OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY “I am loved, therefore I exist; I am forgiven, therefore I am reborn; I have been shown mercy, therefore I have become a vessel of mercy.” (Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter at the Conclusion of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy) Although the Jubilee Year of Mercy has come to a close, inspiring […]
Archives for December 2016
Advent” Jesse tree symbols
Heralding back: Dec. 2, 2016
NEWS FROM PAGES PAST 50 years ago — Dec. 9, 1966 Construction of a new convent and new boarding school at St. Francis Convent School in Manoa Valley were underway this week when Pacific Construction Company began actual work on the site. Explaining the plans to Attorney Francis Wong and Sister Antoinette, O.S.F., regional superior, […]
Francis calls 17 new cardinals to be agents of reconciliation
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church’s 17 new cardinals must dedicate their lives to being ministers of forgiveness and reconciliation in a world — and sometimes a church — often marked by hostility and division, Pope Francis said. Even Catholics are not immune from “the virus of polarization and […]
Father Eugene Hemrick: Lessons learned from elections
THE HUMAN SIDE “I feel worse than I felt when Kennedy was assassinated.” The depressed look in my friend’s eyes the morning after the presidential election was terrifying. Equally terrifying was the venom that poured out as another friend said, “Hillary Clinton is the devil personified: untrustworthy and a killer.” “I’ll bet you’re happy we […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: When did we stop paying for indulgences?
QUESTION CORNER Q: When did the church stop asking for money for indulgences? And why did they ask for money in the first place? (Wichita, Kansas) A: I am almost reluctant to answer your question because, as asked, a simple response would imply a serious admission. Though it has been accused for centuries of having […]
Father John Catoir: To my brother priests
After 56 years of the priesthood, at age 85, I want to say a word of thanks to my brother priests, who have sacrificed so much to bring the good news of God’s love to our troubled world. Years ago, the priests of my diocese elected me to be their clergy personnel director, a job […]
Bill Dodds: How to cope with holiday grief
YOUR FAMILY I was startled a few weeks ago when familiar feelings of grief surfaced. It was evening, mid-October, and there was a sadness I hadn’t felt for a while. The same thing happened the next night. This January, it will be four years since my wife, Monica, died of uterine cancer. It’s not an […]
Photo: Rooftop farming
Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange County, California, left, learns how to plant seeds at the hydroponic garden on the rooftop of the Institute for Human Services women’s center in Honolulu. The retired bishop was with a group of visiting members of the Order of Malta Western Association. Jill and Pat Ortiz organized […]
Sister Ana Celestial, Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena: Whatever God wants
VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP Hawaii Catholic Herald After leaving Hawaii in 1990 after 18 years of teaching in the classroom and being a school principal on Kauai and Oahu, I ministered in the Philippines, New Jersey and North Carolina for 26 more. In each place, I would always tell […]