New movie tells story of abortion clinic worker turned pro-life advocate

Washington D.C., Sep 2, 2019 / 03:43 am (CNA).- The head of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development called on Catholics to reflect this Labor Day on Catholic Social Teaching and its implications for building a more j… […]

Denver Newsroom, Nov 1, 2020 / 01:45 pm (CNA).-  

At the Nov. 1 Mass of Thanksgiving for newly beatified Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore said McGivney provides a model for both priests and laypeople of how to “live the Beatitudes.”

“Anyone aspiring to holiness will exhibit those luminous qualities that Jesus perfectly exemplified…having lived the Beatitudes so consistently and thoroughly, Father McGivney led his parishioners to holiness,” Lori said in his homily.

Pope Francis, via apostolic letter, beatified McGivney Oct. 31, making him the fourth U.S.-born man to be beatified, joining Bl. Stanley Rother, Bl. James Miller, and Bl. Solanus Casey.

Archbishop Lori, who serves as Supreme Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, was the principal celebrant at the Nov. 1 Mass of Thanksgiving.

McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut in 1882. Initially, the organization was intended to assist widows and their families upon the deaths of their husbands. It has grown into a worldwide Catholic fraternal order, with more than 2 million members carrying out works of charity and evangelization across the globe. The Knights also offer life insurance policies to their members.

The Thanksgiving Mass was held at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, the church where McGivney first founded the fraternal organization.

Several other archbishops and bishops, including representatives from the Ukrainian Catholic Church, were also present, along with Michael McGivney Schacle, the child who McGivney’s intercession saved in utero from a fatal condition.

Lori noted that the “men and women of outstanding holiness from every race and culture” that the Church celebrates on the Solemnity of All Saints include not only those canonized, but also those who never receive earthly recognition.

“They represent every conceivable vocation and state of life, but all these holy men and women have one thing in common: they lived the Beatitudes,” Lori said.

Describing McGivney as “the quintessential parish priest,” Lori in his homily offered a reflection on the ways that McGivney lived the Beatitudes.

McGivney was “poor in spirit” because he gave up his time, energy, and resources to those in need, taking little in return. He mourned alongside poor families— many of whom were helped by the Knights— who had lost fathers and breadwinners.

He exhibited meekness; Lori noted that McGivney shunned the limelight, largely stepping away from leadership of the Knights as the organization grew and became successful, preferring instead to serve out of the spotlight, as chaplain.

McGivney helped others, especially the young, to “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” as he did; he was a “peacemaker,” responding to challenges and disputes in the community with disarming humility and wisdom.

The date selected for McGivney’s feast, August 13, is the day between his birth, which was August 12, 1852, and his death, which was August 14, 1890.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson offered a reflection on Father McGivney following the Mass, noting that during the late 19th century when McGivney founded the Knights, the United States was still considered “mission territory” for the Church.

The 1880s and the decades after were a time of virulent anti-Catholicism in much of the U.S., Anderson noted. The late 19th century was a time of prosperity for many Americans, but of abject poverty for many others. Priests in America’s urban centers knew this well, and confronted these challenges on a “daily basis.”

“McGivney was determined that the social evils of his day would not overwhelm his parishioners. He strove tirelessly to overcome evil with good, by putting a Catholic ethic of charity at the center of their lives.”

Anderson said it is worth reflecting on how “innovative and extraordinary” was McGivney’s vision of a fraternity of Catholic laymen, based on charity, especially in such a difficult time to be Catholic in the US.

By founding the Knights, McGivney created a “practical path for millions of men” to put their faith into action, anticipating by nearly a century the Second Vatican Council’s call for laypeople to “transform society in the light of the Gospel.”

“Blessed Michael McGivney’s great achievement was to find a practical means to strengthen the [Church’s] center, while extending its reach into the peripheries,” he said.

“His greatest charity was the gift of himself.”
 
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, the appointed representative of Pope Francis, was principal celebrant of the beatification Mass at Hartford’s cathedral Oct. 31.

While the Church has recognized three women born in the United States as saints— St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Katharine Drexel, and St. Kateri Tekawitha— there have not yet been any U.S.-born canonized men.

After his Nov. 1 Angelus address, Pope Francis noted McGivney’s beatification the day before.

“Dedicated to evangelization, he did everything possible to provide for the needs of those in need, promoting reciprocal aid. May his example be an impetus for us to always be witnesses of the Gospel of charity,” he said, asking for a round of applause for the new blessed.

McGivney’s sainthood cause officially opened in 1997 in the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI declared the American-born priest a Venerable Servant of God in recognition of his life of heroic virtue.

In 2000, an investigation into a miracle attributed to McGivney’s intercession was completed. But in 2011, the Vatican ruled that the event was not miraculous in nature.

In 2012, another possible miracle was reported and placed under investigation.

Pope Francis announced May 27 an approved miracle credited to McGiveney’s intercession. A child who was diagnosed as terminally ill in the womb was in 2015 miraculously healed following prayers for McGivney’s intercession.

Now that he has been beatified, McGivney’s cause will require one more authenticated miracle before he can be considered for canonization.

He would not be the first member of the Knights of Columbus to be canonized. A group of six Mexican members of the organization were martyred during the Cristero War of 1926-29 and its aftermath.

In 2018, the Knights’ 16,000 councils worldwide donated more than $185 million to charity and gave over 76 million hours of hands-on service in 2018, worth over $1.9 billion according to a valuation of volunteer work by the Independent Sector. Their volunteer work included support for the Special Olympics, coat drives, and food drives for needy families.

Between 2017 and 2018, the Knights raised and delivered $2 million for the Iraqi town of Karamlesh; the Knights have helped Christian survivors of the ISIS genocide in the town resettle in their homes and rebuild for the future.

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Washington D.C., Jun 5, 2019 / 04:54 pm (CNA).- The chairman of the US bishops’ migration committee welcomed Tuesday a vote in the House of Representatives passing a bill that would provide a citizenship path for some brought to the US illegally as children, among others.

The House passed the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 by a 237-187 vote June 4. Along with some “Dreamers”, who were illegally brought to the US as minors, it would allow a path to cizenship for qualified holders of Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure.

“This is a big step for Dreamers and TPS holders who have called the United States home but have been working and living in uncertainty for years,” said Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin. “Dreamers, TPS and DED holders are working to make our communities and parishes strong and are vital contributors to our country. We welcome today’s vote and urge the Senate to take up this legislation which gives permanent protection to Dreamers, TPS and DED holders.”

The bill would grant qualifying childhood arrivals 10 years of legal residence, after which they could receive permanent legal residence with two years of higher education or military service, or three years of employment.

TPS is an immigration benefit that allows persons who are unable to return safely to their home countries because of armed conflict, other violence, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to remain in the United States while the situation in their home country resolves. It protects them from deportation and grants them permission to work. DED protects from deportation persons from countries or regions facing political or civic conflict or natural disaster, and allows them to work. The status is currently given only to Liberians.

Those with TPS or DED could apply for lawful permanent residence if they have been in the country for at least three years and have passed background checks. After five yearrs of lawful permanent residence, they would apply for citizenship.

Voting for the bill were the Democrats in the House, as well as seven Republicans.

Similar bills have been introduced in the Senate, but according to Felicia Sonmez at the Washington Post “it is unlikely that the Senate will consider the bill.”

Last month, Bishop Vásquez and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston, president of the US bishops’ conference, voiced concern over a separate immigration plan from the Trump administration which prioritizes immigration status based on merit rather than family ties.

“We oppose proposals that seek to curtail family-based immigration and create a largely ‘merit-based’ immigration system,” they said. “Families are the foundation of our faith, our society, our history, and our immigration system.”

The administration’s proposal would significantly reduce the current family-based portion of the immigration system, instead focusing on applicants with high education and skill levels.

The plan would not provide legal status for those brought to the United States illegally as children. Nor does it provide a clear path forward for TPS holders.

[…]