they end up. And we are called to be the face of Jesus. We have to show them that God loves them and hasn’t abandoned them. 

“Even if it’s one person who gets out of homelessness, I think that’s something very good.”

St. Maximinus was born near Poitiers, and was educated and ordained a priest by St. Agritius. He succeeded Agritius as bishop of Trier in 332 or 335. At that time, Trier was the government seat of the Western Emperor, putting Maximinus close to the Emperors Constantine II and Constans.

Maximinus strongly defended the faith against the Arian heresy. He was a close friend of St. Athanasius, harboring him during his exile from 336-338. He also received banished patriarch Paul of Constantinople and helped him return to his home.

When four Arian bishops came to Trier in 342, trying to win over Emperor Constans, Maximinus refused to receive them, convincing the emperor to reject their proposal.

In 343, he worked with Constans, Pope Julius I and Bishop Hosius of Cordova to convene the Synod of Sardica. The Arians condemned him by name as one of their staunchest opponents.

Maximinus also took part in the Synod of Milan in 345, and is also said to have presided over the Cologne Synod the following year. He sent Sts. Castor and Lubentius as missionaries to the valleys of the Mosel and the Lahn.

After his death, either in 352 or 349, his followers began honoring him. In 353, his body was buried in the church of St. John near Trier, and he is the city’s patron saint.

A new report found that 2,750 pro-life pregnancy resource centers in the United States provided nearly $367.9 million worth of life-affirming pregnancy services and material goods to clients and their families in 2022.

The report, published this month by the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, estimates that the total monetary value of the goods and services provided in 2022 was more than one-third — over $100 million — higher than the total value provided in 2019. This includes diapers, baby formula, ultrasounds, health care services, and education among a variety of other goods and services.

According to the report, this total includes nearly $176 million in free medical services, more than $113.3 million in free education and support services, and more than $78.5 million worth of material resource items. The report found that the centers provided more than 16 million virtual and in-person sessions with clients.

One example of major growth from 2019 to 2022 was a 194% increase in material services and baby items delivered to families. Other areas of growth included a 41% increase in attendees for parenting and prenatal education programs and a 27% increase in testing for sexually transmitted diseases and infections.

The report also found an 18% increase in paid staff from 2019 to 2022 and a 26% increase in paid medical staff. About 27% of paid staff — 4,779 people — have medical licenses and about 12% of volunteers — 5,396 people — have medical licenses. It also found that more than 80% of the pregnancy resource centers provided medical services.

Michael New, a senior association scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, told CNA there has been more demand for services since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. He also said he has seen “an uptick in donations” and more funding from some state governments following the landmark 2022 decision at some centers, which has helped growth.

According to the report, the 2022 client exit surveys showed an extremely high satisfaction rate of 97.4%, which New said shows that clients “are happy with the assistance” they receive.

In spite of all of the services and goods offered — and the high self-reported rates of satisfaction — pregnancy resource centers have recently become targets of pro-abortion Democratic lawmakers and attorneys general. The most recent example is New York Attorney General Letitia James filing a lawsuit against 11 pregnancy resource centers.

Pope Francis “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” that is considered vulgar in Italian, the Vatican press office said.

Six days after Pope Francis had a closed-door meeting with members of the Italian bishops’ conference, a notorious Italian gossip website reported that the pope used a derogatory slang term in Italian to describe some seminaries as being marked by a gay culture.

The website, Dagospia, said the pope used the term May 20 when responding to a bishop’s question about admitting gay men to seminaries as candidates for priesthood.

Leading Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera said May 27 they confirmed with unnamed Italian bishops that Pope Francis had used the vulgar slang, although Corriere also noted that the pope “sometimes stumbles over somewhat creative Italian without being aware of the nuances.”

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, responded late May 28 to repeated requests for comment.

“Pope Francis is aware of articles that recently came out about a conversation he had, behind closed doors, with the bishops of the CEI,” he said, using the Italian acronym for the Italian bishops’ conference.

“As he has had the opportunity to state on several occasions, ‘In the Church there is room for everyone, for everyone! No one is useless, no one is superfluous, there is room for everyone. Just as we are, everyone,’” Bruni said.

La Repubblica had reported that the word the pope used in Italian “made more than one bishop flinch. The man (Pope Francis) is no stranger to verbal intemperance; the meeting was behind closed doors, the conversation informal, but when Pope Francis used that word” there was tension in the room.

While Pope Francis insisted to the bishops that LGBTQ+ Catholics must be accepted in the church and treated with respect, he reportedly said at the meeting that it is better not to accept gay men as candidates for the priesthood. Bruni did not comment on that report.

During a similar closed-door meeting with Italian bishops in 2018, La Repubblica reported, the pope told them if they had “even the slightest doubt” about a gay candidate being able to live a life of celibacy in the seminary and as a priest, “it is better not to let them in.”

In a book-length interview in 2018, Pope Francis had said superiors must be able to help gay candidates prepare for a life of celibacy or encourage them to leave the seminary.

“Homosexuality is a very serious matter, which must be discerned adequately from the beginning with candidates, if it is the case. We must be demanding,” the pope had told Claretian Father Fernando Prado in the book-interview, “The Strength of Vocation: Consecrated Life Today.”

Pope Francis made it clear in the interview that he was talking about homosexual activity among priests and religious who make vows of chastity and celibacy.

“In consecrated life or that of the priesthood, there is no place for this type of affection,” the pope said. “For that reason, the church recommends that persons with this deep-seated tendency not be accepted for ministry or consecrated life.”

A 2005 instruction from the then-Congregation for Catholic Education, approved by Pope Benedict XVI, said the church “cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’”

Bishops and superiors of religious orders, who are responsible for the final decision about admitting candidates to the priesthood and religious life, have continued to discuss and debate the meaning of “deep-seated homosexual tendencies,” which apparently was what prompted the question to the pope during his meeting with the Italian bishops’ conference.