Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Ascension “Thursday Sunday” The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven according the Scriptures occurred forty days after Christ’s Resurrection. So liturgically the church honors this timing by celebrating the Ascension forty days into the Easter Season, which means it always lands on a Thursday, hence it is often referred to as Ascension Thursday. However, the ritual allows for a bishop in his diocese to move the feast to the following Sunday. This does obscure a bit the symbolic importance of forty days, but it is a bit more convenient for many people since Ascension is a holy day of obligation.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Habemus Papam! We thank God for the gift of the papacy, a successor to St. Peter as the Vicar of Christ on earth who shows the unity of the Catholic Church throughout the world and throughout history. I look forward to hearing more from our new Holy Father as he follows in the shoes of the fisherman to “strengthen the brethren” in faith. May God bless him with a deep faith, wisdom, prudence, and holiness.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Conclave At the time of the writing the conclave for the election of the pope has not yet begun. Perhaps (in fact I think likely) by the time you read this we will have heard the words, “Habemus Papam!” This means “we have a pope!” in Latin are said just before the new pope appears on the St. Peter’s balcony to give his inaugural blessing.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Eternal Rest Grant Unto Him Last week’s column was already sent in before I could reflect and write about the death of Pope Francis. I celebrated a private Mass for his intention and pray for the repose of his soul. I was unable to watch any of his funeral or even see much news coverage either. This is the third pope I have known in my life. At these times I tend to focus on the reality that he, like all popes, like all of us are fallen human beings yet strive to follow Christ. The responsibility a pope has is immense and truly impossible.