September 11: The Cross at Ground Zero and Fr. Timothy Vakoc
What the terrorists couldn’t destroy
and the Priest they couldn’t silence
In Memoriam Fr. Timothy Vakoc January 8, 1960 to June 20, 2009
Chaplain (Major) Henry T. Vakoc, Retired, a Roman Catholic Priest, was stationed in Iraq when he was wounded Saturday, May 29, 2004, the 12th anniversary of his ordination. He was returning from presiding at a Mass for the soldiers when his humvee was struck by an IED (improvised explosive device).
Father Tim was transported through Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC on 2 June. He has sustained a severe brain injury.
Fr. Tim has received a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Combat Action Award. We ask you to sign the guest book with words of encouragement and prayers for the needs of Fr. Tim, his mother, brother, sister, and their families. Read past guestbook and journal entries for updates, prayer requests, and inspirational words. (from his home page)
Fr. Timothy Vakoc’s Site
Articles on Fr. Vakoc from Catholics in the Military
The Cross at Ground Zero by Fr. Benedict Groeschel
Listen to Fr. Groeschel as he discusses The Cross at Ground Zero with Doug Keck.
Related posts
Russell Shaw: Nothing to Hide
Just a quick post today.
I was amused to hear Raymond Arroyo and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus discussing the last-minute decision to broadcast the Address to the Bishops of the United States. Apparently, the U.S. Bishops didn’t want cameras present in the Basilica of the National Shrine during the Holy Father’s address in Washington, DC last April . . . but the Holy See insisted that it be aired for all to see and hear. Russell Shaw devoted a book to bishops and secrecy released that same month. He’s the former communications director for the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops.
I just read an article by Julia Duin of the Washington Times reviewing Shaw’s, Nothing to Hide, (Ignatius 2008), which addresses the issue of access. Anyway, the article is worth a read, and info on the book follows.
“As the premier Catholic communications professional in the United States, Russ Shaw is a longtime critic of clericalism, excessive secrecy, ‘happy talk’ and spin control in Catholic culture. He’s also an articulate and engaging writer with an unparalleled record of service to the Church. Nothing to Hide is a provocative, important book that explores the boundary between appropriate confidentiality in the Church, and the kind of secrecy that cripples Christian community life. It’s a must-read.”
+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver
Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and the Communion in the Catholic Church
