Bishop Kevin Farrell

The Chief Shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas

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National Marriage Week

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National Marriage Week

More and more it seems we live in a “throw-away” society. When something is no longer useful or attractive…get rid of it! This is largely due to the media that glamorizes the weird and spectacular as the good life and dismisses the normal and healthy as mundane and not newsworthy. But that is the real world where their viewers and readers live.

Marriage and family still remain the norm for most Americans. That means committing to one another for life, not until someone better comes along. It also means committing to accepting children and rearing and educating them in the faith. For them the promise of faithfulness…for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, until death…is a sacred trust.

February 7-12 is National Marriage Week USA. This national interfaith effort has three goals.

1) To elevate marriage as a national issue in the media and with policy leaders.

2) To promote the benefits of marriage, that stronger marriages bring economic stability to individuals and to the nation, and provides the best environment for thriving children.

3) To create a national calendar for existing, trusted marriage classes, conferences and events where people can find the help they need, or reach out to help others.

I encourage each of you to work to promote strong marriages and families. Pray for your marriage and family as well as those of others. Visit www.cathdal.org for some wonderful marriage resources.

Let me conclude with appropriate words from Pope Francis to families last October.

Dear families, you know very well that the true joy which we experience in the family is not superficial; it does not come from material objects, from the fact that everything seems to be going well … True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons, something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty of togetherness, of mutual support along life’s journey. But the basis of this feeling of deep joy is the presence of God, the presence of God in the family and his love, which is welcoming, merciful, and respectful towards all. And above all, a love which is patient: patience is a virtue of God and he teaches us how to cultivate it in family life, how to be patient, and lovingly so, with each other. To be patient among ourselves. A patient love. God alone knows how to create harmony from differences. But if God’s love is lacking, the family loses its harmony, self-centered individualism prevails and joy fades. But the family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society as a whole.

Congratulations to Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth

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Bishop Michael Olson

It is with a great sense of gratitude and joy that I congratulate Bishop Michael Olson on the day of his ordination as the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Pope Francis has made a wise decision in his appointment of Bishop Olson to our neighboring diocese, an area the Holy Father esteems “as part of the New Evangelization and as part of a vital area of growth in the Church.”

As Chief Shepherd to more than 700,000 Catholics in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas, Bishop Olson brings with him both strong leadership skills as well as a deep desire to lead those he serves to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. Returning to the diocese where he was ordained in 1994, Bishop Olson also brings with him the experience of working closely with his predecessor, Bishop Kevin Vann, as well as leading the formation of future priests at Holy Trinity Seminary as Rector.

Please join me in offering prayers for Bishop Olson and for all those whom he shepherds.

A New Role for Cardinals

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Cardinalate

In a letter to the 19 new cardinals he has named,  Pope Francis  told  the prelates,  “The Cardinalate does not signify a promotion, or an honor, or a decoration. It is simply a service that calls for enlarging one’s vision and widening one’s heart.”  Calling on them to accept the designation with humility, the Holy Father told the newly-appointed Cardinals to also “receive the appointment in the spirit of austerity, sobriety and poverty.”

Thus, the Franciscan reform further defines Pope Francis’ concept of ministry at all levels as servant leadership, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). This represents a radical new understanding of the cardinalate.

In addition, the appointments represent the pope’s determination to move to a broader and more collegial leadership, from the center to the periphery. Recalling his words to the superiors general of men’s religious orders, to look at something from the periphery, the pope explained, meant “analyzing reality through a variety of viewpoints, rather than filtering all experience through a centralized ideology.”

Please join me in praying that God will guide these new cardinals.

Pilgrimage to Defend the Civil Rights of Innocent Children – January 18th

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Life

It is hard to believe that so many years have gone by and how many innocent children have been denied their right to life since that tragic decision of January 22, 1973. At that time, the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Congress predicted that the Supreme Court decision would generate the greatest grassroots protest in the nation’s history. He may well be correct.

Generations of seemingly powerless politicians have used the issue as a political crutch that mysteriously disappeared once elected. However, bus loads of people continue travel to Washington marches each year.

The crusade, once primarily a Catholic issue, has grown into an inter-faith cause. Such will be the case on Saturday when Catholics will rally for life. The Rosary will be prayed at the Southwestern late-term abortion clinic at 10 AM, and at 1 PM priests of the diocese will join me in concelebrating the Roe Memorial bilingual Mass.

The Mass previously celebrated at the Cathedral has been moved to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to accommodate the many Catholics who join us from all over the region. After Mass, we will march to the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse for an Ecumenical Rally.

I invite all people of all faiths to join in this pilgrimage to defend the civil rights of innocent children.

The Challenge of Catholic Education

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Catholic Schools

Our Catholic schools are constantly striving to offer academic excellence and an education based on Gospel values.

I commend the teachers, principals, staff and administrators who have committed themselves to the mission of Catholic education. For the parents who make many sacrifices to provide a Catholic education for their children, I have deep admiration.

This Catholic Schools Week I am particularly excited about the report of a strategic planning committee on Catholic Elementary Schools that I appointed in 2011 to do an in-depth study of our schools “to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of Catholic schools.”

Last fall the committee completed its work and issued a report and an executive summary: Reach for the Future: A Blueprint for Excellence / Catholic Elementary Schools in the Diocese of Dallas, and the Strategic Planning Committee’s Report on Catholic Elementary Schools Executive Summary and Goals and Recommendations.

Six important areas are highlighted in the report: academic leadership; curriculum and instruction; Catholic identity — faith, community and relationships; school structure; operations, and diocesan support, governance and facilities.

Every parent — no, every Catholic — should read this blueprint for the future of Catholic education in the Diocese of Dallas. It is available on the Diocesan website (www.cathdal.org/schoolreport).

It is a challenge and an opportunity for us to shape the future — together as parents, teachers and administrators.

The Spirit moves in strange and wondrous ways

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I doubt that any papal document has had the readership or the impact of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. It has changed the political dialogue on the poor, the income gap and inequality for both parties.

What is interesting is that what Pope Francis has taught on these issues has been in many earlier papal documents, which demonstrates the influence of the messenger on the reception of the message. Of course, one must admit that papal encyclicals and other documents in the past tended to be extremely ponderous compared to the simple language and clarity of Evangelii Gaudium.

For the media, popes before Pope Francis made more news by what they did than by what they taught. Pope Francis has struck a chord not only with the media, and some politicians, but also with Catholics and even non-believers worldwide. His style and simplicity have caused him to be dubbed “the world’s parish priest.”

In less than a year he has changed the image of the Catholic Church. Who would have believed it? The Spirit moves in strange and wondrous ways.

Your January Reading: Evangelii Gaudium

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I love January, the quiet month. The tree and decorations have been put back in the attic, the crèche has been stored away and life returns to normal. It’s time to read those books we received as gifts. This January, though, I am asking you put off the books for something else.

I challenge you take time to read and reflect upon Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”). It is highly readable, not theological, but very personal and pastoral. I want you to read it yourself to understand what the Holy Father is really asking of us, not what the media or a friend told you.

This is a call to each of us to become not just admirers of Jesus, but to be disciples and witnesses to the Gospel. In his exhortation, Pope Francis not only challenges us to be witnesses but also to be proclaimers, missionary evangelizers of God’s mercy and forgiveness.

It also includes his vision of the reform of the Church, which is not only a community of the evangelized but also an evangelizing community. It speaks of the difficulties faced by pastoral workers.

Expressing concern about the quality of homilies, Pope Francis notes, “The homily is the touchstone for judging a pastor’s closeness and ability to communicate to his people.”

Of course, it could not be from Pope Francis without addressing the needs of the poor. He writes, “Since this Exhortation is addressed to members of the Catholic Church, I want to say, with regret, that the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care … Our preferential option for the poor must mainly translate into a privileged and preferential religious care.”

There is much more, but you must read it yourself, keeping in mind that the embrace of Pope Francis by the world is the greatest demonstration of the power of witness.

Click here to read the Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”).

Jesus, the greatest gift

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“Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people,
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11

Once again this Christmas of 2013 we share our simple gifts with others in humble gratitude for the greatest gift, Jesus, and the realization that we are loved unconditionally.

Interesting, isn’t it, that we don’t just celebrate this one Christmas, but all of our Christmases. Memories flow freely of the innocent delights of our childhood to the rich memories of family celebrations and the events and people that have shaped the tapestry of our lives.

This year has been filled with surprises of the Spirit. We have experienced an historic transition in leadership of the Church and, for the first time, have both a Pope and a Pope Emeritus.

It appears that the surprises of the Spirit are still coming as the joyful witness and humility of Our Holy Father Pope Francis may well portend a New Pentecost. He has proclaimed by word and witness the joys of the Gospel and refocused the world’s attention on the plight of the impoverished and marginalized.

On a personal note, my call to pastor the Church of Dallas has not only shown me the deep faith and generous hearts of the Catholics whom I serve, but also the caring community in which we live. I am privileged to be among you.

My prayer is for a blessed Christmas for you and your loved ones and a very Happy New Year