Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

       This week, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI begins his historic first visit as pope to the United States.  Our Parish welcomes the Pope to our country!  During this trip, Pope Benedict will address not only the Catholic population here, but the whole world.  As the Vicar of Christ and the visible head of the Church, the Pope plays a unique role in the proclamation of the Gospel.  His visit gives all of us the opportunity to assist his mission through prayer and so play our own role in spreading the Good News.  And how important those prayers are this week!   May all of us set aside some extra time for prayers and sacrifices for our Holy Father’s journey.  We can help him with our efforts, both big and small.

       Pope Benedict will celebrate both his third anniversary as Pope and his eighty-first birthday during this visit to the United States.  I think he must like our cake better than he likes Italian cake.  The College of Cardinals elected Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy on April 19^th, 2005.   Pope Benedict XVI is the two hundred and sixty-fifth man to serve as “the Vicar of Christ”.  Over one billion souls are under his care every day.   Pope Benedict took his name from two influential figures from our Church’s history:  St. Benedict of Nursia, who is considered the “Father of Modern Monasticism” and who helped save Western culture and intellectual life in Europe, following the collapse of the Roman Empire; and Pope Benedict XV, who at the beginning of the 20^th Century, also faced a world torn apart by war and violence.  Pope Benedict was born on April 16^th, 1927, which happened to be Holy Saturday that year.  The Pope grew up in Nazi Germany, witnessing the many terrible effects of World War II.  The suffering, death, and destruction left a lasting mark on him forever.  In 1951 Benedict was ordained a priest, along with his brother, Georg.  They both have served the Church faithfully ever since, for over 56 years!   Because of his great love for teaching and education, Pope Benedict spent twenty-six years as a professor of theology at various German universities.  As a professor, the Pope authored many books on theology, Sacred Scripture, the liturgy, and the life of the Christian in the modern world.  Pope Benedict was one of the key theological advisors at the Second Vatican Council, in the early to mid-nineteen sixties.   After serving for only a short time as Archbishop of Munich, Pope John Paul II called ‘Archbishop Ratzinger” to Rome in 1981 to serve as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.   This is the Vatican office that is entrusted with safeguarding the faithful teaching of the Gospel throughout the entire Church.  Cardinal Ratzinger became one of Pope John Paul II’s most trusted allies and most influential policy makers during his papacy.   Cardinal Ratzinger was so close to Pope John Paul II that he was chosen to give the homily at his funeral Mass.  Days later, Cardinal Ratzinger was elected to replace Pope John Paul II.   Pope Benedict XVI is quite a bit older than Pope John Paul II when he made his first visit as Pope to the U.S. back in 1979.   Pope Benedict has not traveled near as much as his predecessor, preferring to stay closer to Rome.  He has so far spent the days of his papacy appointing and meeting with bishops, meeting with world leaders, canonizing saints ( including Indiana’s own St. Theodore Guerin!) preaching, and teaching.  He is still a prolific writer. He has already published two major encyclicals, one on love, Deus Caritas Est, and one on hope, Spe Salvi.   And he has authored the best-selling book, Jesus of Nazareth.

A Prayer for the Pope

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give

To Your shepherd, the Pope, a spirit of

Courage and right judgment, a spirit of

Knowledge and love.

By governing with fidelity those

Entrusted to his care, may he, as successor

To the apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ,

Build Your Church into a sacrament of unity,

Love, and peace for all the world.  We ask this

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who

Lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one

God, forever and ever.    AMEN !!!

This is going to be a great week and a wonderful opportunity to see and hear more from our Pope.  May we enjoy these special days and listen to the message that our Holy Father is bringing to us!

In Christ,

Fr. Kevin

“Let us pray the Lord will carry us and that we will learn to carry one another.”

 Pope Benedict XV