Cardinal Séan O’Malley Will Talk Haitian Restoral Efforts During Holy Week on CatholicTV

During Holy Week, Cardinal Séan O’Malley will discuss Haiti and relief efforts on CatholicTV. Cardinal O’Malley has a regular show on CatholicTV called “Conversations With Cardinal Sean” which involves interviews of Cardinal Sean talking about a wide range of topics from hot subjects such as stem cell research and abortion, to memories of how the Cardinal realized his own calling from the Lord.

In March, Cardinal O’Malley travelled to Haiti to assess the needs of the Church there along with fellow clergymen.

This special episode of Conversations With Cardinal Sean, in which Fr. Robert Reed interviews the Cardinal, will air at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV at the following dates/times (all times Eastern):

Tuesday at 1pm and 6pm, Wednesday at 12:30am, Good Friday 10:30am and Easter Sunday at 3:30pm.

Conversations with Cardinal Séan takes viewers into the mind of a man who studied 7 languages, wears sandals during the Boston winter, and once voluntarily lived in a prostitution and drug-infested slum in order to experience and alleviate the sufferings of oppressed Washington D.C. tenants.

At the age of 12, then-named Patrick O’Malley entered the St. Fidelis Minor Seminary. . According to “Current Biography Magazine”, a fellow student at St. Fidelis said that "Most of us were ballplayers hoping to be priests one day. Sean was a little priest the whole way through . . . he was a little Franciscan the whole way through. He was the real thing from day one."

More information about the show Conversations with Cardinal Séan and full episodes are available at http://www.CatholicTV.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=28

NECN Program Featuring Haiti, American Bishops, and Post-Earthquake Recovery Efforts Will Air on CatholicTV

Photo by George Martell

On Tuesday, March 9^th, CatholicTV will air a special program called “The Heart of Haiti”. The Heart of Haiti was filmed during the first week of March when a committee of Catholic Bishops and one priest travelled to Haiti to assess the needs of the Church there.

The Heart of Haiti features detailed footage and imagery of Haiti, including the ruins of the Cathedral, where Archbishop Serge Miot and many others died during the earthquake of January 12^th. More people died during the Haiti earthquake than at Hiroshima.

The Heart of Haiti will air at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV on March 9^th at 11:30AM ET and again at 8:30PM.

The Heart of Haiti also includes footage of Catholic Relief Services’ efforts and interviews of local people, doctors, volunteers, and numerous thoughts and reactions from Cardinal Séan O’Malley Archbishop of Boston and other clergy.

The committee of clergy asked to go to Haiti to access the needs of the Church there include: Archbishop José Gomez of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Bishop Guy Sansaricq, the only Haitian-born U.S. Bishop, Bishop Tom Wenski of Orlando, Cardinal Séan O’Malley, and Fr. Andrew Small of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Details about the visit can also be found at Cardinal Séan O’Malley’s blog at http://www.CardinalSeansblog.org/

Significant Financial Response of Catholics to Haitian Earthquake Victims Will Be Discussed During CatholicTV Talk Show

National Palace of Haiti After the Earthquake in January

On March 12, the response of Catholics to the earthquake victims in Haiti will be discussed on the CatholicTV Talk show “This is the Day”. Tiziana Dearing, President of Catholic Charities in Boston will discuss recent developments and responses of Catholics and of Catholic Charities. Tiziana is the first woman to serve in this role in Boston, she has held the post since September 2007.

On Wednesday, February 24^th, The Archdiocese of Boston announced that collections gathered for Haitian earthquake victims had already reached $1.767 million and were estimated to reach $2 million.

This is the Day airs at 10:30AM ET at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV.

Father Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA will also be interviewed on This is the Day. He will discuss the efforts and mission of Catholic Charities, and will also talk about the history of Catholic Charities, which dates back to 1727 when the French Ursuline Sisters opened an orphanage in New Orleans.

CatholicTV regularly airs programming related to charitable work and Catholic social teaching. This programming includes a show called “Where God Weeps” which shows the plights and struggles of suffering Catholics who are victims of political, financial, and social suffering. The series follows the work of an organization called Aid to the Church in Need. Aid to the Church in Need works with the impoverished in 145 countries around the globe. Where God Weeps airs each week on CatholicTV at the following times: Monday 3:30AM, 8:30 PM; Wednesday noon; and Saturday 6:00 AM

More information on Catholic Charities USA can be found at http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/

Nationwide Catholic Response To Haiti Earthquake Will be Discussed on CatholicTV Talk Show

On Friday, January 15th, support for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti will be discussed on the live CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day”. Tiziana Dearing, President of Catholic Charities in Boston will appear on the show to discuss the response to the earthquake. This response includes a $5 million commitment by Catholic Relief Services and a nationwide effort to raise funds for victims via a special collection at Catholic parishes.

This episode of “This is the Day” will air online at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV at 10:30AM ET.

Mrs. Dearing will discuss the call to parishes across the nation for a second collection at Masses during the weekend of January 16 and 17, 2010.

This call originated from a letter from Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. The two wrote a letter to bishops asking them to “encourage your pastors to take up a second collection for the people and Church of Haiti this weekend, January 16 and 17, 2010.”

The letter went on to say: “Catholic Relief Services is already mounting a major emergency response to this severe disaster and has committed an initial $5 million to fund relief efforts which are likely to go on for some time. Your help and the help of the Catholic people of the United States are urgently needed.”

In addition, Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston announced that Catholic Charities Boston is actively engaged in working with the local Haitian community to assist families locally who have loved ones impacted by the earthquake. Additional information may be found at www.CCAB.org

Across the United States prayers and collections are being offered in support of those who have died and those who are waiting to hear from loved ones.
On Friday, the 15th , Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will be the celebrant and homilist for Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, to remember those who lost their lives or are suffering in any way due to the earthquake in Haiti at 6:30PM. Mass will be celebrated in English and Haitian Creole

Catholic Relief Services serving in Italy

Catholic Relief Services is the official international agency for our universal Church to serve those in need . Currently, Caritas responders are on the scene in Italy helping the thousands of people who are injured and now homeless. Please pray for these emergency response workers and those who have died.

CatholicTV is honored to have aired several interviews with members of CRS who serve in the US and abroad. We offer our prayers and support to this excellent humanitarian agency during this difficult time.