Archive for month: March, 2024
Catholic scouts integrate faith in all they do, says Bishop Iffert at Scouting awards
Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, March 17, opened with a procession led by a pair of scouts — carry- ing with them the flags of the United States and the Vatican.
This Mass prefaced the Scouting Awards ceremony that would follow across the street at Bishop Howard Memorial Auditorium, where scouts across the Diocese — including Scouts of America, American Heritage Girls and Girl Scouts — would receive awards, medals and patches recognizing their contributions to Catholic scouting and carrying out their faith.
Eleven received certificates at the ceremony, and four were awarded medals. Three were recipients of the Pope Pius XII award, as part of a program that encourages scouts to explore vocations. A fourth award, the St. George medal, was awarded to Mark Barth, a parishioner of Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish — the only adult to receive a scouting award at the ceremony.
Memorial Mass for the Loss of a Child returns in April, all invited to pray for the relief of the ‘burden of grief ’
The loss may be recent or long ago, but the loss of a child forever lingers in the heart. Jesus awaits all those suffering in grief, saying, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt 5:4)
Once again, the Diocese of Covington’s Pro-Life Office will host a Memorial Mass for the Loss of a Child. This year’s Mass will be held April 11, 7 p.m., at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Burlington. Father Ryan Maher, rector, Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, will be the celebrant.
Kissells to share Divine Mercy devotion and witness of faith in suffering
For as long as he can remember Carson Kissell has been bathed in Divine Mercy. Carson was born with a rare skin disease, Epidermolysis Bullosa. At the least amount of friction, the disease causes painful blisters and sores. There is no cure. Treatment consists of keeping the skin clean and bandaged — from neck to toe.
There is no charge to attend the Kissells’ presentation at St. Catherine Church, March 24. Admittance is first come first seated. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Kissell’s will begin their presentation at 7 p.m. Bring a rosary, Carson will lead the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
YCET welcomes new members, encourages Catholic youth leadership
Members of the Youth Commission Evangelization Team (YCET) met on Thomas More University’s campus, March 8, for an orientation welcoming and introducing the new members to the team.
Prayer is like oxygen
By David Cooley.
In my office I have a painting of St. Padre Pio holding a rosary with the words “Prayer is the oxygen of the soul” written next to him. Pope Francis has declared 2024 to be the Year of Prayer, which will end when the 2025 Jubilee Year begins. I am so thankful for this emphasis on prayer — I need it, my family needs it, my friends need it, my country needs it, the world needs it, and the Church needs it.
Everything we do should begin with prayer, and the importance of prayer cannot be overstated. We are amazed by saints like Padre Pio, Frances Xavier Cabrini and Mother Teresa, and all that they were able to accomplish, but we can do even greater things. The holy men and women of the past all began the same way — in prayer. They handed their lives over to the Lord, and they maintained a very close relationship with him. To do what we are called to do — to grow the kingdom of God, here and now — we must, as the Holy Father said in January, “recover the desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him, and adore him.”
It’s still early in our Lenten journey. Lent is a special time in the Liturgical Year, where we are invited by the Church to allow our hearts to be converted even closer to the Lord. That’s the meaning behind praying, fasting and almsgiving, ridding ourselves of anything that hinders our relationship with God.
Lent mirrors Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. He left the city and went into the wilderness with nothing. He had nothing but his Father. He is teaching us that the Father’s grace and love are all we need, and we need to get away from worldly things to hear God’s voice. Imagine Jesus’ prayers at night in the desert. Those are the prayers our hearts are yearning to say. More than food and water, we need God; more than air, we need prayer.
It’s interesting, Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness harkens back to the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness. It should not have taken them that long to get from Egypt to the Promised Land. It took them 40 years because that is how long it took them to let go of their former life (conversion) in Egypt. As soon as Moses, through the power of God, rescued them, they forgot the agonies of slavery and only remembered the delicious food and beautiful idols in that exotic land. It was the life they were comfortable with.
Their journey lasted for years and years because, as Bishop John Iffert said in his Ash Wednesday homily, that’s how long it took them to understand that all that really mattered was their relationship with their God. It’s painful and difficult for us to let go of what we can experience with our senses. It takes a leap of faith to put our lives and our trust in God.
So, we can use this Lent and this Year of Prayer as a time for us to try and detach ourselves from evil and to assess whether we are placing things in our lives where only God should be. By beginning with prayer, we are ordering our lives toward the sacred.
When our lives are properly ordered, and we are journeying toward God, we can more clearly recognize God’s love for us. The more we recognize God’s love for us, the more we can share that love with others.
We live in a time where we are too busy, we are too distracted, we are too anxious, we are too overwhelmed. We are all in desperate need of faith, peace, joy and love. Jesus told us that there is only one thing necessary.
Forty days is not enough for us to spend praying. A year is not long enough. We need a lifetime rooted in prayer. Use this time the Church is giving us to develop good, lasting habits.
Pray together as a family every day. Pray for others who need your prayers. Pray for those who hate you. Remember, the object of prayer is holiness. We pray to draw closer to the Lord as the center of our life; to pause and remember the God who loves us. The God who loves us so much he sent his beloved Son to rescue us from sin and death, because there was no way we could have saved ourselves.
David Cooley is co-director of the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization in the Diocese of Covington.