News - March 2021

I was invited by the Thomas More Society of Catholic Lawyers who awarded me the Thomas More Award at the last red mass for Catholic Lawyers, Oct. 15, 2020, to give three talks for them on Pope Francis’ recent book. Let Us Dream: The Path to A Better Future, this Lent. I gave the first one on March 18th. Having read the book, taken copious notes and doing a PowerPoint for each talk, the book has stayed with me, challenged me and edified me. The book consists of a prologue, three chapters and an epilogue. I also now have decided to write a blog about it since it is such a challenging book.

My heart is heavy as I begin to write. This is a very difficult week for a number of reasons. The first one is a story in this morning’s paper which details the horrific events in Atlanta – additional, bigger, more tragic versions of the rising anti-Asian violence in our country over the last year.

Father John Coleman reflects on new publications grappling with the problem of homelessness in the United States I have read many studies about the homeless and engaged in many conversations about the homeless in San Francisco, especially with family and friends who feel the nearby homeless are a danger for their apartment properties. I have also, using the studies I read, written about the homeless. I have a chapter, for example, in a new book published by Fordham University Press, Land of Stark Contrasts: Faith-Based Responses to Homelessness in the United States, edited by Manuel Mejido. My Chapter is entitled, “Social Service, Citizen Activism and Faith-BasedOrganizations.“

With more than 80 million people vaccinated in the U.S., my cautious optimism about what our faith community might be able to do together in 2021 is becoming less cautious and more optimistic. Recently, I have even allowed myself the fantasy of engaging in my former practice of casually walking the church aisles and greeting you in your pew before Mass starts. Just typing that sentence puts a grin on my face.