Bishop Gumbleton at Kateri Shrine

(Kateri Tekakwitha)

Twenty-twelve is surely a year of grace!  Not only will Kateri Tekakwitha be canonized on October 21^st, but Bishop Thomas Gumbleton will be conducting a Day of Reflection at her Fonda, New York Shrine on August 17^th.  (*Please see 8/15 update below.)

Bishopgumbleton.org sums up this beloved bishop's teaching/ministry with these sixteen words:  "to transform the world into as close an image of the reign of God as possible."  To this effect, Bishop Gumbleton has been a leading light in the peace and civil rights movements.  He has passionately advocated for an end to war, for the abolition of nuclear

weapons, for the rights of homosexuals and women to fully participate within the Catholic Church, and on behalf of sexual-abuse victims within the Catholic Church.

Although some of these stances are markedly different from those currently held by the Vatican, Bishop Gumbleton feels nevertheless

impelled to uphold them.  During a PBS interview, he explained the following:  The Church, over the centuries, has tried to teach about sexuality in single life, married life, homosexual life, and our teaching has evolved.  And that's true of

almost any moral teaching within the Church.  As we get new insights, new understanding, the teaching evolves.  Teachings on slavery.  100 years ago in this country Catholic bishops accepted slavery – said it was perfectly justified.  You would find no person in the Church saying that today.

Bishop Gumbleton's Kateri Shrine Day of Reflection serves as an inspiring "overture" to the 14^th Annual Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference.  This conference features other well-known leaders who are carrying on the conscientious traditions of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.  These leaders include three-times Nobel Peace Prize nominee Kathy Kelly and popular author David Swanson.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kateri_Tekakwitha

http://bishopgumbleton.org/about.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/pope/sex/gumbleton.html

http://www.kateripeaceconference.org/2012Conference/2012-conference

Copyright August 12, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

*8/15 Update:  Word just came in that due to an urgent family situation, Bishop Gumbleton cannot attend.  Kathy Kelly will be leading the August 17th Day of Reflection instead.  She, too, is a leading light with much wisdom to share.