“St. Benedict . . . found the world, physical and social, in ruins, and his mission was to restore it in the way, not of science, but of nature . . . not professing to do it by any set time or by any rare specific or by any series of strokes, but so quietly, patiently, gradually . . . Silent men were observed about the country, or discovered in the forest, digging, clearing, and building; and other silent men, not seen, were sitting in the cold cloister, tiring their eyes, and keeping their attention on the stretch, while they painfully deciphered and copied and re-copied the manuscripts which they had saved. There was no one that “contended, or cried out,” or drew attention to what was going on; but by degrees the woody swamp became a hermitage, a religious house, a farm, an abbey, a village, a seminary, a school of learning, and a city . . .
Category: Bishop
Experiences at the World Meeting of Families
Several weeks ago, I had the inspiring experience of being a delegate to the World Meeting of Families in Rome.
Who is the human person?
When I ponder the many conflicts currently raging in our culture, whether it be abortion, gender identity, sexual orientation, racism, or politics in general, the unifying thread of these fiery arguments is the fundamental question: Who is the human person?
Statement from Bishop Donald Hying, regarding Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and our need for continued support of moms in need
After nearly half a century of federal legalized abortion, more than 65 million precious lives lost, and countless others enduring profound pain and suffering in the aftermath, today’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision effectively returns the question of abortion to the states, and is a long-awaited answer to decades of prayer and sacrifice by millions in our country. It offers us great hope for a deeper flourishing of human dignity. Many fewer lives will be lost to the grave injustice of abortion, which is the deliberate and direct killing of a human being, and a culture of life can begin to take root where it was previously not possible. It also offers the Catholic Church in the United States, and all those of good will who stand with us in upholding the sanctity of human life, the opportunity and privilege to redouble our efforts to accompany women and couples facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies, as well as supporting parents in their care for their sons and daughters. We will continue to welcome all those in need of assistance and offer to them the best we have to give, with sensitivity and compassion, so that children born in crisis situations have what they need to truly grow and flourish.
A time of Eucharistic Revival
As we celebrate the great Solemnity of Corpus Christi this Sunday, we are also beginning the three-year Eucharistic Revival, a national effort to invite, inspire, catechize, and renew our people in our love for the Lord in the Eucharist, to understand and believe more profoundly in the meaning and purpose of the Mass, to realize anew the depths of Christ’s love for us in the Blessed Sacrament.
Pentecost and making disciples
This Sunday’s celebration of Pentecost marks the second anniversary of the launching of Go Make Disciples, our diocesan effort to be renewed in the power of the Holy Spirit, to deepen the understanding and practice of our own Catholic faith, and to evangelize others with a joyous confidence.
Bishop Hying’s statement on violence
Tragically, we live in a culture of violence and death. The recent mass shootings in New York and now Texas break our hearts, as both adults and children are murdered in the course of a normal day of grocery shopping or attending school by a troubled loner who has embraced some crazed ideological mix of racism, carnage, and/or revenge. The Gospel of Life challenges us to embrace our own human dignity, to build a culture in which every person is welcomed, nurtured, respected, and loved. The Church proclaims the right to life, not only for the unborn, but for every human being, created in the image and likeness of God.
Celebrating Rural Life
Sunday, May 15, was the feast of Sts. Isidore and his wife Maria, the patrons of farmers and rural life. They lived in Spain near Madrid in the 11th century, and worked as agricultural laborers, their lives marked by a deep Catholic faith, an intense piety, a love for the poor and for nature, as well as a strong work ethic.
Bishop Hying’s statement regarding San Francisco’s bishop decision regarding Speaker Pelosi and Holy Communion
Statement from Bishop Donald Hying, regarding Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco’s recognition of Speaker Pelosi’s choice to separate herself from full communion with the Catholic Church
A look at Catholic Social Teaching
The social teachings of the Catholic Church are a rich treasury of wisdom, guiding humanity to build a culture of life, love, justice, and compassion, and to seek the common good.