In Harvey’s chaotic aftermath, McIngvale said his Catholic faith and duty as a person of goodwill inspired him to open his three large Gallery Furniture stores as evacuation shelters, housing flood victims from across the city, many who escaped their homes via boat. 

Mother Cabrini arrived in New York in 1889 to work with Italian immigrants, setting up orphanages, schools and hospitals in nine U.S. cities. Naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1909, she died in Chicago Dec. 22, 1917.

"Why they did not kill me, why they didn't tie my hands, I don't know," he said. "Perhaps they wanted some ransom or whatever it is. I only believe that maybe God had put that into their heads when I said, 'I am Indian,' and they made me sit there while they killed the others, the sisters."

"The road was blocked and we couldn’t get through, and I saw somebody spin in the mud and almost go into a wall and off the road, and so there was a need, I had the means, I wanted to help out," Sister Laechelin explained to CNN Sept. 12 as a video played in the background showing her, wearing the Carmelites’ brown tunic, chopping apart a tree with chainsaw.

While most volunteers want to go to southeast Texas, which suffered significant damage, five counties in the Diocese of Austin were also hit by Harvey. Catholic Charities personnel have gone door-to-door to hotels in Bryan and College Station trying to find displaced people, then connecting them to United Way, as hotels in the area are full due to the college football season.

A statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the cancellation of DACA “reprehensible” and something that “causes unnecessary fear for DACA youth and their families.”

"Today, our nation has done the opposite of how Scripture calls us to respond. It is a step back from the progress that we need to make as a country," they said, adding that the decision by the Trump administration is a “heartbreaking moment in our history that shows the absence of mercy and goodwill, and a short-sighted vision for the future.”

The intersection of the KKK with Catholics came to an ugly head in the 1920s, when the second version of the Klan was making inroads not just in the South but throughout the nation. In the 1920s, the Klan mushroomed in membership. Estimates put its number at between 3 million and 5 million – staggering numbers when the total U.S. population in 1920 was 106,021,537.

Clergy in white vestments flanked the altar and included Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde, from the Diocese of Arlington; bishops from the Diocese of Scranton, where Bishop DiLorenzo had served, and from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where he was ordained a priest in 1968. Among the priests were many of the missionaries Bishop DiLorenzo arranged to bring from a host of other countries in order to keep some parishes open.

During practice in October 2010, the junior varsity running back was going through drills with varsity players. Aasen got a handoff and a player, nicknamed the Nigerian Nightmare, tackled him. Ufomba Kamalu, who now plays for the Houston Texans, weighed 120 pounds more than Aasen.

“When I hit the ground, my head whiplashed off the ground, which caused a pretty bad concussion,” he said. The trainers checked him. He sat out of the rest of practice and a friend drove him home.

As a young man, in 1836, John Neumann left his homeland of Bohemia – the modern day Czech Republic – hoping to realize his goal of becoming ordained. He later joining the Redemptorist order. During a time when waves of immigration led to competition for jobs and tensions with native-born residents, marked by anti-Catholic riots in the 1830s and 40’s, Fr. Neumann became known for his works of mercy toward immigrants and the poor. Fluent in several languages, he often ministered to newcomers in his native German and also Italian. He came to the Diocese of Richmond to minister to immigrants who’d come to work on the James River and Kanawha Canal.

Father Mario baptized 1,198 people and presided over 322 marriages. There were 3,526 First Holy Communions and 2,091 confirmations, according to Sister Brenda Query, a Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and director of adult formation, said during a Roast and Toast for Father Mario following his farewell Mass Aug. 22.

FOCUS missionaries serve at four schools in Virginia, where they coordinate with each diocese’s campus ministry program to reach students: University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison University, in the Diocese of Richmond, and George Mason University, in the Diocese of Arlington.

Williamsburg House of Mercy helps homeless and low-income men and women in Williamsburg, James City County and upper York County. 

Mass Card for Bishop DiLorenzo

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families that have lost loved ones and to all who have lost homes and businesses along with their sense of peace and normalcy,” said Archbishop Gomez. “We also stand with our brother bishops in the region who have the difficult task of providing pastoral care in these most trying times while managing their own losses. Our prayerful and financial support is urgently needed.”

Seminarian Retreat, Wintergreen

Mr. Olszewski has more than 40 years of experience in Catholic communications, including 38 years as an editor of diocesan newspapers.

Her passion and focus is STEM Education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and wants to share her level of excitement and expertise with her faculty as well as with other schools within the diocese. Enhancing the educational and spiritual opportunities for all students is one of her goals. She views the contribution to the overall growth of such a remarkable Blue Ribbon School as an exciting opportunity and wants everyone to know what a unique and welcoming school Star of the Sea is.

Just a day after the protest, on August 13, the CatholicHoos, the home of Catholic students at UVA, held a prayer vigil at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. More than 250 men and women attended and 150 rosaries were handed out to anyone who wanted one. 

In the week before he died, Bishop Francis DiLorenzo was one of the first to call for peace in an August 12 statement. Days later, in a second statement he said, “Hatred, and its manifestations of racism, neo-Nazism and white supremacy, are sins against God and profoundly wound the children of God.” Both statements are available on the diocesan website www.richmonddiocese.org.

First day of school sets the bar sky high.

There is no standard profile for a Diocese of Richmond seminarian, and the young men couldn’t be any more different from one another. One is a former Navy man, another a former teacher, and others are in the early years of college. Some have been educated in Catholic schools, some in public schools, another homeschooled. Both parents are Catholic, or either one parent or both parents are of another faith. They are “cradle Catholics” and the ones who came into the church later in their youth.

Presiding at the funeral was the Archbishop of Baltimore, William E. Lori who praised him for his “wisdom and creativity.”

Clergy in white vestments flanked the altar and included Bishop Michael Burbidge and Bishop (emeritus) Paul Loverde, from the Diocese of Arlington; bishops from the dioceses of Honolulu and Scranton, where Bishop DiLorenzo had served, and from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where he became a priest. And those priests included many of the missionaries Bishop DiLorenzo arranged to bring from a host of other countries to keep some parishes open.

After prayerful consideration, the College of Consultors for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond convened Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, and elected Msgr. Mark Lane to serve as Diocesan Administrator, as required by Canon Law following the death of Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo.  Mgsr. Lane immediately assumes his duties as Diocesan Administrator and will lead the Catholic Diocese of Richmond until the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appoints a new bishop. During this transition, Mgsr. Lane will be assisted in the governance of the Diocese by the College of Consultors. 

“Today the priests, deacons, religious and lay people of the Diocese of Richmond mourn the loss of our shepherd, who led the Diocese with wisdom and humility for 13 years,” Msgr. Lane said.

A moral theologian and a lover of history, Bishop DiLorenzo was known for his humility, his booming voice – which frequently broke into song -- and his concern for those less fortunate, which he addressed especially through his interest in Catholic schools and lay Catholic formation.

Fiat Days 2017, held at Shalom House in Montpelier on July 26-28, hosted 18 youth participants from nine parishes. This year’s retreat was led by seven religious sisters from three communities: the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia from Nashville, TN; the Sisters, Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará from Washington, DC; and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Immaculata, PA. These sisters participated in the full retreat by serving as small group leaders, speakers, and prayer leaders.

Although the campus had not started its fall semester and new and returning students had not moved in Aug. 12 when the white supremacist rally was taking place in Charlottesville, there were still some students on campus as well as faculty and staff, and about 250 of them gathered for a prayer vigil and rosary for peace Aug. 13 at St. Thomas Aquinas, the university's parish church.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, for his family and friends, and for the people of the Diocese of Richmond.  

Parishes in the Diocese of Richmond provide systematic catechetical formation opportunities for children through 12th Grade. Schedules and offerings vary by parish. Check out your parish bulletin or website for how to register.

What is it about Catholic schools that draws parents to sacrifice to send their children to these institutions of the faith? Key for many parents is the desire to nurture their children’s faith. Rev. Dan Beeman, pastor of Holy Trinity, Norfolk, and Vicar for Catholic Mission and Identity for Catholic Education, explores what makes Catholic schools Catholic in this issue of the Catholic Virginian.

Through those centuries, Catholic schools have always sought to proclaim the Gospel within the teachings of the Catholic Church to the children of our parishes, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Families today throughout the Diocese of Richmond make significant sacrifices to educate their children in Catholic schools. While families often stretch to make tuition payments, they do so for one consistent reason: they desire their children to know the love of Jesus Christ through the teachings of His Catholic Church. In today’s ever-more secular society some public schools increasingly teach ideas that are contrary to the faith – and sometimes even hostile to it.

Every day, Our Lady of Peace retirement community in Charlottesville strives to bring happiness into their residents’ lives. That effort became even bigger when Ms. Warden decided to reignite the Make-a-Wish program to give their residents the opportunity to live out a dream of their own. 

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called on President Donald Trump to ease the “onerous” contraceptive mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Affordable Care Act because it violates religious freedom. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called on President Donald Trump to ease the “onerous” contraceptive mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Affordable Care Act because it violates religious freedom.

A 32-year-old paralegal Heather D. Heyer was killed when a car plowed into a group in Charlottesville on Saturday. Various news outlets have identified the driver as James Alex Fields, who allegedly told his mother he was attending a rally for President Donald Trump. Reports say the car allegedly driven by Fields plowed into a crowd during a white nationalist rally and a counter-rally the afternoon of Aug. 12.

Building Our Lady of Vietnam was a community effort. Nearly every parishioner from young children through adult helped renovate the building, said parishioner Theresa Trinh. Tasks were age appropriate. Young children gave water bottles to workers, and adults did such jobs as painting and landscaping. Some volunteers came before work; others during lunch and others worked until the wee hours of the morning.

An essential – but frequently overlooked – element of this transition is the importance of taking steps to stay strong in one’s faith. A student’s time in college can provide an opportunity to take the faith imparted by parents, religious educators, youth ministers or pastors and to make it his or her own. It is a time to grow in understanding of the Church and her teachings and to discern how to live them out. For someone now away from home, this can be a challenging prospect, especially when faced with the culture and choices confronting students on a typical college campus.

On Saturday, November 4, 2017 the Diocese will host the 5th Annual Catholic Women’s Conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. There will be two simultaneous conferences taking place – one for English speakers and one for Spanish speakers. Each conference features excellent keynote speakers and all participants will gather together for lunch, Adoration, and the closing Mass.