The Book of Sirach furnishes the first reading for Mass this weekend. Sirach is among the books of the Old Testament known as the wisdom literature. These books seek to show that the Jews’ ancient faith in the one God of Israel, and their insistence that God’s law be obeyed, are wholly logical and reasonable.

This brief resource will help facilitate prayerful reading/listening and discussion of Archbishop Thompson’s reflection on the themes of unity and peace.

1. En su obra maestra, Ciudad de Dios, san Agustín escribió: “La paz de la ciudad celeste es la sociedad perfectamente ordenada y perfectamente armoniosa en el gozar de Dios y en el mutuo gozo en Dios. La paz de todas las cosas es la tranquilidad del orden. Y el orden es la distribución de los seres iguales y diversos, asignándole a cada uno su lugar”. [Libro XIX, Capítulo 13]

1. In his masterpiece, City of God, St. Augustine wrote: “The peace of the celestial city is the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God, and of one another in God. The peace of all things is the tranquility of order. Order is the distribution which allots things equal and unequal, each to its own place.” [Book XIX, Chapter 13]

We were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our hearts are breaking for those impacted by this violence. Moments like this call on us to lift up the victims’ families, students, faculty and staff in prayer. In light of this tragedy, we want to reiterate our commitment and our top priority: the safety and well-being of the students and staff in our Catholic schools. The loss of young life, especially due to a school shooting, is tragic. Events like this cause us to pause and recommit to the safety and well-being of all.

Como parte de su labor constante de ayuda a las parroquias del centro y sur de Indiana, la Oficina de Evangelización de la Arquidiócesis ofrecerá su primer retiro—en inglés y español por separado—en la parroquia San Marcos Evangelista de Indianápolis, el día 8 de noviembre, de 9 a.m. a 4 p.m. El retiro, titulado “La gran historia de Jesús,” tiene como objetivo que los participantes se familiaricen con lo que proclama la Iglesia: que Cristo vino para nuestra salvación y llama a todos a encontrarle y seguirle en la Iglesia.

In its continuing effort to assist the parishes of central and southern Indiana, the archdiocesan Office of Evangelization will offer its first-ever retreat—in separate English and Spanish tracks—at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Nov. 8. “The Great Story of Jesus Evangelization Retreat” will familiarize participants with the Church’s proclamation: that Christ came for our salvation and calls all to encounter and follow him in the Church.

As the director of youth ministry for the archdiocese, Rachel Gilman strives to bring young people into a deeper relationship with Jesus. When she was asked to share her ideas toward that goal for high school students during this school year, she approached that request from the perspective of her talking directly to a teenager.

As a mother of two and an educator of 23 years, Tracy Jansen knows “there’s always something new to learn.” Hoping to share her knowledge with grade school children and their parents, the archdiocese’s 2024-25 “Principal of the Year” offers these “practical tips to help families kick off the school year with confidence, Christ and a strong foundation.”

As a dad and an educator, Kevin Banich knows the hopes and the dreams that parents have for their children as another school year starts. He also knows about the strong emotional bond that connects a parent and a child, a deep bond that’s reflected in a quote from author Elizabeth Stone that he shares: “Having a child is like having a piece of your heart walking around outside of your body.”

If your life is anything like mine, you blink your eyes and another five years has gone by. Time passes quickly. I am reminded of this truth when I sit down with clients to discuss updates to estate planning documents. Though it may seem like yesterday, oftentimes several years have passed since the wills were reviewed and, in the meantime, loved ones have been born, grown up, moved away or died. Life has changed.

When I saw the sign, it made me smile. The sign caught my attention as I was driving along a two-lane road leading into the Jersey Shore community of Sea Isle City, where I was vacationing with our extended family in July.

As Catholics, we often talk about how important it is spread the Gospel message of Jesus across our communities. In serving as the director of the archdiocese’s Department of Pastoral Ministries, I have been privileged to witness the many instances within this department of how our Church prepares and equips the people of God to do this very thing. Here are just a few examples of this important work.

Polarization. We live in a vast pool of it. We are drained of creative, life-giving energy by the creatures within this pool: “them vs. us” and “either/or.”

My mother-in-law Edith Lecher prayed the rosary every day for years. Sometimes, she did this at her home with her husband Steve. She often led it before Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church in Enochsburg, a campus of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Decatur County. Steve and Edie, as she was commonly known, also prayed the rosary often during their frequent trips to visit their 11 children, 33 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

In a homily given on July 20, Pope Leo XIV offered some reflections on “God’s way of acting.” In the Gospel reading for the Mass (Lk 10:38-42), Jesus appears as a guest at the house of Martha and Mary. “One of the sisters welcomes him by serving him, while the other sits at his feet, listening as a disciple would her teacher,” Pope Leo says.

If you think the prayers you’ve offered for vocations—particularly petitions invoking the Blessed Mother—aren’t bearing fruit, think again. It appears your prayers—and especially the prayers that prospective seminarians and religious pray on their vocational journey—make a difference.

Hoy, 22 de agosto, nuestra Iglesia celebra la memoria de “Santa María, Reina de los cielos y la tierra” y la semana pasada celebramos la Solemnidad de la Asunción, el día 15 de agosto.