Dear Friends,

This coming week, the Church celebrates three founders of religious orders. On Thursday, July 31, is the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He founded the Society of Jesus (S.J.), called the Jesuits. The order was approved by Pope Pius III in 1540. He also wrote “The Spiritual Exercises,” considered a classic even today. By the time of his death in 1556, there were 1,000 members of the Jesuits. Today there are 14,840 filling many ministries in our Catholic Church.

On Friday, August 1, is the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori. He founded the Redemptorists (C.SS.R.) in 1732. They opposed Jansenism, the predominant heresy of that time, and promoted devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. His writing on moral theology set a pattern for confessors still followed today. The Redemptorists number about 4,800 worldwide today.

Saturday, August 2, is the feast of St. Peter Julian Eymard. He founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (S.S.S.) in 1856. They are devoted to the worship and apostolate of the Eucharist as the center of the life of our Church. He also founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a women’s contemplative community, in 1858 and the Eucharistic Fraternity for the Laity. The Congregation has approximately 885 members today.

Let us ask these 3 leaders, by their prayers, to bless us and guide us as we learn more about and live our faith each day.

In Christ Crucified and Risen, 

Fr. Richard Nalepa, C.P.