The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) advanced the cause of beatification for a Florida-born Jesuit priest, approved the publication of the Catholic American Bible, and added the 2029 National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) to their calendar this week at their assembly in Baltimore.
Advancing the cause of beatification for Father Richard Thomas, SJ
A Nov. 11 press release from the USCCB states that the bishops voted 206-4, with one abstention, in support of advancing the cause of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level for Father Richard Thomas, SJ.
Fr. Thomas was born in Seffner, Florida, in 1928, and graduated from Jesuit High School in Tampa, according to the release. After entering the Jesuit order, he was ordained a priest in 1958. In 1964, he was assigned to serve in a ministry to the poor in south El Paso, Texas.
On Christmas Day in 1972 Fr. Thomas served dinner to the poor living and working at a garbage dump in Juarez, Mexico. According to the release, Fr. Thomas’s ministry group only brought enough food for 150 people, but more than 300 people came to the dinner — and everyone “was served a full meal.”
“With leftovers that were donated to three orphanages after the dinner,” the release states, “the group later realized that the Lord had multiplied the food; the event prompted the group to not only return to the garbage dump on a regular basis, but also led them to advocate for better income for the trash pickers, and start additional ministries to the poor such as food banks, a prisoner outreach program, a medical and dental clinic, and student scholarship assistance.”
Fr. Thomas, who demonstrated virtues especially of temperance, fortitude, and compassion, was skilled at preaching and teaching, and had a special gift for mobilizing lay people to serve the poor in their cities and towns, according to the release. He died in 2006.
Next National Eucharistic Congress set for 2029
The NEC will next take place in 2029, the bishops decided. The last NEC took place in 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a part of the bishops’ multi-year National Eucharistic Revival initiative to inspire deeper devotion to Christ in the Eucharist.
In a Nov. 12 email announcing the confirmation of the 2029 Congress, the NEC stated that the bishops “voted to move forward with hosting the next Congress in less than four years because the hunger for Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist is evident.”
Catholic American Bible approved
The bishops also approved the Catholic American Bible, which Ascension Press will publish on Ash Wednesday in 2027. Ascension explains on its website that the new translation of the Bible includes a new introduction and notes compared with the New American Bible, Revised Edition, and a translation of the Book of Psalms developed in part by the monks of Conception Abbey in Missouri.
Explaining the reasoning for different Bible translations, Ascension states, “Some translations aim to be word-for-word, preserving the structure and rhythm of the original text. Others use a thought-for-thought approach, making Scripture easier to read, sing, and understand.”
“Catholic translations, including the forthcoming Catholic American Bible, balance both—faithful to the original, yet clear and beautiful for proclamation and prayer.”
USCCB committee chairmen elections
The bishops voted Nov. 12 on a number of USCCB committee elections. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne South Bend was elected as USCCB secretary and chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans.
Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, was elected chairman for the Committee for Religious Liberty. He initially tied in an 111-111 vote with Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas, who ended up withdrawing his name, according to a Nov. 13 USCCB press release.
- Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was elected to chair the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
- Bishop Peter Smith, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Portland was elected chairman of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.
- Bishop William Wack, CSC, of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, was elected to chair the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.
- Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia was elected chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace.
- Bishop Mark O’Connell, bishop-designate of the Diocese of Albany, was elected chairman of the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People.
According to the USCCB press release on the summary of the Assembly, the bishops also participated in private sessions on several topics, including: “the ongoing implementation of the synod; best practices to continue the instruction of Laudato si’; the importance of post-abortion healing ministry; Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (the bishops’ teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics); and the apostolate of the laity.”
The bishops elected Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the new USCCB president and Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, as vice president Nov. 11, as CatholicVote previously reported. They also voted in favor of consecrating the U.S. to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 2026 in observance of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
On Nov. 12 they approved issuing a special message calling for immigration reform and for immigrants’ dignity to be protected. The same day, the bishops officially prohibited Catholic hospitals from committing pro-“transgender” medical procedures by approving a new edition of their directives for Catholic healthcare services.
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