Spring Renewal
April 2019
Archbishop Kurtz's Easter Message
May this season be a time of deepened faith and great joy! See Archbishop Joseph Kurtz's Easter message:
The Chrism Mass: A “Must-See” Liturgy
By Dr. Karen Shadle

You’ve heard of must-see TV. The Chrism Mass is must-see liturgy. A unique and powerful experience, the Chrism Mass offers not only incredible sights and sounds, but also that unforgettable, sweet smell of balsam.

You may know that the Chrism Mass is the celebration at which the holy oils are blessed and consecrated by Archbishops Kurtz for use throughout the coming year in the dedication of new churches and altars and in the sacraments of Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation, Baptism, and Ordination. This beautiful Holy Week ritual surrounding the oils keeps Chrism Mass-goers coming back again and again. Let me offer two more reasons you should attend this year.

First, the Chrism Mass is the pre-eminent annual celebration of the whole Archdiocese of Louisville. This is our night. We will each go off to our individual parishes for the Triduum – those most solemn liturgies of the year. But Chrism Mass is our night to all be together, 110 parishes united as one. We are diverse in every way imaginable – in parish size, location, culture, age, ethnicity, economics, worship style, and much more. What a joy to see that on full display in the faces of the people gathered, to hear it in the scriptures and the music, and to sense it in the energy of the Cathedral. This is our night. Don’t miss it.

Second, go to support your priest. Besides the blessing of oils, the other unique feature of Chrism Mass is the renewal of priestly promises. All priests present are invited to stand and once again pledge to work together to shepherd and serve the people of the Archdiocese of Louisville.

The renewal of priestly promises is somewhat parallel to a married couple’s renewal of vows. When our married friends renew their vows, perhaps on a milestone anniversary, we want to be there to celebrate the years accomplished and to support their continued commitment. When our priest friends renew their vows, we ought to do the same.

This has been a difficult year. Over the summer, the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report re-opened some old and painful wounds here locally. The resulting “crisis of trust” has hurt us all, including the many outstanding men who have answered the call to priesthood with lives of goodness, prayer, service, commitment, and sacrifice. They need our support.

Whether it’s your first time or your fortieth, I invite you to join us for the Chrism Mass this year, Tuesday, April 16 th , at 7:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Assumption (433 S. 5 th Street, Louisville). It lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes. A reception follows in the undercroft.

Dr. Karen Shadle is the director of the Office of Worship.
Catholic Charities Common Earth
Wildflower Garden Guide 
“What need does the earth have of us?”
Pope Francis, Laudato Sí: On the Care of Our Common Home
Is your family, neighborhood, parish, or school interested in joining in a project to enhance the number of “stopover sites” for migratory butterflies, as well as pollination sites for honeybees? Recent data indicates that more such sites are needed to stabilize the populations of butterflies and bees. In Laudato Sí , Pope Francis has asked us to promote the “care for the earth,” and this is a simple, powerful way for your family or community to do just that.

The Catholic Charities Common Earth Wildflower Garden Guide enables anyone to cultivate the indigenous wildflowers of our region for the benefit of increasing butterfly and honeybee activity. Catholic Charities staff is available for consultation, and the guide is available for download here.

You may also be interested in an opportunity to have native trees planted in your yard or parish or school campus, through Catholic Charities working relationship with Trees Louisville. Please contact Trees Louisville at info@treeslouisville.org or (502) 208-8746 to learn more. 
Archbishop's Tweets
Follow @ArchbishopKurtz on Twitter for more of his tweets.

March 8
@ArchbishopKurtz:
Fr. Tobin is running @bostonmarathon to raise money for heart surgeries for children with Down syndrome. See my blog to learn more about his journey.

March 27
@ArchbishopKurtz:
Super evening for Catholic Education Foundation Salute Dinner - 1800+ banqueters. Here are honorees - a record $1.125 million raised to aid students in need.

March 17
@ArchbishopKurtz:
Fr. Peter Bucalo installed as pastor of Mary Queen of Peace Church on Dixie Highway. Thanks, Fr. Peter, for faithful service to Christ.
Upcoming Events
Resources & Recommendations
This month, we're highlighting some helpful and timely resources for Catholics throughout the Archdiocese. We encourage you to check out the resources below.

Conversations with Archbishop Kurtz
For the April episode of Conversations with Archbishop Kurtz , Chancellor Dr. Brian Reynolds and Archbishop Kurtz discuss the formation of future priests at seminaries, and Archbishop Kurtz presents his annual Lent/Easter message. Archbishop also welcomes guest Deacon Scott Haner, chair of the board of Catholic Charities of Louisville, to discuss Catholic Charities’ capital campaign, “Building a Brighter Future.” 

Conversations airs on the Faith Channel (Spectrum channels 19 and digital channel 279) on Tues. at 7 p.m., Wed. at 10 a.m., Fri. at 7 p.m., and Sat. at 4 p.m. It is on radio stations WLCR 1040 AM, Breadbox Media, and WLHN 95.3 FM in Meade County. You may download Conversations for no charge through iTunes. Conversations also is available on Bardstown Cable Channel 19 (BRTV) at 7 p.m. on the first two Monday nights of the month and on Bardstown’s PLG TV on Tuesday afternoons at 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Conversations is online here .

Work of the People: The Catholic Mass
For more information about this new video series on the role of the assembly in the Mass, go here . Resources on this page also include suggestions for how parishes can use the resource.

Priest Assignments
In the month of April, new priest assignments will be announced for parishes in the Archdiocese. To learn about this process, please see Archbishop Kurtz’s reflection here

Catholic Charities of Louisville: Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Read about Catholic Charities of Louisville’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in the Family Ministries Office blog here

Sexual Abuse
Archbishop Kurtz’s “Leadership Briefing” continues to update Catholics about the issue of sexual abuse in the Church. See all editions here
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