In 1991, Pope John Paul II was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Part of his response was to set aside February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, as a day to remember all the sick of the world.


In 1991, Pope John Paul II was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Part of his response was to set aside February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, as a day to remember all the sick of the world.

At first glance, it may seem like quite a stretch to connect Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day and Systemic Change. But hear me out. Actually, it is not that hard.

I wonder how many people in Catholic marriages are aware of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 12). It would be interesting to know how many parishes have planned anything to celebrate this week. But the most interesting question...
The Holy Spirit looks at individuals (nouns) before looking at their mistakes (adjectives)… The Spirituality of “Nouns and Adjectives”.
People experiencing poverty have an expertise that can not be taught in a classroom. They know their situation from the inside. They understand many dimensions of poverty that may not occur to us.
“Slow listening” allows us to see a world we don’t know, to understand experiences we haven’t had, to reframe or drop a belief long held. It creates distinctions, and it is from these distinctions that we create new possibilities.
“All of us are responsible for the communications we make, for the information we share, for the control that we can exert over fake news by exposing it. All of us are to be witnesses of the truth: to go, to see and to share.” Pope Francis
The question “Why are you looking at the sky?” is addressed to us today. Today, we are those dazed apostles looking up rather than within and around ourselves.
“… create a Family that looks to the past for inspiration, but is also eager to create a vibrant innovative collaborative future in the service of the most abandoned.” Fr. Robert Maloney, CM
Leaders of 97 branches of the Vincentian Family gathered. They represented over 2 million people bringing “good news” to countless millions in 156 countries. One could see the blooming of the Vincentian Family.
“The Congregation is not now what it once was; nor is it what it will be.” Some 400 years later Greg Gay, his 23rd successor, adapted these words. “The world is not now what it once was, nor is it what it will be.” Today we can say “The parish is not now what it…
Three words sum up Mary’s attitude: listening, decision, action. They are words that point out a way for us too as we face what the Lord asks of us in life. Listening, decision, action. (Pope Francis)
We are people with a mission…to do what Jesus did. People who use the skills of their profession in frontline “field hospitals” or mobilize those who are committed to “seeking long-term solutions.”