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Recently, the diary of a young North Korean soldier killed in Ukraine came to light. What attracted most commentary was the revelation that he and his unfortunate colleagues were being used, essentially, as bait for the deadly drones that hover over the battlefields of that beleaguered country. What I found even more desperately sad, however, was a more personal truth that was laid bare in the pages of that diary.

We all know that we have a new president and with that comes an entirely new approach to many issues. I would like to discuss one of the hot-button issues our nation is experiencing—immigration. I encourage everyone to read Archbishop Rodi’s column in this issue of The Catholic Week. I find it exceptional.

Whether it was in hospitals, schools, parishes, orphanages, elderly homes or anywhere else they were in need, the Daughters of Charity were here to serve the people of Alabama. Their all-important ministry, which began in 1841, is coming to an end within the Archdiocese of Mobile as the three remaining Daughters of Charity in Mobile have been called to withdraw from ministries and will relocate elsewhere.

Fr. Paul Halladay, a priest of the Archdiocese of Mobile, has been appointed vocation director for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, effective Jan. 22.

As many as 35 million visitors are expected in Rome in 2025. Many of them will be pilgrims for the jubilee, a holy year the church celebrates every quarter-century that began on Dec. 24 and ends Jan. 6, 2026. While numerous events are planned in Rome and at the Vatican to mark the Jubilee 2025, this Holy Year is for the whole Church and there are ways to celebrate without leaving the Archdiocese of Mobile.

This month, the ballroom of the Cathedral rectory was the site for two very special retirement celebrations of archdiocesan executive directors. Some of the central ministries of the Archdiocese of Mobile report directly to me, but most are organized into five departments: Catholic Education, Catholic Social Services, Development/Stewardship, Financial Services and Legal Services.

We are so blessed to live in a prosperous country. Many of us don’t worry about our next meal or how we are going to pay the power bill. This physical plentifulness, however, also presents a real spiritual danger for us. Being in a land of plenty can lead us to spiritual laziness.

Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi will celebrate the annual All Souls Day Mass on Saturday, Nov. 2 at The Catholic Cemetery of Mobile, 1700 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Mass will begin at 10 a.m. behind the mausoleum. In the event of inclement weather, Mass will be held in the mausoleum chapel.

SPANISH FORT — Jim and Cele Fibbe’s first date back in 1958 included a game of miniature golf. Cele’s certain she won, Jim isn’t as convinced.

MONTGOMERY — As Sarah Rose Burden began her first year as an elementary teacher with Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, she was not overly nervous as most brand new educators might be about embarking on a brand new career. Miss Burden grew up learning from her mother and her grandfather, who are both teachers and former administrators at the school, and she always dreamed of one day joining the teaching profession.

Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi and Bishop Steven J. Raica of Birmingham declared support for the Creating Hope & Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act in a letter to Alabama legislatures.

CANTON, Miss. — Sculptor Mary Davidson and her co-artist-husband Dr. Kenneth Davidson watched as the “Black Christ” was being erected on the wall behind the altar at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Camden, Miss. Suddenly the voice of a parishioner spoke to Mary, almost in a whisper. It was 2007.

​​​​​​​Muchas veces, cuando la gente se refiere a los hispanos que vivimos al sur de la carretera interestatal I-85 en Alabama, lo primero que les viene a la mente es personas de origen mexicano. Y con razón, durante muchos años la mayoría de los hispanos en los 28 condados más al sur en el estado de Alabama eran de México.

McGill-Toolen Catholic High School and St. Michael Catholic High School are both home to National Merit finalists.

It’s that time of year again; my favorite and most dreaded time of the year.  I don’t like the discipline of Lent.  That is precisely why Lent is so important to me.  Look, if Lent required me to give up things I am not attached to it would be easy.  The fact is that my heart is attracted to many manmade things. 

MOBILE — McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Director of Advancement, Kim Dunne, has announced her retirement, effective at the end of June.

Congratulations to Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School sixth-grader Justin Lee, who became the three-time Montgomery County Spelling Bee champion on Feb. 12.

VATICAN CITY — A Catholic priest can bless a gay or other unmarried couple as long as it is not a formal liturgical blessing and does not give the impression that the Catholic Church is blessing the union as if it were a marriage, the Vatican doctrinal office said.

It is that time of year when many will write an article lamenting the crass commercialism of Christmas. In like fashion, it is also the time to dwell nostalgically on the days when Christmas was a more spiritual time than today.

A series that answers questions about a subject relevant to the Catholic Church, local or global. This week's topic: Miracles