Reviewing the Consecration of USA to Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11th by the Bishops of the United States

 

Hundreds of US Catholic Bishops celebrate Mass in Orlando 

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Catholic Bishops consecrate USA to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, US Catholic Bishops gather in Florida to consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

By Jenny Kraska*

On June 11, 2026, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Catholic Bishops of the nation gathered in Orlando, Florida for a remarkable and deeply symbolic act: the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

At a time when political divisions run deep, institutions face declining trust, and many Americans express uncertainty about the future, the Bishops offered something that was neither a policy proposal nor a politician platform.

Instead, they offered a prayer. Yet this was no ordinary prayer.

Consecration is among the Church’s most profound spiritual acts. To consecrate is to entrust, to place oneself under the loving protection of Christ. It is an acknowledgment that, despite all human achievements and failures, history ultimately belongs to God.

In his homily for the occasion, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore captured the meaning of the moment with clarity and conviction.

tanding before his brother Bishops and the faithful gathered for the liturgy, he explained that the Church was not gathering “first to celebrate ourselves, but to consecrate. To entrust.” Those simple words provided the key to understanding the significance of the day.

An Act of Faith

Archbishop Lori reminded the faithful that consecration is fundamentally an act of faith. It recognizes that the story of a nation is not merely the story of political leaders, military victories, economic accomplishments, or cultural achievements. It is also the story of God’s providence and grace at work through imperfect people.

As the United States approaches its Semiquincentennial, there will be no shortage of celebrations, commemorations, and historical reflections.

Yet the Bishops chose to begin this anniversary year not with triumphalism but with humility.

“We consecrate our nation,” Archbishop Lori said, “not because it is perfect, but because it is beloved by God.”

Those words offer a distinctly Christian vision of patriotism. Love of country does not require blindness to its faults. Genuine love seeks what is good, acknowledges what is broken, and entrusts both to the mercy of God.

The consecration therefore became an act of gratitude and repentance, thanksgiving and petition. The Bishops entrusted to the Heart of Christ the nation’s achievements and failures, its strengths and wounds, its hopes and fears.

The Heart of Christ and the Heart of a Nation

Drawing upon the Gospel of John, Archbishop Lori reflected on Jesus’ invitation: “Remain in my love.”

The Sacred Heart, he noted, is not merely a devotional image. It is the visible sign of God’s love made flesh—a Heart that has experienced friendship and betrayal, joy and sorrow, suffering and sacrifice.

The significance of this insight cannot be overstated. In a culture that often prizes autonomy and self-sufficiency, the Bishops publicly acknowledged that neither individuals nor nations can flourish apart from God.

The future of the country ultimately depends not only on stronger institutions or better policies, important as those may be, but on hearts transformed by divine love.

The Sacred Heart reminds believers that God does not stand distant from human struggles. He enters them. He bears them. He redeems them.

Sent Forth to Bear Fruit

Archbishop Lori reminded the faithful that consecration is not an ending but a beginning. The Church does not consecrate itself to the Sacred Heart merely to receive blessings.

It consecrates itself in order to become a more faithful instrument of Christ’s love in the world.

“The Sacred Heart does not divide; it reconciles,” the Archbishop said. “It does not harden hearts; it transforms them.” In a nation increasingly tempted to define itself through ideological conflict and cultural polarization, those words sounded both timely and prophetic. 

The true fruit of this consecration will not be measured by the beauty of the liturgy or the significance of the ceremony.

It will be measured by whether Catholics become more faithful disciples bearing witness to Christ’s love in their families, parishes, workplaces, communities, and public life. 

Trusting the One Whose Love Endures Forever

As the homily drew to a close, Archbishop Lori offered what may be the most enduring lesson of the day. 

As Americans look toward the nation’s 250th anniversary, he suggested that there are two temptations: nostalgia for the past and anxiety about the future.

The Christian answer to both is trust. “Today we choose something better: trust,” he said.

That trust is ultimately what the consecration expressed.

By consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart, the Bishops did not claim that American is without flaws or that its future is guaranteed.

Rather, they proclaimed a deeper truth: that the nation, like every human person, is loved by God and stands in need of His mercy. On the eve of America’s 250th birthday, that may be the most important message the Church can offer.

* Executive Director, Maryland Catholic Conference

Bishops Consecrate America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Archbishop Lori delivers homily

 

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori delivers the homily as the U.S. Catholic bishops consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Basilica of Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando, Fla., June 11, 2026, during their spring plenary assembly. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

Archbishop Lori: Sacred Heart reconciles divisions and transforms hardened hearts

June 11, 2026
By Jean Gonzalez
OSV News

ORLANDO, Fla. (OSV News) — A sea of white robes and zucchettos of pink and magenta in the pews. A statue of Jesus welcoming the faithful with his exposed Sacred Heart upon the foot of the altar.

A setting fit for a June 11 Mass that united U.S. bishops gathered for their spring plenary June 10-12. After concluding the second of two days of public sessions, they left the Omni Resort in ChampionsGate for a half-hour drive up Interstate 4 for the spiritual refuge that is the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando.

And the Mass was a momentous one as it served to formally consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City incensed the altar after processing in from the thick humidity and cloudy skies of a typical Orlando afternoon outside the shrine. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was joined on the altar by bishops and deacons of the Orlando Diocese.

“Clothe us, Lord God, with the virtues of the heart of your son, and set us aflame with his love,” the archbishop prayed in opening the Mass.

More than 200 bishops present, along with about 150 observers, mostly benefactors and staff of the Diocese of Orlando. The monstrance used ahead of Mass for Eucharistic adoration was from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts, a Miami-based religious institute.

The relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque — the French Visitation sister who experienced visions of Jesus revealing his Sacred Heart — were also present at the Mass, on loan for the consecration from the Knights of Columbus.

In his homily, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore described the Sacred Heart of Jesus not as an “abstract devotion,” but as a “visible sign of love.”

He explained why the Church consecrates. He described it as an act of faith and acknowledgment of the need for God’s mercy, wisdom and guidance. It is also an act of hope. It is “a heart that has known joy and sorrow, friendship and betrayal, suffering and sacrifice,” he said.

The act of consecration is an act of faith and hope, the archbishop said, but it is also an acknowledgment of God’s faithful work and love in the world and how we as people and as a Church have not always “clearly reflected that love.”

“Indeed, it is sometimes obscured almost beyond recognition,” the archbishop added. “To be sure, there have been moments of extraordinary witness and holiness. But there have also been moments of failure, division and sin. Consecration requires the humility to acknowledge both.”

And why the Sacred Heart? Because it reveals a savior who “desires not merely our obedience, but our friendship; not simply our service, but our communion with Him,” he said.

“To consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart is ultimately to accept Christ’s invitation to remain in His love and to allow that love to shape every aspect of our lives, public and private,” Archbishop Lori said. “It is a declaration that the future does not belong merely to political movements, economic forces, or human plans. The future belongs to God.”

The act of consecration does not just happen among the shepherds, but also the sheep. In speaking to the laity both in the pews at the shrine and watching on the livestream, Archbishop Lori said the act of consecration is one the faithful and leaders do together.

“This consecration is not something the bishops do for you. It is something we do together,” he said. “The renewal of the Church and our nation will not come through declarations alone. It will come through disciples who remain in Christ’s love and bear the good fruit of holiness in families, parishes, communities and in their daily lives.”

The Sacred Heart reconciles divisions and transforms hardened hearts, the archbishop said.

“It means building communities — ecclesial and civil — where truth is proclaimed clearly and charity is practiced generously. It means resisting the temptation to define ourselves by division, ideology or resentment,” Archbishop Lori said. “We consecrate our nation, not because it is perfect, but because it is beloved by God. We entrust to the Heart of Christ our achievements and failures, our hopes and anxiety, our present challenges and our future aspirations.”

Click here to read Archbishop Lori’s Homily: Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Here is a recap of the June 10th session of the USCCB spring plenary meeting in Orlando

 

Child protection, sainthood causes, World Youth Day on US bishops’ spring meeting agenda

written by Julie Asher 

Bishop Daniel J. Felton of Duluth, Minn., speaks during an episcopal consultation on the sainthood cause of Msgr. Joseph Francis Buh during a June 10, 2026, session of the annual spring meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Orlando, Fla. Msgr. Buh was a missionary priest who served Northeastern Minnesota and his cause was first opened in 2023. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

ORLANDO, Fla. (OSV News) — Headlining the June 10 public session of the U.S. bishops’ spring plenary in Orlando were addresses by the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the new apostolic nuncio to the United States, along with a preliminary presentation on proposed updates to the bishops’ landmark document on protection policies for children and minors.

A highlight in the afternoon was a report on World Youth Day 2027, accompanied by a gift of traditional Asian paper fans for each bishop from South Korea — whose capital, Seoul, will host the international event.

In a morning presentation, Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People, said the bishops are reviewing proposed updates to the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” seeking to define key terms while balancing care for victim-survivors with accused clergy’s right to a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.

The suggested changes would keep the charter focused “exclusively” on clergy abuse of minors, with a new document being developed to address abuse involving vulnerable adults, Bishop Knestout said. Voting on the agenda item was scheduled for June 11.

Glossary of terms in response to diocesan requests

He said the revised text includes a glossary of terms in response to diocesan requests, and — drawing on canon law — the integration of "the right of an accused to the presumption of innocence.” 

Following the presentation, Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas — citing several factors and calling for a “more synodal approach” — asked if it would be possible to suspend the vote on the revisions pending further consultation among presbyteral councils and diocesan review boards.

At the start of the public session, Msgr. Michael J.K. Fuller, the USCCB’s general secretary, read a message from the U.S. bishops to Pope Leo XIV thanking him for his new encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” and for shining “the light of the Gospel and the tradition of the Church on the new opportunities and challenges posed by the rise” of artificial intelligence and “emerging technologies.”

The bishop said the pope’s teaching is a timely reminder that human life and dignity must remain at the center of technological development. Marking the first year of Pope Leo’s pontificate, they prayed that he would continue to be a guiding light for both the Church and the wider world.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City gave his first address to the body of bishops as USCCB president, having been elected during the conference’s annual fall meeting in November 2025. 

Church must ‘create hope in Christ’

The Church must “put out into the deep” and “create hope in Christ,” he said. He told the bishops he was “especially pleased to recognize the impact” of the USCCB’s special message on migration, released during the conference’s November 2025 plenary assembly amid the Trump administration’s hardline crackdown on immigration, which has seen sweeping mass detentions and deportations.

The USCCB message “demonstrated our united concern as pastors for the dignity of every person, especially our migrant brothers and sisters,” said Archbishop Coakley.  Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia gave his inaugural address to the bishops as nuncio to the U.S.  He was named to his new post in March, after having previously served as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations.

Bishops’ mission as missionary disciples

In his remarks, he highlighted the consecration of the U.S. Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, urged the bishops to fulfill their mission as missionary disciples by welcoming immigrants in their midst, and reminded his brother bishops he is there for them, especially in moments when their responsibilities as episcopal shepherds leads them to feel isolated.

“My service here is one of listening, trust, and shared discernment within the Church that we are all serving together,” Archbishop Caccia said.

In the late afternoon, as chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas gave a report on World Youth Day 2027, which is to take place Aug. 3-8 in Seoul, and he introduced Auxiliary Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee of Seoul, general coordinator for WYD 2027, who brought traditional Asian folding fans as a gift to the bishops.

Bishop Burns said some 10,000 to 15,000 young pilgrims will travel to South Korea, a number he said would be comparable to the U.S. presence at WYD in Brazil (2013) and in Panama (2019).

Church of Korea began in hands of laypeople

Bishop Lee said he hopes all U.S. bishops will inspire young people of their dioceses to participate in the global event. The bishop detailed how the Catholic Church of Korea began in the hands of the laypeople, became strengthened by the blood of 10,000-plus martyrs, and served as a sanctuary for democracy and human rights.

“I have a simple hope that by the end of this presentation, Seoul will feel a little less far away,” Bishop Lee said. After the Korean War (1950-1953), he said, “Korea was one of the poorest countries of the world. In 80 years, Korea moved from devastation to renewal. The hardships did not have the final world. Hope can renew and heal a nation.”  Bishop Lee also spoke about three special WYD events that are to take place with Pope Leo XIV — a meeting with people facing hardships, interreligious dialogue, and prayers for world peace.

World Youth Day promises to be a “powerful opportunity” for young people from across the globe to witness how “God’s love never ceases, regardless of circumstances,” the bishop said, adding that three special events with Pope Leo XIV are planned — a meeting with people facing hardships, interreligious dialogue and prayers for world peace.

Catholic scientist and provost of Dartmouth

The bishops also heard from mathematical biologist Santiago Schnell, a Catholic scientist and provost of Dartmouth University. He was invited to speak June 10 by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, USCCB secretary and chair of its Committee on Priorities and Plans.

The talk anticipated the bishops’ discussion of the 25th anniversary of the USCCB’s implementation of “Ex Corde Ecclesia,” St. John Paul II’s apostolic constitution on Catholic universities.

The Catholic imagination needs to be reawakened in academic life to nurture leaders who can become “voices for the Catholic Church,” Schnell advised the nation’s bishops.

During his presentation, Schnell — formerly dean of the University of Notre Dame’s College of Science — warned that Catholics were, as his presentation title asserted, “educated, yet absent” from American intellectual life.

Need to educate Catholic to become leaders

“The Catholic paradox is that we have a massive infrastructure of higher education with average outcomes,” said Schnell. “We are not educating sufficient Catholics in our Catholic higher educational system. And we’re not educating them, actually, to become leaders.”

The bishops also heard a preliminary presentation on portions of two texts for consideration: a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass, which provides the Scripture readings and psalm for each day’s liturgy; and the 2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement.

In a voice vote they showed support for the local advancement of two separate American canonization causes: Bishop Daniel J. Felton of Duluth, Minnesota, gave a presentation on the cause opened in his diocese for pioneer missionary priest Msgr. Joseph Buh and Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami presented the cause of entrepreneur-turned-evangelist John Rick Miller.

The consultation of a body of bishops — at either the regional or national level — is required by Church legislation governing the canonization process as a cause gets underway.

Julie Asher is senior editor for OSV News. Contributing to this story were Gina Christian, Jean Gonzalez and Michael R. Heinlein.

USCCB has big agenda for Bishop's meeting in June

 

A prelate prepares to vote June 16, 2023, during the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' spring plenary assembly in Orlando, Fla. The USCCB's 2026 spring assembly will be held in Orlando June 10-12, with public sessions scheduled for June 10 and 11. (OSV News photo by Bob Roller)

US bishops have a full agenda for annual spring meeting

(OSV News) — The nation’s Catholic bishops have a full agenda for their annual spring meeting, with topics including safe environment protocols, sainthood causes, the Synod on Synodality and the consecration of the U.S. to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will gather June 10-12 for a spring plenary assembly in Orlando, Florida.

The public sessions of the meeting, which will take place June 10 and 11, will be livestreamed through the USCCB’s website at usccb.org, according to a May 18 press release issued by the conference.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City will open the public sessions with his first address as USCCB president, having been elected during the conference’s annual fall meeting in November 2025.

Also addressing the bishops will be Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, who was appointed as papal nuncio to the U.S. in March, having previously served as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations. Archbishop Caccia succeeded Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80 in January and had served in the post since 2016.

Safe environment on the agenda for bishops’ spring meeting

The USCCB noted in its release that the agenda for the June assembly “has not yet been finalized and is subject to change,” but stated that votes are expected on several action items.

Among those items are a revision to the USCCB’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” adopted in 2002 as a number of clerical abuse scandals emerged. Commonly called the Dallas Charter, the document lays out a comprehensive set of procedures for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, and includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of abuse.

Without specifying the proposed revision, the USCCB said in its release that the agenda item regards “elements of the Charter that the bishops have determined are in need of improvement or further development.”

The revision would “align with the Charter’s original intention of safeguarding minors,” while affirming the USCCB’s “continued commitment” to preventing abuse and providing mechanisms to respond to allegations, said the release.

The USCCB said its Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People — which is chaired by Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia — seeks “to balance its care of and sensitivity to victim-survivors, with an awareness of due-process, the rights of the accused,” and “pertinent aspects” of canon law and other key documents on handling clergy abuse allegations.

The press release cited in particular “Vox Estis Lux Mundi” (“You are the light of the world”), Pope Francis’ motu proprio outlining global legal procedures for how the church should deal with clergy sexual abuse, including incidents involving vulnerable adults and procedures for investigating bishops.

In addition, the bishops will consider the potential charter revisions in light of the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s June 2022 Vademecum, or guidebook for bishops, on procedures for handling clergy abuse cases.

Two canonizations causes to be discussed

Also on the agenda are episcopal consultations for two canonization causes: that of Msgr. Joseph Francis Buh, a 19th-century Slovenian missionary priest who ministered to the Ojibwe people of northern Minnesota; and John Rick Miller, a 20th-century American businessman who founded For the Love of God Worldwide, a private association of the faithful promoting consecration to God through the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The consultations are part of the Church’s established process for sainthood evaluations. If approval of the Holy See is obtained following the consultations, the diocesan bishop can convene a diocesan tribunal to examine more fully the life of the candidate.

Two texts for consideration

The USCCB Committee on Divine Worship will round out the agenda’s action items, presenting portions from two texts for consideration: a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass, which provides the Scripture readings and psalm for each day’s liturgy; and the 2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement.

At the USCCB’s November meeting, Bishop Steven J. Lopes, chair of the Committee on Divine Worship, announced that the Vatican had approved a new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church’s ancient daily liturgical prayer that blends Scripture, sacred texts and hymns for worship at various hours.

Bishops to discuss a number of other issues

The spring assembly will also include updates on a number of additional issues, said the USCCB in its release.

The bishops will discuss the implementation and evaluation of the Synod on Synodality, as well as feedback from their November dialogues on “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” the USCCB’s teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics.

In addition, they will explore the 25th anniversary of the implementation of “Ex Corde Ecclesia,” St. John Paul II’s apostolic constitution on Catholic universities.

Discussions will also examine Catholic prison ministry; the USCCB’s involvement with the Intercontinental Guadalupan Novena honoring the 500th anniversary of the Marian apparitions in what is now Mexico City; and World Youth Day 2027, which will take place in Seoul, South Korea.

A great interview about Permanent Deacons

Because I am always looking for anything that helps others understand that the Permanent Deacon is not like deacons in other churches, that he is an ordained minister who fulfills the fullness of orders along with the Priest and the Bishop, I found this link today at a brother Deacon's website.

This is a wonderful interview from Orlando explaining all things Permanent Deacon:

https://www.orlandodiocese.org/the-permanent-diaconate/


Enjoy the interview and learn more about your Permanent Deacons!

Bishops told to support black lives matter; an interesting read

Engage young adults, support Black Lives Matter, bishops told

• 
  Auxiliary Bishop Fernand Cheri III of New Orleans speaks during a young adult forum at the National Black Catholic Congress in Orlando, Florida, July 6. (NCR photo/Gail DeGeorge)

Gail DeGeorge  |  Jul. 7, 2017

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Orlando, Fla.

A standing-room-only crowd of young black Catholics in a frank session that lasted more than two hours told bishops, priests and women religious why they stay in the church, what threatens to drive them away and that they want a stronger voice from church officials for the Black Lives Matter movement.
As the National Black Catholic Congress got underway in Orlando July 6 with more than 2,000 attendees, some 120 participants discussed ways to keep young adult black Catholics engaged in their parishes and the church — and raised criticism of, and an apology for, the church's silence regarding the movement spawned by the killings of unarmed blacks by police. Among the bishops attending Congress XII was Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Discussion centered on key themes:

• Why young black adult Catholics stay in the church;
• Why they leave;
• How they live out their faith;
• How to foster more vocations;
• The state of race relations in the U.S.

"How do we respond as people of faith to issues of race that have always been going on in society but especially in light of the Black Lives Matter movement? And in a lot of the police killings, a lot of people feel that the church has been almost silent in its response," Stacy Allen, one of the facilitators, said toward the end of the session.
"The church is very vocal on a myriad of issues -- immigration for instance -- which are important," Allen said. "But specifically on the issues of race, especially from the perspective of a young adult black Catholic, what should the Catholic response be?"

Get free email updates from NCR's blog series covering parish life.

That prompted Auxiliary Bishop Fernand Cheri III of New Orleans to stand. With a bow to those in the room, he said, "To the black youth, I apologize to you as a leader of the church because I feel we have abandoned you in the Black Lives Matter movement and I apologize.
"Partly, I didn't understand it, and by the time I did understand it, it was too late — the moment was gone," he said. "I'm very proud of you — you stood up and said enough is enough. As a leader, I want to say that to you — thank you."
He then went on to tell of challenges in his own journey as a priest and a bishop, his outreach to bring young people, and starting choirs in parishes. "You're going to struggle and you're going to persevere," he said.
He counseled that young black adults reach out to each other and others within their parishes and church communities.
"No one knows how to best minister to you as young people — we're all learning this together," he said. "One of the reasons we have faltered when it comes to vocations from our community because when it comes to being church, we just don't have the community working at it together and that's the failure."
Many at the session spoke of the need to address a lack of programs for young adults and meaningful engagement and leadership opportunities within parishes and the larger church. Young adults want more than to be tapped to set up tables, take out trash, run kids' programs and generally do things that older parishioners don't want to do, participants said.
Too many parishes have youth programs that end at high school — and nothing for those who come back after college with talents and skills and a willingness to get involved, participants said. It's particularly difficult for young black Catholics not in large metropolitan areas like Chicago, Atlanta or Washington with black churches.
"People leave because there's just no community," said one young woman from Lansing, Michigan.
While a participant from New Orleans said the reason she stays Catholic is the strength of her parish community, she has encountered resistance in other parishes. "One reason young adults are leaving is that sometimes it feels like the church does not want us," she said.
She says she's tried to volunteer and has been told "no because of age, or no because they don't say it, but because I'm a young adult, and they think I'm too young to know about that, or no because that's 'too black' and that might be fine for your church in New Orleans but not here," she said.
The rejection is like "asking for a hug and someone is crossing their arms," she said, recounting how she and a young Asian woman were "shut down" in a parish in San Francisco when trying to introduce new programs. "That's why people leave, because they don't feel wanted. And if you don't feel wanted, you leave."
Applause, laughter and murmurs of recognition swept through the room as participants from New York, California, Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere shared their experiences and ideas.
"We as young adults don't want programs, we want a relationship," said a participant. "We don't want things to do — we have enough to do. We want a place to belong. Successful young adult ministries are where they feel invested to make change within their parishes."
One mistake is to mix up "youth" programs with "young adult" programs without recognizing the huge differences between them, some participants noted. One mentioned having a young adult "meet and greet" to get ideas for programs they want — and then implementing them.
Another mentioned having eucharistic adoration on Monday evenings rather than Fridays to not interfere with happy hour. One priest mentioned having the sacrament of reconciliation available on Sundays when people are already at church.
Participants from Nigeria and other African nations shared their experiences of encountering cultural differences assimilating into U.S. parishes, the lack of welcome, and some of the strong communal faith traditions they know from their homelands.
"You feel like you don't belong," said one participant. "It is hard as an African to belong to the Catholic Church in the United States."
Programs focused on prayer and spiritual, not just social, needs are important, participants said.
In an interview afterward, Allen, who is from the Galveston-Houston Diocese, expanded on the issue of race relations and the lack of support for the Black Lives Matter movement by the church.
"It's been painful that a faith that I love so much and I dedicate quite a lot of time to feels like it hasn't seen my own humanity, hasn't seen my own pain," said Allen, who is an attorney and serves in her parish counsel, youth ministry and catechism programs.
"As someone who mentors young people too, I see those stories and I worry about if they're going to be the next hashtag. So with something so dominating the news cycle, and I think the American psyche, for our church to be so silent — it just questions whether people like me even matter — if we are even seen within the faith and if we belong," Allen said.
"Because of my faith and the holy Eucharist, there's no way I am going to leave, but I wish that the church would on a national level create a think tank or a group that really tries to address black Catholics in the church and what is our space."
Cheri in an interview said bishops haven't been more supportive because they haven't really understood the Black Lives Matter movement, relying more on media reports than talking with black people within their dioceses.
"One of the primary teachings of the church is the value of human life and human dignity, and if Black Lives Matter is not a matter of human dignity, something is wrong," he said.
"We [bishops] speak out for many things and we stand for many things and I think we stand for life. I'm not saying I'm against police — it's not a question of that, it's not a question of for and against. It's about life at all levels and all times," he said.
The National Black Catholic Congress, held every five years, continues through Sunday morning, July

Today was Day 1 of the Convocation of Catholic Leaders

 

Day 1 of the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: A Recap

Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP | Jul 01, 2017

Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP

   

"A renewal of joy is essential for a deepening of Catholic vitality and confidence at this moment.”

The Convocation of Catholic Leaders opened yesterday in Orlando with a Mass celebrated by Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York.  Joined by bishops and priests from around the country, the cardinal led nearly 3,000 convocation participants in praying for the convocation’s success. He exhorted the participants to use the weekend as a time to “acknowledge, welcome, and get to know Jesus.”
In his homily, Cardinal Dolan focused on the chosen theme of the convocation—the joy of the gospel.  He explained that joy lies at the heart of Christian mission, for Jesus himself gives joy to the believer as he sends the believer out to preach. By Christ’s design, then, joy becomes a sign of Christian mission. Mary was the first manifest this mystery, the cardinal explained, as in haste and joy she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth after the annunciation.
To underscore the connection between joy and mission, Cardinal Dolan recalled the teaching of Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). He explained that, for the pope, “discipleship united for mission will be characterized and effective only with joy.” Then pointing to the other bishops present, the cardinal continued: “We, your pastors, believe with Pope Francis that a renewal of joy is essential for a deepening of Catholic vitality and confidence at this moment.”
As illustrations of the power of joy, Cardinal Dolan highlighted the examples of Jacques Maritain, Leon Bloy, and St. Junipero Sera, on whose feast yesterday’s Mass took place. In pointing to Maritain, Dolan recalled how the French philosopher’s conversion was sparked in part through the joyful witness of a Christian family, “a family”—Maritain remembered—“who smiled.” Dolan noted that it was Bloy’s family whose smiles inspired Maritain. Bloy himself know the power of Christian joy, calling it “the infallible sign of God’s presence.” Finally, Dolan recalled the California missions established by St. Junipero, which were renowned as places not only of evangelization, security, and education but also of laughing, dancing, and feasting.
Cardinal Dolan defined Christian joy as follows: “Joy isn’t pleasure; it’s not giddiness; it isn’t syrupy superficial feel-good-ism. Joy, St. Paul teaches, is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a gift of God. St. Thomas Aquinas adds that joy flows from hope, because if we trust that all is in God’s hands—that everything works for the good of those who believe—then no trial, no adversity, no setback (even though God knows we’ve got a bumper crop of all of them) can crush us.”
At the beginning of the Mass, Bishop John Noonan of Orlando welcomed everyone to the Sunshine State, and the papal nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre read greetings to the convocation participants from the Holy See. Music for the liturgy was provided under the direction of Fr. Lukasz Misko, O.P., and Christopher Mueller. The choir from St. Peter Claver Church in Tampa also sang before and during the Mass.
To round out the first day of the convocation, which was largely a day of greeting and prayer, an evening of Marian devotion was led by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio and Bishop Martin Holley of Memphis. They presided over a rosary prayed in the many languages represented at the convocation. Tony Melendez, John Andotti, and VaLimar Jansen led the music for the evening devotion.
For more information on the convocation, visit the convocation website. To follow the weekend’s events on social media, use the hashtag #CatholicConvo.

What a great story from the Diocese of Orlando; ordained a deacon despite stage 4 cancer; may God Bless him and his ministry

ORLANDO |

Bishop Noonan stood in front of the altar at Holy Cross Parish in Orlando and laid his hands over the head of Elias Coll. At that moment, a calling the 63-year-old Catholic had his entire life was finally fulfilled.
“From the time I was in my mother’s womb, I feel I was called to be a deacon,” said Deacon Coll....
Deacon Coll was originally scheduled to be ordained in June of 2017. But doctors are not sure he will live until then. He has stage four colon cancer and the cancer has spread to other organs. Bishop Noonan decided to move up the ordination date, which was celebrated on Nov. 26.
“Elias has always been a servant of Christ – visiting the sick, homeless and needy. He has lived the call of a deacon throughout his life. Even in the midst of his fight with cancer he has let the gift of the Holy Spirit shine through him – always with faith, courage and joy,” said Deacon David Gray, director of the Diocese of Orlando Permanent Diaconate, and secretary of the Leadership and Parish Life Secretariat. “All you have to do is meet Elias and you know immediately the light of Christ is shining through him. Ordaining him now to the life he has been living was a natural decision,” he added.
Deacon Coll arrived in Orlando from Venezuela in 2003 with his family. He left to pursue better educational and economic opportunities for his children, and to be in a country that offered security, safety and freedom to live one’s faith.
“We moved here so our children could have a better future, so they could study and develop spiritually, socially as children of God. We have been blessed. God is never outdone in generosity,” said Deacon Coll, who is a parishioner of Holy Cross Parish.
His wife Enri said her husband is an example to others. Many times when people visit him because of his illness they hope to brighten his day but they are the ones to be encouraged by his unshakeable faith and deep compassion for others.
“By the glory of God I have not suffered with pain. I have not complained. On the contrary, I thank God. Thanks be to God it was me and not my wife or my children,” said Deacon Coll.See More