The Holy Spirit at Work in the Church

It seems as if you can't turn on the news or read a newspaper today without some so-called journalist attacking the Church and the Pope with lies and distorted facts. Just look at headlines over the past several months. Old stories of sex-abuse allegations in the US and Europe were being dragged out and twisted in every way possible just to find even the most remote link to Pope Benedict XVI. I am not trying to deny or make light of the pain suffered by the victims of these predatory priests. However, it is sickening to see how enemies of the Church exploit the victims of these crimes in order to unjustly implicate the Pope who has done more than anyone else in the Church to clean out this filth.

In the face of this anti-Catholic crusade by the media, faithful Catholics shouldn't forget that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned the Church. As evidenced by the recent stories below, the Holy Spirit is leading the Church into what Pope John Paul II called the "new springtime."

The Coming Vocation Explosion 
Wisconsin men’s group spreading nationwide, emphasizes restoration of the sacred 

The mainstream media choose to ignore the fact that God is blessing us with workers to rebuild his church. Throughout history, each time the Church has been plagued with scandals, God has called forth great saints to restore His Church. Many seminaries and convents are reporting significant increases in the number of men and women entering to answer God's call. It is also worth noting that these young seminarians and postulants are very devout and orthodox in their faith. It is a true sign of the Holy Spirit that some religious orders are looking the build new facilities to accommodate their growing numbers. That is the type of vocation crisis we need more of.


Another sign of the Holy Spirit's work is the story above detailing the nationwide expansion of a Wisconsin Men's group called The Knights of Divine Mercy. This men's apostolate has quickly grown to over 300 members in Wisconsin and is set to expand nationwide. Their emphasis is not only to spiritually strengthen men, but also the restoration of the sacred. The Knights' monthly meetings include Eucharistic Adoration and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. They are orthodox in their faith and faithful to Magisterium of the Church. Much like the increase in vocations I mentioned above, we are being blessed with groups like the Knights that are encouraging more men to turn their hearts back to God and rebuild His Church.

These are the headlines that we need to see and spread to others. This serves not only as encouragement but also as a reminder that regardless of what the secular world and the enemies of the Church may say, Christ has not forgotten His promise to us:

"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." -  Matthew 16:18

Please pray for a continued increase in vocations as well as for the success of apostolates like the Knights. Pray that more people will respond to God's call to rebuild His Church.

Related Articles:

• Knights of Divine Mercy Battle the Culture