Wednesday Update, Vol. 2, No. 39, Oct. 23, 2019

The photo at left has three of our seminarians  at St. John Seminary are Robert Villablanca, Luis Pablo Ochoa Escarrega and Abundio Colazo-Lopez .
 
Visiting Seminarians
Early this week, I am visiting Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon, where have three seminarians attending college level studies: Charles "Carlos" Nagore, Luis Alberto Palencia and Luis Fernando Ballesteros. I was present for the Mass of Candidacy today.
 
Candidacy is a rite which takes place during seminary formation. The Church recognizes the seminarian as worthy of being ordained and that they can become a candidate for  ordination to the  priesthood. The Mass of Candidacy is held after the candidates finish their philosophy studies and as they enter into theological studies. It is the next stage in the progression to Holy Orders.
 
  Arizona Rosary Celebration, Tucson
A big success, we had 220 altar servers attended this year’s event, coming from 30 parishes or schools around our diocese.  The
 celebration was held this year in St. Augustine Cathedral, and it was
filled to capacity – more than 1,000 people from parishes near and far.
My thanks to Bishop Emeritus Kicanas for standing in for me while I was visiting our seminarians.  Here are some photos from the event:
 
  Convocation for Religious 
Saturday (Oct. 26)  I will join our vowed Religious for part of their annual convocation, and then will celebrate Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral in the early evening.  Sister Jeanne Bartholomeaux, our director for Vowed Religious, organizes this event every year, and I believe this is the first year this gathering is being held at the Pastoral Center at Cathedral Square.
 
Cursillo representative meeting in Tucson
Also taking place Saturday is one of two regional meetings for the Cursillo de Cristiandad held each year in our region.  The spring meeting took place in New Mexico, and our diocese is hosting the fall gathering.  Representatives from the dioceses of Tucson, Phoenix and El Paso, Texas; Pueblo, Colorado, and Gallup, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, New Mexico, will be participating in this meeting.
We anticipate that about 100 people will be attending this meeting, also taking place at the Pastoral Center.
A quick look at the Cursillo website reports that “Cursillos in Christianity is a movement which, by its own method, attempts from within the Church, to give life to the essential Christian truths in the singularity, originality and creativity of the person. In discovering their potential and accepting their limitations, they will direct their freedom with their conviction, reinforce
 
 
 
their will with decisiveness and direct their friendship with the virtue of constancy in their day-to-day life, personally and with others.”
 
I know many people in our diocese are long-time members of Cursillo and are deeply dedicated to sharing what they have learned from Cursillo with other Catholics.
 
For more information, you may want to check out Cursillo’s webpage at https://www.natl-cursillo.org/what-is-cursillo/
 
Marriage Mass at Cathedral
This annual tradition invites married couples to renew their dedication to their marriages. Couples celebrating first, 10 ^th, 25 ^th … and anniversaries beyond come together for this beautiful Mass.  This Mass for couples takes place Sunday, Oct. 27.
Registration is required.  Please contact Isabel Madrid at 838-2544 for information.
 
Mass at Villa Maria
Another of our long-standing celebrations is the Mass at Villa Maria, home to many of our gently aging Catholics. It is wonderful to bring the celebration of the Eucharist to our loved ones and those involved in their daily care.  My visit will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
 
Please pray . . .
For the soul of Gina, beloved sister of diocese employees Sonya Gutierrez and Chris Barrios, who passed away Tuesday.  Please join in prayers for Gina’s immediate family and also her very large extended family during this difficult time.
 
Upcoming
Men’s Conference, Nov. 2.
The annual Men’s Conference also will be held in downtown Tucson. The conference takes place in the Pastoral Center at Cathedral Square, right next door to the Cathedral.  The keynote speakers are Father Dennis Billy, a Redemptorist priest, author and professor of spiritual and moral theology at St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore; and Randy Cirner, a Catholic therapist, evangelist and family minister.  He also holds a master’s degree in theology.
The day includes the opportunity for Reconciliation and a panel discussion with Father Dennis Billy and Cirner and me. Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral concludes the event.
Registration is required, and can be done through our diocesan website at https://diocesetucson.org/mens-conference