Message from the Bishop

A disrespect for human life is at the heart of our social and cultural problems today. Our own Church is not immune. The recent scandals painfully remind us of how the continuing abuses by Church personnel have denigrated the human dignity of those entrusted to her maternal care. 

October is “Respect Life Month.” It is a reminder every year that calls us to be mindful of the respect, beauty, and dignity of human life as God has ordained it to be – made in His image and likeness. 

The killing of a child in the womb known as abortion is the beginning of the worse form of human abuse since it attacks and takes the life of a completely innocent and completely defenseless human child. Respect and protection of innocent life is the foundation of a society’s respect and care of life in all its subsequent stages and conditions. If life is not respected first and foremost in the womb, a respect for life is at risk in homes, schools, and society in general. The plight of the homeless, the treatment of vulnerable families, the elderly, and the disable often times is a testament to this. 

Pope Francis has reminded us of the dangers of this “throwaway culture” mentality, where everything, including human life, is seen in terms of convenience. He asks poignantly, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium).

I know in our diocese there are many people who care and want to make a difference in the life of people who are most vulnerable. I ask myself what concrete steps can be taken to connect us with children and families in need in our own neighborhoods? What can break down the isolation and lack of community resources that prevent them from getting the help they really need?

Reflecting on these questions, I think about the various pro-life groups and initiatives that continue to work to eradicate abortion not just from our laws but also from our society’s mentality and to build a true culture of life. I also think of our local beautiful initiatives such as Corpus Christi Hope House and the Gabriel Project that are saving and transforming lives. Last year alone they served 4,000 people. They feed the hungry, clothe the naked and provide a home for the homeless. Their very existence and witness is creating a culture of life in our local society. And there are so many other agencies such as Catholic Charities and other ministries doing remarkable work. 

Wanting to understand how to better respond to these questions, I visited Community First! Village in Austin. This Village embraces a 27-acre master-planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for the disabled and chronically homeless in Central Texas. 

What impressed me is that this creative residential program exists to love and serve people who have been living on the streets for years. They are also empowering the surrounding community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.

Another important visit for me was the time I spent with Border Patrol Officers in Falfurrias. I was grateful to meet men and women who work at the Border Patrol. While dedicated to following the law, I was impressed by their concern and willingness to see these migrants as human beings who should be treated with respect and dignity. I saw their compassion manifested by the food, water, and toys they keep in their vehicles to assist these people in need. 

One of these officers shared with me that he has daughters and when he sees these children, he sees his daughters. 

While we can’t address all the important issues of human dignity such as the death penalty, euthanasia, and abuse of the elderly at once, this pro-life month gives us an opportunity to reflect on the dignity of all human life. We can ask ourselves what more can we do to be Jesus’ servants to each neighbor in need?