2024-03-22-eEdition

PAGE 2 THE CATHOLIC WEEK MARCH 22, 2024 By ROBHERBST The Catholic Week MOBILE — JD Flynn admitted to being surprised when St. Pius X Parish Pastor Fr. Nicholas Napolitano invited him to lead a Lenten retreat on March 9. Flynn joked “I’m not a professional retreat giver by any stretch of the imagination. I’m not even a particularly great retreat goer.” With the retreat focused on “Holiness for the Laity,” the choice of Flynn made perfect sense. Along with being a mem- ber of the laity, Flynn serves as editor-in-chief and is co-found- er of the Catholic online news outlet “The Pillar.” Flynn discussed the three pillars of Lent – Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving – and shared his own life experiences. Flynn is the father of chil- dren with special needs. One of Flynn’s joys, he said, is help- ing his children with whatever needs they come to him with. “They come to me with the trust that when they say ‘help,’ I will help. …I get to share more deeply into their lives,” he said. It’s also what God desires. Flynn encouraged those in attendance to put down the illusion of self-sufficiency and spend time this Lent praying to God for help. “However much love I have for my children, however much love our good earthly fathers have for their children, pales in comparison to the love God our Father has for us,” Flynn said. “God our Father is waiting for those opportunities to help, so much more than what we can possibly imagine.” Flynn also discussed the deeper meaning of fasting, not just the thought of “giving something up for Lent.”The Church teaches that fasting is an opportunity to enter into the Gospel of suffering and Flynn said that suffering can change lives. Flynn recalled the process of adopting one of his children. The child’s birth mother was under pressure to have an abor- tion because the mother had many circumstances against her, such as being financially poor and having a drug habit. The mother intended to raise her son, but turned to adoption soon after birth. “She came to realize what kind of needs he had, more than what she could provide,” Flynn said. “It was kind of a profound humility.” Flynn beautifully discussed the moment when the birth mother placed the child in the arms of Flynn’s wife. “It was like watching Jesus walk the whole Way of the Cross,” he said. “I have wanted to be as good a parent as that for the rest of my son’s life. What I saw in her suffering was Jesus Christ.” Everyone suffers in some way and with that reflection in mind, Flynn encouraged those to “ask the Lord to make our suffering something which gives witness to hope – something which gives witness to His pres- ence in the world.” Flynn also discussed a deeper meaning of almsgiving and how it isn’t “just about money.” Rather almsgiving “is meant to remind us of the importance of living in charitable relation- ships with one another.” This means considering the needs of fellow Christians and being connected in the parish and beyond. “In Lent I encourage all of us to consider not only what it means to give alms beyond the parish, but what does it mean to be a community to be rooted at the altar together?” The Catholic Week MARCH 22, 2024 Volume 90, Number 06 Official Publication of the Archdiocese of Mobile Published since 1934 The Catholic Week (USPS 094-660) is published bi-weekly by the Archdiocese of Mobile 356 Government Street Mobile, AL 36602 Periodical Postage Paid at Mobile, Alabama —POSTMASTER— Send address changes to: The Catholic Week, PO Box 349, Mobile, AL 36601 Mobile P.S. Form 3541-N —PUBLISHER— Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi —EDITOR— Robert W. Herbst 251-434-1544 rherbst@mobarch.org —PRODUCTION— Pamela C. Wheeler 251-434-1545 tcw@mobarch.org —ADVERTISING— Claudia T. Sims 251-434-1543 csims@mobarch.org —OFFICE HOURS— 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday —PHONE NUMBERS— 251-432-3529 FAX: 251-434-1547 —OFFICE ADDRESS— 356 Government Street Mobile, Alabama —MAILING ADDRESS— PO Box 349 • Mobile AL 36601 —WEBSITE— mobarch.org/thecatholicweek —ONLINE EDITION— www.mobarch.org —SUBSCRIPTIONS— Claudia T. Sims 251-434-1543 csims@mobarch.org $22 out-of-parish, and $24 out-of- state. Address all subscription cor- respondence to The Catholic Week , PO Box 349, Mobile AL 36601. When changing address, renewing or inquiring about a subscription, customer should include a recent address label with old address and new address and allow four weeks for address change to take effect. DEADLINES for APRIL 5, 2024 News copy and photos: MARCH 26, 2024, NOON Advertising Camera-ready Ads: MARCH 26, 2024, NOON 1 Reverend S. I. O’Leary ............................................................................1875 2 Most Reverend William B. Friend..................................................2015 3 Reverend Patrick Turner..................................................................... 1927 4 Reverend Monsignor Alexander O’Neil ...................................1968 6 Reverend Eugene T. Gazzo.............................................................. 1925 7 Reverend Monsignor Philip A. Lambert....................................1975 Deacon Patrick Kelly..............................................................................2007 9 Reverend Monsignor Peter John Cunningham .................2020 12 Deacon Samuel Shippen.....................................................................2013 15 Reverend P. J. McCaffrey.................................................................... 1901 17 Reverend Louis Michael Suffredini ........................................... 2005 18 Reverend F. C. Doyle............................................................................. 1938 21 Reverend David Toomey..................................................................... 1938 22 Reverend Abram J. Ryan.....................................................................1886 26 Deacon A. Gordon Kenny....................................................................2017 27 Reverend Monsignor John P. Aherne ....................................... 2009 Archdiocesan Clergy Deceased in April The Office for the Protection of Minors and Adults Reports of abuse should be made to civil authorities in your county. If the report involves a member of the clergy, Archdiocesan employee or lay volunteer, please also notify the Office for the Protection of Minors and Adults at 251-434-1559. If the report of abuse involves a bishop, please notify the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service at ReportBishopAbuse.org or 1-800-276-1562. The Archdiocesan Child Protection Policy can be found at the websites mobarch.org or protection.mobarch.org Baldwin/Escambia Deanery St. Lawrence Parish—7 p.m. ( 2 nd Tuesday of most months) April 9, May 14, no training June-July Mobile Deanery St. Dominic Parish—7 p.m. ( 4 th Wednesday of most months) April 24, May 22, June 26, July 24 Montgomery Deanery Montgomery Catholic High—6:30 p.m. ( 4 th Wednesday of most months) April 24, May 22, no training June-July Dothan Deanery Training sessions are conducted on an “as needed” basis. Contact your pastor in the Dothan area for more information. ST. PIUS X PARISH, MOBILE Flynn discusses pillars of Lent Photo by Rob Herbst/The Catholic Week JD Flynn, editor-in-chief and co-founder of the Catholic online news outlet "The Pillar," led a Lenten retreat March 9 at St. Pius X Parish in Mobile Editor, co-founder of 'The Pillar' news site, shares his experiences during Lenten retreat