September 10, 2024 // National

News Briefs: September 15, 2024

OSV NEWS

Eucharistic Congress Launches Society of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

DENVER (OSV News) – The organization that coordinates efforts related to the National Eucharistic Revival announced on Tuesday, September 3, the launch of the Society of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus to boost revival efforts. In an email to supporters, Jason Shanks, CEO of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., who is a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Fort Wayne, described the society as a way people “can help and remain closely connected to the many ongoing efforts of charity and evangelization, of pilgrimage and procession – of mission – to bring Christ to every corner of our nation.” Joining the society requires a minimum $10 monthly donation to National Eucharistic Congress Inc. Members will receive a copy of “For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission” by Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who serves as Board Chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., and Tim Glemkowski, the founding CEO of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., whose last day with the organization was August 15. Society members also receive access to the National Eucharistic Congress digital platform, which includes all of the talks from the July 17-21 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, as well as additional Eucharist-related content. Information on joining the society can be found at eucharisticcongress.org/donate.

Father Roger Landry Named Head of U.S. Papal Missions

NEW YORK (OSV News) – It was announced on Thursday, September 5, that Father Roger Landry, a priest who recently spent 65 days on the road with the Blessed Sacrament during a national Eucharistic pilgrimage, has been tapped to head the papal missions in the United States. Father Landry told OSV News he’s ready to help missionaries near and far “bring God to the ends of the earth” through the Eucharist. On September 5, officials with the Pontifical Mission Societies USA announced that Father Landry has been named as its new National Director, effective in January. A priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, Father Landry is currently the Catholic chaplain at Columbia University, a papal Missionary of Mercy, and one of the key organizers of – as well as a participant in – the 65-day National Eucharistic Pilgrimage that preceded the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in July. The societies’ worldwide network, which operates at the service of the pope, consists of four mission societies designated as pontifical by Pope Pius XI in 1922. The Eucharist is inherently missionary, and missionaries reflect Christ’s total gift of Himself in love, Father Landry said. The Church’s work “is always going to be Eucharistic work, bringing Jesus first Himself, and allowing people to encounter Him and enter into a relationship with Him,” he said.

Atlanta Bishops: ‘Hearts Ache’ after School Shooting

WINDER, Georgia (OSV News) – The Catholic bishops of Atlanta prayed “for healing and strength” for those killed and injured during a September 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The alleged shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, has been charged as an adult with four counts of felony murder. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, at least four people were killed and at least nine injured requiring hospitalization. In a joint statement on Wednesday, September 4, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta, joined by the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishops, said: “Our hearts ache for the lives that have been so cruelly cut short by this devastating tragedy. … We grieve and pray with those who lost children and loved ones. We ask God for healing and strength for those who have been injured,” they said. The bishops called the shooting “another grim reminder” that taking additional steps to prevent gun violence “cannot wait for another tragedy to happen.”

International Eucharistic Congress Begins in Ecuador

QUITO, Ecuador (OSV News) – The 53rd edition of the International Eucharistic Congress began on Sunday, September 8, in Quito with a strong call to build fraternity as a way of healing the wounds of a world full of fractures and violence. The opening celebration included a message sent by Pope Francis, in which he emphasized that “we’re one and only in such unity we can serve the world and heal it.” The congress, which will conclude on Sunday, September 15, was planned to promote – in line with the Eucharistic invitation – human brotherhood, despite many divides, under the theme “Fraternity to Heal the World.” Archbishop Alfredo Espinoza of Quito said in his homily during the opening Mass that the city became “a great Eucharistic tent” and people from around the world will think about a mystery that “challenges us to be real builders of fraternity so to heal the world’s wounds” in a time “full of violence, death, and wars.”

Mexico’s Bishops Question Judicial Reform

MEXICO CITY (OSV News) – Mexico’s Catholic bishops have urged the country’s outgoing president to reconsider a judicial reform that would select judges via popular vote, arguing it would fail to improve justice in a country rife with impunity. The Mexican bishops’ conference and other Catholic leaders also called on President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his ruling Morena party to “govern for all” now that the president’s party and its allies wield massive majorities in Congress. “The reform proposal promoted by the Executive does not respond to a comprehensive review of the justice system, nor does it guarantee a better and more qualified administration of justice,” officials with the bishops’ conference said in a September 5 statement. “Furthermore, it affects the autonomy of the judicial branch and calls into question the division of powers established by our constitution. … For this reason, we ask that the views of members of the judicial branch, magistrate judges, and ministers of the Supreme Court be heard.” The bishops’ concerns come as the Mexican Senate debates the reform, which was approved with haste earlier in September by the lower house of Congress.

Thousands Mourn Ukrainian Family Killed in Lviv

LVIV, Ukraine (OSV News) – Lviv mourned the victims of the September 4 Russian strike on the residential buildings as thousands gathered on Friday, September 6, for funeral services of a mother and her three daughters. People wiped away tears as four white coffins stood open in the Greek Catholic Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Later, a big crowd processed to the cemetery, where four white crosses were flooded with flowers. A Ukrainian Catholic University student and all but one member of her immediate family were among those killed in a September 4 strike by Russia on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Seven residents died after Russia fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles on targets in Lviv. Although Russia’s defense ministry alleged it had aimed at military facilities, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said the attack had hit more than 50 civilian buildings, including homes, schools, and medical facilities. Among the slain were 18-year-old Daryna Bazylevych, a sophomore at Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv; her mother, Evgenia; and her two sisters, Emilia and Yaryna, ages 7 and 21, respectively. “This is a great and irreparable loss. There are no words to describe this sorrow,” said the university, describing Bazylevych as “a capable and gifted student” who had been awarded a scholarship. The university also called for prayers for the father of the girls, Yaroslav, who is the only survivor of the Bazylevych family.

Franciscan Sister Hannah Johnecheck ties the shoe of a student before entering church for morning prayer at St. Peter Indian Mission Catholic School on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Bapchule, Ariz., Sept. 4, 2024. The school is a mission of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity out of Manitowoc, Wis., and was established in 1923. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)