Now therefore, having fulfilled all requirements set forth and in accord with the authority entrusted to my office in can. 515, §2, I hereby decree the erection of Saint John Paul II Parish, Harrisburg, South Dakota in recognition of the widely-recognized and admired Petrine ministry of this contemporary and courageous saint, defender of the Faith and of the Church, and profound teacher, inspirational pastor, and shepherd. [icon name="file-pdf-o" class="" unprefixed_class=""] View Full Statement
Thank you for praying and celebrating this Holy Mass of Chrism with us. May I especially welcome and express appreciation to the deacons and religious who serve the Church and people so well in pastoral ministry and as witnesses of faith. Thank you also to the lay men and women present here today and those you represent. You are essential to vibrant parish and diocesan life and are visible ambassadors of Christ in the world; thank you for your generosity in so many ways. I especially want to thank my brother priests many of whom have traveled some hours to be here. Lent is a time for repentance and so I ask your forgiveness for those times I have not been the spiritual father you deserve. There is a plaque…
In light of recent debate in Congress and efforts by the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services to raise awareness to the DACA measure, I am posting two statements regarding immigration which I issued previously. In disseminating them once again, I am fully reiterating my pastoral call for Congress to address the DACA program and to enact a comprehensive solution that respects all individuals affected by immigration laws and policies. Let us pray for all of those responsible for formulating and enforcing our laws. May the intercession of Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, patroness of immigrants, guide immigrant families, policymakers and each of us. [icon name="file-pdf-o" class="" unprefixed_class=""]Read Full Statement along with Cardinal DiNardo's official Statement [icon name="file-pdf-o" class="" unprefixed_class=""]Read Full Statement on Immigration
In light of expressed concerns during this flu season over the possible spreading of the influenza virus through direct, physical contact, the following guidelines related to the Sacred Liturgy are offered to guide local decisions and encourage catechesis of the faithful: [icon name="file-pdf-o" class="" unprefixed_class=""] View Full Statement
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children [caption id="attachment_648" align="alignnone" width="821"] Bishop Swain blesses a group of pilgrims from the diocese as they set off to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. (Jan 17, 2018 - Photo by Gene Young)[/caption] Today we come together to pray on the 45th anniversary of the decision by the United States Supreme Court to sanction abortion basically at any time and for basically any reason. It is a flawed sense of freedom. Saint John Paul II taught us that true freedom is the not the right to do whatever we want according to our whim or convenience but the right to do what we ought to do according to God’s law. God’s law is respect for all human life from…
Thank you for being with us today as we celebrate this “White Mass’ where we recognize, honor and pray for all those in the healing ministry of health care, Catholic and not. It is named the White Mass because of the tradition of wearing white garments, although that is less common these days. We priests wear red because this is the feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist who is believed to be martyred, shed his blood for the faith. He is the patron saint of health care and health care providers. St. Paul tells us Luke was himself a physician. He wrote the Gospel of Luke as well as the Acts of the Apostles. Scripture scholars have described the Gospel of Luke as the gospel of mercy, of the…
Today we gather in what has traditionally been called the Blue Mass to honor and pray in thanksgiving for all those, Catholic or not, who protect us and serve us in law enforcement and public safety professions, paid and volunteer, and their support staffs. They include first responders in emergencies and those who day-in and day-out, with vigilance, protect society and each of us and,when necessary, respond with action in times of special need. [icon name="file-pdf-o" class="" unprefixed_class=""] Read Full Homily
Earlier I authorized a special collection to provide assistance to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Funds donated and sent to the diocesan finance office will be forwarded to the USCCB for disbursement either to Catholic Charities USA or directly to affected dioceses. Since then we have again seen countless images of nature’s powerful forces unleashed in Hurricane Irma. It not only created haunting destruction in the southeast of the United States, it left communities unrecognizable and took many lives in the Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico, the American Virgin Islands and many others. We give thanks for the civil servants and first responders that provided advance warning of the storm and facilitated a historic evacuation, no doubt limiting the loss of life. There also has been a massive earthquake in…
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement concerning the termination of the so-called “Dreamers” immigration program. It seeks to protect those who were brought into the United States as children and therefore with limited knowledge of immigration laws. They should not be punished for actions they did not knowingly commit. Most of these young people have known no other country than the United States in which they have been raised and educated. Many are becoming contributing members of our country and enrich us all. There are hundreds of young people in South Dakota who now live in fear and uncertainty. I fully endorse the statement of Cardinal DiNardo and urge the Congress to quickly enact legislation which provides a just…
The devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey has been shocking, sad and sobering. Archbishop Jose' H. Gomez, Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on behalf of Cardinal Daniel H. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops whose Archdiocese is of course directly affected, has asked that a special collection be taken to support the relief efforts made in response to this tragedy. Funds raised will be used to support humanitarian and recovery efforts of Catholic Charities USA and to provide pastoral and rebuilding support to impacted dioceses through the USCCB. Through these agencies we can be sure that the contributions will be used prudently and with minimum administrative overhead. Therefore, I authorize and encourage this special collection be taken in…
