Fatherhood. It’s a pillar on which the Catholic faith has rested since the very beginning. We call God our Father. Our bedrock prayer begins with the invocation, “Our Father.” Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we begin with the words: “In the name of the Father.” The title we give our ordained priests is…Father. 

The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is one of the most important teachings of the Church. In fact, when Christ instituted the Church at the Last Supper, he gave his disciples bread and said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” And then he gave them wine and said, “This is my blood of the covenant.” 

Events that made headlines this past week show us that anti-Catholic actions are becoming increasingly acceptable in society: From a college professor threatening volunteers from the Catholic Students Association of Hunter College, the Catholic Center at NYU, and Students for Life of America — who were handing out pro-life informational brochures on campus — to a professional sports team inviting an anti-Catholic group to be honored, then disinviting them in the wake of the backlash, only to re-invite them. 

This Sunday, we celebrate the end of the Easter season with Pentecost Sunday. 

This weekend the Diocese of Brooklyn celebrates the jubilee years of the religious brothers and sisters serving our communities.