Archbishop’s Message « The Daily Mass

Search for:
You are currently browsing the archives for the Archbishop's Message category.

TheDailyMass.com is a
ministry of

Archive for the ‘Archbishop's Message’ Category

Schools Asked to Examine Catholic Identity

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
Clarion Herald – 9/17/11

Archbishop Gregory Aymond addressed a gathering of more than 100 principals and presidents of Catholic elementary and secondary schools on Sept. 8. He asked the administrators to consider seven requests during the upcoming academic year. Here are excerpts of his remarks:

1.) I invite you to strengthen the Catholic identity of our schools. It’s true that all of our classrooms should have crucifixes, and we should offer Mass, confession and religion class, but that’s only an external dimension of Catholic identity. To me, Catholic identity also means that we do our best to make sure that in every class – not just in religion class – there is something transmitted about our Catholic tradition and faith. That can easily be done in language, literature, English or history class, but it should be done in every class. I’m not talking about proselytizing but about helping young people be formed into the heart and mind of Christ. Catholic identity is something we as administrators and teachers must model. The more unified we are as a faculty, the more we will be able to communicate, forgive and help one another grow. That will be picked up by our students. Sometimes we think as Catholic school administrators that we don’t have factions or conflict. We do. We must deal with the conflicts that naturally exist among us, and the atmosphere should be one of a Christian community. We are Catholic schools, and we can never water down who or what we are. We are very grateful that we have faculty members and students who are people of other Christian denominations and even of other religions. While we are not trying to convert faculty members or students, we should be there for them if they desire to join the Catholic Church. They should be able to witness that the faculty, staff, president and principal are proud and happy to be Catholic and they know their faith.

2.) Continue giving leadership to our teachers so they can continue to become more creative. Curriculum is very important. Sometimes it is our ministry and responsibility to challenge teachers toward more creativity and to motivate them to do their best. I’m sure there have been times when we’ve heard a faculty member say, “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years, and I’m not about to change.” That person needs to be challenged.

3.) Give special attention to teacher certification, including religion teachers. This is an ongoing challenge, but in order to offer quality Catholic education in all its forms, including religion, we must have people who are certified in the various subjects they teach. We have a standard in this archdiocese that a religion teacher must either be degreed in theology or must be certified by the archdiocese. Why? Because we do not want people in the classroom misrepresenting or misleading people about Catholic teaching, no more than we would want them misleading young people about science or history.

4.) We need to continue to develop the family of Catholic schools. We are a family of schools, and it is important that those who are strong in numbers and in finances help those who are weak in those areas. We are all in this together, and it’s important for us to see the larger picture. I have no hidden agenda about the recommendations of the strategic planning now underway by The Catholic University of America. Those experts will give us suggestions for future decisions. But we’re going to have to collaborate even more. Every time you and I make a decision about a school, it is rare that that decision does not have an impact on other schools around us. We have to look at our larger mission and ministry, not just at our individual school or parish. That’s why we’re asking people not to go into other people’s territory deliberately to recruit students. There is a lot of competition among us, and I’m not talking about sports. It’s competition for students and programs. That’s not the Christian way. I challenge us to see ourselves as a family and not as individual entities.

5.) Give special attention to the formation of parents, both on the elementary and high school level. Many adults are hungering for greater insight in their child’s spiritual life. We also have the other extreme, where a parent will drop off a child at school or at Mass and then go back home and go to sleep. My head’s not in the sand. But the best way to help adults reinvigorate their faith life is to invite them to look at their child’s faith life. Many people who have been away from the church come back because of their children.

6. ) The “Theology of the Body” as given to us by Pope John Paul II is a tremendous resource. Peg Kenny in our Respect Life office is working with Brian Butler, who has just written a wonderful Theology of the Body for middle-school students. This is not new theology but a fresh approach that is tailored to their age group. Anyone who teaches Theology of the Body in the Archdiocese of New Orleans must be certified to teach it by the Office of Religious Education.

7.) I invite us to create in all of our schools a culture that supports vocations. Sometimes we say we don’t have enough priests, brother or sisters as though it’s God’s problem. Jesus said he would never leave the flock untended. But we must do our job fostering and awakening those vocations. I ask you to make sure that the atmosphere of your school is imbued with a deep and abiding respect for the priesthood and religious life. We need to help foster the future of our church.

Your ministry is so important. Thank you. Continue to teach and lead as Jesus did! You are important to our ministry of Catholic education.
Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions to [email protected]

Posted in Archbishop's Message | Comments Off

World Youth Day Provides a Platform for Unity

Friday, August 26th, 2011

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond

With hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in Madrid for World Youth Day, can you reflect on the World Youth Days you have attended?

I went to Denver in 1993 and to Toronto in 2002 with Blessed Pope John Paul II and then to Cologne in 2005 with Pope Benedict. Pope John Paul took the initiative to start these gatherings in Rome in 1986 because he had a great love for teens and young adults. He also wanted to make sure they knew the church loved them and needed them. That’s why he called for youth from around the world to gather every few years to pray and support one another in faith. The gatherings also allowed him to spend time with them. One of the things I will always remember was the chorus of one million young people yelling, “John Paul 2, we love you!” And even in his later years, when he was not that healthy, he would respond, “John Paul 2, he loves you, too!” He wanted to make sure young people did not feel they were outside the mainstream of church life.

It took some courage and foresight to launch these gatherings because no one could be sure they would be a “success.”

That’s right. As World Youth Day has developed, it truly is not a vacation. In the best sense of the word, it is a pilgrimage. The students normally sleep on gymnasium floors or in the homes of host families. There is time for catechesis, where they hear bishops and other catechetical leaders give talks on the faith. The two biggest events with the Holy Father are the vigil on Saturday night, where the pope presides and prays with them. Then everybody stays on the field all night and keeps vigil, waiting for Mass with the pope the next morning.

Did you consider going this year?

I was actually going to go, but as it turned out our traveling party from around the state was down in numbers. I think that’s because the trip was quite expensive and also conflicted with the opening of school. We have Deacon Kurt Young attending along with several of our seminarians. I want to offer a special affirmation to Jesuit High School, which put together a group of 50 students to attend. The Jesuit students used the opportunity in Spain to visit sites special to St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Jesuits in 1534.

Some have suggested that World Youth Day has helped plant the seed for vocations.

That’s been my experience. This is really an opportunity for young people to realize that they share faith not only with people in their own school or archdiocese but also with people around the world. Many people who have gone to World Youth Day have had a very powerful experience of God. Through prayer and through seeing the Holy Father, the gathering has sparked an interest in them to think about the priesthood or religious life. Those are exciting, positive ramifications. I was with several of our seminarians last week, and many of them told me they had attended World Youth Day in the past.

How do Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict differ stylistically in relating to young people?

They have very different personalities. John Paul II was very much an extrovert and very demonstrative. In his own way, he loved joking around with young people. Benedict is quieter and more reserved and probably not as spontaneous as John Paul, but he is equally loved.

What do you make of the observation that World Youth Day might have created a “rock star” aura around Pope John Paul and also about the expense involved?

In some ways, John Paul was a star. I don’t see any problem with young people considering him a star in his role as pope and because of his personality. Whenever a religious figure is popular and relevant to young people, that should be an occasion for affirmation rather than condemnation. Do World Youth Days cost a lot? Yes, they do. The pope’s visits to other countries cost a lot, too, but in this case, can we really put a price on a million young people gathering to pray and support one another in faith?

Posted in Archbishop's Message | Comments Off

Oil Spill Still Has Underwater Repercussions

Monday, August 16th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
(Clarion Herald 8/7/10 – English; 8/21/10 – Spanish)

What are your feelings now that the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be capped?

It is good news that the cap is working and that the relief wells are ahead of schedule. But I don’t believe it is accurate to say the crisis is over. From the reports we have received, we have no idea how much oil is underwater. From what the parish presidents have said, there is still visible oil in the marshes that needs to be absorbed and cleaned. I would hope that BP remains faithful to its promise of cleaning up all of the oil as well as providing the needed resources to those in the fishing and oil industries who are out of work.

What does the church have to say about this crisis?

In our Catholic tradition, we call this response social justice. As people of God, we must be good stewards of the gifts that have been given to us and take responsibility for our actions, which have been not only an inconvenience but also a detriment to others who have now been exposed to an unstable livelihood. In a spirit of charity and social justice, I pray that BP officials will continue to provide the needed cleanup as well as financial resources to stabilize families.

What has the local church done during these last three months?

I’m deeply humbled by and grateful for the response of Catholic Charities. We have provided emergency assistance to nearly 7,000 families and more than 18,000 individuals through our five church-based emergency relief centers. We’ve distributed enough food to provide for 305,000 meals. The staff of Catholic Charities, especially those who are on the front lines, have provided a sense of hope and confidence to the people in the archdiocese who have been most affected by the oil spill.

What kind of feedback have you gotten from parishioners the last four weeks after having celebrated Mass in the hardest-hit areas?

It has been a powerful and moving experience to hear their stories of rebuilding from Katrina and Gustav, and now they are grappling with an unknown future because of the oil spill. I heard story after story that clearly indicate that these are people of deep faith, perseverance and resilience. One oysterman who has a wife and several small children said he was not at all certain of his future, but nevertheless, he said he would rebuild again. He told me, “We’ve done this before, and God is with us.” That kind of faith encourages my own faith and helps me see and appreciate the tremendous strength of the people in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

BP gave an initial $1 million to Catholic Charities and Second Harvest Food Bank to provide direct assistance, food, household supplies and counseling. Where do those resources stand?

We have exhausted those funds. Nevertheless, in visiting the parishes I mentioned to parishioners that Catholic Charities will continue to be there until this crisis is over. Some would ask how I could make a promise like that when we have “run out of money.” I truly believe God is faithful and will provide the resources for us to continue to extend our love, care and charity to our sisters and brothers in this time of critical need.

Do you have any thoughts on the oil-drilling moratorium that could have an impact on the Louisiana economy?

I’m not good at politics, and I’ve never had any thoughts or ambitions to be a politician. At the same time, from my study and discussions with politicians and parish presidents, it seems as though the federal decision to ban deepwater exploration is unnecessary. When one person in a family makes a mistake, we do not punish the whole family. This decision, whether it’s short-term or long-term, could have a devastating effect on jobs in Louisiana and on the livelihood of our people. It would be far better to make sure that companies are acting responsibly and justly and have provisions to be able to address critical situations as they happen. It’s also very important to note that in the last 100-plus days, we have been understandably consumed by the spill, the ban on drilling and other ramifications from this crisis. In the midst of all of this, we must continue to remember the 11 men who died in the accident. It seems as though in some ways, they and their families may have been forgotten. Their families, in particular, need our continued prayers in this time of grief.

Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers.
Please e-mail questions to [email protected]

Tags: Archbishop Gregory Aymond, archdiocese of new orleans, BP oil spill, clarion herald, daily mass, daily mass online, New Orleans
Posted in Archbishop's Message, News | Comments Off

Helicopter view of oil spill prompts more prayers

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
(Clarion Herald – 7/24/10 – English; 8/7/10 – Spanish)

On July 7, you had the chance to celebrate the funeral Mass at St. Anthony Church in Lafitte for Mrs. Sharon Fabre, who for many years headed up the Louisiana Shrimp Association along with her husband A.J. And then after the funeral, you took a helicopter tour of the oil devastation in the Gulf of Mexico. What were your impressions?

It was very important for me to be in Lafitte for the funeral. As soon as Father John Ryan sent me a letter asking me if I wanted to come, I called him back and said I needed to be there. This was an opportunity to be in solidarity with people who are really going through a lot.

You took a helicopter tour of the coast, courtesy of Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff Hingle. Deacon Patrick Becnel, who assisted you at the funeral Mass, has been the chief pilot for the sheriff’s office for many years, and he flew you over the devastated areas.

It was amazing to take the helicopter flight because it gave me the opportunity to see the tragedy and pray over the waters. I have flown on jets many times before, of course, but this was the first time I had ever been in a helicopter. I wasn’t fearful, and because the helicopter flew at about 300 feet above the ground I was able to see a lot more. I would never have been able to get a true perspective of the tragedy otherwise. I can see it on TV or talk about it over the phone, but it’s not the same. It was also important for me to be here for the funeral of a woman who devoted her life to the shrimping industry and then to make the wider tour to see how this tragedy is affecting thousands and thousands of others.

What were your initial impressions?

It was worse than I had imagined. You can see the big oil slicks on the news, but to see it up close as the oil rolls into the marshes and literally kills the land is a powerful experience. The other thing I did not fully realize was how much destruction there had been from Hurricane Katrina five years ago. There’s been incredible damage to the marshland. Now, five years later, we’ve got oil in the marshland that was just beginning to regenerate, and we’ve got people unable to pay their mortgages on their houses and boats. The fishing industry is in peril and the environment could be upset for decades. What also struck me was the sight of a thousand people out there trying to fight the effects of the oil, and it seems like an infinitely bigger problem than we can humanly handle. When you see someone in a little bitty cubbyhole of the marsh just trying to protect that one little area – and then you look at the vastness of the spill – you realize how immense this challenge is.

Deacon Becnel said as he flies over the spill almost every day, he sees the cleanup efforts going on, but the frustration is that an area might be cleaned up one day and then hit with another wave of oil a day or two later.

It does seem like the task is infinite. The cleanup workers can do only so much. The solution is to cap the well for any real progress to happen. Yet, even though the people I spoke to at the funeral have a lot more questions than answers right now, they have a sense of hope and a belief in God. They believe their faith will lead them through tough times like these. It’s important for me to be there with them in these tough times and to share in their questions and suffering. I spoke to one man who had retired from his job and had taken up oyster fishing, which has now become his livelihood. Now he’s saying that at his age – and with a possible moratorium of two to three years on his oyster leases – he’s not sure if he can recover. We have to continue to work and pray to help our sisters and brothers recover. We are pleased that Catholic Charities is present in five locations on the Gulf Coast and offering assistance to those affected. It is a tough time. We must pray. We must act in charity. God is faithful and walks with us in this storm.

Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions to [email protected].

Tags: Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, archdiocese of new orleans, BP oil spill, clarion herald
Posted in Archbishop's Message | Comments Off

Bishops Seeking to Foster Unity Among Priests

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond

You spent last week in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the summer meeting of the U.S. bishops. How did things go?

Every five years we have a special assembly during the summer, and this year it coincided with the close of the Year for Priests. We listened to presentations on “The Bishop as Father, Brother and Friend to His Priests”; “The Renewal of the Spiritual Life of Bishops and Priests”; “Challenges for Fostering Unity among Priests” and “‘Communio’ Between Priests, Bishops and Other People in Ministry.” We wanted to examine what we can do as bishops to be better agents of unity among the priests and also to be more understanding and appreciative of the challenges that priests face.

Isn’t one of your local initiatives the idea of fostering unity among priests in the archdiocese? Did the national discussion come at a good time for you?

It did. We heard the presentations and then were able to discuss them at our table and hear the highlights of the discussions among the full body of bishops. It was both hearing new ideas and sharing best practices. We had several talks by priests who shared with us their challenges and suggestions.

Is one of the challenges to fraternity the fact that most diocesan priests today live alone in the rectory compared to times in the past when two or three priests lived in a rectory?

That’s an interesting challenge because some priests would rather live alone and others would rather live in community. We’re at a time when we have to take each situation as it exists. Some people work better together if they don’t have to live together. Some people work better together if they live in the same rectory. It’s not one size fits all. We have to look at each situation and at the needs of the priest involved. One of the challenges we do have is that we live in an individualistic society. As priests, it’s very important that we have a sense of fraternity and solidarity. As people in our society become more isolated, it puts the challenge before us that we still need to be connected to our brother priests to meet our own personal needs but also the needs of the ministry of Christ.

Do you see opportunities for priests to come together?

I’m very enthusiastic about suggestions from our Priestly Life and Ministry Committee as well as the Presbyteral Council and the deans that we get together for days of prayer and continuing education as well as purely social gatherings. Over the next year or two, we will be looking for more opportunities to gather both socially for the sake of fraternity and to renew ourselves spiritually in ministry. The archdiocese is very blessed to have priests who are really dedicated to priestly ministry. I consider it a blessing to be able to work with them and to serve them as bishop.

You are chair-elect of the U.S. bishops’ Liturgy Committee. Is there anything new about the timetable for implementing the new translation of the Roman Missal?

We should know in the next two or three months the exact date of implementation. We had a two-day meeting of our committee, and we are working on some of the translations of the Scriptures for the new Lectionary, which contains the readings for Mass.

How important are priests going to be in helping people understand the reasoning for the new translations?

Priests are going to be very important. We will have a day of continuing education for the priests in February 2011. It will be an all-day workshop on implementing the new Roman Missal.

You sent a message of thanks to the Louisiana Legislature for declaring June 20 as a Day of Prayer for Oil Spill Recovery.

Yes. I want to thank them because this was a public sign of our humble dependence upon God. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who were killed in the explosion. Likewise we offer prayerful consolation to their families and friends. The oil spill has very challenging effects on many people in our community, especially the fishing industry, oil industry and related works. We also need to be attentive to the impact on our environment and economy. We need to ask God to reassure us and walk with us in this very challenging time. We pray that we don’t lose hope, that we will persevere in tough times, that we will see God’s compassion and love in these trying circumstances and that God will lead scientists and engineers to a permanent solution soon. We will bear this cross with trust and we will reach out in prayer and with financial resources to those whose livelihood and family life have been affected. The Catholic Church through Catholic Charities will continue to be present to those affected by offering food, counseling and other emergency services now and in the long-term. God never abandons us but walks with us during these challenging times.

Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions to[email protected].

Posted in Archbishop's Message | Comments Off