Catholic East Texas
The Magazine of the Diocese of Tyler
Young missionary strives to follow Christ’s model for evangelization
“I often think about how Jesus approached the woman at the well, how gentle it was,” the young missionary said. “That’s an approach that I also love to take. I just try to be myself and meet people.” As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ and...
Understanding the Sacrament of Confirmation
In Catholic circles, perhaps no other sacrament raises such a wide variety of interpretations and explanations as the sacrament of confirmation. Sometimes, well-meaning Catholics will say they can’t wait for their child to receive confirmation because then they will...
Father, does God keep forgiving the same sin?
Yes! Unlike human beings, who get tired of offering forgiveness for the same offense over and over again, God never tires of forgiving, no matter what the sin, no matter how often it has been committed. God is ever faithful. He sent his Son to die for your sins and...
Lent as a Family
Many years ago, I was inspired by some friends to do something I had never done … run a race. I fell in love with the idea. But at that point in my life, I was not exercising regularly — and I hate running. Despite my lack of athletic prowess, I decided to register...
Society of St. Vincent de Paul serves the poor throughout the diocese
As Christians, we are all called to serve the poor in our own communities. For many throughout the Diocese of Tyler, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one way volunteers help those in need. Originally founded in the 1830s in Paris, France, the Society of St....
Baptizing our son transformed our family’s life
As St. John says in his first letter, “Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself.” (1 Jn 5:10) Víctor Liera, a parishioner of St. Michael in Mount Pleasant, found that this transformative power of Christ is found in the sacraments. During a...
Why is the Church talking about a marriage catechumenate, and what can married couples do to get involved?
Last year, the Vatican published Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life, a document outlining the Church’s desire to accompany and evangelize couples seeking the sacrament of marriage in a more intentional way. This “pathway” is meant to draw couples into deeper...
Advent and the liturgical year
To a non-Catholic, or perhaps even to the typical Catholic, if we try to explain too much of the liturgical year, things can get confusing really quickly. For instance, how do we know if we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day when it falls on a Friday in Lent? Is the...
Faith Formation Department holds annual catechist conferences in Canton
The Faith Formation Department of the St. Philip Institute held the annual diocesan catechist conferences at St. Therese Catholic Church in Canton this year. In his homily at the Mass for the Day for Catechists in 2013, Pope Francis said catechists “are people who...
Father, why is it important to baptize children?
By Father Juan Pedro Gonzalez Dear brothers and sisters, the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you. Today, we have a great need in our life of faith; I speak of the importance of baptizing children. We must all...
Relationship: What baptism and discipleship are all about
In Scripture, Jesus makes a clear connection between baptism and discipleship when he says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …” (Mt 28:19-20) This is the mission of the...
The kingly role of the laity
In baptism, we are “freed from sin and reborn as sons of God,” “become members of Christ,” and “are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213) We also receive an indelible spiritual mark on our souls, the...
