From today's Providence Journal:

Starting with today’s issue, The Providence Visitor will be the Rhode Island Catholic. Graphically, the new paper has a cleaner, more contemporary look with larger type, better use of photographs, and superior organization that makes for easier reading. The new paper’s motto is “Faith, Family & Life Since 1875.”
...

The new paper has a new Web site, which is still under development. Bishop Tobin has also ordered a redesign of the diocese’s Web site to bring it to a contemporary standard. That project is not completed yet, either.

“The changing spiritual and pastoral challenges of our times require us to be open to new approaches and strategies,” Bishop Tobin said. “Upon my arrival in Providence, it became apparent to me that our newspaper could be even more effective and attractive than it already was.”

The bishop spoke during a news conference in the basement of Providence’s Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, built by the diocese’s first bishop, the Most Rev. Thomas F. Hendricken, who was born in Ireland. Having been transferred from Youngstown, Ohio, Bishop Tobin was installed in the cathedral in an elaborate Mass two years ago today.
...

Bishop Tobin hopes that the Rhode Island Catholic will reflect the diocese’s willingness to participate in the public discourse. But as publisher, one of many hats he wears, he has no intention of moving the paper away from what he describes as its core responsibility: to the teachings of Jesus and the Roman Catholic Church. “The essential mission of a Catholic newspaper is found in the words of Jesus Christ who commissioned his apostles to ‘go forth and teach,’ ” Bishop Tobin said.

An editorial in today’s paper states: “We will not print opinions that are in contradiction of church teaching — any more than a newspaper for, say, Greenpeace would print a letter in support of the slaughter of whales.”

With his first-year agenda filled with more immediate matters, the bishop began to move in earnest toward a new paper several months ago. He had his staff seek advice from the Catholic Press Association, and then he hired Providence’s Creative Circle Media Consulting to help redesign the paper. He hired a new editor and general manager, Marcia Grann O’Brien, a convert from the Lutheran Church to Roman Catholicism. Bishop Tobin kept a hand in the redesign, and chose the new name; “Visitor,” he has quipped, sounded more like a tourist guide than a Catholic publication.

Diocese communications director Michael K. Guilfoyle, a Tobin appointee, began yesterday’s news conference noting the coincidence of “two historical events”: the launch of the new paper, and the second anniversary of Bishop Tobin’s installation.

When the bishop took the podium, he joked about the timing of the news conference, which was scheduled several weeks ago.

“When Michael mentioned the two great events we are observing today,” the bishop said, “along with the launching of the new paper, I thought he was referring to the return of Buddy Cianci to New England!”

The audience laughed. The bishop makes a habit of bringing humor to his public appearances, and many of his sermons.

Labels: local, media

Ahead of my own thoughts on the Lincoln ordinations this past weekend, here is a story from the Southern Nebraska Register on the two of them who are both good friends of mine. I played at the first Mass of Father Holdren and stayed with his family over the weekend.

Deacon Ben Holdren

Deacon Ben Holdren grew up in a faithfully Catholic family at St. Joseph Parish in Friend. He and his twin sister, Emily, are the oldest of Greg and Maureen Holdren’s six children.

“My parents were really good about exposing us to Catholic events.” Deacon Holdren said.

At age 14, he was with his family at a Catholic event in Indianapolis when he responded to an invitation to pray about a priestly vocation. His mother was happy and surprised, but no more surprised than Deacon Holdren himself.

Over the years, Mrs. Holdren occasionally asked her son about that calling. Deacon Holdren was struggling.

“I saw priests as isolated,” he said. “I always thought, I’d love to be married and have kids, so if I have that desire, why would God have called me to the priesthood?”

After high school, Deacon Holdren enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Kearney to study graphic design, finishing with an advertising degree from the Lincoln campus. Twice, he almost went to the seminary, but changed his mind. He even left the Church for a year, trying to resist his vocation.

When he finally made up his mind to attend seminary and made the announcement, his mother responded, “Well, are you going or not?”

Deacon Holdren laughed at the memory. “She’s really happy about it now.”

Once in the seminary, Deacon Holdren experienced a profound sense of peace that he was finally heading in the right direction.

“I just really loved it,” he said. “It totally changed who I was as a person… just finding that God is absolutely real and His love is absolutely real and He has directed that to me personally.”

He is looking forward to becoming “Father Holdren” and becoming part of whatever family of parishioners the bishop will assign him to.

“The priesthood is about having a family,” he emphasized. “It’s definitely in a different way, but not in any less of way. You get to bring them the sacraments…. You are there in the best times and worst times, and you get to bring them hope and joy.”

Deacon Holdren’s first Mass will be at St. John the Apostle Parish in Lincoln, with one of his many mentors, Father Brian Kane, serving as homilist.

Deacon Rafael Rodriguez

Born to Emma and Jose Luis Rodriguez of Mexico City, Deacon Rafael Rodriguez comes from an educated family. His sister is a marine biologist in Cancun; his brother is an electronics professor at the National Polytechnic University in Mexico City. Deacon Rodriguez holds a chemical engineering degree from the same university, as well as a master’s degree in chemistry from the UNL.

Before enrolling at UNL, Deacon Rodriguez had been to the U.S. as a tourist, but never Nebraska. “I couldn’t even find Lincoln on the map the first time I heard of it,” he said.

Little did he anticipate how moving to Lincoln would change his life. While studying for his doctorate in civil engineering, he began attending events at the Newman Center.

“I wanted to know more about my faith,” he explained.

While on retreat with a Newman Center group, Deacon Rodriguez was approached by Father Christopher Kubat, who asked if he might have a vocation to the priesthood.

Deacon Rodriguez answered, “Well, probably... I might.”

Assured of Father Kubat’s prayers, Deacon Rodriguez considered the possibility carefully. He soon enrolled at St. Gregory the Great Seminary to begin the formation process.

“It was a fantastic time, figuring out what the Lord wants to do with my life,” Deacon Rodriguez said.

At the seminary, he learned of the need for Hispanic ministry in the diocese. Deacon Rodriguez anticipates that his priesthood will focus on this population, bringing the sacraments to Hispanic Catholics in their own language and helping them with various social justice issues.

“Most of them, they come for economic needs,” Deacon Rodriguez explained. Having spent last summer at Christo Rey Parish in Lincoln, his fatherly love and concern for the diocese’s Hispanic population is already apparent. “They leave everything behind to come here.”

Deacon Rodriguez said these Hispanic parishioners have taught him something regarding the future of his own retired parents, now that he has exchanged what could have been a lucrative career for the priesthood.

“I learned from them to truly trust in the Lord that He will protect our families that we leave behind and take better care of them than we can ourselves,” he said.

Deacon Rodriguez will say his first Mass at Christo Rey with Father Kubat as the homilist.

Labels: priesthood, vocations

Various stories I've seen today that are worth a quick mention:

Lawrence Cunningham writes a wonderful review of Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth over at dotCommonweal. Of course, I think it's wonderful because I agree with it, although I'm only halfway through the actual book.

Dawn Eden has a great post on the Sisters of Life. She links to a YouTube video that is a part of a documentary on them and she also links to some MTV stuff. I'm going to keep this in mind for National Vocation Awareness Week next year... something the kids might like to see.

A sad note from the north: another mock ordination of some women. The woman who calls herself a bishop that ordained them believes herself to be in the line of succession with the apostles, even going so far as to say that she's Catholic to her toenails. A compelling argument, but hardly worthy of totally disregarding the mandate of Christ.

As a solution to this problem, the AP has an interesting report. Diogenes pokes a little fun in a post called "Conversion of the Genitals."

A Washington Post article on Archbishop Burke. It boggles my mind when people are surprised when bishops are Catholic. Imagine them teaching the Good News! What nerve they have!

Labels: random

From yesterday's Zenit:

Thirty-eight men from 18 countries were ordained to the priesthood for the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei.

Bishop Javier Echevarria, prelate of Opus Dei, conferred the ordinations Saturday afternoon in Rome, reminding the ordinands in his homily that they will be instruments of the Holy Spirit "to illuminate souls and answer the questions that weigh upon the hearts of many people."

A reported 1,500 people were present for the ordinations that took place in the Basilica of St. Eugene.

The new priests come from Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, Colombia, Italy, the Philippines, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, France, Congo, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya and Guatemala.

During the Mass, Bishop Echevarria offered the new priests some advice from Opus Dei's founder, St. Josemaria Escriva: "We priests must only speak of God. We will not speak of politics, or social ideologies or questions extraneous to the priestly task. In this way, we will make the Holy Church and the Roman Pontiff loved."

Brian Maguire, an American who flew to Rome to attend the event, said: "Many Americans are understandably discouraged by the so-called vocations crisis here at home. They should go to Rome. There's no doubt that God is renewing the Church from its heart in Rome.

"Saturday's ordinations showed not only that many young men are responding to this call, but that they are doing so generously and enthusiastically when it's presented to them as a lifelong surrender of self for others."

Labels: Opus Dei, priesthood, vocations

Back from Nebraska (Paradise)...

I'll be blogging about the trip (hopefully) tomorrow. For now, I was catching up on the comings and goings in St. Blog's and I noticed this nice post from Fr. Z on Pentecost in Rome (complete with pictures). Check it out.

Labels: Pentecost, personal

Saint John's Rector resigns early:

The leader of St. John's Seminary in Brighton resigned abruptly last week, saying he is unhappy with the Archdiocese of Boston for selling the seminary's library and one of its halls as part of a $65 million sale of church headquarters to Boston College.

The Rev. John A. Farren, rector of St. John's Seminary since 2003, had been scheduled to step down on June 30 to take a new assignment in New York City, but Farren resigned last week after the school's board voted to support the sale of 18 acres of archdiocesan land to Boston College. Farren e-mailed a letter of resignation to the board on May 24 that detailed his fierce opposition to the sale, which includes the seminary's Bishop Peterson Hall as well as the seminary library.

Board member Mary Kate Connolly confirmed Farren's early resignation, but declined to share his resignation letter or discuss its contents. Farren, a Dominican priest from Medford who was ordained in 1964, did not respond to requests for comment on his departure.

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Under the deal, which still must be approved by the Vatican, the archdiocese would retain only one building of the seminary, St John's Hall. However, Donilon said, the enormous structure is ample for the seminary's current operations.

He also said that Farren's early departure will have little practical effect since O'Malley has already named the Rev. Arthur L. Kennedy to take over as seminary rector on July 1.

Labels: local, vocations

Even though I'm not exactly sitting on pins and needles waiting for the "impending" Motu Proprio, I acknowledge that many are, including a good friend from home whose impending ordination cannot come too soon for our diocese. So in honor of the soon-to-be Deacon W.S., I post this little ditty he wrote:



By the way, my friend whose ordination I attended this weekend (see previous post) has been granted the indult by his bishop with the expectation that he won't need it in the near future. We'll see.

Labels: liturgy

Back to reality after a great weekend in Illinois.

Everything went off quite well in terms of mere travel intricacies. I had no trouble flying out of the Bradley Airport (although after I got on the shuttle from one of the long term parking lots, I thought for sure I had left my car unlocked... turns out I had locked it after all). The flight was on time and my first time renting a car was problem-free too. They gave me a Pontiac G6, which apparently has a lot of power. Big deal.

I arrived at the retreat center on Friday night and met up with the guys. What a beautiful place. It's a nice piece of land and the rooms are quite comfortable (anything with a private bath is comfortable!).

The ordination of seven men (four of which I went to school with) was Saturday morning. Bishop Doran was the ordaining prelate and the two deacons were friends of mine.

The music was loud (which is the way I like it). They did the Jubilation Mass (Chepponis) which is just okay. The Gloria is relatively triumphant, though as one Rockford sem was heard to say later at dinner, "When did the Gloria become a responsorial psalm?" Point taken. The other music was fine. They did a Taize Veni Creator which was nice. The postlude sounded like an improvisation which as long as it's loud, fine by me. The opening was "Lord, You Give the Great Commission" with half of the words missing in the program. Awkward. At the end of Mass the bishop's microphone wasn't working, and since I was sitting in the fourth to last row, I couldn't hear him. From secondhand sources, he commented on Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus which had just finished by saying that it was nice to hear some Catholic music. Someone in the combox can clarify lest I be accused of spreading rumors.

The homily was decent. He started by reading the introduction in the Rite itself, then went off. It largely centered around a return to the confessional, both for the priest as confessor and as penitent. Not a bad idea. I couldn't help but get the feeling that the sentiment was directed at the entire presbyterate and not just to the seven ordinands, but again, that may just be me projecting my cynicism. Other than that, he called the priesthood a "dicey" vocation. Not words I would have used. As one of the visiting sems put it later, "The vocation can hardly be dicey... it comes from Christ!" Obviously I understand the point the bishop was trying to make: to accept the call of Christ is difficult these days, more difficult than it may have been in other times in our history.

Even though I knew four of the new priests, I went for one in particular, so I attended half his first Mass, unfortunately cut short by my return flight. It was the novus ordo celebrated in Latin with the readings and intercessions in English. The Ordinary was Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli. Again, not a choice I would have made since it's so long compared to what we're used to. Following a wonderful homily by Father Miller of the Mount faculty, the new priest explained why he had chosen the details of the celebration: to remind all of us that Latin is the language of the Church and to connect us with our tradition. I buy that about 40% of the way. Even though Father disavowed the fact that it's not only because he likes it better that way, I think that's still some of the reason. All due respect to the good padre, of course, because he's a faithful reader!

As an aside, W.S. will be salivating to hear of Father's vestments, a description of which would be more appropriate in a private conversation.

Overall it was a wonderful trip and I'm looking forward to heading to Lincoln this coming weekend for their ordinations. Any of the Rockford guys or those who were there as guests are welcome to comment!

Labels: personal, priesthood, U.S. Church

From Catholic News Agency:

Nearly 500 men from Catholic dioceses across the country will be ordained for the priesthood this spring. This year’s cohort is representative of the Church in the United States, which is filled with well-educated professionals, newcomers to the nation and souls touched by war.

At least seven ordinands have a military background. Others immigrated to the United States, leaving situations of poverty and strife in their countries of origin. About one-third of the class is foreign-born, coming from countries as diverse as Poland, Vietnam and the Philippines.

About six percent of the Class of 2007 are converts to Catholicism. Douglas Freer, for example, who will be ordained for the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey, was an Episcopal priest for 12 years.

The men being ordained have a broad range of educational backgrounds. Many are educators. One was a professional pilot for 28 years, another worked in finance and yet another in law enforcement. Other ordinands include former physicians, lawyers, psychologists, architects, and the vice-president of an ad agency.

Ages vary, too. Among the older candidates for ordination are a 60-year-old and a 53-year-old in the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Some men were in religious orders as brothers or friars. They received dispensation from their orders to be ordained diocesan priests. Others are widowers.

The number of ordinations varies from diocese to diocese as well. Some dioceses, such as Stockton, California, are ordaining their largest group in years. Spokane Diocese has seen an increase in the diocesan priesthood over the last three years. From 2004 to 2007, the number of active priests in the diocese has increased by 20 percent. The boost comes as the diocese deals with bankruptcy brought on by the clergy sexual abuse scandal.

I'll be in Rockford, Illinois next weekend for ordinations and Lincoln, Nebraska the week after. June and July will be Fall River ordinations. Unfortunately, I'm not getting to as many as I had hoped. I'm missing Rockford (Diaconate), Columbus, and Burlington. Despite my blogging absence, I'll be giving info on all of them as I see them happening.

USCCB's annual survey on the Class of 2007

Praying for holy and faithful priests...

Labels: priesthood, U.S. Church, vocations