Vatican’s anime-style mascot Luce goes viral on internet with Catholic memes, fan art – CNA

Vatican’s anime-style mascot Luce goes viral on internet with Catholic memes, fan art – CNA – By Tyler Arnold – Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 3, 2024

The Vatican on Oct. 28, 2024, unveiled the official mascot for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year: “Luce,” which is Italian for “light.” | Credit: Simone Legno/Toki Doki/Vatican Media

The Vatican introduced an anime-style mascot named Luce to represent Catholic pilgrims in the 2025 Jubilee year on Monday, Oct. 28 — and within a week, the character has already become a viral internet sensation.

In less than seven days, hundreds of memes and fan art renditions of Luce (pronounced Lu-Chay) popped up on social media websites such as Facebook, X, Reddit, and TikTok and have been circulating the platforms.

The character has become particularly popular with Catholic meme accounts and groups but also has a presence in non-Catholic spaces, such as with amateur anime artists, Protestant meme accounts, and some secular and political meme accounts. It has also inspired Halloween costumes and the creation of a cryptocurrency called Luce Token, which has a market capitalization that has surpassed $50 million.

Luce’s symbolism

Luce, which is Italian for “light,” is a blue-haired mascot who wears a rosary around her neck and a yellow raincoat that is meant to symbolize journeying through life’s storms and reflect the color of the Vatican flag. She wears green muddy boots that represent a long and difficult journey and carries a staff meant to symbolize the pilgrimage toward eternity.

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization commissioned the creation of the character, which was designed by Italian artist Simone Legno, who owns the company tokidoki, which creates products with Japanese-inspired designs. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s chief organizer for the jubilee, unveiled the mascot during a news conference.

Many of the Luce-inspired memes invoke Christian messages of prayer and warding of the devil. One popular meme, which parodies a famous scene from “The Shining,” shows Luce use her staff to break a hole into a wooden door and stick her face through the hole as the devil cowers in the corner. Some others depict Luce kneeling in prayer.

Several Luce memes spreading around the internet also invoke pro-life messages, such as one that depicts Luce saving a baby from a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. Some memes have put Luce side-by-side with Crusaders.

Father Matthew P. Schneider, LC, a Catholic priest with a large social media following, has embraced the mascot, creating threads on X with more than 70 of his favorite fan art renditions of Luce. Some of the amateur artists are Catholic, but dozens of amateur anime artists who normally produce secular art have also jumped on the trend.

“I like Luce, the mascot for the holy year 2025,” Schneider said on X. “The images seem like a good Christian adaptation of modern culture or inculturation.”

Thomas Graf, the social media manager for Catholic Answers, wrote in an article on Thursday that he worried at first that the character would be a failed attempt to “try to make Church cool and relevant.” However, he notes it was ultimately embraced by some Catholics within all age groups.

“Luce is undeniably adorable,” Graf wrote. “Maybe you disagree, but I have to hand it to the creators: They nailed the look of childlike faith and innocence. And the pilgrimage symbols embedded in her character — muddy boots, Camino de Santiago shells in her eyes, pilgrim’s cross, and World Mission rosary — are subtle. Nothing evokes the overbearing ‘Jesus is COOL, kids!!’ lunkheadedness of, say, VBS mascots.”

Christians who are not Catholic have also jumped on the Luce thread to create their own versions of the character.

One post in the Anglicanism subreddit developed an Anglican version of Luce with symbolism that represents their own denomination. Lutherans on Facebook and X have done the same, making Lutheran versions of Luce and claiming she converted — prompting strong responses from Catholics reclaiming the character. Some Orthodox Christians have made similar posts.

“Been seeing a ton of ‘I’m not Catholic, but Luce is so cute’ posts — THIS IS HOW WE WIN,” one Twitter user said.

Not all Catholics are fans

In spite of the Luce success on social media, not all Catholics are fans of the character.

Traditionalist Catholic theologian Peter Kwasniewski wrote on X that “even if Luce is not ‘evil,’ the fact that she’s kitschy, cutesy, cringey, merchy, and childish is already offensive to the religion of the Logos.”

Kwasniewski also criticized Legno, the artist who designed the character, calling him “a moral degenerate.” Legno’s company tokidoki has promoted homosexual pride and has partnered with one company to produce sex toys.

Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, also criticized the character on X: “Infantilizing the young with a dumbed down version of Catholicism does them a disservice.”

Some traditionalist-minded Catholics, such as The Daily Wire host Michael Knowles, have been supportive of Luce.

“I attend the Traditional Latin Mass,” Knowles wrote on X. “I wear bowties. I read old books. I smoke cigars. I’m married with three kids under four. I’m what they call a ‘trad.’ And I stan [am a fan of] Luce.”

The Vatican intends to keep moving forward with the mascot. Luce made an appearance at the Lucca Comics & Games convention in Tuscany, Italy this past weekend and will also appear at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan next year.

PLANT TREES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – Guardian Angels Foundation

PLANT TREES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – Guardian Angels Foundation.

PLANT TREES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – Not only plant A Tree but Watch It Grow!!

Even before the world realized the problems with the environment, Lucy Larcom wrote a beautiful poem “Plant a tree” (before 1893). Please read it below:

Plant a tree – Lucy Larcom

દર વર્ષે સમગ્ર વિશ્વમાં ૫ જૂન નો દિવસ વિશ્વ પર્યાવરણ દિવસ તરીકે મનાવવામાં આવે છે. પર્યાવરણની જાળવણી માટે વૃક્ષોની વાવણી અને તેનો ઉછેર કરવાની ઉત્કંઠા બધે જ જોવા મળે છે. આપણા ભારત દેશમાં ૨૦૦ કરોડ વૃક્ષોની જરૂર છે. લોકોએ વૃક્ષારોપણની સમસ્યા સરકારના માથે છોડી દીધી છે. વૃક્ષોનુ વાવેતર, ઘડતર, માવજત જરૂરી છે. વૃક્ષ વાવ્યા ના વરસ પછી એ વૃક્ષની હયાતીનું પ્રમાણપત્ર રજૂ કરવાની કોઈ જોગવાઈ કે નિયમ જરૂરી છે એવું નથી લાગતું? હમણાં જ ગુજરાત સમાચાર માં આવેલો આ લેખ વાંચીને ચિંતા થાય એ સ્વાભાવિક છે.

Gujarat Samachar12 Jul 2024

એથી જ આજ પંખી, બહુ ખુશખુશાલ છે;
ઉપવનમાં એનું વૃક્ષ, હવે રાજ્યપાલ છે.
– સુનીલ શાહ

ગાર્ડિયન એન્જલ્સ ફાઉન્ડેશન દ્વારા જૈતુન વાડી પ્રોજેક્ટ પંચવર્ષીય વૃક્ષારોપણ યોજનાનો આરંભ

ગાર્ડિયન એન્જલ્સ ફાઉન્ડેશન (USA) દ્વારા જૈતુન વાડી પ્રોજેક્ટ “પંચવર્ષીય વૃક્ષારોપણ યોજના” નો આરંભ કરવામાં આવ્યો. જૈતુન વાડી પ્રોજેક્ટ યોજના હેઠળ ગાર્ડિયન એન્જલ્સ ફાઉન્ડેશન દ્વારા આગામી ૫ વર્ષમાં  કુલ ૫૦૦ ઓલિવ ટ્રી રોપવાનું ધ્યેય રાખવામાં આવેલ છે. જેમાંથી ચાલુ વર્ષે ૧૪૫ ઓલિવ ટ્રી નું રોપણ કરવાનું આયોજન કરેલ છે. આ ઓલિવ/જૈતુન પ્લાન્ટ ઇઝરાયેલથી મંગાવવામાં આવ્યા છે. ગાર્ડિયન એન્જલ પ્રેસિડેન્ટ શિલ્પાબેન મકવાણા તથા પાસ્ટર વી.કે મકવાણા (USA) અને પરિવાર તેમજ સંસ્થાના સર્વ વ્હાલાઓનો આ કાર્ય માટે આભાર. શાંતિ અને એકતાના પ્રતિક સમા ઓલિવ ટ્રી રોપવાની યોજનાનો આરંભ ઈશ્વર કૃપાથી ગંગા ડેરી ફાર્મ CDS રાવળાપુરા આણંદ ખાતે ૨૭/૬/૨૪ ના રોજ કરવામાં આવ્યો. જો કોઈએ આ સેવામાં જોડાવું હોય કે સંસ્થા તથા  જૈતુન વાડી પ્રોજેક્ટ વૃક્ષારોપણ યોજના વિશે વધારે માહિતી જોઈતી હોય તો તમે help@GuardianAngels.Foundation ઇ-મેલ ઉપરથી સંસ્થાનો સંપર્ક કરવા નમ્ર વિનંતી.

વૃક્ષારોપણનો આ પ્રોજેક્ટ અને એમાંય આ ઓલિવ વૃક્ષની પસંદગી ખરેખર દાદ અને ધન્યવાદને પાત્ર છે. ફરી આવતા વરસે આ યોજના હેઠળ વૃક્ષારોપણના કાર્યક્રમ પહેલાં આ વરસે રોપેલા ૧૪૫ ઓલિવ ટ્રી ના હયાતી, ઉછેર અને તંદુરસ્તીનો અહેવાલ રજૂ કરશો એવી અપેક્ષા.

Guardian Angels Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to cultivate a sustainable future through three core pillars: Environmental stewardship, women’s empowerment, and educational enrichment.

Driven by our values of environmental sustainability, gender equality and education for all, we strive to create a world where communities thrive harmoniously with nature, women and girls are empowered agents of change, and education catalyzes progress and prosperity.

Join us in planting seeds of change, nurturing communities, and growing a brighter future together.

Guided by Faith, embracing Psalm 91:11 ‘For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.’

Nurturing the future: Inspiring olive tree planting initiative

Planting olive trees, symbolizes the growth of love, compassion, and spirituality. Spreading love and harmony is a beacon of hope.

With faith and determination, fostering a culture of peace and understanding.

ગાર્ડિયન એન્જલ્સ ફાઉન્ડેશન (USA) દ્વારા જૈતુન વાડી પ્રોજેક્ટ ના નેજા હેઠળ ગુજરાતના વિવિધ શહેરોમાં ઓલિવ વૃક્ષનું રોપણ કરવામાં આવ્યું એના પિક્ચર્સ………………..

Olive tree planting – year one 2024

How’s that? Keralite priests and seminarians make up official cricket team of Vatican – The New Indian Express

How’s that? Keralite priests and seminarians make up official cricket team of Vatican – The New Indian Express.

Amita George Updated on: 27 Jun 2024

The team is presently in England for a tournament which starts on June 28.

Image form the Vatican Cricket Club Facebook page

St. Peter’s Cricket Club, the official cricket team of Vatican, is making waves with its unique composition and aspirations.

The team, formed in 2014, has undergone a significant transformation. At present the team comprises entirely of Keralite priests and seminarians

Initially started as an ecumenical initiative with the Anglicans, the Vatican Cricket Team has expanded to play teams outside the religious sphere.

Inspired by Pope Francis, who in his first year championed the value of sport as a means of fostering dialogue, the club was formed with the aim of strengthening ties with countries and maintaining brotherhood through cricket.

Former team member Fr. Anil Ottakunel said that most members of the team are Indians. This stems from the fact that most of the priests and brothers in Rome are from India or the state of Kerala.

“There were years when it used to be 98 percent Malayalis and 1-2 from other countries,” he said.

At the time of his coming back to India he had participated in a four – match tournament in Malta.

On Friday, St Peter’s Cricket Club will mark a historic milestone as this team plays its first international match.

The competition titled Journey to the Light of Faith, will see the Vatican team competing against England at Wormsley Estate.

“It is a sort of an Evangelisation. It’s also more about forming connections with people”, Fr. Jose Eettulli, present captain of the team, told the newindianexpress. com.

For Fr. Jose, who hails from Changanassery, it’s an enriching experience. It is his seventh year in the team and he has been to Portugal, Kenya, Argentina and many more countries for tournaments. It is his third time in England and he said that they take the tournament seriously but it also serves a greater purpose.

“It is the first time we have an all Malayali team. We have always had mostly Indians in the team with two from England, one from Australia, one from Sri Lanka, three from Pakistan and one from Canada in different years.”

This demographic spread is due to the popularity of cricket in Asian countries and the prominent diversity in culture that is present among Asians. The players keep changing because most of the people who come here are seminarians who have come to study for a period of 3-5 years, said Fr. Jose Reechus, another teammate hailing from Trivandrum.

The practice sessions are the only time when these teammates get together, they are all in different universities or serving in different places.

The coach of the team is Dane Kirby, a former Australian district cricket team player.

“We are trained thoroughly,” said Fr. Eettulli.

“We play County 2 level teams and we have a 70 percent winning rate”. This is not his first captaincy stint. He led the team during the 2019-2020 season as well.

According to him, even though they are all players on the ground, there is a sort of a priestly witness during playing. “Getting angry or frustrated during a sport is common and is accepted. But we try to take and deal with everything gently and with a smile”, he said.

“The priest who is our team manager gave us all the advice that we have always kept close to us. He said that winning or losing is not important, playing with excellence is”.

The official Vatican Cricket Team

Apart from the captain Fr. Jose Eetulli, the other members are Fr Nelson Puthuparampil (Kannur), Fr Jose Richus (Thiruvananthapuram), Fr Prince Augustine (Kottayam), Fr Abin Mathew (Pala), Fr Joji Kavunkal (Chalakudy), Fr Santo Thomas (Kannur), Fr Paulson Kochuthara (Kochi), Fr Ebin Illikal (Thrissur), Brother Ebin Jose (Idukki), Brother Jays Jamie (Kothamangalam) and Brother Ajay Poovanpuzha (Kannur).

Image from the Vatican Cricket Club Facebook page

The team is in England for the tournament till July 4th.

Bishop Checchio ordains 15 permanent deacons, one transitional deacon – The Catholic Spirit

Bishop Checchio ordains 15 permanent deacons, one transitional deacon – The Catholic Spirit – May 20, 2024 by Deacon Patrick Cline

“What a wonderful day for an ordination,” said Bishop James F. Checchio as he began the Mass of Ordination for 16 men to the Diaconate on May 3, the Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles. He said these two saints will be “wonderful intercessors and inspiring examples for our brothers today.”

Reflecting on the lives of these two saints, Bishop Checchio told the men he was about to ordain that just as Jesus called down the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles, “the Church now calls down the Holy Spirit upon you. You are ordained today not to fulfill a role in the Church but rather to light a fire, to light a fire in our world, and in our Church.”

Bishop Checchio said St. James reminds us that faith must never be reduced to simply an abstract or verbal declaration but must always be expressed in acts. “So brothers, your ministry must be marked by good works, particularly loving the poor,” the Bishop instructed.

In the Gospel of St. John, St. Philip introduced the Apostle Nathanial to Jesus using the Lord’s own words, “Come and see.” Bishop Checchio said that St. Philip thus urges us to become closely acquainted with and fall in love with Jesus. He assured the candidates that “Jesus promises to be with you always, don’t forget that.  May your road to sainthood always be guided by him and by his Blessed Mother.”

Then Bishop Checchio questioned the candidates regarding their willingness to undertake the tasks and obligations of the diaconate. In response, the men expressed their resolve to fulfill the office of deacon in accord with the mind of Christ and of his Church.

In one of the most moving moments common to all ordination rites, to the diaconate, presbyterate and episcopacy, the 16 men prostrated themselves in the biblical gesture of humility. As they did so, they and the congregation were invited to pray the Litany of Supplication invoking “All holy men and women, Saints of God,” many by name, to pray for those men.

Bishop Checchio prayed that God would mercifully hear our prayers for his aid in sanctifying and blessing these candidates the Church has deemed worthy to be tasked with the Office of the Diaconate. Through the laying on of hands by the Bishop on each man, the gift of the Holy Spirit was conferred upon them.

After they were vested with the Stole and Dalmatic, the signs of their new office, the Book of the Gospels was presented to each Deacon by the Bishop with the admonition, “Believe what you read. Teach what you believe. Practice what you teach.”

A recurring comment from many of the people attending the Ordination Mass was how joyful and moving the Mass was, especially when all the other deacons present exchanged the Kiss of Peace with the newly ordained men. “You could truly see the look of joy on all their faces,” said Anna Bui, wife of Deacon Tuan Bui of Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville.

In addition to the men ordained to the permanent diaconate, Rev. Mr. Jerome Roxas Ocampo was ordained a transitional deacon as he continues his journey towards priesthood. Deacon Ocampo said, “Although I knew two deacons from my hospital ministry at St. Peter, I was overwhelmed by the welcome I received from all the deacons present.”

Peter Cain, the son of newly ordained Deacon Paul Cain, paid tribute to his father when he said, “ Dad has been a blessing to our family all my life and now I know that he will be a blessing to all the people of our parish,” Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville, where Deacon Cain will minister.

In his closing remarks as in his homily, the Bishop thanked everyone who had played a role in bringing the new deacons to that day, especially their wives and families.  He also expressed his gratitude to all who contributed to making that Mass such a wonderful celebration.

May 3rd was also the eighth anniversary of Bishop Checchio’s episcopal ordination and installation as the Shepherd of the Diocese of Metuchen. In a message to the people of the Diocese earlier that day he thanked everyone for their love, prayers, and wonderful cooperation throughout those eight years, “And what a blessing it has been for me!”

Deacon Patrick Cline served as associate director of Formation for the Ordination Class of 2024 and serves in St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater.

ORDINATION TO THE ORDER OF THE DIACONATE by Bishop James F. Checchio/ 05.03.2024 @ 4:00PM / Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen – Please watch the video of the live streaming.

ORDINATION TO THE ORDER OF THE DIACONATE by Bishop James F. Checchio/ 05.03.2024 @ 4:00PM / Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen – Some pictures of the event.

Please click on the image to read the article from The Catholic Spirit dated May 23, 2024.

Please click here to read the whole news paper. – THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT IS THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF METUCHEN

Please click here to read the weekly bulletin of the Church of the Sacred heart, South Plainfield dated 05-19-2024 – the parish of Deacon Ketan Christian. Page 7 about his ordination.

Church of the Sacred Heart, South Plainfield – Sunday Morning Mass // 11:30am // May 5, 2024 Welcome! This morning Mass is brought to you by the Church of the Sacred Heart in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Today, we celebrate newly ordained Deacon Ketan Christian as he preaches his first homily. Our celebrant for today is Father Edmund Luciano assisted by Deacon Ketan Christian. – Video of the Live streaming.

Sunday Mass in Gujarati with Father Paresh Parmar, Episcopal Vicar, Diocese of Ahmedabad and Deacon Ketan Joseph Christian // 3:00pm // May 5, 2024. Welcome! This afternoon Mass is brought to you by the Church of the Sacred Heart in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Our celebrant for today is Father Paresh Parmar, Episcopal Vicar, Diocese of Ahmedabad, assisted by Deacon Ketan Christian. – Video of the Live Streaming.

Please click on the image below to read the article of the Ordination from the Gujarati Catholic monthly magazine “DOOT” – June 2024. This magazine was started in 1911. 

Hours after his first Communion, boy begins remarkable recovery from debilitating illness – NWCatholic.org

Hours after his first Communion, boy begins remarkable recovery from debilitating illness – NWCatholic.org

BY DAVE HRBACEK, OSV NEWS MAY 15, 2024 US/WORLD

Joshua, Jessica, Jonathan, Lillian and Lucas Dahlberg pray together during Eucharistic adoration at Epiphany in Coon Rapids, Minn., May 2, 2024. They pray once a week at the chapel. (OSV News photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)

COON RAPIDS, Minn. — No mom would ever want to spend Mother’s Day like this: in a hospital room with a 7-year-old son paralyzed from the waist down and told by doctors he might never walk again.

Such was the scenario one year ago on May 14 for Jessica Dahlberg, a member of Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids. Her son, Joshua, had been hospitalized after a fall while playing soccer five days previously. An MRI at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis May 13 revealed he had transverse myelitis, which, in his case, caused paralysis from the waist down. Doctors told her there was only a 10% chance Joshua would ever walk again.

Jessica, her husband, Andy, both 35, and their other five children were trying to process this radical new reality, which would mean Joshua using a wheelchair for the rest of his life. They also were thinking about how Joshua had to miss his first Communion at Epiphany, which took place the same day as his MRI, May 13.

The devastating news plus missing a sacramental event Joshua had been eagerly anticipating for months weighed heavily on the entire family, especially Jessica.

“Stunned, devastated,” she said of her reaction to Joshua’s condition and grim prognosis. “He always was the healthiest, active boy — loves sports, loves soccer and basketball. So, hearing that my 7-year-old was never going to do any of those things he loves again was heartbreaking.”

Joshua cried, Jessica cried, and now she was going to spend Mother’s Day in a hospital at the bedside of her paralyzed second grader.

Then, at 3 p.m. that day, there came an unexpected turn that the Dahlbergs say was the start of a remarkable — maybe miraculous? — recovery, one that led to him running in three events at a middle school track meet just one year later, on May 5, in which he left all doubts about his return to health in the dust.

Father Paul Baker, at the time a parochial vicar at Epiphany, got a phone call from a parishioner the weekend of Joshua’s hospitalization suggesting he go to Children’s Hospital to give Joshua his first Communion. Father Baker obliged, and while he was there also gave Joshua the anointing of the sick, generally done for people at the end of life.

Hours later, Joshua started wiggling his toes. In 10 days, he was home and walking with some assistance.

According to Jessica, this befuddled the neurologist who worked with Joshua, and he was not able to offer a medical explanation.

“He said he’s been in the field for about 40 years,” she told The Catholic Spirit, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “He said he’s never seen anything like this before.”

Joshua’s recovery continued after he got home, to the point where he played soccer just weeks later, scoring a goal in his first game. Then came basketball during this past winter and, after that, middle school track this spring. Before the recent May 5 meet, he even bantered with his older brother Lucas, one year ahead of him in school, that he would beat him in the 400-meter run. And beat his brother’s time he did, which reinforces how his parents view the strides that he has made.

“It had to have been some sort of a miracle,” Andy Dahlberg said. “I don’t know how you could deny it at this point.”

Said Jessica: “It is just clear in our heads now what an incredible thing that was. And to be honest, how could it not have been a Eucharistic miracle?”

Father Baker, too, sees something beyond modern medicine at work.

“I don’t have any authority to say whether something is a miracle,” he said, “but you know, how can you not see the hand of God in that?”

For the Dahlberg family, the start of the journey came when they enrolled their oldest four children, including Joshua, at Epiphany Catholic School at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.

After previously sending them to public school, they became dissatisfied with how public schools handled the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues. Andy and Jessica felt they needed to make a change. Andy had gone to Epiphany Catholic School and felt this was the best choice for their children.

They knew it would be a financial pinch. But, their faith, and a commitment by both the school and parish to make it financially affordable for all families, propelled them to enroll Joshua and three of his siblings: Lucas, 10, Lillian, 7, and Jonathan, 6.

Their decision would be powerfully confirmed months later.

“As the end of the school year was approaching, all of a sudden, this happens,” Andy Dahlberg said of Joshua’s illness. “Then, we get all these prayers from the whole school. … We would have never had any of those prayers at a public school.”

That collective prayer might be the actual miracle of this story. By the time school resumed after Mother’s Day weekend, prayers were being offered by the entire school — students, teachers, parents, all the way up to the principal, Ann Coone, who mobilized intercession throughout the building. This was her battle cry: “Let’s assemble the army and pray.”

“The communion of saints is powerful,” said Coone, 65, who retired last August after being principal at the school for six years. “It makes me cry thinking about it. And so, it’s just, ‘OK, Lord, what do we do for your glorification and for this little boy and his family?’”

The Dahlbergs were keenly aware of the intercessions being offered for them. “Our whole school was pouring their hearts and souls into praying for him,” Jessica said. “It was amazing seeing our whole community come together.”

As the daily prayers in school continued, including the rosary during morning announcements, Coone came up with an idea. She would create a ceremony to give Joshua the opportunity to offer flowers to Mary, something he had been chosen to do for a crowning ceremony but missed because of his illness. This special ceremony for Joshua took place after he regained the ability to walk but before his return to school.

Coone recalled visiting him in the hospital during his 10-day stay and listening to him describe the disappointment of not only missing his first Communion, but also missing the chance to take part in the crowning of Mary. During that visit, she said to Joshua, “I promise you, you will walk flowers up to Our Lady.”

Her promise was fulfilled with a gathering of students assembled to watch him place a bouquet of flowers at the feet of Mary. As he processed up the aisle toward the sanctuary, “there wasn’t a dry eye in the church,” Coone recalled, noting that Joshua wore his first Communion suit. “It was so beautiful.”

Among those witnessing this event was third-grade teacher Jona Winkelman, who was teaching Lucas at the time and who teaches Joshua this year. She has a sacred theological license in dogmatic theology from the Angelicum in Rome and has taught theology at both the high school and college level. She became a third-grade teacher at Epiphany three years ago because her daughters attend the school.

She paid close attention to Joshua’s illness and recovery, leading prayers in the classroom daily and playing videos of Joshua’s progress that Lucas brought to class along with updates on his brother.

“We saw the videos and we were like, ‘Our prayers are being answered,’” Winkelman said. “It increased their prayer, and the prayer was more fervent and more eager. And we just knew that God was answering our prayers.”

This comes as no surprise to Winkelman, who believes in the power of prayer, especially the prayer of children.

“I have the conviction that God loves the prayers of children better than any other because the prayers of children are perfect and innocent, and they go straight to (God’s) heart,” she said. “And he can’t help but hear them.”

She also said that Joshua’s first Communion in the hospital connects strongly to his healing, noting that the “extraordinary grace of holy Communion is a gift not only to his soul, but to his body.”

Interestingly, Epiphany is home to a display of Eucharistic miracles designed by Blessed Carlo Acutis before his death in 2006. The exhibit features more than 150 Eucharistic miracles that have taken place around the world, with panels showing images, evidence and testimony. Epiphany makes this display available on loan to parishes that are interested.

That the display and Joshua’s recovery both are connected to Epiphany seems fitting to Father Baker, who now serves at St. Agnes in St. Paul.

“I was there for four years at that parish, and I would say it’s a parish where there’s a lot of people with a tremendous Eucharistic faith,” he said. “You could maybe even see (Joshua’s recovery) as a confirmation of that.”

Dave Hrbacek is senior content specialist for The Catholic Spirit, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

મારું જીવન…મારાં સ્વજન…મારો સમાજ…મારું જગત…૨૦૦૪ થી આ જાળું ગૂંથી રહ્યો છું…