National Catholic Reporter

REPORTER REPORTER

NATIONAL NATIONAL

CATHOLIC CATHOLIC www.NCRonline.org www.NCRonline.org

US NEWS US NEWS BEATIFYING BEATIFYING II JOHNJOHN PAULPAUL II

NE T WNSE W S USROCUER C E T H E T IHNED IENPD EE NPDEENNDTE N SO

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 4, 20114, 2011

Vol. 47, 812, | $2.95 Vol. 47, No. 8 |No. $2.95 January 30-February 2015

Chicago’s black Catholic Letters AFRICA: A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK AFRICA: A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK Letters outline outline bishops’ US US bishops’ deacons ‘lift each other up’policy policy priorities priorities

Tension between personal Tension between personal holiness, actions PAGE 5 PAGE 5 holiness, publicpublic actions

ANALYSIS ANALYSIS

By MICHAEL WINTERS

By MICHAEL SEAN SEAN WINTERS

The bishops U.S. bishops released The U.S. released two letters to members of two letters to members of Congress latemonth last month Congress late last that that the “principles and prioutlineoutline the “principles and prithatthe guide the public oritiesorities that guide public pol- policy efforts” theConferU.S. Confericy efforts” of the of U.S. of Catholic Bishops. ence ofence Catholic Bishops.

The letter, first letter, by The first signedsigned by BISHOP BISHOP RUIZRUIZ the newly installed the newly installed confer-conferpresident, Archbishop ence ence president, Archbishop Champion of and poor and Champion of poor Timothy of York, New York, Timothy DolanDolan of New indigenous in Chiapas, indigenous in Chiapas, exhorts the lawmakers exhorts the lawmakers to pro-to proMexico, dies Mexico, dies at 86 at 86 PAGE 11PAGE 11 tect human life concepfrom conceptect human life from tion to natural tion to natural death.death.

“Our “Our prayers and hopes [are] that prayers and hopes [are] that this newly elected Congress this newly elected Congress SPECIAL SECTION SPECIAL SECTION will advance the common will advance the common gooddefend and defend theand life and good and the life —NCR photo/Christina S.N. Lewis —NCR photo/Christina S.N. Lewis DEACONS DEACONS dignity all, especially dignity of all,ofespecially vul- vulAnnaHenrietta Mary Henrietta Nyangoma, general superior the Evangelizing ofin Mary in Anna Mary Nyangoma, general superior of the of Evangelizing SistersSisters of Mary nerable and poor persons nerable and poor persons Ongata Rongai, turnsas away as policemen examine the corpse of a watchman Ongata Rongai, Kenya,Kenya, turns away policemen examine the corpse of a watchman slain slain to newly ordained; LetterLetter to newly ordained; are critical in whosewhose needs needs are critical in the convent’s grounds on theon convent’s grounds Jan. 14.Jan. 14. new statistics on deacons new statistics on deacons thisoftime of difficult economic this time difficult economic PAGES 1a-8a US;more and morePAGES 1a-8a in US;inand and policy choices.” and policy choices.”

The letters were dated The letters were dated Jan. Jan. and released the public 14 and14released to thetopublic Jan. 18.

Jan. 18. pledges to “seek Dolan Dolan pledges to “seek ways ways to work constructively to work constructively with with the administration and the the administration and the new Congress and others of new Congress and others of —CNS/Karen Callaway

By CHRISTINA herand door and demanded The men goodwill to pursue policies Thehit men the picBy CHRISTINA S.N. S.N.her door demanded goodwill to pursue policies thehit picLEWIS money, Levina Ka-ture which the dignity turetheir with their knife, money, Sr. Levina Ka-during which respect the dignity of all of all with knife, Deacon Leroy Gill and Deacon JohnLEWIS Cook lead participants in Sr. song a prayer service in Chicago Aug. 21,respect 2010.

Simultalikwela grabbed a small, human lifebring and bring greater breaking it, Kalikwela likwela grabbed a small, human life and greater breaking it, Kalikwela neous back to school sunrise prayer services tothe pray for an endframed to violence, the of children, and a successful andpeace . In ONGATAKENYA RONGAI, KENYA gold-veneered framed justice to our nation and toldprotection me.

ONGATA RONGAI, the. In gold-veneered justice to our nation and peace told me. coolmorning early at morning hours picture of thealong Virginthe“They our world.”

“They were asking early hours picture of the Virgin to our to world.” were nonviolent school year werecool conducted five Chicago beaches shores ofasking Lake Michigan.

COLUMN COLUMN 14,awakI was awak- Mary with Marythe with theJebaby JeThe second — signed me,”Kalikwela, said Kalikwela, of Jan.of 14,Jan. I was baby The second letter letter — signed me,” said her her ened by piercing screams.

by Cardinal DiNardo voice cracking. ened by piercing screams. sus. sus.

by Cardinal DanielDaniel DiNardo voice cracking.

“And I“And I GUN CULTURE GUN CULTURE

By HEIDI SCHLUMPF Again Again Island and Cleveland, recogin Ithe for lives losthead andhead the and son, again, the “They entered of the Galveston-Houston, was telling havepews and again, the Staten “They entered and I and Iwas telling of Galveston-Houston, them Ithem have screamed. held the sister of and the racism,” pro-life committee; no money. have womenwomen screamed. are tools heldviolence, it,” theit,” sister told toldand of the pro-life committee; no money.

I haveIno GunsGuns are tools nizing that distrust prejuendnoof prejudice said the I did not it know theday, nextstandday, standBishop Stephen E. Blaire of money.”

I did not know then,it then, me theme next Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of money.” with awith verya very dice are not restricted tobedany bedone city orthe letter, dated Dec. 16, 2014. but gunmen had broken ing her destroyed Stockton, Calif., chairman of That night the gunmen but gunmen had broken ing in herin destroyed Stockton, Calif., chairman of That night gunmen limited limited use use into the complex “Ithe said,letter, ‘God, murdered the upon justice and human murdered thethen the into the complex of the of theroom.

“I said, ‘God, justice and human develone of one the ofIt predominantly Africancommunity ,” room. said signed by called Cupich todeveljoin our world in n ourin world Evangelizing ofwe’re finished.’ we’re finished.’ opment committee; compound’s guards.

Evangelizing SistersSisters of And I And I compound’s opment committee; and and guards.

16 PAGE 16PAGE parishes Deacon LeRoy Gill Jr., chair ofWhile the Black them: “We encourage you American across Mary, an African order of held just it like this.”

Archbishop José H.to Gomez of While they not physiMary, an African order of just itheld like this.”

Archbishop José H. Gomez ofspeak they did notdid physiCatholic where I grasped She grasped the picture Los Angeles, chairman the cally the harm thewith sisters, Catholic sisterssisters where I She theChicago. picture chairman of the cally harm sisters, Catholic Deacons of local Los andAngeles, state politicians, asofwell the Chicago archdiocese, was spending the night. inhands both hands anditheld it manhandled migration committee — dealt they manhandled was spending the night. in both and held migration committee — dealt they three, three, The organization, with approximateasoncivil servants in the Archdiocese deacons took to the When pulpit Continued Continued on12 Page 12 When thecame men came to her over her head.

Continued on Page 8Page 8 Continued on Page the men to over head.

Sistersand andthieves thieves Sisters

Attack highlights allcommon too common African violence Attack highlights all too African violence

I

of Chicago, to reinforce that ‘All Lives Matter’ and that actions must be taken to ensure equality, dignity and trust in Chicago.”

Although they have not yet received Sr.from Mary McCauley, Sr. Mary McCauley, left, left, an official response Cupich, Gill with immigrants standsstands with immigrants is optimistic the new archbishop Isabel Ampora Isabel Ampora and and will three her four three of her of four continue Cardinal Francis George’s children, who were children, who were commitment to issues of violence in allowed to return to allowed to return to African-American communities.

Postville, Iowa,4,Dec. 4, In Postville, Iowa, Dec. on a visa granted to visvisa granted to his first weekson inaChicago, Cupich

Immigration: ‘Tell them to come to the church’ Immigration: ‘Tell them to come to the church’

“We stand united as a result ofher Ferguinpasthe streets and prayed put at St.parishioners Bridget Church put ather St. Bridget Church as pas-as

n Jan. 28.

n Jan. 28.

ly 30 members, was founded in 1968 to to preach against violence make sure the voices and concerns of in their communities on black Catholics were heard. Today, it the fourth Sunday of Advent. At the not only supports African-American end of Mass, they removed their albs ByMARRIN PAT MARRIN

By PAT men on the path to the diaconate but to reveal T-shirts with the message has made violence — espe. Sr. Mary . Sr. Mary SAN ANTONIO McCauley, SAN ANTONIO McCauley, heraddressing sil-her sil“All Lives Matter” and, before leadver hair framing a classic Irish young face, ver hair framing a cially classic Irish face, against blacks — a priorcouldto easily a diminutive easily seem aseem diminutive nun innun in ing the congregants to thecould streets ityat . retirement her 70s looking her 70s looking at retirement after aafter a protest and pray, read a letter to new lifetime the classroom or convent “Priests and Deacons of the Archdiolifetime in thein classroom or convent administration.

But circumstances administration.

But circumstances Archbishop Blase Cupich.and, she cese of Chicago have walked with their and, she would say, divine providence would say, divine providence toral administrator Maywhen 2008, when toral administrator in Mayin2008, hundreds FBI and Immigration hundreds of FBIof and Immigration and and

workers who were workers who were victims of crimes victims of crimes at the at the Agriprocessors Agriprocessors plant. plant.

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER

ited two African-American parishes, including one hit hard by the sexual abuse scandal.

The deacons group also hosts two annual prayer services focused on youth, including an ecumenical backto-school sunrise service in the fall to pray for students’ safety during the school year. In the spring, students from Catholic schools gather for a Mass and barbecue, again to pray for safety during the coming summer.

“I’ve always felt the church wasn’t speaking out more on the violence in Chicago and the killing of young people,” Gill said. “All lives from the womb to the tomb are important, and that includes black children.”

Andrew Lyke, director of the Chicago archdiocesan Office for Black Catholics, calls Gill “the conscience of the archdiocese” on the issue and praises the deacons group as leaders in their communities.

“They have their feet in both worlds: They’re part of the ecclesial hierarchy, but they’re also family people, have jobs and are connected with the community,” Lyke said. “They have a voice that can be heard internally but also externally with the broader community.”

Gill, who owns a plumbing company, works full-time, but organizes his work around his ministries. A deacon at St. Dorothy Parish on Chicago’s South Side, he heads up youth ministries there, as well as serving as campus minister at the Academy of St. Benedict the African in Chicago.

As a parent who has lost a child (in a car accident), he has a particular empathy for parents who have lost children to violence. Although the overall number of murders decreased in Chicago in 2014, homicide is still the leading cause of death for young black men, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University. Young black men are nearly six times more likely to die from homicide than are young white men.

January 30-February 12, 2015

—Catholic New World/Karen Callaway

From left, Cardinal Francis George, Deacon LeRoy Gill and Archbishop Blase Cupich pray over the gifts during Cupich’s installation Mass at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago Nov. 18.

“I have a concern with all these young black kids being murdered in the streets,” Gill said. “I can’t come to a meeting, have dinner and just talk about church. We need to be focused on this violence.”

The Black Catholic Deacons group supports men in various ministries.

Deacon James Norman, a former vice president for Kraft Foods, works with homeless men and women and serves as coordinator for the National Shrine of St. Peregrine (patron saint of cancer) on Chicago’s West Side.

“I had always envisioned that after seeking success, I would seek significance and service, and I saw that in the church,” Norman said. “Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, the people who really touched and impacted lives were ministers, like Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson and others.”

While in flight on Sept. 11, 2001, he had time to consider the impact of his own life and decided to answer the call to the diaconate. In addition to his parish work, Norman serves on the Black Catholic Deacons’ steering committee, which also collaborates with a group of Latino deacons on a living wage, in-

National Catholic Reporter connects Catholics to church, faith and the common good with independent news, analysis and spiritual reflection.

For more information, visit NCRonline.org.

carceration and violence issues.

“The deacon’s role is as servant, so everything we do is service to the Catholic church, Christians and all God’s children,” Norman said.

Although Chicago has the country’s largest group of black deacons, they are aging, and only one candidate is currently in the four-year diaconate preparation program. Lyke worries that the process may not always be culturally sensitive to men in the African-American community. “We can’t be turning away good men who are trying to say yes to God,” he said.

Calling and supporting men as they pursue the path to diaconate ordination is another goal of the Black Catholic Deacons group. “I wish more men would consider it,” said Norman, who praises the other men he has worked with.

Gill added: “We all support each other. When one is down, we’re there to lift each other up.”

[Heidi Schlumpf is an NCR columnist and teaches communication at Aurora University outside Chicago.]

Celebrating 50 years of NCR