WASHINGTON- In a letter from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to the Department of State and USAID, the Administration froze between $2-4 billion that Congress approved, and the Administration signed into law for America’s development and diplomacy programs. While OMB has lifted the freeze, this is the first step in a potential rescission of the appropriated but “unobligated funds” not yet been committed to a specific contract or project) for 10 State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development accounts.

The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace and Archbishop for the Military Services USA, and Sean Callahan, President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, issued the following statement opposing these cuts:

WASHINGTON— Today, bishops from two committees at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed their strong opposition to a final rule on public charge put forth by the Department of Homeland Security. The rule, which is expected to be officially published on August 14th and will take effect sixty days after publication, will undoubtedly have a negative consequence for families accessing critical public benefits for which they otherwise qualify. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, and Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of Venice, FL, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, offered the following statement.

“This rule will undermine family unity and lead many lawful immigrants to forgo vital assistance, including enrollment in nutrition, housing, and medical programs. Families already in the U.S. will be faced with deciding whether to access critical assistance programs for which they qualify, knowing that in doing so they could jeopardize their ability to stay here with their loved ones. And, it will reduce the ability of many to reunify with family in the U.S. We have already seen the culture of fear that the anticipation of this rule has created in our communities. Ultimately, we believe that this rule is in tension with the dignity of the person and the common good that all of us are called to support.”

WASHINGTON.- Recientemente, la Administración de Trump emitió una “regla final interina” que casi acabaría con nuestro actual sistema de asilo. Un período de 30 días fue otorgado para enviar comentarios al Gobierno sobre la regla. La medida permitiría a la Administración impedir que la mayoría de las personas que llegan a nuestra frontera sur tengan acceso al asilo en los Estados Unidos. La Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos presentó comentarios el 9 de agosto y calificó la regla de "ilegal, injusta e imprudente".

El Reverendísimo Joe S. Vásquez, Obispo de Austin, y Presidente del Comité de Migración de la USCCB emitió el siguiente comunicado:

Gilbert Highet’s book The Art of Teaching has proven to be an excellent guide for me as a teacher. It’s practical and simple, drawing on the best teachers in history. It’s not marked by that soulless, “scientific” educational philosophy that devalues classical learning, but is rooted in a robust vision that educates the whole human person. Theology teachers need a book like Dr. Highet’s but particularly about the art of catechesis.  While many academic theologians will not admit this, theology is, in part, catechesis. Like an art, it requires vision and skill. Unfortunately, many theology programs do not educate students in a clear and consistent vision, leaving students confused about the nature of theology and its basics. This is representative of the fragmented state of much academic theology. Additionally, there is no apprenticeship a student can undergo to learn from the…

It’s been nearly a decade since poet and USC Professor Dana Gioia wrote an essay urging Catholic writers to “renovate and reoccupy” their own tradition within the literary culture, and it is a discussion that has been ongoing among Catholics since then—part of a broad pondering of what the “Christian imagination” means in the twenty-first century, and what it has to offer a society that is ever-more pop-focused, less literary in consumption and increasingly secular and polarized in tastes, to boot. Certainly, in literature, we have felt the dearth of the sort of Catholic writing that was so prominent in the last century, when authors like Flannery O’ Connor, Walker Percy, Evelyn Waugh, Rumer Godden, and others produced fiction that could hook into the souls of readers, whether faithful or not, and lead them into deep contemplation of our fallen natures, the complexities of the…

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” —Martin Luther King Jr. Last weekend, on a cabin vacation outside of Tower, Minnesota, my daughters and I, along with my good friend and his kids, woke up, brushed our teeth, and threw on sweatshirts, rugged shorts, and closed-toe shoes. We packed pants and an extra sweatshirt because, in spite of the perfect seventy-two degree day on the lake, our destination (the Soudan Underground Mine State Park) promised a steady fifty-eight degrees in its subterranean parts. So, with bellies full of scrambled eggs, hash browns,…

Personal Brands and Muddled Identities The pressure is real: to look, be, and act a certain way… It can be exhausting. We create brands so others perceive us the way we want them to. Where is the line between our authentic identity and the personal “brands” we create? On one […]

I didn’t want to lie and act like I had everything figured out because I really didn’t. So instead, I would tell them exactly what I was feeling at the time and would say, “I don’t have anything figured out and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” And even though I was being honest, it was challenging to indirectly tell them that my life wasn’t like the rest.

Trying to keep grades high enough to be in NHS, still participating in clubs, going to Life Teen events at church, and working out for 7.5 hours a day, my mental health evaporated. Finally realizing the toll all of this was taking on my mental and physical health, I knew something needed to change.

Saturday, August 17, 2019 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today All Saints for Today “Let the children come to me, and do ... Read more>>>

Friday, August 16, 2019 Friday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Stephen of Hungary – Optional Memorial “Have you not read that ... Read more>>>

Thursday, August 15, 2019 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Readings for Today “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices ... Read more>>>

“It’s hard to believe in our hearts that He can be trusted because we have been hurt when we trusted others.” Happy the one who trusts in the Lord… It’s a phrase repeated throughout the Scriptures- in Psalms and Proverbs and Jeremiah. But perhaps at times it’s hard to believe and practice. Can I really trust the Lord? When asked [...]

The post The Struggle to Trust God appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe) The Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr (1894 – 1941) is August 14. Please share this post on Facebook and other social media below: Print this entry

The post Daily Catholic Quote — St. Maximilian Kolbe appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

I gave a talk one Sunday morning to the men’s club of a large Atlanta Methodist church at the request of an old friend. When he asked me to speak to this group months before the talk, I responded with a question which I would ask him repeatedly every time we got together: “They know I’m Catholic, right?” I engage [...]

The post They Know I’m Catholic, Right? appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

“It’s hard to believe in our hearts that He can be trusted because we have been hurt when we trusted others.” Happy the one who trusts in the Lord… It’s a phrase repeated throughout the Scriptures- in Psalms and Proverbs and Jeremiah. But perhaps at times it’s hard to believe and practice. Can I really trust the Lord? When asked [...]

The post The Struggle to Trust God appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe) The Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr (1894 – 1941) is August 14. Please share this post on Facebook and other social media below: Print this entry

The post Daily Catholic Quote — St. Maximilian Kolbe appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

I gave a talk one Sunday morning to the men’s club of a large Atlanta Methodist church at the request of an old friend. When he asked me to speak to this group months before the talk, I responded with a question which I would ask him repeatedly every time we got together: “They know I’m Catholic, right?” I engage [...]

The post They Know I’m Catholic, Right? appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.