A conversion is a lonely experience.

I do not know how to love God except by loving the poor. I do not know how to serve God except by serving the poor.... Here, within this great city of nine million people, we must, in this neighborhood, on this street, in this parish, regain a sense of community which is the basis for peace in the world.

As a child, I came across the Bible, but nobody in my family had anything to do with religion. I just felt a profound truth there that appealed to me.

Love casts out fear, but we have to get over the fear in order to get close enough to love them.

Life itself is a haphazard, untidy, messy affair.

We cannot build up the idea of the apostolate of the laity without the foundation of the liturgy.

Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.