WASHINGTON — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered last week for a Special Assembly, June 16-20, in San Diego, California. Unlike the typical spring plenary that convenes with public sessions and a formal business agenda, the special assembly was a retreat for the bishops to pray, dialogue, and strengthen one another in their ministry.

Recalling how a small act of generosity nourished his faith as a young seminarian, Archbishop Broglio celebrated the opening Mass and invited his brothers to remember how the Gospel was “held over our heads in episcopal ordination” so that we might be “ever more effective in preaching that living Word ever new and ever provocative.” He acknowledged that preaching the Gospel is not easy, but he encouraged America’s bishops to see generosity as indispensable in keeping the love of God alive in our hearts and reminded everyone that the “missionary disciple sees no one as an enemy.”

For Archbishop Broglio, this is especially true in the context of immigration. “Our history of welcome is a bit checkered, because each group of immigrants tended to look down on the next.” He recalled how Irish, German, and Italian immigrants all faced discrimination. “Now,” Archbishop Broglio said, “as shepherds we earnestly try to urge our people to welcome those from Latin America, Haiti, and other troubled zones.”

Archbishop Broglio’s homily referenced the various conflicts of the contemporary world, citing Christians in Gaza; the poor in Syria afflicted by sanctions impacting access to fuel, food, and other necessities; Lebanon bearing the weight of more than two million refugees; the conflict between Israel and Iran; the ongoing war in Ukraine; and Haiti. “We must stretch our Catholic Relief Services dollars even farther as the U.S. international aid is shut off,” he said, and continued, “…we cannot turn our back on those crying out for our help.” 

Read the text of Archbishop Broglio’s full homily here.