Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

This week (August 10-16), we celebrate some fascinating figures in the history of the Church: St. Laurence, St. Clare, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Stephen of Hungary. Each one different, but each a living testimony to the power of the person of Jesus Christ and His Church.
 
St. Laurence, deacon and martyr in the early Church, when asked by the prefect to produce the treasures of the Church, gathered the widows, poor and the sick that appeared before him; for this insult he was condemned to death. St. Clare, compatriot of St. Francis of Assisi, a young woman of wealth, gave it all up to serve the poor and establish the religious order the Poor Clares. This order serves the poorest to this very day.
 
St. Jane Frances de Chantal, influenced by St. Francis de Sales, founded the Order of the Visitation of Mary, prayed for the world and gave support and counsel to those seeking help. St. Maximilian Kolbe died in the Auschwitz concentration camp, giving his life as a substitute for a man who had a wife and children. St. Stephen of Hungary, a king who worked to establish Christianity in his kingdom, often disguised himself to distribute alms to the poor, even to the point of endangering his life.
 
We live in a world in need of heroes and heroines, individuals who represent the best of us. Unfortunately, our world exalts the antihero. The antihero is a character who is ambiguous, embracing evil as much as good. Often times, a radical individual is held up as a role model for many of our young, their characters flawed, encouraging people to think of themselves first at the expense of others. What is inspiring about the saints we celebrate is that they all were thinking of others in the name of Jesus and His Church.
 
Saints are being created every day among us. Christians are being martyred throughout our world at a staggering rate. Brothers and sisters are assisting those in need and our religious communities are praying for peace in areas of conflict and violence. These are true role models. They are marked by their desire to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the August 12, 2014 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.