The Roman Catholic

“The tragic loss of life of 22 people this weekend in El Paso demonstrates that hate-filled rhetoric and ideas can become the motivation for some to commit acts of violence. The anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim, and anti-Semitic sentiments that have been publicly proclaimed in our society in recent years have incited hatred in our communities. Hatred and harsh rhetoric were echoed in the El Paso shooter’s explanation about why he committed this weekend’s shooting, as well as being evident in the motivation of the shooters who attacked the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last year and the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in 2015. We, therefore, renew our call to all to act swiftly to stop using hate-filled language that demeans and divides us and motivates some to such horrific violence. Instead, we ask our leaders and all Americans to work to unite us as a great, diverse, and welcoming people.” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, August 8, 2019)

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has issued an action alert urging Catholics to voice their support for proposed rules at the Department of Health and Human Services that would clarify that healthcare providers and insurers not be required to "perform or pay for abortion or gender transition procedures." The proposed rules would eliminate previous interpretations of a section of the Affordable Care Act. Click the headline above to view the full action alert.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the following statement in response to the tragic shooting at the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas.

President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice issued a statement after a tragic shooting in Dayton, Ohio.

"As a citizen of West Texas, and as a bishop whose territory includes Andrews County, I am deeply concerned about the proposal to store high-level nuclear waste at a site in Andrews County. An accident in storage or transportation would cause irreparable harm to the public health and common good,” Sis added. “If any of the casks should fail, or be struck by an act of terrorism, there is the possibility of radioactive contamination of our land, our ground water, the local oil fields, and the nearby potash deposits. I urgently recommend that less risky options be pursued elsewhere, in a location that has more robust containment systems. I encourage my fellow citizens to express their concerns about this proposal that will affect present and future generations.”

Bishop Michael Sis announces that Msgr. Robert Bush is to be assigned parochial vicar in reduced active ministry at St. Joseph and St. Anthony Parishes in Odessa effective July 1, 2019.

One of the most powerful prayer practices of the Easter Season is the Pentecost Novena. It is nine days of prayer leading up to the Solemnity of Pentecost, modeled after the nine days the Apostles and disciples spent in prayer between the Ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. I highly recommend praying a Pentecost Novena every year, opening our hearts ever more deeply to the action of the Holy Spirit.