Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Pope Francis, quoting Pope Benedict XVI once wrote: If indeed 'the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics,' the Church, 'cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.'" (Evangelii Gaudium, No. 183)

As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops remind us, "Our nation faces many political challenges that demand well informed moral choices: The ongoing destruction of a million innocent human lives each year by:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’m sure you have seen the rather ghoulish Halloween scenes in front yards around your neighborhood, not to mention the spooky de cor found in many stores that seem to glamourize evil. The fascination with death is troubling. The way our culture currently recognizes Halloween is more than scary… it is wrong. Let me attempt to clarify a few things. Next week, we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints, which is celebrated every November 1st. This celebration dates back to the fourth century. It was originally called the Feast of All Martyrs. The words “martyr” and “saint” originally meant basically the same thing — someone who is a witness to Christ even unto death.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, After years of prayer, fasting, and a powerful Christian witness by Respect Life groups from faithful Catholics and the faithful witness and support from organizations like the Knights of Columbus, Planned Parenthood is struggling to promote their failed agenda against women and the unborn. The hours of standing in the hot sun, hearing the insults of passersby, resisting the temptations to give up, all speak to the grit of the prayer warriors who are fighting the good fight and standing for life!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the first Sunday of October the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Sunday. We are encouraged to focus on the Church’s teachings on human life. As Catholics, we believe that every human person is made in the image and likeness of God. Every human life is therefore sacred and inviolable and should be protected and cherished from conception until natural death. Practices such as abortion, assisted suicide, and capital punishment violate the dignity of the human person and must be rejected.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Several years ago, a brother priest and some dear friends were blessed to visit the Island of Molokai where St. Damien De Veuster and St. Marianne Cope ministered to lepers. At that time, there were twelve people afflicted with Leprosy or Hansen’s disease who are now cured but remained on the Island. If I had to guess, they preferred to be hidden from the world after being treated so harshly when diagnosed.