Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin – 91��Ƭ

Cardinal Tobin Visits 91��Ƭ Extended Care

Michelle Lang — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 18:25:51 +0000

Residents of 91��Ƭ Extended Care got a special visit Feb. 16 when Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, conducted mass in the nursing home’s chapel.

91��Ƭ Founder Monsignor William J. Linder invited Tobin to see the nursing home chapel, which is dedicated to Pope Francis and is getting expanded, by sending him a letter. Tobin accepted the offer.

Tobin introduced himself to residents with words from Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

“You might remember when Joseph comes and says, ‘I’m Joseph, your brother.’ That’s my name. I’m your brother as a disciple of Jesus. I’m your brother as a sinner who’s found mercy with the Lord,” he said.

During his sermon, Tobin spoke about the reason for fasting during Lent.

“We fast because it connects us with God and connects us especially with our brothers and sisters who are without,” he said.

He also encouraged everyone to think about others and not just themselves, at this time of year and always.

Many residents came down to celebrate mass with Cardinal Tobin, filling the hallway outside the chapel. To ensure everyone heard his words, staff members set up a microphone and speaker in the hallway. Following mass, Cardinal Tobin also addressed residents in the Activity Room.

He talked about growing up as the oldest of 13 children in Detroit and how his mother reacted when he became a cardinal.

Tobin was named a cardinal under the leadership of Pope Francis and sees him occasionally. He said he would inform Pope Francis that Extended Care has a chapel dedicated to him.

“I see him from time to time and I’m going to tell him that your building here has a chapel dedicated to him,” Tobin said about Pope Francis. “And I’m going to say to him if you’d really like to come see Newark, you can come and you can have mass here.”

Monsignor Linder was happy Cardinal Tobin came to Extended Care.

“The visit was fantastic. And it did so much for the morale of the place. So many people really got excited about it,” Linder said.

Tobin and Linder spent about 10 minutes talking before the mass began. Linder said, “You can see why he gets along so well with the pope.”

Extended Care Administrator and Director of Health and Social Services Veronica Onwunaka was honored to host Cardinal Tobin at the nursing home.

“The visit to us brought peace, healing, hope. Most importantly it brought this aura of God’s presence in our facility. And it has left a lasting legacy that will never, ever be forgotten,” she said.

Editorial: Ending DACA Is Wrong

Michelle Lang — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 18:40:42 +0000

Editorial By Monsignor William J. Linder
Last month, President Trump announced the end of a program that allowed undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to stay in this country. Those young people are here through no fault of their own and now they could face deportation. They are important to the economic vitality of our country. There would be no United States without them.
Once again, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, released a statement that lays out Christian principles as clearly as possible. I wanted to share his words with you in their entirety:
The decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals executive order is malicious.
It is plainly and clearly wrong for this Administration to use as a political tool the lives, futures and security of some 800,000 young people whose only crime, if you ever could call it that, was that they lovingly and obediently accompanied their parents in pursuit of the dream of freedom and opportunity.
Whether or not the previous administration had authority to institute DACA does not matter. The 800,000 Dreamers affected by the rescission are people. They live in our neighborhoods, attend our schools, fight for our country and contribute actively in our workplaces. They are contributing to this nation’s future and prosperity. They have followed the rules that have been in place, always praying that Congress would step up to the plate and craft intelligent, heartfelt long term solutions to a broken immigration system.
One can’t hide behind the term “legality” in rescinding DACA. That is an abandonment of humanity, and abandonment of talented and hopeful young people who are as American as you and I.
The rule of law, first, last and always, must provide a humane, moral code to organize, protect and advance society based on the best ideals and beliefs in our hearts and minds. Catholic teaching calls all people to make a commitment to uphold the dignity of every person and to work for the common good of our nation. Rescinding DACA without having in place through Congress an equivalent and permanent protection for these Americans does not advance society or exemplify our best ideals and beliefs. It is, rather, an abandoning of humanity.
Today, the Administration not only has closed borders; it also has closed minds and hearts.
These Dreamers won’t have a home or a very bright future if they get deported. We also have to worry about our own future. It’s suicide for us as a country to cut off these young people who contribute greatly to society.

Editorial: A Spiritual Message In The Wake Of Charlottesville

Michelle Lang — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 18:35:58 +0000

Editorial By Monsignor William J. Linder
We have all heard about what happened in Charlottesville, Va. White supremacists gathered in large numbers to spread their message and clashed with counter protesters. A woman was killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a man intentionally drove his car into a group of people speaking out against the white nationalist rally. Two Virginia State Troopers died when their helicopter crashed as they were performing surveillance during the rally.
I wanted to share the words of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, which he released the Monday after the violence. It’s a spiritual message, not political. It calls attention to our obligations as mature Christians.
Cardinal Tobin’s statement is so much different than what we’ve seen on TV and in the news since the events transpired. I want to share it with everyone in its entirety:
The one and a half million Catholic men, women and children of the Archdiocese of Newark – people who trace their roots to every continent of the world and represent every race and ethnicity – view with horror the recent events in Charlottesville and condemn the racism and vicious rhetoric that contributed to this tragic moment in our nation’s history. We stand in prayer and solidarity with all people of good will and we witness to our Christian calling to “love your enemies…that you may be children of your heavenly Father” (Mt. 5:44-45).
In the wake of her daughter’s brutal death, the mother of Heather Heyer told reporters in Charlottesville that “hate cannot fix the world. Hate only creates more hate.” We join her in rejecting the brutality that killed her child, contributed to the deaths of two Virginia State Troopers and left dozens injured. While we denounce such violence, we also call for a thorough examination of racial bigotry and intolerance in the light of reason and love. “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed” (Jn 3:20). Dark words and deeds must be met with light and love.
It’s rare in my priesthood that I would quote the archbishop verbatim, but I really think this statement was too good not to.