“From Outward Appearance to Inward Conversion”

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:10:09 GMT

Bishop Rice’s homily highlights from last weekend’s Steubenville Youth Conference

Last weekend, I joined about 50 disciples from OLL, OLC, and OLO as we traveled to the Steubenville Mid-America Conference in Springfield. Together with more than 4,000 teens from across the Midwest, we gathered to encounter Christ in a powerful and life-changing way. The speakers were outstanding, Team Priest Fr. Fernando Camou’s personal witness was deeply moving, and Bishop Rice’s presence and preaching were both inspiring and challenging. It was a blessing to witness transformation unfolding in real time. With that in mind, I wanted to share a few key takeaways from Bishop Rice’s Sunday homily on the “Parable of the Sower.”

Bishop Rice opened his homily with a humorous but pointed observation about modern culture. He noted how obsessed the world has become with outward appearance; anti‑aging products, cosmetic procedures, filters, and even the endless search for ways to prevent hair loss. With a smile, he joked that men will try almost anything to keep their hair, and that society pours billions into staying wrinkle‑free and “forever young.” The teens laughed, but the bishop’s message was clear: we spend enormous energy trying to look good on the outside while often neglecting the far more important work of becoming good on the inside.

This contrast sets the stage for the heart of his homily. Bishop Rice reminded the youth that while the world is fixated on preserving the exterior, Jesus is focused on transforming the interior. He then turned to the Gospel of the day and invited the young people to consider the condition of their hearts. God, he said, is always sowing seeds of grace. The question is never about the generosity of the Sower, but the readiness of the soil.

He challenged the teens to ask themselves: What kind of soil am I? Are they rocky soil that receives God’s Word with excitement but quickly fades when life becomes difficult? Are they thorny soil, where distractions, temptations, and cultural pressures choke out spiritual growth? Or are they rich, fertile soil capable of bearing fruit “thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold”?

Bishop Rice emphasized that authentic discipleship cannot be passive or inherited. Faith must be chosen, nurtured, and lived intentionally. He urged the youth not to let the powerful experiences of the conference remain within the walls of the arena. He said, “If all of this stays here, then what was the point?” The true measure of the weekend is not the emotion of the moment but the transformation that follows once they return home.

He encouraged them to cultivate their hearts through daily prayer and challenged them to replace “look maxing” with “faith maxing” or “Catholic maxing.” In other words, he invited them to take intentional steps to deepen their interior lives: attending daily Mass when possible, spending time in Eucharistic Adoration, and praying the rosary. These spiritual practices keep the soil of the heart soft, deep, and receptive. Holiness, he reminded them, is not complicated; it is found in daily fidelity, small acts of love, and openness to God’s grace. Even the smallest seeds, when planted in good soil, can bear an abundant harvest.

His homily was both challenging and hopeful. It honored the powerful experiences of the weekend while calling the youth to a long‑term, life‑changing response. As they left the arena, Bishop Rice’s words echoed: the seeds have been planted, now it is time to grow.

A Moment of Clarity: The SSPX and What Catholics Need to Know

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 03:25:47 GMT

The past week brought significant developments concerning the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), and it seemed appropriate to provide a clear account of what happened and why it matters to the Church.

Who Are They? The SSPX is a priestly fraternity founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It is known for its exclusive use of the Traditional Latin Mass and its rejection of several teachings of the Second Vatican Council, especially on religious freedom and the Church’s relationship with other faiths. For decades, the society has lived in tension with Rome, sometimes drawing closer, sometimes pulling away.

A History of Rupture. The major break occurred in 1988 when Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated bishops without papal approval. Under canon law, this act incurred automatic excommunication for him and the bishops he consecrated. Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009 as a gesture of reconciliation, though the society remained outside full communion. In 2015, Pope Francis extended special faculties to the SSPX to allow its priests to validly hear confessions, and in 2017, he granted it faculties to allow its priests to validly celebrate marriages. Rome extended mercy at every turn.

What Just Happened? Despite direct warnings from the Vatican, the SSPX proceeded on July 1 with the consecration of four new bishops without a papal mandate. Pope Leo XIV personally appealed to them not to proceed. Vatican officials called the act “schismatic,” and on July 2 declared that the six bishops involved had incurred automatic excommunication and that SSPX clergy “are in schism and therefore must be considered schismatics.”

What Is This Really About? Many assume the conflict centers on the Latin Mass. It does not. The Church has repeatedly affirmed the beauty and legitimacy of the ancient rite when celebrated in communion with Rome.

The deeper issue is the SSPX’s rejection of the authority of the Second Vatican Council. The society argues that because Vatican II issued no new dogmas, its teachings need not be fully accepted. The Church firmly rejects this claim. Vatican II’s documents belong to the Church’s authentic magisterium, and Catholics owe them religious submission of mind and will. Love for tradition is good, but it cannot override obedience to the successor of Peter. Communion with Rome is essential to being Catholic.

Can Catholics Attend SSPX Masses? The Vatican acknowledges that attending an SSPX Mass does not automatically excommunicate a Catholic, provided there is no “formal adherence” to the schism. This means avoiding both internal agreement with the society’s rejection of Rome and external behaviors such as exclusively attending SSPX chapels. However, Catholics seeking the Traditional Latin Mass (TML) are strongly encouraged to find communities celebrating in full communion with Rome. They exist and they offer all the beauty of the ancient rite without spiritual risk. In our diocese, TLM is celebrated on Sundays at 8:00 am at the O’Reilly Catholic Student Center – Missouri State University.

The Door Remains Open. The Church continues to welcome those who wish to return. Any SSPX priest or faithful seeking reconciliation should reach out to a local diocese. The path back exists, and it begins with turning toward Peter.

"Where the bishop is, there is the Church." — St. Ignatius of Antioch

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“From Outward Appearance to Inward Conversion”

A Moment of Clarity: The SSPX and What Catholics Need to Know