In his homily for the opening of the 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI said, “The Church exists to evangelize. Faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ’s command, his disciples went out to the whole world to announce the Good News, spreading Christian communities everywhere” (Homily, Oct. 7, 2012).

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Francis de Sales, principal patron of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  As a bishop and renowned confessor and spiritual guide, St. Francis de Sales led people to follow the Lord more devoutly, and his writings have inspired countless thousands over the past 400 years to walk the path of holiness.  It is good for us to consider how we also can lead people to Christ in our time and place, particularly through the parishes of the archdiocese.

The last Sunday in January marks the kick-off of National Catholic Schools Week, a time set aside by dioceses throughout our country to highlight the importance of faithful, integral Catholic formation and education to the salvific mission of the Church. During this week we also celebrate the feast days of two saints whose legacies are significant for Catholic education. On January 28 . . .