I had the honor of welcoming participants in the Catholic Leadership Institute at Canisius College on June 29, 2010 at the Montante Center.  My remarks and a special prayer for teachers are below:

Greetings!

It’s a delight to see you all, teachers, principals, college students, and other key leaders, who represent the best in Catholic education – here at this first Summer Institute for Catholic Leaders.

This partnership with Canisius College, Loyola University-Chicago, and the Department of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Buffalo speaks to the important networking, collaboration, and, sharing of expertise, to strengthen our Catholic schools, colleges, and universities.
 

I join my fellow Poles in Buffalo, Western New York and around the world in mourning the tragic death of President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and the 94 other victims of Saturday’s (Apr. 10, 2010) catastrophic plane crash in Russia.

Their loss is further compounded by the location of their deaths: Russia’s Katyn forest, where 70 years ago, Russian forces brutally killed 20,000 Polish military officers in a bid to eliminate some of Poland’s brightest and best.

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad! On Easter Sunday, we look to the risen Christ and His promise of new life.

“We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over Him. As to His death, He died to sin once and for all; as to his life, He lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus” (Romans, 6: 3-11).

As we continue our Easter journey, let us be mindful of the Lord’s life-giving power, His forgiveness and His enduring, unconditional love for us. May we continue to follow Christ as He leads us to the resurrection.

This has been a wonderful morning full of celebration, and on behalf of the Appeal Team, Catholic Charities and the Diocese of Buffalo, let me applaud all of the students and faculty here at St. Amelia School for your wonderful efforts and creativity.

This morning we are here to celebrate all of you, and everything you have done for this Appeal in the past up until this very moment. Today is also the first day of the official Appeal Week, which is about so much more than announcing the total amount raised to date. Of course, that number is critical to us and to the tens of thousands of people who benefit from the good works of Catholic Charities.

As members of Congress prepare to take a final vote on health care reform legislation, it is important to reiterate my position, and that of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

For decades, the Catholic Church in this country has advocated for affordable, accessible health care for all, including the poor and vulnerable. However, we cannot, in good conscience, support any bill that violates the longstanding federal policy against the use of federal funds for elective abortions, and health plans that provided coverage for such abortions, a policy upheld in all health programs covered by the Hyde Amendment as well as in the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

My dear people of God. I come to you today to ask you to make the compassion of Jesus your own. Through the readings of the liturgies of Lent, the Church asks us to change the way of the world into the way of Jesus. The way of the world is to destroy the barren tree, to reject the prodigal son, and to stone the adulterous woman. The way of Jesus is the way of compassion.

How can we change the judgment of the world to the compassion of Jesus? This transformation is hard work but it is God’s work in us and God’s work through us in each era and in every place. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus told the people of Nazareth that His work was “to bring good news to the poor, release to those held bound, freedom for prisoners, to proclaim a year of favor from God.”

I found something that I thought would be most appropriate as we approach this particular season in our Church. It’s called “Feasting and Fasting.” It’s one of the great spiritual things we can do as we progress through this particular time of our Church year. 

Following are my remarks from the Catholic Charities Appeal Erie County Workshop.  We gathered at Salvatore's Italian Gardens in Cheektowaga on Jan. 24.

Here we are - another year, and another Appeal. It’s wonderful to see all of you here once again in support of Catholic Charities. It’s always great to see so many familiar faces, and new faces too!

On behalf of the tens of thousands of people who benefit each year from the programs and services of Catholic Charities of Buffalo, I want to thank you for your support as we start our journey towards a successful 2010 Appeal.