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Bishop Ruggieri reflects on recent death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero

Two years ago, on October 25, 2023, the people of Maine were shaken to the core by the tragedy in Lewiston. Eighteen of our brothers and sisters were killed, and thirteen others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and a local bar.

All of us today know what it means to live busy lives. Families juggle work, school, and countless responsibilities. Priests, too, are busy people.

Dear Parents, This week, the Church observes Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, a time often focused on the beauty of the Church’s teaching on human sexuality and openness to life. But today, I’d like to approach this week from a different, perhaps more foundational perspective—not with charts or methods or terminology, but with a simple encouragement: see, listen to, and love your children.

Suppose we try to capture what the early Church was like by turning to the four different passages found in the initial chapters of Acts of the Apostles. In that case, we will discover the following qualities and characteristics. The early Church was a real community.

I discovered a phrase while reading a document from the recently concluded synod in Rome. The phrase is “protagonist of mission.” Basically, the phrase comes from the part of the document that speaks of the identity of the baptized. It asserts that every baptized person is a “protagonist of mission.” What does this mean, and how can I apply this to my own identity as a baptized disciple of Jesus Christ and as a member of His Church?

In early February, St. John Paul II Parish, in collaboration with the diocesan Vocations Office, hosted an Andrew Dinner in Scarborough. Thanks to the generous hospitality of Fr. Jack Dickinson and Fr. Alex Boucher and their team of cooks, we hosted 21 young people for a night of prayer, food, and conversation. The young people invited were sent a letter from Fr. Brad Morin and me extending the invitation to "come and see."

Recently, I was reading a whitepaper (a summary report with recommendations of findings based on research and data) from the Catholic Leadership Institute about ministry and outreach to Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born 1997-onward).

I read a February 4th Catholic News Agency article last week that addressed the concept of ordo amoris. It highlighted a recent interview with Vice President JD Vance. In the article, Vice President Vance, a Catholic, cited “rightly ordered love” in reference to the recent measures taken by the Trump administration pertaining to immigration. Vice President Vance was making the point that not all love is equal. There is an order, or in other words, a hierarchy. My purpose in mentioning the CNA article is to explore the idea of equality. Does equality really exist?

In the motion picture industry, a movie or a particular scene from a movie occasionally impacts our memories. For me, one of these scenes is from the movie Dead Poets Society (1989), starring the late Robin Williams. In the movie, Robin Williams portrays the unconventional literature teacher at the fictional Welton Academy, an all-boys prestigious boarding school in Vermont.

I participated in the 2025 March for Life liturgies, rally, and march event on Thursday and Friday of last week. Maine also had a bus delegation that traveled to Washington, D.C., on Thursday. On Thursday evening, at the Vigil for Life opening Mass held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Catholic News Agency reported over 5,000 attendees at the Mass. On Friday, there are no accurate estimates for the number of people who attended the rally and March for Life.

This year, the National Catholic Educational Association sponsors “Celebrate Catholic Schools Week” from January 26th to February 3rd. If you are a Catholic school educator or parent in the Diocese of Portland, you know the schedule and how your school will celebrate this upcoming week. As a local Church preparing for the week, I would like to highlight some important aspects of Catholic Education, referring specifically to the recently published pastoral letter, “The Joy and Wonder of Catholic Education,” by Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska.

I would like to share with you this week some thoughts that came from prayer and reflection about the baptism of Jesus. You may have already entertained the question: Why did Jesus have to be baptized if John’s baptism was a preparation for the coming of the Messiah? Jesus is the Messiah, so it’s confusing. If you are not pondering this question, please bear with me for a moment.

In this installment of Auspice, I would like to write about the Holy Family’s time in Egypt. Before we go to Egypt with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, it is important to recount the circumstances that led them to go there. For this, we will turn to St. Matthew’s Gospel and recall the turn of events.

The Third Sunday of Advent is liturgically a "pivot point" in the season. As we draw ever closer to the Feast of Christmas, starting on December 17th, the Liturgy of the Church draws us more into the details of the story of Jesus’ birth. The daily Mass readings, the antiphons in the Liturgy of the Hours, and the prayer of the Church focus us more on the story of the first coming of Christ. As the story unfolds, we are brought to the focal point of Bethlehem, and the night Christ was born.

As we continue our celebration of the Advent Season, the liturgy unfolds, and we meet certain persons in the story of Jesus’ birth, such as Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, and Joseph. The story told anew each year hopefully reminds us that the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was “in the works” for centuries and generations. We can say that since the Original Sin was committed by our first parents, humanity and all creation needed a savior. The Father provides! St. Paul writes, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

During this week of Thanksgiving, we will probably, at some point, recall in an extraordinary way something for which we are thankful. I was thinking about that in preparation for writing this piece. One thing that I am very grateful for is the freedom I have to choose to be Catholic and live out my Catholic faith. As I walk this path of life towards my end, my Catholic faith guides my decision-making, guides my priorities, and informs my understanding of reality. My Catholicism is like a compass that explorers use to find their way on hikes and expeditions. The Catholic faith will always point me toward the true, good, and beautiful. Ultimately, my Catholic faith leads me to Heaven.

Approximately six months since I was ordained and installed as the Bishop of Portland. As I attend meetings and events and visit places in and outside our diocese, I am often asked, “How is it going?” I often respond, “It is a beautiful state with beautiful people.” I truly mean this.

As election day approaches, I want to share my letter to our future president. While we may not be satisfied with the results, we must accept them. I hope that you take the time to vote. Voting is a privilege and a responsibility.

“The beauty of holiness shines out through the saints and illumines history.” -Dorothy Day, Duty of Delight In the Roman Missal, the book used to celebrate the Holy Mass contains various prayers, prefaces, and blessings for Mass.