Quote
“If a lot of time has passed, don’t lose even one more day. Go. … (The) priest will be good. Jesus will be there and he’s even nicer than the priest.”
| Pope Francis, encouraging the crowd at his weekly general audience Feb. 19 to “be courageous” and go to confession. While people often feel shame before they confess, afterward they feel forgiven, happy and free — and God celebrates every time someone goes to confession, the pontiff said. (Catholic News Service)
Profile
Mildred Cuaresma Curtis
Youth and young adult ministry leader, St. Raphael Church, Koloa
- Favorite Scripture quote: I have a few that I like, but this is the one that talks to me right now: “Banish misery from your heart and remove pain from your body, for youth and black hair are fleeting” (Ecclesiastes 11:10).
- Saint: St. Cecelia
- Holiday: Christmas
- Commandment: “I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange gods before me.”
- 5 fantasy dinner guests: Pierce Brosnan, Capt. Darian Lambert, Joan Baez, Barbra Streisand, my guardian angel.
- Prayer: Hail Mary
- Most memorable priest: Father Felix Vandebroek
- PC or Mac: PC
Saints under 35
Poet and priest
In the 16th century, St. Robert Southwell braved an England opposed to Catholicism by secretly ministering to families throughout the country. His missionary work also led to recognition as a respected poet whose pieces have inspired imitations by other noted writers.
Southwell was born into a Catholic family in England in 1561. As a teenager he already knew he wanted to join the priesthood, but initially met resistance. He eventually gained admission to the Jesuit order in Rome and made his simple vows in 1580. Six years later, he was dispatched to his home country as a missionary.
The priest’s reputation as a poet began when he became chaplain to the countess of Arundel and her imprisoned husband; works he wrote for the family eventually were widely distributed, along with other pieces.
Southwell served in secret for six years until he was discovered and arrested. His captors inflicted severe torture in an attempt to extract information, but Southwell did not yield. He remained imprisoned until 1595 when he was brought to trial, found guilty and hanged. (www.newadvent.org)
