Latest news with #HolyFamilyChurch
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gregorio P. Garcia Gregorio P. Garcia known to most as
May 3—Gregorio P. Garcia Gregorio P. Garcia known to most as "G.P.", a beloved father, grandfather, and veteran, passed away peacefully on April 16, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Born on March 17, 1933, in Albuquerque, Gregorio spent his life deeply rooted in the community he loved. Gregorio proudly served his country as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, achieving the rank of Sergeant. His service reflected the values he carried throughout his lifecourage, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to doing what was right. Following his military service, Gregorio embarked on a long and dedicated career with the United States Postal Service as a postal carrier. His work ethic and reliability left a lasting impression on those he served and worked alongside until his retirement. Family was at the heart of Gregorio's life. He is lovingly remembered by his brothers and sisters; his wife Aurelia Garcia; his sons Greg Garcia, Amadeo Morales, Eric Garcia, Antony Garcia, and Kris Garcia; and his daughter Debbie Garcia. He also leaves behind many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren who will continue to cherish his memory. Gregorio was predeceased by his daughter Annette Garcia. Known for being soft-spoken yet profoundly humble, Gregorio had an innate ability to connect with others through kindness and wisdom. He was always ready to extend a helping hand to anyone in need. Through sharing memories and stories rich with lessons in morality and integrity, he instilled in those around him the importance of living an honorable life. Gregorio's legacy of compassion, strength, and humility will live on through all who were fortunate enough to know him. May his memory bring comfort and inspiration to those whose lives he touched. Rosary and mass May 7th, 2025, 0900am at Holy Family Church 562 Atrisco Dr SW Albuquerque, NM 87105 Funeral May 8th, 2025, 1030am at Santa Fe National Cemetery 501 North Guadalupe Street Santa Fe, NM 87501
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Portrait of Pope Francis: His life, message, legacy
I wish I had met Pope Francis. I wouldn't say that of other famous people but of the Pope it's true. He had a warm, genial, happy face. He smiled a lot and each time his eyes would light up. His laughter was heartfelt and genuine, his affection for children sincere. He liked being with people. He saw himself as one of them. Much of this was obvious from the pictures I saw during his lifetime. It's what I discovered after his death that's really endeared him. Today I want to share with you the picture of Pope Francis that I've been able to research. In the style of St Francis of Assisi, whose name he took as his own papal name, the Pope lived very modestly. He shunned the grand papal home in the Vatican and chose instead a small two-room apartment in a guest house. He wore battered brown shoes. He would frequently invite his guards to breakfast and often dine in the Vatican workers' canteen. Before he became a priest, Francis was a bouncer in Buenos Aires. Perhaps that's why his approach to the priesthood was very different to the other priests. His central aim was to embrace the poor. He saw the Church and his faith through their eyes. Not surprisingly, they called him the Bishop of the Slums. It probably also underlies one of the most amazing things he did which the world barely knew about. After the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023, it's reported that 'He would make nightly phone calls to the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in Gaza, to offer prayers and words of encouragement to both Christians and Muslims sheltering within its walls.' The fact so few knew of this is perhaps typical of Francis. He did it because he wanted to. Not because he was seeking credit or publicity. I'm more surprised the few who knew did not make a greater effort to ensure it was better known. Francis was the first Pope to soften the Catholic Church's attitude to homosexuality. 'Who am I to judge?', he famously asked. He was also the first to believe that divorced or re-married Catholics could receive the sacrament. Even though four conservative Cardinals publicly opposed him, he did not waver. Of course, the Pope was traditional and conservative on issues like contraception, abortion, same-sex marriage and transgender recognition. As I was told, he was a very liberal Catholic Pope but he was still a Catholic Pope. That wasn't said to limit praise but to illustrate his willingness to push the boundaries. All of this points to one simple fact. Pope Francis cared about people. The position he took on the issue of immigrants and refugees proves this. His first formal visit as Pope was to the island of Lampedusa to meet illegal migrants from North Africa. Weeks before he fell ill, he criticised President Trump's policies linking illegal immigrants with criminality. I can't think of any other head of State who went so far. The late Pope was also the first to formally enter into a dialogue with Islam. He held an open-air mass in the United Arab Emirates, the first ever on the Arabian peninsula. This act of inter-religious fraternity was attacked by conservatives. He simply ignored their position. There are aspects of the Pope's life where, arguably, he failed. He was not particularly adept at handling allegations of corruption in the Vatican, even when they concerned the Secretariat of State. Cardinal Angelo Becciu may have been imprisoned in 2023, but the wider problem was not really tackled. But then none of his predecessors was any better. However, Francis may have ensured the Catholic Church will continue as he left it. Of the 135 Cardinals eligible to vote for his successor, 108 were appointed by him. Of them, 53 are European but 82 are from Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America and Oceania. So, will his successor be another non-European? The odds suggest he could be. Karan Thapar is the author of Devil's Advocate: The Untold Story. The views expressed are personal
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gen-Z is flocking to the church — I just hope there's still room for Catholics like me
When I was in elementary school, every Tuesday I would meet up with a group of fellow Catholic girls by the baseball field and walk to our weekly Catholic class. I was apathetic about the lessons themselves — we were silly and rambunctious, and we would torment whoever's mother had the task of instructing that week's lesson. Catholicism was a part of my life in a structural sense: church most Sundays, Catholic class most Tuesdays and grace before dinner. One day in early spring, after walking slowly to class under the beech trees that lined the streets of my hometown, we sat down, opened our booklets and learned that if you didn't believe in God — our God — you were going to hell. This lesson went entirely against the inclusive, hospitality-driven Catholicism I was raised on. I couldn't accept that my best friend with a Muslim mother, my Jewish teammates, and the Protestant girls I had sleepovers with on Saturday nights were going to hell. It was the first time in my life that I heard a person of authority, an adult whom I trusted, state something as fact that I felt in my heart was simply not true. With that seed of skepticism, I began to think critically about the culture and institution that structured much of my childhood and my identity. I didn't realize then that grappling with the truth, with conscience, and with religion itself is central to what Catholicism is. I thought about that day, and so many others like that, when the news broke that Pope Francis had died. On Saturday, he will be laid to rest in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. He leaves behind a broken world, a beautiful legacy, an unprecedented number of young new Catholics — and many, like me, with a deeply complex relationship with the church. It turns out my lapsed Catholicism is not typical of younger generations. Members of the highly paradoxical Gen Z cohort in particular are joining the Catholic Church in numbers not seen for generations. According to the conservative National Catholic Register, some dioceses are seeing a year-over-year increase in new members from 30% to 70%. In a diocese in Fort Worth, Texas, the number of converts increased 72% from 2023 to 2024. My own theory is that Pope Francis himself may have something to do with these numbers, although reasons for joining the church in recent years are many. Tributes to him from Catholics and non-Catholics alike speak of his bravery, his devotion to the 'discarded' and his compassion. He was rebellious in his inclusion. He washed the feet of incarcerated people, of Muslim people and of women on Holy Thursday. He confirmed all dogs go to heaven. He permitted the blessing of LGBTQ+ couples in the church. He called the Holy Family Church in Gaza City every evening since the beginning of the war. He rebuked far-right populists across the globe and their callous treatment of immigrants. Of course, it isn't just Francis contributing to the rise of Catholicism. When I consider what Catholicism has to offer young people — the community, the identity, the certainty — it is unsurprising that we've seen such a surge in popularity. While no generation is a monolith, there has been an observed degradation of community within Gen Z. More young men have no friends, Americans have become individualistic and self-serving, and there are fewer meaningful places and effective services to find support. The Catholic Church is, foundationally, realistic. It presumes humans are sinful and broken and that life is extremely hard — a sentiment deeply felt in this country right now. In Catholicism, those realities are met with grace and then with a path to redemption. Guilt, desire and suffering are not celebrated within the Catholic Church, but they're certainly embraced. There is no grace without sin; there is no Catholicism without the promise of redemption. Catholicism also lends itself to modern culture in some surprising ways that particularly resonate with Gen Z's emphasis on 'aesthetic' and beauty. The Catholic Church has always put a premium on powerful, highly dramatic art, imagery and architecture. Catholic TikTok is filled with videos of lit candles on a sprawling stone altar, rosary beads draped over long, painted nails, and highly stylized Virgin Mary statues. Gen Z is far from the first to feel inspired by Catholic art: French fashion designer Christian Lacroix's crosses, Andy Warhol's unfinished sunset films and even the 2018 theme of the Met Gala, 'Heavenly Bodies.' I am not so naive as to assume that the right-leaning young people joining the church share the sort of Commonweal, progressive Catholicism that I was raised with. We cannot ignore the dark, exclusionary and hateful parts of the church, especially when they're used to qualify problematic and destructive conservatism. It is necessary to ask where safe and legal access to abortion, the LGBTQ+ community and women can exist in the Catholic Church today. I don't go to Mass right now, and although my husband and I had an extremely positive experience getting married at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City, I may never become an involved member of any parish ever again. I do, however, buy bodega prayer candles when I am feeling particularly worried and lost. I've got one of St. Barbara, an almost entirely used Sacred Heart of Jesus and one, inscribed in Spanish, of Our Lady of Altagracia. Catholicism will always help define who I am, guide how I treat others and provide a sense of solace when I need it. A few weeks ago, I was crying while walking home from the subway (a regular New York City pastime). A volunteer sweeping the steps outside of a Catholic church in Williamsburg stopped me and gently asked if I wanted to go inside and say a prayer. I said yes. Sitting among a few nuns and a beautiful older woman in a black mantilla made me feel, for even just a few moments, at peace. Soon, white smoke will billow out of the Vatican and the cardinal protodeacon will stand in front of the devoted and declare a newly appointed pontiff: habemus papam. I hope this new pope will carry on the legacy of Pope Francis, I hope this new pope will encourage new Catholics to question and explore their faith, and I hope this new pope leaves room for Catholics like me. This article was originally published on
New York Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
My Selfie With Francis: The Digital Legacy of an Approachable Pope
Pope Francis was 76 years old when he became pope, an elder statesman in a religion struggling to modernize. Many of the Catholics he counseled were much younger, but he tried to meet them where they were. Often, that meant smiling for a selfie in what became a symbol of his approachable papacy. Social media posts and endearing stories from parishioners and fans over the years have accrued — a 21st-birthday blessing, a toddler who snatched the pope's headpiece, a mini-me in a cassock — and become part of his legacy. At lively appearances and parades that were sometimes compared to the Olympics or a World Cup, people collected the photos. Even priests and papal missionaries were not immune to asking for a picture. Sometimes, the encounters were quieter, such as that of one artist who was invited to the Vatican to present his work to the pope. When asked what he made of the selfies, Pope Francis said at a news conference, 'I feel like a great-grandfather!' But he added: 'It's another culture. I respect it.' Ash Jurberg, 51 Ash Jurberg, a travel writer from Melbourne, Australia, crossed paths with Pope Francis in 2014 after Mr. Jurberg made a spontaneous detour in his European travels to visit Albania. Mr. Jurberg booked a trip to Tirana, Albania, for Sept. 20, 2014 — which ended up being the day before Pope Francis would visit the country. Mr. Jurberg was shocked by the crowds and what he called a 'big, festive atmosphere,' comparing it to the Olympics and the World Cup. 'You could almost hear the buzz as he approached,' Mr. Jurberg said. As Pope Francis went by, Mr. Jurberg tried to catch him in a selfie on his early generation iPhone but just missed him. Although he didn't get the photo exactly right, and even though Mr. Jurberg is Jewish, he said the day stuck with him. 'I just felt inspired by the whole thing about the impact that one person could have,' he said. 'Not from a religious or a god perspective, but just about making people feel better about themselves.' Massimo Lobuglio, 44 Massimo Lobuglio, an artist from New York City, has been painting murals of Pope Francis around Manhattan and Brooklyn since 2020. Mr. Lobuglio said he was inspired by the pope's dedication to protecting the environment, along with his other calls for social justice. Eventually, his art caught the eye of someone who worked in the Vatican, and he was invited in February to present his art to Pope Francis. 'It was really, really surreal,' Mr. Lobuglio said, adding that he felt that Pope Francis had a 'childlike spirit.' He presented him with two paintings: one of Pope Francis as a boy, and the other a portrait of Mary painted as a Palestinian woman, because the pope was connected to the Holy Family Church in Gaza. Mr. Lobuglio said Pope Francis looked at the photo of the young boy and said with a laugh, 'Who is this child?' Father Eduardo Perdomo, 33 The Rev. Eduardo Perdomo, a resident of Rionegro, Colombia, was part of a group of newly ordained priests who were attending a general audience with Pope Francis on May 1, 2024. At its conclusion, Father Perdomo, now 33, and his companions were allowed to greet Pope Francis, when Father Perdomo nervously asked for a group selfie. Pope Francis readily agreed, but Father Perdomo said he was so nervous that his whole body shook as he held the phone. The moment had special resonance for him: He had studied philosophy and theology in Rome for six years and was a frequent attendee of general audiences with Pope Francis. 'This selfie is like a memory for me to all those things I did when Pope Francis was alive,' Father Perdomo said. 'So now I have this very important memory in my phone, in my office, and also in my heart.' Mountain Butorac, 50 Mountain Butorac, who leads pilgrimages to the Vatican and other religious sites across Europe and the Middle East, said that he has brought thousands of people to Rome to meet Pope Francis at his audiences. The first time Mr. Butorac, who is originally from Atlanta, tried to take a selfie with Pope Francis, the endeavor failed miserably, he said. His phone camera was pointed toward himself, but missed the pope. A Vatican photographer snapped a picture of Pope Francis, but Mr. Butorac's face was covered by his phone. His first successful selfie came in 2021, when Rome was beginning to open after the pandemic lockdowns. The pope held smaller audiences of around 400 people and he would stop and meet with each one — a perfect opportunity to snap a selfie. Four years earlier, Mr. Butorac brought his goddaughter to meet Pope Francis — an interaction that became a viral video after his goddaughter snatched the zucchetto, a traditional Catholic headpiece, off the pope's head. As concerned security guards watched the pope to see how he would react, he burst into laughter. 'He was not a typical head of state. He enjoyed fun,' Mr. Butorac said. 'He would let it show, and he would encourage it.' Father James Sichko, 58 In the Rev. James Sichko's work as a papal missionary, he estimates that he met with Pope Francis roughly twice a year for nine years and took upward of 20 selfies. The first came at 4:30 in the morning as Father Jim, as he likes to be called, ran into Pope Francis as he raced to catch a flight and the pope headed to his customary early morning prayers. The last was taken just three days before Pope Francis was hospitalized in February. Father Jim travels weekly for his work as a missionary, he said. The tag of his carry-on luggage displays one of his selfies with Pope Francis. It often sparks conversations with fellow travelers. 'He was a very human and down-to-earth individual,' Father Jim said. 'He really believed that you were an individual, and that's how he saw you.' Annie Klare, 25 Annie Klare was studying abroad in Austria in 2021 when her Franciscan University program traveled to the Vatican as part of an eight-day pilgrimage. Her group joined an audience of 200 people to meet the pope. The leader of her program brought his son, who was dressed as the pope. When Pope Francis saw his mini-me, he 'freaked out,' Ms. Klare said, and took a picture with him. Ms. Klare snapped a selfie as the pope came by, and certain members of her group who were closer shook his hand. For Ms. Klare, who grew up Catholic and was studying in a Catholic program, the moment felt special. 'My brother is about to become a priest,' she said. 'So that was just a monumental moment.' Barbara Anne Kozee, 30 When Pope Francis announced he would stop in Washington, D.C., as part of his first visit to the United States, Barbara Anne Kozee, who was then a student at Georgetown, began scouting the calendar of his visit. The date of his visit fell exactly on her 21st birthday. Ms. Kozee, then 30, woke up at 3 a.m. and jockeyed for position at his papal audience, bringing with her a 'super big' sign that read: 'Bless me, it's my 21st birthday.' As the pope rode by in his popemobile, the sign caught his eye. He mouthed to Ms. Kozee, 'It's your birthday?' and blessed her. Ms. Kozee, now a Ph.D. student in a theology program at Boston College, said the traditional response would have been to bless herself. 'I was just totally like, you know, flabbergasted that this had just happened,' she said. 'So I blew him an air kiss and then he also blew me back an air kiss.' Nové Deypalan, 58 Nové Deypalan a music director at a church in Orange County, Calif., brought his choir to sing for Pope Francis in 2017. The group's travel agency said the pope might make an appearance in St. Peter's Square for New Year's Eve. Mr. Deypalan's group arrived early enough to get a spot along the barricade among thousands of people. The pope approached the group and shook Mr. Deypalan's hand in a moment captured by a Vatican photographer. Mr. Deypalan said he grew up Catholic in the Philippines, and it was his third time meeting a pope. But Mr. Deypalan said that Pope Francis's focus on the poor and marginalized populations of the world meant a lot to him. Mr. Deypalan described Pope Francis as not a 'normal pope.' 'He's very simple,' he said.
The Star
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Green Shoots: The challenge of love for those at the margins
This column is appearing on the day the leader of the Catholic Church is being buried. World leaders universally have hailed Pope Francis as a man of the people. Tributes to his love for humanity have come from all quarters, from theologians and clergy, and from high-profile voices and commentators on social and political affairs. For me the most poignant expression of grief came from the priests and parishioners of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. Francis phoned them every day amidst the Israeli assault to let them know he held them in his heart, that every single day they were foremost in his thoughts. It is this solidarity with those at the margins that the world will now miss. And whether Catholic or Protestant, religious or atheist, I reckon that if this doesn't challenge us all to reflect on how we see the world and engage with it, we miss a chance to share and amplify Francis' legacy of justice, peace, and love for those at the margins. It got me thinking that it is at the margins of society where change happens. So many of us are comfortable in our existence in the centre. The centre is where you are accepted, where there is certainty and order in how things work. It usually involves having resources (money), and that gives us the security that enables us to navigate a world that is quite difficult to be in at the moment. The safety and security of being in the centre - inside the castle walls - is reassuring, and requires only that you maintain it and your place in it. At the margins is where the struggle to survive shapes and determines your life. Living at the margins of society is scary. People there must manage an ever-present existential threat, whether it's from genocidal bombers or greedy warmongers in places like Gaza or Sudan. It could be the threats to survival that poverty brings, the inability to feed yourself or your family. Or you could be navigating the constant threat to your personal safety for being gay or lesbian, or a woman, or a migrant, or a child. We have created a society that needs those at the margins so that the centre can exist. We have set it up like that – it isn't accidental, and it focuses our actions and thoughts to maintaining it. We go through life with blinkers, not looking left or right so as not to be distracted from doing what is required to maintain the privilege of being in the inner sanctum. How much does that prevent us from imagining something different, from taking inspiration from those who are not constrained by privilege? To see and acknowledge and love, like Francis did, those who are at the margins is not about charity and pity. It is about leaving the safety of our privilege and engaging with those who struggle every day for their dignity, and learning from that. It is about suspending the certainty that the centre has the answers, and instead allowing ourselves to imagine a different way of being that doesn't require the marginalisation or exploitation of anybody. When he was chosen to lead the church, the Pope chose the name Francis. St Francis of Assisi, in the 13 th century, chose to reject the privilege of his family's wealth to be with those at the margins. I have no doubt he too saw how great the cost of maintaining the centre was to humanity and the earth, much like Pope Francis did. We would do well for ourselves and the world to heed that challenge.
