BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
How do we become the people we are? Some philosophers would say that we all, eventually, ask the basic/fundamental questions: Who am I? How did I get here? Why am I here? For those of us who become serious about our faith and come to believe that Scripture and the Church can guide us to the answers to those questions, we can usually point or look back to those who taught us or who introduced us to Jesus. While it is a biological fact that none us would be (here) without our parents, so many of us come to realize that our parents were not only God’s instrument to give us the gift of life, but they were the ones who brought us to Jesus and gave us new life in Baptism.
I say all of the above by way of introduction to this, my second article in The Beacon, to let you know that one of the main reasons why I believe it is so important to reflect and act upon what it means to call October both Respect Life Month and the Month of the Holy Rosary is due to the way in which I received the gift of faith from my parents.
It was after I left home for college that I began to appreciate what it meant that I was raised in a Catholic family. I have many memories of praying the family rosary — most of them involve me not being a very willing participant. Yet the one that stands out was a truly wonderful moment, when I met my grandfather for the first time. I don’t remember the year, but I was probably in fourth- or fifth-grade and my maternal grandfather was coming for a visit from Ireland. Some aunts, uncles and cousins were gathered in our home. Some went to pick up my grandfather at JFK airport. I can still feel the excitement when he walked in the door! Then, what seemed like two minutes later, we were all kneeling down and praying the rosary, because that was what my grandfather wanted. I would later learn that it was because of who my grandfather was — a person of deep faith and prayer. He and his wife had raised eight children on a farm in Ireland. Almost all of those children would end up, well into their 80s and some in their 90s, praying the rosary and going to Mass every day.
Now, as Bishop, I would like to encourage all in our Diocese, especially in this coming month, to pray the rosary. I know that to pray the rosary every day is easier for some than others. Part of the beauty of our Catholic faith and tradition is that there are many different forms of prayer and as we are each created uniquely in God’s image and likeness, some forms of prayer are more attractive and helpful to some rather than others.
At this time, I am just asking everyone to give the rosary some thought and reflection. I ask pastors, priests, religious, catechists and lay leaders to think about creative ways of encouraging parishioners to, at least, be introduced to the rosary. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I ask parents and families to please consider praying the family rosary. If you find it difficult to pray a full rosary every day, maybe you could agree to pray one decade or mystery each day during October? I had a wonderful experience a few weeks ago when I was invited by a group of families in our Diocese to join them for a rosary on Zoom that they had been praying together each night during the pandemic. (For more information on praying the rosary, see some resources at the end of this article.)
To write a column on the month of October as the month of the Holy Rosary and Respect Life month, may require a pamphlet or much more space than the usual amount for a column in The Beacon. However, I believe that these two themes are far from unrelated. Rather they are at the heart of our faith and of who we are, or who we are called to be, as people of faith and prayer.
At another time, I hope to have the opportunity to share with you some of my personal experience in the pro-life movement. I have had the privilege to meet and get to know people who have stood up and spoken out on behalf of “Life.” In my own development as a person of faith, it has meant so much for me to be part of a Church, which has consistently defended and advocated for the “dignity and value of every human life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.”
January 22, 1973 was a truly sad day for our country, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion. I was a sophomore in college in 1989, when I was invited by my high school principal to take a more active part in the pro-life movement. Since then, I have been inspired by women and men, who dedicate their lives and make tremendous sacrifices to not only witness and advocate on behalf of the unborn child, but also to offer love and support to mothers who are struggling to say “Yes” to the gift of Life and who too often feel that they have no choice, other than choosing an abortion. If I have learned anything from the pro-life movement, it is that we must be consistently pro-life and witness to the dignity and value of human life at every stage.
As I reflect on our current circumstances, as a nation and as people of faith, it is now more than ever in my lifetime, that I see the connection between Respect Life Month and the Month of the Holy Rosary. Our country has passed through and come through some very dark and sad moments in our history. We have been through and are going through some very difficult and challenging times and circumstances right now. As we prepare for Election Day on Nov. 3 and realize that the election has already begun with early voting, I am asking the faithful of our Diocese to do all we can to make October a month of prayer and reflection, praying especially for our country.
I am aware that many would prefer that I make a much clearer statement concerning the upcoming election. I have received many letters and emails, asking or telling me to speak out on behalf of (or against) one candidate or another. In my own prayer and reflection, I offer these thoughts as the best statement that I can offer at this time. In the next few weeks, I may offer some further thoughts and guidance. I hope and trust that all Catholics and all people of good will know that we have a responsibility to vote and to vote according to a well-formed conscience. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offers guidance and resources on their website: https://www.usccb.org/
My mother learned from her parents the importance and power of prayer, especially the rosary. I hope I have learned and continue to learn the lessons that my mother taught to me. Paraphrasing St. Augustine, as your Bishop, I ask that we live this month of October growing in our respect for the gift and Gospel of Life and, as your brother, ask that, during this month, we pray together the family rosary.