Five Things to Remember on Jan. 22

1.      A just released CARA study suggests Catholic colleges influence an individual’s choice to become a religious. The survey also found an increase in Asians, particularly Vietnamese, choosing religious life in the U.S. The data are found in “New Sisters and Brothers Professing Perpetual Vows in    Religious Life.”

 

2.      Bishops want Catholics to go to confession during Lent, according to a just released statement that added that Catholics should make going to confession a significant part of their spiritual lives. “God’s Gift of Forgiveness: The Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation” was approved by the bishops during their General Assembly in Baltimore, November 13. Lent begins Wednesday, February 13.

 

3.      Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., of Boston has called for prayer and penance to mark Roe v Wade's 40^th anniversary. “Our nation greatly needs our prayers and personal sacrifices,” said Cardinal. “The evil of abortion inflicts unimaginable pain, but Jesus offers us healing and renewal.” For more information on the Supreme Court’s abortion decisions: http://endroe.org

 

4.      The U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Department of Communications and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America support the White House proposal to allocate $10 million to the Centers for Disease Control to study the relationship between video games, media images and violence. “We know that media influences young people and their behavior,” said Helen Osman, USCCB secretary of communications. “So it is crucial to deepen our understanding of how violent media images and video games influence them and whether there is a link to violent behavior.” The USCCB and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America represent more than 77 million people. In spring 2013 the USCCB Committee on Communications and the Greek Orthodox Church of America will release an online Digital Safety Guide for parents and faith communities.

 

5. God loves you.