March 25, 2026

By Mary Beth Bracy, consecrated virgin
Contributing Writer

The Seven Last Words of Christ and American history, as revealed in the beautiful stained-glass windows of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg, were recently brought to life for an EWTN broadcast that will air on Good Friday.

On March 4, a television crew from EWTN came to the cathedral to film Father Raymond J. de Souza’s reflections, which will air on Good Friday, April 3 at 1 p.m. on EWTN. The recording will also be broadcast on ewtn.com and on the EWTN+ app.

Father de Souza, pastor of Holy Cross Church in Kemptville, Ontario, located a half hour south of Ottawa, shared, “I’ve been preaching the Seven Last Words on Good Friday since 2004. I have done it in the Cathedral at Kingston for most of that time. During the pandemic I recorded them, like a very rough video, and EWTN put them on their YouTube channel. The video production wasn’t enough quality to be on the network. It seems to have gotten a good response so, since then, they’ve sent a film crew to have me record them (annually) and that’s what we did this year.”

Father de Souza said he preaches the Seven Last Words, the final phrases spoken by Jesus, by relating each to a theme.

“You can focus on the words themselves with a focus on the passion, or you can choose a theme,” he said. “And (Archbishop) Fulton Sheen, who made it famous in the United States, choose the Seven Last Words or the Seven Sorrows the Blessed Mother. That’s how I’ve done it for 20 years or more.”

A new theme is developed each year.

“I try to follow the Fulton Sheen pattern of choosing creative themes,” he said. “The first year was the themes of St. Joseph; 2022 was the four hundredth anniversary of the canonizations of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Philip Neri; last year was the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, etc. This year is the two hundredth anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence.”

Father de Souza is no stranger to the North Country. He attended seminary with Father Bryan D. Stitt and Father Joseph W. Giroux.

“I’ve been coming to Ogdensburg for many years because of friends, like Father Stitt and Father Giroux, so I’ve been in the cathedral very often, including for Father Stitt’s ordination in 2003,” Father de Souza said. “What makes the cathedral suitable is that they have scenes (in the windows) from American history, including a window of Charles Carroll signing the Declaration of Independence. So, it was a very suitable place, with the kind welcome of Father Joe Morgan, the rector there.”

Father de Souza said his interest in the Seven Last Words has been with him for decades.

“When I was in the seminary, I became aware of the Seven Last Words,” he said. “My first exposure was in 1997, and I spent holy week in New York City, and Father George Rutler was preaching the Seven Last Words on Good Friday. He was continuing the tradition of Fulton Sheen. That’s how I became aware of it. Father Rutler would also preach of creative themes, one year on the Seven Last Words and Seven Wonders of the ancient world.”

The priest continued to encounter reflections on Christ’s last seven phrases, and he wanted to expose others to the tradition.

“I was aware of it (the Seven Last Words) and then I spent my other seminary years in Rome and in Italy,” Father de Souza said. “They’ve kept up that tradition as well. They tend to call it ‘the three hours’ because they preach it from noon to 3 p.m. on Good Friday. When I came back after I was ordained, we didn’t have the custom of preaching it; I was living in Kingston at the time, and I was chaplain of university students, so I thought it would be good to start it, and I did in 2004. It’s a great Catholic tradition, and as a preacher I find it a very appealing challenge to preach on Good Friday and to use the Seven Last Words to engage with a creative theme. And it’s gotten a good response. Twenty years later, I’m still doing it.”

Father de Souza said this year’s theme is unique.

“This year is an unusual one because the theme is history and the key event is a matter of political history and not religious history,” he said. “Obviously, the Nicene Creed speaks directly of Christ’s passion and his death. This one is devotional and informational. I think people will learn something about Church history. In 1597, Capuchins were martyred in the state of Georgia, almost 25 years before the Mayflower arrived. They are being beatified this year on October 31 (in Savannah), and it’s because of that beatification that attention is being paid to them. So, it’s interesting that in this year that is the semiquincentennial, there will be two beatifications in the United States, Fulton Sheen in September and the Georgia martyrs in October.”

The reflections include references to other parts of American history, as well.

“At end of Civil War, in 1861, Lincoln sent Archbishop John J. Hughes (as an envoy) to Europe to gain support for the Union cause,” he said. “That’s astonishing that happened in 1861, when there was still a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment. The Ogdensburg windows’ series are a good way to learn the history of the church in the United States.”

Father de Souza said he enjoyed contemplating connections between historical events or periods and Christ’s final words.

“It was a delight to prepare the research,” he said. “For example (at) Christ’s fourth words from the Cross, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,’ I discussed slavery and I quoted the words from Lincoln’s second inaugural, which in my view is the greatest speech in the English language. So, it was a very compelling and interesting project.”

Father de Souza has often served as a news commentator for current events, including beatifications, the funeral of Benedict XVI, the Synod, and the election of Pope Francis.

“In a way you see history unfolding instead of covering it in the past,” he said.

The priest said he offered this year’s reflections in honor of Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

“When Father Giroux and Father Stitt and I were in the seminary, Cardinal Dolan was the rector of the seminary, and he’s just retired this year,” Father de Souza said. “So it was a way of saying thank you to him for his service and his academic discipline in the United States.”

Father de Souza encouraged those who are able to visit the cathedral and experience the windows and other beauty.

“You have a very beautiful cathedral, and I hope this encourages people to visit it,” he said. “It’s easier for people who live nearby, but even if they are further, to come would be a good thing.”