On Friday August 15th, feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop Joseph Strickland announced on X the launching of his new online apostolate called Pillars of Faith. He said that he chose that name because it comes from one of the most striking prophetic visions given to St. John Bosco, which he believes it’s a vision that speaks directly to our times.
“In the 19th century, St. John Bosco, a holy priest who dedicated his life to saving souls, had a dream that has echoed through history. In it, he saw a vast and violent sea. On that sea sailed a great ship, representing the Church. Enemy vessels surrounded it, firing their cannons, launching every kind of assault. The sky was dark, the waves were high, and the ship seemed in constant danger of sinking.
At the helm stood the Pope, steering the ship with steady hands toward a distant goal. The attacks grew fiercer. The wind and waves pounded against the sides. But in the distance, two mighty pillars rose from the water. One was crowned with a large Host – the Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ truly present. The other bore a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title “Help of Christians.”
Bishop Strickland added on X: “Bosco understood: in every age of trial, the safety of the Church depends on being firmly anchored to Christ in the Eucharist and to the maternal protection of Mary. Popes will come and go, but these two pillars remain – and they are the lifeline of the Church.
We are sailing through our own stormy seas today. The culture is increasingly hostile to the Gospel. Truth is attacked, redefined, or ignored. Even within the Church, there are voices that sow confusion instead of clarity. Many faithful Catholics feel as though the ship is being tossed without direction.
Bosco’s vision is God’s reminder to us: the answer is not new theories or bending to the spirit of the age. The answer is to secure ourselves to Christ in the Eucharist and to stay under the mantle of Mary. These are not optional devotions – they are essential. The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Savior. Our Lady is the Mother given to us at the foot of the Cross. Together, they are the safe harbor.
This is the mission of Pillars of Faith: to help Catholics in these times anchor their lives to those same two pillars. We exist to strengthen the faithful in the unchanging truths of the faith. Our goal is to form Catholics who are clear about what the Church teaches, courageous in living it, and committed to passing it on.”
Bishop @BishStrickland launches a new apostolate “Pillars of Faith” with the mission to form Catholics who are clear about what the Church teaches, courageous in living it, and committed to passing it on. Visit the new site > https://t.co/DR7UTTVZ4m https://t.co/0SHeLFcSmw
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) August 15, 2025
Bishop Emeritus Joseph Strickland, known to many as America’s Bishop, has been a staunch defender and promoter of the Deposit of the Catholic faith. He spoke out against Covid vaccine mandates, publicly criticized then-President Biden for allowing the FBI to be weaponized against Catholics, called for pro-abortion Catholic politicians to be denied Holy Communion, and also participated in the historic Catholics For Catholics Rosary Rally against the group of drag queens mocking the Catholic nuns in Los Angeles, CA.
He served as Bishop of Tyler, Texas, from 2012 until he was directly removed by Pope Francis in November 2023, months after the Bishop received an apostolic visitation in which he was asked to resign because the Vatican considered his views expressed on social media and other positions as “problematic”. Despite this, the Bishop humbly obeyed the Pope’s request, while continuing to evangelize with the same apostolic zeal to the faithful who found in him a true shepherd.
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