Where is benedict groeschel

During his forty years there, he became known throughout the Catholic world for the depth of the spiritual and psychological direction he offered, as well as for the extent of his caring for all who came to him for help. During this period he was urged by colleagues and friends to try his hand as a writer, and so he began work on a manuscript that he called Spiritual Passages.

Published by Crossroads in , Spiritual Passages is still in print and has been read by people the world over. Known for his inexhaustible energy, Father Groeschel continued writing throughout the rest of his life, becoming popular among Catholic and non-Catholic readers alike.

In all he published forty-six books, most of which remain in print, and was for years a much-sought-after author by Catholic and secular publishing houses. He also wrote a large number of articles, which have appeared in various periodicals, including First Things and Priest Magazine. In that capacity he organized widely attended classes, conferences, events, and symposia aimed at deepening the spiritual lives of Catholics, lay, clergy, and religious throughout the archdiocese and beyond.

In constant demand as a retreat master and a speaker, Father Groeschel, always in his Franciscan habit, traveled the globe for years, bringing the Gospel message to any who were willing to listen.

His unique blend of prayerfulness, penetrating insight, scholarship, and gentle humor was as irresistible as the spellbinding power of his preaching was undeniable. He became for many a badly needed voice of orthodoxy, as well as of common sense in a world that seemed beset by shrill contradictory voices and uncertainty.

His monthly "afternoons of recollection," events held at various parishes throughout the Archdiocese of New York, drew large crowds for decades. Many people credit those afternoons of prayer, liturgy, and inspiring preaching with reviving their faith and teaching them how to live a truly Christian life in an aggressively secular world. Despite his unfailing devotion to Catholic doctrine, he was deeply committed to ecumenism, speaking in both Protestant churches and synagogues and counting among his good friends ministers of several denominations as well as rabbis.

An invitation to conduct a retreat for the Missionaries of Charity in India was the beginning of Father Groeschel's long relationship with that community and his deep friendship with its founder, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and in the early s he was instrumental in helping her establish her first convent in New York.

In , striving to live more faithfully the Franciscan life, Father Groeschel left his religious order with seven other friars to form a new religious community, of which he became the first Servant Superior. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, based in the south Bronx and dedicated to the service to the poor, have grown from eight to members, and in the same year a similar community for women, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal was formed, which currently has 35 members.

Although he was deeply proud of his new community and always believed that its foundation was a "work of God," Father Groeschel often said that his separation from the Capuchins was the most difficult and painful day of his life. He never lost hope that a reunion might one day be possible.

Always eager to find new ways to spread the Gospel message, Father Groeschel took to the airways 30 years ago, appearing on EWTN television network, at the invitation of Mother Angelica.

He became a regular on the network in various formats, the last of which was his Sunday Night Live show, which drew a large audience week after week, as people tuned in to listen to Father Groeschel interview guests from throughout the religious world or simply to hear him speak deeply and movingly about the faith that meant so much to him. Father Groeschel's compassion for the poor and those in any kind of trouble was legendary.

And it was never a compassion that was limited to words or even to prayer. It always overflowed into deeds, and usually very energetic ones. For decades he distributed food to hundreds of people in the South Bronx who could not afford to buy their own. As the holidays approached, he would be especially determined to make sure that people who otherwise would have no Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner would be given enough to have a small feast. He was a master at finding generous donors to help him purchase hundreds of turkeys and hams and other foodstuffs which he delighted in distributing with the help of a small army of volunteers.

In , very aware that the needs of older adolescents could not be met by institutions such as Children's Village, Father Groeschel founded Saint Francis House in the Green Point section of Brooklyn. Its goal was to give some stability to the lives of young men who have no home to go to and no one to care for them.

The Cardinal Newman Society reported on their facebook page earlier this week that Father Groeschel had taken a fall and reinjured the same arm that was hurt in his accident ten years ago. Benedict J. Groeschel, beloved priest and preacher, died on October 3, , the vigil of the Feast of St.

Francis, after complications with an ongoing illness. He was Benedict was a popular writer, preacher, retreat master, and evangelist on Catholic television. His greatest joy was serving the poor and underprivileged. Founder of St. Always deeply concerned with the welfare of others, he tirelessly provided food, clothing, and assistance to people in need—people he always considered his friends.

Father Benedict is survived by his sister, Marjule Drury, several nieces and nephews, CFR brothers and priests, and 31sisters who were inspired by his authentic witness to religious life and devotion to Jesus and His Church. Wrote Fr.

He was an example to us all. His fidelity and service to the Church and commitment to our Franciscan way of life will have a tremendous impact for generations to come. This moment is one that finds the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal CFR with mixed emotions, as we are deeply saddened by the loss of Fr.

Benedict but also relieved that God has set him free from the physical and mental suffering he has experienced over the past decade. The world knew Father Benedict as a priest, teacher, evangelist, retreat master, and a steadfast defender of and advocate for the Catholic Church that he loved so much.

The members of his religious family saw all these things in him, too. But even more, we were also blessed to know him as a father who cared for each of us, a father who was always accessible when we needed him and always glad to see us when we came to visit. The words of a fellow Franciscan, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, describing St. Francis, characterize Fr. In August , Groeschel sparked a firestorm when he gave an interview saying priests who sexually abuse children "on their first offense" should not go to jail and that the child is often "the seducer.

The newspaper that ran the interview, the National Catholic Register , which is an EWTN affiliate, removed the piece and replaced it with an apology. Groeschel himself also apologized, as did the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Groeschel also gave up his EWTN appearances. Glenn Sudano, a spokesman for the friars, said at the time. Send your thoughts and reactions to Letters to the Editor. Learn more here.

Join now. Benedict Groeschel - author, retreat master and preacher - dies Oct 6, Join the Conversation Send your thoughts and reactions to Letters to the Editor. People Fr. Benedict Groeschel - author, retreat master and preacher - dies. Franciscan says her vocation put her on path to 'peace, joy, happiness' Nov 11,