Blog - August 2015 RSS Feed

The “Francis Effect” – – a renewed interest in the Church by many people and a return to her embrace – – is tangible here in New York these days as we prepare to welcome him in a month. His sincerity, warmth, simplicity, joy, and humility have captivated a world would even irreligious people admit is spiritually searching.

This comes to you from the Shrine of Knock , in Ireland, on a pilgrimage with 150 others from the archdiocese and elsewhere. It was here, on August 23, 1879, that our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and the “Lamb of God” appeared to dozens of stunned, silent, awestruck parishioners of this tiny Irish town.

The news has been full over the last few weeks of revelations about the “harvesting” of organs by Planned Parenthood from the remains of aborted children, so they can be sold for medical research. Reactions have varied.