His Story is Our Story Too

Blessed Easter! Many people skip parts of the Triduum and jump from Palm Sunday straight to Easter. But they rob themselves of the richness of what is really their story too. You have probably considered which gospel characters resonate with you. Do we see ourselves in Peter’s weakness? As parents, do we know a pain like Mary’s at the foot of the Cross? What about the fear of the Apostles when God asks difficult things of us? Contemplating these figures has value, but we, too, are in the pages of this epic tale.

Holy Thursday is a celebration for our family. The veil of self-denial is peeled back briefly by a spirit of joy and anticipation. We sit down to dinner before Mass and, borrowing a tradition from dear friends, consider the many connections between the Old Testament and the fulfillment of all things in Jesus Christ. The food we eat is rich in symbolism: hearts of palm for Palm Sunday, olives and the Mount of Olives, bread and wine for the Eucharist and the priestly sacrifices that preceded it, roasted lamb for the Passover meal and the Lamb of God who is Himself the sacrifice, “stripping” of artichokes and Christ being stripped of his garments, artichoke hearts and the pierced heart of Jesus, and so on.

At Holy Thursday Mass we are with Jesus as he creates the priesthood. We recline at table with Him as He institutes the Holy Eucharist. We can stay awake in adoration as Christ sweats blood for us in the garden. We struggle to not abandon Him after He is betrayed by a kiss. On Good Friday, as He remains silent before Pilate, we still hope He will put the Roman prefect in his place. We stand in stunned silence when we “behold the man” after his scourging. And still we cry out to “crucify him!”

Then we are on the move, darting between onlookers to catch a glimpse of Him. When the Cyrenian is pressed into service, we are beckoned too. Called to shoulder some share of His Cross and carry it along with Him to the high Hill where his sacrifice can be made more visible to the world. But we are reluctant to do what is asked of us. This is a messy scene. We see first the burden rather than the power of the Cross put before us. We measure its weight from afar and calculate the inconvenience in relation to our own plans. And yet, our Lord never ceases to invite gently, giving us strength to walk with Him a little further on the path.

And so, we continue with renewed courage. We walk hand-in-hand with His mother as the nails are driven through His sacred flesh. With Mary and John, we keep watch as His life slips away; we feel the magnitude of the moment of His death. And we are ready to assist in bringing down His body before placing it in the tomb.

Anticipating Like a Little Child

Holy Saturday has lost some of its resonance in our “buy it now” culture. But, while Christ descends to conquer death, the unseeing stillness that surrounds the sealed tomb summons us.

My mother is from the Azores Islands. Our family makes a traditional Portuguese Easter bread. It can be temperamental, its multiple rises affected by the weather and other factors. I am one of the last in my family to make it, the knowledge having been passed down over generations. It’s simply not Easter until the smell of that bread fills the air. My wife makes several amazing treats that we heroically avoid until after the Easter Vigil.

We are meant to busy ourselves with preparation on that day. To fill our homes with familiar sights and smells that draw our minds to tradition, symbolism, and family. We set these reminders on our tables but resist the temptation. And we wait.

We’ve lost somewhat our awareness of the human need to take in our faith with all our senses. But it is often a sound, or taste, or smell which brings us back when we stray. We are body and soul.

And then when we rush to the tomb in the chill morning air, our patient waiting gives way to a rising excitement. He is no longer there. Our self-denial on Holy Saturday heightens the drama and power of Easter. Like children we behold it all again in wonder.

Blooms on a Crown of Thorns

My wife makes a salt dough crown of thorns each Lent and places toothpicks in it. The dough hardens around the toothpicks. When one of us does a good deed, we put a toothpick in a jar. On Easter morning all the “thorns” in the jar are gone, replaced by jellybeans. Flowers are found growing all around the crown. The symbols of the passion have transformed from painful implements to sweet and beautiful reminders of what Jesus has won for us by His sacrifice.

You may have annual traditions that are a perfect fit for your family. If you don’t, there are many great ideas to choose from. Whatever you do, Jesus urges us to place ourselves back into the story during Holy Week. Our enjoyment of Easter will never again be the same if we take in what precedes it with great wonder and intention.

Dear Friend,

It took us eight years, but it was worth the wait.

On April 9th, we brought our “Citizens of Faith” conference back to Washington, D.C. The last time we held this event was in 2017, after Donald Trump was first elected. We wanted to look at what has happened since then—and how we, as Catholics, should prepare for what lies ahead.

All told, we hosted more than 150 just outside D.C., in Arlington, Virginia. We began with Mass, celebrated by the head of the USCCB—Archbishop Timothy Broglio.

Renewed by the presence of Christ, we then dived into the political and policy landscape we face today.

No doubt, there’s much to be excited about. Our speakers tackled everything from the rise of school choice to renewed defense of religious liberty to the long overdue recognition of the reality of the biological sex.

On so many issues, the Trump administration is advancing the principles and practices we hold dear. But there are also many issues where the path forward is less clear-cut, and we didn’t shy away from the complicated topics of the moment. We did what many seem unwilling to do these days – we discussed and debated them in a civil and open way according to our faith principles.

On immigration, there’s a balancing act on the need for strong borders and the rights of immigrants. On foreign policy, it’s an open question whether America can do everything we’ve historically done. And on pro-life, we need to see more action to defend the unborn—especially after President Trump did so much good in his first term.

There are so many areas where prudence is needed, and throughout the day, we discussed and prayed about finding the path forward.

One of the most meaningful speeches was by Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. He made a forceful plea for continued American support for Ukraine, leading to a lively discussion in the Q&A.

After his remarks, the Archbishop gave me a deeply moving icon painted on a box of ammunition from the frontlines in Ukraine.

Like all Napa Institute events, we had Confession, Adoration, and Masses throughout the day.

We also brought Jesus to the streets of Northern Virginia with a Eucharistic Procession. We processed by Amazon’s new “HQ2,” among other high-rise office buildings. Who knows how many hearts were shaped by our witness to our Lord and Savior?

I’m grateful to all our attendees, who came from across the country, as well as  all our speakers and sponsors. And I’m particularly grateful to the students from a number of Colleges and Universities who joined us – including the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America—they volunteered throughout the day.

The Citizens of Faith conference was a big success, and we’re now planning to make it a regular event. I hope you can attend in the years ahead.

There’s a first time for everything. On March 12, we hosted Napa’s first-ever Ecumenical Forum in New York City. It was eye-opening, to say the least—and it opened the door to some exciting collaborations.

All told, Steph and I along with Barry and Linda Rowan welcomed 15 Catholic and Protestant leaders into our home. Barry and Linda Rowan, our fellow Catholics and Napa friends, co-hosted.

On the Protestant side, we were joined by leaders from Christianity Today, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and various denominations. On the Catholic side, we had Fr. Ambrose Criste, O.Praem., and several others. Bishop Steven Lopes of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter—which oversees the Anglicans in communion with the Catholic Church—bridged both sides, in a way.

Four Catholics and four Protestants led various discussions throughout the evening, which also included dinner and drinks. No doubt, our religious traditions are divided on many key issues.

But in our time together, we started from a place of common ground. We share a commitment to the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed, which celebrates its 1,700th anniversary this year.

We also share a profound concern about rising cultural hostility to core Christian teachings and truths. We all believe in the sanctity and right understanding of marriage. We are all committed to defending the unborn and vulnerable mothers. And we know that religious liberty is a fundamental right that must be protected in modern society.

Personally, I’m beyond grateful that the Catholic Church has remained consistent on these issues. While Protestantism is increasingly divided on them, our attendees were rooted in truth.

Before we departed, we all affirmed our desire to work together to restore Judeo-Christian principles in American culture and law. We agreed that spiritual warfare is real and worsening—and that the path forward depends on prayer and our shared faith in Jesus Christ. As we fix our eyes on Jesus he will show us our common ground for the benefit of the Common Good.

We also agreed to form a steering committee, with the goal of hosting more ecumenical gatherings and fostering partnerships that lead to action across society. We’re also looking for ways to involve a limited number of Protestants at the Napa Institute’s summer conference.

When I founded Napa, I wanted to help prepare Catholics for what Archbishop Chaput called the “Next America.”

The Next America has arrived, and as we confront the challenges ahead, it will help us to work with Protestants to defend our faith and the truth.

I hope this Ecumenical Forum is the start of many such collaborations. It may be the first time we’ve done this, but it won’t be the last.

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

– HEBREWS 13:2

Dear friends of Napa,

One of my goals for the Napa Institute this year is to double down on our spirit of hospitality—welcoming fellow Catholics like you into an extraordinary experience.

Hospitality has always been part of our mission, as you’ve hopefully witnessed at our events. (Trinitas wine, anyone?) The reason is simple, and it springs from Scripture.

In the life of Christ, we see hospitality come to life. He was constantly greeted with the generosity of strangers, who welcomed him into their homes with pomp and circumstance. In ancient times, hospitality was a grand affair—involving feasts, wine, and a great outpouring of warmth and friendliness.

It was a sign of great love even for those with very little to put all they had into welcoming the person at their door. Remember Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath?

The Church has embraced this spirit of hospitality ever since. For two thousand years, every week has centered on Sunday—a day of feasting and celebration over our Lord’s sacrifice, which is itself an entrance into the heavenly banquet which has no equal.

And the liturgical calendar is an ongoing invitation to hospitality. Every feast day is a chance to celebrate the life of the saints and the grace of Christ with our families, our friends, and yes, with strangers.

No wonder the Napa Institute has strived for hospitality since our founding!

But hospitality is harder and harder to come by these days. Fewer people than ever understand it and even fewer regularly practice it.

Unfortunately, in our polarized world and divided Church, our hospitality has drawn some criticism. (Though never from people who’ve experienced it!) Some have said that we’re too lavish.

My response to them is simple: How else should we reflect the love of Jesus Christ? With stinginess and sackcloth? No thank you! If Jesus Himself turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana, the least we can do is serve wine to all who walk through our doors!

This is why we’re doubling down on hospitality. We’re planning to make our conferences, dinners, trips, and other events even more welcoming and warm. A case in point is our Salon Dinners, which welcome Catholics across diverse ideological lines for an evening of prayer, fellowship, food, and drink.

There are offerings accessible to every person across the year. Often we charge nothing or a modest fee to attend one of our events, like last year’s evening with Cardinal Sarah or our Napa Nights at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, DC.

We don’t have a membership fee to be associated with us, though we do hope you’ll pray for our work.

We invite you to join us this year—to experience this spirit of hospitality for yourself.

Take a look at our upcoming events. Some of them may interest you; it’s not too early to register. You won’t regret the hospitality you find at the Napa Institute!

Dear Friends,

I write to announce some exciting news.

Effective January 1, the Napa Institute will have a new president—Mark Rohlena. Mark has served with distinction as our executive director since the start of 2024.

In that time, he has strengthened the Institute across the board, based on our three pillars of fraternity, liturgy, and faith formation.

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Dear Friends of Napa Institute:

Serving the mission of Napa Institute is, at times, surreal. Where else can a person have this tremendous vantage point – to see and support the great good going on in the Church among her clergy, the lay faithful in dedicated apostolates, and those who steward their gifts so well for the benefit of the Church; to rally these champions and amplify their work as we do?

Every day, I wake up with a deep sense of gratitude.

And thanks to the amazing team we have – Tim and Steph Busch, Fr. Spitzer, our dedicated and supportive Board and Guild, awesome staff who pour out their hearts into our shared work, and scores of friends of Napa—we get to do some pretty cool things for God’s glory.

A year has passed quickly, but so much has happened. A passage from St. Paul comes to mind, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever” (Eph 3:20-21).

God meets our abandonment with His abundance, every single day.

I am grateful for the confidence and constant support of Tim and our Board, and am humbled to be asked to serve as Napa’s 2nd President.

That, too, is surreal. Fr. Robert Spitzer is an intellectual giant and a personal hero. I’ve already learned so much from him and am deeply grateful for his friendship. We give thanks for all Father has done and continues to do for Napa Institute, now as Vice-Chairman.

Father Spitzer has regularly preached that we should focus on the “contributive” rather than the “comparative.” To constantly compare our efforts or gifts to others’ is to poison our souls and derail our callings.

But if we rise each day with openness to what God is asking of us and embrace the people and tasks he sets before us with great love, then our lives will have meaning far beyond our wildest dreams.

And that is our outlook at the Napa Institute. Jesus Christ puts at our disposal all of the truth, goodness, and beauty contained in the entire universe and beyond. Our mission is to place as much of this treasure as we can into the hands of Catholic leaders and support them as they use it well. That is our contribution.

In the coming days, we will be charting new and exciting ways to lift up apostolates and unify them, assist priests and bishops more intentionally in their vocations, and connect and support rising leaders in taking on the big opportunities set out before them, among other things.

Leading Napa Institute, given the foundation set by so many these past 14+ years, is one of my most precious gifts. Please pray for all of us to build well upon that foundation in the days ahead.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Mark Rohlena

Executive Director, Napa Institute

As the New Year approaches, I’m sure you’re lifting up various intentions in prayer. I would like to add one to the mix…

Please pray that we get good and Godly bishops in key dioceses in 2025.

The coming year may see many significant changes to the leadership of the American Church. Perhaps most notably, Cardinal Dolan of New York City will reach the age of retirement in February, when he turns 75. As required, he will immediately submit a letter of resignation to Pope Francis, who can choose whether to accept it or keep the Cardinal in place.

Cardinal Dolan has been an exceptional shepherd to his flock and an inspiration to millions more. It is my personal hope that the Pope keeps him in place for years to come.

The Pope has previously done that with other excellent bishops—see Cardinal Sean O’Malley in Boston, who stayed five years past the age of retirement. The Pope accepted Cardinal O’Malley’s resignation this year, at age 80.

Cardinal Dolan could continue his extraordinary witness if the Pope gave him another five years. If the Pope does accept resignation, let’s pray that we get an Archbishop of New York cut from the same cloth as Cardinal Dolan. And Chicago and D.C. may see change, too, since Cardinal Cupich and Cardinal Gregory are past 75 years old, too. Let’s keep their dioceses in our prayers, as well.

New York, Chicago, and D.C. are not the only dioceses that may see retirements, but given their importance, they certainly deserve our petitions to heaven. The Lord has already answered our prayers in Boston, where Cardinal O’Malley has been replaced by Archbishop Richard Henning, who is by all accounts excellent and faithful.

The American Church has long been blessed with outstanding bishops, which helps explain the continued vibrancy of the faith in our country. As we prepare for 2025, let’s ask the Lord to continue to bless us, both by keeping the excellent bishops we have and giving us new bishops who will preach the Good News.

On December 12, Archbishop Timothy Broglio—a Napa Institute ecclesiastical advisor and regular attendee to recent summer conferences in Napa—celebrated a beautiful Mass in the heart of our nation’s capital, at Congress.

The occasion was the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Napa Institute and of the Americas. Her appearance to St. Juan Diego, nearly 500 years ago, sparked the conversion of the Western Hemisphere.

We pray that Our Lady renews that conversion in our day and age. And in a special way, we pray that she sparks conversion in our nation’s capital, given its role in shaping the life of our nation. We need the faith to inform the laws of our land, so they reflect truth and respect the dignity of every human person.

Archbishop Broglio is showing us the way forward. While at Congress, he engaged with leaders across the political spectrum, showing the love of Christ without fear or favor.

We vow to follow his example of reaching out to those we disagree with, in a spirit of civility and humanity. And we pledge to, like him, proclaim the Gospel in word and deed—both in the Napa Institute’s work in our new D.C. office, and in our efforts across the country.

This is our promise and our prayer heading into 2025.

To learn more about Archbishop Broglio’s Mass at Congress, click here.

TIM BUSCH: MSGR. SHEA TAKES OC BY STORM

Dear Friend,

Here’s a fun holiday tradition. For the last two decades, I’ve hosted a dinner and retreat for CEOs here in Orange County following Thanksgiving—it’s my kick-off to Advent.

I started this tradition because of late and great Msgr. Thomas J. Herron—the Philadelphia Legatus chapter Chaplain. He regularly came to Orange County to meet with business leaders around this time of year, and after he passed away in 2004, I decided to continue this meeting as a memorial dinner for him.

Every year, we host a different prelate—and this year was the exceptional Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary and a close friend of the Napa Institute.

This year, we did what we usually do: Start with a Holy Mass, followed by dinner and reflections. The next day, we celebrate the all-student Mass at JSerra in San Juan Capistrano, visit St. Michael’s Abbey, then if time allows, see the incomparable Christ Cathedral.  We round things out with another Mass at my home followed by a talk, reception, dinner, and of course, drinks and cigars.

In addition to Msgr. Shea, we were joined by our local ordinary Bishop Kevin Vann, and 13 clerics total, including our Auxiliary Bishop, Timothy Freyer, and the Norbertine Fathers from St. Michael’s Abbey.

If you’ve ever heard Msgr. Shea speak, you know he’s a real gift to the Church, and he proved it again on the first night. His reflections, on “Marriage and the coming of the King”, were deeply moving. And at JSerra, he was so popular, the school hijacked him to present to their annual Ladies Tea featuring reflection on Blessed Carlos Acutis who died at age 15 and will be canonized April 27, 2025 in Rome. A relic was gifted to the school.

Our final dinner was a festive time of faith and friendship. The house was beautifully decorated by my wife, Steph, and the five-course meal was paired with wines by Trinitas Cellars. One of our traditions is to have a speaker saber a bottle of sparkling wine—Msgr. Shea nailed it. Well we will not discuss that!

Ditto his remarks. The title of his talk was “Finding Faith Upon the Earth” with the message of his talk was to stand firm in our Christian faith even when we are tempted. If we are persistent, he told us, it will result in our eternal salvation.

I hope this message resonates with you amid this Christmas season. As we prepare for the birth of our Lord, let’s continue to stand strong in our faith, with hope and joy.

Happy Advent! And may your own holiday traditions be rewarding, as well.

Tim Busch

What We Saw At The National Eucharistic Congress

Friends,

Did you see what just happened in Indianapolis? 

More than 50,000 of our fellow Catholics rededicated themselves to Christ in the Eucharist. In all my years, the National Eucharistic Congress was one of the most heartening experiences I’ve ever had—filling me with the hope that comes from our Lord.

The Congress was years in the making, and when it finally arrived, the Napa Institute was honored to serve all who participated. The night before it began, we hosted all the perpetual pilgrims, who’d traveled to Indianapolis from all four corners of the country. 

Once the Congress was underway, we strove to deepen the faithful’s encounter with our Lord. We created a purpose-built chapel at the Omni hotel, and it quickly became a go-to place. Thousands of people attended our 35 masses—often in standing room only. A dozen archbishops and bishops helped make our Masses such a success.

Throughout the Congress, we also opened our Hospitality Suite to the faithful. Religious sisters, lay Catholics, perpetual pilgrims broke bread with us. And every night, we held “In Vino Veritas,” a time of wine and conversation. Huge crowds joined us after the big revival sessions.

The Congress ended on Sunday, but as we all know, it was really the beginning of something greater. As a Church, we now have a renewed sense of calling to proclaim Christ in the Eucharist. Our lives have been transformed. And now it’s our duty to go out and transform the culture.

The Napa Institute will do just that, and our own Eucharistic Processions will play a major role. This week, we’ll walk with Christ through the streets of Napa Valley, California. And this October, we’ll lead thousands of Catholics—perhaps even 10,000 or more—through the streets of Manhattan.

Together with you, we promise never to forget what happened in Indianapolis at the National Eucharistic Congress. And in a new and special way, we promise to proclaim Christ in the Eucharist—now and always.

Tim Busch

Founder, Napa Institute

It is a great honor to be here today, with so many amazing leaders in front of the Lincoln Memorial

A memorial which serves as a reminder of the long struggles our nation has undergone for the sake of human dignity.

In 2022, on that great day when the Dobbs decision struck down legalized abortion at the national level, we did not finish a great work on behalf of the unborn.

We began a new chapter in a continuing battle.

And there have been victories and setbacks since, no doubt. There will certainly be more of both in the days ahead.

For great efforts like this which span generations, Abraham Lincoln reminded that: “The fight must go on. The cause of civil liberty must not be surrendered at the end of one, or even one hundred defeats.”

And I’d add that the fight must not end even after amazing victories.

And so, I am reminded of the many battles I have been blessed to join with so many of you –

• On the sidewalks outside of abortion mills in prayer;
• Founding a pregnancy center across the street from one such terrifying mill, to give an alternative filled with hope to women and men who deserve the truth;
• Working with women in post-abortion trauma to heal, and in some cases find a voice to advocate, through the memory of the dear life that was killed, for unborn children everywhere;
• With loving families seeking to give a beloved child of God a home through adoption;
• And, fighting to preserve life in law at the federal policy level.

And now as Executive Director of the Napa Institute, which has this amazing vantage point – where we get to see and support so many amazing groups and individuals giving their lives to help others understand and honor the human person at every stage of life, from the first moment to the last breath and beyond.

In each of these settings, I stood both next to and on the shoulders of giants.

Every phase of our pro-life movement has included those who gave so much, knowing that they would not see the full fruits of their labors.

We are asked to honor these people today.

To take the new beginning made two years ago and push as we are called to in our moment—this very moment now—toward the victory that we know is certain, through our faith in a good and active God.

And we must do this in hope.

We must, in all the amazing ways you defend life each day, stay on the battlefield.

• Stay to fight, though some days we may be weary.

• Remain in the fray, though the money, and the odds, and the talking heads may tell us we are outnumbered.

• Not give into any kind of discouragement because we are a people of hope, and God is on our side in the defense of the unborn.

You know, St. John Paul II, in addressing the Italian Prolife Movement, once said something that can be said today, right here in this place, he said:

“Your presence, in large numbers and with great conviction, is an encouraging sign which nourishes the hope that truth will triumph over the false justifications given for abortion. The truth is that every human being has a right to life from his conception until his natural end.

For the faithful the hope that this truth will prevail finds its basis in Christ, who died and rose again, and who sends his Spirit into the world to instill courage and to raise up tireless defenders and witnesses of truth and life.”

And so, dear friends—dear witnesses of truth and life from all traditions and backgrounds—may we remain tireless in our work.

May we carry on the great task given to us by God in our moment right now on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves in the face of the worst kind of evil.

For—to quote St. Joan of Arc—we must join the battle, that God may provide the victory.

And He will.

Thank you and God bless you all.