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Money & Our Mission of Love – Feb. 1, 2012

Posted by Mary Jane at 8:11 am | Catholicism Live

What does money really have to do with following Jesus?

You won’t want to miss tonight’s episode, when we discover how local area organizations are making an impact with the gifts we give them. Lucy Herrera, representing Archbishop Gustavo’s Annual Appeal to the faithful, shares powerful stories. She will explain how you can take up Archbishop Gustavo on this challenge.

Sounds interesting. How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:


Mysterious Shroud of Turin – Jan. 25, 2012

Posted by Mary Jane at 10:56 am | Catholicism Live, Evangelization

Do we have the true burial cloth of Christ?

The mysterious “Shroud of Turin” is controversial; some people suggest it is the true burial cloth of Jesus, while others say scientific evidence refutes this. But – new evidence has come to the light. We speak with Pete & Chris Remmert, who are leading the cause to establish a Center in San Antonio dedicated to the Shroud. You won’t want to miss it!

Sounds interesting. How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:


Experts believe this may be the oldest painting of St. Paul

Saint of the Week: St. Paul the Apostle

(Memorial of His Conversion: January 25; His Feast Day: June 29)

St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, was converted from Judaism on the road to Damascus. He remained some days in Damascus after his Baptism, and then went to Arabia, possibly for a year or two to prepare himself for his future missionary activity. Having returned to Damascus, he stayed there for a time, preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. For this he incurred the hatred of the Jews and had to flee from the city. He then went to Jerusalem to see Peter and pay his homage to the head of the Church.

Later he went back to his native Tarsus, where he began to evangelize his own province until called by Barnabus to Antioch. After one year, on the occasion of a famine, both Barnabus and Paul were sent with alms to the poor Christian community at Jerusalem. Having fulfilled their mission they returned to Antioch.

Soon after this, Paul and Barnabus made the first missionary journey, visiting the island of Cypress, then Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia, all in Asia Minor, and establishing churches at Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

After the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem Paul, accompanied by Silas and later also by Timothy and Luke, made his second missionary journey, first revisiting the churches previously established by him in Asia Minor, and then passing through Galatia. At Troas a vision of a Macedonian was had by Paul, which impressed him as a call from God to evangelize in Macedonia. He accordingly sailed for Europe, and preached the Gospel in Philippi. Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, and Corinth. Then he returned to Antioch by way of Ephesus and Jerusalem.

On his third missionary journey, Paul visited nearly the same regions as on the second trip, but made Ephesus where he remained nearly three years, the center of his missionary activity. He laid plans also for another missionary journey, intending to leave Jerusalem for Rome and Spain. Persecutions by the Jews hindered him from accomplishing his purpose. After two years of imprisonment at Caesarea he finally reached Rome, where he was kept another two years in chains.

The Acts of the Apostles gives us no further information on the life of the Apostle. We gather, however, from the Pastoral Epistles and from tradition that at the end of the two years St. Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment, and then traveled to Spain, later to the East again, and then back to Rome, where he was imprisoned a second time and in the year 67, was beheaded.

St. Paul untiring interest in and paternal affection for the churches established by him have given us fourteen canonical Epistles. It is, however, quite certain that he wrote other letters which are no longer extant. In his Epistles, St. Paul shows himself to be a profound religious thinker and he has had an enduring formative influence in the development of Christianity. The centuries only make more apparent his greatness of mind and spirit. His feast day is June 29th.

Saint Paul, pray for us!

biography from Catholic.org/Saints


Pearl of the Week:

A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as Described by a Surgeon by Dr. Pierre Barbet

What the Gospels don’t reveal about Christ’s sufferings, science does.

The results of a renowned surgeon’s unprecedented research into the physical sufferings of Our Lord–about which the Gospels reveal only the barest essentials–are collected in this mind-opening book. Dr. Pierre Barbet, writing in the early 1950s, relied heavily on his close analysis of the Shroud of Turin to re-create every stage of the Passion with precision and detail. The result: a minor classic of spirituality–by a layman. Back in print after 40 years, the book discusses, among much…

  • The painful hemorrhaging phenomenon which corresponds to Jesus’ sweating “drops of blood”
  • Evidence that Christ received more than the customary number of blows during the scourging
  • The “flagrum” used for scourging
  • The crown of thorns: more like a cap cutting into the head at very part
  • Did Christ simply drag the Cross to Calvary, as is typically depicted? Evidence suggests otherwise
  • Countless medically accurate details on the Shroud that no medieval artist could have forged, or even know about
  • Were Christ’s feet nailed separately, or one over the other?
  • Why his violent thirst?
  • The determining cause of Christ’s death: asphyxia after prolonged struggle

Hardcover
Published by Roman Catholic Books
Publication date: September 1993
ISBN: 0912141042
16 photographs and illustrations accompany Dr. Barbet’s text

Fr. Bruce Nieli, former USCCB Director of Evangelization, available to preach!

Posted by Mary Jane at 10:18 am | Evangelization

Attention, pastoral and groups leaders! Are you looking for a missionary to preach to your group about…

  1. Creating enthusiasm for our Catholic faith in Jesus
  2. Sharing and communicating our Catholic faith in Jesus with those outside our Church
  3. Transforming culture and secular society by our Catholic faith in Jesus…?

If you are, we encourage you to contact Paulist missionary & evangelist Fr. Bruce Nieli about preaching in English or Spanish to your parish or group.

Fr. Bruce, who previously served as Director of Evangelization for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, served on our Advisory Board in the first years of our evangelization apostolate!

His mission is based on:

  • GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization of the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
  • The New Evangelization of Pope Benedict XVI

Contact Information:

Father Bruce Nieli, C.S.P.

St. Patrick’s Church

277 South Fourth Street

Memphis, Tennessee 38126

(901)292-9112

dbrucecsp@aol.com

Marriage Encounter – Jan. 18, 2012

Posted by Mary Jane at 1:00 am | Catholicism Live

How’s your marriage doing?

Not married – but know some married folks? We’ll talk marriage tips and goals from Marriage Encounter, a unique program dedicated to strengthening marriages at the local level, across the world.

Our host is Angela Sealana (Santana), our Ministry Coordinator, recently married!

Sounds interesting. How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:


Saint of the Week: St. Eustochia Calafato (Her Feast Day: January 20)

Saint Eustochia was born with the name “Smeralda” (or ‘Esmeralda’ which means ‘emerald’) on March 25, 1434 in Messina, Italy. She was the fourth of six children. Smeralda’s mother was a fervent Christian and enthusiastic admirer of the Franciscan religious order, particularly of the reformers who insisted on following closely the life of St. Francis, especially by embracing poverty.

The reform’s first monastery was established in Messina by Blessed Matthew of Agrigento. He inspired a renewal of faith in the people of Messina by his ardent preaching and way of life. Smeralda’s mother had attended one of Blessed Matthew’s sermon’s as an eighteen-year-old bride, and devoted her life to prayer, penance and helping those in need. Thus, Smeralda was raised from childhood to exercise Christian piety and virtue, eventually exceeding her mother’s greatest hopes and expectations for her daughter.

Smeralda was beautiful both inside and out; she is thought to be the model for the painting The Virgin of the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina (seen here on the right). When she was fourteen years old, Smeralda wanted to become a Poor Clare nun, but her father arranged marriage for her to an older, wealthy widower. Smeralda kept her hope in religious life, and the widower died before the wedding. Her father again arranged a marriage for his daughter, but that man also died, followed by Smeralda’s father himself. When she entered the convent of Santa Maria di Basico, her brothers threatened to burn it down if she did not return home, which she did. But seeing her great desire, they experienced a change of heart. She finally entered and took her vows, with the name Eustochia, at fifteen-and-a-half years old.

Unfortunately, Eustochia came to discover that the convent had drifted away from the poverty lived by their foundress, St. Clare of Assisi. For more than a decade, Eustochia struggled to be an authentic Franciscan in the materialistic atmosphere. She received papal permission to establish a new convent, but found resistance to her reforms. Some friars refused to say Mass at the convent, believing that the sisters’ lifestyle was too strict. Eustochia appealed directly to Church authorities in Rome, who approved of Mother Eustochia’s renewal of Franciscan asceticism and poverty. The friars who had refused to assist at the convent were threatened with excommunication should they continue to resist.

Eustochia’s holiness drew many women to her community – so many that they soon outgrew the building and moved to Montevergine, near Messina, where their convent still stands. The local people considered Eustochia their patron and protector, and the cloister to be a place of refuge—especially during the earthquakes that rocked the area.

Eustochia was a spiritual mother to her daughters, instructing, educating and training them in the Franciscan life, encouraging them to meditate on the Passion of Christ. She often led them in two-hour Scripture study sessions.

Eustochia conveyed to her nuns the fruits of asceticism, and lovingly infused into their hearts the virtues which she herself practiced with admirable constancy and heroism. She taught them to permeate their whole lives with a simple and generous Franciscan spirituality, focusing on their Beloved Suffering Christ, to devote themselves to the Eucharist, and to draw all necessary strength and nourishment for daily meditation from an intense, liturgical life.

Eustochia’s love of Jesus in poverty and penance was outstanding. She wrote a treatise on the Passion, which, unfortunately, is now lost. Though she never visited the Holy Land, Eustochia had a devotion to the holy places that is reminiscent of Saint Bridget of Sweden. In fact, she had one of the first sets of the Stations of the Cross (as we know them today) constructed within her convent.

As she lay on her deathbed, Eustochia spoke to her daughters, who had gathered around her, about the Passion of Christ. She spoke for an hour before passing to her final rest on January 20, 1485.

A few days after her burial, Eustochia’s tomb and body manifested extraordinary phenomena, and many people received powerful graces through her intercession. The sisters wrote a biography of their revered mother and founder. She was beatified on June 22, 1987 and canonized on June 11, 1988 by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Her incorrupt body rests in the Sanctuary of Montevergine in Messina, the monastery which she established, and can be visited twice a week.

In his homily, John Paul II said of St. Eustochia:

“Learning assiduously in the school of Christ Crucified, she grew in knowledge of him and, meditating on the splendid mysteries of grace, she conceived a faithful love for him. For our saint, the cloistered life was not a mere flight from the world in order to take refuge in God. Through the severe criticism which she imposed upon herself, she certainly wanted to be united to Christ, gradually eliminating whatever in her, as in every human person, was fallen; at the same time, she felt united to all. From her cell in the monastery of Montevergine she extended her prayer and the value of her penances to the whole world. In such a way she wanted to be near to each brother and sister, alleviate every suffering, ask pardon for the sins of all.”

Saint Eustochia Calafato, pray for us!


Pearl of the Week:

ForYourMarriage.org / OR / PorTuMatrimonio.org by The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage

This website includes resources for anyone – single, married, divorced, widowed, or separated. Check it out especially for ideas on improving communication, overcoming difficulties, parenting, finances, date ideas, wedding advice, and daily tips on strengthening your marriage.

Also includes information on obtaining resources like programs, books, websites, organizations that can empower you, your spouse, and your family. Enjoy!

Harmless or dangerous? – Jan. 11, 2012

Posted by Mary Jane at 11:10 am | Catholicism Live, Evangelization

Are they harmless?

We see them on street corners, in magazines, and even in the grocery store, so how can common practices like horoscopes, ouija boards, or going to a curandera be dangerous? Maybe you or your family member has participated in some of these activities. If they seem fine, they weren’t harmed – right?

Tune in as we explore these practices from a different angle. Are you willing to hear the truth about how seemingly harmless practices may really be harming you or your loved ones?

Sounds interesting. How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:


Saint of the Week: St. Andre Bessette (His Feast Day: January 6)

Alfred Bessette was born Aug. 9, 1845. At his birth he was so weak that his parents baptized him. Alfred’s father moved the family to Farnhan in 1849 where he hoped to lift them from poverty while working as a lumberman. He died five years later when he was crushed by a falling tree. Alfred was nine at the time.

His mother found herself widowed at 40 with 10 children in her care. Three years later she died of tuberculosis, having never fully recovered from the shock of her husband’s death. Much later, Brother Andre was heard to say: “I rarely prayed for my mother, but I often prayed to her.”

The family was dispersed. At age 12, Alfred was forced to leave school to learn a trade and to look for work. He began thirteen years of wandering from job to job with few belongings and very little reaming; he was barely able to write his name or read his prayer book.

In spite of his physical weakness, Alfred tried to make a living as an unskilled worker. He traveled from job to job as an apprentice and was easily exploited by those stronger than him. For a time, he worked on construction projects. Later, he made his living as a farm boy, tinsmith, blacksmith, baker, cobbler and coachman.

Following the flow of French-Canadian emigrants, he went to the United States and worked four years in the textile mills. Even in poor health, he put his whole heart into his work. “Despite my weak condition, I did not let anyone get ahead of me as far as work was concerned,” he said later.

In 1867, he resumed to Canada with thousands of others who were to witness the dawn of the Canadian Confederation.

Three years later, Alfred presented himself as a candidate at the novitiate of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal. Because of his uncertain health, his superiors had doubts concerning his religious vocation. Finally, he was accepted and given the name Brother Andre. He was made porter at Notre Dame college and was known to say: “When I entered the community, my superiors showed me the door, and I remained there 40 years without leaving.” He also washed floors and windows, cleaned lamps, brought in firewood, and worked as messenger.

Soon Brother Andre started to welcome the sick and broken-hearted. He invited them to pray to St. Joseph to obtain favors. Before long, many people reported their prayers were being answered. For 25 years, in his small office or in the tramway station across the street from the college, Brother Andre spent six to eight hours a day receiving visitors. He built a chapel with the help of friends and with the money he earned giving haircuts to the students of the college. He was certain that St. Joseph wanted a place on the mountain and he spent his whole life preparing a beautiful shrine in the saint’s honor.

In the meantime, there was talk of healings which doctors could not explain. Brother Andre began visiting the sick and earned the reputation of miracle-worker. But he strongly protested: “I am nothing … only a tool in the hands of Providence, a lowly instrument at the service of St. Joseph.” He went even further: “People are silly to think that I can perform miracles. It is God and St. Joseph who can heal you, not I.”

His aloofness in the presence of strangers contrasted sharply with the carefree side he showed friends. He loved to tease. He would often say: “You must not be sad; it is good to laugh a little.” Brother Andre was always cheerful and tried to communicate his happiness to others, especially to the poor and unfortunate. He used his sense of humor to share his joy and to slip some good advice into a conversation, or to change the subject when a verbal attack on someone was brewing.

He was a man of determination who refused to compromise his principles. His great respect for others was largely responsible for the respect others had for him. He was a very sensitive man. At times, he could be seen crying with the sick or being moved to tears after hearing a particularly sad story from one of his visitors.

During all these years, an immense project was being realized and larger crowds were swarming to the Oratory. The first small chapel had been erected in 1904, but it soon became too small to receive all the people who were coming to the mountain. The chapel was extended in 1908 and again in 1910. Still, a larger church was needed.

In 1917, a new crypt church, able to hold a thousand persons, was inaugurated. This, however, was only the starting point of an even more important endeavor. During his whole life, Brother Andre devoted his efforts to building the Oratory, which was to become the world’s greatest sanctuary dedicated to St. Joseph.

And yet, Brother Andre never referred to “my project, my work”. On the contrary, he said: “God chose the most ignorant one. If there was anyone more ignorant than I am, God would have chosen him instead of me.”

When crowds came to the Oratory for important celebrations, Brother Andre would go into seclusion. He would hide behind the choir and pray quietly.

The economic crisis of 1931 forced the construction of the basilica to come to a standstill. In 1936, the authorities of the Congregation of Holy Cross called a special meeting to decide if the project should continue, especially since snow and frost threatened to damage the roofless structure. The provincial summoned Brother Andre for his opinion. The aging brother had only a few words for the assembly: “This is not my work, it is the work of St. Joseph. Put one of his statues in the middle of the building. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll take care of it.”

Two months later, the congregation had the necessary funds to continue working on the construction.

Brother Andre assigned great importance to meeting and greeting people. He spent long hours in the office where thousands came to see him. In the evenings, he visited homes or hospitals accompanied by one of his friends.

In fact, he was so good-natured and put so much humor into these daily outings that some considered him to be an “old gadabout” who liked to travel around in a friend’s car. But Brother Andre replied: “There are some who say that it is for pleasure that I visit the sick, but after a day’s work, it is far from being for pleasure….”

His kindness and compassion were matched by a sharpness of mind which prompted him to say: “It is surprising that I am frequently asked for cures, but rarely for humility and the spirit of faith. Yet, they are so important….”

On another occasion he said: “If the soul is sick, one must begin by treating the soul.” His often repeated questions were well known: “Do you have faith? Do you believe that God can do something for you? Go confess yourself to the priest, go to communion and then come back to see me.” These were the words he used constantly when asked for favors and cures.

Brother Andre understood the sense and the value of suffering and spoke with depth when addressing the subject. “People who suffer have something to offer to God. When they succeed in enduring their suffering, that is a daily miracle.”

To someone who was suffering, he said: “Do not seek to have these trials lifted from you. Instead, ask for the grace to bear them well.”

There are people who still claim to have received the gift of healing from Brother Andre and yet he always denied that he had any gift of healing. “I have no gift and I cannot give any.”

Generally, he encouraged people to see a doctor for treatment. To doctors, he said: “Your work is good. Your science was given to you by God. You must thank Him and pray to Him.”

“God,” he said, “is love and he loves us; that is the heart of the Christian faith.”

“God gave us the commandments and it is in observing them that we show whether we love God. Pray that you may obtain a true love of God. God loves us so much. He wants us to love Him.”

Brother Andre’s way of speaking about God helped him succeed in sowing seeds of hope in the people he met. One of his friends said: “I never brought a sick person to Brother Andre without that person returning home enriched. Some were cured. Others died some time later, but Brother Andre had consoled them.”

To live in God’s house is heaven, Brother Andre said: “You know, it is permitted to desire death if one’s unique goal is to go toward God. When I die, I will go to heaven, I will be much closer to God than I am now; I will have more power to help you.”

A few months before his death, those around him heard him cry out, “I am suffering so much, my God! My God!” And then, in a very weak voice: “Here is the grain,” as if referring to the Gospel ["Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But If it dies, it brings forth much fruit" (Jn 12, 24)].

“He spent his whole life speaking of others to God, and of God to others,” said a friend of Brother Andre’s. It is difficult to say at what point in his life work began and ended, and at what point prayer started and ended: the two seemed to flow so naturally one into the other. He died Jan. 6, 1937, at the age of 92, and newspapers reported that more than a million people attended his wake and burial.

His body lies today in a simple tomb in the beautiful basilica that rises gracefully on Mount Royal. To this day, thousands of visitors come to St. Joseph Basilica to receive physical and spiritual healing.

Saint Andre Bessette, pray for us!

Learn more about Brother Andre by reading an extended biography at Catholicism.org – click here.


Pearl of the Week:

The New Age Counterfeit: A Study Guide for Individual of Group Use by Johnnette S. Benkovic

Johnnette Benkovic illuminates the New Age Movement as a complex arrray of beliefs and programs that often masks its real intent. She paints it as Satan’s counterfeit intent on the destruction of Christianity. Includes sections on mysticism, the occult, wicca, satanism, neo-paganism, extremist ‘feminism’ and more.


St. Matthew Catholic Church – 10703 Wurzbach Road – San Antonio, Texas

Jan 18 & Jan 25  (8am-9am) Come and Learn more!

Learn to Discern: Is it Christian or New Age? (includes Yoga, etc.)
When I first began to research the new age back in the late 80’s, it was prevalent but still largely on the fringe. In the intervening decades however, it made steady strides and marched right into the mainstream of society. Today, so much a part of the cultural mindset has it become that it is all but transparent, barely visible if visible at all. However, its tenets and beliefs remain irreconcilable with the revealed truth of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church. The Labyrinth, Channeling, Neo-Paganism, Yoga, Reiki, healing touch, Harry Potter, The Twilight Series, Wicca, Eco-Spirituality. What do they all have in common? Though seemingly diverse, they all share in a confused notion of who God is, who man is, and what the world is – a notion incompatible with the revealed truth of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church – but a notion, worldview, that has led many into false spiritualities and practices.

The Miraculous Medal – Jan 4, 2012

Posted by Mary Jane at 2:26 pm | Catholicism Live

How can a little piece of metal be called “miraculous”?

In November 2011, the Pilgrim Center of Hope organized and led a Marian Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and Shrines of  Paris.  One of those Shrines in Paris is located in the center of town on a street called Rue de Bac.  It is there, where Mary, the Mother of God appeared to a nun in 1830 and gave her a unique mission – to have a medal made with the image Mary gave her.   Learn what why this mission since 1830 has been instrumental for thousands of healings, conversions and hope!  Hear about a powerful conversion and how you can obtain this complimentary medal called “The Miraculous Medal”.

That is the topic for “Catholicism Live!” on Wednesday, January 4th!

Miraculous Medal Shrine

Miraculous Medal Shrine in Paris

Sounds great! How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button onCatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

The Miraculous Medal – front sideMiraculous Medal - front sideMiraculous Medal - back side

The Miraculous Medal – back side

The Prayer of John Paul II in the Chapel

«Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. »

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. O Mary, this was the prayer that you gave to Saint Catherine Labouré in the Chapel of the Apparitions, more than one hundred and fifty years ago! […]
This invocation, engraved on the Miraculous Medal, is now worn and repeated by the faithful throughout the world!
Blessed are you among women!
You are intimately associated with the work of our Redemption, associated with the Cross of our Savior, your heart has been pierced, next to his heart. And now, in the glory of your Son, you never cease to intercede for us, poor sinners.
You watch over the Church for you are its Mother. You watch over each of your Children. From God, you obtain for us, all graces that are symbolized by the rays of light which radiate from your open hands, and the only condition that you demand of us is that we approach with the confidence, the hardiness, and the simplicity of a child. And it is thus that you bring us before your Divine Son.                      John Paul II (1980)

Incorrupt Body of St. Catherine Laboure

Incorrupt Body of St. Catherine Laboure

SAINT OF THE WEEK – St. Catherine Laboure (1806-1876)

St. Catherine Laboure, virgin, was born on May 2, 1806. At an early age she entered the community of the Daughters of Charity, in Paris, France. Three times in 1830 the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure, who then was a twenty-four year old novice.  Mry showed St. Catherine the medal of the Immaculate Conception, now universally known as the “Miraculous Medal.” She commissioned St. Catherine to have one made, and to spread devotion to this medal.

The fact that Saint Catherine rested her hands on the lap of the Blessed Mother did not make her a saint. She personally worked no miracles, nor did she practice externally heroic charity like other great saints. She was not materially poor as were the children of Fatima and Saint Bernadette… She sprang from upper middle class parents among the meadows and vineyards of Burgundy, France. Her father was an educated man and an excellent farmer living in the village of Fain-les-Moutiers not far from Djon. Her sanctity consists in half a century of faithful service as a simple Daughter of Charity.

We might expect that praise and prominence would be the lot of one so favored by heaven. But she sought none of it; rather, she fled from it. She wanted to be left alone to carry out her humble duties as a Daughter of Charity. For over forty years, she spent her every effort in caring for the aged and infirm, not revealing to those about her that she had been the recipient of our Lady’s medal. The Sisters with whom she lived held her in the highest esteem, and each one longed to be her companion.

In 1876, Catherine felt a spiritual conviction that she would die before the end of the year. Mary Immaculate gave Catherine leave to speak, to break the silence of  forty-six years. To her Sister Superior, Catherine revealed the fact that she was the sister to whom the Blessed Mother appeared. On the last day of December 1876, Saint Catherine passed on—once again to the hands of Mary—this time, however, in heaven.

Today her beautiful remains still lie fresh and serene. When her body was exhumed in 1933, it was found as fresh as the day it was buried. Though she had lived seventy years and was in the grave for fifty-seven years, her eyes remained very blue and beautiful; and in death her arms and legs were as supple as if she were asleep. Her incorrupt body is encased in glass beneath the side altar at 140 Rue du Bac, Paris, beneath one of the spots where our Lady appeared to her.

In the Chapel of the Apparition you can gaze upon the face and the lips that for forty-six years kept a secret which has since shaken the world.

She died on December 31, 1876, and was canonized on July 27, 1947. Her feast day is November 28.

PEARL OF THE WEEK – “The Conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne”  by Baron Theodore de Bussieres

Pear of the Week

Alphonse Ratisbonne was a French Jew who was miraculously converted while visiting a Church in Rome with a Catholic friend.

His brother had previously converted and become a Catholic priest, but Alphonse hated the Catholic Church and vowed never to enter.

This is the story of the power of prayer and a miracle of grace. It is a powerful, delightful, and consoling story that every apostolic Catholic should know. This is

how Ratisbonne related his experience in the church that cold day in January of 1842.

“All I can say is that the moment when the Blessed Virgin made a sign with her hand, the veil fell from my eyes; not one veil only, but all the veils which were wrapped around me disappeared, just as snow melts beneath the rays of the sun.’ ‘I am asked how I attained a knowledge of these truths, since it is well known that I never opened a religious book, had never read a page of the Bible, and that the dogma of original sin, which is either denied or utterly forgotten by the modern Jews, had never for a single moment occupied my thoughts—indeed, I doubt whether I had ever heard the words which express it.

How, then, did I arrive at a knowledge of it? I know not. All that I know is that when I entered that church I was profoundly ignorant of everything, and that when I came out I saw everything clearly and distinctly.”

This edition is faithful to the original published in 1842.

Rejoice! The Lord has come to save us!

Posted by Mary Jane at 8:19 am | Uncategorized

Artwork from the Chapel of the Angels at Shepherds' Field in Bethlehem, Palestine, where we prayed for you.

Dear brothers and sisters, ‘The Word became flesh’; he came to dwell among us;
he is Emmanuel, the God who became close to us.
Together let us contemplate this great mystery of love;
let our hearts be filled with the light which shines in the stable of Bethlehem!
- Pope Benedict XVI (Urbi et Orbi)

May the Christ Child of Bethlehem bring you and yours His Love, His Peace, His Joy and His Light! May the Holy Family guide and bless you in the New Year! Receive Jesus in your heart!
A Blessed and joy-filled Christmas Season,
The Pilgrim Center of Hope staff
Deacon Tom and Mary Jane Fox, Gloria Chapa-Solano & Angela Santana

You’re invited to our New Year’s Eve event: A New Year’s Eve tradition at the Pilgrim Center of Hope every year is spending the last two hours of the year (10:00 pm-12:00 midnight) in Eucharistic Adoration and having Benediction at midnight. Deacon Tom will lead the Benediction at midnight. Great way to end the year and welcome the new year, at the feet of Jesus in the Eucharist. Feel free to send us your intentions to be offered during this time of prayer. (Click here for the prayer intention submission form.)

P.S. Download a free bookmark from the Pilgrim Center of Hope!

The Real Bethlehem – Dec. 21

What is that ‘little town of Bethlehem’ really like?

Since 1986, Deacon Tom and Mary Jane Fox have taken pilgrim groups to the Holy Land. This week, they share their first-hand experiences about modern-day Bethlehem. Also joining us is Sir Rateb Rabie, who has just returned from Bethlehem! He’s the CEO and Founder of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation.

What are the Christians like in Bethlehem? What are the Church communities like? What does the manger look like today? Learn all this and more! Tune in to this fantastic preparation for Christmas!

Sounds great! How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:


Sir Rateb Rabie, KCHS

Founder and President of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF); Born in Amman, Jordan to Palestinian parents

From 1981 – 1986, he was Director of Operations for Saudi Support Services, Ltd., in 1988, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he managed and owned several businesses. He is a co-founder and past National President of the Birzeit Society and a co-founder of the Institute for Health, Development, and Research in Palestine. Sir Rateb is a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a 4th Degree Knight and Co-Chair of the Holy Land Outreach Committee of the Knights of Columbus, Maryland State Council and a Board Member of the American Task Force for Palestine (ATFP). Currently, he is involved in international consulting and developments, as well as the printing and publishing business.

In 2007, The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) selected Sir Rateb Rabie to receive the Faith and Tolerance Award. This award is given to individuals working with faith based organizations to encourage cooperation and peacemaking in the region. Sir Rateb Rabie was chosen to receive this award for his strong leadership role in the work of HCEF to promote Muslim-Christian understanding, interreligious and interfaith dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews, to build bridges in support of peace and justice in the Holy Land, and to build tolerance through concrete measures to bring about peaceful coexistence in the Holy Land.

Sir Rabie is committed to improving living conditions in the Holy Land and preserving its Christian heritage, and advocates for peace and justice in Palestine and improved Muslim – Christian relations.


Saint of the Week: St. Francis of Assisi (His Feast Day: October 4)

Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance.

Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi’s youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.”

From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, “Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis became the totally poor and humble workman.

He must have suspected a deeper meaning to “build up my house.” But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor “nothing” man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up every material thing he had, piling even his clothes before his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis’ “gifts” to the poor) so that he would be totally free to say, “Our Father in heaven.” He was, for a time, considered to be a religious “nut,” begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking.

But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: “Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff” (see Luke 9:1-3).

Francis’ first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church’s unity.

He was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.

In the year 1223, St. Francis, a deacon, was visiting the town of Grecio to celebrate Christmas. Grecio was a small town built on a mountainside overlooking a beautiful valley. The people had cultivated the fertile area with vineyards. St. Francis realized that the chapel of the Franciscan hermitage would be too small to hold the congregation for Midnight Mass. So he found a niche in the rock near the town square and set up the altar. However, this Midnight Mass would be very special, unlike any other Midnight Mass. St. Bonaventure describes how St. Francis created the first ‘Nativity Scene’ (creche):

It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise.

The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem. A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth.

For the example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.

During the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44) he was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.

On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, “Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death.” He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord.

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

Biography adapted from AmericanCatholic.org, originally written by Franciscan priest Leonard Foley, O.F.M.


Pearl of the Week:

Website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (www.lpj.org)

Want to know what’s going on in our ‘Mother Church’ of the Holy Land? We recommend regularly checking the website of the Latin Patriarchate (diocese) of Jerusalem. This website gives news about Bethlehem and Christmas in the Holy Land, including the Latin Patriarch’s Christmas message.

The Latin Patriarch is like the ‘archbishop’ of the Holy Land. He is in charge of all the Roman Catholics in the Holy Land.

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The Many Meanings of Christmas

By Antonio Gaspari – An Expert on St. Francis Considers the Crib and Other Elements of Jesus’ Birthday

ROME, DEC. 20, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Has the birth of the Child Jesus truly changed the history of humanity? Is it true that the powerful understood immediately the importance of that birth? Why do we measure time based on that event in Bethlehem?

To answer these and other questions, ZENIT spoke with Father Pietro Messa, president of the Higher School of Medieval and Franciscan Studies of Rome’s Antonianum Pontifical University.

ZENIT: What is the significance in history of the figure of the Child Jesus and, specifically, of the crib made by St. Francis?

Father Messa: We know that the early Christians, all of them being of the Jewish religion, observed the Sabbath, but on the following day, that is the present Sunday, they gathered to commemorate the Resurrection. Hence, the first celebration held par excellence was Easter. Subsequently, other events of Jesus’ life began to be celebrated, such as the birth fixed on Dec. 25, namely, on the same day in which previously the Sol invictus was celebrated, that is, the celebration of not being overcome by darkness, given that the winter solstice had passed, the days began to be longer and light imposed itself on the darkness of the night. From celebration they passed to representation and from there to pilgrimages to Bethlehem, the city of David, from whose descent Jesus was born.

The pilgrimages — at once an expression and incentive of the relationship with the places of Jesus’ life — were the engine for the narration and representation of Jesus’ humanity. It is in this context that Brother Francis of Assisi’s desire is situated, expressed to the people of Greccio, Italy, in 1223, in order to see “with human eyes,” how the Child Jesus was laid to rest in a crib between the donkey and the ox. And thus, on Christmas Eve, on the crib where the two animals of tradition were, the Eucharist was celebrated in such a way that one could see “with the eyes of the body” the bread and wine consecrated and believe, thanks to the Holy Spirit, in the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ.

ZENIT: In a secularized world such as today’s, the birth of the Child Jesus is trivialized and inserted in the context of a “myth,” in which children alone can believe. According to Christians, why has this birth changed the world?

Father Messa: It could be that the worst demystification of Christmas is not that of believing that it is a myth, but its reduction to a celebration of kindness, altruism, of helping the needy. It’s not that these things are unimportant, or that they are not present in the Gospel, but what is key is that Jesus came to us because he has opted for our poverty. He gives us his hand to the end, when his arm will be stretched on the cross. As the Poor Clare Sister Chiara Tarcisia, of the St. Clare pro-monastery of Assisi, said in the last months of her life: “What is important in life is to love, but especially to allow oneself to be loved!” And Christmas is a propitious time to allow oneself to be loved. This doesn’t lead us to passivity because Jesus loves us as we are, but he doesn’t leave us as we are. His presence transforms and initiates a new humanity.

ZENIT: Why do Christians speak of Jesus as Savior?

Father Messa: Jesus of Nazareth — a village from which, according to some, nothing good could come — walked on the roads of Palestine and, as happens with other persons, they also wondered who He was. The answers to such questions were the most diverse, but one who is not enclosed in his own schemes realizes that every answer is inadequate or, better said, not very exhaustive. And thus his reality as Messiah was increasingly recognized, that is, the anointed by the Most High and, hence, the Savior. However, the person of Jesus, even when arriving at some definitive certainties in the dogmas, opens constant questions and, as the saints show us, there is always something more to astonish us; that is, something to pause to contemplate with wonder.

ZENIT: The date, the star, the Wise Men, are these the elements to remember Christmas as an event that happened in history?

Father Messa: The account of Jesus has been given within the coordinates of history, that is, in a place and time: the place is that of Palestine and the time is — as we say in the Creed — “under Pontius Pilate.” However, this isn’t enough because many saw his humanity, listened to his word, admired also the miracles he wrought, but only some believed in his divinity. As St. Francis of Assisi says in his first Admonition, the disciples saw his humanity “with human eyes,” but they believed in his divinity. Hence, in Jesus there is a real history but also something that surpasses history; that is why it is important, as Benedict XVI reminds, that there should be a reason open to the mystery and a reasoned faith. Otherwise, we will fall into rationalism or fideism.

Jesus is a rational event, but which surpasses reason and when reason wishes to understand everything, that is, when it has the pretension of understanding it all, one falls into rationalism. Likewise, when faith excludes history and the discoveries of reason, it becomes a fideism that appears deviant, even violent.

ZENIT: In addition to Christians, are there others who have given importance to the birth that occurred more than 2,000 years ago?

Father Messa: Many people, including Muslims, for whom Jesus is a great prophet. Monsignor Padovese said that, present at the Christmas Mass were also Muslims and in one of his homilies he was able to take wise advantage of this presence. He said that everyone celebrated Jesus’ birth; for some, because he was a great prophet, for Christians because he was the manifestation of mercy, more than that, being the Son of God he was the presence of God among men.

ZENIT: Why does the greater part of humanity mark time from that birth?

Father Messa: In 313 the Edict of Milan was issued which in a certain sense marked the end of the persecutions; subsequently Christianity became the official religion. Thus, the computation of time began to be marked from his birth, recognizing in it the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies and promises, as well as the beginning of a new era. Paraphrasing Blessed John Paul II: He is “the center of the cosmos and of history.”

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Help the Nuns! (Discalced Carmelite Nuns in San Antonio)

Posted by Mary Jane at 6:04 pm | Evangelization

Their prayers have helped us all so much! Now our prayer warriors need your support.

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns have a job without compensation – constant prayer for us all in San Antonio – so it’s up to us to support them!

Purchase one of their 2012 calendars to support these dear nuns and their monastery. Call them at 210-680-1834 or order online at www.carmelsanantonio.org.  Calendars are only $13.50.  They make good Christmas gifts, New Year’s gifts, birthday gifts…just to give! Your family and friends will love knowing that their gift supported such a beautiful cause.

Their monastery is located on St. Joseph Way off Culebra Road,  about 1/2 mile inside Loop 410.  You are welcome to join them for Mass every day at 7:00 am.  The nuns love their vocation of prayer, study, making Communion hosts for parishes, and more prayer!  They always have a big smile – they are authentic witnesses of their love for God, the Church and the people of God!

The Pilgrim Center of Hope has a few to sell as well; we are open Monday – Friday, 8:30am-5pm. Call us to reserve yours: (210) 521-3377.

Our Creed – Dec. 14

Posted by Mary Jane at 8:28 am | Catholicism Live, Evangelization

What do Catholics essentially believe?

Each Sunday we make a profession of faith during Mass. The profession of faith that we make is called the Nicean Creed. This Creed we profess is the result of the Council of Nicea from the year 325 A.D. For centuries, the Creed was professed in Latin until shortly after the Second Vatican Council. The English translation we use today has been professed for nearly forty years. Our guest, Paul Vance will be discussing how the Creed impacts our faith and yes, our personal and social life!

Tune in – this will help you learn how to summarize and explain your Catholic faith for yourself and others!

Sounds great! How can I participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Time Warner Cable channel 15 or radio 89.7 FM – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:


Nicean Creed (325 A.D.)

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial

with the Father;  Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.   He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,  the Lord, the giver of life,  who proceeds from the Father and the Son,  who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection

of the dead and the life of the world to come.       Amen.

Saint of the Week: St. John of the Cross (Feast Day: December 14)

Born in Spain in 1542, John learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver’s daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love — God.

When the family finally found work, John still went hungry in the middle of the wealthiest city in Spain. At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering, that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John’s own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God — and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.

After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of stirps of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God’s love.

His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that “Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness?” and “Where there is no love, put love — and you will find love.”

John left us many books of practical advice on spiritual growth and prayer that are just as relevant today as they were then. These books include: Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, and A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ.

Since joy comes only from God, John believed that someone who seeks happiness in the world is like “a famished person who opens his mouth to satisfy himself with air.” He taught that only by breaking the rope of our desires could we fly up to God. Above all, he was concerned for those who suffered dryness or depression in their spiritual life and offered encouragement that God loved them and was leading them deeper into faith.

“What more do you want, o soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfaction and kingdom — your beloved whom you desire and seek? Desire him there, adore him there. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and you won’t find him, or enjoy him more than by seeking him within you.” — Saint John of the Cross

Saint John of the Cross, pray for us!


Pearl of the Week: The Faith We Profess: A Catholic’s Guide to the Apostle’s Creed by Peter Vaghi

Noted Washington, D.C. pastor and teacher Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi offers a simple introduction to Catholicism blending sound Catholic teaching with scripture, the wisdom of the saints, literature, and personal anecdotes to offer a synopsis of the faith suitable for lifelong Catholics and inquirers alike.

Vaghi deftly explains how this oldest of the Church’s creeds is not only a summary of Catholic beliefs, but an invitation to entrust oneself to God.

Twelve chapters corresponding to the twelve articles of the Creed offer a fast-paced tour of the Catholic faith, with particular attention to sometimes neglected aspects distinctive to Catholicism. Questions for reflection and prayers are included for group and/or devotional use.

An ideal resource for RCIA groups, adult faith formation, and Catholics of all ages wanting to reflect and pray on the meaning of their faith and to deepen their commitment to Christ and the Church. 160 pages.

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THE DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS OF SAN ANTONIO  - Purchase their 2012 Monastery Calendars!  Great Christmas gifts!

Calendars include prayers, Mysteries of the Rosary, Quotes of Carmelite Saints, Feast days of Saints and more.  Only $13.50  help support the Nuns!  They need your help!

Contact them at 210-680-1834 or online at www.carmelsanantonio.org


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