#seminary thomas <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[xivdl]

and even more conclave

[the-empress-7]

Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since May 8, 2025.

He is of Peruvian-American origin.

He served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023.

He previously served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023, and was prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013.

In 2015 Cardinal Prevost became a naturalized citizen of Peru as confirmed by Peru's National Civil Registry.

On May 8, 2025, he was elected Pope, becoming the first Pope born in North America or the United States.

Born in Chicago, Prevost spent the early part of his career there working for the Augustinians.

He served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1998 as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher and administrator. He was made a cardinal in 2023.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a prominent role that elevated his profile as a potential papal candidate.

Robert Prevost was born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, the son of a French father Louis Marius Prevost and an Italian mother Mildred Martinez.

His father was a United States Navy veteran of World War II and school administrator.

He completed his secondary studies at the minor seminary of the Order of St. Augustine in 1973.

Prevost earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Villanova University in 1977.

Deciding to become a priest, Prevost joined the Order of St. Augustine in September 1977.

He took his first vows to the order in September 1978 and his solemn vows in August 1981.

The following year, he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Prevost speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German.

Prevost was ordained a priest by Archbishop Jean Jadot for the Augustinians in Rome on June 19, 1982.

He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1984 and a Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1987 from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome

Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986

Prevost in 1988 returned to Peru, spending the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo. He also taught canon law in the diocesan seminary and served as prefect of studies.

Prevost served as judge of the regional ecclesiastical court and a member of the College of Consultors of Trujillo. He also led a congregation on the outskirts of the city.

In 1998, Prevost was elected provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago and returned to the United States to assume that position on March 8, 1999.

In 2000, Prevost allowed Father James Ray, an Augustinian priest, to reside at St. John Stone Friary in Chicago. Ray had been suspended from public ministry since 1991 due to credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.

Although the priory was close to a Catholic elementary school, Prevost did not notify the school administration about Ray. The Augustinians noted that Ray was assigned a monitor while at St. John Stone.

Ray was moved to a different residence in 2002 when the US Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted stricter rules for handling priests accused of abusing minors.

In 2001, Prevost was elected to a six-year term as Prior General of the Augustinians. He was elected to a second six-year term in 2007.

From 2013 to 2014, Prevost served as director of formation in the Convent of St. Augustine in Chicago, as well as first councilor and provincial vicar of the province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, which covers the midwestern United States.

On November 3, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo and titular bishop of Sufar

He received his episcopal consecration on December 12, 2014, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Chiclayo. On September 26, 2015, he was named bishop of Chiclayo.

On July 13, 2019, Prevost was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome, although he initially declared that only the humble ones are eligible.

On April 15, 2020, he was named apostolic administrator of Callao in Peru. On November 21, 2020, Francis named him a member of the Congregation for Bishops

Within the Episcopal Conference of Peru, Prevost served on the permanent council for the 2018 to 2020 term.

He was elected in 2019 as president of its Commission for Education and Culture. He was also a member of the leadership of Caritas Peru.

Prevost had a private audience with Francis on March 1, 2021, fueling speculation of a new assignment either in Chicago or Rome.

On January 30, 2023, Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops with the title archbishop-bishop emeritus of Chiclayo.

At the September 30 consistory, Francis appointed him cardinal-deacon of Santa Monica degli Agostiniani Church in Rome.

On February 6, 2025, Francis promoted Prevost to cardinal-bishop, assigning him to the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano in the Province of Rome.

Prevost was considered a possible candidate for the papacy after the death of Pope Francis.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a key position within the Roman Curia.

The office is responsible for evaluating and recommending candidates for the episcopate around the world.

This role increased Prevost's visibility and influence within the Catholic Church, potentially raising his profile ahead of any future papal conclave

Prevost has faced criticism from advocates for clergy abuse survivors regarding his handling of sexual abuse allegations during his leadership in the Augustinian order and in Peru.

The advocacy group SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) has alleged that Prevost may have failed to act against abuse claims involving Richard McGrath, a former president of Providence Catholic High School, allowing him to remain in his position despite longstanding accusations

I am not going to get into morality politics on my blog.

Let me have my memes please, the world is already on fire.

[basterdk]

intorn'ad una fonte, in un pratello by basterd

Fandom: Conclave (2024) Language: English

Relationship: Thomas Lawrence/Goffredo Tedesco

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Summary: It was summer, the day they met. June had ripened with softened heat, evoking fresh meadows and rose-colored lands. The seminary of Santa Cecilia was dipped in golden tunes that brought out its pale, sun-worn stone, castigated by the years and the unrelenting ivy that had clambered its way up, shadowing the large, rusty bays. On the outskirts of Rome, far into the countryside, where the fields still breathed with the Tirreno’s breeze.

It was that one, terrible evening where it all started; when Thomas and Goffredo coincided for the first time, on that Italian summer that smelt of incense and sin.

Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Pre-Canon, Young Thomas Lawrence, Young Goffredo Tedesco, Feelings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Angst and Tragedy, Religious Conflict, Catholic Guilt, Eventual Romance, Seminary Students, Tragedy/Comedy, Emotional Roller Coaster, Not Beta Read

Words: 10,397 | Chapters: 1/3 | Date: 22/02/24

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Biography of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost

Prior to his election as Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Here is the biography of the 267th Bishop of Rome.

By Vatican News

8 May 2025

The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV is the second Roman Pontiff - after Pope Francis - from the Americas.

Unlike Jorge Mario Bergoglio, however, the 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost is from the northern part of the continent, though he spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

First Augustinian Pope

The new Bishop of Rome was born on 14 September 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, to Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent.

He has two brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph.

He spent his childhood and adolescence with his family and studied first at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers and then at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where in 1977, he earned a Degree in Mathematics and also studied Philosophy. 

On September 1 of the same year, Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.) in Saint Louis, in the Province of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Chicago, and made his first profession on 2 September 1978.

On 29 August 1981, he made his solemn vows.

The future Pontiff received his theological education at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

At the age of 27, he was sent by his superiors to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). 

In Rome, he was ordained a priest on 19 June 1982 at the Augustinian College of Saint Monica by Archbishop Jean Jadot, then pro-president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, which later became the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and then the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

Prevost obtained his licentiate in 1984 and the following year, while preparing his doctoral thesis, was sent to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Piura, Peru (1985–1986).

In 1987, he defended his doctoral thesis on "The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine."

He was appointed vocation director and missions director of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Olympia Fields, Illinois (USA).

Mission in Peru

The following year, he joined the mission in Trujillo, also in Peru, as director of the joint formation project for Augustinian candidates from the vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac. 

Over the course of eleven years, he served as prior of the community (1988–1992), formation director (1988–1998), instructor for professed members (1992–1998), and in the Archdiocese of Trujillo as judicial vicar (1989–1998) and professor of Canon Law, Patristics, and Moral Theology at the Major Seminary “San Carlos y San Marcelo.”

At the same time, he was also entrusted with the pastoral care of Our Lady Mother of the Church, later established as the parish of Saint Rita (1988–1999), in a poor suburb of the city.

He was parish administrator of Our Lady of Monserrat from 1992 to 1999.

In 1999, he was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Chicago.

Two and a half years later, the ordinary General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine elected him as Prior General, confirming him in 2007 for a second term.

In October 2013, he returned to his Augustinian Province in Chicago, serving as director of formation at the Saint Augustine Convent, first councilor, and provincial vicar.

Those were the roles he held until Pope Francis appointed him on 3 November 2014 as Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo, elevating him to the episcopal dignity as Titular Bishop of Sufar. 

He entered the Diocese on November 7 in the presence of Apostolic Nuncio James Patrick Green, who ordained him Bishop just over a month later, on December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the Cathedral of Saint Mary.

His episcopal motto is “In Illo uno unum” — words pronounced by Saint Augustine in a sermon on Psalm 127 to explain that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”

Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru (from 2015 to 2023)

On 26 September 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis.

In March 2018, he was elected second vice-president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, where he also served as a member of the Economic Council and president of the Commission for Culture and Education.

In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy (13 July 2019) and a member of the Congregation for Bishops (21 November 2020).

Meanwhile, on 15 April 2020, he was also appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Callao.

Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops

On 30 January 2023, the Pope called him to Rome as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, promoting him to the rank of Archbishop. 

Created Cardinal in 2024

Pope Francis created him Cardinal in the Consistory of September 30 that year and  assigned him the Diaconate of Saint Monica.

He officially took possession of it on 28 January 2024. 

As head of the Dicastery, he participated in the Pope’s most recent Apostolic Journeys — both the first and second sessions of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on synodality held in Rome from 4-29 October 2023 and from 2-27 October 2024, respectively.

Meanwhile, on 4 October 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as a member of the Dicasteries for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the Eastern Churches, for the Clergy, for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for Culture and Education, for Legislative Texts, and of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State.

Finally, on February 6 of this year, the Argentine Pope promoted him to the Order of Bishops, granting him the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano.

Three days later, on February 9, he celebrated the Mass presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, the second major event of the Holy Year of Hope.

During the most recent hospitalization of his predecessor at the Gemelli hospital, Prevost presided over the Rosary for Pope Francis’s health in Saint Peter’s Square on March 3.

[duesternis]

Torrent - A Conclave Fanfiction

A seminary AU series

Thomas was already half dressed, summer slacks, an undershirt. His crucifix golden against his throat. “Did you sleep well?” He huffed a laugh, looking at Vincent and immediately looking away again. “I slept, I can’t expect more. You?” “I dreamt of home,” Vincent said and Thomas wet his face at the sink, looked at Vincent through the mirror. “Pleasant dream?” “Very much. I would like to show you my hometown, one day.” Droplets of water running off his chin, Thomas smiled.

read in full on ao3 here thank you again @bastardofficial <3

[yuorpal]

lawrellini hc: thomas has a polaroid of aldo in the seminary that he keeps on his nightstand, inside of a copy of one of the sherlock holmes books (his fav one) that bellini gifted him

Oh my god you got me with this one. Are u an angel sent from above to lighten my mood and ease my burden. Holmes.. and lawrellini... all my ships are a little bit like watsolmes i guess. Ty for the sweetest hc <3

[pastoralnhappy]

Jonah and the Whale

Chapter 3: The Brotherhood of Abundance

The evening air was thick with anticipation as Jonah made his way through the dimly lit corridors of the seminary. Father Thomas had invited him to a special gathering, one that was not on the official seminary schedule. Jonah’s heart raced with curiosity and a hint of nervousness as he followed the familiar path to the old chapel, tucked away in a secluded part of the seminary grounds.

As he approached the heavy wooden doors, he could hear the faint murmur of voices and the soft rustling of fabric. Jonah hesitated for a moment before pushing the doors open, revealing a scene that took his breath away.

Inside, the chapel was bathed in the warm glow of candlelight. The walls were adorned with opulent religious paintings, their vibrant colors and intricate details creating an atmosphere of divine reverence. At the center of the room, in front of the grand altar, stood Father Thomas, his presence commanding and serene.

But it was the gathering of men around him that truly captured Jonah’s attention. A group of seminarians and priests, all of them large and rotund, knelt in a circle, their heads bowed in prayer. The sight was both surreal and comforting, a brotherhood united by their shared experiences and physicality.

“Welcome, Jonah,” Father Thomas said, his voice carrying a gentle authority. “Come, join us.”

Jonah stepped forward, feeling a sense of belonging wash over him. Father Thomas handed him a pair of simple white briefs, similar to what the other men were wearing. “These garments symbolize purity and unity. Wear them with pride.”

Jonah took the briefs and nodded. He moved to a small side room adjacent to the chapel, where he began to disrobe. As he removed his cassock, he couldn’t help but notice his reflection in a nearby mirror. His body had changed since he first entered the seminary, growing softer and rounder with each passing month. His belly protruded prominently, his thighs were thick, and his arms had a gentle softness to them.

With a deep breath, Jonah slipped into the white briefs. The fabric clung to his form, accentuating his curves and folds. He felt a mixture of vulnerability and pride as he looked at himself one last time before returning to the chapel.

When he re-entered the room, he saw the other men similarly clad, their bodies varying in size but united in their shared embrace of their physicality. Some were as large as Father Thomas, while others, like Brother Michael, were just beginning to fill out. The sight of so many bodies, unashamed and celebrated, filled Jonah with a sense of solidarity and acceptance.

Jonah knelt beside the others, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and reverence. As he settled into place, he felt the cool marble floor beneath his knees, a grounding contrast to the warmth of the candlelight.

Father Thomas raised his hands, signaling the start of the ceremony. “Tonight, we gather to celebrate our abundance, to honor the blessings bestowed upon us by the Lord. We are not here to hide or to feel shame, but to embrace our bodies and our spirits as they are.”

The men around Jonah murmured their agreement, their voices blending into a harmonious chorus. Jonah closed his eyes, allowing the words to wash over him, feeling a profound connection to the men beside him.

As the ceremony continued, Father Thomas led them in a series of prayers and hymns, each one a tribute to the divine gifts of nourishment and fellowship. The atmosphere was one of acceptance and love, a stark contrast to the judgment and scrutiny that Jonah had often faced in the outside world.

At the climax of the ceremony, Father Thomas moved to the altar and unveiled a golden chalice filled with rich, fragrant wine. He held it aloft, his eyes shining with devotion. “This wine symbolizes the blood of Christ, a reminder of His sacrifice and His love for all of us. Let us drink and be grateful for the abundance in our lives.”

One by one, the men approached the altar, each taking a sip from the chalice before returning to their places. When it was Jonah’s turn, he felt a surge of emotion as the wine touched his lips, its warmth spreading through his body.

As the ceremony drew to a close, Father Thomas gathered the men in a final prayer, his voice filled with compassion and strength. “May we go forth from this place with renewed faith and confidence, knowing that we are cherished and loved. Let us embrace our abundance and share it with the world.”

The men rose, their faces alight with joy and contentment. Jonah felt a deep sense of camaraderie with his brothers, a bond forged through their shared experiences and their mutual support.

As they filed out of the chapel, Jonah caught Father Thomas’s eye. The priest gave him a knowing smile, a silent affirmation of the journey they were on together.

Jonah whispered a prayer of gratitude as he stepped into the night, his heart full and his spirit lifted. He was a chubby Catholic seminarian, part of a secret brotherhood that celebrated their abundance, and he was proud of it.

[lboogie1906]

Edward Wilmot Blyden (August 3, 1832 – February 7, 1912) was an educator, writer, diplomat, and politician primarily in Liberia. Born in the West Indies, he joined the free Black immigrants from the US who migrated to the region. He taught for five years in the British West African Colony of Sierra Leone in the early 20th century. His writings on pan-Africanism were influential in both colonies. These were founded during the slavery years for the resettlement of free Africans from Great Britain and the US.

His writings attracted attention in the sponsoring countries as well. He believed that Zionism was a model for what he called Ethiopianism and that African Americans could return to Africa and redeem it. He believed political independence to be a prerequisite for economic independence and argued that Africans must counter the neo-colonial policies of former colonial powers.

He was recognized in his youth for his talents and drive; he was educated and mentored by John Knox, an American Protestant minister in St Thomas, Danish West Indies, who encouraged him to continue his education in the US. He was refused admission to three Northern theological seminaries because of his race. Knox encouraged him to go to Liberia, the colony set up for freedmen by the American Colonization Society; he emigrated that year and made his career and life there. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[packedwithpackards]

Queering the Packards?: The importance of documenting LGBTQ ancestors

A quote from Victor Salvo, Founder and Executive Director of the Legacy Project on QueerBio. Image from Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. What he says applies to genealogy as much as mainstream histories like biographies.

When I started my research, I tended to follow the usual path of focusing on male progenitors and their wives, including English immigrants like Samuel Packard who landed in what became Massachusetts after Indigenous people relinquished the land, often by force. In January 2021, I speculated that a friend of Carrie Chapman Catt, a suffragist in a relationship with Mary Garrett Hay (and later with Alda Wilson), could have been attracted to Alaska "Al" Packard (1868-1934), the first female FBI agent and my sixth cousin three time removed, while Al had a close friendship with Harriet Taylor Upton. Many months later, in October 2021, I included question from Christine E. Sleeter in an article I quoted from: "How might a family historian tease out clues of LGBTQ family members in the past?" Late last year, I noted my ancestor (fifth cousin four times removed), Elizabeth Dwight Packard (1859-1915), who was living with another woman, Lucy Huston Sturdevant (1860-1940), who also served as the executrix of Elizabeth's estate after Elizabeth's death. This year, I surmised that since my sixth cousin three times removed, Elizabeth Packard (1912-1985) was listed as single in the 1930, 1940, and 1950, and the fact she was near queer neighborhoods, it may indicate that Elizabeth is queer herself as I surmised. I would love to do a deeper dive into her life, as there is a gap of information from 1950 to 1985. Last but not least is my post last month, with a major focus on the relationship between my fifth cousin five times removed, Sophia Brett Packard (1824-1891) and Harriet Elizabeth "Hattie" Giles (1828-1909), who are known most prominently for founding Spelman Seminary in Georgia, which is known today as Spelman College.

I am convinced that I have more than five queer ancestors within my family tree. In fact, I have a draft post about my fourth cousin five times removed, Frances Appleton Packard (1836-1902) who was always listed as single and never noted as marrying anyone, which can be a clue that the person is a queer individual, [1] to use the word in a non-pejorative way. After all, there are over 4,000 ancestors on the two family trees I've created on Ancestry, one for my mom's side and another for my dad's side so I don't confuse myself with which ancestors are which. I already know the stories about my great-granduncle Stanley Sterling Mills (1901-1934) being gay and my grandaunt on my dad's side, Ellen, who had a partner who lived with her for many years named Fran.

There are many posts out there about LGBTQ ancestors. Some recommend genealogists check occupations, examine family patterns, read newspapers, examine prison and court records, search cemeteries, look for terms like "cross dresser, Sapphist, sodomite, tribad, or Uranian", and keep in mind that ancestors weren't "as free to live their lives openly like LGBTQ+ people can today". Others suggest looking for personal accounts, wills, criminal records, census records, examining local history, asking questions if records don't exist for a specific person, and recognizing that official records can "subtly divulge clues", Beyond this, were a pamphlet about LGBTQ history in the U.S. published by the National Park Service, Thomas MacEntee's 10-page piece about why stories of LGBTQ relatives are important, the Queer Ancestors Project in San Francisco, and other discussions online about this topic. [2]

Current genealogical software is not inclusive of transgender individuals and some LGBTQ relationships, as some have pointed out. As for other Packards, some have published books that fall into Queer Studies, although I'm not sure of their relation. [3] More broadly, there are the collections of the Lesbian Herstory Archives (lampooned in the film Watermelon Woman), the South Asian American Digital Archive, the GLBT Historical Society, and Library of Congress, along with important sites like Out History which focuses on LGBTQ history. In addition, there is a guide put together by Fordham University Libraries, the Dickinson College LGBT History Project (documents LGBTQ life in central Pennsylvania), the archival collections at ONE Archives at USC Libraries, the LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library, the LGBT Legacy Project, the collaborative project known as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Archive at University of North Texas, the archive collection of LGBT Community Center in New York, and the digital collections of The ArQuives, Canada's LGBTQ archives institution.

This is only scratching the surface. [4] As the National Museum of American History puts it, "LGBTQ+ history is a part of American history...since its founding, both knowingly and unknowingly." After all, pressure from genealogists caused FamilySearch to allow same-sex family trees. I agree with those who say that while our ancestors may have kept their identities and orientations secret, they likely left clues, and it’s time to "stop pruning their branches of our family trees". There need to be new ways of visualizing information to accommodate families that aren't heteronormative (i.e. married man and woman having children) or re-imagining family trees altogether. This is coupled with telling stories which don't fall into usual patterns which are easily shown in existing genealogy software which is strongly heteronormative. It can counteract the intentional hidden nature of "lives, stories, and histories of LGBTQ people...by socially dominant individuals and groups" through various means over the years. [5]

Notes

[1] An Ancestry.com blogpost by Michael J. Leclerc says as much: "Common signs of LGBTQ+ people are those who never married, or who married late in life or had no children. But these facts alone are not proof. Additional signs can help."

[2] "How To Find Out Who Your LGBTQ+ Ancestors Are", Our Culture Magazine, Jul. 7, 2021; Michael J. Leclerc, "5 Tips for Finding Your LGBTQ+ Ancestors," Ancestry Blog, Ancestry.com, Oct. 7, 2020; Mary McKee, "How to trace LGBT ancestors," FindMyPast Blog, FindMyPast, Feb. 3, 2022; Alex Madison, "Queer Ancestors Project to unveil anthology," Bay Area Reporter, May 16, 2018. MacEntee suggests gaining an understanding of gay history in the U.S., LGBTQ subcultre, gayborhoods, occupations offering clues, use FAN Club approach (tracing Friends, Associates and Neighbors of the person in question), recognize that there were marriages of convenience, and provides many resources on pages 9 to 10. As a word of caution, he uses the word "transgendered", which is wrong. As Vox points out, "the umbrella term for people who identify with a gender different than the one assigned to them at birth is "transgender" or "trans." These words are adjectives, not nouns. Additionally, the word "transgendered" is offensive to trans people and unnecessarily confusing." Also of note is "Northampton LGBT ancestor Anna de Naucaze’s story intrigues, inspires" in The Rainbow Times. There's also the inane question (and discussion) posed on /r/Genealogy in January 2018 about the ethics of documenting a deceased ancestor as LGBT, with people responding that you need "some incontrovertible proof" to say someone is gay, emphasizing "documented evidence", explain reasoning and document conclusions, and saying it would be a "touching tribute". The worst were those who sneered they don't document anyone's sexual preference (why?) and arguing that it should be kept secret if the deceased person wanted something secret (a pretty absolutist view).

[3] This includes Queer cowboys : and other erotic male friendships in nineteenth-century American literature by Chris Packard (more about him here) and Women / men = Femmes / hombres : erotic poetry with William Packard as an author as noted in this search, here, and on his Wikipedia page.There may even be Packards within the Digital Transgender Archive, although I haven't looked at the results in depth yet.

[4] There's also a page on the National Trust for Historic Preservation on LGBT history, along with an AARP article entitled "LGBTQ Is a Growing Market for Travel Industry", Trans Oral History Project, and LGBTQ pages on Wikipedia which could be helpful like

"List of LGBT rights activists", "LGBT tourism", "List of LGBT writers", "LGBT history", "Timeline of LGBT history", "LGBT nobility and royalty", "History of gay men in the United States", "Bisexuality in the United States", "Drag queen", "List of LGBT awareness periods", "Queer erasure", "History of same-sex unions", "History of transgender people in the United States", "Transgender legal history in the United States", "List of LGBT actions in the United States prior to the Stonewall riots", "History of violence against LGBT people in the United States", "LGBT historic places in the United States", "Timeline of same-sex marriage in the United States", and "Intersex rights in the United States" to name a few.

[5] William Blumfield, "High School Students Stand up for Truth in Play with Lesbian Character", The Good Men Project, Jan. 28, 2017; Ellanora Lerner, "Centering My Queer Ancestors' Stories", Jewish Women's Archive, Feb. 21, 2020; "LGBTQ+ Hall of Ancestors", Honey Arts Therapy, accessed Sept. 27, 2022; Sarah Ngu, "In Search of Queer Ancestors", Asian Americans Writers' Workshop, Dec. 4, 2019; Javy Rodriguez, "How This Gay Couple Honored Their Ancestors at Their Brooklyn Wedding", Out magazine, Nov. 8, 2020; "Stories of Our LGBTQ Ancestors: Dr. Amber Starbuck and Mabel Stevens", Northampton Center for the Arts, May 3, 2019; Cynthia Laird, "News Briefs: Learn about LGBTQ roots at genealogy class", Bay Area Reporter, Jun. 20, 2018; Tat Bellamy-Walker, "How the Black queer community is re-imagining the family tree", NBC News, Feb. 16, 2022; "Want to learn more about your LGBTQ ancestors and others who flew under the genealogical radar? New series shows you how", Cincinnati Public Radio, Oct. 18, 2021; Bob Vitale, "Uncover the lost LGBTQ branches of your family tree", Columbus Monthly, Sept. 16, 2021; "LGBTQ Genealogy – Inclusive Family Trees", House Elves Anonymous, Nov. 19, 2020. Also see LGBTQ history posts from the UK National Archives from March 2008 to February 2022, Jacob Ogles' "15 Gay Romances of the Renaissance Era" in Advocate magazine, Miss Rosen's "The Pleasures of Gay Life in 1950s Fire Island" in Blind magazine, and "LGBTQ+ History Research at the Archives & Library of the Ohio History Connection" at Ohio History Connection.

Note: This was originally posted on June 12, 2023 on the main Packed with Packards WordPress blog (it can also be found on the Wayback Machine here). My research is still ongoing, so some conclusions in this piece may change in the future.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[wortzentriert]

1

A Survey of the History of the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

A. Philip Brown II, PhD

Aldersgate Forum 2011

This essay examines two aspects of the history of how 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 has been

interpreted:1

(1) What did Paul mean when he said men should not be covered and women

should be covered when praying or prophesying, and (2) What do Paul’s requirements regarding

men’s and women’s hair mean.

The aims of this survey are, first, to orient the interpreter to the ways in which this passage

has been understood, thereby guarding against an interpretation uninformed by church history.

Second, it will demonstrate that the church has historically understood Paul to teach that women

should have long hair and men should not. Third, it will provide what I hope is a plausible

explanation for how the dominant understanding of this passage developed, that is, that Paul

requires women’s heads to be covered with both hair and a material head-covering.

The history of interpretation divides naturally into three periods: early and medieval

interpretation (AD 120-1500), reformation, post-reformation, and Wesleyan interpretation (AD

1500-1850), and modern interpretation (AD 1850-present). In each period, the identity, setting,

and views of the major interpretive figures are discussed, and the distinctive characteristics of

that period are summarized.

Early and Medieval Interpretation (A.D. 120–1500)

The majority of extant commentators from the early and medieval periods identified the

covering Paul requires in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 as a material veil of some sort. These same

commentators also understood Paul to teach that a woman was to have long hair and that a man

was not.

AD 100-200: Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian

Irenaeus is the earliest church father to comment on 1 Cor. 11, though he does so only in

passing.2

In his treatise refuting Valentinian gnosticism,3

he notes that the Valentinians appeal to

1

At present, the only history of the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 published is Linda A.

Mercadante’s From Hierarchy to Equality: A Comparison of Past and Present Interpretations of 1 Cor 11:2-16 in

Relation to the Changing Status of Women in Society (Vancouver: G-M-H Books, 1978). Mercadante, however,

begins her analysis with Calvin. Ralph N. V. Schutt, “A History of the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16”

(M.A. thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1978), covered only two church fathers—Tertullian and Chrysostom—

and then jumps to Calvin, his only representative from the 16th century. Both Gerald Bray, ed., 1-2 Corinthians in

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, ed. Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999),

7:106-109, and Judith L. Kovacs, 1 Corinthians: Interpreted By Early Christian Commentators in The Church’s

Bible, ed. Robert Louis Wilken (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2005), 179-184, provide citations of various

father’s views on specific verses, but they do not seek to provide a survey of the history of interpretation.

2

Irenaeus lived c. A.D. 120-202, was bishop of Lyons (France) and a disciple of Polycarp who was a

disciple of the Apostle John.

3

Valentinian Gnosticism, one of the most influential forms of Gnosticism, taught that Jesus gave his

disciples secret knowledge (gnosis) without which one cannot properly interpret Scripture. Only the spiritual mature

can appreciate this knowledge. For details, consult Einar Thomassen, The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the

“Valentinians” (Leiden: Brill, 2006).

https://comeafterme.com/web_documents/English/Articles/2011-10-25%20A%20Survey%20of%20the%20History%20of%20the%20Interpretation%20of%201%20Corinthians%2011.pdf

[xivdl]

ref:

[starlingsrps]

rebecca hunter dev.

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: rebecca mary hunter

REASONING: biblical, baby.

NICKNAME(S): becca, beck

PREFERRED NAME(S): rebecca is fine.

BIRTH DATE: december 3

AGE: thirty one

ZODIAC: sagittarius

GENDER: female

PRONOUNS: she/hers

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: heterosexual

NATIONALITY: american

CURRENT LOCATION: san francisco

LIVING CONDITIONS: apartment with a roommate she's on a completely opposite schedule to and isn't 100% sure is real.

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: columbus, oh

HOMETOWN: westerville, oh

SOCIAL CLASS: lower middle, sweating to stay there.

EDUCATION LEVEL: a long series of parochial schools,

FATHER: james hunter, 61.

MOTHER: kathy hunter, 56.

SIBLING(S): john, 35; marie mccarthy, 33; rose, 30; paul, 28; thomas, 25. marie is the golden child, rose and thomas are the favorites. john and paul do their bit and then rebecca is not exactly a black sheep but moving to california and living what is popularly considered a godless life doesn't make her popular. she hasn't been home for awhile.

BIRTH ORDER: middle

CHILDREN: absolutlely not.

PET(S): no but she's always down to look at pictures

OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: john, marie, and paul are all married with kids and in-laws but rebecca hasn't really been close to her family since leaving ohio. it was just….easier. rose is a nun, thomas is in seminary so yes, it's very easy to tell who the favorites are.

PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: several, tending to be a little on the intense side. she doesn't know if it's a her thing or what but she had a period of attracting serious fixer uppers in her twenties that she thinks she's finally over. her last boyfriend, jim, was broken up with six months ago and is still hanging around but he's mostly harmless.

ARRESTS?: nope and absolutely terrified of even the possibility.

PRISON TIME?: absolutely would not survive prison. or she'd rock it. no in-between.

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: kindergarten teacher

SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: bartender, limelight.

TERTIARY SOURCE OF INCOME: plasma donation

CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB?: she admits that she went headfirst into teaching in a very idealistic way and after a few years of super scraping, she started working as a bartender and is now just a smidge above scraping. teaching is what makes her happy, she can take or leave bartending but it's flexible and she's good at it so [shrug]

PAST JOB(S): waitressing, nannying.

SPENDING HABITS: spreadsheet baby. she likes to save with a goal and buying her own shit feels really good.

MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: monetary is that she saved for a few years to buy a pair of jimmy choos (on consignment, there is a scratch on the left heel that she knows about that no one else has seemed to notice) that make her feel like a bad bitch. sentimental is one of her grandmother's rosaries. she doesn't have much to do with being a practicing catholic but she likes having it with her so yeah, it's in her purse. don't worry about it.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: not terrible but the limits of being able to overpower anyone is 1) a third grader and 2) dependent on adrenaline. she can lift the shit out of things at work though by pride alone.

SPEED: a gifted and talented speedwalker.

INTELLIGENCE: intelligent but it was always something that she was…well, trained to not brag about. meek and mild was the rule of the day in the hunter household and while rebecca is smart and went to college on scholarships, it's hardly how she'll describe herself. gonna whip ass at jeopardy though.

ACCURACY: fine!

AGILITY: fine!

STAMINA: high by force. she works two jobs, one of which goes until one am and the other that starts at eight so while she's great at going until the battery is dead, she would kill for a tight ten hours.

TEAMWORK: a magnificent team mate. she's bringing banana bread.

TALENTS: memory - she doesn't need to be told a regular's order

twice.

SHORTCOMINGS: she is always going to believe the best in people and the world. she's had a few knocks but she has a whole thing about believing that there is something good in everyone and everything. for better or worse.

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, picking up some italian by virtue of her workplace.

DRIVE?: yes

JUMP-STAR A CAR?: in theory.

CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes, if instructions are provided.

RIDE A BICYCLE?: yes

SWIM?: yes

PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: nah

PLAY CHESS?: nah

BRAID HAIR?: yes

TIE A TIE?: not a single clue in the world.

PICK A LOCK?: yeah but you didn't hear that.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: suki waterhouse

EYE COLOR: brown

HAIR COLOR: blonde

HAIR TYPE/STYLE: long and swishy.

GLASSES/CONTACTS?: nah

DOMINANT HAND: right

HEIGHT: 5'8

BUILD: tall and lanky, killer legs.

EXERCISE HABITS: there is absolutely no time.

SKIN TONE: fair

TATTOOS: nope.

PIERCINGS: ears. this was a very unpopular teenage rebellion when she was sixteen because ~marie~ didn't pull that crap.

MARKS/SCARS: some moles and such, no real big scars.

USUAL EXPRESSION: pleasant.

CLOTHING STYLE: preppy and on the cute side for work - she likes a printed pant and plain sweater combo So Much. the bar tends to be a black top and black mini and she is trying to get used to some cleavage but it's tricky to let go of. skirt gets rolled twice if she's a little short for the electric bill. she knows what she's working with. off duty, she's a jeans and t-shirt girl but she's going to look cute damnit.

JEWELRY: nothing terribly notable or sentimental - what suits the outfit and occasion.

ALLERGIES: nah.

DIET: if she can eat it while on the move, so much the better, but has and will skip if she's too busy.

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: nah

PSYCHOLOGY

MORAL ALIGNMENT: lawful neutral

TEMPERAMENT: melancholic

ELEMENT: earth

MBTI TYPE: ISFJ

MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: anxiety but nothing off the chain. nip of lexapro, good to go.

SOCIABILITY: she's good at faking it but she's very much an introvert at her core. she's best with a small group of people but when it comes to bartending, she can shove that all down real deep.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: steady as hell but when she breaks, she breaks.

PHOBIA(S): flying. she's been on a plane once (well, twice counting the return flight) and Never Again (if she can help it).

DRUG USE: nope.

ALCOHOL USE: pretty casually. she has strong opinions on cocktails and makes a mean old fashioned but when it comes to herself, it's a glass of white and she's gonna nurse it.

PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: not personally.

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: clear and light; slower and a little more disney princess when with her students.

ACCENT: nah, not really.

QUIRKS: she's big on signs from the universe - numbers, feathers, that kind of thing.

HOBBIES: again: free time???? she does try to read when she can squeeze it in and likes a good beach day.

HABITS: work, work, side of work. shower in the morning, shower after the bar. she can't sleep if she's not clean.

NERVOUS TICKS: bad at direct eye contact if she's dancing around a subject or straight up lying. terrible, terrible liar.

DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: making herself proud. she's still in touch with her family but it's definitely strained - her parents would be happier if she were closer to home and settled (by their definition)

POSITIVE TRAITS: kind, sincere, principled, optimistic, reliable

NEGATIVE TRAITS: idealistic, overly humble, repressed, stretched thin, independent to the point of stubborness.

SENSE OF HUMOR: drier than you'd expect but very good at laughing even when it's not really funny

DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: not really if ever - she never used that kind of language growing up and if she swears now, it either slips out or she is furious.

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: anything quiet, specifically the three minutes before she conks out when she's laying in bed and there is nothing else to be done for the day.

ANIMAL: birds

BEVERAGE: diet coke

BOOK: happy place by emily henry

COLOR: yellow

DESIGNER: thrifting queen over here.

FOOD: pasta of any stripe.

FLOWER: hydrangeas

GEM: nah but if she's buying jewelry, she likes gold. like, fake gold but still.

HOLIDAY: christmas break

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: walk or drive

MOVIE: when harry met sally

SONG: "lover". she's a soft romantic in there.

SCENERY: the back of her eyelids. or the beach.

SCENT: rain, fabric softener, musk.

SPORT: nah. she's not going to pretend she cares.

SPORTS TEAM: nah.

TELEVISION SHOW: gilmore girls

WEATHER: summer

VACATION DESTINATION: couldn't tell you. her only vacations growing up were mission trips to kentucky and the one time she went to cancun, the combination of a) airplane and b) food poisoning soured her on vacations.

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: not trying so damn hard all the time. she wants a life and a family of her own but she's not sure when she's going to get that done.

GREATEST FEAR: getting stuck, never doing anything.

MOST AT EASE WHEN: performing a task she's good at, with friends.

LEAST AT EASE WHEN: talking to marco talking to her parents - she very easily slips into apologizing for herself even if there's nothing to apologize for. she knows there isn't but she does anyway.

WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: see above it's the same as fear.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: this. she's bad at acknowledging it but at the end of the day, she is fully supporting herself without anyone's help and that means the world to her.

BIGGEST REGRET: she wishes she were better at staying in contact with her family but she feels like they helped to close that door too.

BIGGEST SECRET: she doesn't really have them beyond a recurring sex dream about her boss which…yeah she's got too many things to worry about to deal with that right now.

[whatisonthemoon]

It's official - UTS has been sold

June 13, 2023

Dear UTS Alumni and Friends,

Thank you for your steadfast encouragement and support for the mission of UTS.

I write at this time to announce that the Barrytown property is now under contract with a buyer.

As some of you may know, the UTS Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Founder, the Board of Directors of FFWPU USA, and other stakeholders of UTS resolved to place the property on the market for sale on

February 3, 2018. See the following letter from then President Spurgin, dated May 15, 2018, and an article from the Daily Freeman, dated December 9, 2018. It was also in May of 2019 that the main campus of UTS moved from Barrytown to 43rd Street in New York City.

At that time, there were a few offers to purchase the property, but none were considered acceptable, and the property was taken off the market. During the covid period, beginning in 2020, some alternative uses of the property were discussed. As the covid crisis continued, however, neither the sale nor the re-purposing of the property gained traction.

In the summer of 2022, as the epidemic was fading, a discussion about the property's future was re-opened. In

November of 2022, a real estate broker agreement was signed, and the property was placed on the market once again. In early 2023 we received several offers to purchase the property.

After serious vetting of the various offers and proposals, the UTS Board of Trustees resolved to accept what is believed to be the best option for UTS. Following the decision of the Board, a confidential contract for purchase and sale was signed. It is anticipated that a closing on the sale of the property will take place in late August.

The decision to sell the property was made with deep respect and love for the life and legacy of our Founders, and for all those who have been part of the truly remarkable history of the property. Several discussions with our Founder, as well as with the FFWPU USA leadership, both the previous and current administration, took place prayerfully and openly. Before making their decision to approve the current purchase agreement, the UTS Board of Trustees gathered at the Cheon Shim Won in Las Vegas for prayer and deliberation.

Our determination going forward is to build on the victorious and providential foundation that has been secured at Barrytown, carrying it forward to ever greater achievements, while also revering and honoring the legacy and history of all that has been accomplished at Barrytown.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas G. Walsh, Ph.D.

President

Unification Theological Seminary

[rainbow-sheeps]

hi ^^ im in need of some advice

so, my relationship w/ God is non existent. i dont talk to Him, acknowledge or think of until its night (then i get nervous about death for me and my family and then i pray) and i dont want to do this anymore. i used to be close to Him but then i just stopped being (i stopped bible reading as i didnt know how to read the bible in a way that was helping and not hurting my mental health) and i just dont know how to have a relationship w/ God honestly. what does a relationship w/ someone who is invisible even look like? im really confused and i just want to be close to Him again but i dont even know where to start :( any help is appreciated <3

Hi, Admin Kili here with some words of encouragement from their older sister, Elf, who is a queer affirming seminary student.

"Faith is a lot more than just trusting feelings that there is someone there. I know for sure, even being in Seminary there are days where I feel far from God. It is hard. Faith is the assurance that we have that we will be raised again on the last day when Jesus comes again, and in the meantime it can feel lonely and hard to understand or feel like we can see him. The good news is, when Jesus returned to the Father he left us the Holy Spirit as a sign that we have been brought into God's family- the family from which all others get their names. Doubt is normal. Thomas, one of Jesus's disciples doubted that Jesus had been resurrected. John, Jesus's earthly cousin, even sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah or if they should wait for someone else. My professors remind us that theology is faith seeking understanding. It is hard to put our faith in someone we can't see" It's hard to trust what you can't see, even professors of theology say that themselves. You're valid in your doubt and your worries. What's more, you're still loved even on days where you feel your faith in God is waning, or even non-existent. You're a much loved child of the king.

Elf had one more thing to say before she left the call where I asked her for help on how to answer.

"Studying the word doesn't always come easy to me, but it's been made easier by being taught how to read the Bible like it was written, as God's overarching story of creation-fall-redemption-restoration. It also helps to be surrounded by a faith community, if you can find one. If not, then you still have the Triune God with you. Before the creation of the world God existed eternally in a loving relationship of the Father loving the Son, the Son loving the Father, and the Spirit binding them together. When we become Christians we are brought into that relationship.  You are not alone in this. Doubting is not a great unforgivable sin. It is normal when we are faced with the cosmic. One of my good friends here at my seminary said to me that God loves to answer prayers where we show dependence on him- and asking God to show himself to us is a prayer he loves to answer."

Her closing words are thus.

"My faith grows stronger through times of testing. We live in a self sufficient society so it can be hard to set aside my desire to pull myself up from my doubts and be the perfect Christian. But I've come to see that my relationship with God is not about me, but about him. He reached down from eternity to pull me out of this corrupted world and bring me into his kingdom. No amount of feelings can replace what faith really is- choosing which narrative to live in without hedging your bets (this is a quote from a commentary I read). Even C.S Lewis said there were days when he felt doubt. When I have those days I remember that I am placing my bets on the God I have seen in the Bible, who has spent the whole of history to this point trying to redeem his creation back to him."

We love you, and we're praying for you. If you aren't already on Sheep, we would love to have you. Have a wonderful day, and we love you.

[duesternis]

Only Sunshine - A Conclave Fanfiction

a seminary au series

Benítez was going to be a wonderful priest. He seemed made for it, a man of the cloth from the second his soul had alighted in his body. Thomas felt himself pale in comparison and maybe for the first time in his life didn’t mind. It didn’t feel like a knife twisting, but rather a hand taking him and leading. There was a shepherd, he thought and had to look away from Benítez’ gentle face.

read in full here on ao3 as usual: thank you @bastardofficial <3

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for St Charles Borromeo

Phil 3:17–4:1; Ps 122; Luke 16:1-8

St Charles Borromeo’s life could have ended in disaster. For a human being, it would be a disaster to end up in hell, self-alienated from God by our own selfish desires and our own sinful choices; this is the only true disaster for a human life. But what could have sent Charles Borromeo to hell? In short, the abandonment of his role as a bishop, which is what his family and the surrounding corrupt culture of the late 16th-century Church had in store for him. For his influential and powerful family had wanted wealth and great political power in the Church for him, and so at 12 he became a titular Abbot of a wealthy abbey; at 22 he became a Cardinal, and at 27 he finally became Archbishop of the prized diocese of Milan. 

However, each of these titles, although it brought more wealth and power, also brought great responsibility, and so they imperilled his soul. For as an abbot, the young Borromeo would have a solemn care for souls. As Cardinal, he would have to share the Pope’s responsibility of preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls. And as Archbishop, Charles Borromeo would have become the shepherd of his own diocese, with the care for souls in Milan, one of Italy’s largest dioceses. Each of these pastoral roles, whether the Borromeos were aware of it of not, entailed a solemn commitment to sharing in the mission and work of Jesus Christ, to preach and teach the Gospel and its commandments in its fullness. Hence Jesus said that “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.” (Lk 12:48) Indeed, the acceptance of the ministry of Bishop would require the life of a man. As St Thomas Aquinas says: “Bishops are farther bound to sacrifice their lives for the salvation of those committed to them, and thus to put in practice the words of our Lord, “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep””.

To this end, St Charles rose to the challenge, dying to himself and being willing to even risk his life by tending to plague victims and opposing clerical moral laxity; one priest had tried to assassinate him for this. But with the grace of God Saint Charles rose above the swamp of cultural Catholicism and the corruption and sin and nepotism all around him. He thus became an important player in the reformation of the Catholic Church begun at the Council of Trent but catalysed by the crisis of Protestantism. For St Charles had  committed himself as Archbishop of Milan to becoming a reforming bishop, keen to institute all the moral and structural reforms of the Council of Trent. He began by reforming his own life, taking ‘Humility’ as his personal motto. He took seriously this insight of St Thomas Aquinas, that “it is their duty [as bishops] to feed their flocks, not only by word and example, but likewise by temporal assistance… if need arise, to distribute their worldly goods among those committed to their care.”

St Charles, therefore, was renown for the personal austerity if his life, and he overturned the conventions of the day in order to benefit the poor and needy. In 1576 when a famine hit Milan and was struck with plague, he, as Archbishop, risked his life by remaining in the city when other rich and powerful men had fled. He single-handedly organised the relief of the dying, cared for the hungry by arranging for the religious houses of his diocese to feed around 70,000 people daily, and he used up his own funds and even went into debt in his personal efforts to feed the poor. At the same time, St Charles also reformed the seminary, exhorted his clergy to holiness, and preached and taught the Faith, striving to improve the morality of the people under his care. St Charles’s passion for catechesis following the Council of Trent has led him to become patron saint of catechists. For he knew that poorly-catechised Catholics would be led to disaster, and so, as a good shepherd, he strove to prevent this. 

This week, I was dismayed to read of an Irish bishop who silenced a priest who had preached against the moral decay of our times, and who had reminded us all of the need to acknowledge our sins, repent, and turn to Christ. Otherwise, he told his congregation at Mass, we risk consigning ourselves to hell. Everything in that sermon had come straight from the Bible and the Catechism. Yet the bishop responded to the ensuing outrage online (as the sermon had been livestreamed) by saying that “the views expressed do not represent the Christian position.” 

This incident makes me think that in our time, now, great is our need of catechists and good shepherds, fine Bishops who will rise to their vocations like St Charles did and lay down their lives for the salvation of souls. For it seems to me that too many Church leaders behave as St Paul says, “as the enemies of the cross of Christ” because “the things they think important are earthly things.” St Charles Borromeo is also patron of seminarians, priests, bishops and Church leaders. So, we need his prayers, that we not become enemies of the Cross of Christ. As I said, the fine example of episcopal leadership was not inevitable for St Charles, but, drawing on the grace and power of Christ, he fought the expectations of his time, he opposed the laxity and immorality both in the Church and in society in his time, and he overcame his own sins and reformed his own life. For as St Paul said: “our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for”. St Charles looked always to the Saviour, knowing that without him and without behaving with Christian integrity, then, we “are destined to be lost”, as St Paul warns. But with Christ, we shall indeed reach our homeland in heaven.  

So, may St Charles Borromeo pray for us and lead us home!