Catholic clergy remember Rev. Billy Graham

'Billy Graham has gone to meet the Savior whose Gospel he proclaimed boldly all his life.'

Rev. Billy Graham preaches at his crusade on June 25, 2005, in Flushing, N.Y. Photo: Anthony Correia/Shutterstock
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Today, we pray for the soul of the Rev. Billy Graham to the Lord he so dearly loved and offer our condolences to his family. Billy Graham was a preacher of God’s Word not only in his sermons, but also in the very life he lived. His faith and integrity invited countless thousands around the world into a closer relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for the ministry of Billy Graham.”

— Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

 

Billy Graham has gone to meet the Savior whose Gospel he proclaimed boldly all his life. His example is one from which we can learn. Let our Church have the same missionary zeal which was his and now may he rest in the mercy and saving peace of Christ.”

— Bishop David Ricken, Diocese of Green Bay (Wisconsin)

 

As anyone growing up in the 1950s and 1960s can tell you, it was hard not to notice and be impressed by the Rev. Billy Graham.  There was no question that the Dolans were a Catholic family, firm in our faith, but in our household there was always respect and admiration for Billy Graham and the work he was doing to bring people to God. Whether it was one of his famous crusades, radio programs, television specials, or meeting and counseling the presidents, Billy Graham seemed to be everywhere, always with the same message: Jesus is your Savior, and wants you to be happy with him forever.  As an historian, my admiration for him only grew as I studied our nation’s religious past, and came to appreciate even more the tremendous role he played in the American evangelical movement.  May the Lord that Billy Graham loved so passionately now grant him eternal rest.

— Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York

 

I join my brother bishops in prayer for Rev. Billy Graham. May his soul rest in peace.

— Bishop J. Mark Spalding, Diocese of Nashville (Tennessee)

 

Saddened to hear of the passing of a powerful witness to the beauty of Christianity, Rev. Billy Graham. He was a devoted servant who brought people to a closer encounter with Christ. May he rest in peace and his family receive consolation from our Lord during this challenging time.

— Bishop Michael Burbidge, Diocese of Arlington (Virginia)

 

We give thanks for the Christian witness of the Rev. Billy Graham, a man who put his trust in God, and who is now called home.

— Cardinal Blaise Cupich, archbishop of Chicago

 

Friends, I’ve just come from my chapel where I prayed fervently for the repose of the soul of Billy Graham. Dr. Graham was, indisputably, one of the greatest evangelists of the last hundred years and a winsome, compelling witness to Jesus Christ. Along with millions of others around the world, I admired the clarity, simplicity, and conviction of his preaching as well as the integrity of his life. May he rest in peace!

— Bishop Robert Barron, Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Catholic Digest senior writer Fr. Dwight Longenecker once met Graham. He writes about that experience and more here. 

Deacon Steven Greydanus, who wrote Catholic Digest‘s Worth Watching column, has a reflection here. 

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