CSF September 2023

The Holy Eucharist: Source and Summit of Catholic Education

ARCHBISHOP SALVATORE JOSEPH CORDILEONE

Catholic schools develop in our young people the capacity to recognize the presence of God in all things. They do this most explicitly in theology, religious instruction and sacramental preparation, of course. But every academic discipline and activity of the school is an opportunity to encounter Christ. Through formation in virtue, especially the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, young people come to know themselves and each person they encounter as made in the image and likeness of God. Through service, they practice the corporal works of mercy and live out the command to encounter Jesus in those they serve (Mt 25:4045). In the study of the natural world, students learn “to discern in the voice of the universe the Creator Whom it reveals.”1 Through music and the arts, students are drawn to God through beauty and come to know Him as the source of all that is beautiful.

Christianity is a way of seeing2 and Catholic schools help to form this ability to see God everywhere–in everyone and in everything God has made. The most profound way that we encounter the living God, though, is in the Most Holy Eucharist. There Jesus is really, truly and substantially present, body, blood, soul

and divinity. As the oft-quoted affirmation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, the Holy Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (§1324). It is the “source” because it is Jesus Himself, truly present, and is therefore the reason for our faith and for our lives as His disciples. Everything we do as Christians finds its origin in Him. The Eucharist is the “summit” of the Christian life because it is the very presence of God and a foretaste of heaven (Catechism, §1090, 1326). The Catechism puts it succinctly, stating “For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself.” (§1324)

Love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament ripples out into other areas of our lives, too. Once we encounter Him there, we find that our encounter makes us more able to love our families and our neighbor. It helps us to see Christ in the poor and animates our concern for justice. St. Teresa of Calcutta recognized that her commitment to the poor began by seeing Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, explaining, “unless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.”

Pope Francis has even called attention to the

connection between reverence for Christ in the Eucharist and our care for creation. In “Laudato Si,” his encyclical letter on care for creation, the Holy Father explains, “The world which came forth from God’s hands returns to him in blessed and undivided adoration: in the bread of the Eucharist…Thus, the Eucharist is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards of all creation.” (236)

Sadly, you may have heard about the 2019 Pew Research poll which revealed that only 37% of Catholics say that they believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. What a tragedy, to have the Lord in our midst and not to recognize Him! Being denied the ability to meet Jesus in the Holy Mass because of the pandemic has no doubt only made this problem worse. What is needed is a true revival of our recognition of and reverence for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

On June 10 this past summer, the Archdiocese hosted an Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. Thousands of Catholics gathered to celebrate the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and

to be a part of the National Eucharistic Revival. One of the highlights of the Congress for me was being joined by more than 1,500 people in a holy hour to adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and also the beautiful Mass with the Corpus Christi procession to conclude the Congress.

Pope Benedict XVI said, “first and foremost, Catholic schools are a place to encounter the living God in Jesus Christ.”3 The most profound encounter we can have with Jesus is in the Eucharist, the “source and summit of the Christian life.” Through participation in the Mass, by visiting Jesus in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and by making the Eucharist the source and summit of all that they do, our Catholic schools play a vital role in Eucharistic revival. As our Catholic schools begin a new academic year, may our young people learn to know and adore the Real Presence of Jesus. May our Catholic schools be places of true Eucharistic revival! ■

¹Congregation for Catholic Education “The Catholic School,” 46 (1977)

²Pope Francis “Encyclical “Lumen fidei,” 18 (2013)

³ Pope Benedict XVI “Address to Catholic Educators at Catholic University of America” (2008)

By making the Eucharist the source and summit of all that they do, our Catholic schools play a vital role in Eucharistic

Revival.

Photo courtesy of Marin Catholic High School

QUIZ

How well do you know the Catholic Faith?

The Ultimate Catholic Quiz by Catholic Answers’ founder, Karl Keating.

Excerpted with permission and available for purchase from https://ignatius.com/the-ultimate-catholic-quiz-ucqp/

There are no trick questions, but there are questions that will trip you up if you fail to read carefully. An answer is counted as wrong if any part of it — such as a date or name — is wrong. Your goal is not to find the answer that is least wrong, but the one answer that is wholly right, which may be “none of the above.” On average, most informed Catholics score 50%. How well did you do?

1. The Old Testament

a. has more books in the Protestant version of the Bible because Protestants emphasize the Old Testament over the New Testament

b. has more books in the Catholic version of the Bible because the Protestant Reformers threw out seven books at the Council of Trent

c. was used by the early Christians in its Greek translation, known as the Septuagint.

d. no longer has authority over Christians but still has authority over Jews

e. none of the above

2. Baptism may be administered by

a. a priest or bishop only

b. a bishop, priest, or deacon only

c. any baptized Catholic only

d. unbaptized persons

e. none of the above

3. To be elected Pope, a man must at least be

a. a Cardinal who attends the papal conclave and is less than 80 years of age

b. baptized

c. over 50 years of age

d. fluent in Latin

e. none of the above

4. In the Mass

a. Jesus is symbolized by the bread and the wine from the moment of consecration onward

b. Jesus is spiritually present when the community gathers in prayer under the leadership of the priest and ceases to be spiritually present when the priest leaves the sanctuary

c. Jesus is physically present along with the bread and the wine once the consecration has occurred

d. Jesus is present, and the bread and wine are not present, after the consecration

e. none of the above

5. The doctrine of the Trinity means

a. there is one God who manifests Himself in the three distinct roles of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

b. that since the resurrection, there have been four persons in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ the God-man

c. that in the Godhead, there is only one divine person, and He takes on different aspects according to His actions as Creator, Redeemer or Sanctifier

d. there are three gods who work so closely together that it is proper to call them one God

e. None of the above

6. An Archbishop

a. Is always an older bishop and, by canon law, must be at least 55 years of age

b. has jurisdiction over all the bishops within his metropolitan area and may overrule their decisions

c. assists the Pope by voting on prospective Cardinals

d. is a regular Bishop who has been given the honorary title of Archbishop by leading Bishops in his national Bishops conference

e. None of the above

7. The vessel that holds water at the door to Catholic churches may be called any of these except

a. a stoup

b. a font

c. a holy water holder

d. a mandamus bowl

e. None of the above

8. Veneration of images of saints

a. is prohibited in the Eastern Catholic churches

b. was promoted by the 18th century group known as the Iconoclasts

c. is termed “relative dulia”, in contrast to “absolute dulia”, which is the veneration given to the saints themselves

d. is a lesser form of veneration called hyperdulia

e. None of the above

Answers can be found on page 44.

OPEN THE QR CODE FOR MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS or visit https://sfarchdiocese.org/ september-2023-catholic-quiz/

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Celebrate and support our retired priests

BY ROD LINHARES Director

Since the first Priests Retirement Luncheon in 2011, nearly $2.6 million has been raised for the Priests Retirement Fund. This support helps provide financial security for our retired priests by alleviating their living expenses, health care and extended care costs. It is critical in our ability to care for these special men, and it helps ensure they are cared for in the same way they have cared for us.

In addition to the financial benefits of the Priests Retirement Luncheon, this annual gathering is an expression of gratitude to our retired priests for their lifetime of ministry and service. It is an opportunity for wonderful fellowship – in essence, it is a reunion for our clergy, parishioners and friends.

For many lay persons, it’s a rare chance to spend time with the men who have been such a significant part of their lives – men who have been present in many of our most precious moments, sharing God’s message of love and compassion.

This year’s Priests Retirement Luncheon will take place on Friday, Oct. 13, at Patrons Hall on the lower level of St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco. The honorees are Father Joseph Bradley and Father Anthony McGuire.

All funds raised in conjunction with this year’s luncheon - and the corresponding collection on the Sept. 23-24 weekend - will be directed to critical renovations and repairs at the Serra Clergy House in San Mateo.

Built in 1954 as part of Serra High School, the Serra Clergy House was designed to be the home for the school’s priest faculty. It was converted to housing for active, independent retired priests in the early 1990s, and only moderate repairs have been undertaken since.

Each of the 12 apartments has a bedroom, sitting room and private bathroom. Common areas include a dining room, living room, library, small meeting and sitting rooms and a chapel.

The safety, security and comfort of our retired priests is paramount, and the building is approaching its 70th year. Correspondingly, it has critical needs. Much of the facility, including the roof, windows and electric panels, is original

of Mission Advancement for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Thank you very much for your support, both through your prayers and/or your gift to the Priests Retirement Fund. You have a great impact on my life and the lives of my fellow retired priests.”

FATHER ULYSSES D’AQUILA

Retired priest, Archdiocese of San Francisco

All funds raised in conjunction with this year’s luncheon - and the corresponding collection on the Sept. 2324 weekend - will be directed to critical renovations and repairs at the Serra Clergy House in San Mateo.

and must be replaced. Other vital needs include seismic upgrades, installing an alarm system, a new irrigation system, solar panels and providing some type of insulation for the windows, as just a few examples.

We invite you to invest in our retired priests’ safety, security and comfort by supporting the Priests Retirement Fund and/or the Priests Retirement Luncheon. In particular, the luncheon is one of the highlights of the year - join us on Friday, Oct. 13, and celebrate the Archdiocese’s retired clergy! ■

Please contact Rod Linhares, (415) 614-5581 or linharesr@sfarch.org or Rose Marie Wong, (415) 614-5517 or wongr@sfarch.org for more information.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION or visit sfarchdiocese.org/ prflunch/

A HOLY LAND

The city of Jerusalem at dawn.

LAND

BY FATHER JOSEPH ILLO Pastor, Star of the

Father Joseph Illo and his friend Father Mark Wagner led 50 pilgrims from their parishes on a trip to the Holy Land last April. The pilgrimage began in the deserts of Jordan, tracing the path Moses and the Children of Israel took from Egypt to Israel. The pilgrims then traced Our Lord’s footsteps, from Nazareth through Bethlehem to Galilee and finally to Jerusalem.

I write this from a hotel room overlooking the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, listening to the holy city awaken to birdsong and the shouts of bakers and butchers stocking their little grocery stores. My friend, roommate and coleader for this pilgrimage, Father Mark Wagner, has gone up to the roof garden to offer the early Mass in Latin. Those attending will see the sun rise behind him over the Mount of Olives, shining off the golden dome on the Temple Mount and illuminating the dull grey domes of the Holy Sepulcher, just a stone’s throw from our hotel. I will offer the Mass in English this afternoon on an outdoor altar at Gethsemane, among thousandyear-old olive trees.

JERUSALEM RISES

I stepped onto our porch to behold the holy city rising up to meet the sun. Children are walking in twos and threes to the local school with bookbags in tow; shopkeepers — Muslim, Jewish and Christian — are setting out their goods; taxi drivers are smoking cigarettes beside their cars; men old and young in broadbrimmed black hats and black leather satchels are walking serenely to begin the day’s study of the Torah; Israeli soldiers, the flower of Israel’s youth, walk with machine guns upright in their packs, ›

Sea Catholic Church, San Francisco

chatting in groups; old men sit on chairs watching it all pass by and old women in headscarves mouth their morning prayers. It’s too early for tourists, but occasionally a pilgrim or two will walk past with a Bible or rosary. Everybody is squeezed in with everyone else, in a city where people take religion seriously.

THE CITY OF PEACE

While there is a modicum of serenity in the city this morning, there is no deep peace in Jerusalem. Our tour guide, a Palestinian Christian from Bethlehem, slips into bitter comments about the suffering in his hometown, where only 8% of the population is Christian. Jerusalem, the “city of peace,” the city that takes religion seriously, struggles to find earthly peace.

THE PRINCE OF PEACE

“In this world, you will have trouble, ›

Father Joseph Illo pictured with parishioners and fellow pilgrims in the Holy Land.

Left, Father Mark Wagner joined Father Illo on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, leading groups through the holy sites.

SEPTEMBER 22 - OCTOBER 2, 2023

Spiritual GuideFr. Richard Mangini

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OCTOBER 16- 26, 2023

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JANUARY 19-29, 2024

Spiritual Guide- Fr. Mark Wiesner VISIT JERUSALEM, Bethlehem, Galilee, Dead Sea, Nazareth, Cana and much more! (11 days) Also visit Jordan, inc. Petra, Jerash, etc. (Return Jan. 31)

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CAMINO

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Pilgrimages include flights, select hotels, bus, touring, breakfasts/dinners, daily Mass, full-time English-speaking tour manager, international taxes and current fuel surcharges

SCAN ME!

but take courage: I have overcome the world,” Jesus said. The “world,” the secular culture that distances itself from right worship, will always be in conflict with itself, and in conflict with the Church. Even the most faithful of Christians will engage in a lifelong inner conflict, for “the flesh and the spirit are at war with each other.” As you look out over your own lives — your marriages, your rectories, your work relationships, your parishes and your social communities — you wonder if you

will ever find real peace in this world. We will attain little oases of peace, like the city street below me — schoolchildren with the bookbags walking beside soldiers with their machine guns. But the fullness of peace is for the next world. In this world, we have the way of peace, the Lord Jesus — and that is enough. Jesus is enough to get us through the wars of this life. Holding tightly to His hand, thirsting for His Word and hungering for His sacraments, we are on the way to peace. ■

Father Mark Wagner celebrates Mass overlooking the city of Jerusalem.

Praying vespers as the sun sets over the Jordanian desert.

As you look out over your own lives — your marriages, your rectories, your work relationships, your parishes and your social communities — you wonder if you will ever find real peace in this world.”

Sep 13 - 28, 2023

days

F FRANCE, SPAIN, ANDORRA & PORTUGAL

2023

T THE HOLY LAND

Sep 26 - Oct 5, 2023

Oct 23 - 31, 2023

Nov 14 - 22, 2023

P PORTUGAL, SPAIN, FRANCE, MONACO & ITALY

Sep 28 - Oct 13, 2023

T THE HOLY LAND, JORDAN & EGYPT

Oct 02 - 15, 2023

Oct 24 - Nov 07, 2023

days

G GREECE & TURKEY: Follow the footsteps of St. Paul

- Featuring ICONIC AEGEAN 3-night Cruise

Oct 12 - 24, 2023

2 cabins left!

Chief of Hope & Love

ELLEN HAMMERLE, PH.D. CEO of Catholic Charities of San Francisco

After one year at the helm of Catholic Charities, Ellen Hammerle talks about “rebuilding” from the inside out after COVID-19

BY CHRISTINA GRAY

Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

Ellen Hammerle agreed to meet Catholic San Francisco this summer at St. Vincent School for Boys to talk about her first year as chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of San Francisco. From a small office perched above a courtyard at the 770-acre former orphanage in San Rafael where traumatized boys have found healing since 1853, Hammerle described a year centered on organizational and individual recovery.

“It’s been a hard road to recovery, I would say,” said Hammerle, successor to former CEO Jilma Meneses. Meneses left Catholic Charities after five years in 2021 to serve as secretary of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. “Thanks to the dedication of our board and staff, we have finally turned a corner and are back in our headquarters,” at 990 Eddy St. in San Francisco.

A psychotherapist who also holds a law degree, Hammerle, with more than 25 years of service, is the first CEO in Catholic Charities’ recent history to ascend through the ranks of the nonprofit.

She spent her first years leading the behavioral health programs for the chronically ill and then expanded to serve homeless women and their children at Catholic Charities’ Rita da Cascia Community in San Francisco. She later became division director of housing support services, then served as vice president of client services — which has oversight for all 32 Catholic Charities programs and services — before being named CEO in August 2022.

“There has never been anyone before her who has come in with the same deep, inside, on-theground years of program experience,” said Jane Ferguson Flout, director of strategic and community partnerships, who joined our interview. “Ellen knows the insides of us.”

With a detailed list of nearly 100 completed initiatives, action items, budget goals, hiring decisions and more, we asked Hammerle about some of them.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO: Assuming a leadership position of any organization or business in the aftermath of COVID-19 would have to be daunting. What made you want to take on this role?

HAMMERLE: I came up through the programs working side by side with frontline staff. Mine is a lived experience that teaches you what is best for employees, programs and clients, and when to innovate for positive change. I know the complexity of the organization. I have been through a number of executive directors over the years. There were a lot of lessons learned just by participating in leadership meetings. When the opening presented itself, I saw an opportunity to utilize what I have learned at a critical time in the organization’s history. I believe in our programs and services. My life has been a life of service with deep gratitude for this opportunity.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO: How did the pandemic affect Catholic Charities?

HAMMERLE: I was the vice president of our programs at that time, and I was immediately thrown into how to keep them open, and how to support our front-line workers so they didn’t get sick. I tried to find ways we could safely do our jobs without shutting the entire agency down. Unfortunately, our headquarters office shut down during the pandemic. In my opinion, it made it much more challenging for us to stay together as an organization.

CSF: What were the financial impacts of COVID-19, and is recovery in sight?

HAMMERLE: Everything in terms of participation and funding decreased during COVID. People were scared. I think we came out with a $3 million deficit in the end, but ›

all along that journey there was this ballooning deficit. We were trying to figure out cuts across the board, cuts in staffing, programs that we’d have to close, decisions about pivoting by opening new programs, and whether to move staff to another program or lay them off. It was really intense. Things are turning around, and we are getting back to a balanced budget. Programs that had to close are reopening. Campers are camping again, kids are playing sports, and CCCYO buses are rolling.

CSF: Now that we are on the other side of it, can you see that the pandemic offered any hidden graces to Catholic Charities?

HAMMERLE: We learned how well we were able to innovate in order to meet our clients’ needs. For example, we opened “learning hubs” for youth in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties in collaboration with local jurisdictions who were concerned vulnerable kids were not getting an education. During the height of the pandemic our multicultural staff operated these hubs to provide elementary and middle-school students with laptops, Internet access and the socio-emotional support and tutoring they needed to focus on their academics. We also operated Project Roomkey hotels in San Francisco and Marin for homeless families and seniors to have a safe and calm place to quarantine during the pandemic.

CSF: Was reopening your headquarters offices one of your priorities in this first year?

Catholic Charities CEO Ellen Hammerle, talks to Bill and Pat Langley, longtime St. Anselm parishioners, at a luncheon June 30 at St. Vincent School for Boys in San Rafael. Hammerle and other Catholic Charities staff invited parishioners from all Marin parishes to learn about the Catholic Charities Parish Ambassadors program.

Courtesy photo

The Parish Ambassador program began in 2019. The idea was to have one or two parish ambassadors to Catholic Charities in every parish to share Catholic Charities at a deeper, more consistent level with parishioners. Perhaps a parish family needs a program offered by Catholic Charities. Or the parish is looking for a service project. Parish ambassadors can help make Catholic Charities more accessible to our parish families.”

HAMMERLE: Yes. We’ve been working hard to recover our internal sense of community. When the headquarters closed during COVID, something meaningful was lost, particularly for a social services organization. Our communication and connection became decentralized. As part of our post-pandemic recovery plan, I had to call the managementlevel staff back into the office because they were so dispersed. It’s been months of trying to get this done, and naturally, some people did not want to come back in. So, we’ve had to rehire a number of positions. I also reorganized our management structure which I felt was a little top-heavy. At the same time, I began emphasizing self-care as a part of our Culture of Care. Our staff needed to heal from burnout and grief. There’s my background as a psychotherapist for you, but this work is hard, and COVID-19 made ›

it harder. Many of staff and our clients are still recovering.

CSF: Speaking of community, I know Catholic Charities has been working to establish “parish ambassadors” in every parish in the Archdiocese. Why?

HAMMERLE: The Parish Ambassador program began in 2019. The idea was to have one or two parish ambassadors represent Catholic Charities in every parish to share it at a deeper, more consistent level with parishioners. The program stalled during the pandemic. Perhaps a parish family needs a program offered by Catholic Charities. Or the parish is looking for a service project. Parish ambassadors can help make Catholic Charities accessible to parish families.

CSF: It’s very big news that Catholic Charities is adding disaster relief and humanitarian aid to its programs. Tell us about how this happened and why.

HAMMERLE: Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Charities of California and the California bishops were all encouraging us to take on disaster relief and humanitarian aid. Given the flood and fire events we’re prone to in California, we started noticing more state funding opportunities come through, which enabled us to move forward in earnest with this. I approached our administrative council about it, and we applied for and won three state contracts. One will focus on flood assistance from the recent winter storms for immigrants in San Mateo and San Francisco counties. With the other two grants, we will create a new division that combines education, e.g., mitigation and preparation, etc., with case management for disaster victims.

CSF: What else can you tell us that is new

at Catholic Charities or has changed since the end of the pandemic?

HAMMERLE: Our proposal for a longterm, residential treatment program and facility for severely traumatized women in Marin County was approved and opened during the pandemic. The Carmelita Home is a therapeutic pilot project that will be evaluated in three to five years. Also, because the state changed its requirements for shortterm, therapeutic residential programs, St. Vincent School for Boys currently works with the Office of Refugee Settlement to support boys ages 12-17.

CSF: Some Catholics don’t have a clear understanding of Catholic Charities, what it does and its relationship to the Catholic Church. Can you explain?

HAMMERLE: We hear that too. What does Catholic Charities DO? It isn’t easy to wrap one’s mind around 32 different programs serving 70,000 people a year. Catholic Charities is the social services arm of the Church in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Our mission is to provide direct social services to everyone in keeping with Catholic social teaching. In essence, Catholic Charities is a concrete expression of God’s love in the world. The word charity, or “caritas” in Latin, means love. We hope the Parish Ambassador program will help bridge that gap of understanding about who we are and bring parishioners into closer relationship with our programs and services. ■

SCAN CODE TO SEE WHO CATHOLIC CHARITIES SERVES or visit catholiccharitiessf.org

... Catholic Charities is the social services arm of the Church in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Our mission is to provide direct social services to everyone in keeping with Catholic Social Teaching. In essence, Catholic Charities is a concrete expression of God’s love in the world. The word charity, or “caritas” in Latin, means love.”

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UNIFORM SOLIDARITY

Annual Mass honoring San Francisco’s first responders began nearly 80 years ago after historic hotel fire

BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

On Sept. 10, police officers, firefighters, sheriff deputies, chaplains, paramedics and emergency medical technicians will stand shoulder to shoulder for a group photo at San Francisco’s annual Police-Fire Mass, honoring the sacrifices of first responders.

Framed by two SFFD ladder trucks, the traditional shot represents a solidarity dating back nearly four generations.

The Mass, held this year at St. Anne of the Sunset Parish, continues a tradition of prayer

and thanksgiving for the city’s men and women in uniform that began in 1946 when a hotel fire claimed the lives of four young firefighters.

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone will be the celebrant for the Mass sponsored by the San Francisco Fire Department, the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department.

The Police-Fire Mass is distinct from the annual Faith and Blue Mass, which is part of a national campaign that promotes better

SOLIDARITY

understanding between law enforcement and public safety workers and local communities.

“This is about first responders and their families in San Francisco,” said Father Michael Quinn, pastor of St. Brendan Parish and a 10-year chaplain with the SFPD. “This Mass is to honor their sacrifices and their families, because the truth is, the family also serves.”

The event has a paramilitary pageantry that begins with the “posting of the colors,” or flags of each agency, and the hoisting of the American flag. “It is very patriotic,” he said.

At the end of the liturgy, one speaker will reflect on his or her career. At the end of the Mass, a bell is rung for each first responder — active and retired — who died in the previous year, as their names are read aloud.

“It never fails to move me that I am a part of this community and this long tradition,” said Captain James Quanico, also of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office. Captain Quanico,

55, has attended the Mass nearly each of his 27 years of duty.

“We reflect on those who risk their lives on a daily basis in service to the city and county and people of San Francisco,” he said. The past few years have been hard for police officers and other first responders, he admits. “The Mass always renews my faith in this noble profession.”

After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, the Mass grew to include remembrance for the 343 firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers and a less-specific count of paramedics and emergency workers who died in the attacks. This could include the 110 firefighters who died from cancer or other diseases as a result of toxin exposure.

“I think of that saying, ‘All gave some, some gave all,’” said Father Quinn, of first responders. ›

San Francisco first responders of every stripe come together every September to pray for fallen comrades at the annual Police-Fire Mass. This traditional group shot was taken at St. Mary’s Cathedral plaza in 2022.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

THE HERBERT HOTEL FIRE

SFFD firefighters Charles P. Lynch, 29, John Borman, 35, Albert Hudson, 35, and Walter Elvitsky died in the line of duty on July 30, 1946, when the fully occupied Herbert Hotel went up in flames in the middle of the night. The hotel stood near the confluence of Powell and Ellis streets, a neighborhood of jerrybuilt structures thrown up helter-skelter after the Great Quake in the center of the town’s nightlife area.

This is according to historical accounts at guardiansofthecity.org, a website celebrating the City and County of San Francisco’s Fire, Police, Sheriff and Emergency Medical Departments.

More than 30 others were injured, including 14 other firefighters, in the five-alarm blaze. The more than 200 hotel guests survived due to the heroic efforts of police who arrived first to rouse the sleeping occupants and the 185 firefighters who fought the flames for a full day.

Assistant Fire Chief Martin J. Kearns described the blaze to local reporters at the time as “the worst in Fire Department history, in fatalities, since the fire of 1906” (following the Great Quake).

Lynch had just returned without a scratch after five campaigns in the Pacific during World War II; Borman graduated St. Ignatius High School and left behind a wife and infant when he drowned in a deep pool of water in the building’s kitchen; Hudson, whose pregnant wife was due any day, was crushed under falling debris near a stage where a jazz band

had entertained night revelers only a few hours earlier; Elvitsky, whose body was pulled out of the flooded cellar, left behind a wife and a 4-year old daughter.

“My best buddies, I saw them die,” a tearful fellow firefighter, E.J. Russell, told a reporter of being just behind Borman and Hudson.

A funeral cortege of 600 firefighters from throughout the Bay Area left City Hall with four, flag-draped caskets to honor the fallen men. There was no music, not even muffled drums.

PRAYING TOGETHER IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

As a police chaplain, Father Quinn said he prays for the officers or firefighters that respond to an incident, in addition to victims and perpetrators.

“Why do I pray for first responders?,” he asked. “Because I’ve seen them in action. They have seen things most of us can’t even think about.”

First responders need our prayers, no matter what their own faith might be. The PoliceFire Mass brings everyone together for that purpose.

High divorce rates, substance abuse and compromised physical and mental health are some of the hidden dangers of the job, he said. “They have to cope with all of this, but there is no real recipe,” Father Quinn said. “But praying together, for the good of each other, everyone thinks that’s a good idea.” ■

San Francisco mourned four young firefighters who lost their lives in the Herbert Hotel Fire in 1946. Here, their flag-draped caskets are seen on the steps outside City Hall.

Photo coutesty of guardiansofthecity.org

Acting Capt. Christina Gibbs, San Francisco Fire Dept.

San Francisco native Christina Gibbs has served the San Francisco Fire Dept. and supported the Police-Fire Mass for 25 years.

“To offer your life for someone else is a really big deal in my mind,” the mother of seven said. “Every day that we step into our uniform we are at risk.”

Capt. Gibbs said her faith and her desire to serve help override her fears when faced with dangerous situations.

“My mental strength comes from God,” said the Presentation High School graduate. “When I am in a stressful situation, I always go to prayer.”

She acknowledges, however, the physical and mental toll the work can and does take on firefighters.

Capt. Gibbs is part of a peer support team under the SFFD’s Behavioral Health Unit that includes service dog, Sadie. She and Sadie visit scenes and stations to help first responders decompress and recover from critical incidents.

She said it’s just another way she has been called to serve.

“We always have to keep our ears open for God’s calling,” she said, quoting The Prayer of St. Francis. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

Captain James Quanico, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office

“I was taught that whenever I hear an ambulance, first thing I do is say a Hail Mary for the person in need,” said Capt. Quanico, a 27-year-veteran of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, and a longtime parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Daly City. “I pray for the strength to deal with something traumatic.”

Capt. Quanico, 55, said he sees a Christian parallel to his work.

“We try to emulate what Jesus Christ preached and that is to take care of thy neighbor,” he said. “Safety and security is our primary objective to protect the innocent, but we still provide resources and guidance to perpetrators.”

A San Francisco native, Capt. Quanico went to St. Thomas the Apostle School and St. Ignatius High School. For 30 years he has coached CYO youth sports with a goal as important as the final score.

“I hope to be a mentor to youngsters who may not get that at home,” he said.

My mental strength comes from God.”

I pray for the strength to deal with something traumatic.”

Sgt. Art Howard, San Francisco Police Dept.

Few people know more about the occupational hazards of police work than Sgt. Art Howard. After patrolling the streets of San Francisco for 10 years, he was recruited to run the San Francisco Police Department’s Employee Assistance Program, helping officers and their families deal with the psychological stressors of the job.

As part of its nationally recognized Behavioral Science Unit, the SFPD offers a range of services and resources to its officers, including critical incidence support teams, post-trauma retreats, a robust chaplaincy program and a drug and alcohol recovery program.

A trained drug and alcohol dependency counselor with an advanced degree in psychology, Sgt. Howard has served a total of 21 years with the SFPD.

“Alcohol kills more cops than bad guys and suicides together,” said Sgt. Howard, a San Francisco native and longtime Holy Name of Jesus parishioner. Prayer and meditation, he said, are “so important to counterbalancing the stresses of the job.”

“We’re called peace officers, right? Our job is to keep the peace, and bring whatever peace we have within ourselves to work. That peace can be disrupted by our work by trauma and stress so it’s important to recharge and reconnect to our faith so we can be of service to those around us.”

Assistant Chief David Lazar, San Francisco Police Dept.

Raised in San Francisco by a single mother who worked as a 911 dispatcher, Assistant Chief David Lazar literally grew up in the local police community.

He participated in youth wilderness programs offered by the SFPD and was a police cadet, an apprenticeship of sorts for young people ages 18-21.

“I grew up in a home without a father,” said AC Lazar. “Police officers were like father figures to me.”

The San Francisco native and St. Brendan parishioner joined the force at 21 and has served the SFPD for 31 years. His responsibilities include all 10 police stations, all police investigators, all special operations including marine, local SWAT team, motorcycle unit and the entire San Francisco International Airport.

Raised in Holy Name parish, AC Lazar married a fellow police officer, who retired five years ago. They raised their children in a home anchored by faith.

“When you have a faith in Christ, you put your faith in him,” he said. “You make that your focus, and your family makes that its focus. I think to myself that I could not do this job that is so stressful, seeing as you often do see life at its worst, without my faith in God.”

I could not do this job that is so stressful, seeing as you often do life at its worst, without my faith in God.”

Prayer and meditation are so important to counterbalancing the stresses of the job.”

Rediscovering a sense of Eucharistic Adoration in silence

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of a Eucharistic reflection from Pope Francis when meeting in June with the Organizing Committee of the National Eucharistic Congress in the United States of America. This is one of many Eucharistic reflections that will be published by Catholic San Francisco Magazine as part of the U.S. Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Revival (eucharisticrevival.org) that began on June 19, 2022, on the feast of Corpus Christi, and continues through Pentecost 2025.

Iencourage you to continue your efforts to contribute to a revival of faith in, and love for, the Holy Eucharist, the “source and summit of the Christian life” (“Lumen Gentium,” 11).

All of us are familiar with the account of the multiplication of the loaves recorded in the Gospel of John. The people who witnessed this miracle came back to the Lord on the following day in hopes of seeing him perform another sign. Yet, Christ desired to transform their hunger for material bread into a hunger for the bread of eternal life (cf. Jn 6:26-27). For this reason, Jesus spoke of Himself as the living bread which came down from heaven, the true bread that gives life to the world (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the Eucharist is God’s response to the deepest hunger of the human heart, the hunger for authentic life, for in the Eucharist Christ Himself is truly in our midst, to nourish, console and sustain us on our journey. Sadly nowadays, there are those among the Catholic faithful who believe that the Eucharist is more a symbol than the reality of the Lord’s presence and love. It is more than a symbol; it is the real and loving presence of the Lord. It is my hope, then, that the Eucharistic Congress will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord’s great gift of Himself and to spend time with Him in the celebration of the Holy Mass and in personal prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. I believe

that we have lost the sense of adoration in our day. We must rediscover the sense of adoration in silence. It is a form of prayer that we have lost. Too few people know what it is. It is up to the bishops to catechize the faithful about praying through adoration. The Eucharist requires it of us. In this regard, I cannot fail to mention the need for fostering vocations to the priesthood, for as St. John Paul II said, “There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood” (Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 2004). We need priests to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. I likewise trust that the Congress will be an occasion for the faithful to commit themselves with ever greater zeal to being missionary disciples of the Lord Jesus in the world. In the Eucharist, we encounter the One who gave everything for us, who sacrificed Himself in order to give us life, who loved us to the end. We become credible witnesses to the joy and transforming beauty of the Gospel only when we recognize that the love we celebrate in this sacrament cannot be kept to ourselves but demands to be shared with all. This is the sense of a missionary spirit. You go to the celebration of Mass, receive communion, adore the Lord and then what do you do after? You go out and evangelize. Jesus asks this of us. The Eucharist, then, impels us to a strong and committed love of neighbor. For we cannot truly understand or live the meaning of the Eucharist if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are poor,

Vatican Media

suffering, weary or who may have gone astray in life. Two groups of people come to mind whom we must always seek out: the elderly, who are the wisdom of a people, and the sick, who are the image of the suffering Jesus.

May all that you are doing bear fruit in guiding men and women to the Lord who, by his presence among us, rekindles hope and renews life. Entrusting you to the maternal intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of your country, I assure you of my prayers for you, your families and your local Churches. To all of you, I impart my blessing, and I ask you, please, to remember to pray for me. ■

Copyright © Dicastero per la ComunicazioneLibreria Editrice Vaticana

SCAN TO WATCH A CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VIDEO OF POPE FRANCIS ADDRESSING THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA or visit www.usccb.org/news/2023/adorejesus-real-presence-eucharist-pope-tells-uscatholics

Pope Francis blesses a 4-foot-tall monstrance during a meeting with members of the organizing committees of the U.S. National Eucharistic Congress and Eucharistic Revival.

Let’s support our

Priests Retirement Fund Special Collection:

September 23-24, 2023

13th Annual Priests Retirement Luncheon: October 13, 2023

Our retired Priests have dedicated their lives to serving others. They have been present for the most special moments of life and in times of need. It is our turn to care for them as they have cared for us.

We invite you to help care for these special men by attending the Priests Retirement Luncheon and/or contributing to the Special Collection. Over $2.6M has been raised since the first Luncheon in 2011! We are most appreciative of this critical support.

Proceeds from this year’s Luncheon will help renovate and repair the Serra Clergy House in San Mateo, which is where several of our retired Priests reside. Built in 1954 as part of Serra High School, the Serra Clergy House was designed to be the home for the school’s priest faculty.

It was converted to housing for active, independent retired priests in the early 1990s, and only moderate repairs have been undertaken since that time. As the building approaches its 70th year, some critical needs must be addressed - the safety, security, and comfort of our retired priests is paramount.

2022 Luncheon honoree Fr. James Garcia

our retired priests!

“Thank you very much for your support, both through your prayers and/or your gift to the Priests Retirement Fund. You have a great impact on my life and the lives of my fellow retired Priests.”

Francisco

The

Annual Luncheon will be held Friday, October 13, 2023 in Patron’s Hall at Saint Mary’s Cathedral.

2023 Honorees

Father Andrew Spyrow and Father Anthony McGuire at the 2022 Priests Retirement Luncheon.

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and 2022 Luncheon honoree Father Anthony Chung

FR. ULYSSES D’AQUILA

Retired Priest, Archdiocese of San

Father Joseph Bradley and Father Anthony McGuire

Prayer and the Fatherhood of God

BY DR. ANTHONY LILLES

How to start a daily prayer life? This question may seem unrelated to fatherhood at first, but there is a profound relation between prayer and paternity. This relation is rooted in the fertile ground of the Catholic faith: divine paternity, which is the source and summit of the Holy Trinity. Prayer drinks from this source. Prayer ascends this summit. It is with this end in view that Christ commands us to pray “Our Father.” The Spirit, too, moves us to pray “Abba, Father.”

Lack of devotion to God the Father is the most difficult obstacle to daily prayer. Where does this lack come from? Our vision of paternity is skewed. Traumatic failures in fatherhood have robbed many souls of the confidence and hope that would otherwise incline to prayer. Instead of firm, faithful and benevolent tenderness, many have experienced a betrayal of paternal authority through arbitrariness or else have suffered from its absence altogether. As a result, they feel a void, haunted by anxiety, instead of a healthy attitude to the future. This experience, common enough in the broader culture, is also present in the Church, where the expectations are higher and the failures even more catastrophic. Believers are enduring a traumatic crisis of spiritual fatherhood that leaves them suspicious toward the whole Catholic spiritual tradition.

The solution to this failure in piety is not in an analysis of complex sociological and psychological dynamics. Rather, to pray, one must act against one’s own hostility to the Father and begin to pray. We take up this beginning each day as if for the first time. The Father’s mercy is patient, and so we must patiently begin through daily commitment. No formulas, techniques or programs can replace this humble cry for mercy. Let us disconnect from earthly cares to plug into heavenly realities. Not with cellphones and computers, but with candle, crucifix and the sign of the cross made with devotion. As we dedicate ourselves to periods of solitude each day, we gradually learn how to receive what the Father yearns to share with us. Only in the secret of the heart does one learn patient surrender to the mercy of the Father and, in this surrender, come to experience his blessing: “The Father who sees in secret, will reward you” (Mt 6:7).

By faith in a love we do not understand, we allow the

love of the Father to touch our distrust. In daily prayer, the Father Himself makes our piety great, and soon we find in His love the only ground firm enough to bear the weight of our existence. How the Father touches our distrust and helps us surrender is a great mystery –– but He never does it the same way twice. He always comes with new and unexpected gifts. Even if we reject the gifts He offers today, He will come again tomorrow because He is good. But those blessings will be different than the ones you could have had. Saying “yes” to this daily bread, and tasting how good it truly is, is how we learn trust under His guidance.

Christ’s own parable about fatherhood touches on this. It’s only when the prodigal allows the father to kiss him that he finds what he longs for. He journeys from grasping for power, money and pleasure to the moment when, receiving the paternal kiss, he finds the freedom to be a son. Empty of all else, the prodigal finally enters into the joy of the father. If lack of paternal love is a terrible misery today, the kiss Christ attributes the merciful Father is what believers most need. Prayer allows the Father to fill the absence of paternal love in our lives with His own kiss. Kissed by the Father in prayer, souls are fathered by God as sons and daughters into a new freedom, the freedom of obedience. In daily prayer, we experience what the prodigal son experienced: The kiss of the Father heals our rejection of Him.

Most Catholics do not ordinarily connect this kiss of the Father with adoration. Yet the Latin root of the word adoration suggests something pressed to the lips. Indeed, adoration is an act of surrender, the offering to another one’s own life-breath. This is the same surrender offered in a kiss. In true adoration, there is always a gift of self, a handing over of the deep things of the heart. Prayer opens to adoration because an eternal kiss, an act of adoration, constitutes the depths of the Trinitarian mystery.

If St. Ambrose says that when lovers share a kiss, they seem to be breathing their life into one another, it is because those who love are in the image and likeness of the divine persons. The Father and the Son breathe the Holy Spirit together in an eternal act that communicates ultimate goodness and truth. The intensities of divine glory in this kiss are ever ancient and ever new, and it is this ancient newness that the Father yearns to share with us.

Dedication to prayer is the pathway home, a journey into divine adoration, a choice to be vulnerable to the kiss of the Father. This kiss is cruciform because divine ›

As a professor of spiritual theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, Dr. Lilles has assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994

tenderness suffers our hostility out of an irrevocable love. So, the merciful Father waits for us to turn to Him in prayer; He waits to disclose the affection that we cannot receive until we remember His goodness; He waits for us to decide for Him in our hearts. We desire to pray, we desire God, because He desires us even more. It is when we are convinced of this divine desire that the daily practice of prayer grows in determination and perseverance.

If you have ever been kissed by someone whom you deeply love, or else if you have ever kissed a loved one goodbye for the last time, you have felt a distant breeze from the furnace of adoration burning in the heart of God. In a kiss, one finds shelter from the chaos of life, and something flowing out of the depths of the heart is given and received. Such kisses live in the sanctuary of family life. They serve as the primary language in the sheltering walls of the home. This intercourse of hearts is an orientation point for the rest of life. The world revolves around it. It expresses a sacred communion. This natural experience is only a shadow of the tender goodness poured into the heart in the adoration of the body of Christ.

The kiss of peace, as is true of the kiss of the betrothed, exceeds symbolic courtesies. The Church intends liturgical acts that are sacramental, which is to say: public, metaphysical, relational and intimate. God’s very life lives in this holy exchange, this communion of saints. As is true in all the most sacred kisses shared between loved ones, when the heavenly Father kisses our humanity, prayer tastes mysteries too great for this world to hold. If lovers who kiss cannot bear to live without each other, even more do we who He has kissed live for the goodness of His love. A real moment of grace, the tender touch of God who heals our misery, realizes communion in Christ, an embrace of hearts, a true spiritual unity.

The kiss of the Father is not some spiritual feat achieved only by the esoteric few. Instead, we the baptized receive this very act of love on our lips in Holy Communion, and, when we do so in faith, what touches our lips penetrates to the very dregs of our humanity. We finally become free men and women in this love, which begets personal maturity in us. Something of this resonates with our very creation. For it was when the Father kissed the mud of the earth with His word that humanity stood upright before Him. Even more in the Eucharist, His tender blessing animates our whole free spiritual center with new power. In daily prayer, the depths of our hearts drink in this kiss until it fills abysses meant to hold the infinite.

On fire with the Holy Spirit, a soul receives the gift of the Father’s kiss through conversing with Christ about

His own life, especially in those places where God seems most absent. Reading and thinking about the Scriptures, one discovers in these depths even deeper moments of silence where the heart is still in His presence. In such prayer, a soul is imprinted with the loving obedience of Christ. When we are fathered by God in this way, His love animates, illumines, enflames our whole bodily existence into spiritual worship. Only in being fathered in this way can a soul discover the wonder of life and the greatness that God intends for it.

The filial obedience evoked by the Father’s kiss is a new freedom. This is the freedom not only to avoid wrongdoing and act virtuously, but also to take up freely the great work God entrusts to the whole of humanity. In the grace-filled society of Christ’s mystical body, hearts share the very adoration of God Himself. The Trinity breathes into our loneliness, and our hearts begin to praise His glory.

The kiss of the Trinity bestows obedience where we ache with distrust. This obedience is not a forced or imposed conformity, but the subtle movement of gratitude arising from the deepest center of the soul. The Eternal Son is the example of responding in kind to the Father’s adoring touch. From eternity, the Son is fathered in the power of the Holy Spirit so as to manifest to the Father all the glory that the Father has given Him. In this eternal kiss, the Trinity also contemplates every man and woman who has ever lived or will live, and longs that they, too, should share in this joy.

Prayer knows that God wants us to share His kiss. Each of us, who is an unrepeatable instance of His glory and an eternal purpose of His mind, delights His heart to the point that He freely chooses to summon this delight into existence. He shares his paternal delight with us in an incarnate fullness that is an intercourse of divinity and humanity. So it is that through the kiss of the Father that Christ dwells in the power of the Holy Spirit in the very substance of our humanity, in that secret intimacy where we are even now irrevocably ushered into being by love alone.

This adoration into which prayer enters strengthens the heart, gives courage in gravest trial and bestows a joy that no power in heaven, on earth or below the earth can ever take away. We taste something of the truth of who we are and of who the Father is. If only for a few minutes, we allow the Father to protect us from the tyranny of the moment and the fragmentation of the workaday world, and in this shelter we find the courage to forgive, to seek forgiveness, to be reconciled, to love.

The horizons of God’s love fuel daily prayer. The Father

SCAN FOR MORE PRAYER TIPS

FROM DR. LILLES or visit www.discerninghearts.com/catholicpodcasts/dr-anthony-lilles/.

has freely chosen to ache over our misery. He has taken our side. He has implicated Himself in our plight. He comes to relieve us and shelter our dignity. He does not want us to suffer alone. To be kissed by God means to be drawn into this loving ache and to join with Him in His beautiful work of mercy. Through this kiss, one knows deep down that the Father would never have it any other way. One feels with God’s kiss a covenant more solemn than death.

A new communion guides our attempts at prayer toward unfathomable fruitfulness. This incarnate kiss is the fruit of a virgin womb; it draws the Mother of God close to us so she can teach us her fiat. Armies of angels and saints charge into the fray of our lives. Through their efforts on our behalf, these heavenly allies teach us how to respond to all that the Father’s delight demands of our humble and broken humanity.

Yes, daily prayer in the face of our brokenness is very demanding. Even as we struggle to adore, eternal fatherhood kisses us that we might share in His Son’s unvanquished obedience and hope. Overcoming sin and death through self-sacrificial obedience, the divine kiss casts a cruciform shadow that shades our dignity against the glare of the world. Hidden under the cross of Christ, prayer discovers this pattern and principle of real love, a truth that every tender kiss bears. Instead of taking challenges away, prayer kissed by the Father baptizes us in difficult trials, hardships and renunciations until our minds are renewed and our lives transformed. Kissed by the Father through the passion of His Son and the breath of the Spirit, such prayer teaches us that we love only at our own expense.

To begin to pray, we must remember who we are and be sober about where we are in life. A kiss is always a gift to be received, not loot to be grasped. However much prayer grows through good habits, it is even more a grace from above. Not entitled yet loved, we come as beggars, prodigals confident in the Father’s goodness. Prayer dares to beg for such a gift in hope because so much has already been given. Rooted in the goodness of the Father, standing on His mercy, such prayer sees Him running to welcome us home. Thus, we dare to pray, to set our face toward the Father’s house, to hope for His kiss. The Father did not create us for the pigsty, and He takes no delight when our self-neglect leads to our degradation. Daily prayer is not about proving ourselves before God or claiming entitlements. This prayer is about taking care of everything that is good, noble and true. It is about choosing to love ourselves because we are loved by God, and then learning to love others in the same spirit. It is about choosing to be His children. To act against this love, or to neglect or abuse this kiss, is to act against ourselves and to step toward personal and social catastrophe. To begin to pray each day is to enter the Father’s embrace, to allow Him to kiss our face, to share His joy that we who were dead have been brought back to life. ■

Deuteronomy 30:19

San Francisco Life Chain, Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 2 p.m.

A CHRISTIAN WITNESS AGAINST THE KILLING OF PRE-BORN CHILDREN. Prayerful *** Peaceful *** Legal

Hold a sign “ABORTION KILLS CHILDREN” alongside the street on Park Presidio Blvd., in San Francisco between Geary Blvd. & Clement St.

Signs will be provided at Park Presidio & Geary starting at 2:00pm

Jesuit Institute for Family Life

Marriage Counseling Family Counseling Individual Counseling

Is your marriage what you want it to be? Are you struggling to express your need for your spouse? Are your children suffering from lack of communication with your partner? Has your spouse left you emotionally? Have you tried to solve problems like these and found you could not do it alone? This need has given rise to the Jesuit Institute for Family Life; a staff of competently prepared and professionally skilled marriage counselors who are Catholic in religious orientation perceiving marriage as a sacrament and whose training and interest is in dealing with the above questions and areas of growth in family living.

The Jesuit Institute for Family Life provides marriage counseling, individual and couples, family counseling, and group counseling for married couples as a means to meet the need within families to value the presence of individual family members and to improve the quality of intra-family relationships. To want to value one’s spouse and family members is often quite different from actually performing in a way that effectually expresses such value. We find that new skills are often needed and old obstacles to growth must be understood and worked through before effective human relating can be realized. When we do this we relate to Christ as He said, “In you give to these brothers and sisters of mine you give to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

STAFF:

Robert Fabing, S.J., D. Mn., M.F.T., Director

Michael Neri, Ph.D., M.F.T.

Ann Rooney, S.M., M.A., M.F.T.

Marilyn Neri, M.A., M.F.T.

FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Phone 650/948-4854

Jesuit Institute for Family Life Jesuit Retreat Center 300 Manresa Way, Los Altos, California 94022 www.jiflinet.com

“Choose life, so that you and your children may live…”

–

“Give an Hour to Save a Life...”

Why suffering? Because Love.

BY SIMONE RIZKALLAH Director of Program Growth at Endow Groups

In the first part of his meditation, John Paul II unpacks suffering in light of man’s nature, the transcendent quality of man’s suffering in particular, the vocational quality of man’s suffering, the cause of suffering (namely, evil) and the biblical character of Job and its relationship to justice. In the second part, he transitions his meditation on suffering in relationship to divine love.

He writes: “Love is also the richest source of the meaning of suffering, which always remains a mystery: we are conscious of the insufficiency and inadequacy of our explanations. Christ causes us to enter into the mystery and to discover the ‘why’ of suffering, as far as we are capable of grasping the sublimity of divine love” (“Salvifici Doloris,” Paragraph 13).

It is precisely here, in examining the nature of suffering as being redemptive, that we also discover that what makes suffering redemptive at all is love. Love is what redeems, love is what saves everything and gives everything meaning. John Paul II writes that love is the “very heart of God’s salvific work” which can be summarized in this one line from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Love introduces a “completely new dimension” to the concept of suffering (“Salvifici Doloris,” Par. 14). While the Old Testament addresses suffering within the limits of justice, the New Testament, precisely because it extends justice into the realm of charity, moves suffering out of the merely temporal realm and into the supernatural. In this document, the Holy Father

discusses suffering in all its various dimensions, but it is in this dimension of love in which the meaning of suffering is “fundamental” and “definitive” (“Salvifici Doloris,” Par. 14). Simply put, the meaning of suffering is love. But not just any love, but the sort of love — divine love — which not only saves now, but forever. A temporal meaning of suffering is that “it creates the possibility of rebuilding goodness in the subject who suffers” (“Salvifici Doloris,” Par. 12). But the possibility of being “saved now” is meaningful only insofar as the repentance and confession of an interior conversion disposes one to the possibility of the life offered in eternity.

In other words, the measure of the redemptive quality of our personal suffering (and therefore its capacity to be considered meaningful) is the extent to which we become good. How do we measure the extent to which we have been “rebuilt” in goodness? John Paul answers, the extent to which goodness is strengthened in our “relationships with others and especially with God” (“Salvifici Doloris,” Par. 12). ■

Simone Rizkallah is the director of program growth at Endow Groups, a Catholic women’s apostolate that calls women together to study important documents of the Catholic Church. Endow exists to cultivate the intellectual life of women to unleash the power of the feminine genius in the world.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION

or visit www.endowgroups.org/studyguide-on-the-christian-meaningof-suffering-salvifici-doloris/

This is the fifth of a series of seven meditations examining the Christian meaning of suffering according to the thought of Pope St. John Paul II in his 1984 apostolic letter “Salvifici Doloris.”

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle … S

BY MARY POWERS

Director

t. Michael the Archangel, the leader of the angelic army and great defender of heaven, has also been given to us as an advocate in our earthly journey and battles against temptation. He is thought to have been Jesus’ guardian on earth and today is referred to as the guardian angel of the Eucharist.

The name Michael means, “Who is like God?,” a reflection on the reality that no one is like God, placing humility and service to the Divine King over the pride of our own desires.

St. Michael has come to the aid of the Church and many saints over time. In 1886, after seeing a vision of the devil’s attack on the Church in the 20th century, Pope Leo XIII wrote the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel, which was then said after every Mass and promulgated to the people to pray for their personal protection as well as for Church and the world.

The stained-glass window of St. Michael the Archangel at St. Michael Korean Church in San Francisco depicts the angelic warrior with a sword in his hand and with the sun of justice above his head. Facing the tabernacle, St. Michael stands guard in the tent-shaped roof, harkening back to the biblical tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant.

The window was designed by Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France, and installed in 1967. Loire began working in stained glass in 1926 and opened his own workshop in 1946. A history of the church provided by St. Michael’s notes, “Loire has reconstructed the classical techniques of the old masters of Chartres to create in sculptured glass a contemporary design of St. Michael.”

We continue to call on St. Michael for protection of the Church in our own time, and for our Archdiocese of San Francisco. St. Michael, pray for us. ■

The feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Rafael, is Sept. 29.

Photo by Mary Powers Window of St. Michael the Archangel at St. Michael Korean Church in San Francisco

Assistant

of Communications and Media Relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco

At that time there shall arise, Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people...”

(DANIEL 12:1)

The Rosary and Eucharistic Revival

Archbishop Cordileone to lead Rosary Rally and Eucharistic Procession

BY GIBBONS COONEY

In 2022, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops inaugurated a three-year campaign to increase devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist: the Eucharistic Revival. On June 11, 2023, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Eucharistic Revival moved from the Year of the Diocesan Revival into the Year of the Parish Revival. As the Eucharistic revival webpage states: “Every parish in the country will experience profound renewal while participating in grassroots efforts inspired by the four pillars of the Revival: Reinvigorated Worship, Personal Encounters, Robust Formation, and Send Missionaries.”

As part of the Eucharistic Revival in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and living the consecration that was made in 2017 to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Archdiocese will hold its 12th annual Rosary Rally on Oct. 7, 2023, on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The events of the day begin at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption with the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 9:30 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m. celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and priests of the Archdiocese. Mass will be followed by a Eucharistic procession from the Cathedral to St. Boniface Church at 11:30 a.m., where high school students will lead the faithful in the rosary, followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Benediction and closing prayers.

Father Joseph Illo, archdiocesan Rosary Rally coordinator and pastor of Star of the Sea Parish in San Francisco, said:

“St. John Paul II called the rosary a quintessentially ‘family prayer’ in his 2002 letter ‘Rosarium Virginis Mariae’. In 2017, the Archbishop of San Francisco urged every family within the Archdiocese to pray the rosary together at least weekly. But where will families learn to pray the rosary together? They will learn it in their parishes and schools if the priests lead their people in this prayer. From the parish and schools, they take this practice home. Praying the rosary after Mass also forms people in the essential connection between the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady. Our response after receiving the Holy Eucharist, our act of gratitude after Mass, is to pray with Our Lady with one voice in glory to God.”

In his homily for the 2022 Rosary Rally, Archbishop Cordileone reminded us of the maternal love and care of Our Lady: “We turn to her. She is there to hear us, to embrace us, to take us to her Son. She is always there to protect us in our moments of trial and desperation. What great comfort we have in her! What great comfort we have in praying the rosary, meditating on those saving mysteries in her life and in the life of her Son.”

The Rosary Rally is sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Knights of Columbus and supported by a host of Catholic groups including the Missionaries of Charity, the Legion of Mary, Cruzada Guadalupaña and Ignatius Press. ■

A native San Franciscan who has served as parish secretary at Sts. Peter and Paul Church since 2000, and as a volunteer with the Rosary Rally since 2011.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

ACROSS

1 Monk’s cowl

3 Job’s wife told him to, “___ God and die” (Job 2:9)

6 AKA Paul

8 He traveled with Abraham

9 “…but do not perceive

the wooden ___ in your own?” (Mt 7:3)

11 “Listen to my prayer from lips without ___” (Ps 17:1)

12 “…the ___ will be first…” (Mt 20:16)

13 Bad habit

14 Cry from the congregation

15 Fiddle-playing, Christianhating ruler

17 “…___ of my bones and flesh of my …” (Gen 2:23)

19 College of Cardinals’ task regarding the pope

22 “How Great Thou ___”

23 “___ the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:14)

24 “Regina ___”

27 “Whatever you ___ on earth shall be bound in heaven…”

29 US state in which the Diocese of Nashville is found

30 Paul is the major character of this book

33 Lectern

34 “Te ___”

35 Pope (II) who called for the Crusades

36 Catholic actor of “The Bridge on the River Kwai” fame

37 Catholic cartoonist Keane of “Family Circus”

38 Convent dwellers

39 Papal crown

40 Holy holders

DOWN

2 Saintly founder of the Order of Preachers

3 Catholic-raised, Oscarwinning actor of “Leaving Las Vegas” fame

4 Church divider

5 Number of apostles after Judas died

6 Canonized pope known as “the Great”

7 St. Theresa, the ___ Flower

10 “___ Maria”

15 Commandment word

16 Holy object

17 This becomes the Body of Christ at the consecration

18 Habitual, wicked behavior

20 “Vanity of vanities” source (abbr.)

21 Judah, for example

23 Mary and Joseph were turned away from here

25 Diocese of Mobile is located in this state

26 First place

28 Papal dispensation permitting a deviation from church law

29 Jesus’ description of the Pharisees

31 NT epistle

32 Jesus’ name for the Father

33 Prophet in Luke

August 21, 2023

DEAR FAITHFUL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO:

A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about the impact of more than 500 civil lawsuits that have been filed against the Archdiocese under state law AB-218, which allowed individuals to bring claims for childhood sexual abuse that otherwise would have been barred due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Today, I am informing you that after much reflection, prayer, and consultation with our financial and legal advisors, the Archdiocese of San Francisco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

We believe the bankruptcy process is the best way to provide a compassionate and equitable solution for survivors of abuse while ensuring that we continue the vital ministries to the faithful and to the communities that rely on our services and charity.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco joins a growing list of dioceses in the United States and California that have filed for protection under the bankruptcy laws. Some of these dioceses have already restructured and emerged from this process.

To be clear, only the legal entity, The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco, a Corporation Sole, is included in the Chapter 11 filing. Our parishes, schools, and other entities are not included in the filing. Our mission will continue as it always has. Parishes will serve the spiritual needs of the faithful, celebrating Mass, offering the Sacraments, and providing religious education. Schools will provide the best Catholic education for students, and our Chancery will continue to support parishes and schools, and its ministries will remain engaged in the community. Catholic Charities, Catholic cemeteries, and St. Patrick’s Seminary & University will continue their operations as usual. Chancery employees will work and receive their wages and benefits during this process and beyond.

I also want to reassure you that all financial gifts made to the Archdiocese, whether to your parish or the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal (AAA), are held in trust and can only be used for their intended purpose. According to a very long-standing legal and moral principle, the intention of the donor must always be respected. The parish offertory is to be used for the benefit of the parish, and the AAA is to be used for its specific ministries, which exclude legal settlements and related expenses. Without your continued support, the Archdiocese could not provide its critical services to those most in need. I am grateful for your generous gifts of time, talent, and financial resources.

It is important to know that the overwhelming majority of the alleged abuse occurred in the 1960s and 70s, and into the 80s, and involved priests who are deceased or no longer in ministry. A significant number of these claims include unnamed individuals or named individuals who are unknown to the Archdiocese.

To safeguard against abuse, our Archdiocese has maintained and improved awareness and education for children and adults. We use stringent processes to screen volunteers, employees, and priests. Today, while this continues to be a widespread societal problem, occurrences of abuse within the Catholic Church are very rare, and I believe the Church has set the standard for other organizations, showing what can and should be done to protect our children.

I remain committed to the healing and care of survivors who have suffered irreversible harm because of the sins of the Church’s ministers and ask you to join me in praying for our Archdiocese, parish communities, schools, and all survivors of sexual abuse.

Now more than ever, we need to take recourse to prayer. I invite you to commit yourselves, or recommit, to living the consecration of our Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which I celebrated on October 7, 2017.

While the great majority of these sins were committed many decades ago, it will be a sign of Christian solidarity for us to join together on a daily basis in praying the rosary, spending an hour each week in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and fasting on Fridays for the survivors of abuse, for the mission of our Archdiocese, and for the eradication of this shameful crime from our society as a whole. God is pleased by such prayer and penance, and doing so will open our hearts to the blessings He wishes to lavish upon us.

May God shower you and your families with His grace during these difficult times.

Archbishop of San Francisco

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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS

(415) 614-5506 This number is answered by Rocio Rodriguez, LMFT, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Rocio Rodriguez.

(415) 614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this number. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.

(800) 276-1562 Report sexual abuse by a bishop or a bishop’s interference in a sexual abuse investigation to a confidential third party. www.reportbishopabuse.org

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General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to meet in Rome in October

Pope Francis will join bishops, priests and laity in Rome for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, beginning the next phase of the synod on Synodalty in October 2023 and October 2024. The Synod assembly will discuss the results of the listening sessions as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the Church in 2023.

This meeting comes after dioceses across the world participated in the synodal process, holding listening sessions with faithful in their local parishes and sending the reports to Rome.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco held listening sessions from December 2021 to March 2022 and a report was sent to the USCCB and used for a Continental Stage that produced a report from North America that went to Rome.

In a video encouraging the Archdiocesan faithful to participate in the

World Youth Day 2023

synod process, Archbishop Cordileone said, “Throughout the Church’s history, synods and councils have been convened to ensure that we journey together faithfully to Christ and in communion with His Church.”

He said that the invitation to participate in the synod process was “an opportunity for us as an archdiocesan family to take time to reflect on our own faith journeys, taking stock on how we relate to one another as Catholics, how effectively we are reaching out to those on the margins and how this impacts our mission to evangelize in our local communities.”

For up-to-date information on the synod, including the working document, visit www.sfarch.org/ synod. ■

Thousands of faithful from around the world joined the Holy Father in Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day 2023. The Holy Father met with youth and traveled to Fatima where he prayed the rosary with young people with disabilities.

The Holy Father’s six-day- program included a papal meeting with Portuguese diplomats, Vespers with bishops, priests, deacons and other religious attending World Youth Day, as well as private and public meetings with youth. Pope Francis also led Stations of the Cross and celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation with young people.

Among the crowds were San Francisco faithful joyfully participating in the events. Four nuns of the Monastery of Perpetual Adoration traveled to Lisbon for World Youth Day. Mother Alma Ruth, the superior of the community, who has been in religious life for 39 years, spoke excitedly and with great expectation about World Youth Day, telling Catholic News Agency, “It’s the first time that we have come to this beautiful event that will encourage us more, going back to our monastery to pray for all these young people. It’s a joy to see so many young people looking to see what God wants of them.”

The next international World Youth Day will take place in 2027 in Seoul, South Korea.

Visit www.sfarch.org/world-youthday-2023 to watch recaps of the events and read the Pope’s homilies and messages to the youth. ■

Msgr. J. Warren Holleran (1928 – 2023)

Msgr. J. Warren Holleran, after a long illness, died on July 30, 2023, at the age of 95. Msgr. Holleran had served as a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco for more than 70 years. He studied at St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s seminaries and was sent to Rome to study at North American College and the Gregorian University and was ordained on Dec. 20, 1952. He was a professor of sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s Seminary for several decades and also worked with sabbatical programs at the Vatican II Institute for Clergy Formation in Menlo Park and the Hesburgh Center for the Continuing Formation in Ministry at the University of Notre Dame. Msgr. Holleran conducted many Scripture courses, workshops, and retreats for laity, religious and clergy in the United States, Canada, and abroad. He had spent several years as a parish priest, a campus

minister, a college teacher, a spiritual director at North American College in Rome, a licensed marriage and family therapist and director of Vallombrosa Center. He earned graduate degrees in philosophy, counseling, psychology, and Scripture and published a book and numerous journal articles in the field of Scripture. After retiring, he counseled many who came to him for spiritual direction. For the past several years, he lived in residence at the Serra Clergy House in San Mateo. On his days off, Warren hiked and climbed the trails of the high Sierras and Santa Cruz Mountains. He successfully climbed the Matterhorn in the Swiss Italian Alps. In winter, he would put away his hiking boots, grab his skis, and head for the snow-covered slopes. Warren was an accomplished pianist, playing the great works of many classical composers. His sense of humor was outstanding,

as demonstrated by the rhymes he created when writing poems for his friends and family. Warren was preceded in death by his father and mother, John and Margaret Holleran, and his brother Gene. He is survived by his sisters, Patricia Holleran and Claire Latham, his brother-in-law, Ray Latham, a nephew, four nieces and seven great-nieces and nephews. Msgr. Holleran was laid to rest at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma. ■

COME OUT AND JOIN US!

way to honor the firefighters who lost their lives during the 1946 Herbert Hotel Fire and continues to honor all of our first responders.

Sept. 8: 11th Annual Reentry Conference & Resource Fair

The Reentry Conference and Resource Fair will bring hundreds of individuals and organizations to explore the latest challenges and opportunities of justiceinvolved and crime-affected individuals and families. The event, held at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. is sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco Office of Human Life & Dignity - Restorative Justice Ministry.

Sept. 10: 75th annual Police-Fire Mass

Join us for the 2023 Police Fire Mass with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone on September 10 at 10 a.m. at St. Anne of the Sunset Church in San Francisco. The Police-Fire Mass originated as an annual

Sept. 20: Reboot! Event with Chris Stefanick

In partnership with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, St. Dominic’s Catholic Church is pleased to present: REBOOT! Featuring Chris Stefanick, author and speaker, on Wednesday, September 20 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Dominic’s Church in San Francisco. REBOOT! applies the beauty and genius of the Gospel to every aspect of your life –from prayer and spirituality, to work, dating, marriage, parenting, health and more. Purchase your tickets at: https:// reallifecatholics.givevirtuous.org/Event/stdominics-reboot

Sept. 24: St. Pio Festival

Venerate the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina at The National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m followed by Mass at 3:30 p.m. Join the benefit concert and

dinner at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club: www.knightsofsaintfrancis.org

Oct. 1: Jubilarian Mass

Join the Archdiocese for the annual Jubilarian Mass honoring women and men religious who are celebrating anniversaries. Archbishop Cordileone will celebrate the Mass on Sunday, October 1, at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.

Oct. 7: 13th annual Rosary Rally

Join Archbishop Cordileone for the 13th annual Rosary Rally, on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Event begins at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption with the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 9:30 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m. Mass will be followed by a Eucharistic procession from the Cathedral to St. Boniface Church at 11:30 a.m.

Oct. 13: Priests Retirement Luncheon

The 13th annual Priests Retirement Luncheon will take place on October 13 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. This is one of the highlights of the year and is integral to the Archdiocese’s ability to care for our retired priests. Without this tremendous support, our retired priests would not receive the care they need and deserve.

Oct. 20: White Mass for Medical Professionals

Join the Archdiocese of San Francisco for the annual White Mass for Medical Professionals at Mater Dolorosa Church on Friday, October 20, at 6 p.m. A White Mass, so-named for the traditional color of physicians’ coats, is a way to honor and pray with and for all those who serve in medical professions.

Oct. 21: Together in Holiness Conference

Join the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the John Paul II Foundation for the seventh annual Together in Holiness marriage enrichment conference on Saturday, October 21 from 8:45 a.m. and concluding with Mass at 5 p.m. Hosted by Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Belmont, this one-day conference provides quality time with your spouse to grow deeper in unity.

In a beautiful and peaceful park setting that includes many prayer and mediations spots*, we will host your group’s retreat or conference. You may also sign up for a private retreat. We especially invite you to attend one of our five-day silent retreats which are very powerful and reasonably priced. For group reservations or a private retreat:, call 650-325-5614 Or email jaynie@vallombrosa.org. For our five-day retreat, call Deacon Dominick Peloso, (650) 269-6279

*The mediation spots available include: Lourdes, Fatima, St. Joseph, St. Mother Teresa, St. Francis, Spiritual Works, Corporal Works, Adoration Chapel, and (coming @ September ‘23), a large (50’ x 12’) crucifixion scene by Timothy Schmaiz.

ANSWERS TO How well do you know the Catholic Faith?

1. The Old Testament

a. No. It’s the Catholic Old Testament, not the Protestant, that had seven additional books.

b. Hmmm. Better, but the Council of Trent was a Catholic council, not a Protestant council.

c. This is it!

d. No. Both Testaments are authoritative for Christians.

e. You might have chosen this answer if you hadn’t heard of the Septuagint, but it’s the wrong answer. See c.

2. Baptism may be administered by a. This must be wrong, since even you can baptize.

b. Still wrong, since you probably aren’t a bishop, priest, or deacon.

c. Closer yet, but still not right.

d. Yes, anyone, even a nonChristian, can baptize. Baptism may be administered by any person, provided that he intends to do what the Church does—even if he doesn’t fully understand what the Church does in baptism—and uses the right words (“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”) and actions (pouring or sprinkling water on the recipient’s head or immersing the recipient in water). This means that a valid baptism can be administered by a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, an agnostic, or even an atheist. This is testimony not to Christ’s capriciousness in establishing baptism but to how important baptism is. Our Lord wanted to make baptism as easily available as possible because this Sacrament is the entrance to the life of grace.

e. Many quiz takers, knowing that laymen can baptize, think c is a trick answer because it excludes baptism by non-Catholic Christians Then they wrongly conclude this is the right answer. The correct answer, however, is d.

3. To be elected Pope, a man must at least be

a. Although for centuries, all popes have been selected from the ranks of the cardinals, there is no rule that a pope must be selected from their ranks. b. Correct. The candidate must be a baptized Catholic; he can even be a married layman.

c. Nope. There is no age requirement. Benedict IX (1012-1056) was only 20 when he was elected Pope, and John XII (930/937-964) was somewhere between 18 and 25, the year of his birth not being known with certitude. Of course, there is no likelihood that such a young person could be elected Pope nowadays, but this does illustrate that there is no minimum age. There also is no maximum age. The oldest Pope, at

the time of his election, was Clement X, who was elected at age 79 in 1670. Alexander VIII was only a few months younger when he was elected in 1689. Pope Francis, at his election, was the 9th oldest man to be elected.

d. Fluency in Latin is a fine thing, but it is not a requirement for holding papal office.

e. The minimalistic answer b is correct.

4. In the Mass

a. Jesus is not symbolized by the bread and the wine—They actually become Him

b. Jesus is more than just spiritually present during Mass, and He remains present in the consecrated elements until they cease to look like bread and wine. The priest’s presence in the sanctuary is irrelevant (except at the consecration, of course.).

c. Although physically present, Jesus is not present along with the bread and the wine. They cease to be present in their essences after the consecration; only their appearances (technical term: accidents) remain. The idea that Christ’s body and blood exist alongside the bread and the wine is the heresy of consubstantiation.

d. Correct, because the bread and the wine cease to be present in their essence or substance after the consecration. Only Jesus is present.

e. Wrong, because d is correct.

5. The doctrine of the Trinity means

a. This is the heresy of Modalism, which says there is but one Person in the Godhead and that Person, so to speak, wears different “masks” according to His different roles as Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. Modalism, also known as Sabellianism, flourished in the third and fourth centuries.

b. This is a nonsense answer. The very word Trinity comes from the Latin prefix meaning “three” (tri), so you should see right away that a Trinity could not be composed of four Persons.

c. Wrong, because this is just a rephrasing, in gender-neutral language, of a.

d. Christians are monotheists and believe in one God, not three. No matter how closely together three gods work, they would remain three gods, not one.

e. Correct, because all the other possible answers are wrong.

6. An Archbishop

a. Canon law provides no age requirement for the office of Archbishop

b. Diocesan Bishops (ordinaries), as distinguished from auxiliary Bishops, have only the Pope as their boss, although, for ceremonial purposes, Archbishops take the lead over Bishops within their metropolitan areas.

c. Cardinals are not selected by voting.

Popes choose them directly.

d. A man becomes and Archbishop by being named by the Pope to an archiepiscopal see. Such sees normally are in larger cities or have had some historical importance.

e. Correct, because all the other possible answers are wrong.

7. The vessel that holds water at the door to Catholic churches may be called any of these except

a. It seems people either think of this word first or never heard of it at all.

b. Font is a synonym and perhaps in more common use today.

c. While in no way a regular title, this phrase accurately describes the apparatus, so this isn’t the right answer either.

d. Ah, here we are. Mandamus sounds as though it might have something to do with the Maundy Thursday foot washing ceremony, but not so. The word actually means a writ issued by a superior court, generally to an inferior court, ordering the performance of a certain act.

e. The right answer is d.

8. Veneration of images of saints

a. Quite the contrary, Eastern Catholic churches make wide use of images— chiefly mosaics and paintings— and veneration of the images is encouraged.

b. The Iconoclasts engaged in iconoclasm, the deliberate destruction of religious images. The most famous outbreak of iconoclasm occurred from 730 to 787. A rogue council, convened by a Byzantine emperor in 754, formalized opposition to the use of images, even though Pope Gregory III had convoked, in 730, a synod that condemned iconoclasm as heretical. An ecumenical council, Second Nicaea (787), formally approved the use of images.

c. True, veneration given to images is one step removed from veneration given to those represented by the images. We have a parallel of this in our homes: we put in a place of honor photographs of our parents or other relatives; we honor the photographs only because we honor those depicted in them.

d. Given her dignity as the Mother of God and her preservation from sin, the Virgin Mary is entitled to a special level of veneration. This is far less than the adoration due to God, but it is higher than the veneration given to other saints and to angels. The latter veneration is called dulia (which means veneration), and the form rendered to Mary is called hyperdulia. Thus, hyperdulia is a higher, not a lower, form of veneration.

e. Answer c is correct.

Catholic high schools: Grounded in faith and committed to academic excellence

BY PAMELA LYONS Superintendent

Iam so proud of the strong Catholic communities, innovative educational programs and dedicated people we find at each of the schools represented in this issue of Catholic San Francisco magazine. If you are new to Catholic education, you may be wondering what is it that separates the Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from the many other schools in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo. You may be asking yourself, why Catholic school?

When a student enters one of our Catholic high schools, they are treated as one of God’s beloved children, created in His image and likeness, and as such, inherently good. In other words, all of our students are beloved because they are created by God. Catholic high schools create educational opportunities that not only address the intellect, but of equal importance, the spiritual, moral and social aspects of every student. We recognize the importance of academic excellence and are diligent about ensuring that our students receive an education on par with, and in most cases, an education that greatly surpasses other local public and private institutions. The difference

lies in our pursuit of academic excellence as a pathway to a greater good. Our curriculum is rooted in the Gospels that inspire a love of learning and the intellectual pursuit of the truth. I always tell our teachers that we are educating our students to change the world, by contributing to the Kingdom of God on earth, with their ultimate goal being entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

Never have our schools been clearer in their purpose of furthering the mission of the Church, by ensuring that our schools are truly grounded in the Catholic faith and committed to academic excellence, cultivating the virtuous life, nurturing a Christian community and nourishing a Catholic worldview. This school year, more than 8,200 students attend Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. We welcome those members of our community who are not currently attending a school in the Archdiocese to visit a Catholic school and experience for yourself all they have to offer. Join us in our mission to grow our students’ understanding that they are God’s beloved so they may fully realize God’s plan for them. ■

of the Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

Photo courtesy of Junipero Serra High School

PRO-LIFE MEDICAL ETHICS

Following the example of Dr. Jerome Lejeune

Perspectives from Catholic school students on topics of faith

BY JULIA MCAULIFFE Seventh grader

Dear well-esteemed medical professional, I am writing this letter to you to address your important role in how people with special needs are treated and valued in our society. I am not a doctor but it is my understanding that every doctor takes an oath to “first, do no harm.” Every person who visits a doctor has faith that doctors follow this oath, especially those doctors who care for the unborn. Doctors are the most trusted and important

people in our society and in history. Recently, I discovered the fascinating and impressive works of Dr. Jerome Lejeune who once said about those in your profession, “We must always be on the patient’s side, always.” Doctors should always be on the patient’s side even if the patient does not have a voice of his or her own.

Dr. Lejeune is known for discovering an extra chromosome that is linked to Down syndrome. Before his discovery, parents had no way to determine whether their future child could have Down syndrome, and the health problems associated with the condition. With his discovery, Dr. Lejeune made it possible to diagnose children with Down syndrome before they were born. This was an amazing discovery that would allow parents and doctors to have the knowledge to care for children with Down syndrome at birth. At the time of his discovery in 1958, there were

Dr. Jerome Lejeune, above, is known for discovering an extra chromosome that is linked to Down Syndrome and his pro-life work to promote the dignity of those with chromosomal abnormalities.

few resources available to help parents treat the diseases and problems their children with Down syndrome face. Dr. Lejeune believed that his discovery would help doctors to provide the best possible life and care for children born with Down syndrome. Unfortunately, this discovery had unplanned consequences. The knowledge of what challenges a child would face before he or she was born should have been a reason for doctors to work harder to help them after they were born but instead, it created a situation where parents were given all the reasons why a child with Down syndrome should not be born. From what I have read about Dr. Lejeune, this was the complete opposite of what he wanted to happen from his scientific discovery.

Knowledge is power and that power should be the power to do good for everyone, not just those with chromosome numbers that are so-called perfect. Every person that is born is perfect because that is the way God made them.

To you I say, imagine a world where we were not defined by our good qualities, but only by our mistakes and errors, our imperfections. If we have diseases or deficiencies, we would simply be canceled out by the rest of society. Down syndrome is just one such disease but there are so many more things that create challenges that make us imperfect. Where do we draw the line? I implore you to make an effort as Dr. Jerome Lejeune did. I encourage you to not only work to identify potential diseases but also support those who will face those diseases, do no harm and, as Dr. Lejeune said, be on the side of the patient no matter what, born or unborn. People who struggle with Down syndrome will struggle in everyday life so use your power to get them and their parents the help they need. Some parents are not able to put in the effort to help their children. I am hoping that maybe you, a doctor, could help the patients to be able to live their lives to the fullest and help them not let Down syndrome define them so they are able to define themselves.

Thank you for your time, Julia McAuliffe ■

McAuliffe is the recipient of the 2023 seventh grade grand prize in the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Respect Life Essay Contest.

❖ Faithful to the Magisterium ❖ Member of the International Chesterton Schools Network

AEvery person that is born is perfect because that is the way God made them.”

am

IMPORTANT HIGH SCHOOL DATES

Open House and Application dates

Archbishop Riordan

Application Deadline: November 27, 2023

Financial Aid Application Deadline: February 2, 2024

Chesterton Academy Visit www. chestertonstjames.org for information

Convent & Stuart Hall Visit sacredsf.org for more information

Nativity

Priority Application Deadline: January 7, 2024

Visit www.nativityhs.org for information

Notre Dame Belmont

Open House: October 22, 2023

Notre Dame Night: November 16, 2023

PHILOSOPHY

Students and their families choose the strength of our academics, our array of cocurricular opportunities the warmth of our inclusive and nurturing community. For more than 160 years, been committed to serving San Francisco’s diverse youth and providing an academically rigorous, Catholic education in the San Francisco.

ENROLLMENT 1,320

Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep

Open House: October 28, 2023

ICA Cristo Rey

Open House:

Academy

Convent & Stuart Hall is an independent K–12 preparatory school in San Francisco rooted in the Sacred Heart tradition of Catholic education within a uniquely single-sex and coeducational environment. To learn more about the school, including our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, please visit sacredsf.org.

Application Deadline: November 16, 2023

October 21, 2023

Priority Deadline: December 1, 2023

For the most up-to-date information about tours and open houses this fall, please visit our Virtual Tours page. We look forward to seeing you on campus when we reopen!

Junipero Serra

Sacred Heart Prep Atherton

Preview Day: October 29, 2023

For more information, contact: Bobby Ramos, Director of Enrollment Management & Financial Assistance bobby.ramos@sacredsf.org

Open House: November 5, 2023

Application Deadline: November 30, 2023

Marin Catholic

Preview Day: November 5, 2023

St. Ignatius College

Preparatory

Applications Due: November 15, 2023

FACULTY TUITION $19,100 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Convent & Stuart Hall is an independent K–12 preparatory school in San Francisco rooted in the Sacred Heart tradition of Catholic education within a uniquely single-sex and coeducational environment. To learn more about the school, including our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, please visit sacredsf.org.

$4.2 million awarded for the 2016-17 school year.

For the most up-to-date information about tours and open houses this fall, please visit our Virtual Tours page. We forward to seeing you on campus when it reopens!

For more information, contact: Lizzie Schneiberg and Greg Lobe Associate Directors of Admissions hs_admissions@sacredsf.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Mr. Timothy Burke ’70 Director of Admissions

415.775.6626

admissions@shcp.edu

As part of the Sacred Heart Network with over 150 schools worldwide, who first arrived in North America in 1818. Spiritually inclusive education and to sustaining the mission of

As part of the Sacred Heart Network with over 150 schools worldwide, our students and educators embrace the philosophies of our founders who first arrived in North America in 1818. Spiritually inclusive and with international roots, we are committed to providing excellence in education and to sustaining the mission of Sacred Heart education to develop a fair and just society.

Open House: October 22, 2023

Admissions Application Deadline: January 9, 2024

Mercy Burlingame

Open House: November 5, 2023

Application Deadline: January 12, 2024

Woodside Priory Visit www.prioryca.org for information

Check school websites for details and updates.

415.775.6626

675 Sir Francis

Archbishop Riordan High School

THINK MORE. DO MORE. BE MORE.

The only high school boarding program in San Francisco, with students from across the world.

Convent & Stuart Hall is an independent K–12 preparatory school in San Francisco rooted in the Sacred Heart tradition of Catholic education within a uniquely single-sex and coeducational environment. To learn more about the school, including our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, please visit sacredsf.org.

For information about upcoming tours, open houses and other admissions events, please visit our High School Admissions page at sacredsf.org/admissions/high-school. We look forward to seeing you this fall!

For more information, please contact:

Cesar Guerrero

Director of Admissions & Academic Guidance

cesar.guerrero@sacredsf.org

As part of the Sacred Heart Network with over 150 schools worldwide, our students and educators embrace the philosophy of our founders who first arrived in North America in 1818. Spiritually inclusive and with international roots, we are committed to providing excellence in education and preparing graduates to be active and informed members of a global society.

shschools.org

Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, coed day school for students in preschool through Grade 12. We invite you to discover love, confidence and purpose. Laying the foundation for a meaningful life does not happen overnight. We give students the love, tools and wise freedom to grow into their highest selves. As a result, Gators become compassionate thinkers who are curious about the world they live in and eager to make it better for others.

To learn about the values that set us apart, please visit shschools.org. You can experience Sacred Heart through in-person and virtual events, and view important dates and deadlines in our Virtual Admission Portal.

For more information, please contact:

Wendy Quattlebaum Director of Admission & Tuition Assistance admission@shschools.org

empowered confident bold

100% COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE

NURTURING FUTURE LEADERS OF SERVICE & PURPOSE

100% OF STUDENTS GAIN 4 YEARS OF CORPORATE WORK EXPERIENCE

JUNIPERO SERRA HIGH SCHOOL A

TAUGHT, MODELED AND LIVED, THE SERRA BROTHERHOOD IS A BOND SHARED AMONG PADRES PAST AND PRESENT. JUST AS JESUS MODELED IN HIS OWN LIFE, PADRES ARE COMMITTED TO THE VALUES OF RESPECT, INTEGRITY, INCLUSION AND COMPASSION, AND THEY HOLD THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE EVERY DAY.

At Serra, we know that high school doesn’t just happen in the classroom. It happens in the gym, at dances, in the halls—and it’s an exceptionally important journey. At Serra, we get boys. It’s that simple. We’re more than awesome at academics . . . we also offer outstanding arts, athletics and campus ministry programs.

Serra prides itself on character formation—raising young men of integrity, empathy and compassion. Our environment fosters an authentic sense of respect and camaraderie so that students can be themselves. Our Padres ask questions, express their ideas and explore their interests. They are encouraged to exercise their minds, develop their passions and strengthen their spiritual journeys.

Serra Padres become confident, caring young men who are prepared for college and life after high school. They are independent thinkers and responsible leaders who are ready to make their mark on the world.

CREATE EXPLORE

BECOME

QUICK FACTS

Enrollment 870

Average Class Size 24 Student-Teacher Ratio 15:1 Honors and AP Courses 37 Faculty w/ Advanced Degrees 84% Clubs and Activities 40+ Sports 14 sports, 35 teams

Tuition and Fees $26,920

Financial Aid $3.8M awarded to Serra students in 2023 College Enrollment 99% of Serra graduates go to college College Scholarships $20.8M awarded to the Class of 2023 Community Service 24K+ hours served by Class of 2023 Tri-School Program A formal partnership with sister schools Mercy and Notre Dame, includes 23 classes plus social events, clubs, and performing arts.

PADRE EXPERIENCE EVENTS

PADRE FOR A DAY

September–January

Interact with current Padres, tour campus, and drop in on classes.

OPEN HOUSE

November 5, 12-4 p.m.

High-energy, information-packed event when you can experience the spirit and energy of the Serra campus community!

PADRE PREVIEWS

Students, parents and teachers speak about our rigorous academic program, dynamic extracurricular activities and the legendary Serra brotherhood. Parents and their sons will see that Serra is a great high school where we honor character and foundational values.

ENROLLMENT 800 100% COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE

PRESIDENT

Mr. Tim Navone

PRINCIPAL

Mr. Chris Valdez

TUITION AND FEES 2023-2024

Tuition: $25,000 Registration $1,200

TUITION ASSISTANCE

Nearly one-third of Marin Catholic students qualify for and receive financial aid. Marin Catholic designated nearly $2 million in assistance for the 2023-2024 school year.

44 TEAMS IN 27 SPORTS

33 HONORS & AP COURSES OVER 30 CLUBS

ADMISSIONS EVENTS

Please scan the QR Code below for up-to-date information about admissions events.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

admissions@marincatholic.org

415.464.3810

Janie Rockett, Director of Admissions

Cameron Mahoney, Admissions Associate

Be Known. Be Challenged. Be Transformed.

Be Mercy.

“We believe a school for girls is better than a school with girls.”—ICGS Mercy is a leading all-girls’ Catholic college preparatory school that offers a rigorous and challenging curriculum in which all young women can thrive and that is rooted in the Mercy mission, which focuses on respect and dignity for every individual.

• COURSES: 100+ (42 AP/Honors)

• 14 SPORTS 24 TEAMS

• AVG. CLASS SIZE: 18

• CREATIVE COURSES: 22

• STUDENT TEACHER RATIO: 10:1

• CLUBS: 40+

• BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: co-ed opportunities with Serra HS

The Pathways Program offers focused study in BIOTECHNOLOGY, CREATIVE ARTS and DESIGN, ENGINEERING , GLOBAL SCHOLARS, LEADERSHIP, and WOMEN’S STUDIES - uniquely designed to inspire young women to see themselves as leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

A Catholic Academy of Arts & Sciences NATIVITY

High school education that is faith-filled and academically excellent to prepare students for higher education and their ultimate higher purpose

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Sign up online, weekday evenings via Zoom

Learn more at NativityHS.org

APPLYING TO NATIVITY

Application for freshman and sophomores opens

September 2023

*We have requested recognition as a Catholic school and are awaiting ecclesial approval

Where girls with dreams become women of vision.

Shadow Visits

September 19 - November 15, 2023

Becoming Notre Dame Open House

October 22, 2023

Notre Dame Night

November 16, 2023

Application Due Date

December 8, 2023

Late Application Due Date

January 12, 2024

For more information, contact Debbie Anderson '85, Director of Admissions admissions@ndhsb org 650 595 9505

ndhsb.org @NDBTigers 1540 Ralston Avenue