Bishop Michael Mulvey told students, in his homily at the 16th annual "Liturgy to Begin the School Year," to educate their heart with the words of Jesus Christ. Bishop Mulvey spoke to some 700 Catholic school students from throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi

Fifth, eighth and twelfth grade students at Incarnate Word Academy attended the back-to-school mass on Sept. 10 at the Corpus Christi Cathedral with Bishop Michael Mulvey. The Mass is celebrated every year for all schools within the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Eighth graders at Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level learned about building community among each other as part of their fall retreat on Friday, Aug. 28, at Camp Zephyr in Sandia. Students participated in icebreaker games, obstacle courses, trust exercises, Scripture reading, reflection and Body of Christ group work.

During the past two weeks, I have had the privilege to touch the lives of Felipe, Homero and Keilin and their families. In sharing a bit of the encounters, I hope to deepen the reality of daily border life in South Texas.

Sister Mary Anselm Till, IWBS died on Monday, Sept. 7, with her Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament praying at her side. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m.

Sister Marie Victoria Podesta died at 7:30 pm on Sept. 8, in Mother Theodore Hall, St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Sister Marie Victoria served at St. John in Robstown from 1959-63.

Pope Francis today made known several procedural reforms to the process by which the validity of marriage is investigated. These are to take effect later this year on Dec. 8, which is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the beginning of the Year of Mercy.*

Msgr. Richard J. Shirley–who started the ministry that became Catholic Charities in 1965 when he passed out bologna sandwiches and apples to the homeless from the Corpus Christi Cathedral–will be the honorary chairman for the Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi 50th anniversary celebration on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6–8 p.m., at 1322 Comanche Street. The event will feature the dedication of a Memorial Rose Garden and a special blessing by Bishop Michael Mulvey.

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Texas Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) will raise the walls of their seventh Habitat home on Saturday, Sept. 19 The home will be located at 2818 Soledad Street in Corpus Christi. The ground blessing ceremony will begin at 100 a.m., followed by a full-day of work to raise the walls of the 900 sq. ft. two-bedroom home for a single mother with two children.

In response to a call from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to honor Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth who was viciously murdered one-week ago, a moment of silence was held in front of St Joseph Church in Alice on Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. Father Pete Elizardo, pastor at St. Joseph, gave a special prayer.

A packed house was on hand at the Mansion Royal in Corpus Christi on Thursday, Sept. 3, for the 26th Annual Celebration for Life. Keynote speaker Shawn Carney, a pro-life activist and co-founder of 40-Days for Life, quickly won the crowd over when he declared, "Corpus Christi is the hub of the pro-life movement in Texas; an abortion free Corpus Christi."

Local non-commercial radio station KLUX 89.5HD will hold a two-day, on-the-air fundraiser on Sept. 14-15. Titled "PledgeFest", the two-day event will feature KLUX air personalities and guests making on-air appeals for support and taking phone pledges. The goal of the two-day event is $16,000.

The Diocese of Corpus Christi warmly welcomes Pope Francis' Letter of Sept. 1, on the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy that will be celebrated Dec. 8, 2015 - Nov. 20, 2016. In the Letter, the Holy Father draws our attention to the abundant mercy of God extended to all. He encourages all to practice mercy with others and to participate in receiving mercy, especially in the coming Jubilee Year.

Incarnate Word Academy invited its high school level students, along with their parents, to attend several of college application workshops on Aug. 26, Sept. 2, 16, and 30.

On Feb. 25, the Holy See gave approval for the beatification process to begin for Mother Mary Michael, SSpSAP co-foundress and first superior general of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, also known as the Pink Sisters. The subsequent Nihil Obstat–a declaration of no objection–signed by Cardinal Angelus Amato on March 19 opened the way for the beginning of the beatification process.

The leadership team for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas traveled across Texas gathering for a three day Organizational Meeting at the Oblate Renewal Center in San Antonio to present goals, operating procedures, and tools for the 2015-17 term.

The Texas Catholic Conference, the policy arm of the bishops of Texas, will host a discussion entitled "Journey to Mercy: Rethinking the Death Penalty in Texas" on Friday, Oct. 23, at the Texas Capitol Auditorium from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Marietta Jeager-Lane, from a Journey of Hope, will be the luncheon keynote speaker. She will relate her grief as the mother of a murder victim to finding forgiveness for the attacker.

At Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, members of the community, most of them volunteers at a respite center for immigrants at Sacred Heart parish hall, were invited to a special event by ABC News, but were not informed in advance of just how special that event would be.