Catholic East Texas
The Magazine of the Diocese of Tyler
Justice for Kids
Have you ever owed someone something? If you have, this means you have an obligation or responsibility to repay him or give him his due. Did you also know that you have a responsibility to give God and others their due? Yes, you owe God and others something. I’m not...
Father, how do I receive Holy Communion well?
At the Last Supper Our Lord instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood so that we would have the incredible privilege of receiving his Sacred Body and Blood as food for the journey to heaven. What a tremendous gift! Therefore, before we even consider approaching the...
Steven Chabarria Ordained to the Diaconate
Steven Chabarria, a seminarian of the Diocese of Tyler, was ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop Joseph Strickland on May 28, 2022 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler. In his homily, Bishop Strickland said, “We must all recognize...
Prudence for Kids
Prudence is a virtue that helps you think through things and act in ways that are right, good, and pleasing to God. God gives us free will so we can choose to do what is good. Prudence tells us what is good, when to do it, and how to do it. Prudence helps you to know...
ACTS Retreat Ministry Flourishes in the Diocese of Tyler
The ACTS community is a flourishing one in the Diocese of Tyler. The movement began when parishioners from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, TX worked with the Archdiocese of San Antonio in an effort to expand and build upon the popular Cursillo Retreats. The first...
Things you can do at home to help your children understand the Mass
There are many parts of the Mass that can be mentioned here to help children understand what's going on in the Mass, but I will focus more broadly on three things: prayer, Scripture, and the family meal. Pope Paul VI said, “The Mass is the most perfect form of...
The Living Legacy of John H. Carney at Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic School
The family is a domestic church, and the families of the Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic School of Tyler are striving to model the same behavior. “I love our village. The foundation is Christ, and we’re a family united in faith,” said Bishop Gorman teacher...
There is faith here: Christian witness in the life of a coach
“This crucifix that I wear,” the coach explained, reaching for the crucifix he wears around his neck, “I got it from Mike Tomlin, who is the (Pittsburgh) Steelers coach. He always wears it at game time. Even though I bring the Faith into our program, this is the first...
There is Faith Here: Interview with Phil Olson Continued
The following is additional content from the interview with Phil Olson and the Catholic East Texas for the cover story in the Spring 2022 print edition. You can read the first part of this interview here. Phil Olson is the director of track and field/cross country at...
The Eucharistic Piety of St. Faustina
Among most Catholics today, the mention of St. Faustina is associated immediately with the feast of Divine Mercy, the chaplet, and the novena, and for good reason. These were the primary tasks given to young Maria Kowalska as Jesus began to reveal his plans for her...
Defending the Resurrection
Dr. Luke Arredondo
If someone asks you to identify the single most important doctrine in Christianity, how would you reply? It’s probably not the principle of double effect. Could it be the fall of Adam and Eve? Creation itself? The infallibility of Scripture? All of those are fine and well, and very important for Christianity. But according to St. Paul, there is one teaching that stands out above all the rest. If this one teaching is true, it changes everything, and if it is not, then everything is a lie.
Whose People?
“We are an Easter people, and hallelujah is our song!”Pope St. John Paul II An assisting priest at my home parish always started his Palm Sunday homily with the same story. He had gone to Germany during Holy Week, where every ten years the Oberammergau Passion Play is...
