|
Archbishop's Tweets | |
Do you follow Archbishop Kurtz on Twitter? Here is a sampling of his tweets this month: Follow our Holy Father on Twitter: @pontifex
January 5@ArchbishopKurtz: Our 1st Holy Hour praying for defense of life, marriage and religious liberty. Thanks be to God. At St. James in E-town pic.twitterJanuary 4@ArchbishopKurtz: January's 30-min TV "Conversations" - about the Men's Conference and the "Synod Message to the World." ow.ly/gxrAkJanuary 3@ArchbishopKurtz: Great story on the Sacrament of Reconciliation by Peggy Noonan & a modern technology "miracle." ow.ly/gvL29January 1@ArchbishopKurtz: A Blessed New Year! Please read my message. ow.ly/ggaIe |
|
|
|
|
The Peace of Christ in the New Year
By Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz
A very tired woman found herself with less than 24 hours left before Christmas and without any preparation done. In a surge she  rushed to get the last box of Christmas cards from the Mall and got them signed, sealed and posted. Coming home from the mailbox, she felt exhausted but somewhat satisfied that she had done something. At home, she noticed that one card remained unsent and thought it would be good to read the message she had just sent two dozen of her family and friends. The message read: "This is just a note to say ... A little gift is on the way!" We can smile at her shock and hope she just sat up and laughed. Tempted to do just one more thing ourselves in this fast-paced world, we find that the Christmas season has now come to an end, and we hope that a spirit of peace is one that we carry with us throughout 2013, especially in light of the strife in so many parts of the world and the terrible horror visited upon the town of Newtown, CT. Read More...
|
Pilgrimage for Life
By Sharon Schuhmann, Pro-Life Coordinator, Archdiocese of Louisville
Cold from five hours of January weather in Washington, D.C., exhausted from walking more than three miles, and tired from forty-eight hours without sleep, a Trinity High School student bounded onto our chartered bus heading home to Louisville and exclaimed, "Can we do this again next year?" Everyone on the bus laughed. Under the laughter, however, there was a genuine understanding of his enthusiastic request. This young man, along with one-hundred fifty youths and chaperones from the Archdiocese of Louisville, had just experienced the January 2012 39th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
We experienced a youth rally with 18,000 young people dancing to the music of live bands at 7:00 a.m. We waited in anticipation for a Mass with hundreds of cardinals, bishops, and priests along with the assembly of passionate young people and chaperones gathered for one reason: the dignity of life. After Mass, we walked to the U.S. Capitol and joined an estimated 400,000 people from across the country dedicated to the sanctity of life.
As a witness that life matters, in just a few weeks, the youth pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Louisville will once again board buses and travel to Washington, D.C. This year will be the 40th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. Our youth will stand in the cold with Archbishop Kurtz, chaperones, and each other as witnesses from the state of Kentucky that, together, we believe we are made in the image and likeness of God and that all life matters.
Our youth will return more knowledgeable about the issues of life, more inspired by the massive crowds of like-minded young people who believe in the dignity of life, and spiritually uplifted by our Catholic Church's prayer and presence at this event. Hopefully, another young person will once again exclaim, "Can we do this again next year?"
|
Catholic Services Appeal Update
To date, this year's Catholic Services Appeal has raised more than $2.5 million to support the good works of our Archdiocese. The goal this year is $2,750,000, and we are 93% of the way there. It is not too late to make a gift or a pledge.
Donations to the Appeal help to fund more than 100 programs and ministries throughout our Archdiocese. Appeal dollars help thousands of individuals and families as well as our parishes and schools. Catholic Charities, the Vocation Office, Family Ministries, and the Why Catholic? process are just a few examples of how Appeal dollars are used.
Help support the work that brings Christ to others every day.
Click here to make a donation online to the Catholic Services Appeal.
|
Friendship with Jesus Nurtures Vocations
By: Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, LSP
Director of Communications for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the United States
For Catholics, the Christmas season officially wraps up with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord shortly after Epiphany. However, each January the Catholic Church in the United States sne aks in another celebration beginning with the Baptism - National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW). NVAW, to be observed January 13-19 this year, is an opportunity for dioceses, parishes and religious communities to promote vocations through prayer and education.
Vocation awareness might not seem like a topic of great interest to young people today, but a recent study found that over 600,000 youth and young adults in the United States have seriously considered a religious vocation in the Church. Quite a surprising statistic!
How can we help these thousands of young people to take the next step? Along with prayer, a good way to encourage them would be to talk about vocation in terms that are relevant to them. Pope Benedict XVI does just that. Read More... |
|
The Blog Spot
This section features local and national blogs that will inspire, teach, and call to action. Since January is Poverty Awareness Month, this month features a blog from Fr. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA. This blog, called "Think and Act Anew," was launched to encourage an open conversation about the moral crisis of poverty in America.
A time for reflection: Looking behind us to move ahead
As the New Year approaches, it presents us with a time of reflection. One that allows us to appreciate the year we have had and to enjoy the hope and promise that lies within the year before us. At Catholic Charities USA, this time of year is no different.
To know where we are going, we must understand where we've been. This means reflecting on what we've learned and accomplished in the years past. As 2012 draws to a close, we benefit from the analysis of the findings from our 2011 annual survey and a series of startling statistics. Some of these statistics will empower the more than 300,000 volunteers that contribute to the work of Catholic Charities agencies across the country by demonstrating the impact we have on those struggling every day to make ends meet, while others will challenge us as a network to do more to effectively and efficiently improve those same lives.
In 2011, Catholic Charities agencies across the country provided help and hope to more than 10 million children, adults and seniors. Read More...
|
|
The Catholic Connection is provided by:  |
|
|
