MV's Diaconate Journey

10/07/2026

An example of the so-called, "Culture of Death:"

"The baby’s mother had been under the influence of methamphetamine when she went to an abortion clinic in 2020 and was thus unable to give valid informed consent, but the abortion was provided anyway."

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

10/02/2026

"Pope Leo XIV presented the Pius XI Medal to Karin Öberg, a Harvard scientist specializing in astrochemistry, during a recent audience with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. . .

Recipients of this medal include several Nobel laureates and the physicist Stephen Hawking. . .

Öberg has spoken publicly about her conversion to Catholicism and how her pursuit of knowledge influenced her journey toward faith. . .

In her view, science does allow us to appreciate something she considers especially significant: 'how intelligible the universe is, how subject to laws it is.' She added: 'This cannot be taken for granted. It is magnificent.'

The beauty of the universe also plays an important role in her understanding of the relationship between science and faith. 'I am moved. And beauty is, in a sense, just as impressive to me,' she said.

For this reason, Öberg said she believes that science and faith need not be presented as opposing paths."

Karin Öberg holds the Thomas Dudley Cabot Chair in the Natural Sciences at Harvard University and directs the Öberg Astrochemistry Laboratory at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

09/23/2026

From today's electronic newsletter from "The Pour Over:"

"Verse to consider when the headlines stir up big emotions, or a personal conflict is heating up…

'My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness'” (James 1:19-20, CSB).

https://www.web.thepourover.org/p/press-pool-boycott?utm_source=post&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=press-pool-boycott&_bhlid=e24ae1845ed90fb8ca39de94f8d44d1b46df9b9f

In my words:

Our society would benefit from exercising the cardinal virtues of prudence and temperance. . . Perhaps we need to deeply look into what these virtues are. . .

Press Pool Boycott, UN General Assembly, ICE Shooting in Austin, & More

09/11/2026

A public service announcement:

The Museum of Biblical Arts has a new exhibit that starts today. It is called, "Together We Remember:"

Per their website, "Opening on September 11th, 2026, and continuing through December 19th, 2026, the exhibition brings together artists whose works reflect on the lasting impact of September 11th on individuals, families, first responders, communities, and the nation. Through painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and installation, the exhibition invites visitors to consider how collective memory is preserved and how art can help foster dialogue across generations."

https://www.biblicalarts.org/copy-of-9-11-observances

In my words:

May our country's history be shared honestly, transparently, and without filtration. We must remember or learn those events that created our country and those that have changed our country for the better.

When we veer away from our founding principles and values, things become problemmatic, to say the least. We see that now, nationwide!

The answers to our country's problems are not to "re-imagine" or "recreate." Instead, we need to remember or learn how we truly began and endured.

I look forward to attending this exhibit. I grew up 26 miles from the Twin Towers. . . . I still feel the pain. . .

​​In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, TX presents Together We Remember,  a powerful art exhibition exploring memory, loss, resilience, and hope through the work of contemporary artists.

09/11/2026

A heart-warming true story of a faithful 23 year-old French citizen:

"It came from a very simple observation while looking at the French countryside. In almost every village in France, whether at the end of a street or by the side of a road, you come across statues or roadside crosses. Over time, with rain and frost, many of them deteriorate and eventually fall into ruin if no one takes care of them.

We felt that we couldn’t simply stand by and watch. Someone has to roll up their sleeves, and young people have every reason to take part in this adventure. It’s a very direct way of taking care of our villages and our history."

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/someone-has-to-roll-up-their-sleeves

This resonates with what was written by our very own Pope Benedict XVI:

“For a culture and a nation to cut themselves off from the great ethical and religious forces of their own history is for them to commit su***de” (Ratzinger, 104).

(Ratzinger, Joseph. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.)

Raphaël Castex on his quest to make the country’s statues shine again

07/25/2026

Politics aside, we do need to provide for a national border that is safe for all people. Our past border policies most recently have caused the loss of many more lives coming from the south attempting to enter our country; the data is publicly available from CBP. Every life deserves protection; every. single. one.

As a country, we can do much better. We have veered away from our foundational Christian values and principles. Every. Life. Deserves. Protection. Every single one. . .

https://dallasexpress.com/crime/14-year-old-among-7-found-dead-after-being-sealed-in-train-container-11-people-charged/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07.25.26_Newsletter

In my words:

This human, child, and drug trafficking is for real. This is why professional and faith organizations require education in these matters to provide for safe environments for vulnerable others. We have got to take this seriously. . .

Eleven people have been charged in connection with an alleged human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of seven illegal aliens.

07/23/2026

Some wisdom on social justice and government, from our own Pope Benedict:

• “The source of truth for politics is not Christianity as revealed religion but Christianity as leaven and a form of life that has proved its worth in the course of history” (Ratzinger, 143).
• In “safeguarding human rights . . . it is guaranteed that things will go well both with society and with the individual” (Ratzinger, 132).
• “Obedience to the law does not prevent freedom but rather makes freedom possible” (Ratzinger, 138).

Ratzinger, Joseph. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.

In my words:

With a segment of our American society being misled on American history, as well as being misled on socialism and communism, may we inform our consciences with real Christian wisdom. . . We must not forget our founding principles. What has failed our country is not our founding principles; what has failed is that we have veered away from these timeless principles. . .

07/17/2026

Nicaragua is a presidential republic that functions as a highly centralized authoritarian regime, as the executive branch controls the legislative, judicial, and electoral systems, severely limiting political opposition and civil liberties.

washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/16/nicaragua-trying-silence-church/

In my words:

We as United States citizens have got to be so very careful with informing our consciences. We actually have national representatives now who speak of abolishing the Senate, of packing the Supreme Court, and of continually changing our voting systems to make voting "more accessible," yet questionably secure. We also have national representatives who want to select who our next Presidents or Senators may be. Further, we have Christians and Jews being treated with less justice than others. This resembles the qualities of the regime in Nicaragua.

We must be so very careful, wide-eyed, and active in informing our consciences. We can help to steer our country's governmental direction much closer to the ideals, principles, and values of our Founding Fathers. Judeo-Christians values and principles do not fall short, and they aim towards justice for all peoples. . .

In Nicaragua, praying for national freedom can land you in jail. So can publicly supporting an imprisoned priest.

07/09/2026

As we consider socialism within our nation's Christianity-influenced governmental structure of a Constitutional Republic, may we inform our consciences with the wise words of our own Pope Benedict XVI:

"For a culture and a nation to cut themselves off from the great ethical and religious forces of their own history is for them to commit su***de . . . The Church's business is . . . to be a community based on convictions . . . [and] to be responsible for everything. . . With the freedom that belongs to her, [the Church] must address everyone's freedom in such a way that the moral forces of history remain the forces of the present day and that there is an ongoing resurgence of the values without which common freedom is not possible" (Ratzinger, 104f.).

“The mythical hope of a self-made paradise can only drive man into inescapable anxiety--- into fear of the failure of the illusory promises and of the immense emptiness that lurks behind them; into fear of his own power and of its cruelty” (Ratzinger, 90).

Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.

06/01/2026

As we ponder, "what is truth?"

“We must reject the absolute state that posits itself as the source of truth and law. We must also reject a strict relativism and functionalism, because the elevation of truth to the unique source of law threatens the moral dignity of man and tends toward totalitarianism” (Ratzinger, 146).

Ratzinger, Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI). "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.