Five Ways – May 26

May 27, 2026

1.  Joy from Children (and Parents): The little league baseball coach had to have this conversation with one of his young players. “Do you understand what cooperation is? Do you understand what a team is?” The little boy nodded. “Do you understand that what matters is that we win together as a team?” He nodded. “So when a strike is called or you are called out at first, you don’t argue or curse or attack the umpire.  Do you understand this?” Again, he nodded.  “Good,” he said.  “Now go over there and explain that to your mother” (Joyful Noiseletter, May-June 2025, p. 6).

2.  St. Eugene de Mazenod: St. Eugene, who founded the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with his feast day on May 21, is the Patron Saint of Dysfunctional Families. You may google this at St. Eugene de Mazenod, Patrion Saint of Dysfunctional Families, for several articles.

He also had a great devotion to the Holy Spirit, whose feast we celebrated last Sunday, as the second antiphon for Morning Prayer for May 21 shows:  Good and faithful servant, the Spirit of the Lord has chosen you to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere, alleluia.

3.  Pope Leo and Anglican Ordinariate continued: In the March and April Five Ways, we began to explore the Anglican/Episcopalian Ordinariate, a movement of Christians from these two Churches into the Roman Catholic Church, which uses a special liturgy.  On April 27, the leader of the world-wide Anglican-Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, met with Pope Leo.  

This person, Sarah Mullally, is the first woman to be elected as Archbishop of Canterbury, an election which has led to many Anglicans, especially in Africa, to form their own Church. The pope’s reception of her might be called polite  but not cordial.  He pledged to continue to work for better relations with Anglicans and Episcopalians “toward overcoming our differences, no matter how intractable they seem.” I suspect Pope Leo’s reception of Archbishop Mullally will find more Anglicans and Episcopalians joining the Anglican Ordinariate.

4.  Mary, Mother of the Church and May crownings: Many Catholics witnessed the crowning of statues of Mary, especially on Mother’s Day, May 10.  On the Monday after Pentecost, May 25, we celebrated the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, instituted by Pope Francis in 2018.  May we continue to experience the bond between Mary and the Holy Spirit.

5.  Pope Leo’s May 25 encyclical Magnifica Humanitas: Our Oblate Provincial, Father Ray Cook O.M.I. has written a 2 1/2 page letter explaining Pope Leo’s first encyclical.  You may read Father Cook’s letter on our international website www.omiworld.org; you may call up the pope’s encyclical on the Vatican website.

Many thanks to all who commented on the April 15 Five Ways e-letter.

In Christ’s love,

Father Harry Winter, O.M.I.

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