One is to continue the sharing of the sacraments and preaching the Gospel in as normal a way as possible. . . . A couple of people said to me, ‘It’s nice to come back here and see things as normal as possible.’ To see the church functioning is important to them. . . . The second thing is to do whatever the church can do to help the wider Long Beach community.”
— Msgr. Donald Beckmann, pastor of St. Ignatius Martyr in Long Beach, N.Y., describing his most important tasks in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy

“Preachers should be aware, in an appropriate way, of what their people are watching on television, what kind of music they are listening to, which websites they find appealing, and which films they find compelling. References to the most popular cultural expressions — which at times can be surprisingly replete with religious motifs — can be an effective way to engage the interest of those on the edge of faith.”
— Excerpt from “Preaching the Mystery of Faith: The Sunday Homily,” a new proposed document to be considered by the U.S. bishops at the fall general meeting Nov. 12-15 in Baltimore

“He was quiet, sort of an ordinary priest, yet he was able to energize and mobilize an entire country to believe they could be free.”
— Gary Chartrand, executive producer of “Messenger of the Truth,” a documentary debuting this month about Father Jerzy Popieluszko, the Polish priest who was killed in 1984 for his outspoken criticism of the Polish communist government