Monday, October 21, 2024

Trump tells EWTN he likes the Catholic Church, a lot...

In EWTN interview, Trump claims he likes 'the Catholic Church, a lot'

by Brian Fraga

Staff Reporter

Former U.S. President and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during the 79th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City Oct. 17, 2024. Just before the dinner, Trump was interviewed by Raymond Arroyo of the Eternal Word Television Network for a segment that aired later that night. (OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Describing himself as "a longtime supporter" of the Catholic Church, former President Donald Trump cast himself as a champion of religion in a short interview with Raymond Arroyo of the Eternal Word Television Network.

"I also like the Catholic Church, a lot," Trump, clad in a tuxedo, told Arroyo before taking the dais at the 79th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Oct. 17.

During the seven-minute interview, which was broadcast on Arroyo's weekly "World Over" television newsmagazine show, Trump sought to burnish his bona fides with conservative Catholics while attacking Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent in the 2024 presidential election.

Referring to Harris as a "Marxist," Trump claimed that Pope Francis was referring to him when the pontiff recently advised U.S. Catholics to vote for the "lesser of two evils" in the upcoming election. The pope said both candidates — Harris supports abortion rights while Trump has called for mass deportations of undocumented migrants — were "against life."

"I think [Francis] wants [Catholics] to vote for me, and I stand for everything that you stand for and that the church stands for," Trump told Arroyo.

Asked by Arroyo what he would say to pro-life supporters who feel he has turned "pro-choice," Trump likened himself to President Ronald Reagan, saying: "Exceptions are very important to me. Life of the mother, rape and incest."

Trump also falsely claimed that "everybody" — liberals, conservatives and legal scholars — wanted the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the high court's 1973 decision that had declared abortion to be a constitutional right. The court vacated that ruling in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

"Everybody wanted it back in the states where it belongs," said Trump, who in recent months has sought to moderate his position on abortion, even taking to social media to promise women that his administration would be "great for reproductive rights."

If elected, Trump said his administration would give "a serious look" at reinstating the Mexico City Policy, a directive that would ban federal tax dollars from being given to foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide or refer people to abortion services.

Noting that Trump recently referred to himself as "the father of IVF" who has promised governmental funding of in vitro fertilization, Arroyo asked Trump if his administration would have a religious exemption to the "IVF mandate."

"I haven't been asked that but it sounds to me like a pretty good idea," said Trump, who added that "a lot of" Catholics" want IVF, which he described as "a very popular thing." The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in Paragraph 2377, condemns the use of in vitro fertilization as "morally unacceptable."

In other responses to Arroyo's questioning, Trump spoke of the need for border security, claimed that the United States has "an enemy from within," whom he described as people who espouse "radical left programs," and said he had a good record on religious liberty.

Pointing out recent Catholic content on his social media accounts, as well as the rendition of Ave Maria at some of his campaign rallies, Arroyo asked Trump if all that was "telling voters something about your spiritual journey." Trump responded: "No, it's just beautiful to me."

Drafting the final synod document

File photo: Timothy Radcliffe addresses the synod

VATICAN

Radcliffe on drafting of final synod document - full text

Reflecting on the process of drafting of the final synod document, Fr Timothy Radcliffe urges participants to speak "with freedom", as "free children of God".

Meditation by the Rev. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.

Monday, 21st October 2024

We are about to embark on our last task, to consider the final document, amend and vote on it. Today we prepare ourselves to exercise this weighty responsibility. How are we do so?

With freedom! St Paul wrote to the Galatians, ‘For freedom, Christ has set us free.’ (5.1). Our mission is to preach and embody this freedom. Freedom is the double helix of the Christian DNA. First of all, it is the freedom to say what we believe and to listen without fear to what others say, in mutual respect. This is freedom of the children of God to speak boldly, with parrésia (e.g. Acts 4.29), as the disciples boldly declared the good news of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. Because of this freedom, each of us can say ‘I’. We do not have the right to keep silent.

This freedom is rooted in a deeper freedom, interior freedom of our hearts as we discover the decisions that are taken. We may be disappointed with the decisions of the Synod. Some of us will consider these to be ill-advised or even wrong. But we have the freedom of those who believe that, as St Paul wrote to the Romans, ‘God works all for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8.28). And, we hope, even for those who do not! We can be at peace because ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God’, not even incompetence, not even mistakes. Because of this freedom, we can dare to belong to the Church and say ‘We.’

The heart of our decision making is this double helix of graced freedom. For God’s freedom operates in the very depths of our own free thinking and deciding. St Thomas Aquinas taught that grace perfects nature. It does not destroy it. When St Thomas asked how the wise men managed to get to Bethlehem so quickly he replied that it was due to the grace of God and the speed of the dromedaries[1]!

Let consider briefly each dimension of this graced freedom. A priest once began his homily at the evening Mass saying ’This morning I had no time to prepare and so I had to rely on the Holy Spirit. Now I have had time to think for myself and so I hope to do better!’ He was not a Dominican or even a Jesuit! Belief in the Holy Spirit does not excuse us from using our minds as we search for the truth. Thomas asserted that it would be an insult to the Holy Spirit not to think about decisions and, for example, draw lots. Vivian Boland OP said, ‘we are children of God so that in our thinking desiring, fearing and preferring, the Holy Spirit too is at work[2].’

In a play called A Man for all Seasons, St Thomas More implores his daughter Meg to honour our God-given ability to think: ‘Listen, Meg, God made the angels to show Him splendour, as He made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But Man He made to serve Him wittily (intelligently), in the tangle of his mind.[3]’

Yves Congar was silenced by Rome. He was even exiled to England, a terrible fate for a Frenchman! Strangely he never appreciated our cuisine! In the depths of this crisis, he wrote in his diary, that the only response to this persecution was ‘to speak the truth. Prudently, without provocative and useless scandal. But to remain – and to become more and more – an authentic and pure witness to what which is true.[4]’

We need not be afraid of disagreement, for the Holy Spirit is at work in it. One day a man came to his rabbi to complain about his wife. At the end of the conversation the Rabbi said to him: 'My friend you are absolutely right, you are justified!' That afternoon the wife of the man came to the Rabbi and complained about her husband at great length. At the end of the conversation, the Rabbi said to the woman: 'My friend, you are absolutely right, you are justified!' When the woman was gone the Rabbi’s wife said to him: 'But you're absolutely mistaken. You cannot say that both of them are right, that both of them justified.' And the Rabbi said to his wife: 'You are right!'

So this is our freedom, to think, speak and to listen without fear. But this is nothing unless we also have the freedom of those who trust that ‘God works all for the good of those who love God.’ So we may be at peace with whatever is the result. As the fourteenth century English mystic Julian of Norwich famously said, ‘All shall be well; all manner of things shall be well.”. God’s providence is gently, silently at work even when things seem to go wrong.

God’s providence is woven into the story of our salvation from the beginning. The fall of Adam and Eve becomes through God’s grace the felix culpa which leads to the incarnation. The hideous death of Our Lord on the cross leads to Christ’s triumph over death.

So even if you are disappointed by the result of the Synod, God’s providence is at work in this Assembly, bringing us to the Kingdom in ways that God alone knows. His will for our good cannot be frustrated. During the retreat I quoted Cardinal Consalvi’s reply to the alarmed monsignor who said that Napoleon wished to destroy the Church: ‘Not even we have succeeded in doing that.’ When Abraham thought that he was required to kill his beloved only son, the Lord provided the ram stuck in the bushes. ‘On the mountain, the Lord will provide.’ (Genesis 22.14)

Often we can have no idea as to how God’s providence is at work in our lives. We do what we believe to be right and the rest is in the hands of the Lord. This is just one synod. There will be others. We do not have to do everything, just try to take the next step. St. Teresa of Avila wrote at the end of her long and difficult life, ‘It is we who have begun the work; it is up to those who follow to keep on beginning[5]’. How we do not know. That is now out business.

Like Congar, Henri de Lubac SJ endured persecution prior to the Council. But in the midst of that suffering he wrote the beautiful and serene Méditation sur l’Eglise[6], a hymn of love to the same Church that was persecuting him. He wrote: ‘Far from losing patience, [the person who is persecuted] will try to keep the peace, and for his own part make a big effort to do that hard thing – retain a mind bigger than its own ideas. He will cultivate “that sort of freedom through which we transcends what involves us most remorselessly…He will avoid ‘the terrible self-sufficiency which might lead him to see himself as the incarnate norm of orthodoxy, for he will put “the indissoluble bond of Catholic peace” (quoting St Cyprian) above all things…[7]’ I hope that he will be canonised soon!

If we have only the freedom to argue for our positions, we shall be tempted by the arrogance of those who, in the words of de Lubac, see themselves as ‘the incarnate norm of orthodoxy.’ We shall end up beating the drums of ideology, whether of the left or the right.

If we have only the freedom of those who trust in God’s providence but dare not wade into the debate with our own convictions, we shall be irresponsible and never grow up. God’s freedom works in the core of our freedom, welling up within us. The more that it is truly of God, the more it is truly our own. As the free children of God, we can each say ‘I’ and together say ‘We.’

Cardinal Fernandez on still promoting leadership roles for women

A moment at the Synod Assembly in the Paul VI Hall

VATICAN

Cardinal Fernandez proposes ‘step-by-step’ approach to women’s role in the Church

The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, issues a formal clarification regarding his absence from an October 18 meeting of Synod delegates, which focused on the role of women in the Church and says the Church is committed to promoting women’s leadership roles.

By Vatican News

Addressing the Synod Assembly on Monday morning, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, explained that his absence at a meeting of Synod delegates last week on the topic of female diaconate was due to a medical procedure undergone by a colleague responsible for coordinating the group.

His absence had raised questions in some of the press that suggested it showed a lack of interest in the topic.

The Cardinal addressed the issue as part of a broader communication and apologized for what he called a “misunderstanding,” stating that he will be present, together with the study group’s coordinator on October 24 meeting to discuss the study group’s work and address the concerns raised by the participants.

A delicate Issue

According to Cardinal Fernandez, Pope Francis has expressed that “at this moment the question of the female diaconate is not ripe”.

"The commission studying the topic has reached partial conclusions, which will be made public at the appropriate time he explained, adding that the commission, chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, will continue its work and those who wish to submit proposals or reflections on the topic are encouraged to do so.

While the question of female deacons remains unresolved, Cardinal Fernandez stressed that the Pope is deeply concerned about enhancing the role of women in the Church.

The Holy Father, he said, has asked the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to explore ways to elevate women's leadership within the Church without focusing exclusively on the Sacrament of Ordination.

A broader vision for women's leadership

Cardinal Fernandez argued that focusing solely on the female diaconate would not address the broader issue affecting millions of women in the Church.

He pointed out that several steps toward increasing women's roles could already be implemented, and the Church has not fully embraced them.

One such example is the ministry of the catechist. After the creation of this new ministry, the Dicastery for Divine Worship sent a letter to episcopal conferences outlining two ways to implement the ministry. One option involved catechists leading the teaching of the faith, while the second aligned with Pope Francis' vision in Querida Amazonia, where women lead communities in the absence of priests, taking on roles of leadership and responsibility. However, Cardinal Fernandez noted, only a small number of episcopal conferences chose this second option.

Similarly, he added, the ministry of acolyte, now available to women, has been granted in only a small percentage of dioceses, and he said this was often due to local priests' reluctance to nominate women for the role.

He also criticized the limited adoption of the male diaconate in many parts of the world, noting that, in some places, deacons are perceived merely as "ordained altar boys."

These examples, he said, illustrate that rushing to ordain women as deacons is not the most pressing solution to promoting women's participation in the Church.

Instead, Cardinal Fernandez emphasized the need for deeper, more inclusive reflections on how women can assume leadership roles in the Church without being restricted by the traditional understanding of priestly power.

Listening to the voices of women

As part of his call for greater inclusion of women, Cardinal Fernandez urged synod members, especially the women, to share testimonies and proposals with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

He asked for stories of women who have assumed leadership roles within their communities, not as a result of imposed structures, but because of the needs of the people and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. “Reality is superior to the idea,” he remarked, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and affirming women's existing contributions to Church life.

Thus, the Cardinal pledged to gather and listen to these contributions, and he committed to facilitating a discussion on the role of women in the Church during Thursday’s assembly, and he reassured participants that concerns about the procedural aspects of the synod would also be addressed during that session, along with more information about the Vatican study group's members.

A step-by-step approach

In his concluding remarks, Cardinal Fernandez expressed confidence that the Church can make concrete progress in promoting women's leadership roles through a step-by-step approach.

"There is nothing in the nature of women that prevents them from holding very important positions in the leadership of the Church," he affirmed, adding that what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.

Pope Francis to release his 4th encyclical: 'Dilexit nos' focused on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

POPE

'Dilexit nos': Pope to publish encyclical on Sacred Heart of Jesus

On Thursday, Pope Francis will publish a new encyclical focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the context of a world "which seems to have lost its heart."

By Salvatore Cernuzio

"Dilexit nos" (He Loved Us) will be Pope Francis' fourth encyclical, and it comes at a time of profound global challenges.

The world today is scarred by war, social and economic imbalances, rampant consumerism, and technologies that threaten to undermine human nature.

With this document, Pope Francis will call for a change of perspective, urging humanity to rediscover what is most essential: the heart.

The Pope’s Announcement

The full title of the encyclical, "Dilexit Nos - Encyclical Letter on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ," was confirmed today by the Vatican Press Office, with its release set for October 24.

The Pope had previously shared his intent to publish the document at his June 5 general audience in St. Peter’s Square, during the month traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart.

At the time, Pope Francis expressed his hope that the text would invite reflection on aspects of the Lord's love that could illuminate the path of ecclesial renewal and resonate meaningfully with "a world that seems to have lost its heart."

He also noted that the encyclical would incorporate reflections from previous magisterial teachings and the rich tradition of Scripture, reintroducing the Church to this spiritually profound devotion.

The 1673 Apparitions

The encyclical’s release coincides with ongoing celebrations commemorating the 350th anniversary of the first appearance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673.

On December 27 of that year, Jesus appeared to the young 26-year-old French Visitation nun, entrusting her with the mission of spreading His love, particularly toward sinners. These apparitions, which took place at the convent of Paray-le-Monial in Burgundy, continued for 17 years.

Christ showed His heart surrounded by flames and encircled by a crown of thorns—symbolizing the wounds inflicted by human sin. He requested that the Friday following the Feast of Corpus Christi be dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Though initially misunderstood by many, including her fellow nuns, St. Margaret Mary remained steadfast in her mission to reveal Christ’s love to the world.

Pope Pius XII’s Haurietis Aquas

In 1956, Pope Pius XII issued Haurietis Aquas, an encyclical aimed at reviving the devotion during a time when it was in decline. Pope Pius emphasized the devotion's importance for the Church's needs and its potential as a “banner of salvation” for the modern world.

Pope Benedict XVI, in a letter commemorating the 50th anniversary of Haurietis Aquas, reinforced this sentiment, saying, “This mystery of God's love for us is not only the content of devotion to the Heart of Jesus; it is also at the heart of all true Christian spirituality.”

Pope Francis’ Devotion

Pope Francis has consistently demonstrated a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart, often relating it to the priestly mission. In 2016, he concluded the Jubilee of Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, urging priests to orient their hearts like the Good Shepherd towards the lost and the distant.

During the same Jubilee, in his first Meditations on Mercy, Francis recommended that bishops and priests revisit Haurietis Aquas, noting that “the heart of Christ is the center of mercy. This is the nature of mercy: it gets its hands dirty, it touches, it engages, and it involves itself with others.”

The Pope's Fourth Encyclical

Dilexit nos will be Pope Francis' fourth encyclical, following Lumen fidei (June 29, 2013), co-written with Benedict XVI; Laudato si’ (May 24, 2015), on the environmental crisis and the need for care for creation; and Fratelli tutti (October 3, 2020), which calls for global fraternity and social friendship in a world fractured by a pandemic and conflicts, including wars fought in the name of God.

Dilexit nos will be presented at the Vatican Press Office on October 24 by Monsignor Bruno Forte, theologian and Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, alongside Sister Antonella Fraccaro, General Superior of the Disciples of the Gospel.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Saint of the Day for Monday

Bl. Giuseppe "Pino" Puglis

Feastday: October 21
Birth: 1937
Death: 1993
Beatified: 25 May 2013, Foro Italico 'Umberto I', Palermo, Sicily by Salvatore De Giorgi (On behalf of Pope Francis)

Blessed Fr. Don Giuseppe "Pino" Puglisi was beatified on May 25, a mere 20 years after his martyrdom at the hands of the Sicilian Mafia. His beatification represents a new era of defiance of powerful organized crime families in Italy and around the world.

Don Giuseppe "Pino" Puglisi was born on September 15, 1937 in the Palermo neighborhood of Brancaccio, in Palermo, Sicily. His father was a cobbler and his mother made dresses. From this working class home, Puglisi learned the roughness of his crime-ridden neighborhood and refused to participate in the petty criminal activity on the streets.

He joined the seminary at the youthful age of 16, with an aim to become a priest and fight back against rampant crime and corruption.

In 1960, at the age of 23, Puglisi was ordained a priest and sent to work in various parishes. His archbishop, Cardinal Ernesto Ruffini had a passive attitude towards the Mafia, even claiming at one time that they were fictional, and that nobody knew what the Mafia really was. "So far as I know, it could be a brand of detergent," he once denied.

Cardinal Ruffini argued that communism was the greater threat to the people and that the Mafia was simply part of the fabric of local society.However, Fr. Puglisi was well aware of the Mafia influence in his parish and suggested that Cardinal Ruffini needed to be corrected, albeit he added we "should always criticize it [the Church] like a mother, never a mother in law."

In the years following, he served in various parishes, criticizing the criminal culture and calling on children to attend school and refrain from vice.

Fr. Puglisi was especially renown for his humor as well as his tough stance against the Mafia. He refused money from the organization and denied awarding a contract to repair his church roof to an organization the Mafia "recommended."

In 1990, he had returned to his native Brancaccio and became priest at San Gaetano's Parish. He continued to speak boldly against the Mafia. He asked the authorities to move against known Mafia members and publicly denounced their activities.

He refused to permit known Mafia gangsters from marching at the head of religious processions, a Mafia tradition, and was the first known priest to confront men attempting to do so.

Unable to control him with money or intimidation, Fr, Puglisi became a target for the organization.

On September 15, 1993, two hitmen approached him in front of his parish. Fr. Puglisi spoke his last words, greeting the men saying, "I've been expecting you." One of the men then fired a single bullet at point-blank range, rendering him unconscious.

The bold priest was rushed to the hospital where doctors could not revive him. He died on his birthday.

Following his death, there was a loud public outcry for justice. Anti-Mafia graffiti was painted across the region with his signature quote, "And what if somebody did something?"

The hitmen and their associates who were sent to kill Puglisi were eventually arrested and the gunman, Gaspare Spatuzza, confessed to the killing. He, along with three other men were given life sentences in 1998 for murdering the priest.

Church leaders, now emboldened by the anger of the people and the arrest of Puglisi's murderers, began to join the outcry and the Mafia lost influence across the region. In 1999, the Cardinal of Palermo initiated the beatification process for Puglisi, saying he was a "servant of God." He also warned the people against remaining silent about Mafia activities.

The beatification of Fr. Puglisi took place on May 25, 2013 with a Mass performed by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Palermo, Cardinal Paolo Romero.

Pope Francis, who was unable to attend the Mass because of a previous engagement, called Fr. Puglisi a martyr and an exemplary priest. He also condemned the Mafia and all criminal organizations.

The Martyrs of Damascus

The canonization of the 11 martyrs of Damascus will be a sign of hope and ecumenism

CHURCH

Martyrs of Damascus canonization a 'sign of hope for Christians'

Ahead of the canonization of the Martyrs of Damascus at Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on October 20, Fr. Luke Gregory of the Custody of the Holy Land says their witness offes a sign of hope and ecumenism for Christians everywhere, especially those in Syria, where Christians make up about 2% of the population.

By Kielce Gussie

On the night of July 9, 1860, eleven men—eight Franciscan friars and three lay Maronites, known collectively as the eleven martyrs of Damascus—were murdered, and, in 1926, Pope Pius XI beatified them.

More than 160 years after their deaths, Pope Francis will canonize these men at Mass in St. Peter's Square on October 20.

In an interview with Vatican News, Fr. Luke Gregory, a Franciscan priest with the Custody of the Holy Land, described their canonization as a sign of hope in the midst of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Martyrdom: a message of ecumenism

The martyrdom they endured is not very different from the situation of many Christians in the Middle East today.

Damascus, located in Syira, is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world but only about 2% of the population still identifies with the faith. Over the last decade, Christians have been facing persecution in Syria, following the country’s civil war that began in 2011.

All eleven men will be canonized, even though the group is made up of different Catholic rites. In 2023, Pope Francis established the “Commission of New Martyrs—Witnesses of the Faith” to catalogue Christians who have died for their faith in Christ. Through the Commission, a number of non-Catholic Christians have also been included in the list of martyrs, including the Coptic Christians killed in Libya.

A sign of hope

For Christians in the Middle East, Fr. Gregory said reflecting on the lives of these men “gives a sign of hope because after the bloodshed there is a new spring.”

He explained that the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land hope the intercession of these martyrs will lead to an end to the conflict in Israel, Palestine, and other parts of the Middle East.

Beyond hope, Fr. Gregory said he prays their example and canonization could be a way to open a line of communication between different religious groups and help bring about peace.

“The whole world will be looking,” he said, at the canonization, which he hopes will “lead to dialogue.”

A place of pilgrimage and prayer

There is a shrine at Batumah in honor of the 11 men, Fr. Gregory noted, adding that it is "being renovated and made open to the public."

In July 2024, five large canvases with the images of the martyrs dating back to 1926—when they were beatified—were unveiled.

Fr. Gregory expressed his hope that once the conflict in the Middle East ends, pilgrimages to the Holy Land will be able to resume and more people will be able to visit the place of these martyrs of Damascus.

At the conclusion of Mass, the pope offers special intentions

POPE

Pope appeals for protection of Yanomami people’s rights in Amazon rainforest

Pope Francis urges the political and civil authorities of countries in the Amazonia to safeguard the fundamental rights of the indigenous Yanomami people, who live on the border between Venezuela and Brazil.

By Devin Watkins

“I appeal to political and civil authorities to ensure the protection of the [Yanomami] people and their fundamental rights, and to prevent any form of exploitation of their dignity and their territories.”

Pope Francis made that appeal on Sunday as he concluded Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

He noted that St. Giuseppe Allamano, whom he canonized at the Mass, reminds Christians of our duty to care for people who are fragile or vulnerable.

The Yanomami are a group of around 35,000 indigenous people who live in 200-250 villages in the Amazonia region that lies between Venezuela and Brazil.

According to rights groups, illegal gold mining often takes place on Yanomami lands, causing social and environmental issues, including mercury poisoning in several communities.

For all peoples suffering because of war

At the Mass, Pope Francis also renewed his invitation for Christians to pray for peace for people suffering because of war and conflict.

“Let us continue to pray for the people suffering due to war: martyred Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, martyred Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and all others. And let us invoke for all the gift of peace,” he said.

In his appeals, the Holy Father recalled the celebration of World Mission Sunday and its theme: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet.”

He said every Christian is called to take part in the universal mission of proclaiming the Gospel, so that all may come to the “joyful encounter with the Lord.”

“Let us support—with our prayers and assistance—all missionaries who endure great sacrifice to bring the radiant message of the Gospel to every part of the earth.”

abitadeacon