Joseph Bernardin

As a priest, archbishop, and president of the US bishops’ conference, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin lived a ministry marked by thoughtfulness, compassion, and conviction. Relying on interviews with the cardinal’s assistants, friends, and family members, as well as on some previously unavailable archival material, Steven P. Millies explores Bernardin’s controversial “seamless garment” approach to life issues, his founding of the Catholic Common Ground Initiative, the disturbing abuse allegations against him that were later recanted, and his experience of cancer that prompted him to write the bestselling book The Gift of Peace and that ultimately took his life. Millies offers a fresh new portrait of one of the most remarkable Catholic leaders of the twentieth century.

An anecdotal biography of the best-known and best-loved bishop in America.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin is widely regarded as having had more impact on the Catholic Church in the United States than any other bishop this century. By the time of his death in 1996 he had attracted the respect and affection of millions around the world. Selected Works of Joseph Cardinal Bernardinprovides in two volumes the "essential" Bernardin for those interested in the faith, ecclesial vision, and pastoral insights of this great church leader. The first volume, Homilies and Teaching Documents, captures the care and sensitivity with which Cardinal Bernardin carried out his teaching ministry as Archbishop of Chicago. It consists of his pastoral letters, reflections, and statements on liturgy, ministry, the Church, health care, religious education, Christology, consecrated life, AIDS, the Catholic Charismatic Movement, the permanent diaconate, and youth. The volume also includes Bernardin''s interventions at four Synods of Bishops. Clergy, lay ministers and leaders will find the selected homilies, on a wide range of subjects, to be of particular value to their life and ministry. Volume 1is divided into two parts. Part One: Teaching Documentsincludes the following articles under the heading Pastoral Letters: "Our Communion, Our Peace, Our Promise (1984)," "In Service of One Another (1985)," "The Family Gathered Here Before You (1989)," and "A Sign of Hope (1995)." Articles included under the heading Pastoral Reflectionsinclude "Christ Lives in Me (1985)," "Reflections on Religious Life (1986)," and "The Challenges We Face Together (1986)." Articles included under the heading Pastoral Statementsinclude "A Challenge and a Responsibility (1986)," "Come, Holy Spirit (1988)," "The Call to Service (1993)," "Here and Now (1994)," and "Building Bridges Between Communities of Faith (1996)." Articles included under the heading Synodal Interventionsinclude "The Sacrament of Penance in a Sacramental Church (1983)," "The Virtue of Penance: The Ideal and the Contemporary Reality (1983)," "The Church, the World, and the Kingdom (1987)," "Spirituality of Diocesan Priests and Celibacy (1990)," and "Authenticity and Diversity in Consecrated Life (1994)." Part Two: Homiliesincludes the following articles under the heading First Days in Chicago: "I Am Joseph Your Brother (1982)," "It Is a Spiritual Event (1982)," and "Christ Calls Us Who Are Many to Be but One (1982)." Articles included under the heading Advent-Christmas Seasoninclude "Christmas Midnight Mass (1986)," "600th Jubilee of Christianity in Lithuania (1987)," "Simbang Gabi, (Filipino Celebration, 1987)," "Christmas Midnight Mass (1988)," "Christmas Mass (1988)," "Cathedral of St. Patrick (1990)," "50th Anniversary of the Cana Conference (1994)," "Mass of Healing (1994)," "Christmas Midnight Mass (1994)," and "Christmas Midnight Mass (1995)." Articles included under the heading Lent-Easter Seasoninclude "Passion (Palm) Sunday (1983)," "Sage Chapel (1985)," "Chrism Mass (1987)," "Pro-Life Pilgrimage (1988)," "Easter Sunday (1989)," "Old St. Patrick''s Church (1989)," "Mass for the Newly Initiated (1989)," "Pentecost Sunday (1989)," "Easter Sunday (1990),'' "Holy Name Cathedral (1991)," "Passion (Palm) Sunday (1991)," "Holy Name Cathedral (1991)," "Ash Wednesday (1993)," "Mass for the Newly Initiated (1993)," "Fifth Anniversary of AGLO (Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, 1993)," "Ash Wednesday (1994)," "Easter Sunday (1994)," "Annual Archdiocesan Charismatic Conference (1995)," and "Chrism Mass (1996)." Articles included under the heading Ordinary Timeinclude "150th Anniversary of Old St. Mary''s Church (1983)," "SS Faith, Hope and Charity Church (1983)," "Mass of the Holy Spirit (1984)," "Scouting Mass (1984)," "25th Anniversary of the Church of St. Alexander (1984)," "Catechists'' Annual Resource Day (1984)," "Religion Enrichment Day (1985)," "Memorial Day (1985)," "St. Benedict''s Home for the Aged (1985)," "Pro-Life Mass (1986)," "St. Patrick''s Day (1986)," "Prayer Service in Honor of Mary (1986)," "Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate (1986)," "Religious Jubilarians'' Celebration (1986)," "St. Mary of Providence School (1987)," "WEORC Retreat (1987)," "National Conference of Catholic Bishops Annual Meeting (1987)," "The Catholic Church Extension Society (1987)," "''Theology on Tap'' Mass (1988)," "St. Gerard Majella Parish (1988)," "Mass with the Ephphetha Ecumenical Choir (1990)," "Colloquy of Bishops and Scholars (1990)," "Holy Name Cathedral (1990)," "Priesthood Ordination (1990)," "Festa Italiana (1991)," "Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists (1992)," "Calvert House (1992)," "Diaconate Ordination (1993)," "Priesthood Ordination (1994)," "Church of St. Felicitas (1994)," "Celebration of 103 Korean Martyrs (1994)," "Casa Santa Maria dell''Umilta (1994)," and "Holy Name Cathedral (1995)." Articles included under the heading Special Occasions (Personal)include "Mass on the Occasion of Being Named to the Sacred College of Cardinals (1983)," "Ceremony of Taking Possession of the Titular Church, Jesus the Divine Worker (1983)," "Mass Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Episcopal Ordination (1986)," and "Mass Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Episcopal Ordination (1991)." Articles included under the heading Special Occasions (Archdiocese of Chicago)include "Liturgy for Sending Missionaries to the Diocese of Chilapa, Mexico (1989)," "Columbus Day Mass, V Centenary (1992)," "Mass for the Opening of the Archdiocesan Sesquicentennial Year (1993)," "Liturgy by the Lake, Sesquicentennial of the Archdiocese of Chicago (1994)," and "Mass for the Closing of the Archdiocesan Sesquicentennial Year (1994)." Articles included under the heading Special Occasions (Other)include "50th Anniversary of the Cathedral of Christ the King (1987)," "Funeral Mass for John Cardinal Dearden (1988)," "Millennium of Christianity in the Ukraine (1988)," "75th Anniversary of the Theological College (1992)," "25th Anniversary Mass (1993)," and "''Promoting the Common Good Through the Practice of Virtues'' (1993)." Articles included under the heading The Challenges of the Last Yearsinclude "Priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago (1993)," "Prayer Service with the Presbyterate (1995)," "''Theology on Tap'' Mass (1996)," "Communal Anointing of the Sick (8/24/1996)," "Communal Anointing of the Sick (8/31/1996)," "St. Joseph College Seminary (1996)," "Mundelein Seminary (1996)," "Prayer Service with Priests (1996)," and "Queen of Angels Church (1996)."

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin (1928-1996) touched millions of people through his passionate witness, humble wisdom, and spiritual writings. In the final months of his life he shared his personal reflections in The Gift of Peace, a modern classic about finding inner peace in the face of life's greatest trials. As part of his rich legacy, The Gift of Peace has become an international bestseller and has brought courage, healing, faith, hope, and love to people of all backgrounds throughout the world. Cardinal Bernardin's legacy is continued here in The Journey to Peace, a special collection of his previously unpublished spiritual reflections. Using the Stations of the Cross as a framework, The Journey to Peace reveals the extraordinary faith, wisdom, and compassion of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. Through these excerpts from his homilies, Cardinal Bernardin helps readers understand the relevance of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection to their own lives, inviting all to join the journey that leads to peace. Written with eloquent simplicity, and elegantly designed and illustrated with specially commissioned contemporary artwork, The Journey to Peace reaches people of all faiths for reading throughout the year.

This selection of Cardinal Bernardin's addresses and columns over the years shows the breadth of his interest and the depth of his commitment.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, the archbishop of Chicago, had long been considered the leader of American Catholicism and was so widely respected throughout the world that he was thought to be the only American who might become Pope. His life took another path, however, after he was falsely accused of sexual abuse in 1993. Vindicated and about to embark on a broad program of renewal, he was stricken with pancreatic cancer in 1995. His destiny, as those close to him soon sensed, was not to become a Pope but a saint instead. Between his first diagnosis in June 1995 until the recurrence of his cancer in August, 1996, a period of fourteen months elapsed. There are fourteen stations in the traditional Catholic devotion of the Stations of the Cross that commemorate the events from Christ's judgment through his carrying of his cross to his crucifixion and death. In the last months of his life, Joseph Bernardin lived out those stations in his own life, from being judged unjustly by the high priest brother Cardinals who wanted to eliminate his influence in American Catholicism, to his bearing in his own cross, and from his last meeting with his mother to his public death, Cardinal Bernardin reproduced the passion and death of Jesus in his own. This book is a series of meditations on the traditional stations, based on scriptural scholarship, and the stations Bernardin lived, revealed by the author, Bernardin's close friend for thirty years.