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Last week I presented part of a statement by the Most Reverend Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and the Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Let me continue where I left off last week.

Shortly after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, issued the following statement: “I ask our people of the Archdiocese of Washington and everyone of good will to keep former President Trump and all those killed or injured in last evening’s violence in our prayers. May those who work for the security of our country be strengthened in their duties. Let our nation be a land of peace.”

The National Eucharistic Congress that will begin this week in Indianapolis will be the tenth National Eucharistic Congress held in the United States. Let me give you a brief history of the previous nine National Eucharistic Congresses.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was born on April 6, 1901 (which was Holy Saturday that year) to Alfredo Frassati, an agnostic who owned the noted liberal newspaper La Stampa) and Adélaide Ametis, a noted painter. His only sister was his sister Luciana Gawronska. As a young man he was nicknamed the “Terror” because of his fondness for practical jokes. He was an average student in school, but he was known among his peers for his intelligence (and even more so for his devotion. He was dedicated to works of social action that would unite people together in fellowship as a way to combat inequalities. He was opposed to fascism and did not support the regime of Benito Mussolini. He was once arrested while protesting alongside the 1921 Young Catholic Workers Congress.