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Pope Francis to meet with thousands of grandparents and their grandchildren at the Vatican

Posted on by Catholic News Agency

“A Caress and a Smile” is the name of the event that will take place April 27 in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall where elderly people, grandparents, and grandchildren from Italy will meet Pope Francis.

A total of 6,000 grandparents and their grandchildren will arrive this week at the Vatican for a special gathering with the Holy Father.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, noted that Italy has the second-highest number of elderly people in the world and that for the first time in history, four generations are living together, which “had never happened before.”

He also lamented that currently “we are afraid to use” the word “old” and that old age “is not only a very beautiful time, but can mean a change of direction, within the culture, society, economy, and also of religion.”

The prelate noted the special affection that Pope Francis has for older people and recalled the catechetical series that he dedicated to them, teaching “how to live the last 30 years” of life in a Christian way.

“This event will be held to give a new vision of old age. Old age is a great age, not to be wasted or a burden. Old age is not disconnected from other ages of life,” Paglia continued.

The prelate also noted the demographic winter that Italy is going through and highlighted the “particular harmony” and special ties that exist between grandparents and their grandchildren, two generations “that cannot live without each other.”

The event, organized by the Italian Old Age Foundation, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Rome time with a reflection on old age.

About 40 minutes later, Pope Francis will arrive at the Paul VI Hall to hear the testimony of two grandparents (among them a 91-year-old woman) and three grandchildren.

In addition, Pope Francis established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which this year will be celebrated on July 28.

—This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

‘We are disciples of the Prince of Peace’

Posted on by Deacon Phil Lawson

We pray for peace a lot don’t we?

Next time you’re at Mass, listen for how many times the word “peace” is said, both in the prayers and in the readings. It’s quite frequent!

As Christians, we are disciples of the Prince of Peace, and we regularly invoke the aid of Our Lady Queen of Peace. St. Paul begins most of his epistles invoking the Lord’s peace on his audience. One of our most popular saints (Francis of Assisi) famously prayed: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” A standard dismissal of any liturgical rite, be it Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, or other devotion, when a priest or deacon is present is: “Go in peace.”

There’s a reason for all those prayerful supplications. To state the obvious, we’re a long way from the peace that we so ardently desire in our world and in ourselves.  There is far too much that is not peaceful in our world. And we can be discouraged by so much of what we don’t have any control over.

Our Lord Himself tells us: “In the world you will have trouble …” acknowledging the lack of peace. But then He offers Himself that we might “have peace in me (Jesus)” (John 16:33).

At every Mass, we are offered His gift of peace. Every time we come before Him, we can seek to partake of His peace. We can allow ourselves to be filled with His peace. And what peace is that? The peace of restored union between us and God. Peace that restores the rupture caused by sin. Peace that He pours into open and disposed hearts. Peace that transcends the troubles that we all face.

It was this peace that our Lord offered on Easter Sunday when He appeared to the disciples (the first evangelizers) and twice says to them “Peace be with you” (John 20:19-23). Their external troubles in the world were not removed when they were given that peace. As John emphasizes, the doors were locked. And into this fearful atmosphere, steps the Lord, offering His peace.

Note again, this gift of peace didn’t materially change their circumstances. They still had reason to fear that what happened to Jesus at the hands of the authorities could happen to them (and indeed would eventually for most of them in their martyrdoms). But the most important thing had changed – the Lord had now restored peace between humanity and God.

The gates of heaven had been opened and the devil defeated. With that certainty, even amidst the dangers and trials of the present, fear was replaced by the peace of God. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you …. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” John 14:27  (Romans 8:31).

Interestingly the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines peace in three ways: a fruit of the Holy Spirit; a goal of Christian living; and via St. Augustine, “the tranquility of order.”

Even the order is interesting. It is first of all a “gift,” secondly it is an intentional goal of the Christian life, and finally, and largely as a result of the first two, it is tranquility in our world.  Peace is not something we can attain on our own; and there is ample evidence throughout history of the folly of thinking that we can.

My goddaughter recently chose St. Francis of Assisi for her Confirmation saint. As a gift I got her a statue of St. Francis. It is a beautiful and peaceful depiction of the saint, surrounded by some animals, including the previously fearsome wolf of Gubbio. The statue also depicts the source of that peace, as St. Francis is depicted holding a crucifix and also has a rosary attached to his cincture. Furthermore, if you look at his hands, you’ll see a red mark on each, depicting the stigmata. For it was in Christ, and his complete communion with Christ, even in his sufferings, that Francis found peace and brought that peace to all those he encountered.

Instead of giving in to despair at the lack of peace, we can instead return to the source of peace; asking the Lord Jesus for that gift of peace to be bestowed on each of us, and from there let that peace flow out into our families, our work, our ministries, and the larger world. And as at every Mass we have the opportunity to be filled with the Prince of Peace, we rightly and joyfully “go in peace” to bring that same peace to all those we encounter.

—Deacon Phil Lawson is the executive director of pastoral ministries for the Diocese of Burlington. He can be reached at plawson@vermontcatholic.org.

—Originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

 

 

Good Shepherd Catholic School teacher ‘happy as can be’ making students’ hot lunches

Posted on by Cori Urban

Fourteen-year-old Miranda Caron, an eighth grader at Good Shepherd Catholic School in St. Johnsbury, is not one of those teens who complains about her school’s hot lunches. In fact, she said the meals prepared by Jennifer Littlefield, the lunch coordinator, “are like home-cooked meals and really good.”

Her favorite is the baked ziti. “She gives us really good portions of everything,” Miranda said.

There is a general consensus about the high quality of the lunches. Gabe Emmons, 12, a seventh grader, said the lunches not only taste good, they are satisfying: “They’re healthy but they’re good healthy.”

Jo Anna Hall, one of the tutors at the school, often eats hot lunch there. “The food is delicious. (Littlefield) wants to prepare things the kids want to eat and are still good for them,” she said.

Sloppy Joes were on the menu on a recent Tuesday, and Littlefield admitted she had “snuck in” green peppers, onions and fresh tomatoes. But as per student requests, she does not add any vegetables to her macaroni and cheese.

Lunches include salad, fruit and milk. Littlefield makes her own bread, like braided garlic bread, and she varies the menu with entrees that also include breakfast pizza and cheddar broccoli soup.

A single serving costs $3.75 and $2 for an extra.

Littlefield plans the lunches, shops for the food, cooks, serves, leads the students in a prayer of thanksgiving and cleans up. Then she goes on to teach science in the afternoon and tutor students in math and reading.

This is the first year she has headed the lunch program, which serves 30-40 students daily.

Principal Lynn Cartularo is pleased with the lunch program. “We tried to do a hot lunch program for about six years, and things came together this year. We have nutritious meals the kids love and somebody who is reliable and wants to do it.”

Littlefield is pleased to have the opportunity to cook for the students. “I grew up in my great-grandmother’s kitchen” in Newark, she said. It was Laurie (“Tommie”) Rogers who taught her home cooking from scratch and even had her own vegetable garden and chickens, cows and goats.

Now Littlefield, a wife and mother of two who lives in Barnet and is a parishioner of Corpus Christi Parish based in St. Johnsbury, does a lot of home cooking.

When the opportunity arose to cook the students’ hot lunches, she “absolutely” wanted to take on the job. “I want to bring healthy food to them each day,” she says. “Cooking, feeding and taking care of people is my ‘love language,’” she says. “If I can cook for them, I’m happy as can be.”

—Originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

5 Catholic ways to celebrate Earth Day

Posted on by Catholic News Agency

Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated yearly on April 22 to demonstrate support worldwide for environmental protection. The Catholic Church has a long tradition of calling for proper stewardship of the earth.

In May 2015, Pope Francis published Laudato Si’, an encyclical focusing on care for the natural environment and includes topics such as global warming and environmental degradation. He then released a follow-up document to the encyclical on Oct. 4, 2023, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, to address current issues.

In honor of Earth Day and in response to the Holy Father’s message urging the faithful to take action in protecting the environment, here are five ways Catholics can celebrate Earth Day, on Earth Day or at another time.

1) Spend time with God in nature.

Consider going on a hike or simply take a walk outside and spend time in prayer thanking God for his beautiful creation. You can also find a nice spot to sit and contemplate nature while resting in God’s presence. The whole family can participate in this one.

2) Create a Mary Garden.

A Mary Garden is one filled with plants, flowers, and trees that honor Our Lady and Jesus. Examples include baby’s breath to represent Mary’s veil, lilies to represent Mary’s queenship, poinsettia to represent the Christmas story, and chrysanthemum for Epiphany. You might also consider placing a statue of Mary in your garden. If you don’t have enough space outdoors, consider creating an indoor garden using a terrarium and smaller plants and mosses.

3) Read Laudato Si’.

Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ second encyclical after becoming pope, translates to “praise be to you.” This is in reference to St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures,” where the saint praises God for the goodness of natural forces such as the sun, wind, and water. The encyclical not only focuses on care for the environment and all people but also looks at broader questions about the relationship between God, humans, and the earth.

4) Take the St. Francis Pledge.

The St. Francis Pledge, initiated by the Catholic Climate Covenant, asks Catholics to commit to honor God’s creation and advocate on behalf of people in poverty who face the impacts of climate change around the world. The pledge includes praying and reflecting on the duty to care for God’s creation, analyzing how each of us contributes to climate change, and advocating for Catholic principles in discussions on the topic.

5) Learn more about the lives of the saints who had a connection to nature.

There are several saints who are known for their love of God’s creation including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, and St. John Paul II. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Kateri Tekakwitha are considered the patron and patroness of ecology. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was known for his love of hiking in the mountains and encountering God in nature. St. John Paul II was also known for taking spiritual retreats to the mountains and his love for the outdoors.

Steubenville East 2024

Posted on by Vermont Catholic

This summer, we are inviting high schoolers (incoming freshmen through graduating seniors) from across Vermont to join us at the Steubenville East youth conference in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The conference begins on Friday, July 26, and runs through Sunday, July 28.

Steubenville East is a Catholic conference for high schoolers from around New England. It is an inspiring weekend filled with faith-focused talks, small group discussions, fun activities, awesome live music, powerful Adoration sessions, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every day. Last year, the Diocese of Burlington took 50 teens to the conference where we joined hundreds of other teens from all over New England in praising Jesus.

This summer we invite your teen to join us! To register a student or chaperone for the conference, use this link on or before Friday, May 31: paperwork.lifeteen.com/c/9JJD. Registration for the conference is $325 per individual. This includes: event registration, five meals, lodging, and transportation. Participants typically fundraise the amount.

If you have any questions about Steubenville East, reach out to Isaac Desranleau, diocesan youth and young adult minister, at idesranleau@vermontcatholic.org.

— Published in the April 20-26, 2024, edition of The Inland See.

Monsignor McDermott’s Musing

Posted on by Msgr. John McDermott

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

My dear family in Christ:

One of my diocesan responsibilities for nearly 20 years has been to serve on the Diocesan Review Board. This group made up of a majority of lay people have the responsibility of assisting the bishop and diocese in the development and implementation of safe environment programs and policies, and, in some instances, serves as the primary advisory board to the bishop when an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest or deacon is received. While many might think this kind of committee work would be burdensome, I have found it to be some of the most rewarding work I have done. Why? Because I have had the great privilege to work with men and women who have helped the Diocese of Burlington create ministerial and pastoral environments in which our children and vulnerable adults are safe and respected as children of God.

It has been through the work of this committee that our Diocesan Code of Conduct, Ethics and Integrity in Ministry Policy, Safe Environment Training Programs, and other programs and guidelines have been established. This means that all of the adults who work with our children have completed a criminal background check, have completed safe environment training, and have learned what to do if they suspect a child or vulnerable adult under their care is being abused. It means that through the work of this committee, often done with little fanfare, the Catholic Church in Vermont has become a leader in preventing the abuse of our children and vulnerable adults.

April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month so I thought I would provide this simple shout out to the past and present members of the Diocesan Review Board. Thank you all for your dedicated support and guidance over these many years.

Additionally, I want to take this opportunity to offer a reminder of some of the basic tenets of ensuring a safe environment for those we minister to, young and old alike. The following summary comes from our Virtus and Circle of Grace training programs:

Collectively, preventing abuse requires that varying strategies all work together:

  • Train clergy, staff, parents, and volunteers to recognize the warning signs of child abuse and grooming behavior.
  • Control access to children by utilizing background checks and supervision of all those who work with children.
  • Control physical access to children including locking buildings, locking rooms not in use, and supervising spaces when in use.
  • Encourage clergy, staff, parents, and volunteers to report concerns to law enforcement and program leadership.
  • Educate children concerning boundaries and their own sacred dignity.

The Diocese of Burlington remains committed to working with all of our parishioners to ensure the safety of those entrusted to our care. While we cannot undo the failures of the past, we can take steps to prevent those failures from happening again.

If you have any questions regarding our efforts to ensure safe environments, please refer to our website Protecting Our Children – Ministries & Programs – Vermont Catholic or contact John Pfeifer in the Office of Safe Environment Programs at 802-658-6110.

In Christ the Good Shepherd,

Monsignor John J. McDermott

Diocesan Administrator