The Good Catholic Life

Summary of today’s show: American canon lawyers, unlike civil lawyers, are somewhat rare, and that’s why our co-host Fr. Mark O’Connell had to find the new judge for the Archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal in Turin, Italy. Fr. Mark and Scot Landry introduce Andrea Ponzone to our listeners and find out from him why there are so many more canon lawyers in Italy, why northern Italians don’t eat much pasta, his opinions on the various Italians being considered for election as pope, and what they love about Lent. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Andrea Ponzone Today’s topics: Andrea Ponzone 1st segment: Scot Landry said today’s guest is Andrea Ponzone, who is from Italy and newly hired to work in the Metropolitan Tribunal. But first Scot and Fr. Mark O’Connell talked about the Disciples in Mission training going on in the Pastoral Center this week. Fr. Mark said he liked that everyone in the building is going through the same training together and they’re going through it just before people in parishes go through it. Scot said it involves some self-examination of dispositions and profiles, and then communication and time management techniques, all aligned with the mission of the Archdiocese, which is to bring the saving message of Jesus Christ to all. Fr. Mark said the DISC profile type describes people’s predilections, but isn’t meant to judge anyone. The profile divides people into one of 16 categories and Fr. Mark said he ended up being listed as not being in any one of them. Scot said a key aim is to find out how those who work in central ministries can change and adjust to better serve parishes, especially the new collaboratives under the Disciples in Mission pastoral plan, with new tools and techniques and a new attitude. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Andrea Ponzone to the show. He said he is a native of Turin, Italy, and they talked about the various saints and pilgrimage sites in the city. It is the home of St. John Bosco and the Shroud of Turin. It was also the site of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Scot said Andrea is both a civil lawyer and a canon lawyer. Andrea said in Italy, canon lawyers either start as civil attorneys, usually laypeople, or they come from theological studies, if they are priests. Andrea said after high school he wanted to become a lawyer and only while he was studying for his law degree did he discover canon law. He talked to the chancellor of this diocese and then enrolled in a pontifical university to receive a canon law degree. Fr. Mark said the Boston Tribunal got an Italian canon lawyer because there are so few American canon lawyers because it’s difficult to get a canon law degree in the United States. The previous canon lawyer was Sr. Peggy Sullivan who had to leave because she was elected into a leadership position in her religious order. Scot asked how many lay canon lawyers there are in the United States. Fr. Mark said most who study canon law in the US are studying for a diocese or a religious order and are being sponsored by them. Few people get a degree on their on without having a job waiting. But in Italy there are people who have an interest first in canon law, who get sponsored by a diocese but don’t go to school with a job waiting. Andrea said about 30 percent of his practice in Italy was canon law and he served as the Defender of the Bond, which is the person who defends the presumption that the marriage is valid in annulment cases. Scot said there seems there would be overlap between family civil law practice and canon law practice. Scot asked Andrea what made him want to come to Boston. Andrea said he wanted to work as a full canon lawyer because he sees it as a ministry in the Church first of all. That wasn’t possible in Italy for various reasons. When he saw the job listed, he decided to apply and when he came for his job interview, he really enjoyed Boston as a vibrant city. Being from northern Italy, he’s used to a cold winter. Fr. Mark said they used Skype to do the first interview and Andrea was coming to New York City to represent the Church in an ecumenical meeting for young people, so that’s how they got him to Boston for another interview. But there was still a lot of work to do to overcome the immigration issues and get a work visa. Andrea said he’s living in Braintree now, but he’s going to be visiting the North End and see how he likes it. He said he can read Spanish, but not speak it, but he’s the Latin expert in the office. Fr. Mark said that’s very important because much of the correspondence that comes from Rome is in Latin. Andrea said he’s studied 11 years of Latin in both lower grades at at the university. Scot noted that an important part of the job is to understand the culture in the US, including how people date and get married. Andrea said he’s beginning to learn more, but much of it is universal. The work of the Tribunal helps people to understand the Church’s teaching on marriage and it’s important to be pastoral. Andrea said he hasn’t had a chance to get to know Boston very much first because he doesn’t have a car and with the blizzard last weekend, but he’s hoping to spend some time visiting the city soon. He said his parents are happy for him, but also sad he’s so far away. 3rd segment: Scot and Andrea talked about the food of northern Italy. He pointed out that they eat mainly rice as starch, instead of pasta. He pointed out that his father had never had pizza before the 1970s, because it was something from southern Italy. They talked about other foods native to northern Italy too. Scot asked him what his first three weeks of work in the Tribunal have been like. He said he’s in training. Even though canon law is the same throughout the Church, the way the procedures can be applied in particular places can be slightly different in implementation. Fr. Mark pointed out that he has to learn the computer system for tracking the Tribunal’s case, for instance. They then discussed the upcoming papal conclave and the cardinals who are eligible to vote. Fr. Mark asked about Cardinal Angelo Scola, who appears on many people’s lists of the potential popes. Andrea said Scola is Archbishop of Milan and he’s very popular in that archdiocese. They also discussed Cardinal Bagnasco from Genoa who is head of the Italian bishops’ conference. Cardinal Ravasi is prefect of the Pontifical Congregation for Culture, who is known for his ability to speak to a secularized culture. He will be leading the papal Lenten retreat next week which all the curial cardinals will be participating in, which could raise his profile as papabile. Andrea said he’s not particularly invested in the next pope being Italian, just that the Holy Spirit chooses the best candidate. Andrea talked about Rome as the center of the Church, and the Vatican as a people watching place. They also talked about their favorite churches in Rome. 4th segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent, February 17, 2013 (Luke 4:1-13) Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time. Scot said we all pray in the Our Father to be lead away from temptation. Here Jesus shows us how the Devil tempts him. We are tempted too, by bodily needs, by ambition, and to test God. We try to put conditions on our relationship with God. We all will battle with these in our lives. Fr. Mark said they parallel the temptations of the Israelites in the desert. He pointed out the temptations put to Jesus are the temptations put to Israel in the desert and Jesus succeeds where they failed. Scot said Jesus is in the desert for 40 days. He did that to prepare himself to better serve the mission the Father had for him. That’s the purpose of Lent to give us a fresh beginning in life, to be able to respond in new and better ways to God. Andrea said Lent is a good time to prepare for Christ’s Resurrection and our own resurrection one day. Fr. Mark said his favorite part of Lent is that he challenges himself, that he fails and tries again. Andrea said for him it is Ash Wednesday, when we are just starting. Scot said his favorite part is the fasting and the discipline, but by the time he gets four weeks in, he can’t wait for Easter.

Summary of today’s show: The big news of the week continues to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI from the See of St. Peter and our Thursday news panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Fr. Roger Landry, and Gregory Tracy examines the latest headlines and stories from the Vatican, around the world, and here at home to discuss what it means for the Church, why Pope Benedict may have taken this step, how the election of a new pope will take place, and who the cardinals are who will select the next leader of the Catholic Church. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Papal Resignation 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and noted that longtime listeners know we discuss the Catholic news on Thursday and this may be the biggest news we’ve ever had. Susan Abbott said she was in total disbelief when she heard it and compared to hearing when Pope John Paul I died. Gregory Tracy said he was the only one awake in his coffee, getting coffee, and checking his phone for any news alerts. His first thought was that it would be a very busy week. Scot gave a compliment to the Pilot staff for the coverage in this week’s newspaper. Greg said it was important to counter all the speculation in the secular press, especially what they got wrong. He gave credit to Catholic News Service for being a great resource for Catholic newspapers. Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement “Citing health reasons, Pope Benedict announces he will resign”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Holy Father to resign as bishop of world’s Catholics”, The Anchor, 2/15/13 “Cardinal O’Malley reacts to pope’s resignation”, The Pilot, 2/11/13 “Pope Benedict thanks faithful, asks them to pray for next pope”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Church historian provides context for pope’s resignation”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Pope’s resignation highlights his decisive nature, humility says Bishop Deeley”, The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Pope Benedict’s resignation will set in motion period of transition”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Benedict will be prayerful presence in next papacy, spokesman says”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Pope Benedict’s pontificate marked by teaching, call to return to faith”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13 “US church leaders express surprise, admiration for pope’s decision”, Catholic News Service, 2/11/13 Apostolic Constitution Universi Domini Gregis Motu Proprio De Aliquibus Mutationibus in Normis De Electione Romani Pontificis Scot said the Vatican spokesmen have been clearing up questions. We’ve been hearing the details of the monastery Benedict will move into, that his bishop-secretary, Archbishop Ganswein will move in with Benedict but will continue his work as Prefect of the Papal Household. The Conclave will also start sometime in mid-March. Fr. Roger Landry said the Apostolic constitution said there’s needs to be 15 to 20 days before the Conclave can begin, but that’s because of the need for nine days of mourning and they’re apparently going to enforce that rule. Some presume that the Conclave will go fast and the first Mass of the new pope will be Palm Sunday, but Fr. Roger thinks it will go slow. Unlike the last conclave where so many cardinals came in willing to vote for Ratzinger, now there will be a much wider field. Fr. Roger said we’ve also learned how much the whole Catholic world loves Pope Benedict and we’ve also learned how much the media still looks at the Church as just another political institution instead of looking at her on her own terms. He said this a time for people to stay close to authentic Catholic media sources. Scot said there will be two additional Wednesday audiences, with the last on February 27. He will also meet with all the cardinals on February 28. He wondered if all the cardinals will be able to go on February 28, given their responsibilities at home, the need to be in Rome for the conclave later in March, and then Holy Week following right after. Greg’s guess is that Cardinal Seán will make every effort to go because of his great affection for the Holy Father. Scot said he considered that here is an 85-year-old with this massive job. Fr. Roger wrote about that this week in his column in The Anchor. While many of us have been more than satisfied at the level with which he was continuing to serve the whole Church at 85, it’s clear that he believes that the ministry of the successor of St. Peter requires more and better than he thinks he is physically capable of giving. Out of love for the Church, he humbly became the first pope in 598 years to step down. On a physical level, his conclusion is understandable. Very few octogenarians would have the stamina to fulfill the Pope’s daily schedule of continuous high-level meetings and speeches, not to mention grueling international travel and a liturgical schedule awaiting him during Holy Week that has been known to wipe out priests half his age in settings far smaller. If most pastors would be physically challenged to administer a busy parish in their mid-80s, how much more grueling must it be to preside over a church of one billion people. And, in Pope Benedict, we’re talking about a priest who’s had two strokes, a pacemaker for 20 years, prostate problems and some form of degenerative joint disease. All the same, even at obviously reduced physical capacity, Pope Benedict was still capable of leading the Church with incredible wisdom because of his unbelievably brilliant and totally undiminished mind. In one of several interviews I gave on Monday, the journalist asked what people would say his legacy would be in ten years. I responded that it’s more fitting to ask what his legacy will be in 500 years, because having him on the cathedra of Peter was like having another St. Leo the Great, someone whom future generations will likely deem a doctor the Church. Susan said she didn’t know about the pope’s pacemaker until she read this week that he’d recently had its battery replaced. Scot said part of the big shock is that we’ve always assumed popes serve until they die. Nevertheless, Pope Benedict had said in the past that popes could and sometimes should resign for the good of the Church. Greg said we had no more clear example of service until death than Pope John Paul II, who was under great pressure to resign for years. He said it wasn’t until this modern era that a person living on and on while physically debilitated became possible. He thinks Pope Benedict wanted to set a precedent and make it possible for his successors to take this option. Scot asked Fr. Roger why Pope’s don’t have a retirement age when bishops and pastors do. He said historically even bishops and pastors didn’t have mandatory retirement ages, but in 1983 with the Code of Canon Law that was implemented after cases of bishops and pastors staying in office well after they could no longer carry out the duties of the office. For the Holy Father we kept the old system. There can’t be a mandatory retirement age for the Holy Father because he is the Supreme Legislator and there is no one to enforce a retirement. There are procedures in place in the case of a pope who is non compos mentis to have the election of a new pope. Scot said he’s always wondered what it’s really like in the Sistine Chapel when the conclave happens. Cardinal Seán was asked some of the questions about it earlier this week during a news conference. His answers were consistent with most cardinals who have been asked in that he doesn’t believe himself to be the man who should be selected. Susan related a story with the lesson that none of us are worthy and so we all are equally valid choices in some ways to serve the Lord. She noted that the Cardinal said he had bought a round-trip ticket for Rome and expects to come home. She notes that the room in which the new pope vests for the first time is called the Room of Tears because of the way the men selected react very often. Scot said his sense is that Cardinal Seán knows about 50 of the cardinals, but still needs to do a lot of research to understand the backgrounds and gifts of the other possible candidates can offer. Only then can he stand up and say that “this” is what the Church needs most in the coming decades. Fr. Roger said he expects the cardinals have started praying for guidance of the Holy Spirit and personally calling for God’s help. They’re starting to seek help and learning more about the other cardinals. They’re probably expressing their shock with each other. They’re probably talking the qualities of the next Holy Father vis a vis the challenges facing the Church. He said the 2005 conclave will have been easier than this one and this conclave will be more like 1978. Scot said we will probably end up with 116 voting cardinals. He asked how the balloting works. Fr. Roger talked about the mechanics of the voting, how each one submits a ballot. They need a two thirds majority of ballots. We will not know the results of any balloting until the pope is elected. We will never know who the other candidates were. Scot asked what we should be doing as Catholics as we think about who the next pope will be. Susan said we should all be praying every day for our new pope, especially the Veni Creator Spiritus. Susan and Scot agreed that the criteria listed by Cardinal Seán as the necessary qualities for the next Pope are held by Cardinal Seán himself and many of the other American Cardinals. On the question of whether we should speculate or have favorites, Greg said we can’t help but do that. Especially since Pope Benedict has not died, so there’s no sense that it’s all morbid and too soon. He said our hopes for who the next Pope should be or what he is to be need to be tempered so we can be open to who the Holy Spirit selects. Fr. Roger said we should have as intelligent a conversation at our level as the cardinals will be doing. They will not engage in tokenism, asking for someone who fits some broad description. Instead they will choose the man. Scot said Fr. Roger in his column that there were three things particularly striking to him: The first is that it seems that it was not his decision, but the Lord’s. He began his shocking statement to the Cardinals by declaring, “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrina ministry.” Pope Benedict has long called conscience an “organ of sensitivity” to the voice of God indicating to us what to do or avoid. While the judgments of conscience can always be erroneous, Pope Benedict has been tuning his “organ” for so long and fighting against false ideas of conscience that it is highly unlikely that he would be hearing the Lord say “go” when the Lord was in fact stressing “continue on.” So his decision to resign does not seem to be the “no” of someone who wants to quit the burdens of the papacy but one more “yes” in a lifetime of faithful fiats to what the Lord has asked of him. Next, by his decision Pope Benedict gave us perhaps his most powerful lesson about the importance of prayer. He finished his statement mentioning that he would “devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer,” carried out in a monastery on Vatican grounds. Throughout his papacy in his catecheses on prayer over the last two years as well as in many talks to priests, seminarians, religious and faithful, he has repeatedly stated that the most important thing we do as Christians for God and others is to pray. By resigning the papacy in order to continue to serve the Church devotedly through prayer is to declare that he believes the work of prayer is even more important than the ministry of the papacy. And if prayer is even more important than the work of the successor of St. Peter, then it’s hard to argue that any other ministry in the Church - or any other human work - is more important than prayer either. There’s probably been no greater illustration of the lesson Jesus taught Martha and Mary in Bethany than this. It was said that perhaps John Paul ll’s greatest teaching of all was his proclamation of the Gospel of redemptive suffering over the last years of his life. I anticipate that the primacy of prayer - which means the primacy of God’s action in us - may become the lasting lesson of the final years God grants Pope Benedict. The last item about his statement that stuck out to me was his reminder to all of us that the “Supreme Pastor” of the Church is Christ, not his earthly vicar. While Popes may come and go, the Good Shepherd will never have an interregnum. For Pope Benedict, in his preaching, in his celebration of the sacraments, and in his bearing, he was always focused on Jesus, not on himself. At World Youth Days, for example, he intentionally took the focus off of the Pope and had millions of young people drop to their knees with him in humble adoration of the Lord in the Eucharist. Scot asked Greg how they will cover the Conclave. He said it’s completely uncharted territory and they don’t know yet. They also don’t know how they will cover and deal with Pope Benedict’s continuing life after the papacy. It’s all uncharted territory. “Local parishes dig out after blizzard”, The Pilot, 2/15/13 “Proposed rules fall short of meeting bishops’ concerns, cardinal says”, CNS/The Pilot, 2/15/13

Summary of today’s show: Ash Wednesday this year is marked with a special significance as Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his last public Mass as Supreme Pontiff. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams plumb the depths of the Holy Father’s homily and then turn to Fr. Matt’s own homily for today that connects the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving with love, romance, and St. Valentine’s Day. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s topics: Ash Wednesday and Lent 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Matt Williams to the show and he noted that The Good Catholic Life started on an Ash Wednesday two years ago. Scot said he totally forgot about the anniversary because he’s been so preoccupied with the huge cross of ashes on his forehead. He had made a plea yesterday to all priests everywhere not to take advantage of the wide canvas provided by the folliclely challenged. Scot told the story of getting his ashes this morning. Scot said today they’ll be discussing Pope Benedict’s homily for Ash Wednesday, which has been announced as his public Mass as Pope. Fr. Matt said when he heard he realized that this is the closure. With a funeral, you have a time to say goodbye, but with this Mass it is done. 2nd segment: Scot said the Holy Father’s Ash Wednesday Mass is usually at a smaller station church in Rome, Santa Sabina, but very wisely they moved it to St. Peter’s Basilica for the expected larger crowds. Scot recalled the Holy Father’s comments to the General Audience before his catechesis: As soon as the Holy Father emerged onto the stage from the side door the crowds erupted in greeting. “Dear brothers and sisters, as you know I decided”, he began only to be interrupted with prolonged applause. “Thank you for your kindness” he responded and began again. “I decided to resign from the ministry that the Lord had entrusted me on April 19, 2005. I did this in full freedom” the Pope added forcefully, “for the good of the Church after having prayed at length and examined my conscience before God, well aware of the gravity of this act”. But continued Pope Benedict, “I was also well aware that I was no longer able to fulfil the Petrine Ministry with that strength that it demands. What sustains and illuminates me is the certainty that the Church belongs to Christ whose care and guidance will never be lacking. I thank you all for the love and prayer with which you have accompanied me”. Again the Pope was interrupted by lengthy applause, and visibly moved he continued: “I have felt, almost physically, your prayers in these days which are not easy for me, the strength which the love of the Church and your prayers brings to me. Continue to pray for me and for the future Pope, the Lord will guide us!”. Fr. Matt said it’s evident of the great love the Holy Father has for his people and the great love that’s returned. He was created from the beginning of time to be Supreme Pontiff and in humility he has set that aside, allowing another to take his place. Scot talked about how he has left things before and what it feels like to do significant things for the last thing. This Mass has to have been especially moving and he’s probably been reflecting the rest of today what that means to him. Fr. Matt said it crystallizes his humility and that it was never about him, but about his bride the Church. Scot read from the beginning of the Holy Father’s catechesis from the Wednesday general audience: Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin the liturgical time of Lent, forty days that prepare us for the celebration of Holy Easter, it is a time of particular commitment in our spiritual journey. The number forty occurs several times in the Bible. In particular, it recalls the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness: a long period of formation to become the people of God, but also a long period in which the temptation to be unfaithful to the covenant with the Lord was always present. Forty were also the days of the Prophet Elijah’s journey to reach the Mount of God, Horeb; as well as the time that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public life and where he was tempted by the devil. In this Catechesis I would like to dwell on this moment of earthly life of the Son of God, which we will read of in the Gospel this Sunday. First of all, the desert, where Jesus withdrew to, is the place of silence, of poverty, where man is deprived of material support and is placed in front of the fundamental questions of life, where he is pushed to towards the essentials in life and for this very reason it becomes easier for him to find God. But the desert is also a place of death, because where there is no water there is no life, and it is a place of solitude where man feels temptation more intensely. Jesus goes into the desert, and there is tempted to leave the path indicated by God the Father to follow other easier and worldly paths (cf. Lk 4:1-13). So he takes on our temptations and carries our misery, to conquer evil and open up the path to God, the path of conversion. Pope’s Catechesis for the General Audience on Ash Wednesday Pope’s Homily for Ash Wednesday Mass Scot now switched to the homily for the Ash Wednesday Mass: Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin a new Lenten journey, a journey that extends over forty days and leads us towards the joy of Easter, to victory of Life over death. Following the ancient Roman tradition of Lenten stations, we are gathered for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The tradition says that the first statio took place in the Basilica of Saint Sabina on the Aventine Hill. Circumstances suggested we gather in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tonight there are many of us gathered around the tomb of the Apostle Peter, to also ask him to pray for the path of the Church going forward at this particular moment in time, to renew our faith in the Supreme Pastor, Christ the Lord. For me it is also a good opportunity to thank everyone, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Rome, as I prepare to conclude the Petrine ministry, and I ask you for a special remembrance in your prayer. Scot notes that the Holy Father specifies that Christ is the Supreme Pastor. The readings that have just been proclaimed offer us ideas which, by the grace of God, we are called to transform into a concrete attitude and behaviour during Lent. First of all the Church proposes the powerful appeal which the prophet Joel addresses to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (2.12). Please note the phrase “with all your heart,” which means from the very core of our thoughts and feelings, from the roots of our decisions, choices and actions, with a gesture of total and radical freedom. But is this return to God possible? Yes, because there is a force that does not reside in our hearts, but that emanates from the heart of God and the power of His mercy. The prophet says: “return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment” (v. 13). It is possible to return to the Lord, it is a ‘grace’, because it is the work of God and the fruit of faith that we entrust to His mercy. But this return to God becomes a reality in our lives only when the grace of God penetrates and moves our innermost core, gifting us the power that “rends the heart”. Once again the prophet proclaims these words from God: “Rend your hearts and not your garments” (v. 13). Today, in fact, many are ready to “rend their garments” over scandals and injustices – which are of course caused by others - but few seem willing to act according to their own “heart”, their own conscience and their own intentions, by allowing the Lord transform, renew and convert them. Scot noted that it’s implied we should ask God for grace through all the participation in liturgies and devotions and practices of Lent so that this can be the Lent in which we grow the closest to God. Fr. Matt said he’s also helping us understand that the work of repentance and conversion is a work of grace. We turn from sin and toward the Lord in faith. No one does that on their own. We have to operate of our own free will as moved by the Lord upon examining our conscience. God invites us to conversion, but we have to respond and if we say Yes, then grace is there again to help us follow through on that. This “return to me with all your heart,” then, is a reminder that not only involves the individual but the entire community. Again we heard in the first reading: “Blow the horn in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly! Gather the people, sanctify the congregation; Assemble the elderly; gather the children, even infants nursing at the breast; Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her bridal tent (vv.15-16). The community dimension is an essential element in faith and Christian life. Christ came “to gather the children of God who are scattered into one” (Jn 11:52). The “we” of the Church is the community in which Jesus brings us together (cf. Jn 12:32), faith is necessarily ecclesial. And it is important to remember and to live this during Lent: each person must be aware that the penitential journey cannot be faced alone, but together with many brothers and sisters in the Church. Fr. Matt said we believe as a community and we repent as a community. We acknowledge Christ came for all of us, the sick and the healthy, to save us. The Holy Father is saying we need not only an individual relationship with God, but we need a communal relationship with God, because we are social beings. So when we sin, we hurt not just our relationship with God, but also our relationship with the whole Church. Finally, the prophet focuses on the prayers of priests, who, with tears in their eyes, turn to God, saying: ” Between the porch and the altar let the priests weep, let the ministers of the LORD weep and say: “Spare your people, Lord! Do not let your heritage become a disgrace, a byword among the nations! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”(V.17). This prayer leads us to reflect on the importance of witnessing to faith and Christian life, for each of us and our community, so that we can reveal the face of the Church and how this face is, at times, disfigured. I am thinking in particular of the sins against the unity of the Church, of the divisions in the body of the Church. Living Lent in a more intense and evident ecclesial communion, overcoming individualism and rivalry is a humble and precious sign for those who have distanced themselves from the faith or who are indifferent. Fr. Matt said what gives these things authenticity is that they flow from deep friendship with the Lord, not out of pride. Scot said the externals are important as a witness, but the internals are even more important as we ask whether we’re growing our relationship with God in this Lent. “Well, now is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). The words of the Apostle Paul to the Christians of Corinth resonate for us with an urgency that does not permit absences or inertia. The term “now” is repeated and can not be missed, it is offered to us as a unique opportunity. And the Apostle’s gaze focuses on sharing with which Christ chose to characterize his life, taking on everything human to the point of taking on all of man’s sins. The words of St. Paul are very strong: “God made him sin for our sake.” Jesus, the innocent, the Holy One, “He who knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21), bears the burden of sin sharing the outcome of death, and death of the Cross with humanity. The reconciliation we are offered came at a very high price, that of the Cross raised on Golgotha, on which the Son of God made man was hung. In this, in God’s immersion in human suffering and the abyss of evil, is the root of our justification. The “return to God with all your heart” in our Lenten journey passes through the Cross, in following Christ on the road to Calvary, to the total gift of self. It is a journey on which each and every day we learn to leave behind our selfishness and our being closed in on ourselves, to make room for God who opens and transforms our hearts. And as St. Paul reminds us, the proclamation of the Cross resonates within us thanks to the preaching of the Word, of which the Apostle himself is an ambassador. It is a call to us so that this Lenten journey be characterized by a more careful and assiduous listening to the Word of God, the light that illuminates our steps. In the Gospel passage according of Matthew, to whom belongs to the so-called Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to three fundamental practices required by the Mosaic Law: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. These are also traditional indications on the Lenten journey to respond to the invitation to «return to God with all your heart.” But he points out that both the quality and the truth of our relationship with God is what qualifies the authenticity of every religious act. For this reason he denounces religious hypocrisy, a behaviour that seeks applause and approval. The true disciple does not serve himself or the “public”, but his Lord, in simplicity and generosity: “And your Father who sees everything in secret will reward you” (Mt 6,4.6.18). Our fitness will always be more effective the less we seek our own glory and the more we are aware that the reward of the righteous is God Himself, to be united to Him, here, on a journey of faith, and at the end of life, in the peace light of coming face to face with Him forever (cf. 1 Cor 13:12). Dear brothers and sisters, we begin our Lenten journey with trust and joy. May the invitation to conversion , to “return to God with all our heart”, resonate strongly in us, accepting His grace that makes us new men and women, with the surprising news that is participating in the very life of Jesus. May none of us, therefore, be deaf to this appeal, also addressed in the austere rite, so simple and yet so beautiful, of the imposition of ashes, which we will shortly carry out. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and model of every true disciple of the Lord accompany us in this time. Amen! Scot said God’s grace makes us new men and women, not just improved. Lent is a time of second chances. Part of living Lent well is to become a new man or woman. Fr. Matt said it takes courage, grace, and humility. 3rd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Nicholas Boncoddo from Braintree He wins the CD “Marian Grace” available from [http://mysteriumonline.com/](http://mysteriumonline.com/) If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Scot said Fr. Matt’s homily today for Ash Wednesday used the timeliness of St. Valentine’s Day to talk about Lenten disciples of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Fr. Matt said for the 40 days of Lent he’ll be doing a daily YouTube reflection and as he thought about it he connected it to romance and dating. Fr. Matt’s YouTube channel He said prayer is communicating with God. In a dating relationship, when you first meet them, you get to know them more through communication. That communication gets deeper and deeper and flash forward 50 years, it’s as deep as can be. At the beginning of the relationship, there’s lots and lots of vocal communication. But after 50 years of marriage, they walk hand in hand silently, but communicate even more. We have to open our minds to all that communication can be and all that prayer can be. It’s not just rote prayer and lots of words, but it can also just being together in love. The second Lenten discipline is fasting. Fr. Matt said there was a time when young people dated, they would date casually and then as you got serious with one, you would begin to say no to others to prioritize this person. You would also say to no to other things in life. Fasting is a way of prioritizing our lives with God as the center. Somethings we give up because they’re not virtuous, but others are goods we give up in order to focus on the Lord. When you fall in love you begin to order your life to the beloved. Scot said he always thought of fasting as from food, but it didn’t help him grow in faith. Instead he finds fasting from TV, from technology, and from activities he enjoys to be more helpful. He’s decided to give up listening to secular radio and instead listen to Catholic radio, Catholic podcasts, or Christian music. Scot recalls how he likes the interviews on sports radio with baseball players returning to spring training and how difficult it is to give that up. But he knows he’s grown already in the past three days. He finds himself in a better mood lately. The third practice is almsgiving. Fr. Matt said when you fall in love, the things that are important to the beloved become important to you. They may not be your preference, but you do it out of love. Almsgiving is traditionally about giving not just from surplus, but giving from our want to the needy. It’s taking care of God’s own. If we’re trying to grow in relationship with God, then what He cares about should be what I care about. The things that are important to God naturally become more important to me as well. In addition to giving money to poor, it’s really about being attentive to the spiritual and temporal needs of those marginalized in our society. Scot used to think that almsgiving was saving up money and giving it to the Church, which is still a good thing that we should do, but it’s also about giving yourself to others. One way to practice almsgiving is to make one phone call per day to someone you need to touch base with. Fr. Matt said it could be a note or letter each day. Scot asked Fr. Matt his Lenten resolutions. He said his theme is order within gives way to order without. He’s going to work on not hitting the snooze button in the morning and get up each day at a consistent time. When he does that he feels like he’s starting his day at the top of the mountain. He will spend more time in meditation. Scot said his kids don’t let him sleep late, but he wants to set an alarm. He wants to only watch TV if he’s watching it with his kids or his wife. He’s giving up eating between meals. He wants to replace criticism of others with acts of encouragement. He wants to get to Mass more frequently and spend 15 minutes more day listening to the Lord. He’s going to spend more time with family and to reach out to friends. Fr. Matt said he’s getting his fasting bread from LaVallee Breads to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. The breads are available to everyone through their website: Live the Fast

Summary of today’s show: This year, Lent takes on a new significance for Catholics. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor sit down with Msgr. James Moroney, rector of St. John’s Seminary, to reflect on Pope Benedict’s resignation and Cardinal Seán’s remarks to the media in reaction. They also discuss Lent and Msgr. Moroney’s pastoral letter to the seminarians on observing the season of Lent. Also, Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Jim Wright, president of the Station of the Cross network, to discuss the success of WQOM and their newest radio station in Pennsylvania. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Msgr. James Moroney, Jim Wright, and Chris Kelley Links from today’s show: Msgr. Moroney’s Lenten Pastoral Today’s topics: Papal resignation, Lent, and Catholic radio 1st segment: Scot said today we heard Cardinal Seán’s reactions to the resignation of Pope Benedict and to the upcoming conclave during a midday press conference. Fr. Chris O’Connor said he prefers not to say the pope renounced the papacy, but more simply he resigned. He quoted George Weigel who said John Paul taught us how to die and Benedict taught us to age gracefully. They discussed where they were when they first heard the news. Scot got a text from George Martell at about 6:20am and checked with others in leadership of the Archdiocese who hadn’t yet heard either. Fr. Chris said he was on the way back from celebrating Mass with the Missionaries of Charity and his jaw dropped. He recalled Benedict’s election and remembers the uproar throughout the seminary in excitement when he was announced. Scot welcomed Msgr. James Moroney, rector of St. John’s Seminary, to the show and asked his reaction. He woke up at 6:10 to a phone call from NBC News asking him if he wanted to do the color commentary in Rome for the papal conclave. He’d done that work in 2005 when John Paul died. Msgr. Moroney said he was amazed at the humility of Benedict. He recalled those who compare this to political life, but he noted that this isn’t about power. You see in the Holy Father’s actions the maxim of the first shall be last and the last shall be first. He lets go of the office for the good of the Church. On why only two weeks, Msgr. Moroney said the Holy Father doesn’t want the goodbyes to drag out for months. He’s very humble. And he has profound respect for every person he meets. He said he’s known the Holy Father since he was Cardinal Ratzinger at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and when he saw him recently, he noticed he looked rather tired. Msgr. Moroney said the Holy Father asked him how St. John’s Seminary is doing and he said it was full. The Holy Father grabbed his hand, and said, “Filled! Tell them all that I am praying for them.” Msgr. Moroney is sure the Holy Father prayed for each of those seminarians individually because that’s the kind of pastor he is. Fr. Chris recalled World Youth Day in Rome in 2000 and how his youth group was stopped by Cardinal Ratzinger who wanted to know how they were doing and how they were enjoying the World Youth Day. He wanted to know about their faith and their experience and how World Youth Day was shaping them. Msgr. Moroney said he was a real man of the people. He said people came to see John Paul II and people came to listen to Benedict. He was like a grandfather teaching with deep humility and a grand work ethic. Scot asked what they thought will occur between now and February 28, especially since so many big projects that he’s expressed passion for aren’t completed. Msgr. Moroney said he has a humility to know he doesn’t have to finish everything. It’s not the work of Joseph Ratzinger. It’s the work of Jesus Christ. The Vatican announced this morning that the new encyclical won’t be finished in time. Scot asked how this conclave might be different from the previous ones. Msgr. Moroney said the cardinals will have more time to think and talk before the conclave begins. Normally when the pope dies there is a time of mourning for nine days first. This time there is at least three weeks for them to pray and consult so they can make an even more considered decision. The Vatican said the last major speech the Holy Father will give will be to the Roman clergy, his own priests. His last major liturgical event will be Ash Wednesday. Scot said Cardinal Sean responded to a question about his feelings going into the conclave by saying he’s bought a round-trip ticket. And he’s going to walk in there —and assumes the others will too—praying that the Holy Spirit is going to choose somebody else because of the awesome responsibility. Scot asked Msgr. Moroney if there any rules of thumb for what the cardinals will look for. He said they will look for a man of prayer, a man of organizational skills, theological and intellectual acumen, ability to communicate faith with joy, ability with languages. The spiritual is the most important. Scot said some of the biggest speculation is whether the Holy Spirit will choose a non-European. Msgr. Moroney said most of the Church lives in the southern hemisphere, while most of our people have lived in the north. The most cardinals come from Europe, but the proportion of non-Europeans has grown in recent years. Fr. Chris said an Italian maxim is that the man who enters the conclave as Pope leaves a cardinal, meaning that conventional wisdom is often wrong. He said it is tradition that the Bishop of Rome is elected by the clergy of Rome and that’s why the College of Cardinals are all made pastors of Roman parishes. 2nd segment: Scot said a few days ago, Msgr. Moroney published a Pastoral Letter on Lent for his seminarians and Scot found it a great preparation for him for Lent as well. He said the idea wasn’t his originally. He said his letter to the seminarians followed the classic methods, speaking of Lectio divina, stations of the cross, the sacrament of penance, abstinence, fasting, and almsgiving. It’s how we try to carve our lives more clearly into the image of the Cross and Christ Jesus. Scot asked what advice he has for those considering giving up something for Lent. He said we have to go to the deeper question of why we give things up. Christ on the cross let go of everything, every pleasure, every ambition, and offered his body on the cross in a sign of perfect love. We have to let go to have perfect love. When we let go of what we might cling onto, we are practicing for those bigger things in our lives. Fr. Chris said Scot has a perfect head for ashes on Ash Wednesday. He added that the readings at Mass tell us to pray in private, but then we get ashes on our forehead to show everyone our faith. Meanwhile in Italy they sprinkle the ashes on a forehead. Msgr. Moroney said the difference is cultural. He said in Ancient Rome, when you owned a slave you branded them on the forehead with the sign of their slavery. So Christians began making the sign of the cross on their forehead. Today we make the sign of the cross bigger, but we retain the tradition on Ash Wednesday. We tell the world this our Lent, this is our faith. Msgr. Moroney said during Lent we fast from the Alleluia and the Gloria. We fast from the singing of music with big accompaniment of the organ. We fast from flowers on the altar and in the church. We fast so that on Easter morning when we sing the Gloria and Alleluia with glorious trumpets and all the flowers, so that we might feast on it at Easter. He said in the new Roman Missal is the restoration of the prayers over the people at the end of the daily Mass. They speak specifically of asking God for the grace of growing closer to him and the cross. Fr. Chris asked why we give alms. Msgr. Moroney said giving to the poor isn’t just about feeling generous, but is about the same thing as fasting, about letting go of what others may need. Msgr. Moroney said his favorite stations are the ones where Christ falls. Real men fall. Everyone falls, but Christians are different because they turn themselves over to Christ in confession. Msgr. Moroney said Cardinal Francis George of Chicago will be speaking on Lumen Gentium on the relation to episcopal governance. It’s in two weeks and will be timely given the conclave. Cardinal Pell is due to speak on March 11, but won’t be able to make it because of the conclave, but has promised to stop in Boston on his way back to Australia. In a few months, Cardinal Justin Rigali will also speak. All of those will be a St. Columbkille’s parish in Brighton. To keep up to date, follow the Rector’s blog at http://sjsrector.blogspot.com/. 3rd segment: Scot welcomed Jim Wright, president of the Station of the Cross network, of which WQOM is part. Jim just launched their sixth station in the network in Oil City, Pennsylvania, 88.1 FM. It’s very close to Erie and about 250,000 people receive their signal. Jim talked about how they go the license and signal for the station. Jim told the story of how the network started. He’d been visiting EWTN in Alabama and Mother Angelica asked him and his wife to start a radio station even though he had no background in broadcasting. He talked about running a dental lab during the day and learning about radio in his free time. They filed for their first frequency back in 1996. Scot asked Jim what it’s like to make Catholic radio available to everyone listening today. Jim said his lack of experience allowed him to stay out of it and let God get the job done. Jim said it takes time to build and audience, more than two years. He said they’re doing great, but they can always use word of mouth because that’s the number one way to get the word out. For Lent, it would be great to start listening to Catholic radio if you’re not as a spiritual practice. Fr. Chris said the men at Norfolk prison are particularly grateful to have Catholic radio. They talked about the fundraising telethon coming in the next few months.

Summary of today’s show: Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world with his announcement that he would resign the See of St. Peter later this month. Scot Landry talks with a panel of guests—Fr. Roger Landry, Domenico Bettinelli, Chris Kelley of WQOM, and Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia— about the implications of this unprecedented action, what it means for the near-term future of the Church, and the legacy that the Holy Father leaves behind. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Rocco Palmo, Fr. Roger Landry, Chris Kelley, Domenico Bettinelli Links from today’s show: “Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation at end of month”, News.va Whispers in the Loggia Today’s topics: Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation 1st segment: Scot welcomed Rocco Palmo to the show. Rocco talked about how he first heard about the news of Pope Benedict’s resignation, being woken this morning by his mother to the surprise news. He noted that there’s a lot of talk about names today, but the cardinals he’s talked to today have been too stunned to even process this event. Scot asked Fr. Roger Landry for his reaction. He said Pope Benedict XVI talked about he’d prayed about this very much. This isn’t an abdication of his responsibilities, but another Yes in a lifetime of Yeses by Joseph Ratzinger. The Pope is trying to say that with the amount of time has left in the morning is that he’s prioritizing prayer even more than the responsibilities of the papacy. It’s a lesson about just how important prayer really is for all of us. Scot said today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the World Day of the Sick, and anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Accords. Rocco said all three have significance today. The Lateran Treaty was signed in 1929 with Italy that made the Vatican a sovereign and neutral entity and guaranteed the pope temporal freedom. He said over the last several months the Pope has been noted as becoming ever more frail. He thinks the Pope was keen not to put the Church in a state of suspended animation again. The last years of John Paul were very moving, but Benedict saw himself as a transitional pope and to do things in a quiet way. The modern papacy outlives the demands the papacy puts on the officeholder’s body. He doesn’t believe that John Paul could have done this, but Benedict will be entering a cloistered monastery behind the Vatican walls. Before his election in 2005 he had wanted to retire to his home in Germany and write books. Scot asked Fr. Roger what to make of the comparison between John Paul at the end of his life and Benedict at the end of his. Fr. Roger said they were both saying yes to what was being asked of them by the Lord at the time. Benedict isn’t running away from the cross at all. He’s embracing it. There is a lesson of what the pope is capable of doing by his own presence. Think of an 85-year-old doing 12-14 hours per day, not to mention the grueling work of Holy Week and Easter in seven weeks or the international travel to World Youth Day. Rocco said it is a fact that the cardinals didn’t know. The pope had a little noticed meeting on Friday with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the retired Secretary of State, and the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who leads the Church until a new pope is elected. He won’t participate in the conclave because he’s over 80 years old. Rocco has talked with a bishop who was in the room at the Vatican when the Pope made the announcement in Latin and how stunned everyone was. Rocco said this is unprecedented and so much of what happens when a pope dies isn’t going to happen. We don’t know what his title will be nor what his prerogatives. He noted that this shows his humility in not calling a press conference, for instance. He wants to be remembered through his recent books for helping to bring simple people to faith, not writing deep theological treatises. He noted that Benedict is older than John Paul was when he died by two years. 2nd segment: Scot read Pope Benedict’s statement: Dear Brothers, I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is. Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer. From the Vatican, 10 February 2013 BENEDICTUS PP XVI Scot said it’s a moving and personal message to the cardinals gathered there and to the worldwide Church. Fr. Roger what stands out for him about consulting the Lord in his conscience repeatedly. He thinks the phrase “to govern the barque of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel” is significant because how much work it takes to do all that including, proclaiming the Gospel throughout the world. We all feel a bit of a kick to the gut. But we need to remember that it is Christ’s Church and that we have a King and High Priest who never leaves us. Scot talked about the practice of bishops who resign and retire from the dioceses, while in Rome, the Pope doesn’t generally retire. Fr. Roger said it used to be that once you were a bishop, you never resigned, but with the advance of medicine you had the phenomenon of men living well into old age where they could not serve effectively. That’s why the Code of Canon Law implemented mandatory resignations at 75, the pope exempted. It was always foreseen that the Pope could resign. Scot welcomed Chris Kelley to the show. Scot said this is a humble act by the Holy Father. Chris said the humility of this pope, we’ve seen from the beginning of his pontificate and even before. We see it in his first encyclical, for example, Deus Caritas Est, God is Love. He has a great way of breaking down theological concepts into every day speech. Chris noted that it was in his preaching that Benedict seemed most alive and youngest. Scot said he was most shocked today, not about the resignation, but that he resigned with two weeks notice, having just launched a major Twitter initiative, in the middle of the Year of Faith, and with his next great encyclical on Faith unpublished. Some speculate that there is some health crisis that precipitated such a short period between his announcement and resignation. Fr. Roger said the Pope knows a long lame duck session would make things worse. He likely saw the grueling Lent and Holy Week coming up as well as World Youth Day and saw that he could not fulfill them. He talked about the eyewitness of people in the room when the Pope made the announcement and they felt Cardinal Sodano had been prepared for the announcement. Dom talked about the ability to go to the Catholic media versus the secular media which is often cynical and ill informed and looking for scandal and conflict in their coverage. Fr. Roger said on our part we can live our faith more fully and when we do, we don’t approach this as a massive crisis for which there is no answer. He said whoever is elected will have big shoes to fill and will need all the prayers of the Church. The world needs most from the Church is that we’re not looking at it in terms of political ideologies or that the next pope will be chosen based on nationalities, but instead we’re basing our talk on what really matters. We need to assure others to have faith in Christ. Scot said the Archdiocese of Boston released two statements, the first from Bishop Deeley: “We have received the Holy Father’s announcement that, having prayerfully discerned that due to physical limitations he is no longer able to fulfill the responsibilities of his office, he will resign effective February 28th. At this time we give thanks to God for the gift of Pope Benedict XVI’s faithful leadership of the Roman Catholic Church during the past 8 years of his papacy. We assure the Holy Father of our prayers and fidelity during these final weeks of his service as the Vicar of Christ. In particular I offer my personal gratitude to the Holy Father for the experience of working closely with him during my time in Rome with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I know of his deep and abiding love for the Church and for fulfilling the saving ministry of Jesus.” Cardinal Seán’s statement said: “The Catholic community and the world today learned that Pope Benedict XVI, following deep prayer and reflection, announced that he will resign the papacy at the end of this month. We join the universal Church in offering prayerful gratitude for the Holy Father’s faith, courage and his leadership as the successor of Peter. At this time it is appropriate for the Church and all people of good faith to reflect on Pope Benedict’s legacy and achievements. He brought unique capabilities to the papacy as a highly qualified scholar and teacher, and as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in service to Blessed John Paul II. His fidelity to maintaining the truth and clarity of the Catholic faith, to cultivating ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and in reaching out to inspire the next generation of Catholics have been great gifts to us all. It was a great privilege for me to be present as Pope Benedict met with survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his visit to the United States in April 2008. At that meeting the Holy Father’s pastoral care for the survivors was clearly evident, as was his commitment and determination to heal the wounds of all persons impacted by the abuse crisis and to insure that the Church continues to do all that is possible to provide for the protection of children. During the coming weeks we will continue to pray for Pope Benedict XVI and will call upon the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit as the Church moves forward to choose the next successor to Saint Peter.” Chris talked about the legacy he’ll remember from Pope Benedict in the future. He said the Year of Faith is a time to learn more about the Petrine ministry. Dom talked about the Pope’s legacy as the “new media” Pope. Fr. Roger described how the conclave works and why we trust that the Holy Spirit works in the election of the Pope. All the cardinals under 80 will gather in the conclave. Those over 80 can come to Rome and participate in consistories before the conclave. Those meetings will discuss the challenges facing the Church in the world today, led by Cardinal Sodano. He will lead a Mass to begin the conclave in which they will be locked in the Sistine Chapel and begin a process of two votes per day. They will pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they make their selection from among their number. He said it took courage to elect Benedict with the unfair reputation of the German Rottweiler and to elect John Paul, an unknown from Poland. The Holy Spirit gives the gift of courage. Scot said the Pope won’t vote in the conclave and there’s question as to what he will be called. Fr. Roger said the Vatican said today that he will be called Bishop-emeritus of Rome. The successor will have big shoes to fill and will clearly consult him. Pope Benedict is clearly saying that in order to be Pope and you need to be physically vigorous. We need someone of profound faith, someone who speaks English, Italian, Spanish, and French at least, and someone who’s physically healthy. He encourages everyone to pray for Pope Benedict, for the cardinals, and for his successor.

Summary of today’s show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Gregory Tracy, and Fr. Roger Landry considered the news headlines of the week, including the blizzard about to hit New England; the Catholic Appeal reaching its goal; vandalism of churches; news of priests, including the legacy of Bishop John D’Arcy; the beauty of Chartres Cathedral; and preparing for Lent. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Roger Landry of St. Bernadette Parish, Fall River Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Blizzard; Catholic Appeal; Vandalism; Bishop John D’Arcy; Chartres; Lent 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and he said all the news coverage of the big storm tomorrow drives him crazy. It used to be that we were tougher. Susan said now we don’t want to be inconvenienced by anything. On the other hand, she’s very excited by the storm. Scot noted that we’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Blizzard of ‘78, which was a devastating storm. He remembered being out of school almost for the entire month of February. Greg said he too remembers the storm as a child growing up in Walpole and seeing people having to cross-country ski into the center of town to make a supply run. Boston Catholic Appeal Scot said the 2012 Catholic Appeal wrapped up its year and announced that it has beat its goal by raising $14.2 million. They also had about 2,500 more new donors this year. Scot read the highlights from the story in the Pilot. “Wilmington churches vandalized”, Associated Press Three churches, including two Catholic churches, were vandalized by someone with the message that religion is brainwashing. The pastor asked for prayers for the vandals. Greg said in April the churches in Wilmington are planning a rally to say the town welcomes people of faith. Also in the news, Fr. Dennis Deaver, who has been pastor at St. Clement in Somerville/Medford, has now entered retirement status. He, too, grew up in St. Charles Borromeo in Woburn, like many other priests of the archdiocese. He spent years working with the St. James Society in Ecuador as well as parishes in the Archdiocese, including since 1985 at St. Clements. Fr. Edward L. King also died at 89 years old. He was recruited for professional baseball but decided to enter the priesthood. On Tuesday, we profiled and gave thanks for the life of Bishop John D’Arcy, a native of Boston and bishop emeritus of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. “Bishop D’Arcy dies at age 80; was ‘good shepherd after heart of Christ’”, Catholic News Service, 2/4/13 Program #0463 for Tuesday, February 5, 2013: Remembering Bishop John D’Arcy Susan said she got to know the bishop over the past three years after his retirement. He spoke to students and faculty of the Master of Arts in Ministry program at St. John Seminary on the spousal relationship between bishop and diocese. He talked about going through a grieving process over the loss of his spouse. He also said we should never study theology, except on our knees. Fr. Roger Landry joined the show by phone and discussed the legacy of Bishop D’Arcy, who will be remembered as a bishop who loved his diocese and how he is universally admired in his diocese. People will come to recognize that he was the type of priest and bishop everyone across the Church deserves. Also in the Pilot, on March 12, a presentation will be hosted on Chartres Cathedral in France. Greg talked about going to visit Chartres and being so impressed by its beauty. Professor Paul Crossley will explain the story of the Gothic Cathedral. 800 years ago these buildings were the biggest structures that most people ever saw. Scot said the stained glass windows are among, if not the, most beautiful in the world. Fr. Roger talked about a pilgrimage he’s leading to France later this year, including a stop in Chartres. 2nd segment: Scot noted that Lent begins with Ash Wednesday next Wednesday and we typically talk about Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. In his column this week, Fr. Roger encourages us to live Lent with audacity. We should live our Lent as Christ did. We need to ask ourselves how to grow as persons who pray all day. When we fast, don’t do it as weight loss, but as mastery over our lower instincts that sometimes dominate us so we can give ourselves wholly to the Lord. Almsgiving isn’t just change in the Rice Bowl box, but also giving of ourselves completely to others. He said when he hears confessions before Lent, he asks about Lenten penances and most people don’t remember what they did last year. He encourages penances and practices that will really make us saints. We need to increase the quality and quantity of our prayer, to live our fast, and to be seriously becoming other Christs in the way we sacrifice for others. He said an example of fasting is to give up condiments: butter, salt, pepper, ketchup, etc. He forsakes sweets and snacks between meals. They help us have self-discipline and to appreciate what we have. He also encourages drinking nothing but water for Lent. He also suggests fasting from television during Lent. Scot and Greg talked about how we are in charge of our own Lenten program. Fr. Roger said a resolution and a wish are two different things. A wish would be I want to lose weight, while a resolution would be I won’t eat between meals. Most people make wishes in the spiritual life. He said many of us have become spiritual sissies. Susan said all these steps are doable, they’re not all that difficult. Scot said he loves Ash Wednesday because it’s not a holy day of obligation but everybody goes. He said he loves that we’re willing to mark ourselves with our faith for everyone to see. Fr. Roger said if people can’t go to daily Mass in Lent, they can watch it on CatholicTV.com or with an app on their phone. They can make a real sacrifice of their time by giving at least a half hour of their day to someone who needs them. That’s almsgiving of time. Scot added that we should do it all joyfully. “Pope’s Lent message: charity is extension of God’s love”, CNA/EWTN News, 2/1/13 “HHS mandate changes protect only ‘a few more ministries’”, CNA/EWTN News, 2/5/13 “Catholic groups still studying new proposed rules issued by HHS”, Catholic News Service, 2/5/13

Summary of today’s show: Catholic early education centers are the latest trend in Catholic schools, serving children from 33 months old right up to Kindergarten. Scot Landry sits down with Nicolette Clifford and Pat Lombard from Good Shepherd School in Charlestown, which got its start in 2009 at St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena Parish. They discuss Handwriting Without Tears program, TURKS math, and how they incorporate faith formation and serve the various families of the community. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Nicolette Clifford, Pat Lombard Links from today’s show: Good Shepherd School Today’s topics: Good Shepherd School in Charlestown 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and mentioned that a trend in Catholic education is the growth of Catholic preschool programs. Today, we’re profiling The Good Shepherd School (GSS) is located in the newly renovated ground floor of St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena in Charlestown. GSS is an independent Catholic school committed to comprehensive, developmentally appropriate programs that strengthen the school-family partnership and enrich the lives and learning experiences of children. Good Shepherd School students are given the opportunity to work collaboratively and explore friendships but also be nurtured within their individual interests in a structured yet multisensory learning environment. Enrichment activities include Spanish, gym, religious education and music classes. Scot welcomed Nicolette Clifford and Pat Lombard to the show. He said the school was started in 2009. Nicolette said Fr. Ronan said he saw interest in the school in the community and formed the school with a board from the community. They have four classrooms with 70 children now. Scot said a freestanding pre-school is unusual. Nicolette said 95% of their families live in Charlestown, with a few in the North End and one in Cambridge. She said these are the most formative years for children to have a positive experience in school. She said it’s a preschool, not a daycare. They have a handwriting program which even the youngest children use. They help children learn in all different ways, not just by sitting at a table practicing letters. You don’t get academic experiences in daycare. Scot asked what the goal is when they start at 3 and end by the time they enter kindergarten. Nicolette said they first want them to have a positive experience of school and forming friendships, then start academic experience. At four or five, they want them to be forming words and writing. They discussed their activities within Charlestown where the children interact with seniors and veterans. Pat said she’s a native of Charlestown. Scot discussed how Charlestown has a mix of people from all the different communities within the community. Pat said she taught in public schools and retired from there before coming back to Good Shepherd. She said it’s a joy to see all the children when she’s out and about town. Pat used to teach 2nd and 3rd grades in public school and now she’s teaching 3 and 4 year olds and they discussed the differences, such as trying to keep their attention and helping them to be good listeners. Nicolette talked about the scheduled, which has three different day lengths ending at noon, 3pm, and 5:30pm, but most get picked up at one of the two earlier times. She said was always interested in education from when she was a small child. She majored in education in college and got a Master’s in early childhood education. They discussed that the school after four years now has a waiting list for students to enter the school. Nicolette said it’s a good kind of stress to have to find spaces. She said there are some early childhood settings within the Boston Public Schools as well as daycares like Bright Horizons. 2nd segment: Scot said it’s a beautiful school in the basement of one of the most beautiful churches in the Archdiocese. Nicolette said people are amazed that being in the basement doesn’t mean it’s gloomy, but they have beautiful stained glass windows. They have religious education on Wednesdays by Sr. Nancy, who rotates through each classroom through the day. On Fridays, the whole school comes together in the chapel for prayer. Outside of those times, there’s a lot of talking to the school about respect for others and helping others, breaking it down to their level. Scot asked about the TURK math program. Pat said the program is setup for K through 8, but they are adapting the material for the young age level, which gives the kids a head start when they reach kindergarten. Her class is concentrating right now on sorting skills. Scot asked if it’s difficult teaching handwriting and dexterity with your hands. Nicolette said they have had nothing but positive experiences with Handwriting Without Tears. She has heard from parents about children wanting to write at home. The children learn in various ways, whether air writing or using various tools. The kids learn from the very beginning, like how to hold a pencil and where to start writing on a page. They hope that at the end the children understand the letters and their goal is for them to be able to write their names by the time they leave. But if they can’t, it’s not a big deal. They’ll eventually learn. They have a Spanish enrichment program, that exposes children to language at this early age. It’s so much easier to learn language at very early ages. They learn colors, letters, numbers, animals. They talked about Miss Miranda, who comes in once per week, for gym, getting them active with the Play Ball! program. Happy Feet is a new program that teaches literacy while playing soccer. Pat noted that they have a big indoor space where the kids can play even in bad weather. Sr. Kathleen is their music teacher on Thursdays. They also do a Christmas pageant and spring graduation program. Pat hopes that the most popular part of the day is reading. At this age, you can’t read to them enough. You hope that they go home to talk about the stories they read and she hopes that the parents are reinforcing that with reading. 3rd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Paula Barbosa from Medway She wins the book Girls’ Night Out: Having Fun with Your Daughter While Raising a Woman of God by Michaelann Martin If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Nicolette said their hope is to expand someday to add a kindergarten and a first and second grade. They just don’t have the space right now. Scot said he’s hearing all the time about new Catholic early education centers becoming available. Nicolette said the majority of families are sending children to school earlier and earlier. There’s more pressure on children to make sure they can do X, Y, Z by the time they’re in kindergarten. Pat doesn’t think it’s a matter of putting too much pressure on kids, but more and more parents are working and they’re wanting to get them to start socializing by the time they’re 3. Nicolette talked about scholarships for families that can’t afford the full tuition and wanting to provide the same opportunity for all children. They now have a fundraising committee of parents and every spring they have a fundraiser for the school. They discussed many of the schools that kids go to after leaving Good Shepherd. There was also discussion in how Fr. Ronan provides formation to parents and children. Nicolette said they open houses in the spring and fall, including during the day so people can get a real sense of how the school works. Part of the enrollment process is a visit including a half hour in the prospective class and seeing whether it’s a good fit for the student.

Summary of today’s show: Bishop John D’Arcy, the retired bishop of the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese and a native son of Boston, died on Sunday after a brief bout with cancer. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor discuss the legacy of Bishop D’Arcy, how he lived his life to the full and as a true priest and father, and how he preached his finest homily in how he approached death and the joy he felt in preparing to stand before the Lord. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Links from today’s show: Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Program #0003 for Fri, March 11, 2011: Bishop John D’Arcy and Fr. Michael Harrington, The Good Catholic Life Bishop D’Arcy interview at IndianaNewsCenter.com, Part 1 “Bishop Emeritus John D’Arcy Dies at 80 (with Tribute Special)”, IndianNewsCenter.com Bishop D’Arcy’s letter to the people of Fort Wayne-South Bend Today’s topics: Remembering Bishop John D’Arcy 1st segment: Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor said today that they will remember and honor Bishop Jophn D’Arcy who died Sunday morning. He was ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston and was an auxiliary bishop here before becoming bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. Fr. Chris said Bishop D’Arcy was one of the giants among the priests of the archdiocese. Scot said Bishop D’Arcy helped him when he was just starting out in the development office in the archdiocese. He was also one of our first guests on The Good Catholic Life. Fr. Chris said he’d met him once before seeing him again and the bishop remembered his name. He gave some sage advice at St. John’s Seminary: Five good priests will attract 100 seminarians while five bad priests won’t attract anyone. Scot said we’re also keeping in prayer the father of Msgr. James Moroney, Mr. James Moroney, who also died this past weekend, and his family. They discussed how one of the seminarians in his role as deacon had a nearly disastrous accident with the Precious Blood at the funeral Mass, but managed to save the Cup from being spilled. Scot said there was a 30-minute TV special on one of the major TV stations in Fort Wayne last night and we played clips from that show. 2nd segment: Scot said it was only about one month ago around Christmas that Bishop D’Arcy had two new forms of cancer, after having beaten cancer once before. He was 80 years old. He died on February 3, the day after the anniversary of his ordination 56 years ago and on the anniversary of his first Mass. Fr. Chris said the bishop sent a letter to his people in December asking for their prayers that he could meet his end with grace and conviction. Scot said the bishop was ordained in 1957 at 25 years old, which was a young age. He was ordained a bishop at the young age of 42 years old. Scot noted that it shows how well regarded he was by his peers in the archdiocese but also in Rome. Fr. Chris said the bishop was known as a strong spiritual director at the seminary. He spent his first years as a priest at St. Mary’s in Beverly. While he was there for only a short time, the people there still talk about his ministry there. He celebrated his 50th anniversary of his priesthood there and throngs turned out to see him. During the celebration he disappeared for an hour and it turned out he was in the chapel praying before the Blessed Sacrament. At the age of 52, he was named to be bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend in 1985, helping to grow the diocese and being a dedicated pastor to the people of Indiana. Now another clip from Melissa Long from Channel 21 came to Boston just after Christmas to interview the bishop and his sister, Sr. Anne D’Arcy, his last televised interview. He talked about preparing his parents to die and many of his fellow priests have come to help him die. He said this is one of the great privileges of the priesthood. Scot said what stood out for him was his mention of his love of Christ and that he was looking forward to seeing him soon. Fr. Chris said you hear the faith, conviction, and humility of the man. They noted that the D’Arcy family produced a priest and also a sister, Sr. Anne D’Arcy. Scot said it was clear that one of the reasons that Bishop D’Arcy loved to come back to his childhood home here was to be with his family and to be in his home because he loved them so much. Fr. Chris said Bishop D’Arcy was all about love. It all comes down to love. Now they played another clip from the Melissa Long interview. They noted that he built schools, renovated the cathedral and improved the priesthood. He said he loved the diocese and retirement wasn’t easy. He retired in 2010, giving him time to pray and reflect and return to his ministry as a priest. He had some final words for his diocese. Scot recalled after the death of Pope John Paul II that people said his best homily was teaching us how to die. Bishop D’Arcy’s best homily was his final homily. Fr. Chris said St. Paul wrote that to live is Christ and Bishop D’Arcy illustrated that truth. In the next clip, Bishop D’Arcy spoke about the renovation of the cathedral and how faithful it was to the mission of the cathedral as a place of prayer. Scot noted how much the bishop enjoyed celebrating the Mass in the renovated cathedral dedicated to Our Lady. He was particularly proud that it was a church that everybody liked. Fr. Chris said you can hear the emotion in his voice as he talks because he’s saying goodbye to those he loves. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne The next clip, he talked about going into retirement, how difficult it was, but how he had time to pray more, to hear confessions, to preach more. Scot said it was clear he loved his priesthood. Many of the listeners were probably confirmed by the bishop. In the next clip, he was asked what message he would like to leave the people of South Bend. He said you have to have joy. You have to pray. You have to forgive. He urged the people of the diocese to be strong in their faith, to be kind to everyone, to focus on the truth. To raise their families in the faith and teach them the beauty of what God has given us in man and woman and family. Fr. Chris noted his call to be joyful and to trust that God loves you. How can you not be joyful if you trust that God loves you? Scot said he became a bigger fan of Bishop D’Arcy a few years ago when the University of Notre Dame decided to invite the most pro-abortion President in US history and he had to implement the US bishops’ decree that Catholic institutions should not give honors to those who are pro-abortion. He decided to explain to the people of South Bend why he couldn’t attend that commencement at Notre Dame. Next we played a clip of Melissa Long’s interview with Bishop D’Arcy in 2009. Scot noted from the interview that Bishop D’Arcy received many letters of support from throughout the country for his decision. On the other hand, the response from his fellow bishops was decidedly mixed. But a month later he sat down for the interview to explain for TV the Church’s position on life issues and to explain why his attendance would have sent all the wrong messages. Fr. Chris said while the graduation was going on, many of the students protested and Bishop D’Arcy went with them to pray with them and commend them for standing up for life. Scot then played a clip from Bishop D’Arcy’s appearance on The Good Catholic Life back in 2011 ahead of a Lenten retreat he was going to give at St. Mary’s in Beverly: Scot welcomes Bishop John D’Arcy to The Good Catholic Life. Bishop D’Arcy has been a priest for 54 years and next Monday he will return to his first assignment as a priest at St. Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly for a parish mission. He spent 8-1/2 years and it’s where the people taught him what it means to be a priest. It was an extraordinary experience. When he moved onto his next assignment in Rome, he left with a deep appreciation of what it means to be a parish priest. A parish mission and Lenten retreat is a good practice for Lent. Why should Catholics seek to attend the mission at their own parish or, if your parish isn’t having one, at a nearby parish like St. Mary’s in Beverly? Bishop D’Arcy said that the missions are about faith, prayer, sacrament of penance, but the real strength of them is strengthening the faith of the devout, and also reaching out to those whose faith has become weak. The key is the work of the laity in the parish to prepare for the mission, to reach out to everyone in the parish, to provide services like babysitting or transportation for the elderly. Parish missions should also tie themselves into Catholics Come Home. These large group gatherings in parishes help people to approach church in anonymity because it might make them feel more comfortable than making an appointment with a priest or even coming to Sunday Mass, at first. Likewise, if they don’t go to confession that week, then maybe they will be inspired to go sometime later and return to the practice. What is the central message of this mission, which is entitled “Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever”? During the mission, the bishop will speak of the challenges of modern life to a life of prayer; the call to repentance and penance; Eucharistic spirituality, bringing Christ to others; and what the parish will do after the mission, where the parish needs to do more work. In February, Bishop D’Arcy was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he said he is doing fine. He made sure with the doctors that he would not have any radiation treatments before the mission so that he would be strong for the people of Beverly. His outlook is good and he’s more than halfway through treatment. He has received many, many letters promising prayer, both from people in Boston and those in Fort Wayne. A week on the North Shore near the ocean will be just the thing for him. His retirement has kept him busy, giving quite a few retreats for priests, bishops, and religious in various places. After the St. Mary mission on Tuesday night, he will give three talks at Blessed John Seminary on Wednesday and then return to Beverly. Then on St. Patrick’s Day, he must celebrate a Mass while in Boston. The rest of the week’s schedule is also full. He does miss shepherding the diocese, because you hold the diocese in your heart, but now there’s more time for prayer and reading. He is adjusting very well. Scot said Bishop D’Arcy’s funeral rites will begin tomorrow. The Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese has two cathedrals, one in Fort Wayne and one in South Bend. Wednesday Feb 6: Reception of the body and Morning Prayer at St. Matthew Cathedral, South Bend, will begin at 10 a.m. Visitation will be held throughout the day. Rosary will begin at 5 p.m. A Mass of Transferral celebrated by Bishop Kevin Rhoades will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday Feb 7: Reception of the body and Morning Prayer at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne, will begin at 10 am, with visitation throughout the day. Rosary will begin at 5 p.m. Evening Prayer is scheduled for 7 pm Friday Feb 8: Visitation of the body will take place from 9 am to 11:30 am in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne. A reception for all will immediately follow at the Grand Wayne Center. The Rite of Committal will be conducted privately with the family in the crypt of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Scot said his episcopal motto is “His steadfast love endures forever”, referring to Christ. That exemplifies his many years of episcopal and priestly ministry. Fr. Chris said we pray that Bishop D’Arcy now sees that love face to face and joys that love for all eternity. Scot said he hopes when Bishop D’Arcy met the Lord, he heard those words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Summary of today’s show: As the oldest seminarian studying at St. John’s Seminary, Chris Micale brings a lot of life experience to the community of men and Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor talk with him about his background, including his life in his home diocese of Burlington, Vermont, and working for Dartmouth College’s football program before entering the seminary. Chris is preparing for diaconal ordination next June 1. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Chris Micale Links from today’s show: Diocese of Burlington, Vermont St. John Seminary Today’s topics: Seminarian profile: Chris Micale 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Chris O’Connor to the show. They’re on location at St. John’s Seminary today. Scot noted that St. John’s is full of seminarians. Today’s guest is Chris Micale, who is here studying for the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont. Fr. Chris noted that the seminary includes men from around the United States and even from abroad. Scot said most people think of Blessed John XXIII seminary as the seminary for older guys, but St. John’s also has men who have heard the call to the priesthood later in life. Fr. Chris said most of the men around in their mid-20s, but there are some older men. He said they have a two-year pre-theology program. Chris is in that program. Chris is now in his fifth year and will soon be a deacon in Burlington. Fr. Chris said the other men look at Chris like a member junior member of the faculty in how they confide in him and turn to him. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Chris, third-year theologate and will be ordained to the diaconate in June 2013. Chris said he will be 53 years old in January. He grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and moved after college to Vermont, he had family there. He then worked in home health care and occupational therapy. He said he chose Vermont because it has a whole different feel than the other New England states. He loved his work with people who needed a lot of different kinds of help. It wasn’t always just physical therapy, but also a counseling component. He believes that translates well to the priesthood, in looking at the whole person. After about 10 years, Chris decided on a whim—after visiting one of his patients who was a devout Catholic woman who gave him a college course catalog—he returned to school for a master’s degree in clinical psychology. But his aim toward clinical psychology didn’t work out, so he ended up working at Dartmouth College with the football program and the football coaches as an administrator, managing the recruiting process. He described what it was like to work with the coaches, who often were motivated separately from his overall aims. He said the challenge of learning to manage that office with all those strong personalities will help him as a priest. Chris said he worked with the admissions office, financial aid, and parents. In the Ivy League, there are academic standards that the individuals and the teams have to abide by, which was part of the challenge. Chris said working in that program gave him a different perspective and it was a world of its own. He said one part was the diversity of young men involved in the program from all kinds of backgrounds, which is a way in which it is similar to St. John’s. Fr. Chris said that’s what makes it like a college campus in some ways. Chris added that he came to the seminary from Dartmouth. Scot asked if that’s where he heard the call to the priesthood. Chris said he did hear the call during that period at Dartmouth. He said he’d been feeling a kind of dissatisfaction. It’s not that he wasn’t well fitted for his jobs, but that it was never enough. He was always attracted to the interpersonal aspects of his jobs. But there was a deep longing as well. He’d left the Church for a few years, while not leaving the notion of God, and it was a long process back. The last community he was with outside the Church he felt a nagging that he missed the Eucharist and the liturgy. When he came back to Our Lady of the Snows in Woodstock for the first time, it was a feeling of being home and at peace. That was the process with the call to the priesthood. It felt like coming home, which isn’t to say that there aren’t moments of doubt or frustration. Scot asked Chris how his time away from the Church formed him to love studying for the priesthood much more. Chris said it comes back to the Eucharist. He said the fellowships he was with were always kind, but they always lacked the depth the Eucharist provides. He said he was devout as a child, but during adolescence, he wandered away. Having gone away, there’s a new depth now and he appreciates it in a way he didn’t before. Chris said when he was in other Christian fellowships, he started several times to pursue becoming a minister, so he thinks that call was always there. They discussed how his friends reacted to hearing of his entering the seminary, especially his non-Catholic friends. Chris said some were quite shocked. He said you grow into expecting that people will be shocked, especially as you realize that the Gospel itself is shocking. Fr. Chris asked Chris what his favorite course at St. John’s has been so far. Chris said it would be one of his theology courses. After thinking a moment, he said moral theology. He said it cuts at the root of our society right now and the issues we’re dealing with, especially ethics and how Christians deal with the world we have. He said it’s important for a priest to have an understanding of how we negotiate the landscape out there. It’s both theoretical and practical. Those courses in general attract him. 3rd segment: Scot asked Chris what it’s like being significantly older than his classmates, going through this seminary experience. Chris said the perspective of his life can add to the community. What it has helped him to do first of all is realize that only God can get you through any situation. He explains to people that it’s not a graduate program. It has many levels of formation all at once. Scot said for many guys the academic part is the easy part, while the internal parts or work with spiritual director or formation director is difficult. Being older, you store up a lot of those issues in your life. He said there is some advantage in having less life experience. But the older man can also synthesize easier, can pick through things, because of their experience. He gave the example of talking with the other seminarians about the first electronic gadgets they remember. When he said color TV, one of the men said he’s their link to the past and then he realized that’s his role for them. Scot said Chris is the face of the new St. John’s Seminary as a regional seminary, and not just for Boston. Chris said it’s very important for him to be close to his home. He said his father died right before Chris entered the seminary and to be able to be a couple of hours from home if his mother needed him was to be important. But also being a New Englander, there’s something about being able to study, especially for the priesthood, in your own part of the country. It’s quite a transition from your previous life, the benefits of being in your own local area include having something that doesn’t change. You don’t have to learn a whole new place and a new culture. Chris said during the summers he serves in parishes in his home diocese, but he believes during his diaconate he will serve a parish in the Archdiocese of Boston. But the ability to be in the New England area is much preferred to being in another part of the country. Chris said he’s already worked in the Italian Home for Children. It was started by Franciscans many years ago during the Influenza epidemic. The home was set up as a place for orphans of mainly Italian immigrants. It now helps children with various problems that require them to be away from home for a period of time. The seminarians go in and provide a stable presence for children in a tough place. He’s also served at Sacred Heart in East Boston, doing communion calls and working with the youth group. He’s currently helping at St. Patrick’s in Natick. Chris discussed his Sicilian heritage. He said both grandfathers came from Sicily, one before the First World War and one right after. He learned a lot from his grandfathers and they were very close. Chris said there an Italian community in Vermont, mainly stoneworkers in marble and granite. He said there are large communities in Rutland and Barre. Most of the stonemasons and sculptors came from northern Italy. Chris said he served Christ the King Parish in Rutland last year. Fr. Chris asked what Chris would tell us about the Burlington diocese. He said it’s a smaller diocese, which is an advantage, because provides an opportunity to make a connection and provide for the Catholic faith on a personal level. He said Vermont is basically all villages and towns without metropolitan areas. It’s a different approach to the Catholic faith. It’s manageable. Chris said in his current moment at the seminary in his fifth year, he’s starting to shift his focus outward, to apply what he’s learning now to what he will be doing after ordination. He’s thinking about how he will apply it and how it will affect the people he will serve. He said they’re focusing a little more on homiletics and speaking this year. Chris said his favorite saint is St. Anthony of Padua. That’s his confirmation name. St. Anthony was pretty no-nonsense in his speaking and Chris hopes that he will be the same in love and charity. He’s also very close to St. Joseph. He’s the quintessential example of a priest from the father’s perspective. St. Joseph doesn’t say much but he’s a crucial figure. He also reminds him of his own father who was not verbose. He knew what he needed to do in life and did it and that’s a great role model for the priest of today as a strong presence in the family. Chris said the day scheduled for his diaconal ordination is June 1, which was his father’s birthday. Chris said he believes it’s part of God’s compassion and encouragement for him.

Summary of today’s show: For his annual message on communications, Pope Benedict took up the topic of social networks as “spaces for evangelization.” Domenico Bettinelli joins Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell to discuss the Holy Father’s message as well as the potential pitfalls and promise of social media for Christians. Fr. Mark in particular acknowledges the challenge the Holy Father is offering but worries that the world of social media is a giant time-sink, so Scot and Dom try to address his concerns. Listen and see if they end up convincing him to dip a toe into the world of social networks. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Domenico Bettinelli of Pilot New Media Links from today’s show: 47th World Day of Communications message: “Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization.” Pope Benedict on Twitter Today’s topics: Pope Benedict XVI on social networks 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed listeners to the show and introduced his co-host, Fr. Mark O’Connell. They discussed the new canon lawyer who has started in Fr. Mark’s office, the Metropolitan Tribunal. He comes from Italy. Today’s discussion centered around the Holy Father’s World Day of Communications message for this this year entitled “Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization.” As our usual transcriptionist, Dom Bettinelli, was a guest on today’s show, we don’t have the complete Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.