TVC WINTER 2025

CATHOLIC THE VALLEY

EVIDENCE OF THE REAL PRESENCE Eucharistic miracles proven by science PILGRIMS OF HOPE Jubilee Year 2025 WORD OF GOD Inspired by the Holy Spirit

WINTER 2025

A MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

EDITOR’S NOTE

CATHOLIC THE VALLEY

WINTER 2025

CATHOLIC THE VALLEY

COLUMNS 05 Message from our Shepherd 10 Ask a Priest 28 Formation for Ministry 29 Making Sense of Bioethics 30 Family Life 31 Women en la Frontera 32 Liturgical Living 35 Christus Vivit in the RGV the Rio Grande Valley In every issue 22 THOSE WHO SERVE Deacon answers call to serve others by taking action 24 - 27 FEAST DAYS & DEVOTIONS Resources for feast days in December, January and Febuary 36 - 40 COMMUNITY LIFE Some highlights from the Church in A GIFT FOR YOUR DOMESTIC CHURCH

Features 7 EVIDENCE Former atheist who investigates Eucharistic miracles presents findings

WINTER 2025 VOLUME 2: ISSUE 2

“Saint Bride,”

Bishop Daniel E. Flores Publisher Brenda Nettles Riojas Editor Paul Binz Assistant Editor Ricardo Treviño Content Developer Angelica Corona Creative Communications Specialist

painting of St. Brigid, a patron saint of Ireland, by John Duncan at the National Galleries of Scotland. Her feast day is celebrated Feb. 1.

9 JUBILEE YEAR

Holy sites designated for local pilgrimages and indulgences

The Valley Catholic is published quarterly.

p. 7 EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES Scientific evidence that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist

Pilgrims in a holy year

13 SYNOD UPDATE

H ow quickly one year ends and another begins. The opening of the Holy Year 2025 by Pope Francis on Dec. 24 serves as an ideal way to focus our attention to being “pilgrims of hope.” “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us,” Pope Francis said, “and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.” Let’s take these words to heart and look for ways to “be tangible signs of hope.” Bishop Daniel E. Flores echoes the Holy Fa- ther and calls us to share our joy and be a mes- senger of the Lord’s presence. In his message on page 5 , he points out we have “a mission to be a joyful, happy Catholic who lives the faith.” We can do this by taking note of all the wonderful ways the Lord works in our lives, and graces them with the people we journey with on our pilgrimage. As we put this edition together, we could see clearly the ways people in our community serve the Lord, from those reminding us about the church’s teachings on

end-of-life issues to those who are committed to promoting vocations and answering God’s call. One of my highlights leading up to this edition was attending the talks by Dr. Ricardo Castañon on the miracles of the Eucharist. ( See story on page 7 .) The Lord gives us proof that he is present in the Eucharist. Pope Francis said, “We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves over- whelmed by evil and violence.” He also reminds us, “In the realization that all of us are pilgrims on this earth, which the Lord has charged us to till and keep (cf. Gen 2:15), may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home.” In the midst of this messy world and chal- lenges, there is much goodness. Let’s make it a point to recognize it and give thanks to God every day. BRENDA NETTLES RIOJAS EDITOR

Final session set for three-year process of listening and dialogue 16 OUR CATHOLIC FAMILY Proyecto Desarrollo Humano marks 20 years of service 20 END-OF-LIFE ISSUES Assisted suicide or euthanasia are not options for Catholics

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11 Religious Art 33 Saint Cutout

MEMBER

HOLY YEAR Jubilee 2025 a year of special spiritual graces and indulgences

Monstrance used for Eucharistic Adoration On the cover

p. 9

FROM OUR SHEPHERD Share your joy Be a messenger of the Lord’s presence in you

POPE FRANCIS

Only love will save humanity, Pope Francis says in Sacred Heart encyclical

BY CAROL GLATZ Catholic News Service

A world that has become “heartless” and in- different to greed and war, and a Catholic Church in need of revitalizing its missionary joy need to open themselves up to Christ's infinite love, Pope Francis wrote. By contemplating Jesus’ Sacred Heart, the faithful can be filled with the “living water that can heal the hurt we have caused, strengthen our ability to love and serve others, and inspire us to journey together toward a just, solidary and fraternal world,” the pope wrote in his en- cyclical, “ ‘Dilexit nos’ (‘He loved us’): on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ.” The Vatican released the 28,000-word text Oct. 24. While it is the pope's fourth encyclical, he wrote that it is meant to be understood in tandem with his previ- ous two encyclicals, “ Laudato Si, on Care for Our Com- mon Home” and “ Fratelli Tutti , on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” “The present document can help us see that the teaching of the social encyclicals … is not unrelated to our encounter with the love of Jesus Christ,” he wrote. “For it is by drinking of that same love that we become capable of forging bonds of fraternity, of recognizing the dignity of each human being, and of working together to care for our common home.” The pope had said in June, the month the church traditionally dedicates to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that he was going to release a document in the fall on the devotion to “illuminate the path of ecclesial renewal, but also to say something significant to a world that seems to have lost its heart.” The encyclical includes numerous reflections from the Bible, previous magisterial texts and the writings of saints and his fellow Jesuits, to re-propose to the whole church the centuries-old devotion. Since 1899, there have been four papal encyclicals and numerous papal texts dedicated to the Sacred Heart – a symbol of Jesus' infinite love, which moves the faithful to love one an- other. “In the deepest fiber of our being, we were made to love and to be loved,” the pope wrote. However, he wrote, “when we witness the outbreak of new wars, with the complicity, tolerance or indiffer- ence of other countries, or petty power struggles over partisan interests, we may be tempted to conclude that our world is losing its heart.” “It is heartbreaking,” he wrote, to see elderly women,

I t was a great grace to spend a month in Rome for the second and concluding session of the Synod. It was a blessing to be with the Holy Father and with the delegates from all over the world. I am happy to be back and want to share some thoughts about what is at the heart of what the Synod is calling us to do. When the Holy Father and the Synod says that we all need to participate in the mission of the Church, it starts with something basic, with a consciousness of the hope we have and our willingness to witness to that in our daily life, and not be afraid to do so. That is where it starts. That is being a missionary disciple in the most basic sense. When the Holy Father speaks of the Synod, he often describes it as a basic way to encourage everyone in the Church to participate actively in the mission of the Church. It starts with something simple and profound, that we all be more conscious of the hope we share in Christ and to be willing to witness to this in our daily life. Sometimes we are afraid to do this. We can think we are not prepared to witness to the faith, or that our example may not be good enough. The document published at the end of the synod in October says a lot about how we can all be better prepared, but it nowhere suggests that our witness has to be on hold until we are better prepared. All of us can strive today to simply be as faithful as possible to our daily responsibilities as Catholics, and to do so joyfully. That is where it starts. This is being a missionary disciple in the most basic sense. The synod was a beautiful experience. Hearing from people from all over the world and speaking with them about their witness of faith strengthened my sense that the mission of the Church is first a mission to give testimony in the world in the hope we have for Christ, especially in a world that is so troubled. It his passion, death, and Resurrection the Lord spurs us on, and we have to give our witness. Christ’s victory is the cause of our hope. This joy and hope involves many things, including our defense of human dignity, our service to those who are the poor and vulnerable. It also involves our fidelity in participating in the very mystery that we receive, which is the Eucharist. Being fed by God in the Eucharist, and our witness in the world go hand in hand. In our diocese I see that call to be a disciple who witnesses to our hope and to our love is something we

who should be enjoying their golden years, experienc- ing the anguish, fear and outrage of war. “To see these elderly women weep, and not feel that this is something intolerable, is a sign of a world that has grown heartless.” “The most decisive question we can ask is, ‘Do I have a heart?’ ” the pope wrote. The human being is more than an instrument, a ma- terial body and a carrier of intelligence and reason, the pope wrote. The human person also embodies spiritual, emo- tional, creative and affective dimensions that are often undervalued, neglected or squelched in today's world, he wrote. It is the heart that integrates all these dimen- sions that are so often fragmented or neglected. The most precious treasures that animate and dwell in the human heart are often the simple and poignant moments in life: “How we first used a fork to seal the edges of the pies that we helped our mothers or grand- mothers to make at home”; “a smile we elicited by telling a joke”; “the worms we collected in a shoebox”; and “a wish we made in plucking a daisy.” “All these little things, ordinary in themselves yet ex- traordinary for us, can never be captured by algorithms” and artificial intelligence, he wrote, and, in fact, “poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity,” not just reason and technology. This encyclical explicitly presents the spiritual and theological foundation underlying the pope's message to the church and the world for the past 12 years – that everything “springs from Christ and his love for all hu- manity.” Many saints and religious congregations have a spe- cial devotion to the Sacred Heart, including St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Society of Jesus, the religious order the saint co-founded and to which Pope Francis belonged. St. Ignatius' spiritual exercises encourage people to “enter into the heart of Christ” to “enlarge our own hearts” and train them to “sense and savor” the Gospel message and “converse about it with the Lord,” the pope wrote. Christ's heart is aflame with infinite love, and Christ desires to be loved and consoled in return, the pope said, especially by loving and serving one's neighbors and those who are most marginalized. Jesus associated with “the lowest ranks of society,” he wrote, introducing the” great novelty of recognizing the

are already focused on in terms of our outreach to the poor and to the colonias, but also our special attention to young people, and our sense of wanting to help those who struggle. One of the things I found very moving from the Synod, is Pope Francis’ joy and focus. Even though he struggles physically, he is always smiling, and he is strong in his announcement of always being focused on Christ. It is important to know where our joy comes from. It’s knowing how much God has loved us, and that should spur us to hasten forward. In my message to young people participating in the Youth Jam this past November, I shared that it is important we take moments to enjoy the mystery of our faith and to be grateful that the Lord has given us many graces. In the prophet Isaiah, he says, “They that hope in the Lord will be renewed in their strength, and they will soar with eagle's wings, and they will run, and they will not grow weary. They will walk, and they will not grow faint.” It is a promise from the prophet about what hap- pens to us when we encounter the Lord Jesus, especially all of us together, in the communion of Christ’s body, the Church. In the Church, we look for ways to help each other encounter the Lord – the Lord who loves us, the Lord Jesus who comes into our lives, who offered us his life, his death, and his Resurrection, and who offers us the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This lifts us up in hope, and it gives us a sense of purpose in our lives. We rejoice in such a great gift. The world desperately needs for us to be messengers of hope and messengers of goodness in our own places – in school and at home and in your neighborhood. We must be a messenger of hope and of joy because this is what the Lord gives us. The Lord says through the prophet Isaiah that we will run and that we will not grow weary, and that we will walk and not grow faint, because the Lord gives us the strength. I know each of us, young and old, sometimes feel like we are a little weary. We grow tired, and maybe the world around us does not make a lot of sense some- times. We can get discouraged. But the Lord lifts us up, like on eagle's wings. It is something that nourishes us and gives us strength, but not just for ourselves. It something that allows us to help and be a messenger of

For pilgrims of hope We pray that this Jubilee Year strengthens our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and that it may transform us into pilgrims of Christian hope. December The Pope’s Monthly Prayer Intentions

Most Reverend Daniel E. Flores Bishop of Brownsville

“

January

For the right to an education We pray for migrants, refugees and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.

We have a responsibility and a mission. ... It is a mission to be a joyful, happy Christian Catholic who lives the faith, who loves the faith, and who just knows in our deepest, deepest heart how much the Lord has loved us, and how he pulls us together.

February

For vocations to the priesthood and religious life We pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

continued on Page 6

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DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

THE VALLEY CATHOLIC

continued from Page 5 MESSENGERS OF JOY

‘Aquí están las pruebas’ EVIDENCE: HE IS PRESENT I n their search for truth, scientists insist on evi- dence.

this joy in this lifting up in the Lord to those around us. We have a responsibility and a mission. And we do not have to travel far. It is a mission to be a joyful, happy Christian Catholic who lives the faith, who loves the faith, and who just knows in our deepest, deepest heart how much the Lord has loved us, and how he pulls us together. As a community, we are called to share this. I am challenging all of us to do this, to be messengers of the Lord's presence in us. It is something that we should let shine around other people, and not be afraid to say, “I have a special joy because I know how much the Lord Jesus has loved me, and has loved us and how richly he offers us his grace and blessing through his sac- ramental presence in the Church.” We need to invite other people to share in that joy and in that wisdom that comes from the Lord's goodness. During our time in the Synod, the Holy Father published a beautiful letter on the Sacred Heart. I invite you to read it medita- tively. It is a gift to the Church that speaks about our interior lives and the heart that Jesus gives us. There is refuge, there is strength and there is hope if we find the time to see ourselves in the heart of Christ. The Lord Jesus has loved us so much. He gave his life for us. He gives us the Holy Eucharist, which we celebrate at Mass. He gives us chances to call on him in prayer and spend a few mo- ments in silence before the Blessed Sacrament. All are ways he lifts us up. It is like giving us the strength, the spiritual fuel we need, not just to be okay in this world, but to be messengers of some- thing better, that the world could be a much better place if there was more joy and more care. Think of Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother of Jesus, who went to see her cousin Elizabeth when she heard that Elizabeth, who was more advanced in age, was expecting a child. The Scripture says Mary made haste to run to her. She ran over to where her cousin was because she wanted to help her. They will run, the Scripture says. The prophet is talking about us. They will run to share the message and to be of practical help. We can each find ways to be of practical help – simple ways in your own home, at school, and at work. Young people for example, who may find someone at school who is lonely or perhaps does not participate so much because they feel shy, can encourage them and lift them. They can make haste to do something. In the Scriptures we have the example after Jesus had been crucified and buried, and then he rose from the dead. As soon as the disciples heard the news from Mary Magdalene, “the Lord is risen and I have seen him,” they ran to the tomb in haste. They wanted to be filled with this marvelous, unexpected news that the Lord Jesus, who had been crucified, was now risen from the dead and that he brought his peace and his joy and our hope in his life to the world. They made haste, they ran. The Scriptures tell us they will run, and they will not grow weary. They will walk and they will not grow faint. That is us. I ask the Lord that he touch each one of you in a special way, that you might be filled with his strength "to run the race" as St. Paul says, with hope and joy. The more conscious we are of our common mission as Catho- lics, the more we become aware of new opportunities to work together for the sake of this mission. I hope in the future to write on the new opportunities that the recent Synod suggests for us. God bless you all. 0

Relic of the host that transformed into flesh in 1996 at St. Mary Parish in Buenos Aires.

blood. “We do not know if it is blood until we study it,” he said. With the sample from 1996, along with another from a consecrated host which had bled in 1992, he ran a series of blind tests between 1999 and 2004 with different experts. He repeated the test three times, each time with a different scientific team. The scientists found fragments of human DNA in the samples. Another test conducted in the year 2000 by Dr. Robert Lawrence, a top expert in tissues, found human skin and white blood cells. In 2001, another professor identified white blood cells and told Dr. Castañon the samples corresponded to heart tissue. On a follow-up test, Dr. Lawerence reported the sample corresponded to tissue from an inflamed heart. This indicated that the person to whom they belonged had suffered greatly. Dr. Castañon said Dr. Lawrence had not known that the sample came from a consecrated host. Another professor, Frederick Zugibe from Columbia University in New York, said he found intact white blood cells. Outside the body, white blood cells disintegrate af- ter 15 minutes, and in this case, white blood cells meant the sample was pulsating. In demonstrating how scientific studies prove the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Dr. Castañon emphasized the importance of being in a state of grace to receive Communion. He wondered aloud how anyone could approach Communion without being reverent, knowing that Christ is present. Dr. Castañon, who has studied 15 Eucharistic mir- acles and has two more open cases, said he likes to talk about the miracles because they are a message of life. “Sometimes we question – ‘Does faith exist? Is God real?’ ” he said, then declared, “God is real.” All the studies he has worked on have shown results proving the presence of human blood, he said. Indeed, the samples from each Eucharistic miracle have been consistent, showing the same human blood type, AB. “It is a dramatic experience to witness a doctor un- dertaking a blind test and then report on the sample pro- vided, describing it as being from someone who has re- cently died. Little did they know at the time, it was Christ

“Here is the evidence,” said Dr. Ricardo Castañon Gomez, a former atheist who today studies Eucharistic miracles throughout the world. “I have scientific evidence that in the Eucharist the word of God is fulfilled – ‘the bread that I will give is my flesh’ (John 6-51), – and here it is,” Dr. Castañon said as he pointed to some of his slides with images of several Eucharistic miracles. “People cannot deny the truth of these results.” Dr. Castañon, a psychologist who specializes in brain biochemistry, presented the evidence to those attending the half-day Milagro de Amor Conference Oct. 26 at Resurrection Parish in Alamo. To talk about Eucharistic miracles, he said, is to talk about something extraordinary, because it is at the center of our faith. For a Catholic, there is nothing more im- portant than the Eucharist. “When I speak, I am speaking about the living Christ,” he said. To a packed church, Dr. Castañon presented scientif- ic evidence of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and explained the process and methods used to inves- tigate such claims. He also shared his own conversion story. Eucharistic Miracles in Argentina - Scientific studies In 1999, Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio - now Pope Francis - invited Dr. Castañon to study some fragments of consecrated host with reddish spots resembling blood- stains at St. Mary Parish in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The consecrated host had fallen to the ground in 1996 during a distribution of Communion. As is customary, it was placed in a container of wa- ter and left in the tabernacle to dissolve. However, a few days later, it was discovered that the host had instead re- mained intact and developed reddish stains. Dr. Castañon explained that at the start of his investi- gations he does not refer to such markings in samples as

Host which bled at Tixtla, in the Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Mexico in 2006. The Church officially recognized the Eucharistic miracle in 2013.

BY BRENDA NETTLES RIOJAS

Sample fragment of host which bled in 1992 in Buenos Aires.

Photos form Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit organized by Blessed Carlo Acutis.

THE VALLEY CATHOLIC

DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

Jubilee Year 2025 'Fan the flame of hope' BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

who died on the Cross more than 2,000 years ago.” “Tiene la firma de Dios”. (It has God’s signature.) He added, “The proof leaves scientists speechless.” His Conversion Dr. Castañon himself did not always believe. “ El Milagro me llevo a la fe”. (The miracle brought me to faith.) Although he was raised Catholic, he left his faith behind for science. He recalled that until his conversion, he had never had a relationship with Jesus. “I was an atheist because I did not know Christ,” he said. He recounted that his mother prayed 25 years for his conversion. He was 44 years old when his mother’s prayers were answered. After studying the Eucharistic miracles, Dr. Castañon’s life changed. He started the International Group for Peace to study Catholic reports of miracles around the world. All his work is privately funded, and he does not charge the Church for his work. On the topic of miracles and their significance in the Church, Dr. Castañon pointed out that over the course of time, God gives us gifts, he gives us evidence. Just as God reveals himself through the stories in the Bible and tells his history, he gives us tangible proof that the Eucha- rist is not merely a symbol. Dr. Castañon referenced one of the earliest reported Eucharistic miracles, from the eighth century in Lanciano, Italy. While celebrating Mass, a priest who had experienced doubts about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, witnessed the host at the time of consecration transformed into actual flesh, and the wine became blood. “God is a good teacher. He comes to help us with miracles,” Dr. Castañon said. La Vida en Gracia Dr. Castañon noted sadly that people today have lost their way be- cause they have not taken care of their spiritual lives. “It important to live life in a state of grace so that we can give wit- ness to God. “¡Tenemos que dar testimonio vivo!” he said. To do this, he said, “We need to rescue our spiritual lives.” “Reporters ask what the significance of the results is for me,” he said. “My response: ‘Que la palabra de Dios se cumple’.” (That the Word of God is fulfilled.) “Está el Señor presente y vivo. (God is present and alive.),” he said. “The miracle demonstrates that what we believe is true.” 0

T he Jubilee Year 2025 is a significant event in the Catholic Church, marking a year of special spiritual graces and in- dulgences. The concept of a jubilee year is based on the Old Testament, where every 50 years, debts were forgiven, and slaves were freed (Leviticus 25:10-13). Throughout Church his- tory, the frequency of this celebration has varied and is now set to every 25 years. This is an opportunity to invite the faithful to pilgrimage, prayer, and penance. Pope Francis has called for the Jubilee Year 2025 to focus on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” encouraging the faithful to renew their commitment to living out the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity. “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision,” he wrote in his letter announcing the Jubilee year. He said, “The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.” Millions of pilgrims are expected to travel to Rome to pass through the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas. These sealed doors are opened by the pope at the beginning of the jubilee. Pilgrims who enter through these doors and go to confession, receive the Eucharist, and pray for the pope's intentions, can re- ceive a plenary indulgence. While the Jubilee 2025 will not include the opening of a Holy Door in the Diocese of Brownsville, Bishop Daniel E. Flores has designated four churches in the Rio Grande Valley (one in each county) as pilgrimage holy sites for the Jubilee Year 2025. The pilgrimage sites are the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville, the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Val- le-National Shrine in San Juan, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Raymondville and Immaculate Conception Church in Rio Grande City. A pilgrimage visit to any of these sites can apply to the reception of the Jubilee indulgence. Jubilee indulgence For centuries a feature of holy year celebrations has been the

indulgence, which the Church describes as a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for their sins. The norms for receiving an indulgence during the Holy Year were signed by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the new head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with matters of conscience and with the granting of indulgences. The basic conditions, he wrote, are that a person is “moved by a spirit of charity,” is “purified through the sacrament of penance and refreshed by Holy Communion” and prays for the pope. Along with a pilgrimage, a work of mercy or an act of penance, a Catholic “will be able to obtain from the treasury of the Church a plenary indulgence, with remission and forgiveness of all their sins, which can be applied in suffrage to the souls in Purgatory.” People who cannot leave their residence – “especially clois- tered nuns and monks, but also the elderly, the sick, prisoners and those who, through their work in hospitals or other care facilities, provide continuous service to the sick” – can spiritu- ally join a pilgrimage and receive the indulgence, according to the norms. Visiting the sick or a prisoner, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked or welcoming a migrant, “in a sense making a pilgrim- age to Christ present in them,” can be another way to receive the indulgence, the cardinal said, adding that an indulgence could be obtained each day from such acts of mercy. “The Jubilee Plenary Indulgence can also be obtained through initiatives that put into practice, in a concrete and gen- erous way, the spirit of penance which is, in a sense, the soul of the Jubilee,” he wrote, highlighting in particular abstaining on Fridays from “futile distractions” like social media or from "su- perfluous consumption” by not eating meat. “Supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in support of the defense and protection of life in all its phases,” helping a young person in difficulty or a recently-arrived mi- grant or immigrant – anything involving “dedicating a reason- able portion of one's free time to voluntary activities that are of service to the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment” also are paths toward an indulgence, he said. 0

Dr. Ricardo Castañon Gomez, who studies Eucharistic miracles around the world, , presented the evidence of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist to those attending the half-day “Milagro de Amor” Conference at Resurrection Parish in Alamo Oct. 26. (TVC photo/Angelica Corona)

The Valley Catholic staff contributed to this report.

Words connected to the Jubilee

• Jubilee Year : A special year of remission of sins and universal pardon, celebrated every 25 years. • Extraordinary Jubilee: A Jubilee Year • Holy Door: A door in each of the four major basilicas in Rome, opened only during a Jubilee Year, symbolizing the path to salvation. outside the regular 25-year cycle, proclaimed for a special reason.

• Indulgence: The remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins, whose guilt has already been forgiven. • Pilgrimage: A journey to a holy site

Scan QR Code to learn more about the Jubilee

as an act of religious devotion. • Penance: Acts of repentance, confession, and reconciliation initiated by the faithful.

THE VALLEY CATHOLIC 9

DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

ASK A PRIEST

FATHER EMMANUEL KWOFIE Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Raymondville

Q: Are there specific feast days dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary? The Church has dedicated specific feast days to the Blessed Virgin Mary within the Liturgical Calendar in honor of her signifi- cant role in Jesus’ life and God’s plan of salvation for the world ( Sacrosanctum Concilium #103; CCC #1124). They are ranked as solemn Holy days, Feast days, and Memorials (obligatory or optional) for universal, regional or local observance. The following are key feast days dedicated to Mary: January 1 – Mary, Mother of God (Solemnity) February 2 – The Presentation of the Lord – (Feast) March 25 – The Annunciation of the Lord (Solemnity) May 31 – Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – (Feast) August 15 – The Assumption of Mary (Solemnity) September 8 – The Nativity of Virgin Mary – (Feast) December 8 – Immaculate Conception (Solemnity) Commemorative days of apparitions of Mary : February 11 – Our Lady of Lourdes (France) – (Feast) May 13 – Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal) – (Feast) October 7 – Our Lady of the Rosary – (Feast) Dec. 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe – (Feast U.S.A & Mexico) Q: What are the different types of prayers in the Catholic faith? Prayer is a communication with God, a raising of one’s mind and heart to God (St. John Damascene). Paragraphs 2626 -2643 of the Catechism describe the main types of prayer in the Catholic faith. These include the following: Prayer of blessing: We respond to God and the many gifts he has given. It helps us see our lives in a whole new light. Prayer of Adoration: In this prayer, we praise and worship God for who he is, and we exalt God’s greatness. The Mass and other liturgies of the Church are full of prayers of adoration or worship. Prayer of Petition: We ask God for our needs and desires either spiritual or material, trusting him to grant them, and always remain open to receiving his blessings. Prayer of Intercession: Here, we pray for others (loved ones or

friends, our community, nation, and the world) lifting up their concerns and requests to God. Prayer of Thanksgiving: Here, we express gratitude for God’s goodness and gifts in our life, and shift our focus from what is lacking to what we have been given. The Mass is a perfect example of Thanksgiving. Prayer of Praise: We acknowledge with joy that God is good and we express our love for him who is the source and object of all love. The Eucharist contains and expresses all the forms of prayer.

Q: When Christ instituted the

Eucharist, he proclaimed it as being his Body and Blood. Why is a transference from a priest necessary, when it has already been done by Christ himself? The Eucharist is the most central sacrament and heart of the Church’s life. At the Last Supper with his disciples, Christ instituted both the Eucharist by changing bread and wine into his Body and Blood, and the priesthood and the power for consecrating, offering and administering his Body and Blood. He effected the Eucharist with the words, “This is my Body … This is my Blood,” and the Priesthood, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19). In order to make present Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross throughout the ages as he commanded, a validly ordained priest acting in the person of Christ in every Mass, has to consecrate the bread and wine saying the words Christ uttered at the Last Supper, invoke the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the entire substance of the bread and wine on the altar instantaneously converts into the Body and Blood of Christ. The Body and Blood of Christ will then be present simultaneously (as Christ intended it to be) in all the consecrated bread and wine on the altars in several distinct places at the same time, and not through local movement only in one place at a time. ( Presbyterorum Ordinis §2; CCC #900§1)

Submit your question at www.cdob.org/ask-a-priest

DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

Immaculate Conception (1632) by Francisco de Zurbarán / Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

Pope Francis delivers his homily during the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops on synodality in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 27, 2024. (CNS photo/ Lola Gomez)

Visio Divina

Visio Divina, Latin for divine seeing, is a contemplative practice that involves engaging with visual art, particularly sacred images or icons, in a manner similar to the way one would engage with Scripture through lectio divina. This practice invites one to enter into a dialogue with God through a visual medium allowing the images to speak to the heart and inspire prayer and reflection.

Art touches the human senses precisely to move us with its beauty to contemplate human realities that lie beyond the senses. Bishop Daniel E. Flores “

» Synod Update

BY JUSTIN MCLELLAN Catholic News Service

Local churches called upon to implement synod proposals

Italian holy card of Mary as Star of the Sea.

Ave Maris Stella Hail Star of the Ocean HAIL, O Star of the ocean, God's own Mother blest, ever sinless Virgin, gate of heav'nly rest. Taking that sweet Ave, which from Gabriel came, peace confirm within us, changing Eve's name. Break the sinners' fetters, make our blindness day, Chase all evils from us, for all blessings pray. Show thyself a Mother, may the Word divine born for us thine Infant hear our prayers through thine. Virgin all excelling, mildest of the mild, free from guilt preserve us meek and undefiled. Keep our life all spotless,

Steps for Visio Divina Step 1: Visio – See

D oubling down on the centrality of synodality in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said that it is now up to local churches to accept and implement proposals from the final document approved the Synod of Bishops on synodality. Approved by the pope, the synod’s final document “participates in the ordinary magisterium of the successor of Peter, and as such, I ask that it be accepted,” the pope wrote in a note published by the Vatican Nov. 25. “Local churches and groupings of churches are now called upon to implement, in different contexts, the authoritative indications contained in the document, through the processes of discernment and decision-making provided by law and by the document itself,” he wrote nearly a month after the synod’s close. The final document outlined key priorities for the church, in- cluding increased participation of laity through new ministries and adjusted governing structures, greater transparency and account- ability among church leadership and creating space for previously marginalized groups. After synod members voted to approve the final document, Pope Francis announced that he would not write the customary apostolic exhortation after the synod but would instead offer the document to the entire church for implementation. With the exceptions of the first synods convoked by St. Paul VI in 1967 and 1971, all ordinary assemblies of the Synod of Bishops have been followed by an exhortation on the synod's themes and discussions by the pope. In his note, Pope Francis clarified that while the document is “not strictly normative” and must be adapted to contexts where it is applied, it still obligates “local churches to make choices consistent with what was indicated” in the document. He also underscored the need for time to address broader

churchwide issues, such as those assigned to the 10 study groups he set up in the spring to explore issues raised during the synod, including women's ministry, seminary education, relationships be- tween bishops and religious communities, and the role of nuncios. More groups may be created, the pope said. The conclusion of the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops “does not end the synodal process,” he wrote. Quoting his 2016 exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia” on marriage and family life, the pope wrote that “not all doctrinal, moral or pas- toral discussions must be resolved by interventions of the magiste- rium,” rather the bishops of each country or region can seek “more encultured solutions” to issues involving local traditions and chal- lenges. He added that the final synod document contains recom- mendations which “can already now be implemented in the local churches and groupings of churches, taking into account different contexts, what has already been done and what remains to be done in order to learn and develop ever better the style proper to the missionary synodal church.” “In many cases it is a matter of effectively implementing what is already provided for in existing law, Latin and Eastern,” while in other contexts local churches can proceed with the creation of “new forms of ministry and missionary action” through a process of syn- odal discernment and experimentation. Pope Francis also specified that during bishops’ “ad limina” vis- its to Rome, each bishop will be asked to discuss what choices have been made in his local church regarding what has been indicated in the final synod document, reflecting on the challenges and the fruits. Meanwhile, he said, the General Secretariat of the Synod and the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia will be tasked with over- seeing the synodal journey’s “implementation phase.” 0

About the Baroque painting by Francisco de Zurbarán on the reverse side: Mary appears standing on five cherubim occupying a half moon. She is wearing a necklace with the anagram A(ve) M(aria), while a host of stars and angels emerge from the clouds in the halo around her head. On either side are angels with lilies, roses (attributes of purity) and tablets with inscriptions from the 'Song of Songs'. At the sides are two collegiates reciting the versus of Ave Maris Stella, Latin for 'Hail, star of the sea.' There are also symbols at the sides alluding to Mary: the Unblemished Mirror, Jacob's Ladder, Gates of Heaven and Morning Star. Source: The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya Observe the image closely, allowing the details to resonate and evoke thoughts and feelings. Look at it carefully. Pay attention. Be open to what God wants you to see. Step 2: Meditatio – Meditate Take a few minutes to think about the image and the message that emerges. Is there something specific that calls your attention? Does the image help place you in that moment? How do you encounter the Word, the message of the Lord Jesus? Step 3: Oratio – Pray Spend some time in conversation with God. Respond to God in prayer, expressing thoughts, feeling and insights that arise from the contemplation of the image. Step 4: Contemplatio – Contemplate and Respond Be in his presence. Be still and listen. What does the image say to you? What feel- ings does it prompt? What is God inviting you to contemplate, to learn, to do? How will you respond?

make our way secure till we find in Jesus, joy for evermore. Praise to God the Father,

honor to the Son, in the Holy Spirit,

be the glory one. Amen. From the Liturgia Horarum.

Translation based on a cento from the Roman Breviary. (ref Raccolta, #321).

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Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville

Synod leaders share experience with students LESSONS LEARNED IN LISTENING

VATICAN NEWS Bishop Daniel E. Flores has been elected to the Ordinary Council of the General Secretari- at of the Synod of Bishops. At the 15th General Con- gregation of the Synod of Bish- ops Oct. 23 in Rome, delegates elected the new members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod. Pope Francis made a mod- ification to the current Instruc- tion governing the Assembly's work, increasing the total num- ber of members to 17. Of these, 12 were elected from among the diocesan/eparchial bishops or equivalents who are part of the Assembly: One from the East- ern Catholic Churches, one from Oceania, and two each from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. In addition to these, the Pope will appoint four members, as well as the head of the Dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for the theme of the next Synod. The Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat is responsible for preparing and implementing the Ordinary General Assembly. Members of the Ordinary Council begin their term at the end of the Ordinary General As- sembly that elected them, they are members of the next Ordi- nary General Assembly, and their mandate concludes when that Assembly is dissolved. Chaired by the Holy Father, the Council is an essential part of the General Secretariat. The new Ordinary Council will play a key role both in implementing this synodal process on synodal- ity and in preparing for the next Synod. Bishop Flores elected to council to oversee implementation, plan next synod

each other, we pray. We listen to one another,” she said. Mem- bers hear from people with similar ideas and experiences, but also hear “our differences, our cultures, our way of seeing things, our ways of experiencing God. And at the end, we realize that we are in communion, that we are the church and that we are one church, and we are transformed by that.” “Once you are touched with that experience, you take it with you,” she said, “and you prolong it in time, and you share it with the people that you encounter.” Bishop Daniel E. Flores, one of synod’s presidents delegate, said he was asked in his own diocese about the purpose of the listening sessions and whether there were plans to change church teaching. “The aim of synodality is for the sake of the mission,” he said. “And the mission is to announce the Gospel and to invite (peo- ple) to a richer, fuller life that comes through Christ, crucified and risen from the dead.” But, he said, “We really do have to be real.” “That is to say, you can't keep announcing the Gospel if you don't have a sense of the reality people are living,” the bishop told the students. The listening is not just about hearing someone’s words, he said. It is trying to hear “the realities under the words -- the ex- periences, the pains, the hopes and the longings, because un- derneath a lot of the words there is a longing. And one of the church's convictions is that the longing is for a sense of belonging and a sense of communion.” “It is a gift when somebody tells you something about their life,” Bishop Flores said. “It’s a gift that you should appreciate as something rather sacred.” But the synod also is listening “to the voice of those who have gone before us” – Catholic tradition – and, especially, to the Scriptures and to the voice of the Holy Spirit in prayer. “I trust the Holy Spirit,” the bishop said. “I really do. I mean, the church has been messy for 2,000 years, and the Holy Spirit still manages to keep us together. It’s bumpy, it’s messy, but I have faith that we will be faithful to the teaching of the church.” 0 Bishop Daniel E. Flores responds to questions from university students about the Synod of Bishops in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Oct. 18, 2024. He is seated between Company of Mary Sister Leticia Salazar, a U.S. synod delegate, left, and Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the synod relator general. OPPOSITE PAGE: Bishop Flores, center, speaks to the artist who made a mosaic with thoughts about the synod and prayers for the synod written by U.S. university students as Cardinal Mario Grech, kneeling, adds his prayer to the mosaic. (CNS photos/ Pablo Esparza)

BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

Celebrating our history

T he listening that has been part of the Synod of Bishops changes people, can change the Catholic Church and can change the world for the better, four synod members told U.S. university students in Rome. “The person with a different opinion is not an enemy,” Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the relator general of the synod, told about 140 stu- dents gathered Oct. 18 in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall. The students, from 16 Catholic universi- ties in the United States – along with a small group of young adults from Germany, Austria and Switzerland – had spent a week in Rome studying synodality and had questions for syn- od leaders. The questions included: whether the listen- ing sessions held at the beginning of the syn- od process reached enough people; why young people who are not involved in the church should care; how they could guarantee that the synod’s outcomes would be faithful to the teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church;

and would the synod really change anything. Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, general sec- retary of the synod, told the students that “it aches me” when people say the listening ses- sions reached only a small percentage of Catho- lics when the outreach for the 2021-2024 synod was much broader than anything achieved be- fore and will keep growing. Cardinal Hollerich, noting that most of the students were from the United States, told them, “When I see on television about the elections in the States, there are two worlds which seem to be opposed, and you have to be enemy of the other – that thinking is very far from synodal thinking.” The synodal listening, he said, helps people experience that “together we are part of humanity, we live in the same world, and we have to find common solutions.” Company of Mary Sister Leticia Salazar, a U.S. synod delegate and chancellor of the Di- ocese of San Bernardino, California, told the students that learning to really listen changes a person. “We come together, we get to know

Hundreds gathered for the 150th Anniversary of the es- tablishment of the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville dur- ing a special Mass Sept. 18 at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. The Vicariate was the predecessor of today’s Diocese of Brownsville; the Diocese of Corpus Christi, which once included our area; and the Diocese of Laredo. With the observance of the 150th Anniversary of the Vi- cariate Apostolic of Brownsville, the diocese launches a year-long celebration of our history which will culminate with a Mass observing the 60th Anniversary of the Dio- cese of Brownsville in 2025.

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Anniversary Mass

History Video

Photo Gallery

DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

OUR CATHOLIC FAMILY

Proyecto Desarrollo Humano: 20 Years and Marching On

Stories and photos BY PAUL BINZ

P royecto Desarrollo Humano in western Hidalgo County is an apt name for the ongoing effort that has become a mod- el of community service and peripheral ministry during its 20 years. Desarrollar is a Spanish verb that means “to develop,” but with subtle connotations of making progress, improve- ment and growth. So Proyecto Desarrollo Humano really means a project to make people’s lives better. Marking its 20th anniversary Oct. 26 with a spe- cial Mass at nearby St. Anne Catholic Church in Pe- nitas, the parochial vicar there, Father Melchor N. Villero, M.J., told those gathered, “Gracias a Dios, hemos podido hacer algo.” (Thanks be to God, we’ve been able to do something.) “En el momento cuando comenzamos y iniciamos todo esto, tanto sacrificio, tanto lucha, tanta entrega en compromiso,” he said. “Solo podemos agradecer a Dios por las cosas maravillas que ha hecho … Gracias a Dios.” (When we began all this – so much sacrifice, so much struggle, so much dedication in commit- ment. We can only thank God for the marvelous things that have been done.) But Father Villero admonished that the mission’s work must go on. “ Hermanos y hermanas , on this occasion we are challenged with the question: How will we continue? How will tomorrow be?” he said. “It is not just what you believe that matters; it is how you respond with your heart and your actions. … sino como respon- demos con puro corazón y con acciones concretas .” Catholic Extension Society, the national organi- zation whose stated mission is working “in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America,” was instrumental in providing support for Proyecto Desarrollo Humano at its outset. Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, visited from Chicago for the anniversary celebration. “The very, very first place I went to as president was right here,” Father Wall said. “I came here 18

years ago when I was just beginning, and so was the Proyecto. And the colonia here was very isolated, very separated and apart. “Through the years, over and over again, what I’ve come to see is the presence of the Lord and the spirit of the Lord on you and all that you are doing.” How Proyecto Desarrollo Humano began In 2004, nuns of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ventured west from their station in Brownsville looking for new opportunities and places to serve in the Rio Grande Valley. Western Hidalgo County is a sprawling expanse whose rural character has been transformed in the modern era by a steady growth of population. The sisters soon identified a particular area several miles north of Peñitas which seemed to lack services in general. As a likely spot to start their ministry, they settled on an isolated neighborhood there named for its landmark tall palm trees. At that time the colonia named Pueblo de Pal- mas was little more than a grid of muddy streets and a few house trailers scattered here and there among mostly empty lots. In an effort to meet the residents, the late Sister Tellie Lape and Sister Fatima Santiago would set out and go house to house through the mud, where they were often confronted by snarling dogs, locked gates and suspicion. The people in the trailers, often recent immigrants from Mexico, were wary and not easy to reach, but the sisters persisted. Seeking a permanent presence, the sisters also arranged to meet the subdivision’s developer, Gary Frisby, to explain their mission. Providence brought them an ally in Frisby and his wife Dawna, who promptly agreed to donate a valuable corner lot on which the Missionary Sisters could set up shop. That lot became the site for a small building that would become the mission’s nucleus. The sisters reported their progress to the late Bishop Raymundo J. Peña, whose approval and

Una fuerza impulsora para un

futuro mejor.

ABOVE: The special Mass for the 20th anniversary of Proyecto Desarrollo Humano begins with a procession. The Mass was celebrated at St. Anne Catholic Church in Peñitas. TOP LEFT: Sister Fatima Santiago, director of PDH, recounts its history.

DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE

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