From the President's Desk - June 16, 2023
Welcome back to Legatus' From the President’s Desk!
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From the President’s Desk is a chance for me to share with you what has held my attention this week. The weekly update will present a selection of observations and news stories focused on Catholic, business, and secular affairs, oriented to inform and empower Catholic professional leaders like you.
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Let’s get started:
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? Dodgers Game Today: Pray for Reparation
?The story, Bishops invite Catholics to pray Litany of Sacred Heart in response to Dodgers’ ‘blasphemy’, was highlighted in this week’s Legatus Insider. I wanted to make sure you saw it. From the article:
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The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) is inviting Catholics to join together in making an act of reparation for the act of “blasphemy” scheduled to take place at Dodgers Stadium on June 16 on the day the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, alongside the USCCB, is asking parishes across the country to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 16 at Mass or during a Holy Hour with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
An act of reparation such as the bishops recommend is offered to the Lord with the intention of repairing the spiritual damage inflicted by sin.
This comes after the Los Angeles Dodgers announced they would be honoring the ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,’ an anti-Catholic drag show that mocks the faith, with a ‘Community Hero Award’ on the same day.
The link contains the text of the prayer. The game starts at 7:10 pm Pacific on Friday. Please pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at that time! Let’s storm Heaven with our prayers!
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?? Prayer Request: For the Repose of the Soul of Monsignor Frank C. McGrath
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Last Saturday, a beloved member of the Legatus family, Monsignor Frank C. McGrath, passed away. He was 79 years old. Monsignor McGrath served as the chaplain of the Ave Maria Law School, and the chaplain of the Naples Legatus Chapter. Please join us in praying that God will welcome him into His Eternal Presence.
? More About the Dodger’s Decision
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A must-read from Fr. Raymond J. de Souza in First Things about the decision the Dodgers made (he references Legatus member Tim Busch):
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A great deal has by now been written about all this, as it is a clarifying moment. The Dodgers made a clear choice—twice over actually—to give an award to an anti-Catholic group that engages in serial sacrilege. That one of baseball’s more storied teams would arrive at this point is not a small thing.
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In 1990, Michael Jordan explained his reticence to engage in progressive politics: ‘Republicans buy sneakers too.’ Regarding the Dodgers in 2023, Catholic businessman and philanthropist Tim Busch advised that corporations should follow the Jordan rule and stay out of controversies.
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Yet the Jordan rule—stick to business—may have been observed by the Dodgers. Perhaps Dodger management calculated that this was not only the advantageous cultural position to take, but the commercial one too. It would not be the first time that there was more money in sacrilege than sanctity.
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Prayer can change hearts and minds. Pray that the Dodgers see the errors of their ways, and will not insult Catholics like this again.
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?? Mexico City Pilgrimage
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What an honor and inspiration it was to accompany 48 Legatus pilgrims to Mexico City to visit with our Lady of Guadalupe! Among the pilgrims were many families and participants from different generations. Joining us were parents with their children from every age range: infants to six-year-olds, high school students to recent college graduates. The devotion across age groups to Our Lady of Guadalupe was inspiring!
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Visiting with Our Lady of Guadalupe and her image on the tilma was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The serenity and hope that radiates from her image inspired me, as it as millions of Catholics.
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This trip was brief and moving.
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Click on this link for a brief video of me in front of the shrine talking about our trip. Make sure to stop by our YouTube page for video updates on pilgrimages and so much more!
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The Legatus Facebook page has more information about the pilgrimage, and photos. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for Legatus updates.
?? Congratulations Jim Akers!
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Congratulations to the president of our Cincinnati chapter, Jim Akers, who won the 2022 National President of the Year Award! Last Tuesday, the Cincinnati chapter took time to celebrate this well-deserved award. Well done, Jim! We are proud of all the work being done by our chapters.
?? Inflation Progress?
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The head of the Fed thinks so. From the Associated Press:
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Inflation may be cooling — just not yet fast enough for the Federal Reserve.
Chair Jerome Powell offered a nuanced view Wednesday of how the Fed intends to address its core challenge at a time when inflation is both way below its peak but still well above the central bank’s 2% target: Give it more time, and maybe some help from additional interest rate hikes.
Yet on a hopeful note, Powell also suggested that the trends that are needed to further slow inflation, from lower apartment rents to slower-growing wages, are starting to click into place.
As a result, the Fed decided Wednesday to forgo another increase in its benchmark interest rate, leaving it at about 5.1%. The pause followed 10 straight hikes in 15 months — the fastest series of increases in four decades.
What are you seeing in your businesses and communities? Are inflationary trends moving in the right direction fast enough? ?
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Thank you for reading, and be on the lookout for our next From the President’s Desk!
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