Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. today unveiled the official prayer and iconic image for the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015, which is set to be held next September.

Most of us know C.S. Lewis as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters. But he was a teacher as well as a writer – and in his lectures, he often described God as a sculptor. For Lewis, the suffering in a person’s life has special meaning, echoed again and again in Scripture.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Office for the New Evangelization are pleased to announce the featured speakers and topics for the 2014 Archbishop’s Lecture Series. The series presents an opportunity for all to come to a deeper understanding of the true meaning of Catholic faith, its authentic content, and its orientation toward the transformation of the world around us.

This academic year marks the first anniversary of the hiring of Mr. Christopher Mominey as Chief Operating Officer and Secretary of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Mr. Mominey said, “I’m thrilled to be celebrating my first full year in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as Secretary for Catholic Education.

The 2014-2015 school year begins on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 for students who attend the 122 elementary schools, 17 high schools and four schools of special education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. has asked that all 219 parishes in the five-county Archdiocese of Philadelphia consider taking part in a national initiative spearheaded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB) to support victims of religious persecution and terroristic violence in the Middle East.

Student athletes and trainers from eight Archdiocesan high schools are completing a week long program with researchers from the University of Notre Dame who are developing voice analysis software that will assist doctors and athletic trainers in recognizing concussions.

Two items are worth noting this week. Together, they’re a lesson in priorities. Here’s the first item. A doctor friend quipped recently that America is becoming a country where it’s easier to opt out of the Pledge of Allegiance than to avoid the HHS mandate. Expressions of national loyalty may be optional, she said. Paying for everybody’s birth control is not.

Today, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. is pleased to share that Pope Francis has named Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas, currently an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, as the Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Toledo (www.toledodiocese.org). Founded in 1910, the Diocese of Toledo is home to over 320,000 Catholics from19 counties in northwestern Ohio.

With summer drawing to a close and a new school year just around the corner, it’s a good time to resume this column. And this week, three important matters deserve our attention and our action.