Saint Francis Xavier, the priest and missionary whose feast we celebrate today, wrote a letter to Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the mid-sixteenth century, chronicling his experiences in India. He writes: “Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians.”[1] Francis Xavier here gets to the heart of one of the most profound mysteries of our faith: GOD CHOOSES TO SAVE OTHERS THROUGH US. Salvation is always mediated. We see this again and again in the scriptures.
Theology Uncorked is happy to announce that our next installment will be held on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 6:30PM. The theme for the gathering is:
“TEN REASONS TO CELEBRATE BEING CATHOLIC” A Presentation on the Joys of Our Catholic Identity
Our speaker will be Deacon Joseph Upton, a seminarian for the Diocese of Providence and the coordinator of Theology Uncorked. The gathering will be held in the auditorium of Saint Paul School, 1789 Broad Street, Cranston, Rhode Island. (For directions, click here.) Please use the main entrance on Broad Street. Parking is available in the front and in the rear of the school.
The topic is meant to coincide with the Year of Evangelization initiated by the Diocese of Providence, the theme of which is “Return to me with all your heart.” This evening would be a great opportunity to invite someone who has fallen away from the Church to re-explore their Catholic faith and meet new people, all over a glass of wine!
The evening will be sponsored by the Newman Fellowship and the Diocesan Office of Religious Education. As always, wine, cheese and other light fare will be available. There is no cost to attend, although RSVP is required and space is limited. Email us at TheologyUncorked@aol.com. Spread the word and save the date now!
Deacon Jack Sullivan of Massachusetts and his wife Carol will be making a special trip to Birmingham England in November.
Sullivan could not walk and suffered agonizing pain…he again prayed to Cardinal Newman.
“I felt tremendous heat and a tingling feeling all over that lasted for five or 10 minutes,” Sullivan told EWTN. “After I experienced this, I immediately stood up straight. I was able to walk, not with a walker or cane, but on my own, without any difficulty or pain. I walked all over the hospital, just joyful. I never needed any pain medication after that.”
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Deacon Sullivan has said Cardinal Newman’s writings are relevant in view of present tendencies towards intellectualism and lack of doctrine in “this so called progressive and secular age.”“The supremacy of God has given way to the supremacy of man especially in his sense of self-sufficiency. As Newman suggested, modern man needs to recapture his former sense of awe and wonder at the majesty of God and our total dependence upon His love and mercy.
The CatholicsComeHome.org television initiative and web site were directly responsible for bringing nearly 100,000 inactive Catholics and converts home to the Church during Lent 2008.
These consistent results have motivated a dozen other archdioceses and dioceses throughout the United States to partner with CatholicsComeHome.org to launch campaigns in their areas during the upcoming seasons of Advent and Lent. These include: the Archdioceses of Chicago, Atlanta, Omaha and Seattle, and the Dioceses of Sacramento, Colorado Springs, Lincoln, Green Bay, Rockford, Joliet, Charlotte, Providence and Venice (FL)…The momentum of CatholicsComeHome.org has now extended internationally…
‘After three years of prayer, thought, and debate, and an honest attempt to follow where the spirit leads me, I am joining the Roman Catholic Church this Easter…‘
‘For my Protestant friends, all I can do is assure you that that Church you broke away from in centuries past has been reformed of the abuses you complained of at that time…‘
‘There is a sort of sour gloominess at the prospect of organizing still one more micro-church body for Lutherans in America. Somehow I just don’t think this is what the world has been awaiting…’
‘There might be a few subsidiary issues to settle, but get us inside first and everything else becomes manageable…’
‘Our Lutheran confessional documents—notably the Augsburg Confession of 1530—forcefully argues that nothing Lutherans taught was contrary to the faith of the church catholic, nor even contrary to that faith held by the Church of Rome. As it has happened, much to our Lutheran chagrin, late twentieth century Rome itself become a better witness to an evangelical gospel than early twenty-first century Lutherans have proved capable of being…’
‘Over 150 years later, Newman is up for beatification by the Catholic Church. It’s a move that some believe could pave the way for clear and concise dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics’
‘A focus on the church as a divine institution, a focus on bishops as successors of the apostles, a focus of a real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, a focus on the Eucharistic sacrifice. All of these are things which Anglicans hold in common with the catholic church. And one of the reasons we hold them in common is because of the deep influence of Newman…’
September 17th, 2010, 7:00PM Saint Philip’s Church,
622 Putnam Pike
Greenville, Rhode Island
Heart Speaks to Heart: An Evening in Honor of John Henry Newman
7:00PM, Solemn Evening Prayer with Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction
Presider: Fr. Joseph R. Upton, Chaplain, The Newman Fellowship
Homilist: Fr. Henry J. Bodah, Brown University Catholic Chaplain
~Wine, cheese & fellowship during break
8:00PM, Lecture: "Knowing and Believing This Truth Entirely: Newman's Abiding Contribution"
Presenter: Fr. David L. Stokes, Assistant Professor of Theology, Providence College
