The Sacred Heart "is a reality that marks the core of Christ's being," Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre told attendees at the June 1-3 national conference for charismatic Catholics. It is Christ's heart "into which each of us is drawn, so that more and more, each day after day, each passing year, like his," we are "rooted in charity and full of that light which he has unleashed upon the world; a light that is stronger than sin and death and hell itself," the bishop said. Bishop McIntyre was the principal celebrant and homilist at the opening Mass of the conference, which drew approximately 2,500 Catholic women and men from around the country. They gathered at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia for a joy-filled conference and celebration of the Holy Spirit. "Let us pray with one heart together with Mary in the Upper Room" was the theme of the conference, held every five years. It brought together four distinct branches of Catholic charismatics in the United States -- English speakers, Hispanics, Filipinos and Haitians -- with both general sessions and separate sessions for the four tracks as well as a fifth that targeted youths. Prominent among the concelebrants at the opening Mass was Ukrainian Archbishop Stefan Soroka of Philadelphia. "This is my first time at this and I was really impressed by it," he said. "It was really beautiful to see the light and joy on people's faces. It was life-giving."
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...
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