John Allen on the new Archbishop of Toronto:

Collins is known as an inspiring speaker, and Rosica said his record on that score in Edmonton was impressive.

“He did much of what Cardinal Martini did in Milan,” Rosica said. “He would fill the Cathedral on Sunday evenings with young people, doing a Lectio Divina and Scripture teaching unparalleled in Canada. I was with him for several of those sessions and I marveled at what was happening. To quote many of the young people: ‘It was awesome.’”

IN Sioux City, Bishop Nickless reflects on a year on the job:

On the horizon, Nickless sees his major goals as cultivating vocations to the priesthood and evangelization or helping to spread the Good News of the Gospels.

"I always tell the young people at the conclusion of the sacrament of Confirmation: ‘I have received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that one of you is being called to religious life!’," he shared, taking the soothing pitch of his voice into a bit higher range. "It’s amazing how many of them approach me later and say, ‘Is it me?’ I just think those seeds have to be planted in them."

For his episcopal motto, he chose the phrase, "Speak the Truth in Love." By the use of these words from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 4:15), he expressed how his teaching as bishop will be nothing other than the truth of Christ and his Church.

"But you’ll never get anywhere if you’re a dictator in your approach," he clarified. "I want people to know their faith, love it, treasure it and stand behind it."

And finally, a correspondent writes about Bishop Olmstead of Phoenix:

I had the pleasure of speaking with Bishop Olmsted last evening.  In a few days, he will mark the three-year anniversary of his arrival in Phoenix .  One of his first acts as Bishop was to pray the Rosary in Spanish outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on 7^th Ave.   Last year, I shared with you the story of the woman who asked the Bishop to pray over her after she bravely left the clinic right before her abortion was to begin.    He told me last night that there was another “save” last Saturday!  He said he knows it is a great blessing to these women to hear the Rosary in their own language.  There is always a large replica of the Tilma of St. Juan Diego with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as local Catholic Native American dancers.  (They perform a centuries-old dance in honor of the Virgin and they are in prayer the entire time.)

He will pray the Rosary in English next weekend at the same clinic and we will be with him.  Just imagine if every Bishop in the United States did what Bishop Olmsted does, even if only during Advent!   They could give their Respect Life Ministry quite a boost, don’t you think?

I cannot express how real and down to earth this man is, Amy.  He will never break a conversation with anyone.  I was actually moved to tears when I realized he would lay down his life for me if it ever came to that.  He has given such hope to all of us in Pro-Life work here.  He told my husband that we give him hope when he sees us doing what we do!  Now that is humility.