pro ecclesia et pontifice
This Tuesday (April 13) some lay men and women will be given the prestigious pontifical award, pro ecclesia et pontifice, the highest award which the Church can give to a lay person. That ten persons were accorded such award by Pope Benedict XVI is an honor not just for the persons who were chosen but for the whole diocese – a recognition that our Archdiocese has contributed something worthwhile for the whole Church. Two things are brought to mind with this awarding ceremony. First, whatever good we do for the church whether local (by generously contributing one’s expertise, profession and resources to the work of the diocese) or very local (by working as a catechist in a humble parish), or especially local (by working diligently in the seminary kitchen) affects the whole church of Jesus Christ. We are building the church, the universal church of Christ (and not just a little enclave of our own making), and each one contributes to that building bringing his own brick that would ri...