At St. Michael the Archangel in Schererville, Most Rev. Robert J. McClory celebrated two Masses where he confirmed graduating eighth graders from St. Michael the Archangel school and the St. Michael CCD program, as well as the religious education ministry at St. Joseph, Dyer, on Aug. 7.
The bishop began his homily asking for a show of hands of who is a Cubs fan and who is a White Sox fan. As a Detroit native, he did not declare his favorite professional Chicago baseball team, though he implored all to "identify as team Catholic Christian."
He continued preaching about identifying the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. Later he described the bracelets that each confirmed teen would get from him as a gift. The rubber bracelets feature the printed prayers "Jesus I trust in You" and "Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us," as well as an email address where people can send prayer requests to the bishop.
"I talked earlier about having your favorite team's swag, the apparel itself, that shows what team you're on ... I'm going to give you a real simple gift. Whether you are a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan, the most important part of my identity is that I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ, wholly initiated into his Church and I want to share that love with others," Bishop McClory said.
(Anthony D. Alonzo photos)
