When I was doing full-time parish ministry, one of my favorite activities was performing baptisms. Now that I’m a bishop, I have fewer occasion to baptize, and I do miss it. But an exception took place recently when I was delighted to welcome into the Church Hazel Rose Cummins, the daughter of Doug Cummins and his wife Erica. Doug is our associate producer for Word on Fire in Santa Barbara.
Some 35 years ago the Center for Concern published a book, “Catholic Social Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret.” It was updated a couple of times as St. John Paul II published some five social encyclicals and linked Eucharistic solidarity to our care for all of our neighbors.