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Few issues elicit such vehement and vitriolic responses from the Catholic faithful like those dealing with immigration. Such was the case recently when our Maryland Catholic Conference pledged the support of the Catholic Church in Maryland for a bill that will allow immigrant students to attend Maryland’s state institutions of higher learning at the same tuition rate as other resident students of Maryland.

Dear People of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, The issue of a shortage of priests has always been with our Church. Whether in the early days of the newly reated Diocese of Baltimore or when European immigration was at its zenith, bishops have always contended with the issue of having enough priests to serve the spiritual needs of the people.

As we prepare to celebrate National Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 30-Feb. 5, I thought it beneficial to revisit the study on the economic benefits of Catholic schools, which was shared with community leaders two weeks ago and covered by our Catholic and other media.

A Catholic Spanish magazine reported a summary of the presentation of Jesuit Father Allan Deck at the last Conference of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, Raíces y Alas 2010. He mentioned several significant changes that give hope for the future of the Hispanic community in the United States, such as:

For those present Jan. 12 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen(see Page 8), Deacon Rod Mortel’s homily on the tragedy that continues to unveil in his native Haiti one year after a devastating earthquake rocked the island nation, was, I hope, as moving for them as it was for me. For those who were not able to attend, the powerful witness Dr. Mortel offers of the human suffering and need for prayers among the people of Haiti unfolds inhis homily text that follows. May each of us continue to remember in prayer our suffering sisters and brothers in Haiti.

This year, the Church’s celebration of the miraculous and timeless story of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day coincided, just one day later, with our observation honoring the loving and powerful witness of the Holy Family of Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph.