“More precious than gold is faith which stands the test" (1 Pt 1:7) One of the great figures of the nineteenth century who became a convert to Catholicism was Blessed John Henry Newman. He ended his life as a Cardinal, a far cry from how he began in his native England. His monumental writings offer [...]
What we have heard I hope that you are enjoying the summer season and many blessings from our loving God and Father. As our archdiocesan pastoral planning process moves forward, I want to thank the thousands of people who responded to the Your Voice Counts survey, or who accepted an invitation to participate in focus [...]
Archbishop Blair's Column The Catholic Transcript – July Issue, 2015 Made ‘At the beginning’ Like so many others in our country, I am dismayed at the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. First and foremost, we have to bear in mind that the government and its laws [...]
Archbishop Blair's Column The Catholic Transcript – June Issue, 2015 A challenging mission in challenging times On Saturday, May 16, it was a great joy for me to ordain three new priests for our archdiocese. Ordination homilies are addressed to the men being ordained, but several people suggested that I also share what I [...]
Archbishop Blair's Column The Catholic Transcript – May Issue, 2015 Repositioning for a spiritually rich and vibrant future Some weeks ago, I asked that a letter from me be inserted in all the parish bulletins regarding the announcement of a pastoral planning process for the Archdiocese of Hartford that will unfold over the next three [...]
To all of you and to your loved ones, I would like to extend a Blessed Christmas – a Christmas centered on the person of Jesus Christ. Christ came into this world to show us how to live, so that we might find our way to God, and therefore our way to happiness both in [...]
For this November issue of the Transcript, I want to anticipate the coming holiday and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Let’s remember that it is God whom we are thanking, as the Author of life and the Source of all that we are, and of all that we have. May he continue to bless [...]
At the very beginning of November, we will be celebrating two important feasts that are deeply rooted in Catholic faith and piety: All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2. These are celebrations of the “communion of saints” that we mention every time we recite the Creed. This doctrine tells [...]
Last month, I was happy to join other bishops from New England for our annual retreat. One Catholic dictionary defines a retreat as “an individual or group withdrawal (normally to a religious house set apart for this purpose) to awaken and deepen one’s spiritual life through silence, prayer and spiritual exercises.” The bishops gathered at [...]
On June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, I was blessed to receive from the hands of Pope Francis the vestment known as the pallium. This ancient insignia, which I described in an earlier Transcript column, has been conferred on metropolitan archbishops by the pope since ancient times. I have been asked what [...]