Memorial Mass for Missionaries of Charity

A message from the Diocese of Brooklyn:  A memorial Mass for the four Missionaries of Charity Sisters who were killed in Yemen will be held at Our Lady of Victory Church of St. Martin de Porres parish, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, on Friday, April 1 at 5 pm.  Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski will be the main celebrant.  All are welcome.

Oscar Romero and Holy Thursday

As we enter the Paschal Triduum, we are also commemorating the anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Oscar Romero. On March 24, 1980, Archbishop Romero was assassinated while saying Mass in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence in San Salvador, El Salvador. 

In one of his homilies, Archbishop Romero said:  "One who is committed to the poor must risk the same fate as the poor.  And in El Salvador we know what the fate of the poor signifies: to disappear, to be tortured, to be captive and to be found dead." 

Perhaps these words will help us to enter reflectively into the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who -- risking the same fate as the poor -- "became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2).

March Issue of Stop Trafficking

Click here to access the March 2016 issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter, highlighting pornography's negative impact on society and its role in human trafficking.

Stop the Christian Genocide

In Defense of Christians and the Knights of Columbus are collaborating in a petition about "the ongoing genocide against Christians and other minority groups in Iraq and Syria."  Click here for more information.

Mercy and Movies: Week 6

This week's Mercy and Movies suggestion (the final one for Lent 2016) is The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964):  "Dedicated to Pope John XXIII and greeted with applause by the council fathers of Vatican II, Pier Paolo Pasolini's neorealist-inflected Jesus film highlights the urgency of Jesus' message and his concern for the poor."

Lenten Postcard Campaign

The Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking has embarked on a national postcard campaign against human trafficking in our seafood supply chains.  The Coalition has created two postcards -- one addressed to Costco and one addressed to StarKist -- asking these companies to do everything in their power to guarantee that their supply chains are free of forced labor.  The Costco postcard is available here and the StarKist postcard is available here. 

Lent seems to be a logical time to pay attention to the seafood supply chain, as Catholics abstain from meat and many eat more fish during this time.  Perhaps printing, signing and sending this postcard could be a small Lenten practice that renews our commitment to end human trafficking.

Mercy and Movies: Week 5

This week's Mercy and Movies suggestion is Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2006): "Marc Rothemund's riveting drama of the last days of anti-Nazi resistance activist Sophie Scholl and her fellow conspirators highlights the dignity of every human life; it is also a rare film that makes heroic goodness not just admirable, but interesting and attractive."

Prayers for the Missionaries of Charity, Salesians and Others in Yemen

Click here to access an article about the killing of four Missionaries of Charity and ten others and the kidnapping of a Salesian priest -- all said to be "religiously motivated" -- in Yemen.  Let us pray for all involved, especially for a conversion of heart for those who would consider perpetrating such violence.

Mercy and Moves: Week 4

This week's Mercy and Movies suggestion is Monsieur Vincent (1947):  "St. Vincent de Paul is the father of organized charity; every soup kitchen and homeless shelter carries on the work he began.  Directed by Maurice Cloche and starring Pierre Fresnay, this film is a beautiful tribute to his work and spirituality."