SHARE - Fall 2008 - (Page 4)

National Chaplain’s Message Protectors of Our Freedoms This message is based on Msgr. Walsh’s homily at the Patriotic Mass held during the recent national convention in Albuquerque. My dear Catholic Daughters: On April 16 of this year, on his 81st birthday and on the occasion of his visit to the United States, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, XVI, attended a formal welcoming ceremony hosted by President Bush on the White House South Lawn. Some of you were there, including National Regent Claudia Bosch, and it was a festive event. At the same time, on that occasion, His Holiness shared some serious thoughts about freedom and the values, which we as Americans hold dear. He said, “From the Rev. Msgr. Gerald J. Walsh dawn of the republic, America’s quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator.” He continued, “In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good.” Quoting our first President, George Washington, His Holiness continued, “Religion and morality are indispensable supports of a strong republic. “Democracy can only flourish”, he continued, “as your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation.” We gather to renew our loyalty to those same ideals and to pledge, once again, our dedication to the task of citizenship, which compels us to join our hearts and hands in noble efforts to sustain the freedoms which this country provides. Freedoms for which patriotic women and men have fought and for which they have given their lives in battle over the last two centuries. Freedoms which young women and men, even today, continue to discover reasons in their hearts to defend and preserve by offering their lives to keep us free. They deserve our prayers, our gratitude and our strong support. They, along with every person who strives for freedom of life for all people, including the unborn, the most defenseless of our human family, look to us for strength and support. We must not let them down. We must never grow weary in our efforts to protect human life on every level in every way. We remember the heroes of the past and their many deeds of valor and victory. We cannot forget what they have done for us and we pray for them and the repose of their immortal and valiant souls. At the same time, history continues and we look to the future. We pray also for those who will come after us. We pray for their wisdom and their courage to carry on the noble cause of freedom for all. We pray for the vision which they will need to continue the efforts of those who have gone before us…and the efforts, which we ourselves, in this present age, strive to live out with moral convictions and ideals. We do not, we cannot, forget the past. For as George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In addition, Margaret Fairless Barber was once quoted as saying, “To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it and to render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward.” Therefore, as we embrace the past, we also cast our eyes upon what is to come. Like every election year, this is a critical time in our history. As citizens, you and I must prayerfully make our decisions about candidates who merit our vote. May our choices be wise as we consider the future of our country and its people. Therefore, we look forward with faith and courage. There is much to be done to restore and maintain the moral order which guarantees freedom, but there is also hope. This hope lies in the hearts of well-intentioned women like you, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, who do not hesitate to proclaim your religion in the very title of your organization. Your title shouts to everyone that you are “Catholic”…and this leaves no doubt as to your values and your ideals. Be proud of your title and be proud of your organization. Our nation and our world are in great need of “Unity and Charity,” and the proclamation that you are “Women Embracing the Gift of Humanity” allows no room for question as to who you are and what you stand for. In his visit with the seminarians and young people at St. Joseph’s Seminary at Dunwoodie, New York, last April, the Holy Father referred to the images of the six saints which were part of the setting where the Holy Father spoke. The saints continued on page 21 4 Share Magazine • Fall 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHARE - Fall 2008

SHARE - Fall 2008 National Regent’s Message National Chaplain’s Message From the Editor’s Desk Mail Bag Book Corner CDA in Action National Convention Draws Record Crowd to Albuquerque Living as Women Embracing the Gift of Humanity A Tribute to the Retiring National Directors Vote November 4, 2008 Focus on Youth Anniversaries News & Notes People

SHARE - Fall 2008

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