News - June 2022 RSS Feed

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In response to this ruling Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement:

On last Tuesday, June 21st, the Church remembered two martyrs of the Catholic Church in sixteenth century England: a bishop (John Fisher) and a layman (Thomas More). They were both canonized in 1935. Their feast was placed on the day of martyrdom of John Fisher, while Thomas More was put to death a few days later (on July 6).

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, granddads, step-dads out there who are reading this column. Some of you may be wondering how Father’s Day came about. Many Catholic countries observe Father’s Day on March 19th, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph.

The Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood, a Catholic children’s association for the benefit of the foreign missions, was frequently promoted when I was a grade school student. We were encouraged to purchase and to use Christmas seals from the Holy Childhood Association on our Christmas cards and Christmas correspondence. Through the Holy Childhood Association I first came to learn about a remarkable French woman named Pauline Jaricot. As of May 22, 2022, she is now known as Blessed Pauline Jaricot (1799-1862).

On May 25, 1972, Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle, then Archbishop of Washington, decreed the building of a new Parish: St. Francis of Assisi in Derwood, MD. The church was then officially born on June 1, 1972, its boundaries drawing parishioners from St. Peter’s in Olney, St. Martin’s in Gaithersburg, and St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s in Rockville. The first mass was celebrated on June 4, 1972 with Father John Stack presiding in the Redland Middle School gym.