My dear parishioners, to the Church at Rome, Saint Paul explains how the Sacrament of Baptism, confers “newness of life” to all who receive it: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” [Rom 6:4] The surpassing way of being “alive together with Christ” [Eph 2:5] is a surrender to God in humble prayer and worship, “for through (Christ, all) have access in one Spirit to the Father.” [Eph 2:18]...

My dear parishioners, woven into the fabric of our American history is the remarkable legacy of migration. Without this legacy and its compelling stories, we and our nation would vanish without memory. All our family stories about ancestors share something in common: good, courageous people setting out on long journeys, facing daunting obstacles -- even great danger -- in the hope of eventually reaping hard-earned rewards. Whether we realize it or not, each of our families adds an important chapter to the immigrant history of America. All too often we forget the hardships suffered by our own Catholic forefathers and the religious bigotry they endured. Stories of contemporary immigrants are no less compelling than the stories of our own forebearers or the founding families of our great nation.