Police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel routinely face situations most people never have to witness. At the ninth annual Diocese of Dallas Blue Mass and Blessing of the Fleet on Aug. 8, first responders gathered at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe to pray and to be recognized for their work.
A suit and tie may not be the image that leaps to mind at the word “saint,” but Legatus, an organization of Catholic executives and their spouses, has long sought to foster sanctity precisely among those women and men who are leaders in the professional world.
One muggy afternoon on the Aventine Hill in Rome, an intriguing thought popped into the mind of Father Thomas Esposito, O. Cist.: “Wouldn’t it be cool to write a novel that went through a day in the life of a monk?” the Cistercian recalled thinking.
Amy Fraler’s lifelong Catholic faith continually challenges her to recognize Christ in everyone around her, including those who are most vulnerable and in need of support, the Mary Immaculate Catholic Church parishioner shared.
The Serra Clubs of Dallas welcomed new members and installed officers during a June 20 Mass and luncheon celebrating the organization’s mission to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
With ceremonial shovels poised over a pile of dirt and blue hard hats dotting the crowd, Bishop Edward J. Burns joined benefactors and supporters of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Dallas June 23 to break ground on Mary’s Garden at the Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague and St. Joseph, a project that reflects the community’s gratitude as it approaches its 2028 centennial in the Diocese of Dallas.
The Diocese of Dallas is expanding its efforts to help Catholics with disabilities more fully participate in parish life, welcoming five additional parishes into its Community of Disciples initiative and broadening the ministry’s reach into predominantly Spanish-speaking and Vietnamese communities.
For 10 days in Costa Rica, a group of students from the Diocese of Dallas traded the relaxing routines of summer break for work gloves, prayer, and a mission to serve.
On the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Estefania received a visit that she felt came to answer her prayers. On May 13, missionaries from Dallas arrived at her home in southwest Puebla, Mexico, bringing a brand-new wheelchair for her son, Omar, along sandy, gravel roads.
Instead of hauling construction materials as he does most days, José Gutiérrez used his trailer to transport donations collected by Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church parishioners on May 31 to support victims of an explosion at The Clyde, an apartment building in Oak Cliff.
Ahead of the fireworks and the flag-waving, and before the barbeques, ceremonies, and parades, American Catholics approaching the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence this Fourth of July may well pause to ask: Is all this pomp truly patriotism? And further: What is patriotism in the Catholic understanding, and how can it be practiced well?