GUEST COLUMNIST

This month, we celebrate a landmark moment in the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign: the opening of St. John Paul II High School in Avondale.

I’m often asked the question, “How do we build engagement in our parish?” I think the answer is threefold: personal invitation, conversion and answering the call to be an intentional disciple of Jesus!

As a seminarian I used to try to envision what my life might look like when I became a priest.

Hopefully you are already familiar with our faith-based work: We strengthen families, protect and nurture children, serve the poor and marginalized and help people in crisis find safety, stability and ultimately thrive.

When we hear the word “stewardship,” our mind can easily think of time, talent and treasure — which are true and important.

This summer I was blessed with being a part of the USCCB’s delegation at the five-day “‘Humanae Vitae’ Congresso Internazionale — The Fecundity of a Letter From the Future” which was organized for the 50th anniversary of Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic document, in Brescia, Italy.

There is an enduring myth that African-American Catholics were largely absent from the freedom struggles of the 1950s and 1960s, which resulted in the legal demise of Jim Crow segregation.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of Mexico, Empress of the Americas.” This grand title, found on traditional banners celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe, highlights her widespread impact throughout this continent.

Growing up in East Los Angeles, graffiti was always a big issue. Gang members would define their territories by scrawling their names or that of their gang on the sides of buildings. Some families in the neighborhood had a bucket of paint on hand to cover graffiti on their wall or fence.

Be watchful!” and “Be alert!” are two traditional spiritual commands often heard by Catholics during the Advent season in preparation for the birth of Christ at Christmas.