The Race Relations Forum originally scheduled for Nov. 12, 2020, at Holy Angels Church in San Angelo has been postponed due to the current spike in COVID-19 cases in San Angelo. The forum will be rescheduled at a later date.

This morning the Vatican released its report on former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, detailing the Vatican’s knowledge, decision-making, and investigation related to McCarrick, who was dismissed from the clerical state on February 16, 2019. It will take some time to study the 461-page report, which is the result of two years of investigation. I welcome this report, and I believe it represents a significant step forward in accountability and transparency.

A short video from the Centers for Disease Control showcasing some of the reasons to wear a mask. [External Link]

En tan solo unas semanas, nosotros, los ciudadanos de nuestro país, seleccionaremos a los líderes gubernamentales, desde el presidente hasta los funcionarios locales. Cada uno de nosotros enfrenta el desafío de decidir cómo votaremos. Antes de las elecciones del 3 de noviembre, debemos informarnos sobre los candidatos y sus posiciones — no solo su partido o su personalidad, sino también lo que representan y a qué dirección llevarían a este país.

The Apostolic Penitentiary announces modifications to the Plenary Indulgence for the deceased during the month of November. [External Link, Vatican News]

Rev. Hubert (Hugh) Wade, Jr. passed away in San Angelo on October 16, 2020, at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo.

In just a few weeks, we, the citizens of our country, will select governmental leaders, from president to local officials. Each of us is faced with the challenge of deciding how we will vote. Before the elections on Nov. 3, we should inform ourselves on the candidates and their positions — not just their party or their personality, but also what they stand for and what direction they would take this country.

La pandemia del coronavirus está afectando nuestras vidas a todos los niveles, en el hogar y en la escuela, en el trabajo y en el juego. Afecta nuestras relaciones, nuestra espiritualidad y nuestras finanzas. Ha provocado sufrimiento físico, angustia emocional, y muerte.

The coronavirus pandemic is impacting our lives at all levels, at home and at school, at work and at play. It affects our relationships, our spirituality, and our finances. It has led to physical suffering, emotional distress, and death.

This article from the Charlotte Lozier Institute takes a look at the ethics of several COVID-19 vaccines currently under development.

One month after a massive explosion at a fertilizer storage facility tore through Beirut and reopened Lebanon’s old wounds, Pope Francis expresses his and the Church’s solidarity with the troubled nation and calls for a worldwide day of prayer on Friday, 4 September. [Vatican News]

Accompaniment, the new buzz word in youth ministry, comes in many forms. Discover models for walking with youth on their faith journey and gain practical tools to apply these practices at MOMENTUM, a virtual event from NFCYM on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 from 1-4:30pm ET (10am – 1:30pm PT). Visit www.nfcym.org/momentum to view details and purchase your ticket.

Our brothers and sisters in Lebanon are suffering after the explosion in the capital of Beirut that has caused much death and destruction. Please pray for Lebanon and her people, asking for the intercession of Our Lady of Lebanon, patroness of the country, as well as St. Sharbel, her native son, to help preserve the people of that great land.

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha estado con nosotros aquí en el oeste de Texas por aproximadamente cuatro meses. Muchos de nosotros esperábamos que ya se hubiera ido, pero no sabemos cuándo terminará. Ha puesto nuestras vidas al revés. Estoy muy impresionado con las muchas formas en que nuestra gente se está adaptando a las dificultades causadas por el coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been with us here in West Texas for about four months now. Many of us hoped it would have gone away by now, yet we don’t know when it will end. It has turned our lives upside down. I have been very impressed with the many ways our people are adapting to the hardships brought about by the coronavirus.

Nuestras ciudades y condados locales han visto un crecimiento en el número de casos positivos de COVID-19 en las últimas tres semanas; los ingresos hospitalarios y los casos críticos también han aumentado muchísimo. Muchos de estos casos están ocurriendo entre nuestro pueblo Católico.

Our local cities and counties have seen a surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the past three weeks; hospital admissions and critical cases have greatly increased as well.  Many of these cases are occurring among our Catholic people.

Bishop Michael Sis sat for an interview about recent comments tying depictions of Jesus as a caucasian man to white supremacy. Click above for a video in which the bishop discusses the Catholic perspective on this issue. [External Link]

Racism is real. On May 25, 2020, Mr. George Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His tragic death caused an outpouring of grief and anger. What happened to Mr. Floyd was sickening. I can understand why people are outraged. It was another instance of a pattern that has been repeated far too many times – Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and now George Floyd. Every human being deserves to be safe, but for African-Americans in this country, they have long lived in fear, doubting that their personal safety will be protected in our society.

[click headline for video] "I greet the English-speaking faithful joining us through the media. Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd. My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that “the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost”. Today I join the Church in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism. Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends and let us implore the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn. May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world. May God bless all of you and your families."