Catholic East Texas
The Magazine of the Diocese of Tyler
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...
It was all worth it: The journey of one man who did not want to be a priest
“People have asked me, ‘What do you most look forward to in the priesthood?’ The sacraments are obviously, I think the first priority,” the new priest said. After a long pause, he continued, “But very close to that, in a mysterious, absurd, mystical way, when a person...
The prophetic mission of the baptized
When we think of prophets, we may think of people from Scripture like Moses, Isaiah, Elijah, or John the Baptist. These men were bold and fearless. Many miraculous deeds were accomplished by their hands, like the parting of the Red Sea, raising the dead to life,...
Catholic education supports family life in East Texas
“I like to kid with him sometimes,” Miguel Zamora said about his son Ezra, a student at St. Patrick School in Lufkin. “Ezra, do you want to go to another school? And he’s like, ‘No, I like St. Patrick’s,’” Miguel said with a smile. “We’re starting to see how strong he...
Father, my child is preparing for confirmation and first Communion, what can I do to help my child prepare to receive these sacraments?
This is a good question and one I wish I heard more! The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.” (CCC 2223) This includes education in our faith. It is incumbent upon you, as ...
Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel: How one young man evangelizes in his community
“The Lord has never stopped thinking about you,” the young evangelist said with a gentle smile on his face. “I often say this when I'm evangelizing to people and telling people about the Lord’s love. From the beginning of time, God had you in mind. He has been...
The Common Priesthood of the Faithful
The role of priests is a well-established, biblical idea that precedes the advent of the Church. In the Book of Exodus, for instance, every family had its own priest, with the father taking on the role for his household. In this ancient understanding of...
Making the Lenten journey more transformative
Lent is a penitential season in the Church and a time of interior renewal and transformation. During Lent, the Church calls us to focus more intensely on repentance, conversion, and growing in holiness. It is a time to prepare for the Easter triduum when we recall...
Who Needs Lent? We Do
On Ash Wednesday, bishops, priests and deacons around the world administer the ashes to the faithful who come forward to identify themselves as pilgrims on the 40-day journey of repentance and conversion called “Lent”. The word is derived from an old English term...
