Promoting New Evangelization

by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York:

I’m spending this week at the Vatican for the first-ever meeting of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. I’m honored that the Holy Father has appointed me to this new and vital Council, responsible for helping to promote the faith. The Holy Father met with us on Monday, and our meetings with Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the President of the Council, and cardinals and bishops from around the world have been enlightening and inspiring. This is an area of tremendous emphasis for the Church, and it is reflected in the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone in these meetings.

Since I was in Rome, I took the opportunity to record my weekly radio program, “A Conversation with the Archbishop” for The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio from the studios of Vatican Radio. When I was Rector of the North American College in Rome, I used to record brief reflections for Vatican Radio, so it was great to be back. We recorded this week’s show in the Karol Wojtyla Studios, named for Pope John Paul II, since it was the studio that he used to record 21 Polish-language programs for Vatican Radio while he was the Cardinal-Archbishop of Krakow, Poland. I was a little let-down when I found out that I wasn’t the first Catholic Channel host to broadcast from the Karol Wojtyla Studio. Apparently Lino Rulli, The Catholic Guy, beat me to it! Archbishop Fisichella, Sean Patrick Lovett who heads the English desk at Vatican Radio, and Monsignor Paul Tighe, a priest from Dublin who now works at the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, were my guests. I hope you will listen on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time to hear the show on Sirius XM 129.

Archbishop Dolan and Archbishop Fisichella

You’ll notice a television camera in the picture with Archbishop Fisichella. The Today Show is broadcasting from the Vatican this Thursday morning, and they’ve asked me to be a part of it. I’ll be with Matt Lauer and Al Roker from Saint Peter’s Square. Should be a fun morning, so tune in if you can.

Have a blessed Ascension Thursday. 

Archbishop Dolan to inmates: 'All of us are sinners'

From Staten Island Live

The modest chapel at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Charleston is a daily source of comfort and redemption for dozens of the prison’s 950 inmates. Today, its grace and sanctity took on added meaning as Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, spiritual leader of Catholics in 405 parishes in the Archdiocese of New York visited to celebrate mass during the Lenten season. 

Inmate Juan Rodriguez greets Archbishop Dolan at the Arthur Kill
Correctional Facility after the Archbishop said mass at the facility. (Staten Island Advance/Irving Silverstein)

Some 75 inmates packed the room, and according to one, perhaps 15 others were turned away.

According to the medium-security state facility’s Superintendent, Dennis Breslin, those who faithfully attend mass were the primary target audience.

Those who made the cut spoke of the Archbishop and finding God in reverential tones.

Former Manhattan resident Pedro Robles, who’s been incarcerated for 13 years on a conviction of murder, said he attends mass "all the time." He said formal services are held Sunday and Tuesday; a Bible study class meets on Monday and "a special movie is screened on Wednesday."

Paul Vittoriosa of Huguenot, in year two of a five-year sentence on a burglary conviction, called the day "special."

"He takes time out of his day to come to us," he explained.

Inmate Kevin White who sang a song to the Archbishop titled "Beacon of Light," in which he told Dolan "Every time I pray, I think of you," said, "I was in awe." He called the experience of standing and singing before the leader of the Catholic church in this region of New York "extremely motivating and spiritual."

Inmate Mark Teson began the proceedings with a reading about lepers from the Second Book of Kings. Fellow inmate Louis Gelsiomino, who has discovered a love of singing since his incarceration several years ago, performed "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"

For his part, Dolan described the inmates as "an inspiration" to him. "A lot of people come see me. You couldn’t do that, so I came here." He reminded those gathered that "two prisoners were with Jesus on the cross. He turned to one of them and said, ‘This day, you’ll be with me in Paradise.’ "

The Archbishop noted that the verses read by Teson about lepers are particularly apt for prison inmates because years ago, when the contagious disease was much more common, lepers were banished to deserted places, much as inmates are shut off from society.

"Jesus likes it when we admit we have problems and are sinners," he said, noting that "all of us are sinners. We need mercy and healing that only Jesus can give."

Dolan related a story of Archbishop Fulton Sheen visiting a leper colony in Africa decades ago and taking with him a cross blessed in Rome. As he passed among the stricken, he came across a man whose hand was little more than pulp and he recoiled, said Dolan. Sheen immediately realized that "he was a leper for turning away. He took the man’s hand in his, saying ‘I am honored and grateful to be in your presence.’ "

He then told those gathered, "Know that you are with me in a special way."

Joining Dolan were Rev. Frank Naccarato, the pastor at Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, who said Dolan’s presence "is a sign of the church’s care and concern for those in prison." Rev. Naccarato told Dolan that attendance at Sunday mass in the prison has increased 50 percent over the last six months.

Also in attendance were co-vicars of Staten Island — Monsignor Peter Finn, pastor of Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church, West Brighton, and Monsignor James Dorney, pastor of St. Peter’s R.C. Church, New Brighton. Monsignor John McCarthy of St. Patrick’s R.C. Church also attended.

At the conclusion of the mass, Dolan was showered with gifts — first, from Breslin, who bestowed him with two New York Mets caps — one for the Archbishop, another for his mother — with the admonition that "You gotta believe."

Breslin also thanked Dolan for his time. "You don’t understand how important it is for the inmates to get visitors in general. When people take time out of a busy schedule, it makes us feel valuable. We can feel invisible," he admitted.

Inmates then came forward bearing bags of Twizzlers (Dolan expressed delight that they were no-fat), a baseball cap emblazoned with the logo of the prison team and a hand-drawn portrait of the Archbishop, crafted and presented by inmate Bernard Ragan. After taking a good look, Dolan thanked Ragan "for doing it from the stomach up."

The presence of Father Cruz, who accompanied Dolan on the visit, was noted, and Ken Hoffworth, director of the prison apostolate for New York, was also acknowledged for his support.

At the conclusion of the mass, Dolan spent time conversing with the inmates in attendance, before paying a visit to the infirmary.

Are you a Catholic priest?

From The Archdiocese of New York by Archbishop Timothy Dolan

It was only the third time it had happened to me in my nearly thirty-five happy years as a priest, all three times over the last nine-and-a-half years.

Other priests tell me it has happened to them a lot more.

Three is enough. Each time has left me so shaken I was near nausea.
It happened last Friday . . .

I had just arrived at the Denver Airport, there to speak at their popular annual “Living Our Catholic Faith” conference.

As I was waiting with the others for the electronic train to take me to the terminal, a man, maybe in his mid-forties, waiting as well, came closer to me.

“Are you a Catholic priest?” he kindly asked.

“Sure am. Nice to meet you,” says I, as I offered my hand.

He ignored it. “I was raised a Catholic,” he replied, almost always a hint of a cut to come, but I was not prepared for the razor sharpness of the stiletto, as he went on, “and now, as a father of two boys, I can’t look at you or any other priest without thinking of a sexual abuser.”

What to respond? Yell at him? Cuss him out? Apologize? Deck him? Express understanding? I must admit all such reactions came to mind as I staggered with shame and anger from the damage of the wound he had inflicted with those stinging words.

“Well,” I recovered enough to remark, “I’m sure sorry you feel that way. But, let me ask you, do you automatically presume a sexual abuser when you see a Rabbi or Protestant minister?”

“Not at all,” he came back through gritted teeth as we both boarded the train.

“How about when you see a coach, or a boy scout leader, or a foster parent, or a counsellor, or physician?” I continued.

“Of course not!” he came back. “What’s all that got to do with it?”

“A lot,” I stayed with him, “because each of those professions have as high a percentage of sexual abuse, if not even higher, than that of priests.”

“Well, that may be,” he retorted. “But the Church is the only group that knew it was going on, did nothing about it, and kept transferring the perverts around.”

“You obviously never heard the stats on public school teachers,” I observed. “In my home town of New York City alone, experts say the rate of sexual abuse among public school teachers is ten times higher than that of priests, and these abusers just get transferred around.” (Had I known at that time the news in in last Sunday’s New York Times about the high rate of abuse of the most helpless in state supervised homes, with reported abusers simply transferred to another home, I would have mentioned that, too.)

To that he said nothing, so I went in for a further charge.

“Pardon me for being so blunt, but you sure were with me, so, let me ask: when you look at yourself in a mirror, do you see a sex abuser?”

Now he was as taken aback as I had been two-minutes before. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Sadly,” I answered, “studies tell us that most children sexually abused are victims of their own fathers or other family members.”

Enough of the debate, I concluded, as I saw him dazed. So I tried to calm it down.

“So, I tell you what: when I look at you, I won’t see a sex abuser, and I would appreciate the same consideration from you.”

The train had arrived at baggage claim, and we both exited together.

“Well then, why do we only hear this garbage about you priests,” he inquired, as he got a bit more pensive.

“We priests wonder the same thing. I’ve got a few reasons if you’re interested.”

He nodded his head as we slowly walked to the carousel.

“For one,” I continued, “we priests deserve the more intense scrutiny, because people trust us more as we dare claim to represent God, so, when on of us do it – even if only a tiny minority of us ever have — it is more disgusting.”

“Two, I’m afraid there are many out there who have no love for the Church, and are itching to ruin us. This is the issue they love to endlessly scourge us with.”

“And, three, I hate to say it,” as I wrapped it up, “there’s a lot of money to be made in suing the Catholic Church, while it’s hardly worth suing any of the other groups I mentioned before.”

We both by then had our luggage, and headed for the door. He then put his hand out, the hand he had not extended five minutes earlier when I had put mine out to him. We shook.

“Thanks. Glad I met you.”

He halted a minute. “You know, I think of the great priests I knew when I was a kid. And now, because I work in IT at Regis University, I know some devoted Jesuits. Shouldn’t judge all you guys because of the horrible sins of a few.”

“Thanks!,” I smiled.

I guess things were patched-up, because, as he walked away, he added, “At least I owe you a joke: What happens when you can’t pay your exorcist?”

“Got me,” I answered.

“You get ‘re-possessed’!”

We both laughed and separated.

Notwithstanding the happy ending, I was still trembling . . . and almost felt like I needed an exorcism to expel my shattered soul, as I had to confront again the horror this whole mess has been to victims and their families, our Catholic people like the man I had just met . . . and to us priests.

The Catholic League...why we need them

from Archbishop Timothy Dolan's blog, The Gospel in the Digital Age, Archdiocese of New York...

'Popular opinion may demand that Catholics suffer in silence, or more, embrace an insult as a work of art, but that doesn't mean that we should, no matter how many in public and private expect us to do so. That is why I appreciate Dr. Donohue and the work done by The Catholic League. I look forward to the day when the work done by the Catholic League is no longer necessary. Sadly, as recent events have proven once again, that day still seems far in the future.'

It almost seems to be an unspoken rule that Christians, and Catholics in particular, are not supposed to respond to criticism, insults, and slights towards their faith with anything more than a smile. Certainly we shouldn’t actually say anything. For some reason, this is not expected of our other religious neighbors – Jews and Muslims – or of any other group, such as blacks or gays.

If you doubt this to be true just take a look at the reaction inspired by Catholic League president William Donohue’s now widely covered statement on an exhibitat the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The exhibit, “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” features a video that includes the image of ants crawling all over the body of Jesus on the cross. Dr. Donohue wrote a letter asking the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to re-consider funding the Smithsonian; the federal government funds the Smithsonian Institution while exhibits are funded privately.

Dr. Donohue, for daring to articulate that this use of an image of the crucified Christ was offensive, was denounced as a “blowhard,” “a self-appointed censor,” “right wing publicity mill,” a “bully,” “American Taliban” and one who “immediately and opportunistically seized” on the occasion for some kind of self-promotion, among other things.

Apparently, Catholics shouldn’t take offense when our sacred objects are depicted disrespectfully in the name of art. And we certainly shouldn’t let anyone know we are offended if we are.

Bill Donohue hardly needs me to defend him. He’s well-able to do it himself, and has a lot of experience doing so. But, he’s stood up for a lot of us before, and I am glad to express my encouragement for the work he does. Some may take occasional issue with his style. Fair enough, and he’s open to such criticism. Some might even discuss whether the image is offensive. However, no one should doubt the high value and necessity of his efforts, or dismiss him in crude terms. Even the recent high-volume critiques of his stand on this controversy exhibit nasty anti-catholic canards. Keep at it, Bill! We need you!

Our duty to defend our faith is grounded in the true understanding of freedom: the ability to do what we ought to do, not simply what we want to do. Popular opinion may demand that Catholics suffer in silence, or more, embrace an insult as a work of art, but that doesn’t mean that we should, no matter how many in public and private expect us to do so. That is why I appreciate Dr. Donohue and the work done by The Catholic League. I look forward to the day when the work done by the Catholic League is no longer necessary. Sadly, as recent events have proven once again, that day still seems far in the future.