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The present came, first of all, from the priests who sent in the names and addresses of potential seminary candidates. It came also, if more remotely, from the families of these young men, parents who had brought them up in a setting where the faith was lived and honored. The gift came directly from ten […]

To my great surprise, Thanksgiving Day saw me in the air en route to Turkey – and, to anticipate a question, there was no turkey on the menu during the flight that evening! The day before, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, was on the telephone from Rome. He had seen the […]

It is a personal joy for me to represent His Holiness Pope John Paul II here today in presenting, in the name of Pope John Paul, the great honor of Knight Commander of St. Gregory the Great to Rabbi Mordecai Waxman in recognition of his extraordinary leadership over the past several decades in fostering improved […]

Dear Friends in Christ, On Ash Wednesday Jesus, through the Church, again invites us to walk with him, as best we can, along the Lenten way to Holy Week and Easter. During this Lent, I invite you to join me in invoking the Holy Spirit to guide us through this special season of prayer, penance […]

Just days ago Baltimore rejoiced at the extraordinary visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Some remarkable aspects of his visit deserve reporting now. The media accounts accurately describe the sense of prayer, excitement and the love of unity in the making during the historic prayer service at the Basilica of the Assumption. To the Patriarch I […]

In the first reading Isaiah lifts up a prophetic vision of how God will save his people. He describes a God who opens the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, gives new strength to legs and speech to muted tongues. This saving God, Isaiah tells us, can also turn arid desert […]

Your All Holiness, With great joy we welcome you to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore. We who are members of the Catholic laity, religious women and men, and clergy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore are joined this afternoon by members of the Orthodox Church, by leaders of […]

Your Eminence, Cardinal Hickey, Dear friends who serve the cause of justice through the law, To the John Carroll Society go my thanks for inviting me to pray with you, and to reflect with you, for all those who live their lives in service to the law. Your invitation came with a unique condition–or at […]

Six weeks ago Pope John Paul II came to the United States and to the United Nations. In a few full days, he gave our nation, and our world, a remarkable lesson in leadership, a lesson of consistency and courage, rooted in the gospel of Jesus. In pouring rain and driving wind and bright sunshine, […]

Most Holy Father, With joy we welcome you to Baltimore in Maryland. We welcome you, remembering how you have spoken in Eastern Europe with such persuasive power of the God-given right to religious freedom. We welcome you to Maryland where, before any other place in the English-speaking world, the Catholic-led general assembly legislated in 1639 […]