In an increasingly secularized society, believers find themselves at times under attack. Not to recognize this would be grossly naïve. Under the guise of political correctness, Christian beliefs and values are ridiculed by professors, politicians, entertainers and news people. The Manhattan Declaration, released on November 20, 2009, squarely faces this reality.

The history of the world is the tale of cities that rise and fall. Nineveh, Tyre, Babylon, Jerusalem and Ancient Rome all crumbled and fell. When the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last Roman emperor in 476 A.D., Rome fell not simply because of the invading vandals, it fell because it was corrupt from within.

Through the grand tapestry of our nation’s history with its scenes of storm-covered battlefields and families united in peace runs the golden thread of thanksgiving. The narrative of our national identity can never be told without the word “thanksgiving.”

In the November 3, 2009 election, Maine became the 31st state to hold on to marriage as a union of a man and a woman. While voters around the country have again and again upheld the traditional definition of marriage, the debate has not ended.

[This is the second of three articles on the attempt to redefine marriage.] According to a recent news article, the redefinition of marriage has become a pressing issue in the State of New Jersey. Proponents of same-sex marriages want to pass a bill to alter the definition of marriage after this week’s general election during the lame duck session of the State legislature.

The cutting short of the life of Fr. Edward Hinds, the beloved pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Chatham, has wounded the hearts of all who knew him. Already, many people have told me about the profound and lasting impact that he had made in their lives. They have expressed how the loss of his preaching and his priestly leadership will now leave an emptiness in their lives.

Today we are facing a very strong, focused and well-financed effort to redefine marriage. The definition of marriage is not some esoteric question. It has very serious consequences for individuals and for society itself. In the discussions surrounding this issue, there is need for clear, logical reason. However, the debate has been otherwise.

[This is the fourth article on the saints and their relics in Catholic devotion. This catechesis is to provide a deeper appreciation of the richness of authentic Catholic piety. This catechesis is taking place as four relics of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, patron of priests, travel throughout the parishes of the diocese to encourage prayer for priests during this Year for Priests.]

[This is the third article in a catechesis on the saints and their relics in Catholic devotion. This catechesis is to provide a deeper appreciation of the richness of authentic Catholic piety. This catechesis is taking place as four relics of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, patron of priests, travel throughout the parishes of the diocese to encourage prayer for priests during this Year for Priests.]

[This is the second article in a catechesis on the saints and their relics in Catholic devotion. This catechesis is to provide a deeper appreciation of the richness of authentic Catholic piety. This catechesis is taking place as four relics of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, patron of priests, travel throughout the parishes of the diocese to encourage prayer for priests during this Year for Priests.]

[In a series of four articles, the bishop will provide a catechesis on the saints and their relics in Catholic devotion. This catechesis is to provide a deeper appreciation of the richness of authentic Catholic piety. This catechesis is taking place as four relics of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, patron of priests, travel throughout the parishes of the diocese to encourage prayer for priests during this Year for Priests.]