Author: Eric Deabill

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Contemplating Christ’s passion should inspire Christians to be more patient in the face of their own suffering and trials, Pope Francis said.

“There is no better witness to the love of Christ than meeting a patient Christian,” Pope Francis said during his general audience March 27, highlighting the many mothers, fathers, workers, doctors, nurses and sick people who “every day, in hiddenness, adorn the world with holy patience.”

“However, we must be honest: We are often lacking in patience,” he said. “In daily life, we are all impatient.”

Three days after raising concerns about his health when he skipped his homily at Palm Sunday Mass, Pope Francis walked across the stage of the Vatican audience hall using a cane and waving to visitors; he read the entirety of his speech without visible signs of difficulty and added off-the-cuff remarks. The audience was scheduled to take place in St. Peter’s Square but was moved indoors due to inclement weather.

In his catechesis, the pope said that the virtue of patience is an “essential vitamin” needed to combat the human instinct to “become impatient and respond to evil with evil.”

Quoting St. Augustine, Pope Francis said that patience entails “knowing how to endure evils.”

The pope then pointed to two men seated in the front row of the audience hall, one Israeli and one Palestinian, who had both lost daughters in violent conflicts; the pope praised them for choosing friendship instead of focusing on “the enmity of war.”

Patience is more than a value that helps one lead a good life, the pope said; it is a countercultural Christian calling.

“If Christ is patient, Christians are called to be patient,” he said, which requires countering today’s fast-paced culture and a widespread mentality of wanting “everything and now.”

“Let us not forget that haste and impatience are enemies of spiritual life,” Pope Francis said. “God is love, and he who loves does not tire, he is not irritable, he does not give ultimatums; God is patient, God knows how to wait.”

During Holy Week, Pope Francis urged Christians to ask the Holy Spirit for the “meek power of patience” and told them to contemplate Christ on the cross to learn from his patience.

“It is precisely in the Passion that there emerges the patience of Christ, who with gentleness and meekness accepts being arrested, beaten and unjustly condemned,” he said. “This is the patience of Jesus.”

The pope encouraged Christians to pray before the crucified Christ and to ask for the grace to put into practice “an act of mercy as well-known as it is neglected: patiently enduring bothersome people.”

Christians should look at people who may annoy them “with compassion, with God’s gaze, knowing how to distinguish their faces from their mistakes,” he said.

“We have the habit of categorizing people by the mistakes they make,” he said. “No, this is not good. Let us look at people by their faces, by their hearts and not by their mistakes.”

Pope Francis ended his audience by praying for peace in Ukraine, where he noted the intense bombings taking place, as well as in Israel and Palestine.

“That the Lord may give peace to all as a gift of his Easter,” he prayed.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Supreme Court heard oral arguments March 26 in a case concerning mifepristone, a pill commonly used for abortion. It is the first major case involving abortion on its docket since the high court overturned its previous abortion precedent in 2022.

A coalition of pro-life opponents of mifepristone, which is the first of two drugs used in a medication or chemical abortion, filed suit over loosened restrictions on the drug by the Food and Drug Administration, which included making it available by mail, arguing the government violated its own safety standards in doing so.

The FDA has argued the drug poses statistically little risk to the mother in the early weeks of pregnancy. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than half of the abortions performed in the U.S. are chemical or medical, rather than surgical.

During oral argument, justices from across the court’s ideological spectrum appeared skeptical that the coalition of pro-life doctors challenging the reduced regulations had legal standing to bring the lawsuit, with the question of standing becoming more of a focus than whether the FDA acted lawfully.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted the doctors who submitted declarations in the case — Drs. Christina Francis and Ingrid Skop — appeared neither to have participated in such an abortion nor could they demonstrate injury from the FDA. The doctors instead had argued in filings they could potentially treat a woman facing complications from the drug.

“The fact that she (the doctor) performed a D&C does not necessarily mean that there was a living embryo or fetus, because you can have a D&C after a miscarriage,” Barrett said, referring to a procedure called dilation and curettage, which is sometimes performed as abortion but is also sometimes used to treat a miscarriage.

Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar argued that existing federal conscience protections, allowing medical providers to opt out of providing procedures to which they object, protect the doctors in question.

First approved by the FDA in 2000, mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, which maintains proper conditions in the uterus during pregnancy. The drug is paired with misoprostol (initially created to treat gastric ulcers) as part of a chemical regimen for early abortion.

More recently, the same pill combination also has been prescribed to women who experience early pregnancy miscarriage in order to expel any fetal remains and residual pregnancy tissue from the womb. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists updated its protocols to recommend a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol as more effective than misoprostol alone for early miscarriage care based on research published since 2018.

In June 2022, the Supreme Court issued its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and its related precedents that made abortion access a constitutional right. The Dobbs decision returned the matter of regulating or restricting abortion back to the legislature.

Pro-life critics of mifepristone argued that the FDA acted improperly in loosening the regulations surrounding its access, while supporters of the drug claimed it is safe for women and was being targeted for political purposes. Protesters on both sides of the debate gathered outside the Supreme Court during arguments.

Erin Hawley, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom and vice president of the ADF Center for Life and Regulatory Practice, who argued on behalf of the pro-life doctors before the court, said in a statement, “We should all agree that women deserve the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor when taking high-risk drugs.”

“But in 2016 and 2021, the FDA recklessly removed nearly every safeguard that it had originally deemed necessary for the use of chemical abortion drugs, including in-person doctor visits to check for ectopic pregnancies, severe bleeding, and life-threatening infections,” said Hawley, who also is the wife of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “Without question, the FDA’s actions have made taking chemical abortion drugs less safe for women. Today, I argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of doctors and medical associations who are witnessing firsthand the harm to women caused by the FDA’s recklessness.”

Jeanne Mancini, president of the national March for Life organization, said in a statement, “The FDA’s removal of nearly all safeguards around the dangerous abortion drug mifepristone has needlessly put women and girls at risk for suffering severe – even life-threatening – complications without the ongoing care of a medical provider.”

“We hope the FDA will be held accountable for failing to meet its own standards when it comes to abortion drugs,” she said. “Such reckless disregard for women’s health and safety is unacceptable from an agency tasked with protecting it.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Center for Reproductive Rights wrote, “The FDA’s medical and scientific experts should decide what medications are available, NOT politicians or judges.”

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of both Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, wrote on X, “Today, yet again, SCOTUS will hear a case determining our ability to control our bodies and lives. We know (and the Court knows) that the American people do not want abortion to be banned. It’s about control. It always has been.”

But Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a statement, “Abortion is not health care, and no child should experience such violence.”

Bishop Burbidge, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, added, “With dangerous abortion drugs now making up the majority of abortions and increasing in use, we pray that the Supreme Court will restore the Food and Drug Administration’s safeguards for the health of women and protect more preborn children.”

The bishop also added that “a vulnerable mother who obtains an abortion must not be left alone without medical care afterwards.” He asked Catholics to join in prayer until the court issues its decision and “search for ways in your community to help support mothers in need and make abortion unthinkable.”

The USCCB submitted an amicus brief in the case in February.

A ruling in the case is expected by the end of the court’s term, which typically ends in June and would be in the midst of the 2024 presidential campaign.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – For the first time in his 11-year papacy, Pope Francis has chosen to write his own meditations for the Good Friday Way of the Cross service at Rome’s Colosseum, the head of the Vatican press office said.

For the service March 29, Pope Francis has chosen the theme “In prayer with Jesus on the way of the cross,” Matteo Bruni, the press office director, told reporters March 26.

St. John Paul II began a tradition in 1985 of entrusting the writing of the meditations to cardinals and other church personalities, well-known writers or groups of people, including young people and journalists. However, he wrote the reflections himself for the Colosseum ceremony during the Holy Year 2000.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote the meditations for Good Friday 2005, less than a month before being elected Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his pontificate, though, he entrusted the drafting to different people each year.

The meditations in 2023 focused on the theme, “Voices of peace in a world at war.” Several dicasteries of the Roman Curia formulated the prayers and meditations drawing from comments made at meetings with Pope Francis by people suffering from a lack of peace.

Pope Francis has asked Catholics to observe 2024 as a year of prayer in preparation for the Holy Year 2025.

The choice of “in prayer with Jesus” as the theme for the Way of the Cross, Bruni told reporters, is an indication that it will be “an act of meditation and spirituality with Jesus at the center.”

Vatican News reported the meditations will have fewer direct references to current events than many previous editions had when migrants and refugees, victims of trafficking or people from countries at war helped write or inspired the reflections.

Bruni also told reporters that as of March 26 Pope Francis was still planning on attending the service. However, the weather and the pope’s health will be the deciding factors. Released from the hospital just five days before Good Friday 2023, Pope Francis did not go to the Colosseum.

(OSV News) – The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace called upon the faithful to renew prayers during Holy Week for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

“As the Church enters Holy Week and Christ’s suffering on the cross and his resurrection are made present to us so vividly, we are connected to the very source of hope. It is that hope that spurs us to call on Catholics here in the United States and all those of good will to renew their prayers for an end to the raging Israel-Hamas war,” wrote Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, USCCB president, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, International Justice and Peace committee chairman, in a March 23 statement.

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 32,000 people, including more than 13,000 children, with an additional estimated 75,000 injured, in Israel’s retaliation on the Palestinian territory following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on communities along Israel’s southern border. Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have killed more than 1,100 people and injured more than 8,700, taking more than 240 hostages. A reported 130 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 33 dead. With Israel restricting Gaza from access to resources, including food, many Gaza residents are facing catastrophic levels of hunger and imminent “famine.”

“Thousands of innocent people have died in this conflict, and thousands more have been displaced and face tremendous suffering,” the bishops said in their statement. “This must stop.

As the Holy Father recently said, ‘One cannot move forward in war. We must make every effort to negotiate, to negotiate, to end the war.’ To move forward, a cease fire and a permanent cessation of war and violence is absolutely necessary. To move forward, those held hostage must be released and civilians must be protected. To move forward, humanitarian aid must reach those who are in such dire need.”

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in mediated talks about a ceasefire and the release of prisoners and captives, with Hamas recently presenting a proposal for a truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the proposal was based on “unrealistic demands” and he plans for Israeli forces to invade another area of the Gaza Strip to defeat Hamas, according to media reports.

“As Christians, we are rooted in the hope of the resurrection, and so we pray for a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land,” the Catholic bishops wrote.

Holy Week began March 24 with Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.

(OSV News) – A recent study from the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that supports abortion access, found that the number of abortions in 2023 has increased to the highest number and rate in the United States in over a decade.

The group announced March 19 that “new findings from the Monthly Abortion Provision Study show that an estimated 1,026,690 abortions occurred in the formal health care system in 2023, the first full calendar year after the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade.”

Guttmacher noted that this is a “10% increase since 2020, the last year for which comprehensive estimates are available” and “is also the highest number and rate measured in the United States in over a decade.”

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, told OSV News that these reported increases in abortion “in recent years, both before and now with the Dobbs decision, highlight the importance of what we in the pro-life cause have always said: that we must not only make abortion illegal, but rather it should be unthinkable.”

Bishop Burbidge, who is the chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-life Activities, said the study’s findings “demonstrate that there is an ongoing need for us not only to work to change laws, but also to transform hearts and to offer meaningful hope with radical solidarity with women in the face of fear.”

The bishop called for pro-lifers to be “proactive” and “visible” to women seeking abortion so that they are aware of the support available to them. “In bringing this message to others, we have to show our radical solidarity so that we also transform hearts,” he said.

This nationwide increase in abortion despite the procedure being banned in 14 states since Dobbs may be due, in part, to “the broader availability of telehealth for medication abortion,” the Guttmacher Institute said, pointing to medication abortion via mail increasing “considerably after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lifted in-person dispensing requirements of mifepristone — one of the drugs most commonly used in medication abortion — during the pandemic.”

Guttmacher also highlighted a large increase in medication abortions overall. It found that “there were approximately 642,700 medication abortions in the United States in 2023, accounting for 63% of all abortions in the formal health care system. This is an increase from 2020, when medication abortions accounted for 53% of all abortions.”

Tessa Longbons Cox, senior research associate at Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of SBA Pro-life America, called this increase in medication abortions “nothing short of a tragedy.”

“While Guttmacher’s report doesn’t count abortion drugs illegally mailed into pro-life states from other states with so-called ‘shield laws,’ other research suggests these account for a large share of mail-order abortions,” she added. “These numbers are unfortunately not surprising given abortion advocates post-Dobbs, including Guttmacher, have not only pushed unlimited abortion, for any reason, at any point in pregnancy, but supported the removal of safeguards on abortion drugs at the expense of women’s safety.”

“We know from major international studies that abortion drugs pose four times the risks of surgical abortion,” Cox continued, “but the abortion lobby consistently downplays these risks that undermine their narrative. Given the FDA’s recent push to deregulate these drugs and not requiring an in-person visit, what we’re witnessing is a new abortion landscape that prioritizes putting women’s health and safety last.”

Regarding the rise in abortions with the abortion pill mifepristone, Bishop Burbidge pointed out that these abortions “have been increasing since the FDA began reducing safety standards and increased their availability.”

In 2016, the Obama administration loosened restrictions on mifepristone so that it could be taken later in pregnancy and with fewer doctor’s visits. Under the Biden administration, the FDA altogether removed the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone in December 2021, allowing for mail order abortions by pill.

In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would allow retail pharmacies to provide the abortion pill. Prior to this, its provision was limited to certified doctors, clinics and some mail-order pharmacies.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments March 26 for Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, and Danco Laboratories v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, cases in which the court could require a return to stricter regulations on the abortion pill.

Bishop Burbidge highlighted a nationwide invitation to prayer that he is leading along with Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, president of the USCCB, which will begin on March 25, the eve of these oral arguments.

He called prayer in this matter “critically important,” saying the abortion pill not only kills a child in the womb, but that “we’ve heard from women how extremely upsetting and violent and painful” the experience is and “how alone” women feel, going through this experience.”

The bishop is calling the faithful to pray “to St. Joseph, Defender of Life, for the protection of women and preborn children until this decision is reached by the court.”

“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.
“Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:46)

At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Church celebrates the institution of the Eucharist and Christ giving the Twelve Apostles and their successors the authority to be ministers of the Sacrament. At the end of Mass, the Eucharist is taken in solemn procession to an Altar of Repose.

At the Altar of Repose, parishioners keep vigil in silent prayer and adoration, recalling our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and his rebuke to his disciples: “What? Could you not watch one hour with me?”

On Holy Thursday in particular, Catholics are encouraged to pray for priests and seminarians – that they be holy messengers of hope, reconciliation and peace.

This Holy Thursday, March 28, the Diocese of Scranton is inviting you to participate on a prayer journey and is asking you to share that journey on social media.

Invite your family, friends or assemble a group of people from your parish (young adults are especially encouraged to participate) to visit the Altar of Repose in several different churches in your community. Below are a listing of parishes that invite you to visit the Altar of Repose:

BRADFORD COUNTY

Saint Michael Parish
107 N. Washington Street
Canton
8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

 

LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Blessed Sacrament Parish
215 Rebecca Street
Throop
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Cathedral of Saint Peter
315 Wyoming Avenue
Scranton
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Christ the King Parish & Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish
411 Church Street
Archbald
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Holy Cross Parish
200 Delaware Avenue
Olyphant
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Immaculate Conception Parish
801 Taylor Avenue
Scranton
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Mary Mother of God Parish
316 William Street
Scranton
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
322 Chestnut Street
Dunmore
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Prince of Peace Parish
123 West Grace Street
Old Forge
8-10pm

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
 1101 Willow Street
Peckville
8-11pm

Saint Ann Basilica Parish
1233 St. Ann Street
Scranton
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saint Eulalia Parish
214 Blue Shutters Road
Roaring Brook Twp.
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Saint John Vianney Parish
704 Montdale Road
Scott Township
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saint Michael Parish 
1703 Jackson Street
Scranton
8pm-12am

Saint Patrick Parish
1403 Jackson Street
Scranton
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Saint Paul Parish
1510 Penn Avenue
Scranton
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

SS Anthony & Rocco Parish
303 Smith Street
Dunmore
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

SS Peter & Paul Church
1309 West Locust Street
Scranton
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 

LUZERNE COUNTY

All Saints Parish 
66 Willow Street
Plymouth
8-9pm

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Parish
420 Main Road
Hanover Township
8:30 p.m. – 10:15 p.m.

Gate of Heaven Parish
40 Machell Avenue
Dallas
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Good Shepherd Parish
87 S. Hunter Highway
Drums
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Holy Family Parish
574 Bennett Street
Luzerne
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Holy Name of Jesus Parish
213 West Green Street
West Hazleton
7-9pm 

Nativity of Our Lord Parish
127 Stephenson Street
Duryea
7:50 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish
535 North Main Street
Pittston
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish
898 Centre Street
Freeland
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Victory Parish
16 Second Street
Harveys Lake
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
215 Lackawanna Avenue
Dupont
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saint Elizabeth Parish
5700 Bear Creek Blvd.
Bear Creek
8:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish 
116 Hughes Street
Swoyersville
8-10pm

Saint Ignatius of Loyola Parish
339 North Maple Avenue
Kingston
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

St. John the Baptist Parish 
126 Nesbitt Street
Larksville
6-9:30pm

Saint John the Evangelist Parish
35 William Street
Pittston
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saint Joseph Marello Parish
237 William Street
Pittston
8:15 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

St. Leo Parish
 33 Manhattan Street
Ashley
8-10pm

Saint Maria Goretti Parish
42 Redwood Drive
Laflin
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

St. Robert Bellarmine Parish 
143 West Division Street
Wilkes-Barre
8:15-10pm

Saint Therese Parish
64 Davis Street
Shavertown
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 

LYCOMING COUNTY

Immaculate Conception & Saint Luke Parishes
5973 Jacks Hollow Road
Bastress
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
800 Mulberry Street
Montoursville
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Resurrection Parish 
75 Musser Lane
Muncy
8:30pm

St. Ann Parish 
1220 Northway Road, Williamsport
8-11pm

Saint Boniface Parish 
326 Washington Boulevard, Williamsport
8-11:30pm

St. Joseph the Worker Parish
 711 West Edwin Street, Williamsport
in the Monsignor Fleming Parish Center (720 W. 4th St.)
8-10pm

 

MONROE COUNTY

Saint John Parish
5171 Milford Road
East Stroudsburg
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saint Matthew Parish
78 Ridgeway Street
East Stroudsburg
8:00 p.m. – Midnight

Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish
5512 Pocono Crest Road
Pocono Pines
8:00 p.m. – Midnight

 

PIKE COUNTY

Saint Ann Parish 
125 Richardson Avenue
Shohola in the St. Eligius Room
8-11:45pm

 

TIOGA COUNTY

Saint Peter Parish
47 Central Avenue
Wellsboro
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 

WAYNE COUNTY

Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Peace Parish 
314 Chestnut Avenue
Hawley
8-10pm

Saint John the Evangelist Parish
414 Church Street
Honesdale
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

SCRANTON – Parishes across the Diocese of Scranton, including the Cathedral of Saint Peter, are busy preparing for Holy Week and Easter. The faithful are invited and encouraged to attend Masses in-person to experience the joy, hope and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate several Pontifical Liturgies at the Cathedral of Saint Peter for this holiest time of the year. The dates and times are highlighted below.

CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will provide live coverage of all of the Pontifical Masses from the Cathedral of Saint Peter. In addition to being broadcast, the Masses will also be available via livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and all Diocesan social media platforms.

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 24

The solemn observances of Holy Week, which recall the passion and death of Jesus Christ, begin on Palm Sunday, March 24. Those attending the service receive palms, a reminder of Scripture telling us that people welcomed Jesus by laying down their cloaks and waving palm branches.

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate a Pontifical Liturgy at 12:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.
Palm Sunday Masses at the Cathedral will also be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, and 6:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Evening Prayer and Benediction will also take place at 6:00 p.m.

CHRISM MASS, MARCH 26

Priests serving throughout the Diocese will gather at the Cathedral on Tuesday, March 26, at 4:00 p.m. for the Solemn Pontifical Chrism Mass, at which the Holy Oils used during the conferral of sacraments throughout the Church year will be blessed. Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist.

During this Mass, priests will renew their ordination promises and acknowledge the Bishop’s role as the unifying symbol for Church governance and pastoral guidance. After Mass, they will receive the Sacred Chrism, Oil of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, which are used in the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, the Anointing of the Sick and the Rites of the Catechumenate.

HOLY THURSDAY, MARCH 28

The three most sacred days of the Church’s liturgical year, known as the Sacred Paschal Triduum, begin on Holy Thursday, March 28, with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper. During the Triduum (Latin for “three days”), the Church solemnly celebrates the greatest mysteries of our redemption, keeping by means of special celebrations the memorial of the Lord, crucified, buried and risen.

Holy Thursday marks the day on which Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priestly Order and gave us the commandment concerning fraternal charity. At the Cathedral, Morning Prayer will be at 8:00 a.m.

The Pontifical Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which will include the Rite of the Washing of Feet, will begin at 5:30 p.m., with Bishop Bambera serving as the principal celebrant. Following this Mass there will be the transfer of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose. Adoration will continue until 9:00 p.m. Night Prayer will be celebrated at 9:00 p.m. and broadcast via livestream.

GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 29

On Good Friday, March 29, and the following day (up to the Easter Vigil Mass), by a most ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the sacraments at all, except for Penance and Anointing of the Sick. At the Cathedral, Morning Prayer for Good Friday will be at 8:00 a.m.

The Commemoration of the Passion and Death of the Lord celebrated by Bishop Bambera will begin at 12:10 p.m. In addition, the Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 5:00 p.m. Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence.

HOLY SATURDAY, MARCH 30

Holy Saturday, March 30, is the day that the Church waits at the Lord’s tomb in prayer, meditating on his passion and death and awaiting his resurrection. Morning Prayer will be at 8:00 a.m. at the Cathedral.

Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral beginning at 8:00 p.m.

On the Holy Night of Easter, many individuals who have participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) will become fully initiated Catholics by the celebration of their Baptism, Confirmation, and reception of the Eucharist for the first time. This year, 177 people are expected to celebrate in parishes throughout the Diocese. They join tens of thousands of other individuals throughout the world who will become members of the Church that night.

EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord is the most joyous day in the Church year. This joy overflows into the 50 days of the Easter season, which concludes on Pentecost Sunday. On Easter Day, Bishop Bambera will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. Additional Masses at the Cathedral during the day will be at 6:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

Since Christ accomplished his work of human redemption and of the perfect glorification of God through his Paschal Mystery, in which by dying he has destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life, the Sacred Paschal Triduum shines forth as the high point of the entire liturgical year. Therefore, the preeminence that Sunday has in the week, the Solemnity of Easter has in the entire year.

(OSV News) – Texas Catholic and community groups are holding an event in El Paso called “Do Not Be Afraid: March and Vigil for Human Dignity” the evening of March 21 in the wake of what organizers called “dehumanizing laws and policies” toward migrants in the Lone Star State.

Organizers called the event “a decisive moment of community resistance and prayer” in response to the passage of Senate Bill 4, a controversial law that makes it a state crime for unauthorized migrants to cross into Texas from Mexico; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit seeking to shut down Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit serving migrants; and the first anniversary of a fire that killed 40 people in immigration detention across the border from El Paso in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and injured about two dozen others.

The event, organizers said, is intended to “affirm our welcoming borderland identity, protect our freedom to put faith into action, lift up the rights and dignity of those who migrate, defend our humanitarian workers, (and) commemorate those dying at the border.”

Bishop Mark J. Seitz and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony C. Celino of El Paso and other “faith and community leaders from across the borderlands” host the event, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at San Jacinto Plaza, where participants will meet and then march to Sacred Heart Church for the vigil at 7 p.m.

Paxton’s suit targeting El Paso’s Annunciation House, as well as Texas’ passage of SB 4, comes as some Republicans have grown increasingly hostile toward nongovernmental organizations, including Catholic ones, that provide resources such as food and shelter to migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

A state judge March 11 temporarily blocked the Texas attorney general’s demands for the records of Annunciation House, indicating both that Paxton’s effort seemed politically motivated with a “predetermined” outcome in mind, and that it must go through appropriate due process in the state court system.

Paxton in February filed suit in an attempt to shut down Annunciation House, accusing it of “human smuggling,” in a move denounced by Catholic immigration advocates, including Bishop Seitz.

Meanwhile, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision late March 19 once again blocking Texas from enforcing SB 4. Earlier the same day, a divided U.S. Supreme Court lifted its temporary pause on the law and sent the matter back to the federal appeals court, which in effect briefly allowed the state to enforce the law while litigation proceeds.

Federal law already makes it illegal to enter the U.S. without authorization, and most portions of a similar 2010 Arizona law were later struck down by the Supreme Court. Immigration advocacy groups in Texas filed a lawsuit over the bill prior to the Justice Department’s challenge.

In a statement about SB 4 emailed to OSV News, Jennifer Carr Allmon, executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, said, “The church supports the right of a sovereign nation to control its borders. We want the federal government to enact effective and humane border management as part of a framework of comprehensive immigration reforms. All law enforcement agencies can and should cooperate with each other but should not take over each other’s responsibilities or jurisdiction.”

“The obligation to control the international border lies with federal authorities,” Carr Allmon continued. “We understand the situation at the border has become untenable, but this law is not the solution. We advocate for immigration and refugee policies that protect family unity and allow newcomers an opportunity to contribute and participate more fully in our communities.”

“Targeted, humane and proportional border security policies are also a critical part of addressing the broken immigration system in the United States,” she said. “We extend our prayers to our brothers and sisters experiencing the harsh realities of this journey, and for all who encounter them. We ask all people of goodwill to join us in praying and working for a secure border, to protect the vulnerable and for just immigration solutions to protect all human life.”

The Hope Border Institute, a group that works to apply the perspective of Catholic social teaching in policy and practice to the U.S.-Mexico border region and is one of the partners organizing the El Paso event, wrote in a post on social media, “Thank you to our incredible partners for joining us for “Do Not Be Afraid: March & Vigil for Human Dignity.”

“Join us in our commitment to creating a community of respecting human dignity. We hope to see you there!” the post said.

(OSV News) – Early morning phone calls aren’t unusual for Father Joseph Friend – a busy pastoral administrator of three parishes in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas – but a recent ring at 7 a.m. left him “100% blown away.”

On the line was Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, who advised Father Friend to get ready to head to Rome at the request of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“I kind of laughed, because I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, Bishop — they want Father Joe to go to Rome,'” Father Friend told OSV News. “And he didn’t laugh back.”

Instead, Bishop Taylor simply said, “I’m not joking.”

As it turned out, Father Friend was among five U.S. priests tapped to share their experiences of parish life with the ongoing Synod of Bishops on synodality.

The group — selected by the USCCB as part of a 300-member worldwide delegation — will also speak with Pope Francis during the April 28-May 2 meeting.

The U.S. priests, who were chosen by synod leaders, had all been involved locally in their synod processes, with some participating as well in the national and continental phases of the synod, Julia McStravog, a theologian and co-coordinator of the North American team for the synod’s continental phase, told OSV News.

A Feb. 3 Vatican statement said the 300 priests will be involved in “roundtables for the sharing of best practices, workshops around pastoral proposals, dialogue with experts and liturgical celebrations.” The results of the meeting will then be incorporated into the working document drafted ahead of the second synod assembly.

The gathering — which will take place at a retreat center in Sacrofano, near Rome — is also an opportunity for parish priests to “experience the dynamism of synodal work at a universal level,” said the statement.

Joining Father Friend will be Byzantine Catholic Father Artur Bubnevych of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix; Father Don Planty of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia; Father Luis Navarro of the Diocese of Stockton, California; and Father Bill Swichtenberg of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Father Bubnevych told OSV News that his first reaction to the news was “shock” and a deep sense of being “unworthy.”

“I was shaking,” he admitted.

Both he and Father Friend each said they feel a sense of responsibility to represent those to whom they minister.

“I (feel) a call to be responsible to bring our unique experience of the Byzantine Ukrainian Catholic Church here in the U.S. (to the synod),” said Father Bubnevych. “The Byzantine Catholic Church … (has been) kind of marginalized, and even nowadays, (I find) in my priestly ministry the Roman Church is often lacking knowledge about our presence and our work among the faithful.”

He said Catholics of Byzantine-rite churches enrich the universal church through their Divine Liturgy, which he described as “a very powerful point of unity, growth and thriving.”

The strictness of the Byzantine Church’s fasts are “challenging to the modern world,” as are the Byzantine expressions of humility through prostrations during the liturgy and observances such as Forgiveness Sunday, during which “people to come out and extend forgiveness in front of the community, to the priest and to each other,” said Father Bubnevych.

As pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he also wants to highlight the charism of his “small parish community” at the global synod’s priest gathering.

“It’s like a family environment where everyone knows everyone,” he said. “(It’s) a kind of a model of this small primitive church that I think existed at the very beginning (of Christianity), where people were very bonded, welcoming and just united in Christ, listening to the Holy Spirit.”

Father Friend said his parishioners — many of whom are immigrants — now feel that “Rome has seen us” by virtue of his selection.

“I wish you could see their faces,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Rome is going to hear of Hamburg, Crossett, Lake Village in Arkansas.’ (The) people feel seen and they feel meaning.”

Father Friend — whose uncle is a monsignor and whose brother also is a priest — said he hopes to represent fellow hardworking clergy who remain steadfast in their mission, particularly in challenged areas.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who just have their heads down — kind of dogs in the field — who love the church and what it is, and love our people,” Father Friend said. “I think that there are a ton of priests out there that are radically in love with Jesus, that love the church, that love the structure of the church, that love the pope (and) the sacraments, and also radically love our people.”

Father Bubnevych said he plans to “be led by the Spirit” during his time in Rome.

“I’m praying to the Holy Spirit in order to be able to really listen to what the other brings,” he said. “So (I have) no (particular) expectations, but a great expectation from the power of the Holy Spirit to guide me.”

ROME (CNS) – Pope Francis’ envoy for peace in Ukraine asked his fellow bishops and all Catholics in Italy to continue their prayers for peace in Ukraine and in the Holy Land, but also to make those prayers concrete through acts of solidarity.

For example, Italian dioceses should expand summer camp programs to welcome Ukrainian children “who are orphans or victims — and they all are — of the catastrophe that is war,” said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, president of the Italian bishops’ conference and the pope’s envoy for Ukraine.

Addressing the conference’s permanent council March 18, the cardinal also encouraged the bishops to promote the full participation of their dioceses in the annual Good Friday collection for Christians in the Holy Land.

And, he said, the late May plenary assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference will include a day of prayer, fasting and solidarity for peace in the world.

“Can we still accept that war is the only solution to conflicts?” Cardinal Zuppi asked his fellow bishops.

“In this time of conflicts, divisions, nationalist sentiment, hatred and opposition,” he said, the Catholic Church’s work for unity “shines as a light of hope.”

The commitment of each bishop and every Catholic community, the cardinal said, must be to be “artisans of peace, weavers of unity in every context, peaceful in words and behavior.”

Cardinal Zuppi said he knows many people view Pope Francis as naïve in his constant pleas to stop sending weapons to war-torn regions and in urging negotiations even when, like in Ukraine, the identity of the aggressor is clear.

“The Holy Father’s words on peace are anything but naïveté,” the cardinal said. Rather, the pope is trying to share “a pain that we will never be able to measure.”

“We are living through a very long Good Friday when darkness covered the whole earth, and darkness erases life and all light, and sometimes, it seems, even hope and consciences themselves,” he said. “The church is always Mary at the foot of the cross of her children; she cannot get used to the darkness and believes in light even when there is only darkness.”

“The church is a mother and experiences war as a mother for whom the value of life is superior to reasoning or alliances,” Cardinal Zuppi said.