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Thursday, May 8, was a wonderfully exciting day to be a Catholic and an American. News of the white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel spread quickly. In our archdiocese, the bells of parish churches were ringing and the traditional gold and white bunting celebrating the announcement of the new pope appeared on many of our local churches. All of this was happening before any of us knew who had been elected as the new pope.

The term “Catholic imagination” refers to the fact that we Catholics often have a unique way of looking at things and understanding things. As an example, I recall once being in a conversation with some non-Catholics discussing what our churches taught in matters of faith. It struck me that when the non-Catholics spoke of their “church” they meant the congregation to which they belonged. They spoke about what their pastor preached and what he explained to them. However, as a Catholic, when I spoke about my “church” I meant the Church throughout the world in union with the Pope. It struck me that the Catholic imagination is different. When we speak about the “Church” we tend to mean the Universal Church in union with the successor of Peter.

The term “Catholic imagination” refers to the fact that we Catholics often have a unique way of looking at things and understanding things. As an example, I recall once being in a conversation with some non-Catholics discussing what our churches taught in matters of faith. It struck me that when the non-Catholics spoke of their “church” they meant the congregation to which they belonged.

The Holy Spirit greatly blesses the Archdiocese of Mobile. Allow me to give two examples of God working powerfully in our midst.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. As we begin the season of Lent, please allow me to share some thoughts with you.

I am always grateful to God for our wonderful priests. They are truly blessings to all of us as they minister to us. On Thursday, February 21, I was particularly proud of our priests. On their own initiative, and without encouragement from me, some of our priests banded together to celebrate Masses where they would pray together with our immigrant brothers and sisters during these times which are fraught with fear and anxiety for our immigrant neighbors. Masses were celebrated in Baldwin, Houston, Lee, Mobile, Montgomery, and Russell Counties. I joined in celebrating the Mass in Baldwin.

I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Gia S. Long has been appointed as the Executive Director for Financial Services for the Archdiocese of Mobile. This appointment will begin on Monday, March 24, 2025.

On a number of occasions, I have had the pleasure of attending youth athletic competitions, whether high school games, CYO or various youth leagues. They are enjoyable times, made even more so by knowing that the players have trained and practiced hard for these games and are playing to the best of their ability.

About 100 years ago, a photographer named Wilson Bentley was the first to photograph snowflakes. This was not an easy thing to do with the technology of the time, but he was successful in sharing more than 5,000 pictures of snowflakes. One of the striking things about these photos is that no two snowflakes appeared to be the same. It became conventional wisdom that each snowflake is different.

This month, the ballroom of the Cathedral rectory was the site for two very special retirement celebrations of archdiocesan executive directors. Some of the central ministries of the Archdiocese of Mobile report directly to me, but most are organized into five departments: Catholic Education, Catholic Social Services, Development/Stewardship, Financial Services and Legal Services.

About 100 years ago a photographer named Wilson Bentley was the first to photograph snowflakes. This was not an easy thing to do with the technology of the time, but he was successful in sharing more than 5,000 pictures of snowflakes. One of the striking things about these photos is that no two snowflakes appeared to be the same. It became conventional wisdom that each snowflake is different.

The Rosary is a grace filled way to meditate upon the life of Christ and our faith. In 2001, “Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy,” issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, urged that we use the Rosary as part of our prayer and to remember its value. A year later, Pope John Paul II published his beautiful Apostolic Letter on the Rosary.

November 2 is All Souls’ Day when we pray for our beloved dead whom we entrust to the loving and merciful embrace of the Lord. It is also an appropriate occasion to remember our understanding of the final purification we undergo when we die. This experience of purification is commonly called Purgatory.

It is not uncommon to hear people make statements such as: “I must follow my conscience.” “I must vote as my conscience tells me.” “I can’t do what you’re telling me because it is against my conscience.”

While on the plane returning to the Vatican after a demanding 12-day trip to Asia, Pope Francis answered questions from reporters traveling on the plane with him. When asked about the presidential election in the U.S., the Pope answered, “One must choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser of two evils? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone with a conscience should think on this and do it. To send migrants away, to leave them wherever you want, to leave them … it’s something terrible, there is evil there. To send away a child from the womb of the mother is an assassination, because there is life. We must speak about these things clearly.”

Growing up on the Gulf Coast has many blessings. We have a wonderful sense of “place.” Since my family has lived for generations in the Gulf Coast areas of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, I praise God for the roots this has given me and for the ties to our beautiful area. However, growing up in this area has also given me an acquaintance with hurricanes. When I was a child, hurricanes were exciting. It was an adventure to bring everything in from the yard, board up windows and get time off from school during the recovery. In those days, we did not watch television for days as hurricanes formed. When a hurricane was about to hit, people went home or found shelter and “hunkered down.”

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt 28:19-20 The Gospel of Matthew ends with this Great Commission. The salvation of souls is the purpose of the Church. It is duty of each Christian. We are called to strive after our own salvation and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others so that they may seek their own salvation.

In the previous edition of “The Catholic Week,” I wrote about the National Eucharistic Congress, a grace-filled event of the American Catholic Church held in mid-July in Indianapolis. People from across the country gathered to give thanks to God for the priceless gift of the Eucharist, which our Lord gave to us at the Last Supper. In that Upper Room with His disciples, the Lord gave us His own Body and Blood, truly present in the bread and wine once consecrated, as His visible testimony that He is with us until the end of time.

The past several days have brought about a number of significant events for our country and Church. Allow me to share a few thoughts about two of these events.

July 4 is a welcomed midsummer break. It is an opportunity for many to enjoy this holiday whether at the beach, the lake or in the backyard. Probably many of us give only a passing thought, if at all, to the significance of the day. This is our day to remember that we live in a country dedicated to respecting the rights of all.