Our Lady of Hope Blog

My Dear Friends, We now return to Pope Francis’s encyclical, Dilext Nos (on the Sacred Heart of Jesus). The first nine paragraphs in chapter four deal with Scriptural references on the love of Jesus as thirst and as water. The title itself of chapter four is A Love that Gives Itself as Drink.

My Dear Friends,

As you know by now, we have a pope. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected and has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV. He will need the courage that comes from the lion in order to carry the burden of the papacy on his shoulders.

My Dear Friends,

Since I submit my bulletin letters on Tuesdays, there is a good chance as you are reading this that we have a new pope. There will be a lot of commentary about who this man is, what name he has chosen, and where he is on the spectrum of the Catholic Church, i.e. progressive, traditional or centrist.

My Dear Friends,

When I was assigned as a priest in Boston at Our Lady of Victories Church (2008-2011), I had a radio program every Sunday. Most of my shows were with my friend Paula from Brunswick, Maine. We would have a discussion about a certain topic concerning the Catholic Church or cultural issues coming from a Catholic foundation. When Paula could not do my show with me anymore, I would do a show by myself on the Sunday readings. Some topics of my shows with Paula included how to receive Holy Communion, Divine Mercy, the Eucharist, marriage, confession, celibate priesthood, holy friendships, etc.