Bishop Michael Sis of San Angelo, Texas, offered these words after hearing about the shootings affecting Odessa and Midland, Texas. “It is with a heart full of sorrow that I write these words after hearing of the deaths and injuries caused by the shootings affecting Odessa and Midland. My prayers are for those who have lost their lives, who have been seriously injured, and for their families. My prayers are also for the great people of those communities directly impacted by this senseless act of violence, especially the courageous first responders and the local medical teams. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he saves those whose spirit is crushed (Ps 34:18). Our local churches are committed to helping our community to heal from this senseless tragedy. There are no easy answers as to how to end this epidemic of gun violence in our state and our country. I ask the Lord to enlighten all of our hearts and minds, especially our government leaders, so that we can have the insight and the courage to move from a culture of death to a culture of life.”
“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.
The Texas Speaker of the House is expected to issue a formal resolution on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives May 15 recognizing the Jumano people for their historical and cultural contributions to the State of Texas.
The Catholic Diocese of San Angelo announces that Bishop Michael Sis will lead the Procession of the Cross and the Stations of the Cross in San Angelo on Good Friday, April 19, 2019. A light lunch will be available at St. Margaret Catholic Church at 2619 Era Street. Serving of the lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. The Procession of the Cross will begin at 1:00 p.m., walking through the neighborhood streets while praying the Rosary, and concluding with the praying of the Stations of the Cross at Christ the King Retreat Center at 802 Ford Street. The prayers will be conducted in English and Spanish. All are welcome to participate.
With the news of the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris yesterday, people have begun asking how they can help. Unfortunately, people with generous hearts are also easy targets for the bad guys. There are also already reports of scams making their way around the internet as people try to take advantage of this surge of generosity.
On Saturday, May 4, there will be a general cleanup of Calvary Cemetery in San Angelo. Cemetery personnel will remove and discard all unauthorized fencing and brick/stone/wire borders of any kind, including any items on the grave such as gravel/rocks, outdoor carpet, lights, etc. There will be no exceptions, so please remove anything you do not want thrown away by 7:00 pm, Friday, May 3. You may return flowers to graves on Sunday, May 5. Please keep in mind that only one flower arrangement per grave is permitted. We ask that no other decorations, other than a small American Flag on national holidays, be placed on graves.
Unplanned: The True Story of Abby Johnson opens in theaters tomorrow, March 29. Don't miss this important film that tells the story of a former Planned Parenthood director who became a force in the Pro-Life movement after witnessing an abortion firsthand.
Texas Catholic Advocacy Day is right around the corner on March 26 in Austin. This is a chance to join the Texas bishops and thousands of Catholics for a day at our State Capitol, visiting legislators and promoting faithful citizenship. This biennial rally is hosted by the Texas bishops to promote the Church's values of life, justice, charity, and religious freedom to members of the Texas Legislature.
Bishop Michael Sis visited all three universities in Abilene for Ash Wednesday services. Click to read an article on his visit from the Abilene Reporter-News.
The annual diocesan marriage jubilee celebration honoring sacramental marriages that have reached milestone anniversaries (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 or more years) will take place at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in San Angelo on March 25, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. The deadline for registration is March 11. Contact your pastor for more information or to register.
Papa Francisco – Febrero 2019 | Aunque tratemos de ignorarlo, la esclavitud no es algo de otros tiempos. Ante esta trágica realidad, no podemos lavarnos las manos si no queremos ser, de alguna manera, cómplices de estos crímenes contra la humanidad. No podemos ignorar que hoy hay esclavitud en el mundo, tanto o más quizás que antes. Recemos por la acogida generosa de las víctimas de la trata de personas y de la prostitución forzada y de la violencia.
Pope Francis – February 2019 | Although we try to ignore it, slavery is not something from other times. Faced with this tragic reality, no one can wash their hands of it without being, in some way, an accomplice to this crime against humanity. We cannot ignore the fact that there is as much slavery in the world today as there was before, or perhaps more. Let us pray for a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.
The Word on Fire Institute will be posting videos online each day from February 19–21 featuring experts on Scripture, theology, philosophy, spirituality, sociology, history, science, and literature. Registration is free. Click for more information.
In a step to restore trust in the Catholic Church, dioceses in Texas released their lists of priests against whom credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor have been determined.