JEWEL OF THE DAY: In every success story there’s a person who took a bold step toward the unknown.
There will be a lot of news headlines featuring Italy this Sunday, February 22, with the big story for many being the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Moving a bit south, we come to Assisi for the start of the monthlong display of the relics of St. Francis for veneration in the basilica of St. Francis during this Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of his death, known as the transitus. And yet another bit further south, we come to Vatican City where Pope Leo and members of the Roman Curia will start their annual weeklong Lenten spiritual retreat.
In addition, February 22 is the feast of the Chair of Peter, a day that has been celebrated since 336 to commemorate the mission Christ entrusted to St. Peter to lead the Church and to mark the unbroken line of successors of St. Peter. The “Chair” or cathedra symbolizes the seat of authority of the Bishop of Rome: from this we get the word cathedral. On this day, and on the June 29th feast of Sts. Peter and Paul Apostles, the statue of Peter in the main aisle is adorned with liturgical vestments on this day and he wears a papal ring and a triple tiara. Over 100 candles decorate the Altar of the Chair in the apse of the basilica.
VATICAN INSIDER: “HOPE OF THE POOR” OBEYING GOD’S COMMAND TO CARE FOR THE LEAST (PART II)
In this week’s interview segment, I share Part II of my conversation with two amazing men, Craig Johring and Danny Leger, who are truly doing the Lord’s work of caring for the least of our brethren through HOPE OF THE POOR, a womderful organization they co-founded in Nebraska with headquarters in Mexico City and Omaha. Their motto is “alleviating the poverty of being unloved,” and you will hear them tell absolutely riveting tales of the poorest of the poor whom they try to help in many ways, especially by giving them a sense of their worth and dignity. A beautiful, inspiring story you will not want to miss.
Danny took some photos in my home after our conversation.
I also met Craig one Sunday at St. Patrick’s
Craig lives and works with the poor in Mexico City. He founded Hope of the Poor to impact the world in how the poor are viewed and treated. More importantly, Craig works with the poor to help them overcome crippling psychological conditions, combat drug addictions, and make the journey from homeless and helpless to becoming hopeful and productive members of the society.
Danny is the Director of the Hope of the Poor Omaha Homeless Outreach and runs the Hope of the Poor Coffee Stand serving the homeless in downtown Omaha. He hosts youth groups and adults to the Coffee Stand to serve and value the poor.
The photos are from the website, along with a great amount of information on Hope of the Poor and how we too can care for the least of our brothers: https://hopeofthepoor.org/
Two remarkable men and an organization who not only follow but live the Lord’s command: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
HOW TO LISTEN TO VATICAN INSIDER: IN THE U.S. you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (https://www.ewtn.com/radio/affiliates-map) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio. OUTSIDE THE U.S., Go to ewtn.com, click the two lines, the equal (=) sign in the upper right corner, click LISTEN, scroll through the images and click on the image for Vatican Insider. VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI ARCHIVES: https://www.ewtn.com/radio/podcasts/vatican-insider
Joan's Rome 