Fr. Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves. / Office of Communication Society of Jesus.
Vatican City, Jun 25, 2021 / 08:10 am (CNA).
The Vatican’s economic chief has asked Catholics to make donations to Peter’s Pence ahead of the worldwide annual collection the weekend of June 26 and 27.
Fr. Juan A. Guerrero, S.J., prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, said Friday in an interview with Vatican News that donations to Peter’s Pence were down by 18% during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The pandemic-related crisis is likely to make itself felt again this year,” he said.
Peter’s Pence is the Holy See’s annual collection to finance the pope’s charitable works and other priorities, including the Roman Curia.
The annual collection is usually taken up in Catholic churches around the world on a weekend close to the June 29 Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. In 2020, the collection was moved to Oct. 4, because of church closures.
Guerrero told Vatican News that in 2019, Catholics gave 53.86 million euros ($64.4 million) to Peter’s Pence, a decrease of 23% from 2015.
In 2020, Catholics gave 44.1 million euros ($52.7 million).
The economic chief noted that, as of December 31, 2020, the Peter’s Pence fund was worth around 205 million euros ($245 million) some of which was not liquid, because it was invested in properties, such as the controversial building at 60 Sloane Avenue in London. That investment resulted in major losses for the Holy See.
Guerrero called this “a painful story” and said that the Holy See has “embarked on a path of transparency,” including clarification of “unclear events.”
He said Peter’s Pence has been decapitalized in recent years, using more than it has received from collections, in order to cover expenses of the Roman Curia otherwise left unfunded
“It is obvious that it can no longer be like this,” Guerrero stated.
In a 2021 budget released in March, the Holy See projected a deficit of nearly $60 million this year.
According to the projections, Peter’s Pence will provide the Holy See with $57 million in income, with $37 million being used for operational costs and $20 million for charitable grants.
A press release from the Dicastery for Communications June 25 said people affected by the coronavirus pandemic is one of the destinations of Peter’s Pence money this year.
It said the donations will also go to support Pope Francis’ service to the Catholic Church around the world.
The press release provided information for how to make a contribution to Peter’s Pence online or through a bank transfer, as additional options to giving through a parish collection.
“Let’s help the Pope to help,” it said.
“It is important to collaborate because we cannot imagine that the mission of the Church can be sustained without the contribution of the faithful,” Guerrero said. “The proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world, with all that it entails, presupposes a support structure. The Church has always lived this way.”
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Father J.J. Mech, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, stands next to the life-sized statues of the apostles that have now been installed in the cathedral’s worship space, along with first-class relics of each apostle. The “Journey with the Saints” pilgrimage, which will be dedicated Feb. 8, 2024, in a special ceremony with Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, is part of the cathedral’s ongoing transformation into an “apostolic center for the arts and culture.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Detroit Catholic
Detroit, Mich., Jan 29, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
At the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, the band is getting back together. The band of Christ’s 12 apostles, that is.
On Feb. 8, Detroit’s mother church will publicly unveil its long-awaited “Journey with the Saints” project, a permanent installation of 14 “larger than life” statues accompanied by first-class relics of each apostle, the latest accomplishment in the cathedral’s ongoing mission to turn itself into an apostolic center in the city of Detroit.
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will join Father J.J. Mech, rector of the cathedral, to dedicate the new installation during a special event at 7 p.m.
From its central perch on Woodward Avenue, the looming gothic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Detroit stands out in its neighborhood. Following Vigneron’s instruction to turn the church into a “cathedral of the arts,” Mech has spent the last several years converting the cathedral into a hub of missionary activity and beauty, drawing people to the faith via “shallow entry points.”
“Our goal is that we are going to be more accessible to people off of Woodward,” Mech told Detroit Catholic. “We want this to be a flexible public space, maybe even a community hub for not only spiritual enrichment but cultural enrichment, and it will be a safe place, and we will have security and all of that.”
St. Simon, St. Thomas, and St. Matthias are pictured in their permanent fixtures atop the pillars inside the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The statues and relics of the apostles will be officially unveiled Feb. 8, 2024, as part of a permanent pilgrimage experience at the cathedral, “Journey with the Saints.” Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
The name “Cathedral of the Arts,” Mech explained, is a reminder that the proof of God is beauty — a principle that guides each of the new initiatives he and his team have undertaken on the cathedral’s campus.
The latest project, the installation of the seven-and-a-half-foot-tall statues and relics encircling the cathedral’s interior worship space, is the crowning jewel of those efforts, transforming the cathedral into a permanent pilgrimage site, guided by the men who knew Christ most intimately during his time on earth.
Complete with first-class relics, the new installation is among the first of its kind in North America bringing together all 12 of Christ’s apostles for veneration, and the only exhibit in the world with the relics accessible in this way.
The 14 statues — including two eight-foot angels — each were carved from a single tree trunk in St. Ulrich Groeden, in modern-day Italy, in 1927. The statues were rescued from St. Benedict Church in Highland Park, which closed in 2014. After undergoing extensive restoration, the statues were installed in the cathedral’s nave in December.
The statue of St. Andrew. Each of the statues were carved from a single tree trunk and rescued from St. Benedict Church in Highland Park, which closed in 2014. After undergoing extensive restoration, the statues were installed in the cathedral’s nave in December 2023. Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
The statues include two angels, 10 of the original 12 apostles, St. Paul, and St. Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas. Mech discovered that he had relics corresponding to the 12 saints, part of a collection of nearly 200 relics owned by the cathedral, all of which he hopes to be able to one day put on display.
The relics and the signage were installed beneath each statue beginning on Jan. 8, in time for the dedication and blessing of the new reliquary pilgrimage on Feb. 8.
“I am so excited about the transformation that is happening,” Mech said. “When you come in, there will be three main signs that tell you how to go on a pilgrimage, what the goal of a pilgrimage is, and how to interact with these relics. [Pilgrims] are going to walk away transformed, different, and they are going to enter through prayer.”
“Journey with the Saints” is much more than a museum of Church history, Mech said, but a rare opportunity to invoke the help of Catholicism’s greatest saints.
“It’s not just about looking at a pretty statue and touching some bones. [Pilgrims] are going to have a purpose when they walk away,” Mech said. “People can decide what they want intercession for, what they are hoping for when they pray to a particular saint, and when they walk away, they’ll keep praying for that.”
Keith Calleja began installation of relics on Jan. 8, 2024, starting with the relic of St. Philip. Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
Mech said those whose prayers have been answered through the intercession of the saints will be invited to return to the cathedral and contribute a tile to a mosaic art piece that will be installed to show how God is answering prayers through the project.
While the saints and relics are the culmination of a long-sought project, it’s all part of a greater vision for Detroit’s cathedral, Mech said.
Another piece of the puzzle will be dedicated on May 12, when Archbishop Vigneron will unveil a new outdoor grotto at the cathedral in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as the archbishop emotionally addressed the faithful during a livestreamed Mass from the cathedral, he entrusted the archdiocese to the protection of Our Lady of Lourdes and pledged to build the grotto “as a perpetual reminder” of her care and in memory of the lives lost to COVID-19.
Under the guidance of the archbishop, the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament finished a majority of the work on the grotto this fall, including statues of St. Bernadette Soubirous and Our Lady, whose face will reflect the one St. Bernadette saw in Lourdes, France, in 1858.
The first-class relics are among nearly 200 relics currently housed in the cathedral, which Father Mech hopes to find a way to display. The gold reliquaries are installed beneath each of the apostles’ statues. January 2024. Courtesy of Detroit Catholic
“People are already presently coming to pray [at] the grotto with the Blessed Mother,” Mech said. “We put some beautiful landscaping in this fall so people would feel welcomed, and in fact, we have used the site in a couple of ways for prayer services already.”
The grotto will also connect seamlessly with a garden walk that is being created around the cathedral’s plaza lawn, which will include art, benches, solar charging stations, a dog park, a bird sanctuary and pollination habitat.
Working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the cathedral’s co-director of family ministries, Christine Broses, is spearheading the transformation of two previously empty lots on the corner of Trowbridge and John R Streets into green space for wildlife to thrive.
“We learned that the city of Detroit is a north, south, east, and west crossing for bird migration,” Broses said. “So a lot of birds fly over the city of Detroit, but they don’t have anywhere to stop and rest because there isn’t a lot of green space. Creating green space is really important for the city and for wildlife in general, and research shows hearing birds and having green space in neighborhoods helps improve people’s mental health.”
Last spring, Broses oversaw the planting of native flowers in the area, and the next step is to let the space grow wild, which will inevitably attract birds and bees over the coming years. Broses said the final step will be to add educational plaques and pathways to make the spot accessible to schools and families.
Mech wants the garden spaces and pathways to be welcoming and intends to build benches — something the neighborhood is currently lacking.
The statues, pictured in their final fixed locations above the cathedral’s pillars, are just one piece of an ever-developing project to turn the cathedral into a true apostolic center in the heart of Detroit, Father J.J. Mech said. Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
“We did a study of our neighborhood and found there is not a single park bench in any of the parks in our area,” Mech said. “We want to have park benches so people can come and rest and enjoy themselves. This will be a place where community can be built, and people will realize that the cathedral is not a fortress; we are actually unleashing the Gospel.”
And there is more.
In June, construction began on the Cathedral Arts Apartments, which will include four stories and 53 two-bedroom housing units for low-income Detroiters. The $19.7 million project is the joint effort of the Archdiocese of Detroit; MHT Housing, Inc.; and the city of Detroit and will include a community space and workforce training center.
At the end of the day, the vision of a “Cathedral of the Arts” — like the cathedrals of old — is about listening to the Holy Spirit and making a difference from the very small to the large scale, so that everyone who steps onto the property is transformed, Mech said.
“When we get people onto the campus, they start to see what we are doing, and they get involved,” he said. “Then, the Holy Spirit does the rest and helps them to get to know Our Lord in new and wonderful ways.”
Vatican City, Mar 1, 2017 / 09:54 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his message for Lent 2017, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that they should heed the Scriptures and treat each human person they encounter as a gift.
John Roberts testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during confirmation hearings to be Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, Sept. 13, 2005. / Rob Crandall/Shutterstock.
Washington D.C., Jun 25, 2022 / 17:04 pm (CNA).
The Supreme Cour… […]
6 Comments
I would like to know the amount of money the Vatican is receiving from the Chinese government.
Not a cent to Peter’s Pence as long as Francis remains Pope. Under him, the Vatican has become a cesspool of corruption. I see no reason why my money should be used to fund biopics about gay pope stars or corrupt real estate deals, not to mention all the drug fuelled orgies going on in the Vatican.
I think we should all be very selective in whom/what we support in the Church. No more automatic blind giving. I give to my local parish, often earmarking the funds, but not my diocese, especially after the unprecedented shutting down of Masses due to Covid, with no plan in place to provide the sacraments. The Vatican seems to have plenty of cash on hand for the most ridiculous un-Catholic things…sorry, I’d rather contribute to my dear sweet humble pastor who essentially gets the middle finger from the bishop because he refuses to turn away non-masked people in the communion line.
Guerrero stated, “…we cannot imagine that the mission of the Church can be sustained…” Guerrero speaks of revenues here, however, I want to know exactly what he believes the mission of the Catholic Church is. Truely, Guerrero, would you please explain why Our Divine Lord came into the world?
Here’s a hint, St. John Bosco knew, St. John Vianney knew, Mother Teresa knew, St. Isaac Jogues and companions didn’t deem shaking the money tree was the priority, Maximillion Kolbe wasn’t party to wining, dining and hysterically joking with the Hillary’s of this world.
Guerrero, have you figured it out? The Catholic faithful are waiting, listening.
Oh, I see, you have to dialogue, consult, discern— -What’s that, you say? — “You’ll get back to us later”?
I would like to know the amount of money the Vatican is receiving from the Chinese government.
Not a cent to Peter’s Pence as long as Francis remains Pope. Under him, the Vatican has become a cesspool of corruption. I see no reason why my money should be used to fund biopics about gay pope stars or corrupt real estate deals, not to mention all the drug fuelled orgies going on in the Vatican.
No TLM, no money from TBM (me)
I think we should all be very selective in whom/what we support in the Church. No more automatic blind giving. I give to my local parish, often earmarking the funds, but not my diocese, especially after the unprecedented shutting down of Masses due to Covid, with no plan in place to provide the sacraments. The Vatican seems to have plenty of cash on hand for the most ridiculous un-Catholic things…sorry, I’d rather contribute to my dear sweet humble pastor who essentially gets the middle finger from the bishop because he refuses to turn away non-masked people in the communion line.
Guerrero stated, “…we cannot imagine that the mission of the Church can be sustained…” Guerrero speaks of revenues here, however, I want to know exactly what he believes the mission of the Catholic Church is. Truely, Guerrero, would you please explain why Our Divine Lord came into the world?
Here’s a hint, St. John Bosco knew, St. John Vianney knew, Mother Teresa knew, St. Isaac Jogues and companions didn’t deem shaking the money tree was the priority, Maximillion Kolbe wasn’t party to wining, dining and hysterically joking with the Hillary’s of this world.
Guerrero, have you figured it out? The Catholic faithful are waiting, listening.
Oh, I see, you have to dialogue, consult, discern— -What’s that, you say? — “You’ll get back to us later”?
The lights went out — please pass the salt.
You could save a cuppla shekels by eliminating a Synod or two.