Yesterday, the synod delegates formed into our third of four small groups. Today marks the halfway point of our gathering and work. In October of 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council. Days later the world watched nervously as the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded between the two nuclear Read more…
Greetings from Rome! I arrived here a little over a week ago to participate in the Synod on Synodality. Last Saturday, everything began with an ecumenical prayer service in St. Peter’s Square. Prayer is at the very core of our work during this synod. (Please keep that in mind.) In Read more…
The Synod on Synodality draws closer and closer and the delegates are beginning to gather in Rome. I arrived yesterday morning, September 28 in order to have a few days to adjust to the new time zone before we officially begin our time together with the prayer service in St. Read more…
In May of 2015, Pope Francis penned an Encyclical Letter about the necessity to care for creation, which he calls our common home. The Letter is entitled Laudato Si’ taken from a the canticle to creation by St. Francis of Assisi. Next week, on the Feast of St. Francis, October Read more…
As the clock winds down before departing for Rome, there are a number of activities I wish to share with you. Perhaps one of the most exciting ministries presently underway is something we call Welcome Circles. After the war broke out in Ukraine, there was a tremendous need to receive Read more…
The North American Continent Delegation has begun our preparations for this October’s Synod on Synodality. All of us came together Monday for the purposes of meeting one another. Most of the US Delegation gathered at Mundelein Seminary outside of Chicago, and all delegates from Canada the other US delegates were Read more…
As our Pilgrimage of Peace draws to a conclusion, we arrived in Kyoto last night. Today (Friday) is mostly a day of rest, and for some, a bit of sightseeing. Here we will part ways; the Santa Fe contingent will remain until tomorrow, and our Seattle group will depart for Read more…
The Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki was completed in 1925. The altar piece contained a wooden statue of Mary. When the atomic bomb was dropped, August 9, 1945, everything was destroyed. Distraught, a Trappist monk returned to the ruins to pray. After praying, he looked down and saw the remaining image Read more…
On the 78th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki, we continued discussions with Bishop Shirahama of the Diocese of Hiroshima, Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki and Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, working out the final details of our partnership. We concluded our two hour morning session to Read more…
On this 9th and final day of our Pilgrimage of Peace to Japan is the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Clocks that day stopped at 11:02, marking the time of the detonation. Our final official act on this pilgrimage will take place in the Cathedral at 11:00 Read more…