Blog - January 2010 RSS Feed

This is a special prayer for the people of Haiti. I invite everyone to pray to the Lord for the victims of the devastating earthquake. A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti Lord, at times such as this, when we realize that the ground beneath our feet is not as solid as we had imagined, we plead for your mercy.

This past weekend, I had the privilege of representing the bishops of the United States at the funeral of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Papal Nuncio to Haiti and the Haitian bishops invited me because of my role as Chairman of the Board of Catholic Relief Services .

Week-before-last I travelled up north to Saint Mary’s Parish, Washingtonville, to celebrate the funeral of their beloved pastor, Monsignor John “Dusty” Keaveney. The Mass was moving:  a grand turnout of brother priests, a devoted family, and a standing-room-only crowd of grateful, orphaned parishioners.

The stories and images of the tragic events in Haiti continue to move us, as we learn of the devastation of the earthquake, the loss of life, the huge number of people who are hurt, hungry, and homeless.

I have been in Rome for the past week for ceremonies and meetings related to the celebration of the 150 th Anniversary of the Pontifical North American College, where I was both a student and Rector.

His Christmas card from 2008 had brought good news: he had landed a very prestigious and high-paying job as a geologist — the profession he cherished — at a mining exploration company in Montana. I was so happy for him, a friend since high school.

My good friend Marge Fenlon is writing a book, When’s God Gonna Call Me Back? Having been a fan of Marge’s work through the years, I’m confident that this will be another great success. However, she needs your help, especially if you’re a Catholic who has ever been away from the faith for awhile.