Francis de Sales, Don Bosco, the Blessed Sacrament, & Saints!

Saint Francis de Sales inspiring paths of holiness (ANS – Rome) – During the Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family 2022, dedicated to the spiritual and pastoral study of the Rector Major’s Strenna centered on St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator General for the Causes of Saints of the Salesian Family, offered a contribution that highlights how “our journey to holiness and the promotion of the Causes of Beatification and Canonization of our Salesian Family draw great inspiration and strong motivation from him.” In fact, from his person and his doctrine emanate an impression of rare fullness, demonstrated in the serenity of his intellectual research, but also in the richness of his affections, in the “sweetness” of his teachings that have had a great influence on the Christian conscience. One could say, then, that Francis de Sales, both in his most representative works (Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God) and in his continuous pastoral praxis, presents himself on the scene of the history of the Church as one of the most representative forerunners of what Vatican II calls the “universal vocation to holiness” (chapter 5 of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium). In his major works,...

A pilgrimage to Orvieto, the hilltop town of a Eucharistic miracle

V. M. Traverso – published on 11/17/21 Just one hour from Rome, Orvieto is a living testament to the town’s vibrant Catholic history. Built on top of a volcanic cliff in rural Umbria, Orvieto is one of central Italy’s most charming hilltop towns. Its name derives from Latin urbs vetus (“old city”), referring to the early human settlements built here dating back to Paleolithic times.  The Christian history of the city officially started in the 11th century with the construction of San Giovenale Church (1004), built on a pre-existing paleo-Christian church that was built on the site of an even earlier Etruscan temple. Indeed, most buildings in Orvieto are built over pre-existing Etruscan sites. The city was actually constructed over an intricate system of Etruscan era cave tunnels dating back 2,500 years. Some historians believe that early Christians used some of these underground structures to celebrate Mass away from the public eye back when Christianity was forbidden.  During the 12th century the town signed an agreement with the pope and became part of the Vatican State, and Pope Urban IV (1195-1264) temporarily moved his residency to Orvieto.  It was during this time that one of the most significant events for the...

US Bishops Foster Eucharistic Devotion with New Document

CHURCH UNITED STATES BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE EUCHARIST The Bishops of the United States vote to approve a document entitled “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church”, and link it to a pastoral plan for Eucharistic renewal. By Devin Watkins US Bishops are calling on American Catholics to “enter more deeply by faith and love” into the Mystery of Mysteries, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Meeting for the Fall General Assembly of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Bishops on Wednesday approved a document dedicated to the Eucharist with a secret electronic vote of 222 in favor and 8 against, with 3 abstentions – an overwhelming consensus of over 95%. Entitled “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” the document is divided into two sections: “Christ’s gift of Himself in the Eucharist and our response to that gift.” According to USCCB president Archbishop José Gómez, the document is closely linked to a separate initiative to promote Eucharistic renewal, including plans for a National Eucharistic Congress in the summer of 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Returning to the Table of the Lord The Eucharistic document seeks to remind Catholics of...

The Eucharist – Catechesis at Home – Fr. Abe, Gui, and Vicky

Click the Link Above to View Fr. Abe’s Video! On Facebook (@salesianym / Salesian Youth Ministry) and YouTube (Salesian Youth Movement), please view and share two new videos from the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry as Fr. Abraham Feliciano shares on the topic of the Eucharist and as Guilherme Lopes and Victoria Weekley continue the conversation from their young adult perspectives.  This topic concludes the OYM’s video series. Thank you for your support in watching and sharing these videos. Please feel free to continue to share these videos with others, especially young people, as a means of formation. Stay tuned for more new videos in the future! Click the Link Below to View Gui and Vicky’s...

Truth and the Eucharist

One thought belongs here: revelation and the pious recognition of divine truth. What does community with another person mean? Above all, it demands genuine mutual exchange, respect for his person, trust, loyalty, that simultaneous unity and reverence known as friendship or comradeship or love. Such an alliance surpasses the merely physical or merely spiritual. Because […] Source: Truth and the...