On my return to Boston (11/10), I was visited by Bishop Launay Saturne of the Diocese of Jacmel, Haiti. He was accompanied by Father Jean Pierre Aubin and Father Michael Nolan. Bishop Saturne was visiting the Parish of Saint Mary in Waltham which is helping rebuild Saint Peter's Church in the Jacmel Diocese. Jacmel was one of the hardest hit parts of Haiti. Bishop Launay was made bishop after the earthquake to guide the spiritual and physical reconstruction efforts of that diocese. Father Jean Pierre is a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston who was born in Haiti and was baptized at Saint Peter's. He currently serves as parochial vicar at Saint Bridget's in Maynard and ministers to the Haitian community in Waltham. Saint Mary's is trying to help this parish in their rebuilding efforts in gratitude for providing Boston with a priest. Bishop Launay visited with many of the faithful including representatives of the Propagation of the Faith Office while here. He expressed his gratitude to me that as we approach the two year anniversary of the earthquake, the people of Boston have not forgotten the church and people of Haiti.

Fundraiser for the Catholic Leadership Group

Friday (11/11), we went to Philadelphia for a fundraiser for the Catholic Leadership Institute. I was one of the honorees. At the gala dinner they also honored Thomas Monaghan, founder of Legatus and Ave Maria University; Theresa Polakovic, co-founder, executive director and chief editor of Endow; and Sister Polly McShain, SHCJ, educator, counselor and sister of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. I was very happy to be a part of their evening, and to support the extraordinary work to promote pastoral leadership formation among our leaders in the Church, both among our priests and the laity. Their "Good Leaders, Good Shepherds" program for clergy and "Tending the Talents" program for lay leaders have been very successful in our archdiocese.



Bishops' conference meetings in Baltimore

The following morning (11/12) I travelled to Baltimore for the fall session of the Bishops' conference. Even though the conference starts officially on Monday, during the weekend I had to participate in meetings with several committees I am part of, including the Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations Committee as well as the Latin American Secretariat. During the conference we had the opportunity to welcome the Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the new apostolic nuncio to the United States. I had already had a chance to meet him the week before in Rome. It was a very positive meeting. I was asked also to make a presentation on the ad limina because the last time it took place was seven years ago and many bishops have not experienced it yet. Archbishop Dolan asked me to make a presentation to the bishops, so that they would have an idea of what to expect. We were glad to be part of the presentation on Monday morning on Project Rachel together with Cardinal Wuerl and Cardinal DiNardo, who is the chairman of the pro-life committee. Our purpose was to inform the bishops of the ministry of Project Rachel, and to encourage the dioceses throughout the country, that might not have this initiative, to become aware of it and hopefully adopt it. There are so many women and men that have been affected by the trauma of abortion. It's such a wonderful way of having a ministry of reconciliation and healing for that. Marianne Luthin, our director of our Pro-Life Office in Boston was there, and she was one of the principal presenters at the press conference that took place on Tuesday. ...The Archbishop for the Ukranian Catholics, Bishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, one of the largest rite churches within the Catholic Church was present at our meeting of the bishops. He thanked the bishops and all American Catholics for all their support as the Church in Ukraine had to go through the darkest years of persecution. We were very happy to see him.