One of the features of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening was the Presentation of the Oils. I was asked after the Mass about the significance of these oils. I want to devote the column today to this important question. I am going to use a nice explanation that was printed in the back cover of the worship aid for the Chrism Mass that was celebrated by our former Archbishop, Donald Cardinal Wuerl several years ago at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle. The blessing of the Oil of the Sick occurs during the Eucharistic Prayer, while the blessing of the Oil of Catechumens and the Holy Chrism came after Communion at that Mass. The priest present renewed their priestly promises to Cardinal Wuerl during the Chrism Mass.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He has risen indeed! Alleluia! Many years ago, I was at a family gathering occasioned by the visit of two of my grandmother’s sisters from their homes near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Grandma and her sisters reminisced about a tragic event that happened when they were children or teenagers. They had gone to Sans Souci Amusement Park in Hanover Township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania where they witnessed a cousin drown in the pool there. Each of them talked about things they remembered on that fateful day. Then I saw something that I had never seen before. I saw someone correct Grandma! Not only one person, but two people, my grandmother’s sisters. I remember Grandma saying one thing she recalled from watching their cousin drown only to have her sister Mary challenge what she said. Then Aunt Bridget challenged something else that Aunt Mary said with Grandma telling them they were both wrong about something else. But they eventually came up with a narrative with which they all agreed.

Last week I gave the first part of Pope Leo’s Message for Lent 2026. Today I am quoting from his second and third points. Even though Lent will soon be over, the Holy Father’s points are well worth considering

In my column for today, I want to present the message that Pope Leo delivered for Lent on February 7, 2026. Here it is: Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion

I have been reading the Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2020. I think that it is quite good. For that reason, I want to share it with you. Because of its length I will share it with you in the next two columns. Here is the first part for your reflection and study.

Ten years ago, Emily Simpson published an article in the now defunct Our Sunday Visitor about the spiritual works of mercy. In that article she paired an individual spiritual work of mercy with a particular saint. Let me list those below *Counseling the doubtful: St. Francis de Sales *Instructing the Ignorant: St. Francis Xavier *Admonishing sinners: St. Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe *Forgiving offenses: St. Maria Goretti *Comforting the afflicted: St. André Bessette *Bearing wrongs patiently: St. Jean Juggan *Praying for the living and the dead: St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Today is the Second Sunday of Lent. This afternoon our catechumens and candidates will be going to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington for the Rite of Election. A catechumen is someone preparing to receive all the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil. The candidate is someone who has already been baptized but is preparing to receive the other Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. If the Candidate was not baptized in the Catholic Church, he or she will be received into the Catholic Church just before receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Easter Vigil.

As I mentioned in my column last week, Robert Cardinal McElroy has met with over four hundred lay leaders from our parishes over the last year to get their input on establishing some pastoral goals for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington for the next five years. At the Priest Convocation that Fr. G. and I attended in November 2025, the priests at the convocation were asked to formulate six goals for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington based on the input from the four hundred or so lay leaders.

Over the past year Robert Cardinal McElroy has met with over four hundred lay leaders from our parishes to get their input on some pastoral goals for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington for the next five years. At the Priest Convocation that Fr. G. and I attended in November 2025, the priests at the convocation were asked to formulate six goals for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington based on the input from the four hundred or so lay leaders.

I first came to realize that there were different rites in the Catholic Church through the help of my religion teacher in the eighth grade, Sister M. Jane Frances, R.S.M. Let me explain what I mean by the word “rite” in this context: the diverse liturgical traditions in which the one catholic and apostolic faith has come to be expressed and celebrated in various cultures and lands. For more on this you check the Glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Emily Simpson wrote an article that was published in the January 31, 2016, issue of Our Sunday Visitor. Unfortunately, Our Sunday Visitor ceased publication in 2025. In her article, “Corporal Works of Mercy: Let the Saints Be Your Guide,” Emily paired together a corporal work of mercy with a saint who exhibited this work of mercy in a particular way. When I read her article again recently, I was reminded that it was still very timely a decade later. Let me list the Corporal Works of Mercy and the saint whom she linked with that work of mercy.

We celebrate Catholic Schools Week from the last Sunday of January through the following Saturday. In other words, today marks the start of Catholic Schools Week 2026. As I think back to my time as a student at St. Paul School in Butler, Pennsylvania, I remember that my teachers, Sisters of Mercy, were originally from the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. They came from cities and towns like Altoona, Bedford, Ebensburg, Johnstown, New Germany, Portage, and Spangler. A few were even from Butler! The students at St. Paul School in my time often heard stories about the Johnstown Flood and Prince Demetrius Gallitzin (1770-1840). I want to devote this column to Prince Gallitzin, who spent many years as the sole priest in Western Pennsylvania.

I want to continue listing some good advice on parish etiquette as we are at the beginning of a New Year. These reflections were first presented by Barbara Budde in a pamphlet (which is no longer in print) for the National Pastoral Life Center. Today I want to make some suggestions about what to do if Mass has already begun or if you need to leave early.

The beginning of the year is a time when we make resolutions about things we could put into practice in the New Year. To that end, let me offer some good advice on parish etiquette as we are at the beginning of a New Year. These reflections were first presented by Barbara Budde in a pamphlet (which is no longer in print) for the National Pastoral Life Center. Let me mention some things that we could do to prepare well for the Sunday liturgy.

As we celebrate the Epiphany today, I find myself thinking about the Holy Family. When they had to flee to Egypt to avoid the raging King Herod who wanted to murder the Christ child because Herod feared this child under two years of age was destined to seize his throne. The Holy Family was fleeing for their lives from murder and violence—just as many families are doing today. Herod wanted no rivals, so this child had to die. As we know so well, the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem perished instead.

For my message today, I want to use something that I wrote nearly seven years ago, as it remains very timely. In addition to being the first day of the New Year, January 1, 2019, was the fifty-second World Day of Peace. Pope Francis has made several observations about good politics being at the service of peace in his message for the World Day of Peace. In talking about the challenge of good politics, Pope Francis noted that “Political office and political responsibility thus constantly challenge those called to the service of their country to make every effort to protect those who live there and to create the conditions for a worthy and just future. If exercised with basic respect for life, freedom and dignity of persons, political life can indeed become an outstanding form of charity.

In my column today I want to print what is probably the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language. This has become a Christmas custom for me. I am happy to do it again this year. Enjoy!

One of the seven saints canonized on October 19, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV was Saint Vincenza Maria Poloni, ISM. Today I will tell you a bit about her life and her accomplishments.

I am continuing this series of columns on saints canonized by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican almost two months ago. Today we are looking at Saint María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez who was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1903.

After the canonization of the seven new Saints in Saint Peters Square in Rome on Sunday October 19. 2025, Pope Leo XIV addressed the pilgrims who traveled from all over the world for the event. He described the celebration in which saints were canonized as one that reminded us that the communion of the church embraced all the faithful, across space and time, in every language and culture, uniting us as the people of God, the body of Christ, and the living temple of the Holy Spirit.