Can somebody who knows JD Vance please read this essay to him? Vance is a Roman Catholic convert who needs a spiritual refresh
You can tell a lot about someone by what they leave behind.
Echo essay published by Katy McGrady in Substack.
Underlining the Parable of the Good Samaritan
The Ulma Family of Poland are saints for our time.
What items were left on a nightstand❓ What stories do people tell about them❓ What passages are highlighted in their Bible❓
And as Pope Leo said, our God is one who “…enters fully into the complexity of human situations and relationships.”
This is not a moment for ceaseless news commentary. It’s not just a moment for video analysis or hand wringing. It’s a moment for Gospel proclamation, because only then can the Gospel serve “…as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions and peoples.”
And what does the Gospel proclaim❓ What should we write Yes❗ to in the margins of our Bible❓
He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. -Luke 10:34
Echo essay published by Katy McGrady in Substack.
Underlining the Parable of the Good Samaritan
The Ulma Family of Poland are saints for our time.
What family photos were framed on the wall❓
What items were left on a nightstand❓ What stories do people tell about them❓ What passages are highlighted in their Bible❓
Wictoria and Jozef Ulman had a single word written in the margins of their family Bible, in the Gospel of Luke, right beside the parable of the Good Samaritan, which they had underlined: Yes❗
That tells us almost everything we need to know about the Ulmas, and what legacy they left behind: the Gospel was real to them.
This Polish farm family, with six children and one on the way, knew the Gospel mandate to care for the tossed down, cast aside, and hurt was not just an abstract idea for preachers at the pulpit. They knew they were called to care for the marginalized themselves, in their real life circumstances, and so when the Szali and Goldman families came to find shelter as the Nazis were rounding up the Jews in 1942, the Ulmas opened their home.
This Polish farm family, with six children and one on the way, knew the Gospel mandate to care for the tossed down, cast aside, and hurt was not just an abstract idea for preachers at the pulpit. They knew they were called to care for the marginalized themselves, in their real life circumstances, and so when the Szali and Goldman families came to find shelter as the Nazis were rounding up the Jews in 1942, the Ulmas opened their home.
Their farm became a shelter, and for nearly two years, this Polish Catholic family and these Eastern European Jews lived and worked together, living the parable of the Good Samaritan.
It would’ve been very easy for the Ulmas to say, “we have little kids, we can’t hide you here.” It would’ve been entirely understandable for the Ulmas to say, “we can’t afford to feed you” or “we don’t want to die too.” I’m not sure anyone would’ve blamed Jozef or Wictoria for being fearful or cautious in the face of the evils of the day.
But, they did not cower. They did not hesitate.
In an interview with Paulina Guzic for OSV, (Our Sunday Visitor) the postulator of the Ulma canonization cause said this:
“It is sometimes said that they behaved downright irresponsibly by taking in all these Jews. After all, they risked their lives, the lives of their children. And Wiktoria was soon expecting the birth of this next, seventh child. Well, it’s precisely the opposite. In their lives you can see a deep desire to live. They very much wanted to live … constantly discovering the Lord God, the beauty of everyday life, the beauty of life.”
They were eventually sold out by a policeman who knew their whereabouts, bringing the German police to their front door, leading to their brutal execution in the front yard. 17 people total, including the six Ulma children, were shot and killed in a matter of minutes, all so the Nazis could make an example of them.
It would’ve been very easy for the Ulmas to say, “we have little kids, we can’t hide you here.” It would’ve been entirely understandable for the Ulmas to say, “we can’t afford to feed you” or “we don’t want to die too.” I’m not sure anyone would’ve blamed Jozef or Wictoria for being fearful or cautious in the face of the evils of the day.
But, they did not cower. They did not hesitate.
In an interview with Paulina Guzic for OSV, (Our Sunday Visitor) the postulator of the Ulma canonization cause said this:
“It is sometimes said that they behaved downright irresponsibly by taking in all these Jews. After all, they risked their lives, the lives of their children. And Wiktoria was soon expecting the birth of this next, seventh child. Well, it’s precisely the opposite. In their lives you can see a deep desire to live. They very much wanted to live … constantly discovering the Lord God, the beauty of everyday life, the beauty of life.”
They were eventually sold out by a policeman who knew their whereabouts, bringing the German police to their front door, leading to their brutal execution in the front yard. 17 people total, including the six Ulma children, were shot and killed in a matter of minutes, all so the Nazis could make an example of them.
Eyewitness accounts include the horrific details that as the adults were shot and killed, the children stood by screaming and crying.
Not knowing what to do with these children in the aftermath, the police decided to shoot and kill them too. When asked about it later, Eilert Dieken, the German commander, responded: So that you would not have any problems with them.
The Ulmas, in the face of unspeakable evil, believed the mandate of the Gospel: they were moved with compassion, they attended to their neighbor, they treated others with mercy, and were killed for it.
The Ulma family was beatified together in 2023. This is the first time an entire family, including a child who was being born at the time of his mother’s martyrdom, were all raised to the altars together.
A monument to their heroism and sanctity stands in Markowa with these words:
Saving the lives of others they laid down their own lives. Hiding eight elder brothers in faith, they were killed with them. May their sacrifice be a call for respect and love to every human being! They were the sons and daughters of this land; they will remain in our hearts.
In light of everything happening in our country and world, in the face of remarkable injustice, visible violence, horrific destruction, and deep division, I can’t help but ask the Ulma family for their intercession.
Can I too say “Yes❗” to the command of the parable of the Good Samaritan? Am I willing to help those who have been tossed down, cast aside, and rounded up?
At the heart of the Good Samaritan parable is someone beaten down, and someone passing by sees the injustice, hurt, pain, and suffering, and decides to help.
As videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, January 24, 2026, circulated, what happened mere moments before his death is notable: he was trying to help a woman tossed down on the ice.
Political commentary and vastly varied opinions about what’s happening with immigration enforcement and protesting aside, it’s evident that a man was killed — after a confusing scrum and in the midst of a tense situation — after his last earthly act was to try and help someone stand back up.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s statement after yet another tragedy in his Archdiocese is poignant:
“Following January 24, 2026, Saturday’s tragic shooting in Minneapolis, I ask all people of good will to join me today in prayer for Alex Jeffrey Pretti, for his parents, and for his loved ones.
The loss of another life amidst the tensions that have gripped Minnesota should prompt all of us to ask what we can do to restore the Lord’s peace. While we rightly thirst for God’s justice and hunger for his peace, this will be not be achieved until we are able to rid our hearts of the hatreds and prejudices that prevent us from seeing each other as brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God. That is as true for our undocumented neighbors as it is for our elected officials and for the men and women who have the unenviable responsibility of enforcing our laws. They all need our humble prayers.”
Perhaps the only way to see the image and likeness of God in another is to first and foremost remember we’re all called to be a good samaritan: to help others up when they’ve been pushed down, to offer shelter when we have room, and to see the goodness of God in even the most heartbreaking moments.
As Archbishop Coakley, president of the USCCB said in his statement:
“As a nation we must come together in dialogue, turning away from dehumanizing rhetoric and acts which threaten human life. In this spirit, in unity with Pope Leo, it is important to proclaim, ‘Peace is built on respect for people!’”
A priest I know and respect in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, who is also a chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard, gave a very short and powerful homily yesterday. It’s worth watching in full.
Yesterday, at the Angelus address at noon above St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo spoke about the timing and place of Jesus’s mission. When John the Baptist was arrested, he could’ve perhaps been tempted to think “not the right time.” As his cousin is imprisoned, he could’ve perhaps assumed “not the right place.”
And yet… “it was precisely in this dark situation that Jesus began to bring the light of the Good News: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’.”
The Ulmas, in the face of unspeakable evil, believed the mandate of the Gospel: they were moved with compassion, they attended to their neighbor, they treated others with mercy, and were killed for it.
The Ulma family was beatified together in 2023. This is the first time an entire family, including a child who was being born at the time of his mother’s martyrdom, were all raised to the altars together.
A monument to their heroism and sanctity stands in Markowa with these words:
Saving the lives of others they laid down their own lives. Hiding eight elder brothers in faith, they were killed with them. May their sacrifice be a call for respect and love to every human being! They were the sons and daughters of this land; they will remain in our hearts.
In light of everything happening in our country and world, in the face of remarkable injustice, visible violence, horrific destruction, and deep division, I can’t help but ask the Ulma family for their intercession.
Can I too say “Yes❗” to the command of the parable of the Good Samaritan? Am I willing to help those who have been tossed down, cast aside, and rounded up?
At the heart of the Good Samaritan parable is someone beaten down, and someone passing by sees the injustice, hurt, pain, and suffering, and decides to help.
As videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, January 24, 2026, circulated, what happened mere moments before his death is notable: he was trying to help a woman tossed down on the ice.
Political commentary and vastly varied opinions about what’s happening with immigration enforcement and protesting aside, it’s evident that a man was killed — after a confusing scrum and in the midst of a tense situation — after his last earthly act was to try and help someone stand back up.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s statement after yet another tragedy in his Archdiocese is poignant:
“Following January 24, 2026, Saturday’s tragic shooting in Minneapolis, I ask all people of good will to join me today in prayer for Alex Jeffrey Pretti, for his parents, and for his loved ones.
The loss of another life amidst the tensions that have gripped Minnesota should prompt all of us to ask what we can do to restore the Lord’s peace. While we rightly thirst for God’s justice and hunger for his peace, this will be not be achieved until we are able to rid our hearts of the hatreds and prejudices that prevent us from seeing each other as brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God. That is as true for our undocumented neighbors as it is for our elected officials and for the men and women who have the unenviable responsibility of enforcing our laws. They all need our humble prayers.”
Perhaps the only way to see the image and likeness of God in another is to first and foremost remember we’re all called to be a good samaritan: to help others up when they’ve been pushed down, to offer shelter when we have room, and to see the goodness of God in even the most heartbreaking moments.
As Archbishop Coakley, president of the USCCB said in his statement:
“As a nation we must come together in dialogue, turning away from dehumanizing rhetoric and acts which threaten human life. In this spirit, in unity with Pope Leo, it is important to proclaim, ‘Peace is built on respect for people!’”
A priest I know and respect in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, who is also a chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard, gave a very short and powerful homily yesterday. It’s worth watching in full.
Yesterday, at the Angelus address at noon above St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo spoke about the timing and place of Jesus’s mission. When John the Baptist was arrested, he could’ve perhaps been tempted to think “not the right time.” As his cousin is imprisoned, he could’ve perhaps assumed “not the right place.”
And yet… “it was precisely in this dark situation that Jesus began to bring the light of the Good News: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’.”
If these moments seems like they are heavy, or dark, or hopeless, or terrifying, the courage of the Ulmas can remind us that the Gospel is real, and the Gospel, proclaimed by you, is needed most, right now.
“In our lives, both individually and as a Church, interior struggles or circumstances we deem unfavorable can lead us to believe that it is not the right time to proclaim the Gospel, to make a decision, to make a choice, or to change a situation.
“In our lives, both individually and as a Church, interior struggles or circumstances we deem unfavorable can lead us to believe that it is not the right time to proclaim the Gospel, to make a decision, to make a choice, or to change a situation.
In this way, however, we risk becoming paralyzed by indecision or imprisoned by excessive prudence, whereas the Gospel calls us to dare to trust. God is at work at all times; every moment is “God’s time,” even when we do not feel ready or when the situation seems unfavorable.”
We must dare to trust. In justice and healing, in mercy and forgiveness. We must dare to hope, that God is not (nor will he ever be) finished. We must dare to believe, that God is working, even still, even when it’d be far easier to close the door, ignore the news, or try and pretend it’s all just going to be fine.
We must dare to trust. In justice and healing, in mercy and forgiveness. We must dare to hope, that God is not (nor will he ever be) finished. We must dare to believe, that God is working, even still, even when it’d be far easier to close the door, ignore the news, or try and pretend it’s all just going to be fine.
This is not a moment for ceaseless news commentary. It’s not just a moment for video analysis or hand wringing. It’s a moment for Gospel proclamation, because only then can the Gospel serve “…as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions and peoples.”
And what does the Gospel proclaim❓ What should we write Yes❗ to in the margins of our Bible❓
He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. -Luke 10:34
Labels: Alex Pretti, God, Good Samaritan, Katy McGrady, Nazi, Poland, Pope Leo, Ulma Family
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 12:17 PM
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