My mother had a beautiful rose garden in the backyard of our house when I was growing up. When I got to be old enough she would ask me to help her pull the weeds in the rose garden so that the roses would thrive. I didn’t particularly enjoy weeding but I saw that we had to be persistent with it. Otherwise the weeds would overrun the rose garden. I think that this is a good analogy for what we need to do with Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS): keep weeding it out of our lives. It looks like PAS is going to be an issue in the coming session of the Maryland General Assembly. Activists from outside the State will be back again trying to persuade our legislators to pass a Physician-Assisted Suicide bill. On February 28, 2020, I went to Annapolis to testify against the “End of Life Options Act” (Senate Bill 701/House of Delegates Bill 643). Since this issue is likely to be taken up again by the Maryland General Assembly, let me go over some of the reasons why I think physician-assisted suicide is a really bad idea. I am relying on some points provided by the Maryland Catholic Conference to make this point. Here are some things we should consider:

We have experienced many cancelled events and disappointments during this time of pandemic. For the second year in a row Saint Nicholas has had to cancel his customary visit to our parish. He would have been expected to come last Sunday, December 5, the Second Sunday of Advent because it is the day before his actual feast day. Perhaps because Saint Nicholas (known by some by the nickname Santa Claus) had to cancel his travel plans last year and this year as a precaution owing to restrictions in international travel, some of the children of the parish might be asking the question that Virginia O’Hanlon asked the editor of a New York newspaper many years ago. In anticipation of Christmas, which we will celebrate in less than two weeks from now, I want to print what is probably the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language. In 1897, the New York Sun received a letter to the Editor from Virginia O’Hanlon, who was eight years old and a resident of New York City. Her letter was only a four sentences long:

Last Friday, December 3, we celebrated the International Day of Persons with Developmental Differences. Pope Francis had an important message for those with developmental differences. I want to present today two points that he made in that address and also provide his commentary on those points. My source for this is the Vatican website.

Among the activities of the recently concluded meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was the agreement on November 17, 2021 that the sainthood causes for three laypeople from the United States should be advanced by their perspective dioceses. Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of Lafayette, Louisiana presented the causes of Auguste Robert “Nonco” Pelafigue and Charlene Richard. Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu presented the third cause, that of Joseph Dutton. In 2007 the Vatican issued a document Sanctorum Mater (Mother of Saints) requiring a diocesan bishop promoting a sainthood cause to consult with the body of bishops on the advisability of pursuing the case. That is why Bishop Deshotel and Bishop Silva made these presentations at the recent USCCB meeting. The bishops affirmed advancement of all three causes via voice vote with no audible dissent. All three sainthood candidates have the title “Servant of God,” given to them when their causes officially opened. I want to devote the rest of this Flocknote to Brother Joseph Dutton, as he has been informally called.

November is National Black Catholic History Month. As part of our observance of this important annual event I want to continue our survey of American Leaders of African Descent on the road to sainthood. This week we will look at three saintly individuals: Venerable Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA.

November is National Black Catholic History Month. One way that I thought we could observe that was to look at the six African American people whose cause for canonization is advancing. We’ll look at three individuals on the road to sainthood this week. We’ll look at the other three next week. I am going to base my remarks on the reflections of each of the six that have been provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Before I present the first three candidates for possible canonization, let me give a quick explanation of terms. Servant of God is the title of a person who died “in the odor of sanctity” and into whose life and virtues the Church has instituted an inquiry for the purpose of having the person declared Blessed, which will bring with it the right to receive liturgical celebrations. Venerable is the title of a Servant of God whose cause or beatification has been introduced and whose heroic virtue or martyrdom has been officially established. However, those who have been declared Venerable cannot yet receive public liturgical veneration. We will look now at the six candidates in chronological order: three this week and three next week.

Today marks the beginning of National Vocation Awareness Week, which will continue until Saturday, November 13, 2021. National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education. During this week we renew our prayers and support for those considering one of the vocations. NVAW began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year as a week to promote vocation awareness. In 1997 the bishops moved the celebration to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, but in 2014 they moved it once again to the first full week of November.

During the month of October we have been celebrating Respect Life Month. I want to talk today about a specific issue assaulting the right to life: Physician-Assisted Suicide. The next Maryland legislative session will open in January. Powerful out-of-state activists will try to bring physician-assisted suicide to Maryland. It is important for us to realize why this matters for us and our families. To answer that I am going to reproduce here and slightly adapt some points made in a Parish Resource Kit prepared by the Maryland Catholic Conference.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In support of this annual observance I am presenting in this column some material developed under the guidance of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Priest Advisory Committee, of which I am a member. One message that our committee wants to communicate is this: You Don’t Deserve to be Abused!

Last weekend Pope Francis invoked the Holy Spirit on us as the People of God so that we will able to move forward together, to listen to each other, and discern our times in solidarity with the struggles and aspirations of all humanity. The Holy Father celebrated a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome last Sunday, October 10. Dioceses around the world will begin the synodal journey today. The Archdiocese of Washington has developed a pastoral plan to implement the Synod Pope Francis is convoking. The Archdiocese has provided priests with some briefing materials. They will be my source for the rest of this column.

October is both Respect Life Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There is certainly an important connection between the two events. In observance of both events I am finishing the overview of Domestic Violence that is based on an important statement entitled When I Call for Help. This statement was issued several years ago by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. At the end of the column I am including the statement for Respect Life Month by Archbishop Joseph Naumann.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I am going to devote both this week’s and next week’s column to presenting an overview of Domestic Violence that is based on an important statement entitled When I Call for Help. This statement was published several years ago now from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Today marks the final day of National Migration Week. The Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated this event for nearly fifty years. It provides an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking. This year National Migrant Week began on September 20. Its closing today dovetails with the Vatican’s celebration of World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR). The primary theme for WDMR for this year is “Toward an ever wider ‘WE.’ When Pope Francis announced this year’s theme, he emphasized that “this focus calls on us to ensure that ‘after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those,’ but only ‘us” (Fratelli tutti, no. 35). And this universal us must become a reality first of all within the Church which is called to cultivate communion in diversity.’

Eight days ago we had the twentieth anniversary of that awful day when nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Shanksville, PA. Last Sunday about forty parishioners attended a Prayer Service here in which we reflected on Scripture, and prayed for special groups of people during a period of intercessory prayer. It was a very moving night for me, especially since I have ministered to families who lost someone at 9/11 in three of the parishes in which I have been assigned. For them 9/11 is always a sad and painful day of remembrance.

Last Monday we celebrated Labor Day which in my childhood marked the end of the summer vacation. The day after Labor Day marked the first day of school. It was a day of new routines, getting to know the new teacher—in most cases our classroom teacher was a Sister of Mercy, and seeing friends after the summer absence. It wasn’t until many years later I learned the significance of Labor Day. Now that I have a better understanding of why we celebrate Labor Day, I look forward to the annual statement by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for the occasion. Their statement follows in the footsteps of that great champion of the working man and woman: James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 to 1921. The statement for Labor Day 2021 was issued by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City in his capacity as the chairman of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. Archbishop Coakley makes the observation that these are both encouraging signs of economic recovery and ongoing hardships related to COVID-19.

On Sunday, August 29, 2021 Pope Francis addressed the people gathered to pray the Angelus with him. He told them that he was following the situation in Afghanistan with great concern, adding “I share in the suffering of those who mourn for the people who lost their lives in the suicide attacks last Thursday, and of those who are seeking help and protection.” The Holy Father commended the souls of the almost two hundred people who were killed in the suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport last week to the mercy of Almighty God. Pope Francis thanked everyone who was continuing to assist those in need and was praying that dialogue and solidarity may lead to the establishment of peaceful and fraternal coexistence and offer hope for the future of the country. The Holy Father reminded everyone that in historical moments like the present one we cannot remain indifferent, adding “I appeal to everyone to intensify prayer and practice fasting, prayer and penance. Now is the time to do it.”

Haiti is struggling to recover from the earthquake followed by Tropical Storm Grace. This has aggravated the devastation and long-standing civil unrest in the country. The people of Haiti will no doubt see ongoing hardship in the weeks ahead as they begin recovery and rebuilding efforts. On August 20, 2022, Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has sent a letter to all bishops in the United States to ask them to consider taking up a voluntary special collection in their dioceses for the Bishops Emergency Fund.

On Saturday, August 14, 2021, Haiti suffered a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. As of late Sunday, August 15, 2021, nearly 1,300 people have been killed, more than 5,700 people are injured, and more than 30,250 needed shelter as a result of the earthquake, which affected the southwestern part of the country, particularly the Dioceses of Jérémie, Les Cayes, and Anse-à-Veau Mirogoane.

Every now and then a solemnity like that of the Assumption falls on a Sunday. When this happens in Ordinary Time, the solemnity takes precedence. At the end of her earthly life, God assumed Mary into heaven where she reigns as queen until the end of time. From the beginning of her life on earth, when she was immaculately conceived, until the end the Blessed Virgin Mary conformed her life to God’s will. We can look upon her as we endeavor to discern God’s will in our own lives.

Christians are called to be saints. Saints are persons in heaven (whether they are officially canonized or not) who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their lives for others, or were martyred for the faith. Their lives are worthy to be imitated.