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PARISH OFFICE: 506 Fourth Street, Marietta OH 45750 PHONE: 740-373-3643 WEBSITE: www.stmarysmarietta.org www.facebook.com/stmarysmarietta EMAIL: [email protected]

SUNDAY MASSES - Saturday 5:30 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM CONFESSIONS - Saturday 3:30-5:00 PM (or anytime by appointment) BAPTISMS - Contact Parish Office WEDDINGS - Contact Parish Office six months in advance

Rector - Rev. Msgr. John Michael Campbell ([email protected]) Parochial Vicar - Rev. Joshua D. Erickson Permanent Deacon - Rev. Mr. Lee Weisend Music Director - Mr. John Ontko (740-350-4224, [email protected]) St. Mary School - 320 Marion St, 740-374-8181 (www.stmaryscatholic.org) School Principal - Elizabeth Tokodi, ([email protected]) DRE - Cecelia Cottrill ([email protected]) Parish Council Chairman - Dennis Blatt K of C Grand Knight - Mr. David Payne (740-373-7834) CWC President - Jenn Tinkler Hibernians - Mr. Tom Binegar, President (740-374-4559) Prayer Line - & , Mrs. Shelly Medley (740-525-6360) Pregnancy Assistance - Women's Care Center (740-374-7123) Health Ministry - Mrs. Janet Jaeger (740-374-6768) Daily Bread Kitchen - Mrs. Carol Henshaw (740-885-1181) St. Vincent De Paul - Help Line (740-376-1334) Welcoming Committee - Jim Naylor (740) 350-5510 May 16, 2021 The Ascension of the Lord Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; I am with MASSES FOR THE WEEK you always, until the end of the world. SAT 5:30 PM - Mary & Robert Lazorik SUN 8:00 AM - Richard Crum 10:00 AM - People of the Parish READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY - (Pentecost Sunday): 12:00 PM - Don Grasley Acts 2:1-11/1Cor 12-3b-7,12-13; Jn 20:19-23. MON 7:45 AM - Mr. & Mrs. Walter Vermaaten REST IN PEACE: 12:05 PM - Elroy & Olive Schroeder Troy Phillips, son of Charlotte Phillips of this parish, passed away this past TUE 7:45AM - John Huffman th 12:05 PM - Harold Gebhart Tuesday, May 11 at Marietta Memorial Hospital. We offer our deepest WED 7:45 AM - Joyce Lang sympathy to Charlotte and the family and will remember Troy in prayer. 12:05 PM - Mike Kern May God grant him eternal peace and happiness. THU 7:45 AM - Joyce Lang st 12:05 PM - Joe A. LeRoy, 31 CEMETERY COLLECTION: Anniversary FRI 7:45 AM - Mildred Arnold Each year during the months of May and November, we have a special 12:05 PM - Liv/dec’d members of the collection for the care and up-keep of our two parish cemeteries. Envelopes Walter & Marge McCarthy were provided with the monthly packet and may be dropped in the regular Family collection or mailed to the parish office any time this month. SAT 9:00 AM - Vincent & Alice Lang 5:30 PM - Clarence Bauerbach PARISH OFFICE HOURS: SUN 8:00 AM - Gary Pfeffer 10:00 AM - Preston John Huck The parish offices are open from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM on Mondays and 12:00 PM - People of the Parish from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM Tuesday thru Friday.

MASS FOR GRADUATES We will honor our parish graduates from all area high schools at the 10:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 30th. Graduates are asked to meet in the Basilica Social Hall at 9:45 AM that morning dressed in cap and gown.

VISITORS WELCOME! We welcome any visitors who are joining us for Mass this weekend. We hope your stay in Marietta is enjoyable. Any new parishioners at the Basilica are asked to please register with the parish office.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

MON 6:15 PM - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Devotions. 7:00 PM - St. Vincent dePaul Society Meeting. TUE 6:30 PM - Choir Practice. 7:00 PM - Support Group Meeting in the Basilica Social Hall. WED 8:15 AM - 7:00 PM – Eucharistic Adoration in the Basilica. See announcement. THU 7:00 PM - Server Training for daily Mass Servers in the Basilica. See announcement. 7:30 PM - Server Training for weekend Mass Servers in the Basilica. See announcement. FRI 8:15AM - 7:00 PM. Eucharistic Adoration in the Basilica. See announcement. SAT 3:30 PM - Confessions.

SAINT MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWS

Physical Education Teacher: St. Mary Catholic The Lord Will Never Be Outdone school will be hiring a Physical Education Teacher In Generosity! for the 2021-2022 School Year. The applicant

should have a college degree, preferably in Total collection last weekend: $ 23,238.00 Education. The position runs 3 days per week and

is considered part time. Interested parties should Amount needed each week for the send a resume, and two letters of reference to Basilica Budget: $ 14,225.50 [email protected].

God bless those who support our Basilica Parish! Irish Boosters Scholarships: The Irish Boosters

Organization offers (2) $500.00 scholarships to St. Mary Catholic alumni who are pursuing higher ONLINE GIVING education at a sophomore status or above. The Online giving is available at the Basilica. For more application can be found on the school website at information, please visit this website: stmary.k12.oh.us. Application deadline is July 16, http://www.stmarysmarietta.org and go to the left 2021. side of the web page. Click on the GIVE ON LINE button to see more information or to sign up. Saturday Bingo: St. Mary Catholic School will be starting Bingo on Saturday evenings at the school. BASILICA FOUNDATION We are looking for volunteers to serve as Managers, A fund has been established by the Marietta Callers, or Bingo Workers. If you are interested in Community Foundation for the maintenance and volunteering, please contact the school office at repairs of our Basilica. This fund is separate from 740-374-8181. the monthly maintenance collection. Our goal is to have at least One Million in the fund before using it. WEEPING WILLOW CHURCH To donate, contact the Community Foundation. SOFTBALL LEAGUE The Basilica will once again be fielding a team in HEATH MINISTRY NEWS the competitive division of the Weeping Willow The Health Ministry will have the Toiletry Give Church Softball League. The team, which is co- th Away on Wednesday, May 19 during the Daily sponsored by the Basilica and the Knights of Bread Kitchen Drive Through. Donations of Columbus #478 of Marietta, is the three-time shampoo, etc; dental, etc.; paper goods, soap, etc. defending league champion. may be dropped off at the K of C. Hall after th 9:00 AM on the 19 . For more information, call Any parishioner (age 18 and older) interested in Linda at 740-373-1418. playing should contact Jim Humphrey at 740-629- 4867 (cell) or via E-Mail at [email protected]. ST. MARY ALUMNI REUNION League play is tentatively scheduled to begin on The St. Mary Alumni Reunion will be July 9, 2022. Monday, June 7th.

DIOCESAN PARISH SHARE CAMPAIGN BASILICA BOOK CLUB This week we received our third report from the Sponsored by the CWC Diocese for the D/PSC. Our parish goal for 2021 is NEW BOOK! Joseph, the Silent. Michael –Ganier $108,498 and to date we have received $92,008.00. 170 pgs. Joseph the Silent is the appropriate title This is 85% of the goal. Please remember that it is for a book about an extraordinary man who was not too late to make a pledge. Please help us reach chosen by God to marry the virgin Mary, who plays our goal. Your support is crucial to our parish and such an incredible role in the salvation history, our diocese. Money received over and above our whose involvement is spelled out in scripture, but goal will be returned to our parish to be used for our who never speaks a single word to us. own parish needs. The diocese mailed pledge cards Next Basilica Book Club meeting: Wednesday, to all registered parishioners at the beginning of the May 26, 6:00 PM. Social Hall. campaign. Pledge cards are also available at the All are welcome to attend. If you have questions or parish office. They should be mailed directly to the would like to be included on the email list, contact diocese in the envelope provided. Debbie Lazorik, 740-434-3769 or e-mail: [email protected] Thank you to all of our parishioners who have so generously contributed to the Diocesan/Parish Share VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER Campaign thus far. May God bless you for your The Marietta Council #478 support of our diocese and our parish. will once again be partnering with the Washington County Right to Life to host a Virtual Baby Shower SERVER TRAINING to benefit the Women’s Care Center in Parkersburg, There will be server training on Thursday, May 20th West Virginia. Before and after all Masses this at 7:00 PM. Students in grades 2-4 who have made weekend: Saturday July, 15th and Sunday, May their First Communion and want to be Daily Mass 16th, the Knights of Columbus will be collecting servers will be trained from 7– 7:30 PM. diapers, wipes, baby clothing, and other necessary items in the Social Hall. Donations of cash or gift Students in grades 5-12 who have made their First cards will also be accepted. If you have any Communion and would like to be trained to serve questions concerning this event or for a complete weekend Masses will be trained from 7:30 – list of needed items, please contact Jim Humphrey 8:00 PM. Contact Cecelia Cottrill at at 740-629-4867 (cell) or via E-mail at [email protected] if you have [email protected]. questions. 5TH SUNDAY DIVINE MERCY GIFT SHOP The Knights of Columbus will be praying the rosary The gift shop is open after all weekend Masses. To at 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM on Sunday, May 30th, shop during the week, contact Sue at 740-434-3465. before the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Masses. You can also shop online at stmarysmarietta.org/shop There are many beautiful TOTUS TUUS gifts available, so stop in and check out the new SAVE THE DATE: This summer, the Basilica will items. be hosting the Totus Tuus Program from June 12- 18. Totus Tuus is a summer catechetical program PRAY FOR THOSE IN THE MILITARY for grades 1-12 that uses fun to teach about our We pray for all of the men and women who are Catholic Faith and the sacraments. Volunteers will serving our country in the military. We especially be needed, to find out how you can help, please remember those from our own parish and friends email Cecelia Cottrill at and relatives of our parishioners. May God watch [email protected]. More over them and keep them safe. information will be coming in the next weeks, stay tuned! Registration will be open May 22.

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD May 16, 2021

NOTES ON THE GOSPEL

Mark's gospel presented a different spin on the end. The Church would act as an agent of change (not of the status quo). And the forces of evil would suffer defeat.

Jesus told his followers, "Go everywhere and tell everyone about the Good News. Those who believed and were baptized will be saved. But the unbelievers will be condemned. After he spoke to his followers, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven. He sat on the right hand of God. His followers went out and preached everywhere. The Lord worked with them and God's Word confirmed what they said with signs that proved their preaching was true.

Jesus began with order for traveling evangelization. "Go everywhere and preach the Good News to everyone," mirrored Jesus' own mobile ministry. The disciples were to do as Jesus did, but only on a universal scale. The ministry of Jesus became THE sign of the end times. Instead of judgment, the power of God's Word would be revealed. The Good News would be proclaimed. And evil would be rejected. Those who accepted God's Word would be saved (i.e., they would participate in these signs of the end times). But those who rejected God's Word (who refused to accept the Good News and its accompanying signs) were lost.

In a culture that distrusted novelty, people would be amazed at the new message God communicated through Jesus and his followers. The message could be a new revelation, a proclamation to a new (and foreign) audience, or a new prayer. Through Jesus and his followers, everyone would hear God's Word. And nothing, not even poison, would stop God's work!

The disciples would free the weak, those who were "bitten by the snake" and "poisoned." In other words, the believer would partake in the ministry of Jesus: to bring others from the powers of Satan (whether physical, spiritual, or moral evil) to the Father.

Then the Lord Jesus after he spoke to them was taken up into heaven and he sat on the right (hand) of the Father. The disciples preached and performed signs, not in the sense of appendage but in the sense of authentication. The signs proved the power of the preaching. The preaching and signs complimented each other. They both revealed the presence of the Risen Lord and power of God's Word. Both showed the believer and unbeliever the presence of the saving God. In this sense, the Risen Lord "worked together" with those preaching and performing signs. And God's Word "confirmed" the actions of the ministers.

Saint Mark implied a belief of the ancient Church that the end times began with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The Risen Lord now reigned with the Father in heaven. They were now One. And the Father exercised his power through his Son. Since the "name" of the Son revealed his power (that found its source in the Father), disciples who preached and healed in the name of Jesus did so because the Father willed it. These disciples were part of God's plan for salvation. They had the cooperation of the Risen Lord and the power of the Father's Word. ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place in the Basilica’s Chapel of the English Martyrs on Wednesday and Friday. Jesus stays with us in the Blessed Sacrament to refresh us in mind, in heart and in spirit. Take advantage of Eucharistic Adoration. Come and visit the Lord in Adoration this Wednesday and Friday. He waits for us! ______Special Events & Scheduled Pilgrimages at the Basilica:

May - 16, - First Communion at Saint Henry’s Church May - 21, - Ordination of Jeremiah Hawn - Steubenville July - 13, - Basilica tour (Tuscarawas County 9:30am. & 10:15 am.) Aug. - 14, - Bishop Daniel Conlon visit Sept. - 27, - Diocesan Giving Society Mass & Reception (Bishop) Nov. - 21, - Diocesan Marriage Anniversary Mass (Noon – Bishop) ______Perpetual Help Devotions This Monday Evening

Perpetual Help Devotions will be offered this Monday evening at 6:15 pm. All parishioners are invited to participate in this beautiful devotion celebrated in our Basilica. We ask Our Lady to guide and protect our Basilica and each one of us. Jesus Christ Himself invites us to a personal visit with Him in our basilica. ______REVERENTIAL QUIET IN THE BASILICA It is an ancient tradition in the Church to have a reverential quiet tone in a – especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. More and more, this tradition is being ignored in the Basilica. Sometimes, people are trying to pray before or after Mass – we need to respect them. Please observe a quiet tone when you are present in the Basilica. ______PILGRIMAGES TO OUR BASILICA

The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Assumption welcomes all visitors encouraging them to come, pray, and enjoy our beautiful church. If you are a member of a group who would like to tour our Basilica or make a spiritual pilgrimage, please let us know how we can be of assistance. ______Deceased Priests of the Diocese

On Monday, we remember the 39th anniversary of the death of Fr. Robert Krauter. On Saturday, we remember the 54th anniversary of the death of Msgr. Joseph Kiefer. Let us remember them in our paryers asking God to grant them eternal life, happiness, and peace.

THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION 506 FOURTH STREET MARIETTA, OHIO 45750

May 16, 2021 Dear Parishioners,

Today, we celebrate Jesus’ return to the right hand of His Father. This Feast of the Ascension celebrates the triumph of Jesus Christ over sin, suffering and death. For a period of forty days after His Resurrection, Jesus’ appearances to the apostles and disciples gave them tangible, visible signs that He was still with them. He gave them the power to forgive sins; He walked with them on the road to Emmaus and opened their eyes in the Eucharist; he prepared meals for them; He ate fish with them; Thomas put his hand into Jesus’ side.

Jesus’ Ascension is the sign of His glory and power at the right hand of His Father. The Ascension is His liberation from all the restrictions and limitations of space and time. It is the beginning of His constant presence with His Father in heaven. It is His enduring presence everywhere on earth and in the universe.

Because of the Ascension, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son – to lead and guide the Church for all time – so that the great commission which Jesus gave to the apostles and their successors – could be accomplished: “Go therefore and teach all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Along with the Apostles, we too have been called and commissioned to be witnesses of Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection. To be His witnesses - wherever we find ourselves. We can gloss-over these words, and pretend that they are not meant for us; but we have been chosen – just like the Apostles – to be disciples of Jesus by living our Faith.

His Ascension was simply the last appearance to the Apostles and disciples before He took His place at the right-hand of His Father. At the ascension, Jesus did not leave us orphans struggling in desperation, He sent the Holy Spirit to lead and guide the Church in the great commission which he gave to His Apostles and their successors.

In His Sacred Passion,

Rev. Msgr. John M. Campbell

EVENTS AND MASSES FOR THE WEEK

Monday, May 17, 7:45 am. - Mass 12:05 pm. Mass 12:05 am. - Mass 6:15 pm. - Perpetual Help Devotions Friday, May 22, 7:45 am. - Mass Tuesday, May 18, 8:20 am. - Adoration (Chapel) 7:45 am. - Mass 9:15 am. School Confessions 9:15 am. - School Mass 12:05 pm. - Mass 12:05 pm. - Mass 5:00 pm. – Ordination (Steubenville) 6:00 pm. - Mass & CWC Meeting – 7:00 pm. - Reposition of the Eucharist St. Henry Saturday, May 23, Wednesday, May 19, 9:00 am. - Mass 7:45 am. - Mass 3:30 am. - Confessions 8:20 am. - Adoration (Chapel) 5:30 pm. - Mass 9:00 am. - 2 Communion calls 12:05 pm. - Mass Sunday May 24, 7:00 pm. - Reposition of the Eucharist 8:00 am. - Mass 9:30 am. - Mass (St. Henry’s) Thursday, May 20, 10:00 am. - Mass 7:45 am. – Mass 12:00 pm. - Mass

______SAINT HENRY’S MOTHER’S DAY DINNER

Thank you to all who participated in the Mother’s Day Chicken Dinner at our Sister- parish in Harriettsville. The meal was wonderful, and we truly appreciate your participation in our meal. Even though the weather was not very good, over 7,000 meals were served in a very efficient way. All who were involved seemed to be happy with the results. We hope that next year, we wil l be able to serve meals in the Parish Hall. ______

“Christians are not free to reject or rewrite the apostolic tradition. With it we stand and fight, or we fall. The irony is that contemporary history demonstrates clearly that the more quickly and radically Christian groups adopt the tenets of modernity, the more rapid the collapse.”

— George Cardinal Pell

______PLEASE PRAY FOR THE MEMBERS OF OUR TWO PARISHES WHO ARE ILL, AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND CARE-GIVERS. FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK

Tuesday, May 18, Saint John I, (Pope & Martyr) Pope John died in 526, and is buried in Rome. He fought the Arian Heresy. His epitaph reads “a victim for Christ”.

Thursday, May 20, Saint Bernadine of Siena (Priest) Bernadine died in 1444. He was a famous reformer and eloquent preacher who traveled throughout Italy and encouraged devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. He is known for his use of the monogram HIS (an abbreviation of the Greek name of Jesus).

Friday, May 21, Saint Christopher Magallanes (Priest & Martyr) Christopher and his 21 companions (priests & 3 laymen) were either shot or hanged for their association with the “Cristero” uprising which opposed the anti-Catholic Mexican government in the 1920’s movement. The “Cristero“ motto was “Long Live Chrit the King and the Virgin of Guadalupe”.

Saturday, May 25, Saint Rita of Cascia (Religious) Rita was born in 1381 in Umbria. She lived with a brutal husband and had two sons. After the violent murder of her husband, she urged forgiveness in contrast to the customary vendetta of her day. She became a Augustinian , and spent 40 years in prayer, contemplation, and service of the poor and sick. Toward the end of her life, she received a thorn from the crown of thorns. She died in 1457., Arizona bishops praise new hospital clergy visitation law

Arizona’s five bishops expressed their gratitude at a new law forbidding hospitals from unduly restricting clergy visitations during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, too many people have died without the spiritual assistance or sacraments desired at the end of their lives,” said the May 5 letter, which was signed by Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson; Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix; Bishop Eduardo Nevares, auxiliary bishop of Phoenix; Bishop James Wall of Gallup; and Bishop John Pazak, of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix. “Even now, there remain places where clergy are not able to have in-person visits that are requested by dying patients,” said the bishops.

The legislation amends Arizona law to say that if a hospital is allowing in-person visits of any kind, “the hospital must facilitate the ability of clergy to visit the patient in person for religious purposes.” The law states that clergy must follow “reasonable health and safety precautions,” and that if in-person visits are suspended, “the hospital must facilitate a virtual clergy visit using communica-tion technology.” This new law is simple legislation that will allow clergy of all faiths to have in-person visitation in hospitals when requested by a patient and it is safe for any other visitor,” they said. “By providing this spiritual care, it will give great benefit and comfort to both dying patients and their families.” ‘We are ready to give up our lives’: 34 new Swiss Guards take oath to protect the pope

Thirty-four new Swiss Guards were sworn in last Thursday in an elaborate ceremony in Vatican City in which the guards promised to protect the pope, even “sacrificing if necessary also my own life.” Gian Andrea Bossi, a 20-year-old from Davos, Switzerland, was among the new Swiss Guards to take the oath on May 6. “It is a great honor for me, for all of us. … We’ve prepared for weeks, for months for this day,” Bossi sasid. “I’ve always wanted to serve God in a way, and I wanted to serve the Catholic Church,” he said.

The swearing-in ceremony for one of the world’s oldest standing armies took place on the 494th anniversary of the Sack of Rome, the battle on May 6, 1527, in which 147 Swiss Guards lost their lives defending Pope Clement VII from troops of the Holy Roman Empire. The ceremony began with three Swiss Guards blowing trumpets from the loggia, and then the guards marched to the sound of drums in a solemn procession. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin also offered Mass with the Swiss Guards in St. Peter’s Basilica.

In English, the full oath reads: “I swear I will faithfully, loyally and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff Francis and his legitimate successors, and also dedicate myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing if necessary also my life to defend them. I assume this same commitment with regard to the Sacred College of Cardinals whenever the see is vacant. Furthermore, I promise to my other superiors respect, fidelity, and obedience. This I swear! May God and our Holy Patrons assist me!”

Candidates for the Swiss Guard are required to meet strict requirements. Each recruit must be a Catholic unmarried male at least 5 feet, 8 inches tall and between the ages of 19 and 30. Swiss citizenship is required, as is a letter of good standing from the candidate’s parish priest. “It is something that only we, Swiss people, can do, and it is important to show that there still are young people ready to be committed to promote some values,” new Swiss Guard Baptiste Crettaz said. “The fact that we are ready to give up our life for the Holy Father represents a strong meaning,” he said.

The Vatican approved an expansion of the size of the Pontifical Swiss Guards three years ago from 110 to 135 men. Despite the new recruits, it remains the smallest army in the world. “I am excited to see the Vatican, to get to know the pope … also to be closer to the Church, to the faith, to grow in the faith,” Bossi said. “In the end it is to serve God, to serve the Church, to protect the faith and defend the pope,” he said.

Pope Francis received the new Swiss Guards ahead of the ceremony, and recalled that some former guards had discerned the priesthood after their service, while others went on to form their own families. “I pray that those who begin their service now may also respond fully to Christ’s call, following him with faithful generosity. May these years that you will spend here deepen your faith an and an even stronger love for the Church. Phoenix bishop warns of ‘deadly apathy’ of silence on pro-abortion Catholic politicians

Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix (who visited our Basilica last summer) supported a recent letter from the of San Francisco stating that Catholics cooperating with abortion should not present themselves for Communion.

“Woe to us bishops if we do not speak clearly about the grave evil of abortion, and the consequences of any Catholic who participates in the act or publicly supports it by word or action,” Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix said. Bishop Olmsted called it “a powerful defense of the Church’s teaching on the dignity of all human life.” Referring to bishops who do not clearly denounce the evil of abortion and of Catholics supporting it, Olmsted condemned “a false patience and pastoral concern that, year after year, stays silent or speaks in abstractions while the slaughter continues with the full endorsement of Catholic politicians under our spiritual care as bishops.” The bishop warned that reluctance to speak out in such cases is a pastoral failure, rather than a charitable politeness.

“Such ‘patience’ is false because it is bereft of love and truth, and thus unmasks rather a deadly apathy towards one who professes the Catholic faith but whose public embrace of abortion puts his or her eternal soul at risk of damnation, and risks dragging untold numbers into hell by their example,” he said.

Archbishop Cordileone wrote in a May 1 pastoral letter that any Catholic cooperating with the evil of abortion should refrain from receiving the Eucharist. In his letter, he included a section on Catholic public officials who advocate for abortion. “You are in a position to do something concrete and decisive to stop the killing,” Cordileone wr ote, addressing those politicians. “Please stop pretending that advocating for or practicing a grave moral evil – one that snuffs out an innocent human life, one that denies a fundamental human right – is somehow compatible with the Catholic faith. It is not. Please return home to the fullness of your Catholic faith,” he wrote.

The bishops of the United States (USCCB) may address the topic of “Eucharistic coherence” at their spring meeting in June. A source close to the USCCB said that at the June meeting, the bishops’ doctrine committee might present a “broad document” on general worthiness for reception of Communion; alternatively, the bishops might wait until their fall meeting in November to vote to consider such a document.

“Holy Communion is reserved for those, who with God’s grace make a sincere effort to live this union with Christ and His Church by adhering to all that the Catholic Church believes and proclaims to be revealed by God,” Bishop Olmsted wrote, explaining that Church teaching on this has “always been clear and based on Scripture.”

Sainthood Cause Opened for Filipino Priest Killed by Islamists in 2000

The cause of Father Rhoel Gallardo (1965-2000) officially opened on May 3, 2021, the 21st anniversary of his death. The sainthood cause opened this week of Father Rhoel Gallardo, who died on May 3, 2000, after being held for 43 days by Islamists. He was killed at the age of 34, just six years after his ordination as a priest and 11 years after making his first profession as a religious. On March 20, 2000, Father Gallardo was kidnapped, together with a school administrator, five teachers and 22 students from the Claret School of Tumahubong, a village on the island of , in the .

The majority of the population in Basilan is Muslim; the next largest religious group is Catholic. Father Gallardo, who was the school’s principal, and the teachers and students were taken captive by the Islamic separatist group Abu Sayyaf, the East Asia branch of the Islamic State.

Father Gallardo died when he was shot in the head, shoulder and back at close range, after repeatedly refusing to renounce his Catholic faith. Three teachers and five children also died when they were caught in a gunfight between the terrorists and the military. When Father Gallardo’s body was recovered, it was discovered that the nails on his index fingers and toes had been pulled off before he was shot. There were also other signs of torture. Father Gallardo was the first priest kidnapped in Basilan to be killed. Other priests and had been seized, even beaten, but in the end everyone was freed.

“People already think of him as a martyr, a hero. The other hostages said that he did not want to give up the cross and the rosary, as the Islamists wanted. That’s why they tortured him by ripping off his nails,” Father Calvo said. “He suffered a lot; yet, as school principal, even in captivity he cared first of all about the teachers and the children entrusted to him. He offered his life for the people around him.”

The priest said that even after Father Gallardo’s death, the Claretian missionaries stayed in Basilan. “Father Gallardo’s testimony remains an example that no one has forgotten,” Father Calvo said. The provincial superior of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines said that Father Gallardo “stood up for God who was faithful to him until the last drop of his blood.”

Martyrdom “could have occurred to any of us who were the young missionaries then, but it was given to Father Rhoel because, in hindsight, he was the most prepared to receive the crown,” Father Ayubon said. ______The Celebration of the Ascension

Today’s Feast of the Ascension reminds us that our true destiny lies in God. We must not only do what Jesus commands us, but we must follow him to the place where he has gone. The Feast of the Ascension tells us that our life is not limited to life on earth, but after our death we will experience a new life in heaven, and even now we are being pulled by the strings of God’s love towards our encounter with him. ______