June 2018
Dear Friends,
On May 17, we held our 69th annual Christopher Awards ceremony. A special thanks to all of our presenters and congratulations to the winners!
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns was the recipient of our Christopher Life Achievement Award. Having won multiple Christopher Awards in the past, Burns said, “I feel very at home here. I’ve been here many times over the last three decades, and there is a sense of recognition and comradeship and fellowship that I feel in the impetus behind The Christopher Awards and the people I meet here.”
The Christophers feel honored to have had the opportunity to present this award to Mr. Burns for his tireless work in bringing to life stories that define the American experience, and we are grateful to him for the eloquent and inspiring words he shared with us that evening.
We recently celebrated Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and followers of Christ. We pray that the Holy Spirit inspires creators around the world to continue to light candles of hope in the work they do to inspire others. Pope Francis recently said of the Holy Spirit, “It is God himself who confirms us in Christ and who has given us the anointing, he has impressed us with a seal and has given us the deposit of the Spirit in our hearts.”
Saint Faustina Kowalska had a profound awareness of the importance of the Holy Spirit in discerning the right path in life. In her diary, she wrote, “A noble and delicate soul, even the most simple, but one of delicate sensibilities, sees God in everything, finds Him everywhere, and knows how to find Him in even the most hidden things. It finds all things important, it highly appreciates all things, it thanks God for all things, it draws profit for the soul from all things, and it gives all glory to God. It places its trust in God and is not confused when the time of ordeals comes. It knows that God is always the best of Fathers and makes little of human opinion. It follows faithfully the faintest breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto Him like a child to its mother.”
From the Apostles to the Saints of our time, those who seek to do the will of God have known to turn to the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom. On June 29, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Peter, who became the first pope of the Church when he had the courage to answer Christ’s question about who he really is, saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:17] Christ responded by declaring him Peter, the rock upon which He would build His Church, and said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” [Matthew 16:20]
What a profound call Christ made to Peter and it is a call that he answered only with the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Christophers’ News Note Gifts of the Holy Spirit explores how we can tap into the fruits made available to us when we open our hearts to the workings of the Holy Spirit. We encourage everyone to request copies of this News Note to read in quiet reflection and share with friends and loved ones so that as Christophers we can be on fire with the Holy Spirit and bring good into the world in all that we do.
Thanks to our Christopher friends for all your support throughout the year and for keeping us in your prayers. Thank you all!
God Bless!
Mary Ellen Robinson
Vice President/COO
