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On May 4, 2017 Pope Francis announced that Father Solanus Casey, a beloved Capuchin friar who had ministered for many years in Detroit would be named “blessed.” The beatification will take place during a Mass in Detroit on November 18, 2017.

During the latter part of this year we will see two men born in the United States declared Blessed by the Church. The first one to be beatified will be Fr. Stanley Rother (1935-81). His beatification will take place in Oklahoma City on September 23, 2017. I will write about Fr. Rother in this week’s column. The second American to be beatified this year is Fr. Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap. He will be beatified in Detroit on November 18, 2017. I will write about him in next week’s column.

I am back at my desk after having been away for ten days on vacation. This little break gave me the opportunity to visit with several old friends and family members whom I only get to see when I am in Western Pennsylvania. A highlight for me was attending a dinner on Saturday night (August 26) with about 200 classmates from the 1967 Senior Class of Butler Area Senior High School.

On August 12, 2017, a young man from Ohio slammed his car into a crowd of protestors and onlookers at Charlottesville, VA. A young woman died and many more people suffered serious injuries. On the same day two state troopers were killed when their helicopter accidentally crashed while assisting in law enforcement efforts.

Today I conclude my reporting of an address to the Napa Institute that Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles gave earlier this year. Archbishop Gomez encouraged his audience to recognize the great mission to America that was inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe and to realize that mission was still continuing. To this purpose Archbishop presented a spiritual interpretation of the Guadalupe story in light of the present situation in our country.

We will celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption on Tuesday of this week. I saw a report of a talk that Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles recently gave at the Napa Institute. His remarks are very timely as we prepare to gather for Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption.

In last week’s column I proposed that we look at practicing the works of mercy as way to answer the following question. In a world divided by economics and education, social status and political opinions, race and religion, what can I do this week to bring people together? I want to continue that conversation in this week’s column. Let’s look at some works of mercy and some concrete ways to practice them as suggested by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

We regularly feature a question of the week in the bulletin. The question for this week is this: In a world divided by economics and education, social status and political opinions, race and religion, what can I do this week to bring people together? An answer that I want to propose today for all of us is to be attentive to practicing the works of mercy.

The recent death of my mother has led to conversations in which a number of people asked me about the church’s position on the burial of deceased. Some of these people asked questions because they heard about a recent document from the Holy See.

In my column today I want to draw attention to another issue of great concern to the Catholic Bishops of Maryland. This is the issue of human trafficking. On April 3, 2017, our Bishops issued a statement in which they remind us that human trafficking is an international, national, and local scourge and a grave violation of the dignity and freedom of all its victims. Human trafficking includes both labor and sex trafficking, and rivals the global drug industry in its scope and profits. Human trafficking affects the lives of countless victims from all over the world.

Recently I read an interview on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB) with the Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of Venice, Florida who is also chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. He was asked to comment on “A New Foundation for American Greatness,” the recently released presidential budget proposal that would increase defense spending by $54 billion and then offset that by stripping money from many agencies that serve millions of people, including the poor.

On May 30, 2017, the Catholic Bishops of Maryland released a statement addressing immigration in Maryland. Our Bishops have called for compassion, prudence, and cooperation. They note that the complexity of federal immigration enforcement policies at the local level are of particular concern.

One of the things that really grieves me as a pastor is when I need to talk with families where a young adult is in the throes of drug addiction. I really empathize with parents who suffer so and feel so very helpless when they see their adult children in crisis.

Ordinary Time, the longest season of the church year, fills the weeks “which do not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ.” It’s the no-particular-reason season. Christmas Time honors the birth of Christ. Easter Time rejoices in the resurrection. Ordinary Time is devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects.

My sister Annemarie, my brother Jim, and I want to thank the parishioners who have sent us cards or stopped to offer condolences on the death of our mother. Yesterday (June 10) I was in Butler, Pennsylvania where I offered a second Mass for the repose of her soul and then said the prayers at the cemetery as she was laid to rest beside our father and our sister Katie. May mother rest in peace!

Today we celebrate Pentecost, which is traditionally celebrated as the “birthday of the church.” On this great feast of Pentecost we might spend some time thinking about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. I am going to talk about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Isaiah 11:2-3 in a description of the savior: wisdom, understanding, counsel (right judgment), fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety (reverence), fear of the Lord (wonder and awe).

I want to begin this column with a Prayer for Memorial Day taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. I found this prayer on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and present it to you for your thoughts and prayers, particularly for when we celebrate Memorial Day. I want to devote this rest of this column to the Mass Preferences Survey to report on some more of the interesting information that we have gleaned from it.

At all the masses last weekend I announced that Father Jonathan (Jack) Berard has been assigned by Cardinal Wuerl to be the Parochial Vicar (formerly known as Assistant or Associate Pastor) for St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Derwood, MD. Fr. Berard will report here on July 12, 2017.

I am happy to tell you that Cardinal Wuerl has assigned Joseph Salser, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington to our parish for eight weeks or pastoral training and service this summer. Joseph will arrive on Wednesday, May 17. As you know I announced at all the Masses last weekend that we will soon phase out the 1:00 p.m. Sunday Mass. I did this light of several things. The survey that was administered online and in church in March asked parishioners whether they preferred to keep the 8:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Mass. 53% of respondents favored keeping the 8:00 a.m. Mass and 47% preferred retaining the 1:00 p.m. Mass.

Several weeks ago now I began what will be a series of columns on Being Catholic Today: Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge, a Pastoral Letter that Cardinal Wuerl issued on May 24, 2015. The Cardinal identified five key themes of being a Catholic today. I want to devote this column to the fifth and final theme: Expressions of our Identity.