Not Forgotten and Who Started the Catechisms?

No ... you have not been forgotten. Yesterday, today and tomorrow yours truly will be involved with the annual meeting of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre here in Washington. More about this after the meeting. Recently Cardinal Keeler approved the recommendation of the head of the local "Lieutenancy" that Fr. Jordan succeed Fr. Joe Howarth, a young priest who died of cancer in June, as the Director of Spiritual Formation for the Lieutenancy (regional area from Maryland to Florida and west to the Mississippi). Truly a challenge but something that I do believe the Holy Spirit was suggesting. My first action: created a blog for our formation!!! Imagine that!

Father John Carroll, once a Jesuit priest, was appointed the first bishop of Baltimore. His episcopal ordination was celebrated on August 15, 1790. Within a year he gather some 20 priests to begin reviewing the sacraments and how they were being taught to the people. It was the results of these meetings the ultimately resulted in the famous Baltimore catechism on which most of us did our spiritual teething! In 1808 the Holy See created the dioceses of Bardstown and Boston. At the same time the Holy Father elevated Baltimore to the dignity of Archdiocese. In so doing this, Bishop Carroll became Archbishop Carroll. In 1815 Archbishop Carroll died. He, along with other Bishops and Archbishops of Baltimore, among them James Carinal Gibbons who created Our Lady of Victory parish, is buried in the crypt of the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore. These weeks the Church of Baltimore with its leader, Cardinal Keeler, is celebrating the magnificent renovation of the Basilica --- bringing it back to the design at the time of its building. The architect of the original edifice was Benjamin Latrobe who designed the nation's Capitol building ... the domes are almost identical. A visit to the newly restored structure would be a great weekend activity for families. I strongly recommend a visit to our neighboring archdiocese and the Basilica ... located in downtown Baltimore. By the way: leave it to a former Jesuit to use his own personal formation to preach and teach through a new vehicle!!!!