125 Fr. Rick Thomas' Life and Ministry

On Wednesday July 10, host Gene Wilhelm spoke with Mary Ann Holleran and Ellen Hogarty from Our Lady's Youth Center in El Paso, Texas about Fr. Rick Thomas and his ministry. In the first part of the show, local events were discussed as well as Bishop Robert Barron's new book, Letter to a Suffering Church, where Bishop Barron confronts the sexual abuse crisis from scriptural, historical, and moral dimensions. He argues now is the time to stay and fight for the Church, not to abandon it! In the second half of the show, Gene talked with Mary Ann and Helen about Fr. Rick Thomas, a Jesuit priest who got his calling to the priesthood while training a horse! In 1964, he took over Our Lady's Youth Center, a ministry in the slums of El Paso to minister to youth gangs and the poor in the area, and ministered there for 42 years, an unusual occurrence for a Jesuit priest, who would usually get moved around regularly. Fr. Rick had a large heart for the poor and made efforts to treat them as equals, going deep into the slums across the border to Laredo one Christmas to dine with them. When the hosts realized they hadn't brought enough food, they prayed to God and watched the food begin to multiply before their eyes, a true miracle! From then on, the staff and volunteers of Our Lady’s Youth Center began going every weekend to spend time with the poor and provide for their biggest need, food. Listen to this episode to hear more about Our Lady's Youth Center's involvement in helping and caring for the poor; a snow ball effect started by Fr. Rick Thomas. Be sure to give us a like on Facebook @redcradio. And remember, when choosing between the values of heaven and the values of earth, always round up!