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A Heart for People, A Heart for Justice: the life and times of Bishop Francis Haas
May 19, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
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$10 donation suggested
Hosted at St. Sebastian Parish Center, Byron Center
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Registration required
Before becoming the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Monsignor Francis Haas was a professor and dean at the Catholic University of America and served on the U.S. Fair Employment Practices Committee, appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. “He was an academic and an activist, a Midwesterner from Wisconsin. …Social justice to him was the heart of the gospel. Those who knew him and admired him said that was what gave him such a great heart.” (Where the Star Came to Rest) After the end of World War II, Bishop Haas seized opportunities to create new apostolates and ministries to strengthen the faith of the people of his diocese. One of these apostolates was the mission of the Paulist Fathers, who were invited in 1947 by Bishop Haas to establish an outreach ministry to non-Catholics and working people in downtown Grand Rapids. Join Monsignor Gus Ancona for an evening reflection on the life and times of Bishop Francis Haas and the beginnings of the Catholic Information Center.
Monsignor Gaspar Ancona is a priest of the Diocese of Grand Rapids and author of the book, “Where the Star Came to Rest: Stories of the Catholic People in West Michigan.” He is a regular columnist for FAITH Grand Rapids and will be celebrating his 59th year of ordained ministry in June. His seminary education was at the Catholic University of America (Washington DC) and the Gregorian University (Rome, Italy). Monsignor Ancona resides in Byron Center, Michigan.
