Chevalier de la charité

Jesuit Father William J. Byron, known for his leadership of Jesuit institutions of higher learning and his many years of lecturing, teaching and writing on the relationship between business practices and Catholic spirituality, died at Manresa Hall, the health center of the Jesuit community at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia April 9. He was 96.

Byron was a former president of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, 1975-1982, and The Catholic University of America in Washington, 1982-1992. He spent a year as acting president of Loyola University New Orleans, 2003-2004, and served as president of his high school alma mater, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia, 2006-2008.

His other leadership roles for the Society of Jesus included rector of the Jesuit community at Georgetown University in Washington, 1994-2000.

A funeral Mass for Byron will be celebrated April 20 at St. Matthias Church in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. A viewing will take place in the church at 10 a.m. followed by the Mass at 11 a.m.

Jesuit Father Joseph Marina, current president of the University of Scranton, said Byron « will be greatly missed. »

« As I walked into his room at the Jesuit infirmary, Father Byron was sitting up in his chair, alert but struggling, » Marina said in an April 9 message to the university community. « He managed to ask if I was the president at Scranton now. When I nodded yes, he said, ‘Take good care of it.' »

« Father Byron is among those who have given greatly to build a solid foundation for our mission and success at Scranton on which we continue to flourish to this very day, » Marina added.

During his tenure at Scranton, among other things, Byron launched a multimillion-dollar capital campaign for the school. Also, a new undergraduate college, the School of Management, was created, along with new programs including nursing and physical therapy.

After serving as Scranton’s 21st president, Byron became the first member of a religious order to be named president of The Catholic University of America in Washington. He was the school’s 12th president.

« Father Byron was an exceptional leader in Catholic higher education, » Catholic University’s current president, Peter Kilpatrick, said in an April 9 message to the university community. « Father Byron was known for being an inspiring intellectual who had an ability to connect powerfully with people and with ideas. Alumni remember him fondly for his close relationships with students, and for his leadership. »

He tripled the university’s endowment while fundraising the first $50 million that went toward the construction of more undergraduate housing, the Columbus School of Law building and the Pryzbyla Center, a venue at the heart of the campus for concerts, live stage performances, public forums and lectures.

After helming the nation’s only papally chartered university, he became a professor at Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington. At the same time he was rector of the Jesuit community at Georgetown and director of the university’s Center of Advanced Study of Ethics. He then was pastor for three years at nearby Holy Trinity Church, 2000 to 2003. Next, he was acting president at Loyola University New Orleans, followed by two years as a professor of economics at Loyola Maryland in Baltimore, 2004 to 2006, the year he became president of St. Joseph’s Prep.

Before retiring from academia in 2009, Byron taught a graduate course in the Haub School of Business at St. Joseph’s University. In his later years, he continued writing and publishing. In 2019, he moved to Manresa Hall at St. Joseph’s University, « where he enjoyed visits with students and never missed an opportunity to sing the St. Joseph’s prep fight song, » said a news release from the Jesuits’ USA East Province, based in New York.

Whether he was serving « as an administrator, professor or parish priest, » Byron « always made a concerted effort to build up community with his Jesuit brothers in unassuming ways and to promote the apostolates of the Society of Jesus with a discerning, generous, and upbeat spirit, » the province said in a statement.

Byron was the author of more than 20 books and dozens of articles. In 2001, he became a regular columnist for Catholic News Service. The biweekly column, titled « Looking Around, » covered current issues. He wrote his last column, which ran April 18, 2017, as a « fond farewell » to « those who have enjoyed my writing over the years. »

« Writing a column is like putting a note in a bottle and tossing it into the river so it can float down and across the bay and out into the ocean. You never know whose shore it will wash up on, » he said, noting that the latest of his many books, « Growing Old Gratefully, » would be published later that year by Paulist Press.

« Old age is a gift, » he said. « I can attest to that, so why not welcome it with gratitude? »

A Pittsburgh native who grew up in Philadelphia, William James Byron was born May 25, 1927. His father, a physician, died when Bill was 1, and his mother moved with him and his older brother, Harold, to Philadelphia’s East Germantown neighborhood. Both boys graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School.

After Bill turned 18, he registered for the draft and subsequently spent 17 weeks in the Army’s basic training camp near Macon, Georgia, but was never deployed overseas. After the war, he went to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation, where he joined the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He finished his tour of duty there in November 1946 and returned to Philadelphia.

He joined the Jesuit order in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1961 by Archbishop Francis P. Keough of Baltimore. He held degrees in philosophy and economics from St. Louis University, two theology degrees from Woodstock College and a doctorate in economics from the University of Maryland. Over his lifetime, he received 30 honorary degrees.

Byron’s career as an administrator began in October 1969 as an associate professor and rector of the Jesuit community at the now-closed Woodstock College, the Jesuit seminary in New York. It was relocated to New York from Baltimore in 1969 and closed in 1974.

He served on a number of boards for Catholic entities including the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, which in 1999 bestowed on him its Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for his contributions over the years to the advancement of Catholic higher education. He was a founding director and chairman of Bread for the World, a Christian lobby group that fights hunger.

In The Catholic Church and the Struggle for Racial Justice: A Prophetic Call, Mathew Kappadakunnel offers a unique perspective as a first-generation American of South Indian descent, who is a member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. 

As a brown-skinned son of immigrants, Kappadakunnel once assumed his « place in society was that of an outsider, » but he also admits there was a time when he looked down on people who crossed the Mexican border without documentation for not immigrating legally, like his parents. It was only when he spent time on the Mexican side of Nogales with a Catholic initiative called El Comedor that Kappadakunnel experienced a conversion of heart and mind. There, he encountered people — God’s people — who were « desperate, trying to escape treacherous circumstances that threatened their lives, their safety, and their families, » and he was filled with compassion and understanding for their plight. 

Likewise, it wasn’t until the death of George Floyd in 2020 that Kappadakunnel felt called to speak out against anti-Black racism. For most of his life he assumed the role of the « model minority, » which meant he would « fall in line with American society » and align with « white American beliefs and values. » For him, « recognizing and challenging racism in both society and the Church » were considered taboo. 

Kappadakunnel describes his former belief that social justice was the responsibility of nonprofit organizations, while his vocation was prayer and leading people to Jesus. Then during the pandemic, after watching a video that showed a police officer callously murder Floyd, Kappadakunnel realized that he was not living in a post-racial society. He knew he had to speak out against racial injustice. Written in a prophetic voice, The Catholic Church and the Struggle for Racial Justice is Kappadakunnel’s forceful and compelling plea for all Catholics still asleep to wake up.

Kappadakunnel also gets personal. He relays how the Eurocentric teachings of St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who arrived in Goa, India, in 1540, led him to internalize harmful, negative views of fellow Indian people. Though Xavier is still revered by many Indians today, in the 16th century he wrote about Goan people in ways that can only be described as racist.

For example, in The Letters and Instructions of Francis Xavier, Xavier wrote that Indians made for poor vocations due to their lack of commitment — both to the order and to celibacy. Xavier also made more explicitly colorist condemnations of Goans’ skin color writing: « [Indians] being black themselves, consider their own color the best, they believe that their gods are black … the great majority of their idols are as black as black can be … and seem to be as dirty as they are ugly and horrible to look at. » 

Kappadakunnel humbly repents of his past view of himself as superior to Indian people since he was American born. His honesty may resonate with Catholic readers who hold their own internal bias and spur them to an examination of conscience.

Aside from his personal story of conversion and spiritual awakening, Kappadakunnel’s book is a clarion call urging all Catholics to work toward racial and social justice. It convincingly makes the case that the Catholic Church is not only universal and therefore multicultural, but that her diversity is one of the reasons the church was able to spread to all corners of the world and last until today. Racism and discrimination, therefore, are clear contradictions to Catholicism and God’s kingdom. 

After making the case for why racism is incongruous with Catholicism, Kappadakunnel critically examines the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ writings and actions on the topic of racism. He delves into the world of prominent, wealthy conservative donors that are heavily influencing the direction of the Catholic faith. When he discusses the Napa Institute’s annual conference at Timothy Busch’s Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa Valley — an event with registration that costs nearly $2,000 and nightly rates over $500 — Kappadakunnel states, « Based on the criteria of this conference, Jesus would not have been welcomed, since his message encompassed inviting ‘the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind’ to the banquet (Luke 14:13), none of whom would be able to attend … »

My biggest critique of the book involves the repeated references to working with the Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLMGN), which has in many respects fallen from grace and lost much public support. Black Lives Matter Grassroots organizations, a collective of community groups across the country, sued BLMGN, claiming had fundraised off the work of the chapters, but mismanaged the funds and had shut local chapters out of decision making and profits. The lawsuit was dismissed, However, while Black Lives Matter as a global network has diminished in power and efficacy, the truth that Black Lives Matter and the convictions behind the statement still remain true and relevant today. 

Overall, I commend Kappadakunnel for his book and believe it would be beneficial for Catholics to read. 

I will be 80 years old in June. As a young child in the Methodist Church, I was certain I was called to ordained ministry. At Duke University, I majored in religious studies and then served as pastoral assistant and director of religious education in a small church in upstate New York. Then, in the summer of 1967, I went to Tucson to study creative movement expression education at the Tucson Creative Dance Center.

Now, where would I go to church? There was time and opportunity to explore.

I visited the Methodists, the Presbyterians and the Lutherans, but no particular place beckoned. I had already ruled out the Catholic church — but then the maintenance man at the dance center convinced me to give it a try. « Go to a 6 a.m. Mass. You’ll still have time to go somewhere else after that. » 

I snuck into a back pew at 5:45 and knelt down, unprepared for what was to follow. The priest appeared, looking like he had just rolled out of bed, kissed the altar, mumbled, « The Lord be with you, » and then snorted and wiped his nose across the sleeve of his alb! 

What immediately went through my mind was, « These people are not here for this man, They must be here for … God! »

Laugh if you will, but I knew at that moment I would become a Catholic. What about my call to ordination? No worries. It was 1968. Vatican II. Change was in the air. All I had to do was be patient. Ordination of women was just around the corner.

A few years later, I was a full-fledged Catholic. I worked at a parish school for more than 15 years, first as a teacher and then as a liturgist. When it came time for a change, I took a year off to write and live under private religious vows, supplementing my savings with part time jobs.

Over the years, I earned a master’s in pastoral ministry from the University of San Francisco, along with certificates in spiritual direction and therapeutic harp work. 

I then went to work for 15 years as a certified music practitioner, playing my harp at the bedside of patients at a hospice inpatient unit. It was a « holy ground » experience. The unit felt like a church, and the patients like beloved parishioners.

The hospice was looking to increase its number of chaplains, so I enrolled in the ordination program at the New Seminary for Interfaith Studies, a two-year, low residency program in New York City. There were three women in the accelerated program — all three of us Catholic! All denied ordination by our own church, nevertheless grateful for this path to ordination as interfaith ministers.

After retirement from hospice, and until COVID-19 shut everything down, I volunteered weekly as a chaplain and bedside harpist at a Tucson hospital. 

Now I write for the Keeping the Faith section of the Sunday edition of the Arizona Daily Star, drawing on the many years of work for the Catholic church and the broader Christian community.

I have no complaints. But I will forever ask, « Why? » Why couldn’t I be ordained by my own church for service in hospice, hospital, a retreat center, the military, a women’s prison, a battered women’s shelter, a parish church?

I do not see myself as a victim of an intentionally discriminatory church, but as a keeper of the vision in an institution that has yet to deal scientifically, scripturally, theologically, morally or justly with women. 

Some women tell me that because women’s ordination may not happen in their lifetime, they cannot stay in the church. But as for me, I know this is not a matter of « my » lifetime, nor is it about « me. » It is about the call and the vision that will be realized in its time. And I have a responsibility to hold and give voice to that vision while I am able despite my accumulating years.

I cannot leave a church that feeds me liturgically and sacramentally, one that nourishes my soul with ancient wisdom and profound practices of prayer, contemplation and spiritual pilgrimage. 

I will continue to voice the vision because if I do not, I will not be the person God has created me to be. And because when a vision remains unvoiced, and a call goes unanswered, the church is poorer for it.

Today’s « growing culture of indifference and individualism » must be countered with prayer and adoration, which inspires solidarity with those in need, Pope Francis said.

Charitable efforts guided and inspired by the Catholic faith « must be continually nourished by participation in the life of the church, the reception of the sacraments, and time spent quietly before the Lord in prayer and adoration, » the pope told more than 60 members of The Papal Foundation and their families April 12.

The U.S. foundation describes itself as the only charitable organization in the United States dedicated to fulfilling the pope’s requests for the needs of the Catholic Church. Donors to the foundation, known as Stewards of St. Peter, make annual pilgrimages to Rome and have an opportunity to meet the pope.

Francis reminded the group that the pilgrimage this year is taking place during the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Holy Year 2025, and he encouraged them to « not forget to adore the Lord » in silent adoration. « We have neglected this form of prayer and we need to take it up again: adoring the Lord in silence. »

« Through our perseverance in prayer, we gradually become ‘a single heart and soul’ with both Jesus and others, which then translates into solidarity and the sharing of our daily bread, » he said, referencing a passage from the Acts of the Apostles.

The pope noted that although the donors may not personally meet the beneficiaries of their generosity, « the programs of The Papal Foundation foster a spiritual and fraternal bond with people from many different cultures, languages and regions who receive assistance. »

The foundation announced in a statement April 12 that it will dedicate $14.74 million to grants, scholarships and humanitarian aid in 2024.

Close to $10 million will be distributed to grant recipients identified by the Vatican, supporting 118 projects in more than 60 countries, the foundation said, including projects to provide for basic needs such as access to clean water; renovating schools, churches, convents and seminaries; and building health care facilities. The foundation also allocated $4 million to its Mission Fund to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and it will provide $819,000 in scholarships to enable more than 100 priests, women religious and seminarians to study in Rome.

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, said in the statement that the generosity of The Papal Foundation’s donors prioritizes the needs of the poor and vulnerable « in a society where the divide between rich and poor continues to grow. »

In their meeting, Francis thanked the group for helping the successors of St. Peter « to build up many local churches and care for large numbers of the less fortunate. »

Cardinals O’Malley, Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Wilton D. Gregory of Washington attended the meeting as trustees of the foundation, as well as Archbishops Samuel J. Aquila of Denver and Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans and Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey.

According to the foundation’s website, it has awarded more than $200 million in grants and scholarships selected by the popes since its founding in 1988.

The 2024 edition of the Vatican yearbook has inserted « Patriarch of the West » as one of the historical titles of the pope.

In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI dropped « Patriarch of the West » from his official titles listed in the Annuario Pontificio, the Vatican yearbook. Vatican officials at the time said the title was removed because it was theologically imprecise and historically obsolete.

In 2019, Pope Francis had all the remaining titles, except for « Bishop of Rome, » moved to another page, and in the 2020 edition of the Annuario they were listed as « historic titles. »

The titles labeled historic were: « Vicar of Jesus Christ. Successor of the Prince of the Apostles. Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. Primate of Italy. Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Rome. Sovereign of Vatican City State. Servant of the Servants of God. »

The 2024 Annuario, which went on sale in early April, inserted « Patriarch of the West » after « Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. »

As of April 11, the Vatican press office said it had no explanation for the change.

Last year Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, told officials of the Roman Curia that he noted « with joy » that only one title is listed under the pope’s name: Bishop of Rome.

« It seems right to me, especially with regard to ‘Vicar of Jesus Christ,' » the cardinal said. « Vicar is one who takes the place of the boss in his absence, but Jesus Christ never made himself absent and will never be absent from his church. »

When Pope Francis had the titles re-labeled, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, told Catholic News Service that unlike in 2006 when Pope Benedict XVI had the title « Patriarch of the West » removed from the list, this time « there has been no suppression » of a title.

« The definition of ‘historic’ in relation to the titles attributed to the pope on one of the pages dedicated to him in the Annuario Pontificio of 2020 seems to me to indicate the bond with the history of the papacy, » Bruni said. All of the other titles « are understood to be tied historically to the title of bishop of Rome because at the moment he is designated by the conclave to guide the church of Rome, the one elected acquires the titles tied to this nomination. »

Before Pope Benedict dropped « Patriarch of the West, » the last time the list of titles was changed was with St. Paul VI’s 1969 edition of the Annuario, which added the title « servant of the servants of God » and deleted the phrase « gloriously reigning. »

Pope Francis’ first words to the public after his election March 13, 2013, were: « Brothers and sisters, good evening. You all know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother cardinals have gone almost to the ends of the earth to get him … but here we are. »

The pope has said in interviews that he has not considered resigning, but if he ever did, he would be known as the « bishop of Rome emeritus » and not « pope emeritus » as Pope Benedict was.

When Pope Benedict dropped the title « Patriarch of the West, » the then-Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity issued a statement, which said, « The title « Patriarch of the West » was adopted in the year 642 by Pope Theodore. Thereafter it appeared only occasionally and did not have a clear meaning. It flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries in the context of a general increase in the pope’s titles and appeared for the first time in the Annuario Pontificio in 1863.

While patriarchates have always been tied to a specific location and jurisdiction over it, « the term West currently refers to a cultural context not limited only to Western Europe but including North America, Australia and New Zealand, thus differentiating itself from other cultural contexts, » the pontifical council said. « If we wished to give the term West a meaning applicable to ecclesiastical juridical language, it could be understood only in reference to the Latin Church. In this way, the title ‘Patriarch of the West’ would describe the bishop of Rome’s special relationship with the Latin Church and could express the special jurisdiction he has over her. »

Members of the synod of bishops of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople expressed concern over the decision, however. In a June 2006 statement, the chief secretary of the synod said dropping « Patriarch of the West » while retaining the titles « Vicar of Jesus Christ » and « Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church » is « perceived as implying a universal jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome over the entire church, which is something the Orthodox have never accepted. »

Six victim-survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore gave statements in court April 8 about the long-term impact of the abuse on their lives as part of the federal bankruptcy reorganization.

The testimonies were off the record and not transcribed. Judge Michelle M. Harner, who is overseeing the Chapter 11 case, noted that the statements are not evidentiary in the case.

Their primary purpose, she said, was to « increase engagement and understanding » and to provide a forum for those affected by the pre-bankruptcy conduct of the archdiocese and its representatives.

« Today is a listening session and an opportunity for individuals to be heard, » Harner said.

Archbishop William E. Lori and Auxiliary Bishop Adam J. Parker attended the hearing, sitting in the front of the courtroom. They both hugged the first survivor who spoke.

Harner thanked each person who made a statement — three women and three men — for their participation in the process. About 50 people attended the hearing at the federal courthouse in Baltimore.

Some of those who spoke to the court specifically addressed the archbishop. In one poignant moment, one of the victim-survivors also turned to address other victim-survivors in court, reminding them that as adults, they can take control of their healing.

Some common themes emerged in the victim-survivors’ statements — further abuse, troubled marriages and divorces, issues of trusting anyone, and other problems that have plagued their lives. Some noted that the chance to bring their experience to the court would be an important part of their healing.

In one touching moment, during one victim-survivor’s statement, the woman who was first to speak reached over the handrail to hold the hand of her husband, sitting just behind her.
The session, scheduled for two hours, ended after just an hour. Another such session is scheduled for May 20, which Lori also will attend.

Paul Jan Zdunek, who chairs the Unsecured Creditors Committee, a group of seven people who represent all the victim-survivors in the case, said after the session that he was surprised at how quickly the session went, « despite it didn’t feel that way. I thought everyone was really great with their words and their preparation and the courage that it took to do that in front of everybody. »

He said he appreciated that the judge supported the process and allowed each participant to have the time they needed to tell their story.

« We even heard from them that this was a healing moment and a moment they’ve been waiting for in some cases 50 years, which is extraordinary. I think what struck me today was beyond the moments that happened when they were children, how much it has affected them since, you know, 50 years ago, 60 years of a life gone, » Zdunek told the Catholic Review, Baltimore’s archdiocesan news outlet.

He said he was not surprised to hear that many of those who spoke have issues trusting others, especially because the abuse happened in a church or school by someone who was supposed to minister to them. « Here it is the one place that you’re supposed to be safe and have been told, you know, as a Catholic raised myself, that this is the truth, the light, the way, the place for salvation — and to have that be the place that trust leaves you is devastating, » Zdunek said.

In advance of the hearing, he said the members of the survivors committee — five of whom attended the hearing — purposely wanted to allow others not on the committee to have the first opportunity to speak in court. He said that in this process, the committee already has the ear of the archbishop. « We thought it was important for others to really have the chance to speak. »

He expects the May 20 hearing to be similar. « He wanted to see how this went first, but I’d imagine it’s not going to be too much different than this. »

The deadline to file a claim in the case is May 31.

Teresa F. Lancaster, one of those who spoke in court, addressed reporters after the hearing and noted that she had testified in support of the Child Victims Act passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2023, which removed the statute of limitations for civil suits for child sexual abuse.

She acknowledged that abuse has happened not just in the church, but also in other schools and organizations.

Asked whether her day in court was a day that she has long been waiting for, Lancaster, who eventually became an attorney so she could help other victims, said, « We wanted our day in court and we were deprived of it. So, I felt somewhat, and I want all the survivors to feel that, hey, your voice has been heard, you’re just as important, and people know what happened now. »

Outside the courthouse after the hearing, Lori said he came as a pastor and priest and was moved by the testimony that he heard.

« My meetings with victim-survivors over the years have taught me the importance of their being able to tell their story, the importance of being heard and listened to, and being believed, and so I came to listen, » he said, adding that he « hopes that by doing this I can contribute in some small way to the healing of these individuals and what they’ve been through. »

He said that after the passage of the Child Victims Act, the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization « so that we could, in fact, help as many victim survivors as equitably as we can while at the same time carrying forward the mission of the church, of our parishes, our charities and our schools. »

Asked if he has said he is sorry for the pain experienced by those abused, the archbishop said, « I’ve said it many times, and will say it to the end of my life. But I recognize that no apology of mine undoes what was done. Listening, believing, does a lot more.

« I’ve listened and met with victim survivors for a long, long time and every time I listen, it shakes me — every time. »

In a statement released later in the day, Lori said, « I am deeply grateful to the victim-survivors for their courage today and I am moved by their heart-rending experience.

« To the victim-survivors who long to hear that someone is sorry for the trauma they endured and for its life-altering consequences: I am profoundly sorry. I offer my sincerest apology on behalf of the archdiocese for the terrible harm caused to them by representatives of the church, » he said. « What happened to them never should have occurred. No child should ever, ever suffer such harm. »

He added his thanks to those of Harner, saying, « I ask that the focus today be on the courage and bravery of the women and men who offered their statements and those they represent.

« Their stories and those of the victim-survivors I’ve met with privately for decades, emboldens our response and determination to ensure no child in our care is ever again harmed. I am grateful to the Survivors Committee for initiating the request to offer victim-survivors this opportunity today, which I sincerely pray will further assist them in their journey toward healing. »

The hearing comes a year and three days after the Maryland Office of the Attorney General released an extensive report on clergy sexual abuse of minors in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, signed the Child Victims Act into law April 11, 2023. It went into effect Oct. 1, 2023.

Have you got your glasses?

For those in the path of the April 8 astronomical event dubbed « the Great North American Eclipse » — the total solar eclipse that will occur when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the sun — it’s a question of both practicality and safety. As NASA notes, « When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes … you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (‘eclipse glasses’) or a safe handheld viewer at all times. »

The total solar eclipse will be visible only along a slim corridor stretching from Texas to Maine, but a partial eclipse will be visible in other U.S. states. On average, NASA — which will hold a live online broadcast — says about 375 years elapse between the appearance of two total eclipses in the same place.

Father John Kartje — rector and president of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, who also holds a doctorate in astrophysics from the University of Chicago — has been fielding a multitude of eclipse inquiries from fellow Catholics.

Those questions, he told OSV News, are sometimes informed by an underlying anxiety, « almost asking about, is there some portent to this or is this a sign — the way a question might have been asked centuries ago. »

Kartje stressed that he nonetheless treats such questions with reverence, although none of his petitioners have yet suggested « that we’ve been cursed or something like that. »

Still, dramatic celestial events are easily capable of both unsettling and exhilarating the public, even if they don’t believe an eclipse is an advent of the apocalyptic.

There are at least a couple of ways to think about a solar eclipse, Kartje suggested — the physical and the spiritual.

« There’s just the basic astronomical reality, » Kartje told OSV News. « The Earth goes around the sun, and there happens to be a large rock that goes around the Earth, we call the moon. » The moon takes about one month — 27.3 days — to orbit Earth. « And so it’s inevitable that every so often, that rock — the moon — is going to get in between our view and the sun. »

« From a physical standpoint, we shouldn’t look at that and say, ‘Oh my goodness — there’s a one in 10 trillion chance that this would ever happen,' » Kartje added. « No — it’s exactly the sort of thing that should happen when any one object blocks the view of another object. »

While Kartje’s astrophysics training has unquestionably demystified the phenomenon for him, he still admits « it’s an incredibly cool thing, and really just awe-inspiring to see. »

And on a spiritual level?

« We can know, scientifically, that the sun is not particularly extraordinary as stars go, » explained Father Kartje, « but it’s one thing to read that in an astronomy book; it’s another thing to be a little human being on the surface of the Earth in the presence of this extraordinary ball of burning gas, and when that ‘goes out’ — when it’s completely blocked — in a total eclipse, there’s that humbling sense of, these are truly things of cosmic proportion. »

It also can remind us of who put those things in motion in the first place.

« As extraordinary as an eclipse is, it’s simply the natural world behaving in the way the one and only God who created it set it up to behave, » Kartje said. « But I think anything that can give us a little jaw-dropping awe and wonder to stop us in our tracks — to quiet and silence the din and buzz of everyday busyness — can be a great opportunity to reflect on God’s grandeur. »

Kartje suggests the eclipse is a chance to « spend a little time in quiet contemplation. And if someone is stumped where to start, I’d say go to Psalm 8. Psalm 8 is my favorite psalm about just beholding the wonder of the natural sky — and the psalmist literally says that. »

In Mundelein, he and his St. Mary of the Lake colleagues will experience a deep partial solar eclipse with a 92.7% magnitude. In a solar eclipse, the magnitude is the fraction of the sun’s diameter that is covered by the moon.

« I was just down at NASA headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, » shared Kartje, referring to the Marshall Space Flight Center. « NASA manufactures these little disposable eclipse viewing glasses by the millions, so I came back with an armful of them that I’ll give out. »

In Rochester, New York, the House of Mercy — a homeless shelter and advocacy center founded in 1985 by Sister Grace Miller with help from her order, the Sisters of Mercy — is ensuring their guests and clients can also take part in the landmark astronomical event.

Rochester was named by National Geographic as one of the best cities in which to watch the 2024 eclipse.

« We work with an awful lot of people that don’t have access to many of the things the average person that reads the newspaper and listens to the radio in their car has, » explained Brian Keene, House of Mercy’s building and grounds manager.

Keene — with representatives from 52 other local organizations — is an official Rochester Museum and Science Center-designated « Eclipse Ambassador. »

The museum gave House of Mercy a solar filter-equipped telescope, and staff have distributed more than 70 « eclipse backpacks » stuffed with a commemorative water bottle; two pairs of eclipse glasses; basic scientific information; a blanket; bagged lunch; hygiene supplies; and more.

« Not only is it a great way to include people in the festivities, it’s also a great conversation starter for a street outreach person, » said Keene. « You only have so many introductions — especially if you’re walking up to someone in a tent encampment, or somebody that’s sleeping in the street, » he added. « In our work, that’s our opportunity. Every one of those connections is a chance to get somebody inside and into a program. So these eclipse backpacks are great for that. »

At St. Cecilia Catholic School in Houston — where the sun should appear to be about 93%-95% covered — it’s « Eclipse 2.0, » with more activities planned than the last occurrence.

John Aylor, assistant principal, has been telling St. Cecilia’s 616 pre-Kindergarten through eighth-grade students, « This is your opportunity to see God’s creation in action. »

Mary Margaret Leavitt — St. Cecilia’s STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) Integration Teacher — assembled a compendium of different activities recommended by NASA and other institutions, providing a set of resources to teachers.

Eclipse viewing will take place both outdoors and via indoor livestream. Younger grades are learning about physical science to understand the process of what’s happening, while more advanced grades are studying the physics of the phenomenon through shadow and light waves.

« This is a chance for them to see what sort of design, what sort of beauty, is within the world — and just to help incorporate a better understanding of the science behind it all, » said Aylor. « And then, just the historical perspective of it — ‘I was there.’ We took time to learn; we took time to think — and stop and wonder. »

Brother Guy Consolmagno — the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory — told OSV News the April 8 solar eclipse « might be more spectacular than the one in 2017 because the sun is more active right now. »

That said, it’s uncertain if the heavens will cooperate with clear skies.

« What I find particularly spiritual in an eclipse is that we can predict precisely when it will happen — and plan accordingly — but we cannot predict just what it will look like or how we will react, » said Consolmagno. « In that way, it reminds me how God is forever reliable but still always able to surprise us.