William Hemsworth's Blog, page 18

Stolen Risen Christ sculpture recovered after more than 60 yrs

On February 6, 2024, an alabaster bas-relief from the sumptuous abbey church in Montivilliers, on the northern coast of France, was returned to the town hall of this Norman commune (the government in France owns all church property dating from before 1905.) It had taken almost 60 years to recover this precious object. Representing Christ […]

Stolen Risen Christ sculpture recovered after more than 60 yrs

Pro-Life Group Launches “Forbidden Discussions” Video Series Targeting Gen Z and Abortion

Rapid City, SD, January 15, 2024—  Every generation passes wisdom to the next, but the task is more complicated in communicating with Gen Z. Just in time for the March for Life, pro-life organization Healing the Culture has launched “Forbidden Discussions,” a new video series designed to equip centennials with the arguments they need to influence their peers. The 5-part series is available at Respect Life University, Healing the Culture’s proprietary video platform that delivers a unique philosophical approach to pro-life education through short, lively videos.

Creator of the program, Camille Pauley explained, “‘Forbidden Discussions’ shows that young people can have tough, heartfelt conversations about life issues without resorting to violence or shutting each other out. And it meets Gen Z-ers where they’re at – online.”

The program features college friends, Finley and Isaac, who meet virtually to take on some of the most common abortion arguments such as “A tiny blob of cells is not a human being,” and “Women need abortion to find happiness.” It’s a tech-savvy approach that also incorporates clever animation to drive home the debaters’ points.

But what makes the program unique, Pauley said, is that the students switch sides from episode to episode, demonstrating how to really probe an argument and dignify a debate with authentic consideration and thought – something she says this generation has not been taught to do.

For example, in one episode, Finley takes the pro-life side to argue that it’s better for people to choose the good for the other over the good for the self. Isaac concedes the point but argues that you can’t force people to do that by law. In the next episode, they switch sides. Finley defends Isaac’s point that you can’t legislate morality while Isaac argues that we do it all the time, such as when we make it against the law to speed past children in a school zone. He notes that you can’t force people to love schoolchildren, but we still make it against the law to endanger them by speeding.

“Forbidden Discussions” fills a particular need in pro-life evangelization, said Pauley. “Gen Z young adults have never known a world without smartphones. The blessing is that they have information literally at their fingertips. The curse is that they haven’t been taught how to search for truth through a process of debate, rational consideration, and insight.” Like most of Healing the Culture’s videos, the program is designed to be short and easily shared. “It empowers Gen Z to advocate for life via social media, a means of communication most familiar to them.”

All five videos in the “Forbidden Discussions” series can be viewed at https://healingtheculture.org/forbidden-discussions/. 

National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Begins with Invocation from AMS Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia

WASHINGTON, DC – “Come to our assistance, Lord our God!” Today, with those words of supplication, the Reverend Monsignor Anthony R. Frontiero, S.T.D., Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), prayed the invocation opening the annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in the Nation’s Capital.

Msgr. Frontiero invoked God’s favor on the gathering of more than one-thousand attendees at the Marriott Marquis in Northwest Washington. Acknowledging challenges facing America in a time of national division, he asked the “Lord of all nations, the Creator of land, and sea, and sky” for the “blessing and protection of our country….”

“…. We stand as one nation,” he prayed, “united in our love for the land we call home, yet in deep need of your divine guidance and wisdom as we navigate the challenges that face us.  May your spirit of unity and peace reside in the hearts of our leaders of Church and State. Come live within them, that they may die to themselves and You may fill their very being. Let them serve others as you would serve.  Do not let them fail, oh Lord, or lead your people astray, but grace them with all the gifts of mind and heart needed to truly honor the people they serve; all people, especially the most vulnerable among us; never dismissing or discarding any human person created in your own image and likeness….”

Msgr. Frontiero prayed in particular for those in uniform defending the liberties and the values Americans hold dear: “Lord, watch over the men and women serving in the armed forces, many of whom find themselves in harm’s way in the midst of conflict, war and threats to security. Keep them safe, O Lord, as they courageously serve our country.”

Msgr. Frontiero, a priest of the Diocese of Manchester, NH, has served as AMS Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia since July 2023. The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast (NCPB) was established in 2004 in response to Saint John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization. The event is non-partisan, and all are welcome to attend.

Archbishop Broglio Celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass at Walter Reed

BETHESDA, MD — On Feb. 14 His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, celebrated Ash Wednesday Mass with patients, staff, and clergy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Archbishop Broglio greeted the congregation in his homily with opening words of thanksgiving for “all of you who care for the sick and wounded and all of you who support the work of this great medical center.” He recalled the dedicated service of his dad, an Ohio physician: “Growing up I watched my father practice medicine, witnessed his care for the patient, and his sleepless nights when someone was gravely ill.  Yours is an impressive profession.”

Noting the significance of the occasion—Ash Wednesday marks commencement of the 40-day season of Lent—His Excellency called on the faithful to “unite ourselves to Christ who before He began His public ministry spent forty days in the desert fasting and praying…. Perhaps in a hospital many people offer their sufferings and see them as an avenue to relate more deeply with the sufferings of Christ.  When we are able to do that we understand how much we are loved.  If we look a bit further we also recognize that innate dignity of every person.”

His Excellency reminded those gathered that Lent is an opportunity for conversion. “Prayer, fasting, and charity are all means to further us in the process,” he said.  “When we truly meet Christ, we do not remain the same.  We set aside sin and are drawn deeper into a fruitful relationship with Him.  That touches every aspect of our lives. Indeed the Greek word for conversion indicates a change in direction, a turning around.  It implies that sharing of Christ by the witness of our lives….

“… Conversion leads to the fullness of life and the victory that we celebrate on Easter Sunday.  We recognize that the Lord overcame sin and death and calls us to walk with Him in the newness of eternal life.  Remember the waters of baptism freed us from original sin and allowed us to be reborn into eternal life.  The end of our earthly pilgrimage will be the fullness of that life.  We continually invite others to walk with us.  We are missionary disciples who hear the call of the Lord and share it with others.”

Read the full text of Archbishop Broglio’s homily here.

Approximately 150 U.S. Military personnel, patients, and hospital staff participated in the noon Mass in Walter Reed’s Memorial Auditorium. Concelebrating with His Excellency were Fathers Jason Burchell, CHC, LT, USN, and Cecil Corneille, CH (MAJ), USA. After the homily members of the congregation lined up to receive the ashes. Archbishop Broglio and his fellow priests marked their heads with the sign of the Cross as a reminder of human mortality. Before Mass, Archbishop Broglio visited the rooms of patients who could not attend because of medical conditions.

How St. Polycarp was taught by St. John the Apostle

During the 1st century, the apostles passed on Jesus’ teachings to a number of communities and individuals. St. John in particular lived a long life and had a number of disciples. St. Polycarp was one of those disciples, as St. Irenaeus explains in one of his letters: For I distinctly remember the incidents of that […]

How St. Polycarp was taught by St. John the Apostle

Pope creates study groups to explore themes from Synod’s first session

Pope Francis establishes study groups to explore various themes that emerged from the Synod session in October 2023, and sets the dates for the second session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly.

Pope creates study groups to explore themes from Synod’s first session

“Repent, and Believe in the Gospel.”

Welcome to Lent! The Catechism says of this season that “By the solemn forty days of Lent, the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert” (CCC 540), and fittingly, every year the Gospel for this First Sunday of Lent relates the temptation of Jesus in the desert. In Years […]

“Repent, and Believe in the Gospel.”

Notre Dame cathedral spire to be unveiled nearly 5 years after devastating fire

Catholic News Agency, Jonah McKeown: The unveiling process for the newly rebuilt spire of Paris’ legendary Notre Dame Cathedral began this week, with the process expected to be completed in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics in July. Deconstruction of … Continue reading → The post Notre Dame cathedral spire to be unveiled nearly 5…

Notre Dame cathedral spire to be unveiled nearly 5 years after devastating fire

Ash Wednesday: the Church Celebrates the Greatest Love Story Ever Told

This year, Ash Wednesday falls on the feast of Saint Valentine. As the world celebrates romance, the Church celebrates the greatest love story ever told. The love between Father and Son, God and man, mother and Child, culminates in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice at Jesus’s passion and death. When we are marked with ashes […]

Ash Wednesday: the Church Celebrates the Greatest Love Story Ever Told

‘Stay prayed up’: Watch the Wahlberg-Roumie Super Bowl ad

Here it is: Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie promoting the popular app Hallow. This may be the most proudly “Catholic” 30 seconds that has aired on national television in a long time. You can read more about the ad right here.   

‘Stay prayed up’: Watch the Wahlberg-Roumie Super Bowl ad