St. Mary's of the Lake Roman Catholic Church

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Jesus calls believers not only to be servants of his kingdom, as the prophets and Mary were, but also to be his friends, Pope Francis said.

"Friendship is not the fruit of calculation, nor of compulsion, it is born spontaneously when we recognize something of ourselves in the other," he said May 5. "Jesus, in the Bible, tells us that for him we are precisely this: friends, people beloved beyond all merit and expectation, to whom he extends his hand and offers his love, his grace, his word."

Before leading the "Regina Coeli" prayer in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading from St. John in which Jesus tells the apostles, "I do not call you servants any longer, but friends."

Jesus does not only want to entrust humanity with his mission of salvation, the pope said, "he wants more, something greater that goes beyond goods and plans themselves; it takes friendship."

The pope asked people to think about the beauty of friendship that they experience throughout the course of their lives, from sharing toys as children and confiding secrets to one another as teenagers to exchanging joys and worries as adults and recounting memories together as seniors.

"Let us think a moment of our friends and thank the Lord for them," he said.

In friendship, Jesus "shares what is dearest to him" with humanity, the pope said: "All that he has learned from the Father."

Jesus is invested in his friendship with humanity "even to the point of making himself fragile for us, of placing himself in our hands, without defense or pretense, because he loves us," he said. "The Lord loves us; as a friend he wants our good and he wants us to share in his."

If a friendship is true, it is "so strong that is does not fail even in the face of betrayal," he said, noting that Jesus calls Judas "friend" even after he had been betrayed.

"A true friend does not abandon you, even when you make mistakes: he corrects you, perhaps he reproaches you, but he forgives you and does not abandon you," he said.

After reciting the "Regina Coeli" prayer, the pope asked Christians to pray for Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, "that there may be peace, that dialogue may be strengthened and bear good fruit. No to war, yes to dialogue!"

Pope: Jesus is a true friend

A look at Pope Francis' Regina Coeli address May 5.

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has appointed Reverend James Mark Beckman, as Bishop of Knoxville. Bishop-elect Beckman is a priest of the Diocese of Nashville, and currently serves as pastor of Saint Henry parish in Nashville, Tennessee. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Beckman was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Beckman was born on October 19, 1962, in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. He graduated from Saint Ambrose College Seminary in Davenport, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in history (1984). He attended The Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium where he earned a master’s degree in religious studies (1984-1989). He was ordained to the priesthood on July 13, 1990, for the Diocese of Nashville.  

Bishop-elect Beckman’s assignments after ordination include: associate pastor at Holy Rosary parish in Nashville (1990-1991); teacher, (1990-1996), and then associate principal for pastoral affairs at Father Ryan High School in Nashville (1991-1996); pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Springfield (1996-2002); administrator at Saint Michael Mission parish in Cedar Hill (1996-2002); and pastor at Saint Matthew parish in Franklin (2002-2015). Since 2015, Bishop-elect Beckman has served as pastor of Saint Henry parish in Nashville.

Bishop-elect Beckman’s additional service for the Diocese of Nashville has included: member of the presbyteral council (1993-2003; 2008-2013); member of the diocesan clergy personnel board (1995-2000); director of the diocesan youth office (1996-2002); priests’ vocation advisory council (1998-2000); member of the college of consultors (1993-2003, 2008-2013); dean of the northwest deanery (2001-2002) and central deanery (2008-2013); chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, Council #11925 (2003-2011); state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus (2004-2005); chair of the priest personnel board (2018-present).

The Diocese of Knoxville is comprised of 14,242 square miles in the state of Tennessee and has a total population of 2,538,487, of which 71,274 are Catholic.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The spiritual practice of reparation "may be somewhat forgotten or wrongly judged obsolete" today, but it is essential for the promotion of justice and healing, including on behalf of those who have suffered abuse in the church, Pope Francis said.

With a sincere commitment to reparation, the hope is that even "if the irreparable cannot be completely repaired, love can always be reborn, making the wound bearable," the pope said.

Pope Francis met May 4 with participants in a conference marking the 350th anniversary of the 17th-century apparitions of Jesus to French St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, which included his call to promote devotion to his sacred heart and to make acts of reparation or penance for the times people have not recognized Christ's love.

Reparation is a concept found throughout the Bible, the pope said. "In the Old Testament, it takes on a social dimension of compensation for evil committed," being a matter of justice such as returning something that had been stolen or repairing something that was damaged.

"In the New Testament, however, it takes the form of a spiritual process, within the framework of the redemption brought about by Christ," the pope said. "Reparation is fully manifested in the sacrifice of the cross. The novelty here is that it reveals the Lord's mercy toward the sinner."

"Reparation therefore contributes to people's reconciliation between themselves, but also to reconciliation with God, because the wrong done to our neighbor is also an offense to God," he said.

In the Book of Sirach, the pope said, the author asks, "Do not the tears of the widow fall down the cheeks of God?"

"Dear friends," he said, "how many tears still flow down God's cheeks while our world experiences so much abuse against the dignity of the person, even within the people of God," the church.

The title of the conference in Rome was "Repairing the Irreparable," which Pope Francis said was an invitation "to hope that every wound can be healed, however deep it may be."

"Full reparation at times seems impossible, such as when goods or loved ones are definitively lost, or when certain situations have become irreversible," he said. "But the intention to make amends and to do so in a concrete way is essential for the process of reconciliation and the return to peace in the heart."

Reparation as a spiritual practice, the pope said, must include "recognizing oneself as guilty and asking for forgiveness," because it is from an "honest acknowledgment of the wrong done to one's brother or sister, and from the profound and sincere sentiment that love has been harmed, that the desire to make amends arises."

The explicit request for forgiveness "reopens dialogue and manifests the will to re-establish the bond of fraternal charity," he said. And a commitment to reparation -- "even a beginning of reparation or simply the will to make amends -- guarantees the authenticity of the request for forgiveness, it expresses its depth, its sincerity, it touches the heart of the other, bringing consolation and inspiring the other to accept the request for forgiveness."

Jesus' request to St. Margaret Mary for acts of reparation for the offenses caused by the sins of humanity indicate that "these acts consoled his heart," the pope said. And if they consoled his heart, "this means that reparation can also console the heart of every wounded person."

Pope Francis prayed that the conference would renew and strengthen "the meaning of this beautiful practice of the reparation to the sacred heart of Jesus" and that it would find "its rightful place in the penitential journey of each baptized person in the church."

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor John J. McDermott, as Bishop of Burlington. Bishop-elect McDermott is a priest of the Diocese of Burlington, and currently serves as the Diocesan Administrator. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect McDermott was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Monsignor McDermott was born March 19, 1963, in New Jersey. He attended Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina. Bishop-elect McDermott earned a master’s in divinity and a master’s degree in theology and scripture from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, as well as a licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (2004). Monsignor McDermott was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Burlington on June 3, 1989.

Bishop-elect McDermott’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at Saint Augustine parish in Montpelier (1989-1992); parochial vicar at Saint Mark parish in Burlington, and chaplain at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington (1992-1996); pastor at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, and chaplain at Middlebury College in Middlebury (1996-2001); and the Catholic Center at the University of Vermont-Burlington (2001-2015). Since 2015, Bishop-elect McDermott has served as the administrator of Christ the King-Saint Anthony parish in Burlington.

Bishop-elect McDermott’s priestly ministry has included service on a number of committees and boards, including the diocesan finance council, the diocesan administrative board, and the board of trustees for St. Michael’s College in Colchester. He has also served the Diocese of Burlington as vice chancellor (2004-2005); chancellor (2005-2006); vicar general and moderator of the curia (2006-present); apostolic administrator during sede vacante (2014); and diocesan administrator during sede vacante (2023).

The Diocese of Burlington is comprised of 9,135 square miles in the state of Vermont and has a total population of 645,570 of which 100,000 are Catholic.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- One of the oldest military corps in the world, the Pontifical Swiss Guard, has always armed itself with the best gear available in its 518 years of active service protecting the pope.

From 16th-century armaments of halberds, longswords and cannons to modern-day automatic assault rifles, Glock pistols, tasers and pepper spray, the guard's arsenal and tactical defense training have sought to be the most avant-garde to provide the best security for a high-profile, crowd-loving, globe-trotting leader.

While most tourists may only see the Swiss Guard as colorful and quaint -- standing guard at papal events and surveilling entrances into Vatican City State -- they are top-tier security specialists who actually find their most needed weapon is words.

"We have been trained in different combat techniques," as well as taken courses in psychology and situational assessment, said Corporal Eliah Cinotti, media officer of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

But "nowadays you have to understand that the best weapon is talking. Until now we have had 100% (success) because we always manage to alleviate situations by talking," he told reporters April 30 in the courtyard behind the guards' barracks.

Thousands of people stream into St. Peter's Square, the basilica and the Paul VI Audience Hall for papal events and even more walk each day by the major entrances into the tiny city state where the guards are more at liberty to interact freely with the public.

While most passersby are inquisitive and curious, there has been "a significant increase" in the number of people experiencing some form of crisis, Corporal Cinotti said.

"There are more lonely people looking for comfort and maybe they see it in the Vatican," he said. There are also more individuals who might have some kind of psychological or mental disturbance "who come up to us and perhaps even ask for a word of comfort, a word of support."

While the 135 guards may work anywhere from six- to 12-hour days, he said the hardest part of the job is coming face-to-face, not with potential or actual troublemakers, but with those who are desperately seeking help.

Hardly distant sentinels, the guards, who are on average 22 years old, hear heart-wrenching stories from people.

Some people may have lost their job and have a large family to support, he said, or "there are people maybe who want to take their own life, and we have to stop this person from taking their life."

Others might say they absolutely must see the Holy Father, "and we cannot allow everyone into the Vatican, so we are always trying to have a solution," the corporal said. Most often people are "looking for a specific kind of help," and the Vatican is seen as a kind of "last resort."

"When we are serving the entrances, we are also there to be an ear that listens, too, and it is also part of our Christian formation," he said. The Swiss Guard is open only to Swiss male citizens who have graduated from high school, served in the Swiss Army, stand at least 5 feet 8 inches tall, are under 30 years of age and are Catholic.

"The pope always says that we are a calling card for the Vatican," he said, since the guards are such highly visible and relatively accessible public-facing figures. "But more importantly we are a bit like a messenger of the Gospel on the ground."

"We are also there to be Christians," which means trying to help others, he said. "We know what to do, but in the moment also sometimes a good word or even maybe putting yourself in the person's place helps. Listening especially helps."

The fact the Vatican is "a hot spot" for so many visitors is one thing that makes the job so unique, said Renato Peter, 24, who joined the Swiss Guard in September.

Most visitors are friendly, they might have a question or want a photo or information, he said, but that means it's also difficult to see which people might be trouble. While police officers typically head out to where a specific problem has been called in, for the Swiss Guard, "the problem comes to us" with no warning.

But working "on the border" at the entrances to Vatican City State is also one of the best parts of the job, he said, as it gives him a chance to meet people from all over the world.

Peter said he decided he wanted to be a Swiss Guard when he was 12 years old when his Diocese of St. Gallen organized a trip to the Vatican for a general audience in 2012. They visited the guards' barracks in the afternoon, "and then I said, 'Yeah, that's a cool job.'"

Peter, who will be officially sworn-in as a guard with 33 other young men May 6, said he thinks "it's really great" to serve Pope Francis who has been listed a number of times by Forbes magazine as one of the "Most Powerful People" in the world and is a "spiritual mentor" to 1.39 billion Catholics around the world.

The recruit likes the camaraderie and friendships he's made, but he is not a fan of Rome's heat, which can reach 107 degrees Fahrenheit or more. It's a job where sometimes "you don't do anything, but you sweat a lot."

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard stand at attention while an officer inspects their uniforms during a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard stand at attention during a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

A new recruit of the Pontifical Swiss Guard receives assistance in putting on his armor in preparation for a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard receive assistance in putting on their armor in preparation for a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard polish their armor in preparation for a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard march during a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their May 6 swearing-in ceremony. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Meet the Pontifical Swiss Guard

A behind-the-scenes look at the training of the Swiss Guard.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis signed a letter on synodality in the presence of parish priests and urged them to be "missionaries of synodality," said several of the priests present.

Father Donald J. Planty Jr., pastor of St. Charles Church in Arlington, Virginia, and one of the U.S. pastors at the meeting, said, "He told us, 'I want you to take this letter, and I want you to put it into action. I want you to share it and speak to your bishops about it and speak to your brother pastors about it.'"

The pope signed the letter May 2 as he met with more than 200 parish priests in the Vatican Synod Hall. The meeting came at the end of an April 29-May 2 gathering designed as an opportunity for the priests to share their experiences and offer input for the drafting of the working document for the Synod of Bishops on synodality's second assembly in October.

Father Planty, who served for a time in the Vatican diplomatic corps and in the Vatican Secretariat of State, said it was clear that what participants from around the world had in common was "love for our identity as priests and our mission as priests."

Clearly, he said, some priests have difficulty getting parishioners to open up and share their hopes, dreams and skills -- a crucial part of building a "synodal church" where people listen to one another and share responsibility for the life of the parish and its missionary outreach.

That is not a problem in the United States, Father Planty said. "Especially in a country of an Anglo-Saxon democratic tradition," people are used to sharing their opinions, including with their priests. They comment after Mass or send an email or phone the parish office.

"A priest who really knows his parish, loves his parishioners, has his finger on the pulse of the parish" not only through the pastoral council and finance council but "also through other, informal settings," he said. Such a pastor "knows his people, consults with them, listens to them, takes their advice, and ultimately that factors into his pastoral decisions and planning and actions."

Father Clint Ressler, pastor of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church in Texas City, Texas, said spiritual discernment adds a key factor because synodality "is not listening to the voice of the people, but the voice of God in the voice of the people."

"It isn't just about your voices and your opinions," he said. "We have to all be willing to then go deeper beneath those voices to try to hear what the Spirit is saying among us."

People are hesitant about synodality when it is erroneously presented as debating "the issues that are controversial in the church" and "whether or not this is some new instrument to foment change in doctrine or church teaching," he said. When that happens, "I think it's disturbing. It's scary. It's unsettling," and it leaves some wondering, "Why are we going to let the people decide what God wants?"

Father Paul Soper, pastor of St. Margaret Mary and St. Denis parishes in Westwood, Massachusetts, and secretary for ministerial personnel in the Archdiocese of Boston said priests and laypeople who have fears or concerns about synodality are afraid of different things.

"The fear of the priests is that there is a degree of randomness to the process," he said, and that the synod "is going to be recommending big changes in the life of the church somehow or another that will have come from a bunch of random voices rather than from a clearly traceable conciliar process."

"I think what the people fear is different," he said. "I think that they fear that this is a conversation that's not going to go anywhere. That it will simply, in the end, be a collection of reflections on the process of reflecting -- a meeting on meetings, if you will."

But, he said, his experience in evangelization has taught him that the "deep listening" or "contemplative listening" that the synod process is teaching people is what will enable Catholics to understand other people's stories and invite them into or back into a relationship with Jesus and with the church.

Father Robert L. Connors, director of the Office for Senior Priests in the Archdiocese of Boston and episcopal vicar of the archdiocese's south region, said the synod's emphasis on listening also can help Catholics "learn the art of respect in a world where there is very little respect."

And, especially in parishes and dioceses where there is growing diversity, he said, synodality helps people realize, "we're all in this together."

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Contributing to this story was Carol Glatz at the Vatican.

WASHINGTON – Each year, National Maritime Day (May 22) recognizes the men and women who work or travel on the high seas. It is on this day the Catholic Church observes the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea and highlights the ministry of Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), the apostolate of the Catholic Church for the people of the sea. Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria in Texas, the bishop-promoter of Stella Maris in the United States, invites the faithful to support, remember, and pray for the many men and women who earn their livelihood through work on the seas, including merchant mariners, seafarers, fishermen, port personnel, and those in the maritime industry.

This year, Bishop Cahill is calling for special prayers of remembrance for those affected by the March 26 tragedy of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. A Mass for the Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea will be offered on Saturday, May 18 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. at 12:10 p.m. In the immediate wake of the cargo ship accident and bridge collapse, the Stella Maris network of port chaplains and partners mobilized to provide pastoral care and support for the crew members of the cargo ship Dali that made impact with the bridge and for crew members of other vessels in the Port of Baltimore.

“Each year, we pray for those who work on the high seas and the ports. In a special way this year, we remember those who have been impacted by the collapse of the Key Bridge, particularly the six construction workers who perished in the bridge collapse, and for their families as they mourn the loss of their loved ones,” said Bishop Cahill. “And we also pray for the captain and crew of the cargo ship, and the countless people who have been working in the aftermath of the tragedy, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, dive teams, first responders, construction workers, law enforcement, and government officials. Still impacted are also the thousands of dockworkers and those who rely for work in the Port of Baltimore. Worldwide, there are countless men and women who labor on the high seas for their livelihood -- let us seek the intercession of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, that she protect and guide us,” he continued.

For more information on the annual Mass, please visit: https://www.nationalshrine.org/event/annual-maritime-day-mass-2024, and for more information on the ministry of Stella Maris, please visit: https://www.usccb.org/stellamaris.

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ROME (CNS) -- Sudden peace negotiations or an intervention by the United States will not deliver Israelis and Palestinians from the suffering caused by the war in Gaza, a Jerusalem-based cardinal said.

As a result of the war, the rift between Israelis and Palestinians is "deeper than it has ever been," Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, said May 1.

"We are all waiting for something big, something that changes the course of the history of events," he said in his homily during a Mass to formally take possession of his titular church in Rome. "We all want the United States to resolve the problem; we all want the peace negotiations to end in something big, important, in a way that marks the course of history."

But "this is not the way the kingdom of God grows," he said. "The kingdom of God grows in community, with communal gestures, calmly, little by little."

The kingdom of God is not "a miracle that is performed, suddenly changing the fate of the world," the cardinal said, rather it is "a seed sown in the ground that dies and little by little grows and bears fruit." The Catholic Church, he added, is called to be that slowly but steadily growing seed.

Cardinal Pizzaballa preached before a packed congregation in the small, historic Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum Hill in Rome as he formally took possession of the church, a tradition meant to seal his identity as a member of the clergy of Rome. In ancient times, the cardinals who elected popes were pastors of the city's parishes.

Knights and dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, dressed in their ceremonial capes, joined the cardinal for the celebration. The ancient Catholic chivalric order supports the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with prayers, financial assistance and regular pilgrimages. Cardinal Fernando Filoni, grand master of the order, participated in the Mass as did Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, vice dean of the College of Cardinals.

The congregation at the Mass also included Franciscan friars, the order to which Cardinal Pizzaballa belongs. The Church of St. Onuphrius, established in 1439, has been under the care of Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, a religious congregation founded in the United States, since 1946.

Joe Donnelly, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, was also present for the Mass.

After the Mass, Cardinal Pizzaballa told reporters that he struggles to understand the protests taking place across college campuses in the United States over academic institutions' investments in companies that do business with Israel.

"Universities are places where cultural debate, even when heated, even when tough, should be available at 360 degrees," he said. "The contrast of completely different ideas, harsh as they may be, must be expressed not through violence or boycotting, but by knowing how to confront one another."

"The world is made of different opinions that must be confronted, not by explosions but by discussions," he said.

The Mass began with the reading of the formal declaration from Pope Francis assigning the church to Cardinal Pizzaballa when he was made a cardinal Sept. 30, 2023.

"It's stupendous that the pope thought that the patriarch of Jerusalem should be a cardinal," said Cardinal Filoni while greeting Cardinal Pizzaballa on behalf of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre at the close of Mass. "Today it unites Jerusalem, the Holy Land and the patriarchate which you represent, with the church of Rome."

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, distributes Communion while celebrating Mass to formally take possession of his titular church, the Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum, in Rome May 1, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

People attend a Mass in Rome celebrated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, as he formally takes possession of his titular church, the Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum, May 1, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, preaches while celebrating Mass in Rome to formally take possession of his titular church, the Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum, May 1, 2024. Seated in the center is Cardinal Fernando Filoni, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and to the right is Joe Donnelly, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, greets the faithful before celebrating Mass in Rome to formally take possession of his titular church, the Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum, May 1, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Pope Francis' formal declaration granting Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa the title and privileges of a cardinal and assigning him his titular church is displayed before a Mass at the Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum in Rome May 1, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, delivers his homily while celebrating Mass in Rome to formally take possession of his titular church, the Church of St. Onuphrius on the Janiculum, May 1, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, 75, from the Office of Archbishop of Hartford. Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne, up until now coadjutor archbishop of the same diocese, will succeed him as archbishop of Hartford.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 1, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Archbishop Coyne’s biography may be found here.

The Archdiocese of Hartford is comprised of 2,288 square miles in the State of Connecticut and has a total population of 1,949,519 of which 543,341, are Catholic.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A foundation that promotes devotion to St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more widely known as Padre Pio, is making 10 never-before-seen photographs of the saint available to the devout for free.

The images provide personal insight into the life, attitude and spirituality of 20th-century saint, said the photographer. Some photos show Padre Pio solemnly celebrating Mass while in others he is smiling while surrounded by his confreres.

Elia Stelluto, Padre Pio's personal photographer, stood proudly -- camera in hand -- before posters of the 10 new images for the presentation of the photos in the Vatican movie theater April 29.

"It's enough to look at one image of his face" to understand Padre Pio, he told Catholic News Service. "With that you can understand so much; each photo has its own story, one must at them look one by one and that way you see so much more in his expressions."

Stelluto photographed the saint for decades at the convent where he lived in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

During the photo presentation, Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication, said the new photos highlight Padre Pio's identity as someone who was close to those around him and was filled with joy. He said that although it was not customary to smile in photos at the time, candid photos taken by Stelluto show the saint beaming broadly as he was huddled in a group.

Luciano Lamonarca, founder and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation which promotes devotion to the Italian saint and organized the publication of the photos, said many people would come to Stelluto requesting his photos for articles and books.

"I never saw any kind of availability for the people" to see the photos directly, he said. That's why he thought, "Padre Pio is the saint of the people, we must do something for the people."

Lamonarca, an Italian who lives in the United States, said since many people with a devotion to Padre Pio are unable to visit the areas where the saint lived and ministered, he asked himself, "how does one bring Padre Pio to them, the true Padre Pio, the most authentic form of Padre Pio?"

That's what spurred him to partner with Stelluto to make the photos available to the public, excluding their use for commercial purposes, by being free to download via the St. Pio Foundation website.

Lamonarca said he hoped that by "looking at the image of a greatly suffering father who could also laugh," people would think to themselves, "if he could laugh, we can laugh too."

Stelluto described the images he had taken of Padre Pio as "mysterious," since they always came out clearly despite dark lighting conditions.

He recalled the challenge of taking photos in a dark convent, coupled with Padre Pio's distaste for the flash of a camera, especially during Mass, and exclusive use of dim candles to light the altar.

"It's not that I was talented in doing this, I still don't understand the thing," Stelluto said during the photo presentation. "The truth is that he was the source of light."

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Access to the photos can be requested by following the link: www.therealsaintpio.org