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Archbishop's Tweets | |
Do you follow Archbishop Kurtz on Twitter? Here is a sampling of his tweets this month:
February 11@ArchbishopKurtz: With deep esteem and gratitude, we pray for Pope Benedict XVI & his successor. Read my statement here. archlou.org/benedict/
February 10@ArchbishopKurtz: Confirmation at Holy Trinity yesterday. We pray for those confirmed and their families. pic.twitter.comFebruary 9@ArchbishopKurtz: At Holy Family Church for Wedding Anniv Mass for those married 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 yrs. Christ bless their marriages!! pic.twitter.comFebruary 9@ArchbishopKurtz: At Bardstown's St Joseph Basilica for Holy Hour for Religious Freedom -2nd of 6. pic.twitter.comFebruary 5@ArchbishopKurtz: Lent, Catholic schools and marriage prep all topics on the February episode of Conversations. See ow.ly/hrBrIFebruary 2@ArchbishopKurtz: Soon to be Father Steve Henriksen right before his priestly ordination at Holy Trinity. pic.twitter.com |
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Archbishop Kurtz's Press Conference on the Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI
Archbishop Kurtz talks to the media about the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
For Archbishop Kurtz's statement on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, click here.
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Why Do We Do What We Do? - Ash Wednesday
By Reynolds R. "Butch" Ekstrom
Ash Wednesday is a movable-date church celebration that occurs every year six and one-half weeks before Easter Sunday. It is the first day of Lent. On this date every year, ashes from burned palms, a symbol of the human need for repentance, are placed in the sign of the cross on the forehead of Church members.  In Hebrew symbolism, ashes represented sadness, troubles, grief, and unworthiness. Some harsh Israelite penances included the public wearing of "sackcloth and ashes." Many early Christians carried on the tradition of public penance for wrongdoing. About 600 A.D., Pope Gregory the Great set Ash Wednesday as the first day of the Lenten season. He likewise extended Lent to its six-week length. By the 800s, some local churches held public Ash Wednesday rituals for widely-recognized sinners. During the 11th century, the Church shifted the ritual of the ashes to include all members of the Body of Christ, not just publicly-known sinners. Read More... Reynolds R. "Butch" Ekstrom, Associate Director of Faith Formation, Office of Lifelong Formation and Education, written for The New Concise Catholic Dictionary, Mystic CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1995. |
Conversations: Lent and Sacrifice
In the February episode of Conversations, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and Reed Yadon discuss Lent and the importance of sacrifice.
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Raising the Bar
By Catie Flaugher
Catholic schools throughout the United States celebrated Catholic Schools Week from January 27-February 2. As part of this celebration in the Archdiocese of Louisville, the Catholic Education Foundation sponsored an essay contest. High school students were i nvited to write an essay on the 2013 theme of Catholic Schools Week: "Catholic Schools Raise the Standards." Catie Flaugher, a senior at Mercy Academy, is the winner of this contest, and her essay is below.
In a matter of months, I will graduate from high school. With a few steps and a handshake, I will be released into the world to start a new chapter of my life. It was in preparation for my future-applying to colleges, to be precise-that I realized the fortune that has been bestowed upon me. The application process for colleges and scholarships is fierce. It exposes both the strengths and weaknesses of a multitude of educational systems. In comparing my education with those of my peers, it became evident to me that I have benefited from the high standards that the Catholic school system has set.
During my twelve years in the Catholic school system, I acquired a sense of academic excellence fostered by each teacher whose classroom I ever entered. The passion for teaching and gaining knowledge that my teachers have always exuded is undeniable and inspirational. With teachers who clearly enjoy their profession, I cannot help but approach learning with the same fervor. Without diligence, the quality of work they demand would be unattainable. Most importantly, the enthusiasm and dedication they instill leads me to constantly raise my own standards for the work I do, both in and out of the classroom. Read More...
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Catholic Services Appeal Close to Making Goal
This year's Catholic Services Appeal is less than $100,000 from goal. The Appeal has raised more than $2.6 million to support the good works of our Archdiocese. The goal this year is $2,750,000. 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. |
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The Blog Spot
This section includes local and national blogs that will inspire, teach, and call to action. February 7-14 is National Marriage Week; this blog from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, offers reflections on why marriage is unique and why it should be promoted and protected as the union of one man and one woman.
National Marriage Week: Sexual Difference: What do Scripture and the Catechism say?
Today's post is the third in a series about sexual difference, in honor of National Marriage Week. In this post, we will examine Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) on the subject of sexual difference.
Jesus takes us back to the "beginning"
Both sections of the Catechism that discuss sexual difference (CCC, nos. 369-373 and nos. 2331-2336) are called "Male and Female He Created Them." Indeed, they both guide us back to the creation accounts in Genesis (Gen 1:1-2:4 and 2:5-25). It is here, in Sacred Scripture, that we see the sexual difference of man to woman and woman to man for what it really is, an essential good arising from creation itself. The Church's teaching on sexual difference takes its cue from Jesus, who, when questioned by the Pharisees about marriage and divorce, referred his listeners back to the "beginning": "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female'..." (Matt 19:4). [1]
Read More... |
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