From Feb. 5-12 I had the opportunity to join Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and head of the Department of External Church Relations for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Sister Donna Markham, OP, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, for a visit of solidarity to Ukraine.
Finding an Ash Wednesday service is a great way to mark the start of Lent. The ritual of receiving ashes on the forehead dates to the Middle Ages but contains symbolism rooted in the Old Testament when ashes signified mourning, mortality, and penance.
Immigrants have played a critical part in the life of New York and the United States at large since the founding of the “land of the free.” Though the nationalities and languages of immigrants shift over time, the challenges of navigating life in a new country and a new culture remain remarkably similar. The Catholic Church has always worked hard to help new arrivals face these challenges, both materially and spiritually.
Another Catholic Schools Week has passed.
As another spring semester starts, I can again tell my journalism students at St. John’s University about the patron saint of writers and journalists, St. Francis de Sales, whose feast day was Jan. 24. But this year I also get to discuss a saint who has received support to be a new paradigm for the fourth estate.
I am filled with the spirit of this beautiful message from St. John Paul II. It is this message that encourages me when I join with the hundreds of thousands of marchers who are giving their sincere gift to the millions of helpless unborn babies who will never live to see the light of day.
In 2019, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio asked me to be the rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.
When Pope Benedict XVI visited New York in 2008, it was the job of Brooklyn and Queens Catholics to both welcome the pontiff when he arrived and then to see him off as he returned to the Eternal City after his Journey of Hope to America.
This past year, several couples near and dear to me welcomed new infants to their delighted families. Each time, I wrote a note to welcome the child, congratulate the parents, and wish the happy family much joy and love in their lives together. I always end these notes with a wish that the family enjoys this very special time in their lives as they get to know each other.
I wish I could sit here and tell you how it all began but, honestly, I feel like it’s a trait that us Garcias are born with. We have always been a family of service, whether it be serving in the military like my father and brothers did or going out into the community to find those in need like my mother has done and has continued to do since before I was born.
