It was a Friday night of terror. Those who stayed were in shock. Windows were shattering. Tree limbs were missiles, crashing into homes and businesses. The wind was alive, a monster, shrieking, howling,

Devastation. Destruction. People are struggling on their own to rebuild their lives. It has become the standard for victims of Hurricane Harvey, even as we approach its one-year anniversary.

When Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane on Aug. 25, 2017, it wreaked costly havoc along the Gulf Coast, including the Diocese of Corpus Christi. By preliminary numbers, Hurricane Harvey is considered to be the most expensive FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) declared event in the United States.

The destructive path of Hurricane Harvey impacted countless lives throughout the Texas Gulf Coast region, including hundreds of families and communities within our diocese. In the days, weeks, which followed I visited the most devastated and displaced parish communities and spoke to many victims affected by this tragedy. Their stories were heartbreaking. The catastrophe had the power to break our spirit.

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Blessed Paul VI's papal encyclical, Humanae Vitae, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement. Originally published in 1968, Blessed Paul VI's letter promotes the whole human person in the context of marital love that respects both the spiritual and physical dimensions of man and woman, which is faithful, generous, and life-giving.

This summer, CHRISTUS Spohn Health System celebrates 113 years of providing high-quality and compassionate healthcare for the people of the Coastal Bend.

Twenty-two students and three adults from St. Dominic Savio High School in Austin participated in the Hurricane Harvey clean up in Austwell from June 25-29. The students stayed in the Austwell Community center and worked on two houses.

The Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc. is pleased to announce Kevin Branson as the new Executive Director. He has served the Church in various capacities including as the Director of Ministry Personnel, Director of the Executive Office, Counsel to the Administrator/Bishop and Vice-Chancellor for the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan as well as the Human Resources Director for the Diocese of Venice in Florida.

On Aug. 30, the feast of our foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan, we Little Sisters of the Poor will launch a jubilee year celebrating the 150th anniversary of our Congregation’s arrival in the United States.  

Reece Perez, a seventh-grade student from Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School won first place in the July 4th essay contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. He was honored at an awards ceremony on June 26 by Corpus Christi Mayor, Joe McComb, who read a proclamation during a city council meeting at City Hall.

Pope Francis has ratified the members elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to represent the United States at the upcoming XV Ordinary General Assembly: Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment.  The Synod will take place Oct. 3-28. 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is making available a new book titled, Pope Francis, Deacons: Servants of Charity.  

The missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe can be viewed in churches, nursing homes, hospitals, prisons and more in Beeville, Skidmore and Pettus during August.

A grassroots non-profit organization, St. Paul Street Evangelization met with diners at Taqueria Valarta in Mathis on July 1, spreading the Word of God. They set up our table with Church-approved pamphlets on various subjects, such as the Eucharist, confession, the Virgin Mary, saints and many topics related to the Catholic faith.

Adriana Gerhart, former 5th grader at Sacred Heart School, won the Catholic Life Insurance Art Poster Contest, "Heroes Don't Always Wear Capes".

Recently, Sister Joni received a $5,000 scholarship from “Giving Voice” to travel to Mexico to learn more about the language and her heritage. Giving Voice is an organization based in Dubuque, Iowa, for women religious under the age of 50. According to its website, Giving Voice “creates spaces for younger women religious to give voice to their hopes, dreams and challenges in religious life.”

I know many of you ask the reason for the numerous national collections or in many people’s words the special collections. Let me list them for you: Aid to the Church in Central & Eastern Europe; Black and Indian Missions; Catholic Campaign for Human Development; Catholic Communications Campaign; Catholic Relief Services; Catholic University of America; Church in Latin America; Catholic Home Missions Appeal; Disaster Relief; Holy Land; Peter’s Pence; Respect Life; Retired Diocesan Priests Fund; Retirement Fund for Religious; Rice Bowl and World Mission Sunday.

Before I became a sister with the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, I felt I needed a super-power within me–the Holy Spirit to heed God’s call. I learned to pray to the Holy Spirit at every turn of event, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Three years ago, Michael Dewar was at a crossroads in his life. A long haul truck driver for the previous 16 years, running one red light and getting a traffic ticket was enough reason for his trucking company to terminate him immediately.

The critical issues facing high school age youth in their daily lives are bullying, drugs and pornography. In most cases, it’s not the schools that are to blame. According to some teenagers, it’s the breakdown of some of their own families.