During this novena, we will have many opportunities to pray, reflect, and do concrete actions that would help us build a culture of life. We will not stand alone. Our voices and prayers will be united across the nation. 

We are all made in the Divine Image. God has given us great dignity from the moment of conception to natural death. On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, let us all remember that dignity and pray that it be protected.

In order to understand the profound nature of unity, we must acknowledge that unity is a gift from God. We cannot purchase it or obtain it with our own merits. Therefore, as Jesus did, we too must pray for the grace of unity. 

Written communication is key to understanding, learning, and succeeding in today’s fast-paced world. To assist in building these fundamental skills, Saint Leo University is offering a free, five-week, drop-in English writing workshop, which will begin Monday, Feb. 1. The workshop will take place at 7:30 p.m. (EST) Feb. 1, 8, 15, and 22, and March 1, via Zoom.

Join the USCCB and dioceses across the country in praying for the protection of human life through the 9 Days for Life Novena from Jan. 21–29.

“Today Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be inaugurated the 46th President of the United States. He deserves our prayers and support as the leader of our beloved United States of America. We are grateful for our democracy and pray for a peaceful transition of power today and in the months to come. I encourage everyone to pray for all who serve in an elected office, that they may work in unity for the good of all.

Some will remember 2020 as the year of the coronavirus, national division, riots, protests, and the rise of extremist groups. Still, for many in the south Texas community, it’s been a year to pray. Red and white pray signs are seen throughout neighborhoods in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Laredo, and beyond.

All single women ages 18-42 are invited to join the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana and the Illinois Women Against Human Trafficking for a virtual performance of “The True Costs: Stories of Human Trafficking,” scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23 from 3-5:30 p.m., CST. This is a virtual event hosted by the Sisters of Providence.

Parishes are about to participate in a diocesan-wide program that will unite the Diocese of Corpus Christi in prayer through the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Due to St. Paul the Apostle Parish construction, the food pantry in Flour Bluff will open every other Tuesday until further notice. The dates are scheduled through June, but the pantry will resume normal operating hours if the construction ends sooner. 

In 2019, Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott announced an initiative to end child exploitation and sex trafficking in Texas. The Governor’s Response Against Child Exploitation (GRACE) Initiative intends to empower and mobilize communities of faith in the fight against child sex trafficking.

Pope Francis has decreed a Year of St. Joseph in which Catholics will have the opportunity to obtain a special plenary indulgence. Until December 2021, there are many new ways that Catholics can receive an indulgence, including entrusting their daily work to the protection of St. Joseph the Worker or reciting the rosary with their families.

Everyone has had to deal with many difficulties resulting from the pandemic; their lives disrupted through most of 2020. Many Special Olympic athletes and their families have had their daily routines disrupted and turned upside down without knowing or understanding the reason why. Their annual events which typically occur had been rescheduled and eventually cancelled. 

The Mother Teresa Shelter held their annual Christmas luncheon, feeding over 200 of our homeless brothers and sisters on Dec. 25. The event began with Mass celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody, who reminded helpers, volunteers, staff, and families, “Today a Savior is born for us."

Mi oración para ti esta Navidad es que tengas una feliz y bendita Navidad sabiendo que Jesucristo nacido en Belén es la luz para nuestras vidas. Que nos ilumine a todos esta Navidad.

2020 has been a year of challenges. Planning how or whether the Diocese of Corpus Christi could still host the Annual Angel Tree Children Christmas party was highest on the list of challenges. 

Maria Teresa Reyna and Leticia Roman representatives of the Schoenstatt rosary group in Banquete will be delivering 327 beanies, socks and gloves to the homeless at the Mother Teresa Shelter on Christmas Day. All 17 women in the rosary group are from St. Michael the Archangel Parish.

Father Ray Yrlas, Pastor of Sacred Heart in Rockport and Mrs. Gloria Scott, Office Manager, take the first crack at tearing down what used to be their office. Several buildings on the Sacred Heart campus were severely damaged due to Hurricane Harvey which hit the Coast of Texas on August 25, 2017. 

To celebrate the Christmas season, Catholic pilgrimage company Verso Ministries has published “Christmas Around the World,” an at-home pilgrimage guide. Available as a free download on their website at www.versoministries.com/christmas. The 28-page e-book features Christmas traditions of eight different countries, including the West Bank, Italy, Philippines, France, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, and Portugal.

Just a few years ago, Centurion Night of Worship was a small gathering in the chapel with typically less than fifty people in attendance. However, 2020 gave the event a major face lift. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many of our usual events, such as weekly Mass and reconciliation or class retreats, were just not possible. But where there’s God’s will, there’s a way.