Put Out Into the Deep

Sin corrupts everything it touches. The terrible effects of sin include a darkening of our intellect and a weakening of our will. Sin blinds us. It weakens us. Faith enlightens us.

On Sunday, July 28, the feast of Blessed Stanley Rother, I took my seat with others in the plaza in front of the church of Saint James the Apostle in Santiago Atitlan (Guatemala). We were there to hear a concert.

In Oklahoma, summertime means heat. But, for many people summertime also is when we look forward to a much-anticipated vacation.

Two weeks ago, the bishops of the United States gathered in Baltimore for our semi-annual plenary meeting. Though there were a variety of items on our agenda, one group of items garnered the most attention and energy: those pertaining to the ongoing crisis surrounding sexual abuse within the Church.

In the past few issues of the Sooner Catholic, we have featured each of the five young men who are preparing for ordination to the priesthood this summer.