More than two years after Hurricane Harvey cut a path of destruction through the Coastal Bend, the need to help victims of the storm still exists. In the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to assist families in getting back on their feet.

The Diocese of Corpus Christi Catholic Schools will be celebrating our schools from Jan. 26-Feb.1. Many schools will be following daily themes.

St. John Paul II High School Senior Retreat, entitled “Called and Chosen,” was held at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center on Jan. 6-7. Students attended Mass both days, had opportunities for confession, heard talks, adored Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and grew in fellowship.  

A group of 22 Holy Family Connectors* and four youth from other parishes embarked on a one day pilgrimage to the Diocese of Brownsville to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle and Catholic Charities Respite Center on Dec. 8. According to Youth Minister Bea Romo, the group started their journey at 6:30 a.m. that morning. She said that from the outset, they reminded each other that they were leaving behind their everyday comforts in search of graces that God had in store for them, and a deeper relationship with him and with his mother, Nuestra Señora de San Juan del Valle.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio today led some 40 members of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS), in the annual National March for Life on the National Mall. The delegation included a group of Catholic cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, active-duty service personnel, Catholic military chaplains, and AMS staffers. The peaceful, pro-life demonstration was joined by tens of thousands on the one-mile route from 12th Street at the Mall, where President Trump spoke to a pre-march rally, to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion, was handed down 47 years ago this week. The theme of the National March for Life 2020 was “Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman.”

CHRISTUS Physician Group is pleased to announce the opening of its newest clinic on Padre Island. CHRISTUS Family Medicine – Padre Island is now open and accepting new patients.

Students for Life of America, the nation's largest pro-life youth organization, will be speaking alongside the Staunton Public Policy Center and various other pro-life organizations on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 11 a.m. to call on Speaker Pelosi to allow a vote on a bill seeking to ban infanticide, the Born Alive Abortion Survivors’ Protection Act.

This is the motto used by the ten young adults and their parochial vicar, Father David Roman, who came to our diocese Jan. 2-6 to work for Hurricane Harvey victims and the homeless in our diocese. They came here at the urging of Corpus Christi diocese’s seminarian Carlos De La Rosa, a good friend of Father Roman. 

KJZT Family Life is pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Sylvester as Vice President/Insurance Services, effective Jan. 1. Sylvester began her career with KJZT Family Life as a college intern in 2006. After she graduated from Texas State University in December of 2008, she was offered a full-time position as an Insur¬ance & Annuity Specialist.

Sister Annette Wagner was elected the superior general for a second term of four years during the Chapter of Elections held by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Dec. 22, 2019. Delegates met Dec. 20-23 for the general chapter’s canonical election of the leadership of the congregation.

Les prometí el mes pasado una carta más detallada describiendo la visión para una renovación de nosotros mismos, así como la renovación de nuestra Diócesis. Me complace anunciar que esa carta ha sido enviada a sus pastores, y ellos la estudiarán para proporcionar la dirección a seguir de cada parroquia durante el próximo año. Esta carta también estará disponible para usted a través del sitio web diocesano en diocesecc.org/EC2022 y en una memoria USB que estará disponible más adelante en enero. Les invito a todos, tanto individualmente como en organizaciones y ministerios, a meditar en el documento para asegurarnos que cuando llegue el momento de nuestro gran Congreso Eucarístico en el 2022, nuestra visión de renovación haya comenzado a tener lugar en toda nuestra Diócesis.

I promised you last month a more detailed letter describing the vision for the renewal of ourselves as well as the renewal of our diocese. I am happy to announce that that letter has been sent to your pastors, and they will be studying it to provide each parish direction over the coming year. This letter will also be available to you via the diocesan website at diocesecc.org/EC2022 and on a thumb drive to be made available later in January. I invite all of you individually and as organizations and ministries to meditate on the document to ensure that by the time of our great Eucharistic Congress in 2022, our vision of renewal will have begun to take place throughout our entire Diocese.

On March 25, 2020, the Catholic Church will observe the 25th-anniversary of St. John Paul II’s “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”), which the Holy Father provides the following challenge to the faithful. “With great openness and courage, we need to question how widespread is the culture of life today among individual Christians, families, groups, and communities in our dioceses. With equal clarity and determination, we must identify the steps we are called to take in order to serve life in all its truth” (“Evangelium Vitae,” 95).

The first time I realized our country’s current need for military chaplains was while reading a local Catholic newspaper where I saw an advertisement for the military chaplaincy. The ad depicted servicemen and women waiting in line to receive Communion, but there was no priest. The words at the top of the advertisement asked: “Who will serve them?”

Michelle Mirabal’s two sons will attend their second Texas Rally For Life in on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the State Capitol in Austin. She could not be more proud of their commitment to defend human life, from conception to natural death.

In July 1969, Gerald Hill saw a once in a lifetime opportunity to propose marriage to his sweetheart, Leona. His quick thinking memorialized a special moment forever. The two were seated on the couch at his parent’s house, watching the historic landing on the moon. Neil Armstrong had just made his celebrated statement: “It’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

In South Texas, fall means football, and football means “Friday Night Lights.” This year in George West “Friday Night Lights” begins with Friday morning Mass at St. George Parish, which was usually held in a small chapel adjacent to the main sanctuary and attended by anywhere from six to 10 parishioners.

The Diocese of Corpus Christi partnered with Dismas Charities and Prison Fellowship to host the annual Angel Tree Children Christmas party for over 170 children and their families on Dec. 18.

The Diocese of Corpus Christi Office of Social Ministry worked with the staff at the Bokencamp Children’s Shelter to provide a Christmas Mass and party for 40 youth on Dec. 14. Presents were donated by many "Angels" and by the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc. kicked off the season of giving at their 53rd annual Christmas distribution of food baskets and toys on Dec. 17. Bishop Michael Mulvey gave the ecumenical blessing and a warm welcome to those coming to receive, those ready to give.