(PHOTOS BY RICK DELVECCHIO/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Rev. Glenda Hope, left, and Presentation Sister Rosina Conrotto founded SafeHouse ministry for homeless, prostituted women.
Two women of faith mark decade in breakthrough ministry No model for freeing prostituted women from misery existed By Rick DelVecchio Presbyterian Rev. Glenda Hope and Presentation Sister Rosina Conrotto had no direct model when in 1997 they decided to start a ministry for homeless prostituted women.
that the bodies of two more murdered prostitutes had been found. One had been shot by a john. The other had been beaten. SafeHouse marks its 10th anniversary with a fund-raising dinner Monday, Feb. 9, at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The celebration is a testament to two women of faith who decided to take on one of the toughest of social ministries and made a success of it, as well as to all the women who have graduated and returned to mentor residents at the 10-bed SafeHouse center. Hosted by KGO-TV newswoman Carolyn Tyler, the event will open with a 5:30 p.m. reception and art show TWO WOMEN OF FAITH, page 3
What drove them was a desire to do something about women who were selling themselves on the street in San Francisco and suffering more horribly for it than anyone looking outside in could know. Rev. Hope, whose San Francisco Network Ministries serves the Tenderloin District, had just presided at five memorials in three months for San Francisco prostitutes who had been violently killed. That was enough. She contacted Sister Rosina and proposed the ministry that would become SafeHouse. A few months later in 1998 they signed a lease on a Mission District apartment building to house the ministry – the same day that Rev. Hope learned
Catholic san Francisco
Vietnamese Catholics welcome U.S. bishops from California for Tet
(CNS PHOTO/UCAN)
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Vietnamese and U.S. prelates watch cultural performances following a Mass at the Phu Cam Cathedral in Hue, Vietnam, Jan. 26. Archbishop George H. Niederauer and Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang of San Francisco can be seen at the left. A delegation of 18 U.S. bishops, priests and laypeople made the journey to Vietnam for the Vietnamese new year.
HUE, Vietnam (CNS) – Vietnamese Catholics welcomed 18 visiting American bishops, priests and laypeople on Tet, the Vietnamese lunar new year. Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco and Bishop Tod D. Brown of Orange, Calif., led a delegation to visit Phu Cam Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Hue Jan. 26, the beginning of the three-day Tet festival. Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh and San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang were also part of the group. Archbishop Etienne Nguyen Nhu The of Hue welcomed the visitors and thanked them for praying for the local Church during Tet, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. In a message delivered to Catholic San Francisco during the trip, Archbishop Niederauer called attention to “the many Vietnamese Catholics who have immigrated to both southern and northern California in the last 40 years” and said, “It is a great privilege and a profound spiritual experience to visit the Church in their homeland and to experience the depth of their faith, their love for the Church, the sacrifices they make to live out their faith daily and to raise their children in that faith.” The Archbishop added that he hoped “to write an article or two giving more details about my visit” when he returns. He was scheduled to arrive in San Francisco Feb. 4. “We would like to wish all of you a new year full of ‘phuc,’ ‘loc’ and ‘tho,’ which means happiness, blessing and longevity,” Archbishop The told the visitors. He noted that during the festival, local people traditionally visit each VIETNAMESE CATHOLICS, page 3
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION L.A. investigation . . . . . . . . . 5 ‘Web only’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
RCIA Cathedral pilgrimage draws 500 ~ Page 7 ~ February 6, 2009
Catholic San Francisco turns 10 this month ~ Pages 10 – 12 ~
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mercy Sister’s book captures refugee reality Classified ads . . . . . . . . 18-19 ~ Page 16 ~ www.catholic-sf.org
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
VOLUME 11
•
No. 5
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
On The Where You Live By Tom Burke Oops! I ran wrong date of reunion lunch for Class of ’57 from St. Ignatius, Sacred Heart and Archbishop Riordan high schools. The event is Feb 20. “We’ve been doing this for more than 30 years,” said John Strain, an SI grad, who helps coordinate the get-together. “We usually have from 80 to 100 people and everybody has a good time,” he said, adding with a laugh that “the tightwads from Sacred Heart and Riordan sometimes refuse to pay.” John and his wife, Francine, have been married 42 years and parishioners of St. Isabella’s in San Rafael for 35 years. John grew up in Most Holy Redeemer Parish and Francine, a native of Pasadena, got her local roots when she attended Dominican College. See Datebook….Happy 67th anniversary Jan. 26, to Teresa and James Hampton longtime members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Daly City. Happy birthdays are also in order as Teresa was 83 Jan. 18 and Jim will be 92 June 18….The Sacro Costato Missionary Sisters The late Father Eustachio celebrated their 100th year Montemurro, founder in 2008 and to commemoof the Sacro Costato rate the milestone, a Mass Missionary Sisters. of Thanksgiving will be celebrated Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Burlingame where the Sisters have served in the parish school for 35 years. Salt Lake City Bishop John Wester, who came to know and advise the Sisters during his years as a priest and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, will preside. The congregation has almost 600 members serving in countries including Italy, Albania, Brazil, the Philippines and the U.S. Father Eustachio Montemurro, a physician who practiced medicine before becoming a priest in his late forties, founded the community May 1, 1908 in Italy. “The Sisters feel compelled to radiate God’s Jackie de Leon
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On hand for the fifth anniversary party for San Francisco’s Alma Via Residence in November were Rev. Steven Sabin, dean, San Francisco Lutheran Conference and pastor, Christ Church Lutheran, left; Rev. Ronald Rentner, Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elder Care Alliance Board Chair; and Msgr. Harry Schlitt, vicar for administration, Archdiocese of San Francisco. Jeffrey Dillon, center, is AlmaVia executive director. More than 200 people enjoyed the celebration.
love in the world and to atone for the offenses God receives,” love for children, and a great faith in God to carry you through,” the community said. The women “devote themselves to the Jackie said, adding she’ll be in the classroom “until the Lord says apostolic work of evangelization, of teaching catechism, of ‘Stop.’” The St. Gabriel Parent Organization honored Jackie guiding spiritual exercises, of instructing and educating youth, at rites Jan. 25 in conjunction with Catholic Schools Week….. of serving and promoting the human and spiritual dignity of Remember that Feb. 7 – tomorrow – Archbishop George the poor, of assisting and loving the H. Niederauer will preside at a Mass sick, the orphan and the elderly.” The commemorating World Day of the anniversary year was an opportunity for Sick at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough the congregation “to bring to the heart of and Geary St. in San Francisco at noon. the world and to every person, the heart The liturgy will include anointing of the of Christ,” they said. See Datebook. For sick, blessing of the hands of caregivmore information about the Sisters, visit ers, and a blessing with Lourdes water. www.sacrocostato.org ….St. Gabriel Special parking and seating assistance Elementary School leads a Special is available for those using wheelchairs Educator salute to Jackie de Leon who and walkers. May we all be blessed from has been a member of St. Gabe’s faculty this special rite whether able to attend for 50 years with more than 45 of them or not. May we all, however broken, as fifth grade teacher. It’s estimated be healed….This is an empty space that she has taught more than 1,500 without you! E-mail items and pictures students. “Jackie is well loved and to burket@sfarchdiocese.org. Mail Teresa and James Hampton often cited by her students as their most items and pictures to “Street”, One Peter influential teacher,” the school said in a note to this column. “In Yorke Way, SF 94109.Pix should be hard copy or electronic jpeg order to teach 50 years you have to have a passion for teaching, a at 300 dpi. Don’t forget to include a follow-up phone number. Call me at (415) 614-5634 and I’ll walk you through it.
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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS 415-614-5506 This number is answered by Barbara Elordi, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Barbara Elordi. 415-614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this nunmber. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.
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Two women of faith . . . ■ Continued from cover featuring painting and sculpture by the women of SafeHouse. The Gala will honor Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey for work on behalf of women as a member of the California Commission on the Status of Women and during her 14 years in Congress. Although Rev. Hope and Sister Rosina had no model when they began, they formed one hand-in-hand with their graduates. Today they can look around at a SafeHouse alumnae meeting and see friends and fellow professionals – women who have gone from the street to careers and relationships. The first graduate of SafeHouse is now board president. One in three women do not relapse after a year in the program, a rate that may not sound impressive but is high for the recovery field. “So what makes the difference?” Rev. Hope asked during a recent visit to SafeHouse. “That’s a total mystery. If I knew the answer to that I’d go on a speaking tour and make lots of money.” But one ingredient is the insight that the worst of the violence done to prostituted women is not physical. The worst is the psychic damage done to them as minors through abuse, neglect and abandonment – crushing damage, in many cases, to the victims’ receptivity to affection. Incest is typical. “We make it a point never to speak of them as prostitutes but as prostituted women, because they are victims,” Sister Rosina said. Rev. Hope added: “Prostitution is not what defines them. People have asked me, ‘Why do you have such a passion for working with prostituted women?’ For me they represent the centuries of degradation, objectification and exploitation of women around the world. Every religion has dumped on them and condemned them.”
A detail from artwork by a SafeHouse resident. The work and others by SafeHouse residents will be shown Monday at the ministry’s 10th anniversary celebration at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco.
Consider Cary, an extreme example of the pattern. Rev. Hope tried to reach her but could not because Cary’s early life experiences had destroyed her ability to receive love. Rev. Hope sees Cary working in the Tenderloin these days but can do no more than hope and pray.
Vietnamese Catholics . . .
“I’ve described trying to relate to Cary as Velcro, but it’s only one way,” Rev. Hope said. “The receiving piece is not there. No one could ever bond with Cary.” Fortunately, most women who come to SafeHouse have some emotional health to
pastoral council, said he hopes the American delegation’s visit will promote solidarity and friendship. Vietnamese-American Father Joseph Pham Minh Tuan said the itinerary for the delegation’s Jan. 21-31 visit to Vietnam
■ Continued from cover other and offer these wishes, UCA News reported. Archbishop The said local Catholics are grateful to the Catholic Church in the United States for providing pastoral care for Vietnamese-Americans, many of whom fled Vietnam after communists reunified the country in 1975. Archbishop The also urged local Catholics to pray for Catholics in the United States to live their faith bravely. Bishop Brown said he was impressed by the local people’s devotion during Tet. He noted how beautifully they decorate ancestral altars in their homes with flowers, food, fruit, candles and incense. After Mass, Vietnamese offered the visitors and Vietnamese clergy wine, areca nuts and betel leaves, essential items during Vietnamese festivals. Children in costume sang songs and performed traditional dances. Mathew Nguyen Dinh Luc, head of the cathedral parish
heaven can’t wait
included Hanoi, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Some local Catholics said they hope the Church in the United States will urge the Vietnamese government to return properties to the local Church.
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build upon. That is where Rev. Hope, aided by Sister Rosina and other volunteers from the Presentation order, go to work. Rev. Hope spoke at length about SafeHouse success stories: Elena, Sylvia, Sybil, Wendy. Elena had done hard time for armed robbery. Clean and sober for seven years, she now works two jobs, is a new grandma and just bought a fixer-upper. Sylvia came to SafeHouse at age 40. Raised in a middle-class suburb, she suffered long-term incest and supported herself as a stripper. She is now a licensed tax preparer. Sylvia left the program early. “She wanted to make room for her younger sister,” Rev. Hope said, “which I thought was one of the most selfless things I’d ever seen anyone do.” Sybil, a more modest success, came and found a better life shining shoes in the Financial District. Wendy came “so traumatized and so inside herself that her voice was tiny,” Rev. Hope said. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been so scared or hit with such pain – that’s the way she was,” Rev. Hope said. “Or like in a dream, it doesn’t come out.” Wendy now wears on engagement ring and attends a prestigious private college on a full scholarship. She is majoring in biopsychology. The first time she returned for an alumniae meeting, Rev. Hope noticed the change: “I could understand every word she said.” For more information on Monday’s event, contact SafeHouse Project Director Heather Weigand at (415) 643-7861 or director@ sfsafehouse.org. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it. For more information on SafeHouse, visit its website – www.sfsafehouse.org – or the Catholic San Francisco website – www.catholic-sf.org.
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meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Washington. “In these tough times, families are looking for something important for their children,� said Viacava, a senior credit officer for Moody’s Investors Service, a New York company that provides financial advice to institutions of higher education.
in brief
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald celebrates in the end zone in the fourth quarter after his second touchdown reception during the NFL’s Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 1. Fitzgerald attended the Academy of the Holy Angels High Schoo l in Minneapolis. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals 27-23.
Catholic identity as economic aid WASHINGTON (CNS) – A speaker urged the presidents of Catholic colleges gathered in Washington Jan. 31-Feb.2 to market the Catholic identity of their institutions to compete in a bad economy. The Catholic identity will help draw students, but the schools’ leaders have to make sure people know these schools are Catholic, Diane F. Viacava said Feb. 1 at the 2009 annual
‘Brain death’ raises questions
High schools to stand alone
(CNS PHOTO/GARY HERSHORN, REUTERS)
NEWS
February 6, 2009
(CNS PHOTO/ANDREW WALLMEYER, STILLWATER GAZETTE)
4
NEW YORK (CNS) – The New York Archdiocese has announced that the 10 archdiocesan Catholic high schools it operates will become self-sufficient, effective with the start of the 2009-10 school year in September. Each school will be under the control of a local board of directors that also will be responsible for the school’s funding and operation.
Tuition agency goes bankrupt LIVINGSTON, N.J. (CNS) – A New Jersey-based agency that collects tuition payments for Catholic schools in New Jersey, Texas and New York has declared bankruptcy leaving 14 schools with a $3.6 million shortfall. Tuition Program Inc. filed a bankruptcy petition Jan. 12 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, according to a story in The Star-Ledger daily newspaper in Newark. The tuition company, based in Livingston, was designed by Catholic parents in 1985 as a way to streamline tuition collections for parish schools. The company lost money in stock investments and also owes Wachovia Bank $867,000, according to court documents. Tuition Program collected payments from parents and in turn paid the schools each month. The agency invested the funds prior to making payments to schools. The schools owed payments by the Tuition Program were relying on their dioceses to loan them the funds to cover losses.
Asks love for terminally ill VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Love is the only thing that can ease the suffering of the terminally ill and it is the only worthy response of those who value the life that is ending, Pope Benedict XVI said. Christians must have the courage to say publicly and clearly that “euthanasia is a false solution to the drama of suffering, a solution unworthy of the human person,� the pope said Feb. 1 during his midday Angelus address. The pope said helping a terminally ill person die might give the impression of easing that individual’s suffering, but the only authentically human response to the suffering of another is the witness of “love that helps one face pain and agony in a human way.�
Bishop joins hunger strike COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNS) – Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam of the war-torn Diocese of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka has joined 300 Christian and Hindu hunger strikers urging action to protect civilians caught in ethnic conflict. Bishop Savundaranayagam also appealed separately to the country’s president and Tamil rebels for the safety of people trapped in the combat zone, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. A statement the diocese’s justice and peace commission released Jan. 29 said more than 400 civilians had been killed and more than 1,400 injured there since mid-January. A protest fast outside the diocese’s cathedral Jan. 28 drew Anglican bishops, Catholic and Church of South India priests, nuns and others, including members of Hindu organizations.
Raleane (“Rae�) and Alan Kupferschmidt pose in their home.
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Don’t talk to Raleane “Rae� Kupferschmidt about brain death. The 66-year-old woman from Lake Elmo, Minn., was declared brain dead nearly a year ago after a massive cerebral hemorrhage. She was removed from a ventilator, following her wishes, and her family took her home to die. But when Kupferschmidt began responding to family members, they rushed her back to the hospital. She regained what her husband called “98 percent� of her earlier vigor. In late September she experienced another health crisis and went into a coma. Doctors offered little hope of survival – a prediction she defied again in October. “I keep thinking that (God) saved me a second time so I could inspire people and let them know they shouldn’t give up, even when things look hopeless,� she said in a Jan. 13 interview.
Russian Orthodox patriarch elected VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI gave a chalice to the new patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and expressed hope that Catholics and Russian Orthodox can improve their relationship. “It is my earnest hope that we will continue to cooperate in finding ways to foster and strengthen communion in the body of Christ in fidelity to our savior’s prayer that all may be one so Patriarch Kirill that the world may believe,� the pope said. Pope Benedict’s message to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow was delivered by a high-level Vatican delegation attending his enthronement liturgy in Moscow Feb. 1. Patriarch Kirill, 62, was elected patriarch Jan. 27 after serving almost 20 years as chairman of the NEWS IN BRIEF, page 5
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L.A. cardinal says he is ‘mystified’ at reported probe into abuse cases LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles said he is “mystified and puzzled” at reports that a federal prosecutor is investigating whether he and the archdiocese violated a federal law against scheming “to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services.” The Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 29 that U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien is personally involved in the investigation. The similar stories cited anonymous sources who said a grand jury convened by O’Brien is looking into whether Cardinal Mahony and other Church leaders committed fraud by inadequately handling cases of priests who sexually abused minors. The U.S. attorney’s office has declined to comment. The legal strategy cited in the stories has been used to prosecute figures such as ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, former California Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling on the grounds that their actions deprived the public or shareholders of their right to “the honest work of government or business,” the Times explained in a Jan. 30 editorial. Two press releases from the archdiocese Jan. 29 questioned motives of those who released the information anonymously and called for an internal investigation of the leak from the U.S. attorney’s office. Michael Hennigan, counsel for the archdiocese, said in
one statement that “the leak by the government is unprofessional and violates Department of Justice guidelines concerning ongoing investigations.” He said the archdiocese has received requests from the U.S. attorney’s office for information about some priests, “two of whom are deceased and none of whom are known to be in ministry. We have and will continue to be fully cooperative with the investigation.” Hennigan said he was unaware of “any fact or set of facts that would support a responsible federal investigation of the archdiocese or of Cardinal Mahony.” Cardinal Mahony said in an interview on Los Angeles radio station KNX that he was mystified by the reports of an investigation, particularly since the archdiocese had disclosed “all our failures along the way” regarding the abuse crisis in material posted on a website in 2004. He said he thought when that report came out it might raise further questions, but apparently there were none. In 2007 the archdiocese announced a settlement agreeing to pay $660 million to more than 500 plaintiffs in cases alleging sexual abuse by priests and other Church personnel, dating primarily from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. “It’s all behind us now,” Cardinal Mahony said on the radio show. “Exactly what’s motivating this only the U.S. attorney can tell us.” The cardinal also said he has met with many people who
News in Brief . . .
Archbishop Vigneron installed
■ Continued from page 4 Russian Orthodox Church’s department for ecumenical relations.
Manuscripts catalogue released VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Vatican-Israeli cooperation has resulted in improved access to a written – and often illustrated – history of Jewish faith and scholarship, ChristianJewish cooperation and disputes, as well as Christian curiosity about Judaism. After almost 10 years of intense work, the Vatican Library and National Library of Israel’s Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts have published a detailed and descriptive catalogue of the more than 800 Hebrew manuscripts and books held in the Vatican Library. The Vatican Library and the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See hosted a formal presentation of the catalogue Jan. 30.
SCRIPTURE SEARCH Gospel for February 8, 2009 Mark 1:29-39 Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B: Jesus cures the sick, including in Peter’s family. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle. HOUSE JAMES TOLD HIM LEFT HER DEMONS CURED MANY DESERTED
SIMON JOHN ABOUT HER EVENING GATHERED DISEASES HE PRAYED
ANDREW FEVER HAND POSSESSED DOOR KNEW HIM THAT I MAY
CURED MANY
Archbishop Allen Vigneron installed Jan. 28. DETROIT (CNS) – The installation of a new bishop is a “graced moment not just for him but for his particular Church and all her members as well,” said Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, installed as the new head of the Detroit Archdiocese Jan. 28. In his first homily, alternating between English and Spanish, Archbishop Vigneron called his installation an opportunity for the entire local Church, numbering 1.4 million Catholics, to renew its Christian identity. More than 200 priests from throughout the archdiocese and more than 25 bishops from throughout the country – including
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WASHINGTON (CNS) – The Vatican has initiated an apostolic visitation of institutes for women religious in the United States to find out why the numbers of their members have decreased during the past 40 years and to look at the quality of life in the communities. The announcement was made Jan. 30 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington by Sister Eva-Maria Ackerman, a member of the American province of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. She will assist Mother Mary Clare Millea, a Connecticut native who is superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an international religious institute that has its headquarters in Rome.
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retired Oakland Bishop John Cummins – were at his installation Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. The bishops also included his predecessor, Cardinal Adam J. Maida, as well as Cardinals Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles and Francis E. George of Chicago.
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were looking into the abuse cases over the years. He added that the investigators who currently review reports of sexual abuse for the archdiocese are all former federal investigators, such as FBI agents. “If anybody is going to find anything wrong with what we’re doing, it’s going to be the former FBI agents,” he said. “I thought all the questions were already looked into and resolved.” He added that he would be willing to meet with anyone, including a grand jury, who is looking into the situation. An editorial in the Los Angeles Times Jan. 30 lauded prosecutors for sustained interest in the victims, but questioned the legal strategy. “The law’s application against a cardinal in the oversight of an archdiocese is another matter. Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School, aptly called it ‘creative lawyering.’”
Orders study of women religious
Return to Iraq unlikely VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Despite signs of a new season of hope on the horizon in Iraq, the vast majority of Iraqi Christian refugees will probably not return to their homeland, said two U.S.-based Chaldean Catholic bishops. “No one in the United States will go back to Iraq or the Middle East because the future for children, (opportunities for) education and life are better here,” said Chaldean Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim.
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
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Job market focus Catholic Networking held its first meeting of the year at St. Dominic Parish on Jan. 13. The topic was “The Evolving Resume.” Pictured, from left, are speakers Marie Applegate, Kathy Devine and Connie D’Aura, the organizer of Catholic Networking. The need for community help assessing job skills and re-entering the job market is great and growing, according to D’Aura, a St. Stephen, San Francisco, parishioner who sees the impact of unemployment first-hand through Catholics at meetings of her group. See a report on the organization under the parish section of local news on the Catholic San Francisco website: www.catholic-sf.org. The next meeting is scheduled May 12 at 7 p.m. at St. Dominic, 2390 Bush St., San Francisco. For more information, contact D’Aura at (415) 664-0164.
VIDEO: A young priest’s dream’ Now-Bishop William Justice relates a story of his spiritual growth on his selection to be ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Two groups in the Archdiocese of San Francisco will take part a communitybased prayer campaign to end abortion that takes place during the 40 days of Lent. The groups, based in San Francisco and San Mateo, will lead prayer vigils in front of Planned Parenthood facilities each day as part of 40 Days for Life. Ron Konopaski, director for the San Francisco 40 Days for Life program, said the group is small as yet, but dedicated. San Francisco 40 Days for Life activist Ron Konopaski, “Other people started out left, with fellow coordinators Hunt Hanover modestly, so I took a huge leap and Frances Peterson. of faith and trusted in Lord,” Konopaski. “We’ll see what the Lord sends me. We’ll do the best can with San Francisco they want to start modestly to what we’ve got.” build up a base of support for possible eventual A group of 18 met at Star of the Sea Parish expansion. Each vigil will last 12-hours, with Jan. 29 to begin planning for the event, which 40 such vigils over the Lenten period. will start Feb. 25. The San Francisco group hopes Visit www.40daysforlife.com. to recruit at least 80 volunteers to ensure at least two people will be in front of the abortion centers at all times. Konopaski’s participants had planned to hold another planning meeting at Star of the Sea School on Feb. 5. San Mateo Pro-Life chair Jessica Munn, who heads the San Mateo 40 Days for Life group, said the vigils offer an opportunity for those not actively involved in the prolife movement to engage. “Typically a third of people who have joined [in 40 Days for Life] are people who had never done anything The BASIC Fund is a privately funded program in the pro-life movement,” dedicated to broadening the educational opportuMunn said. “A lot of people nities for children by helping low-income families can feel and think pro-life, afford the cost of tuition at private schools. but until they do something it will remain a feeling.” SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FOR A MAXIMUM Munn said her group is OF $1,600 ANNUALLY PER CHILD. reaching out to the Knights of Columbus and the Legion of Mary, as well as local For information and Application Please Call Catholic parishes and Protestant churches. Bay Area Scholarships for Innercity Children Though many 40 Days for 268 Bush Street, No. 2717 / San Francisco, CA 94104 Life vigils last 24 hours, both Phone: 415-986-5650 / Fax: 415-986-5358 the San Francisco and San www.basicfund.org Mateo groups told Catholic
(PHOTO BY MICHAEL VICK/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
40 Days for Life vigils planned By Michael Vick
Catholic San Francisco website editorial content editor Rick Delvecchio updates a posting on the newspaper Internet site.
WORLD: After war, Christians in Gaza express fear Judith Sudilovsky of Catholic News Service reports that Christians and moderate Muslims quietly expressed concern about what their place in the Gaza Strip would be now that Hamas remains strong after a three-week Israeli offensive. IMAGES: National Catholic Office for the Deaf Conference Mass Auxiliary Bishop William Justice celebrated the Jan. 19 Mass at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University opening the NCOD’s national conference in San Mateo. Deaf seminarians, priests and lay ministers from around the country attended. The Archdiocese of San Francisco is a national leader in training deaf candidates for the priesthood. Photos by Arne Folkedal.
STATE: Court setback for Prop 8 donors Judge denies bid to block small-donor disclosures in case triggered by online maps pinpointing supporters, as the state’s final tally of campaign contributions shows the Yes on 8 campaign received nearly 46,000 donations totaling almost $40 million.
How to Deepen Your Love Relationship: 7 Essential Principles This presentation will provide an overview of Dr. John Gottman’s 35 years of ground breaking research with over 3500 couples on what works in relationships. We will cover what the “Masters of Marriage” are doing right to increase intimacy, romance, and emotional connection. Adding a few easy steps can make a big difference over time in our relationships. Presented by Robert Navarra, Robert is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in the Bay Area for over 27 years. He is a Certified Gottman Therapist and Couples Workshop Leader trained by Drs. John & Julie Gottman. Additionally, Robert has worked as an adjunct faculty at Santa Clara University, Notre Dame de Namur University, and St. Patrick’s Seminary where he taught Pastoral Counseling for 8 years. For more info: www.robertnavarra.net
February 11, 2009: 5:30-7:30pm Caesar’s Italian Restaurant, 2299 Powell Street at Bay Street
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February 6, 2009
Catholic San Francisco
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500 make RCIA pilgrimage
UN statistics reveal extent of world hunger VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In his 2009 Lenten message Pope Benedict XVI said the spiritual practice of fasting also should lead to concrete action on behalf of the hungry. “Fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live,” the pope said in the message released at the Vatican Feb. 3. The Vatican invited Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program, to its press conference presenting the message. Following are statistics on world hunger he noted: – In 2008, the number of undernourished people in the world rose to 963 million (more than the combined populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union), up 40 million from 2007. – The majority of undernourished live in developing countries, with about 65 percent in India, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
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(PHOTOS BY SISTER GRACIELA MARTINEZ, OSF)
Nearly 500 catechumens, candidates, sponsors, family members and catechists from 32 parishes took part in the annual Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Pilgrimage at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco Jan. 25. The day is an introduction to the Cathedral for candidates one month prior to the Rite of Election. Pilgrim groups visit 10 stations, including the Cathedral’s hallmark Marian shrines, baptismal font, tabernacle and sacristy. At each station they heard a presentation. At left, Ana Yoo of St. Michael Korean Catholic community speaks at a shrine for St. Michael parishioners. Above left, Spanish-speaking participants from St. Peter Parish in San Francisco, St. Raphael Parish in San Rafael and St. Matthew Parish in San Mateo listen to a presentation at the Shrine of the Visitation. Above right, members of the St. Michael Korean RCIA group view a Marian art piece. At right, Vivian Clausing, associate director for youth ministry and catechesis for the Archdiocese, speaks to a group. It was the largest number of pilgrims in the event’s seven-year history. Nearly 2,000 are expected to attend the 3:30 p.m., March 1 Rite of Election and Call to Conversion over which Archbishop George Niederauer will preside at St. Mary’s.
LENTEN DAYS OF RENEWAL FOR 2009 FEB. 25 Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, OFM MARCH 9 Rena Grant, MA MARCH 12 Fr. Barry Brunsman, OFM MARCH 17 Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, OFM MARCH 31 Fr. Evan Howard, OFM MARCH 13-15 MEN & WOMEN’S LENTEN Spiritual Pilates Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, OFM Paula Jenkins MARCH 20-22 SILENT CONTEMPLATIVE Finding Easter Fr. Bruno Barnhart, OSB, Cam. 2009 THEME:
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VALLOMBROSA CENTER Retreats and Spirituality Programs Conferences and Meetings Feb. 8 and 22 Father David O’Rourke, OP, MFT 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. SUNDAY AFTERNOON LECTURE SERIES: “How to Mangle Your Marriage in Three Easy Lessons” Feb. 25 (Ash Wednesday), March 4, 11, 18, 25 & April 1, 8 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Sister Ingrid Clemmensen, OP LENT: WEDNESDAY MORNING CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER LENT: “At Home” RETREAT (Meet once a week during Lent) Facilitated by Sister Ingrid Clemmensen, OP Feb. 27 – March 1 Father Jim Schexnayder DESERT & MOUNTAIN JOURNEYS: A Lenten Retreat for Lesbian and Gay Christians Feb. 27 – March 1 Sister Ingrid Clemmensen, OP INDIVIDUALLY DIRECTED SILENT RETREAT March 6 – 8
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Faith groups, farmers partner to help fellow growers Catholic Relief Services program connects U.S. farms with counterparts California growers can provide direct aid to farmers in poor countries and help ease the global food crisis, under a pioneering Catholic Relief Services effort supported by Catholic parishes and interfaith partners. The Foods Resource Bank raises money by dedicating a share of a U.S. farm, ranch or agribusiness’s profits to aid a growing farm or ranch project overseas. The donor business commits a portion of its proceeds. For their part, faith congregations agree to raise money to cover the donor’s operating costs and therefore maximize the boon for the recipient. CRS has long-established FRB projects in the Midwest, working in concert with 14 other faith organizations to aid recipients in Central America, Africa and elsewhere. In 2007, more than 200 U.S. FRB growing projects supported 52 programs in 32 countries. Expanding the program to California and other Western states is the inspiration of Joe Symkowick, a Diocese of Sacramento deacon and Partnerships and Advocacy Officer for CRS’s West Region. “For example, a farmer may buy seed or labor or rent equipment or invest in an irrigation system to be able to bring a crop to harvest,” Symkowick wrote in an article. “A parish or other organization will hold a fund-raising event that connects thematically to the project - a ‘planting’ or ‘harvest’ festival for example.” Also, in order to yield an even bigger deposit into the project, the farmer’s suppliers are asked to donate what they normally would have charged for the portion of the crop dedicated to the project. Finally, foundations and the government itself are asked to contribute. “The result is a multiplier effect that grows from the amount initially dedicated by the farmer or producer and each succeeding partner who joins the chain,” he wrote. “For Catholics, the collaboration – perhaps more importantly – provides a rich opportunity to witness first hand how principles of Catholic social teaching are applied to daily reality.” Symkowick recently completed his inaugural project with walnut grower and fellow Deacon Ed Morgado. Morgado dedicated a half-acre of his 10-acre ranch near Chico. A nearby Lutheran church and St. Dominic Catholic Parish in Orland agreed to contribute financially. Two other Lutheran congregations later joined the team. The John Deere company gave $1,000. In the fall harvest, the half-acre yielded a ton of walnuts. Morgado tallied up the operating costs, billed the contributors – the four congregations’ shares came to about $150 each – and had an estimated $1,000 clear to deposit to the FRB account. The money will not be given to the recipient directly. CRS or Lutheran World Relief experts in recipients’ areas direct FRB contributions to investments designed to improve farmers’ productivity, such as a new well or a dam to store irrigation water. “It’s called food security – to be able to have secure production of their own so they’re not at the whims of shipping product halfway around the world, so they are not at the whim of international donors or international markets.” Symkowick wrote that the funds from the newly established Western states FRB account could be used to help a grower in El
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A “sweeper” helps in the harvest of California walnuts.
Salvador or the Matagalpa coffee growing region of Nicaragua, where Morgado and his wife, Judy, a Lutheran pastor, visited on a CRS-sponsored trip in 2006. “Who knows,” he wrote, “the project selected for funding might itself form the beginning of a new relationship. Many past FRB projects with Midwest farmers have resulted in continued exchanges between the participants and their overseas beneficiaries.” Morgado hopes to recruit growers of other commodities, such as rice, to expand the FRB account. Would a rice grower with 1,000 acres dedicate five to FRB? Morgado thinks so. Some growers are interested but skeptical, a sentiment Morgado can appreciate. “To be honest, I thought it was a little hokey but it’s turning out to be OK,” he said. “It’s helping us to put on a picture of understanding, to eliminate the abstraction. I’m a deacon. Part
of my call is address charitable and justice issues. And I see this as a screaming-out-loud justice issue.” Symkowick wrote: “I would like to invite and strongly encourage as many parishes, Catholic groups and Catholic agribusiness people as possible to participate in FRB projects. It is one of the best ways I have witnessed for multiple groups to experience from each other the living out of Catholic social teaching. While doing so, it also creates and leverages investment capital for overseas sustainable agribusiness projects that themselves are conceived of through the application of Catholic social teaching.” In an interview, Symkowick said his goal is to enlist more Catholic dioceses in the program. “It’s a great opportunity to work with our brother Christian faiths,” he said. Symkowick can be contacted at (916) 484-0315 or jsymkowi@crs.org.
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Catholic San Francisco
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Backgrounder The financing of Catholic schools – a primer and a plea By Annette Brown The Archdiocese of San Francisco supports Catholic schools in many ways, but by and large, the schools are self-financed. A typical elementary school earns income from three sources: tuition and fees (85 percent), donations (10 percent), and other sources (5 percent). From this income, school expenses are paid. The three major expenses are compensation, current year operating expenses and infrastructure maintenance and replacement. The major expense in any school – elementary, high school or college – is compensation, typically 80 percent of the total budget. Gone are the days when classrooms were headed by a religious who received only a small stipend. Today’s teachers are professionals, and are paid a competitive wage for their expertise and experience. Tuition and fees represent 85 percent of most schools’ income. However, of that amount, it’s not only the parents of elementary and high school students who are paying the tuition bills. There are also outside sources that assist families on a need-basis to afford the tuition. At least 15 percent of the tuition and fees are paid with tuition-assistance funds. This year, school officials are reporting an increase in the number of families experiencing difficulty in meeting tuition obligations due to layoffs or reductions in pay or hours worked. This year, more than ever, families need assistance in meeting the cost of the education of their children in Catholic schools. The Archdiocese was able to award more than $1 million in tuition assistance to families in need during this current school year. That figure has been impacted by the economic downturn, and only a fraction of that assistance is available for the coming year, making additional generosity critical to the neediest families in our school system. Meanwhile, the BASIC Fund distributed nearly $2.7 million in tuition assistance during this same year, and various other donors have provided funding that directly pays students’ tuitions. These generous donors include the Alemany Fund, the Guardsman, Making Waves, the Knights of Columbus, the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, National Catholic Community Foundation, Clint Reilly and many other generous benefactors, some who wish to remain anonymous. Some schools offer “adopt a student” programs, and others have individual scholarship funds. These monies have enabled many families
The Knights of Columbus and the National Catholic Community Foundation are two of the generous supporters of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
to achieve a Catholic school education for their children, where if they had to rely solely on their own resources, it would have remained an unfulfilled dream. A major source of funds that keeps local Catholic schools operating is donations to the schools. These donations are not directly associated with tuition assistance, but they do help schools keep tuition and fees down, and enable schools to offer programs to enrich the educational experiences of students. Donations spring from the generosity of parishioners and the pastors. Faithful who live in a parish that does not host a school might consider that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops affirmed that “the entire ecclesial community is called to value ever more deeply the importance of the task and mission to support Catholic elementary and secondary schools,” and offer support as they are able. This support can also come from participation in individual school’s fundraisers – from wrapping paper or candy to attending dinners and festivals. Catholic schools also apply for and receive generous contributions from, to name only a few, the following foundations: Carl and Celia Berta Gellert, William G. Irwin, Crescent Porter Hale, Herbst, Robert S. and Helen P. Odell, Wilsey, Davies, Joseph R. McMicking, Together in the Mission of Education, and Trust Funds Incorporated. These foundations have provided assistance in the form of gifts and grants that support purchases of text books,
provide program support, repair boilers and plumbing, and fund building projects. These gifts and grants represent 10 percent of the schools’ budgets. Schools rely on the sustained support of the myriad of people who continue to invest in them, in the future of Catholic education and in the future of students. Profound thanks is due them. The Department of Catholic Schools and the schools themselves strive to provide quality leadership, to develop programs of educational excellence, and to prepare students for a truly Christian life. With the Catholic community’s continuing support, that mission will become a realized dream for students, families, the community and the world. Persons or organizations wishing to contribute, can contact the Catholic Schools Department’s Planning and Finance Office, or a specific school’s pastor or principal. Annette Brown is assistant superintendent of Planning and Finance for the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools. She can be contacted at (415) 614-5662 or browna@sfarchdiocese.org.
Government to award Paul Wattson Lecture: “Relevant Ecumenism” The University of San Francisco and the Franciscan Friars Latin American Council of Churches. She was awarded foreign study grants of the Atonement will host the annual Paul the Prix de Faculte from the University Wattson Lecture on Feb. 23. Titled, “Relevant of Lausanne in 1990, the Women of Faith The United States’ State Department’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs has announced a scholarship program for high school students who would like to study abroad. The program, called the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, will provide full tuition for 550 students as part of a plan to promote greater social and linguistic awareness of key foreign cultures, according to a government release. Eligible high school students and recent graduates will participate in summer, one-semester or full-year foreign exchange language programs in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Russian or Turkish. “Recent years have demonstrated how important it is that Americans learn languages of countries that will be prominent in the 21st century,” said Lisa Choate, vice president of the American Councils for International Education, one of the administrators of the program. Applicants must be 15 to 18 years old, enrolled in high school at the time of application, U.S. citizens and have at least a 2.5 GPA. For more information and to apply, visit www.nsliforyouth.org.
Ecumenism: Input from Earliest Christianity,” Award from the United Presbyterian Church, it will feature Elsa Tamez, Ph.D., author USA, and Hans-Sigrish Award from the and professor at Latin American Biblical University of Bern, Switzerland in 2000. University in Costa Rica. The talk is 30th annual lecture honorThe 6 p.m. lecture will be held at the ing Father Paul Wattson, founder of the Fromm conference center on USF’s main Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. Free campus at the corner of Parker and Golden parking is available one block north at the Gate Avenues in San Francisco. Koret Center. For more information, call Tamez is author of “Bible of the (415) 422-5200. Those attending the recepElsa Tamez, Ph.D AUCTION Oppressed,” “The Scandalous Message of tionGALA to follow the lectureEVENTS are asked to call James,” “Amnesty of Grace” and “Jesus and Courageous or e-mail wash5207@localnet.com. GALA AUCTION EVENTS Women.” A Methodist, Tamez is also a translations consultant at GALA AUCTION EVENTS the United Bible Society and a theological advisor for the
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(Tom Burke’s “On the Street Where You Live” column started as an experiment in the first edition of Catholic San Francisco aand has appeared in every issue since. The “experiment” has become the first place many readers turn every week.)
By Tom Burke Thanks to all of us for the contribution this column has made to Catholic San Francisco’s first 10 years and perhaps in a larger way to the link it has been for many in keeping up with the everyday goings on in this most wonderful place. When it was suggested to me more than a decade ago that I take my previous experience in radio and gab and put it to work in “Street,” I jumped at the opportunity. It’s no secret that I grew up in Philadelphia reading the papers of the day but especially columnists whose beats were the people. I recall Jim O’Brien of the Philadelphia Daily News and syndicated writers like Earl Wilson and others. They had a fun approach to the steps we take and
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managed to convey their take on them without treading in an envelope that has obviously made a few stops before reaching my desk and is addressed, as in any mud. one case, to “That Column on Page 2.” It’s that mood I hope we’ve accomWhen marked “Do not bend” I sometimes plished in “Street” – now a library of more have to wonder if the request has to do than 400 columns, 400,000 words, and with enclosed pictures or the item itself 3,000 items about us. and the once-in-awhile over-molding I’ve According to an official survey we took been known to do. several years ago as well as perhaps the even more official feedback I hear when You have seen fit to share your lives with I run into readers, “Street” is among the the larger community through “Street” and by most popular columns in Catholic San that have built the column’s credibility and Francisco. For the record, “Street” has popularity. I certainly have lived a bit of my life almost written itself over these years. in “Street” and am ever grateful for the freedom Submissions come from parishes, given me in shaping the page by our executive parishioners, schools, religious education editor, Maury Healy, whose inventiveness, programs and clubs about all kinds of foresight and diligence led to the establishment events. Most are slapped around a bit by of CSF - and editor, Dan Morris-Young. me and a smaller number are experiences While thanks are certainly in order on this Tom Burke I’ve known or been part of personally. most happy of occasions, perhaps even more Sometimes it’s like getting letters to Santa when I receive important is the wish that we all “keep up the good work.”
2000 Catholic san Francisco Serving San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula
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Catholic san Francisco See ‘About the cover,’ page 17
Catholic san Francisco
Archbishop Levada calls for review of U.S. bishops’ accountability
Serving San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula
2003 Catholic san Francisco
Serving San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula
Catholic San Francisco’s 10th anniversary In first decade, newspaper’s readers have responded with faith, passion
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safety in the United States. A 2003 story by Evelyn Zappia on the remarkable life of decorated San Francisco firefighter Joseph Sullivan caught the attention of Eric Smelser. It reported how Sullivan had saved a seven-year-old boy from a burning building 38 years earlier. “That boy is me,” he thought. He was right. His slightly discolored keepsake edition of a Jan. 11, 1965 local daily’s story on the fire confirmed his conviction. Smelser arranged a meeting with Sullivan and his wife, Dorothy. “I had the chance to tell him I was so grateful to him for saving my life. I thank 10TH ANNIVERSAARY, page 15
s Catholic San Francisco marks its first decade of publication, a survey of staff reveals many instances in which readers drew inspiration from the paper or – because of it – took action that changed, transformed and even saved lives. For example, readers might recall coverage of the Truth Commission work being done in Guatemala as it emerged from years of devastating civil war at the turn of the 21st century. Responding to a CSF request, readers donated thousands of frequent flyer miles to fly several members of that commission to
2004 Catholic san Francisco
2005
2007
2006
Sesquicentennial Issue
Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
TotusTuus
Bishop-designate Salt Lake Lake City City Bishop-designate of the Diocese of Salt
(PHOTO BY GREG TARCZYNSKI)
A DARK DAY FOR HUMANITY
(CNS PHOTOS FROM REUTERS)
Jubilee Mass 2000 November 3, 2000
FIFTY CENTS
See stories and photos on pages 10, 11, 13 VOLUME 2
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No. 37
(PHOTO BY ARTURO VERA)
ACCOUNTABILITY, page 5
September 21, 2001
The terrorist attacks on America marked September 11 as "a dark day for humanity,’ said. Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, president of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops. Above: Clockwise from the top left are the World Trade Center collapsing, then standing in ruins, the fire as seen across the Brooklyn Bridge, mourners at the funeral of New York fire chaplain Franciscan Father Mychal Judge, Pope John Paul II praying for the victims. Bottom left: religious and civic leaders at San Francisco’s Day of Remembrance.
FIFTY CENTS
VOLUME 3
Archbishop George H. Niederauer knocks at the cathedral door at the beginning of his Feb. 15 installation as the eighth archbishop of San Francisco at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.
Victims speak out
A
fter a recent demonstration by victims of clergy sex abuse held outside the doors of the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Pastoral Center, something changed. The victims were no longer just names printed in newspapers and magazines. They were real people who welcomed any response from those, including Bishop John C. Wester, who left their offices to meet with them. The meeting between “us” and “them,” proved to be a case of the good versus good, trying to understand each other, and hoping to repair the enormous damage the evildoers left behind. Unlike the majority of children who attended Catholic schools in the United States for the past 193 years, these demonstrators didn’t have the pride of growing up Catholic and enjoying the unity of Church and family. Instead, they were robbed of their innocence, creating
dark secrets that many believed, if revealed would have destroyed their parents.” Where most kids learned the teachings of the Catholic Church, her morals and values, through the example of their parish priests, the silent victims met imposters, thieves who took away their spiritual nurturing, and that special feeling of God’s ever-present protection. In the May 3 edition of Catholic San Francisco, some diocesan priests, spoke of their “ceaseless feelings of betrayal” by those they trusted the most, their “brother priests.” Now the victims and their family members, speak of the price they paid for that same blind trust.
By Jack Smith California’s Catholic Bishops issued a statement this week endorsing a challenge by the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to a California law eliminating the time limit on seeking civil damages in decades-old sexual abuse cases. The bishops claim the 2002 law, Senate Bill 1779 sponsored by Senator John Burton (D-San Francisco, violates the ex post facto, due process and bill of attainder clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The California Legislature passed SB 1779 in June 2002 and Gov. Gray Davis signed the bill into law later that year. For a period of one year, beginning
John Carroll John Carroll said he was 12 years old when he entered the seminary in Ireland, and one year later the abuse began by the superior of the seminary. He was held hostage by being told by his abuser, “If you ever VICTIMS, page 10
No. 30
~ Page 8 ~
June 28, 2002
Former Archbishops of San Francisco
Catholic-Buddhist dialogue begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Crime victims day . . . . . . 11 Catholic bashing . . . . . . . . 15
Japanese cherish church ‘by wayside’ ~Pages 12- 13~ FIFTY CENTS
~ Pages 14–15 ~
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
VOLUME 4-
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No. 22
eclaring his first “priority is to get to know the people of the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” George H. Niederauer was officially installed as the Eighth Archbishop of San Francisco Feb. 15 at St. Mary’s Cathedral before a standing room only crowd of more than 2,500 people.
FIFTY CENTS
By the close of 2003 nearly 800 previously barred civil actions were filed; nearly 500 such cases against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Cases involve allegations of abuse dating as far back as 70 years. One-third of the cases in Los Angeles involve allegations against 68 priests who are deceased.
STATUTE LAW, page 21
His faith and his life changed the world By Victor Morton, Washington Times With the death of John Paul II at 84, the Roman Catholic Church loses a historic and beloved world figure who survived an assassination attempt, lived to see his native Poland freed from communist tyranny and urged Catholics to reject the modern “culture of death.” John Paul became the most traveled pope in history during his 26-year pon-
Portland bankruptcy . . . . . . 3 News-in-brief. . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
tificate as the 264th man to hold the office that Catholic tradition traces to the apostle Peter. He was the first modern pope to visit the Holy Land, the first to apologize for Catholic wrongs against other religions and the first to be mass-marketed as a cultural and spiritual icon.
Public schools abuse . . . . . . . 7
Remembering JPII . . . . . 12-13
Parish Chronology . . . . . . 22
Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Scripture and reflection . . . 14
~ Pages 16-17 ~
Remembrances & Hopes . . 24
This Catholic Life
Stuart Hall’s first graduating class
Feast of the Chinese Martyrs
Archbishop’s column . . . . . . 17
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Datebook & Review . . . . 18-19
Classified ads . . . . . . . . . 18-19
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~ Page 10 ~
~ Page 20 ~
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 6
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No. 23
VOLUME 5- •- No. 24
April 8, 2005
News-in-Brief ~ Page 4 ~
‘Robots’ review ~ Page 17 ~ FIFTY CENTS
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 7
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No. 12
Bishop Calvo installed as leader of Reno diocese Ash Wednesday ~ Page 12 ~ ~ March 1 ~ February 24, 2006
Renewing religious orders . . 5
Scripture and reflection
Wedding guide. . . . . . . . . . 6-8
~ Page 15 ~
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Deus Caritas Est – Part 4 . . 14
Classified ads . . . . . . . . 18-19
www.catholic-sf.org SIXTY CENTS
By Rick DelVecchio
INSTALLATION MASS, page 6
News-in-brief . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Summer camps/schools . 10-11
Clergy study days . . . . . . . . 6
Levada on Wojtyla ~ Page 3 ~
Newly ordained Father Juan Lopez rejoices with his mother, Benita, June 7 at St. Mary’s Cathedral shortly after his ordination to the priesthood by Archbishop George H. Niederauer. Also see the back cover.
Mudslide tragedy . . . . . . . . . 3
Notable Quotes . . . . . . . . . 18
FIFTY CENTS
of clergy, including both secular and religious priests from the Archdiocese of San Francisco and dozens of clergy from Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and elsewhere stretched from the nave of the cathedral, through the plaza, and down the steps to the Cathedral Conference center. Following the procession of priests and deacons, ministers and representatives of other faiths processed to their places. Archbishop Niederauer knocked on the closed bronze doors of the Cathedral and was admitted and greeted by Archbishop Levada and Bishop John C. Wester. After reverencing a crucifix held by Bishop
VOLUME 8
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No. 7
‘All or nothing’ measure to prohibit same-sex marriage headed to voters
Father Juan Lopez ordained
Wester, Archbishop Niederauer blessed himself at the Cathedral’s baptismal font and then walked through the Cathedral blessing the entire assembly. Archbishop Levada welcomed the assembly including parish representatives, clergy, interfaith representatives, consuls general, police and fire officials, Mayor Gavin Newsom, members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and other civic officials. “Today all of us are filled with joy,” Archbishop Levada declared as he implored the assembly to pray for Archbishop Niederauer and for the archdiocese. Monsignor Leopoldo Girelli, representing the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, read the Apostolic Letter appointing Archbishop Niederauer. Archbishop Niederauer was then escorted to the cathedra, or bishop’s chair, by Archbishop Levada and former San Francisco Archbishop John R. Quinn. The congregation applauded as Archbishop
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION
HIS FAITH AND HIS LIFE, page 6
Greatest Moments . . . . . . . 6
July 16, 2004
The 69-year old Los Angeles native and former Bishop of Salt Lake City said his style as Archbishop would model Christ’s commission “to serve the needs of all.” Presiding at the installation was Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco William J. Levada, now Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The many bishops, priests and laity from around the country who took part were a testament to the esteem with which the new archbishop is held. Nearly fifty bishops concelebrated at the Installation Mass, which also drew Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles. The procession
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION
We are the Body of Christ
www.catholic-sf.org July 25, 2003
Bishops’ Statement . . . . . .PAGE 14
The challenge to the constitutionality of the law concerns a case filed in California against Davenport priest Father James Jannsen and the Diocese of Davenport. In 2003, an unnamed plaintiff filed suit in California accusing the Iowa priest of abusing him nearly 30 years ago during a trip to California. The Davenport Diocese was granted the right May 25 to have the case heard in Federal Court, instead of a California State court, where the diocese will challenge the constitutionality of SB 1779. Susan Oliver, an attorney representing the Davenport Diocese said, “This case gives us an avenue
Archbishop’s Message . . . . . 3
Current News . . . . . . A1-A24
Film reviews . . . . . . . . . . . 21
January 1, 2003, plaintiffs could file civil claims in sexual abuse cases regardless of the age of the alleged offense, whether the claim had already been settled, or whether the claim was previously barred by statute of limitations.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION
Sesquicentennial Issue
Optimism on budget. . . . . . 3
Sacred Heart helps build Ugandan school
D
State’s Bishops support challenge to constitutionality of statute law
Proclaiming the Good News to All Creation
Newly ordained San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William J. Justice, second from left, is introduced as such by Archbishop George H. Niederauer, left, to the congregation attending his May 28 ordination rite at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Joining in the congratulations are additionally, from left, seminarian Hansel Tomaneng, Reno Bishop Randolph Calvo, Father Steven Lopes (secretary to Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), and Salt Lake City Bishop John Wester, formerly San Francisco auxiliary bishop. See additional coverage on pages 12-14.
By Jack Smith
Children at a Catholic Relief Services agricultural demonstration site in Northern Uganda. Story on page 12.
Abuse leads to years of suffering, loss of faith By Evelyn Zappia
Auxiliary Bishop William J. Justice ordained May 28
Archbishop Niederauer begins pastoral ministry at Installation Mass
(PHOTOS BY CRS)
Craig Martin, who shared his story of being sexually abused as a child by a priest, embraces Bishop John F. Kinney of St. Cloud, Minn. during the U.S. bishops’ meeting in Dallas. Four victims detailed their experiences for the meeting.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION
COVERAGE OF THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON AMERICA BEGINS ON PAGE 3. •
( CNS PHOTO FROM REUTERS)
Bishops issue charter….. Page 5 Ordinary Time................Page 17 Text of the charter.…. Pages 18-19
Young People,” a wide-ranging national policy designed to respond to and prevent sex abuse that every bishop is mandated to implement in his diocese. Noting that bishops have a responsibility for the wider Church as well as that in their own diocese, the resolution presented by Archbishop Levada said, “To assure the appropriate oversight of the ministry of bishops and as an expression of episcopal solidarity, the Conference (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) asks its Committee on Bishops’ Life and Ministry to review the role of the bishops themselves in implementing the terms of the ‘Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People’ in the context of the current crisis.” The resolution calls for the bishops’ committee, chaired by Bishop Robert H. Brom of San Diego, to report back to the U.S. bishops at their November 2002 meeting. Archbishop Levada said, “The resolution is meant to assure accountability on the part of bishops. Its purpose is to provide a vehicle for a broad review of various factors that have arisen, which seem to require more specific guidelines for bishops, and to do so in the context first of the present issue, the protection of children. Without this resolution, we would not be letting people know that we take seriously the situation of bishops who have reassigned priests who were known abusers and bishops who made
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
MOST REVEREND JOHN C. WESTER
By Maurice E. Healy At the June 13-15 Dallas meeting of U.S. bishops, San Francisco Archbishop William J. Levada called for a study of ways to ensure appropriate oversight of bishops and to assure that each bishop in his own diocese effectively implements the bishops’ charter to protect children and young people from sexual abuse. Archbishop Levada presented a “Resolution on Episcopal Oversight” to his fellow bishops shortly after they had voted on June 14 to accept the “Charter for the Protection of Children and
Catholic san Fra rancisco ncisco
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Archdiocese of San Francisco 1853 – 2003
2008
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Catholic san Francisco
Grace, a CRS health worker, is on staff at the Lebone refugee camp in Southern Sudan.
Serving San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula
Joseph Sullivan and Eric Smelser meet.
Blind children aided.
(PHOTO BY GREG TARCZYNSKI)
‘Street’ has become a library of lives lived in the Archdiocese
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
(PHOTO BY MICHAEL COLLOPY)
Catholic San Francisco
(PHOTOS BY DAVID PAUL MORRIS)
10
SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
MARCH 2, 2007
An initiative to ban gay marriage in California has qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot, as county clerks are to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples to comply with a new state Supreme Court ruling. Secretary of State Debra Bowen qualified the California Marriage Protection Act after a county-by-county check of voter signatures gathered by the sponsors verified more than the 694,354 names required to make the ballot. The initiative, proposed by a coalition of 150 organizations called ProtectMarriage.com, seeks to overturn the state high court’s 4-to-3 ruling May 15 that same-sex couples have the right to have the state designate their civil unions as marriage. The sponsors maintain that the issue
should be decided by voters, not by judges. Polls show that a majority of Californians favors restricting the institution of marriage to opposite-gender couples. The measure would amend the state Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Twenty-six states have constitutional amendments or similar prohibitions on same-sex marriage If enacted, the amendment could be canceled only by another initiative and not by court or legislative action, according to the coalition. “Passing this amendment is the only way for the people to override the four Supreme Court judges who want to redefine marriage for our entire society,” Ron Prentice, CEO of the California Family Council and chairman of ALL OR NOTHING, page 6
IN SIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Father’s Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Rally for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Corpus Christi Parish rebounds from fire ~ Page 3 ~ June 13, 2008
Catholic high schools graduate nearly 2,000 ~ Pages 16-17 ~
Respect Life essays: life in the womb ~ Pages 24-25 ~
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Classified ads . . . . . . . . 29-31
NEXT ISSUE JUNE 27 VOLUME 10
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No. 19
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• Catholic San Francisco’s Vol. I, No. 1, datelined Feb. 12. • Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, interviewed in second CSF edition. • Millennium and Jubilee Year 2000 preparations • CSF leads coverage of outrage over Board of Supervisors’ vote to close down a block of San Francisco on Easter Sunday to commemorate Church-mocking Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence anniversary. • CSF originates early news of the “hidden holocaust” in Sudan. • Archdiocese establishes Department of Pastoral Ministry. • Mandatum for Catholic theology teachers defined. • “Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Leaders” endowment campaign launched.
• Church observes Great Jubilee Year 2000 • State Proposition 22 passes; defines marriage as only valid between a man and a woman. • George W. Bush elected president. • Powerpost beetles threaten Mission Dolores; St. Peter Parish restoration completed. • Jubilee Mass 2000 draws 30,000 to Pac-Bell Park. • Archdiocesan Pastoral Council founded; Archdiocese launches website. • Popes John XXIII and Pius IX declared blessed. • U.S. Supreme Court allows partial-birth abortion.
• Sept. 11 attack dominates world stage. • St. Paul Parish retrofitting, renovation blessed. • Archdiocese aids El Salvador earthquake victims • Catholic Charities and CYO merge. • St. Patrick Seminary marks 150 years. • World Synod of Bishops focuses on role of bishop. • The National Black Catholic Clergy Conference marks the 500th anniversary of slavery. • A 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastates parts of El Salvador, killing more than 650 people. • The British House of Commons votes to end a ban on Catholic priests becoming members of parliament. • Pope John Paul II meets with President George W. Bush for the first time. • DeMarillac Academy founded.
• U.S. bishops, Pope John Paul II urge President Bush to avoid war in Iraq. • Clergy sex abuse crisis builds; Vatican, U.S. Church hold summit on clergy sex abuse in Rome; “zero tolerance” results; U.S. bishops gather in Dallas and adopt “Charter for Protection of Children and Young People”; U.S. bishops form Office for Child and Youth Protection; Archdiocese establishes Independent Review Board; state legislature enacts “Burton Bill”making sex abuse lawsuits easier; • Strategic planning commission formed to study local Catholic schools. • Los Angeles dedicates $195 million cathedral. • Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory celebrates 150th year. • Anglican-Catholic Dialogue in U.S. convenes in San Francisco. • In wake of St. Ignatius Institute controversy at University of San Francisco, Campion College founded.
• Archdiocese celebrates sesquicentennial. • Iraq conflict and clergy sex abuse crisis are top national and international stories; pope strongly urges U.S. not to invade Iraq and for Saddam to cooperate. • St. Mary’s Chinese Mission turns 100. • 30 millionth meal served at St. Anthony Dining Room. • Vatican document condemns same-sex unions; California lawmakers pass Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act. • Archdiocesan delegation visits Sudan. • President Bush signs partialbirth abortion ban. • DaVinci Code put Church and Opus Dei on conversational map.
• Dioceses comply with U.S. bishops’ national child protection charter; Archdiocese begins “safe environment” program; national clergy sex abuse study released; local report lists 56 priests as accused since 1950, 51 credibly; Archdiocese of Portland files for bankruptcy; more than 150 lawsuits in courts involving northern California dioceses. • Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy dedicates USF law center. • Stem-cell research potential and pitfalls widely debated; California passes Prop 71 to fund research despite Church opposition. • Earthquake retrofitting of local schools and churches passes $40 million. • Church fights California Supreme Court ruling requiring Catholic agencies to include contraception in health coverage. • St. Anne of Sunset marks 100 years. • Vatican issues Redemptionis Sacramentum on liturgy abuse. • Vatican, U.S. Church leaders condemn treatment of Iraqi war prisoners.
• Death of Pope John Paul II and election of Pope Benedict XVI; San Francisco Archbishop Levada appointed to succeed new pope as prefect for Church doctrinal congregation. • Salt Lake City Diocese’s Bishop George H. Niederauer named Archbishop of San Francisco. • First Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco draws 7,000. • San Francisco Superior Court judge rules same-sex ban in state unconstitutional; ruling appealed to state Supreme Court. • Hurricane Katrina devastates Gulf region; local Catholics offer shelter, funds, hands-on help. • Earthquakes and tsunami batter Asia. • State parental abortion notification initiative fails. • Archdiocese reports $70 million paid over past 25 years to settle clergy sex abuse claims, 70 percent from insurance and self-insurance.
• U.S. Supreme Court lets Oregon assisted-suicide law stand. • Same-sex adoption controversy emerges; Boston Archdiocese closes adoption program; Archdiocese of San Francisco follows, but supports adoption staffing on temporary basis with an East Bay program . • Notre Dame des Victoires Parish marks sesquicentennial. • Archbishop Niederauer and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urge humane immigration law reform; immigration reform voted top story for U.S. Catholic publications. • U.S. bishops approve new English translation of Order of Mass. • Israel-Lebanon clash called precursor to more Middle East violence by Church leaders. • Point7Now! conference in San Francisco calls for global poverty initiatives. • Parental abortion notification Proposition 85 defeated.
• Bioethics take high profile; alternatives to embryonic stem cells show results and promise; national bioethics conference held at St. Mary’s Cathedral. • Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace hosts climate change conference; Vatican asks global cooperation on climate; • Archdiocese’s “Protecting God’s Children” program expands screening and training; Office of Children and Youth Protection formed. • Religious leaders urge “vigorous” role for U.S. to calm Middle East. • In apostolic exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, pontiff underscores real presence of Christ in Eucharist and proper liturgical practices. • California legislators table physician-assisted suicide bill. • Pope Benedict relaxes restrictions on use of Tridentine Mass. • St. Mary’s Medical Center celebrates 150th year. • Benedict XVI issues second encyclical, Spe Salvi (“Saved by Hope”) in November. • California bishops release strong statement on immigration reform. • CSF Assistant Editor Rick DelVecchio reports on fact-finding journey to Dominican Republic. • CSF breaks story on Abu Ghraib scandal being worse than reported.
• Catholic school enrollments “stable,” but challenges remain. • Porziuncola blessed and opened at St. Francis of Assisi Shrine. • Oakland’s Christ the Light Cathedral dedicated and blessed. • Pope Benedict visits the U.S. • State constitutional amendment defining valid marriage as only between a man and woman passes after court ruling legalizing samesex marrage; passage challenged in court; Prop 8 fall-out continues. • Parental abortion notification initiative fails. • Humanae Vitae’s 40th anniversary draws worldwide attention. • Many from Archdiocese attend World Youth day in Australia. • Catholics dialogue over faith and politics with presidential election as backdrop. • CSF Assistant Editor Rick DelVecchio files reports from Rome; reporter Mike Vick generates stories from Haiti fact-finding trip.
Newsmakers: Pope John Paul II’s health; Sister Jeannine Grammick and Father Robert Nugent (interviewed by CSF); President Bill Clinton impeachment trial; 22 permanent deacons ordained by Archbishop Levada; Santa Rosa Diocese’s Bishop Patrick Ziemann resigns amidst sex and finance scandal; San Francisco’s Richard Dunn first American on Knights of Malta Supreme Council; San Rafael’s Eugene Smith elected national St. Vincent de Paul president; Bishop Patrick McGrath succeeds San Jose Bishop Pierre DuMaine.
Newsmakers: Reno-Las Vegas Bishop Daniel Walsh, former archdiocesan priest, named to Santa Rosa Diocese; New York Cardinal John J. O’Connor dies; Pope John Paul releases Fatima “third secret”; Catholic Charities’ executive director resigns amidst charges of expense account abuses and CYO director Brian Cahill named interim director; Pope John Paul II issues encyclical “Dominus Iesus.”
Newsmakers: President Bush bans U.S. funds for overseas abortions; Pope John Paul rejects embryo-destroying research; pope pleads for Holy Land peace; Archbishop Levada celebrates 40th year of ordination.
Newsmakers: Msgr. Ignatius Wang is named auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, becoming the first U.S. bishop of Chinese heritage; Cardinal Bernard Law resigns as archbishop of Boston in wake of clergy sex scandal there.
Newsmakers: Pope John Paul II celebrates silver jubilee as pontiff and issues new encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia; Bishop Allen Vigneron succeeds Bishop John Cummins in Oakland Diocese; Bishop Ignatius Wang ordained for Archdiocese; Dalai Lama visits USF; former San Francisco Police Chief Tony Ribera excluded from mayoral debate; Mother Teresa beatified; Archbishop John Quinn marks golden jubilee of ordination.
Newsmakers: San Francisco mayor defies same-sex marriage ban; President Bush calls for U.S. amendment to protect marriage; Archbishop Levada and Ambassador Ray Flynn lead rally for marriage; pope urges world to face global refugee crisis; Archbishop urges passage of San Francisco proposition to support housing; presidential candidacy of Senator John Kerry catalyzes Catholics-and-politics debates.
Newsmakers: Human rights advocate Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdN, is slain in Brazil; 15 men ordained permanent deacons for Archdiocese; as new prefect for Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Levada asks Synod on Eucharist to address Catholic politicians and Eucharistic reception.
Newsmakers: Local priest Father Randolph Calvo named Bishop of Reno; Pope Benedict XVI issues first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (“God Is Love”); Archbishop Levada “first in line” to be named cardinals Feb.15 by Pope Benedict; papal remarks in Regensburg, Germany spark tension with Muslim world; Opus Dei’s Bishop Javier Echevarria visits Bay Area; Renaissance Project announced at St. Francis of Assisi Shrine.
Newsmakers: San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop John C. Wester is named Bishop of Salt Lake City; Bishop Richard J. Garcia installed as Bishop of Monterey; Archbishop Niederauer named to Pontifical Commission for Social Communications; Father Jaime Soto named coadjutor bishop of Sacramento.
Newsmakers: Father William J. Justice named auxiliary bishop of San Francisco; Jesuits elect Superior General at General Congregation in Rome; pope repeatedly asks for just world economic order; Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep’s Shannon Rowbury competes in Olympics; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on abortion and Communion criticized by Archbishop Niederauer and U.S. bishops; in CSF interview, U.N. General Assembly president condemns global poverty and hunger; Sacramento Bishop William Weigand retires, Bishop Soto installed; San Francisco mayor touches off interfaith tensions with Prop 8 remarks.
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Happy 10th! Happy 10th anniversary to Catholic San Francisco! By a happy coincidence, on Feb. 12 our archdiocesan paper celebrates 10 years and, here in the United States and Canada, February is Catholic Press Month. As publisher I am very proud of our paper. Almost everywhere I go San Francisco Catholics tell me what a fine paper it is and how they enjoy reading it to keep up with the Church locally, nationally and internationally. The coverage of local news in our parishes and schools, the columnists and editorial writers who address issues within the Church and involving the Church, the opportunity to present Church teaching and practice in an interesting and attractive way — all these give real value to Catholic San Francisco. Moreover, anyone who assumes that all Catholics think exactly alike has only to turn to the letters to the editor in any issue to have his or her mind changed. My thanks and congratulations to the newspaper’s dedicated staff and advisory board.
Most Rev. George H. Niederauer Archbishop of San Francisco
In faith and truth In the first edition of Catholic San Francisco, dated Feb. 12, 1999, we introduced the newspaper to the people of the Archdiocese with a statement that included these words: “What you have before you is Catholic San Francisco, a new voice in the San Francisco Bay Area. The newspaper takes its place among the ranks of Catholic publications with the goal of serving Catholics in the Archdiocese of San Francisco with faith and integrity.” The roots of Catholic San Francisco can be traced to the archdiocesan pastoral planning process initiated by then Archbishop John R. Quinn in the early 1990s. As part of this process, I chaired a committee which studied the communications of the Archdiocese and drew up a list of recommendations to revitalize the communications efforts of the local Church. Eventually, these recommendations – including advocacy for reestablishing a newspaper -- became part of the document, “A Journey of Hope Toward the Third Millennium,” a broad-based pastoral plan for the Archdiocese, which was promulgated in December 1995. Subsequently, Cardinal William J. Levada, then Archbishop of San Francisco, commissioned a taskforce to consider the recommendations of the pastoral plan regarding communications. This task force emphatically validated the need for a first-rate Catholic newspaper, since many of the other recommendations for more effective communications could be greatly enhanced by such a vehicle. A subsequent feasibility study, including research and consultation, yielded clear conclusions: the educational level in the Archdiocese indicated high readership potential and an advertising base would be likely to carry a significant portion of the newspaper’s budget, notably if it were mailed to every registered Catholic household in the Archdiocese. Following a series of meetings with archdiocesan groups including clergy in early 1998, Cardinal Levada announced plans to start a new archdiocesan newspaper, saying, “The commitment to a weekly newspaper reflects a deeply held belief that increased communication will help us build a stronger community of faith, a more informed and involved laity, and a renewed commitment to the mission of the Church.” His successor, Archbishop George H. Niederauer, has endorsed this view. The success of Catholic San Francisco rests on a strong foundation of faith and truth. Adhering to the teaching of the Church, our goal is to support the Archbishop in his teaching office and to serve the mission of the local Church – to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this best by a dedication to the highest standards of Catholic journalism. By providing our readers with accurate and balanced reporting, we build a readership that respects the newspaper, the Archbishop, and the Archdiocese. Over time, there have been very few instances in which the newspaper has been pressured by groups or institutions to veil part of a story. We tend to resist this pressure because we believe that such a practice undermines our readers’ trust in the credibility of the newspaper, and, indeed, the Archdiocese. Catholic San Francisco’s role as a “newspaper” -- rather than a “newsletter” – best serves the mission of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. At this 10-year milestone, we want to thank all of you, our readers. Your interest, support and loyalty are a daily inspiration as we work to maintain the respect you have given to the newspaper. We especially express our gratitude to pastors, clergy, religious, schools and organizations for their support of Catholic San Francisco. Also deserving gratitude is our small but dedicated staff – current and former members. In the end, though, Catholic San Francisco always has been in the hands of God. When doubts clouded our vision, or worries weighed us down, or anxieties clawed at our resolve, we always found peace and strength in Jesus Christ. MEH
All former zygotes With regard to the Jan. 23 letter, “Phantasm of Certainty,” Dr. Robert Rowden belittles and casts doubt on Dignitas Personae. This document is beautifully crafted and well researched from a moral and scientific standpoint. It is praiseworthy in its instruction and offers clarification on what is wrong with in vitro fertilization from a Catholic moral perspective. It sheds clarity on many pro-life issues that have arisen since development of technologies that have caused human life to become an engineering process outside the womb. I applaud the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for this vital information that clearly outlines Catholic teaching. Dr. Rowden states that “a zygote has absolutely no potential for human development until and unless it embeds in the wall of a uterus,” but fails to acknowledge that if the zygote never ends up in the uterus, it is still a human life until its death. We are all former zygotes. The fact we were at a primitive stage of development does not make us any less human. He also says, “Apparently the magisterium believes that most of mankind is destroyed at the earliest stage of existence and that each lost zygote is a distinct human being known only to God. Prominent theologians have considered that highly unlikely.” It is likely the prominent theologians he mentions are dissenters from Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s prophetic and courageous encyclical. If Dr. Rowden is implying zygotes terminated in their journey to birth are not individuals or not yet human beings, he is mistaken because as the zygote traverses from the fallopian tube to the uterus, it passes through the blastomeric and morula stages of human development which means that life is progressing. Early abortions caused by chemical or mechanical contraception destroy human beings. If you stop a living thing from growing, you kill it. The zygote is growing. Any devices that lessen its chance to implant cause its death. It is difficult to assess how many human beings are eliminated by abortifacients. Dignitas Personae is honest, truthful and full of wisdom. We would do well to submit to its teaching with obedience and humility. I would recommend Physicians for Life’s website for Catholic information on life issues (www.Physiciansforlife.org). Finola Glassmoyer, R.N. Redwood City
received a very good education during their entire time – kindergarten through eighth grade – at St. Elizabeth’s. I went on to state that the program that the school has established in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, to further prepare them for high school, had been a factor in their being successful in high school. 3) The article states that the west wall of the school needs resurfacing and painting. The west wall will need to be repainted which will seal the surface. Several quotes have been received from licensed painting contractors. 4) The article states that “volunteers” have determined that the boiler is serviceable. I stated that the boiler was determined to be serviceable by the licensed contractor that maintains the boiler for the school on an annual basis. I would appreciate your publishing this letter to ensure, that for the record, my comments are printed in their entirety. Alan Maffei San Francisco
Enough already In response to George Weigel’ Jan. 23 article, “In praise of George W. Bush,” Weigel thanks George Bush for his “personal attention to our wounded and to the families of the fallen.” First, the former president sends our troops into an unlawful war and then he gets Weigel’s thanks for caring about the wounded and dead. A better decision not to enter unlawfully into war would have saved their lives and Weigel’s need to thank. Enough of Weigel! Margaret W. Govednik Orinda
L E T T E R S
Clarifications, please I was interviewed by telephone by Rick DelVecchio for the Jan. 23 article, “St. Elizabeth School’s critical year: campus hopes to ‘get secret out’.” I want to clarify and correct some of the statements in the article where I was quoted: 1) In the third-to-last paragraph, there is a quote from me that stated that the school administrators “don’t necessarily have the resources to manage the school.” The statement as quoted was incomplete. My concern with the statement is that it implies that I hold a negative opinion of the administration of St. Elizabeth’s school. That is not my opinion. During my telephone conversation with Mr. DelVecchio, I stated that the people we are asking to manage and lead our schools are dedicated and trained educators that may not have the training to meet the demands of managing and marketing the schools and this is where the Archdiocese needs to step in and offer assistance. 2) In the fourth-to-last paragraph, there was the following statement: “Maffei said the education his daughters enjoyed in grades six through eight at St. Elizabeth has been a factor in current success at a Catholic high school.” My complete statement was that my daughters
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Not to be thanked
For George Weigel (Jan. 23) to declare that George W. Bush is to be praised is roughly the equivalent to declaring that, at least, Judas Iscariot was kind to his mother. George W. Bush led the country into war under false pretenses causing the death of more than 4,000 soldiers and the wounding of 30,000 more, not to mention the estimated 100,000 civilian deaths and a national debt of trillions which will have to be paid by our grandchildren. He has decimated our civil liberties, creates our own Gulag and ruined our international reputation for honesty and fairness. He is now being investigated for possible commission of war crimes. He is not to be thanked for being one of the worst presidents our country has endured. Jerome F. Downs. San Francisco
Outstanding First Couple What a pleasure reading George Weigel in the Jan. 23 Catholic San Francisco. In it he stated President Bush’s positive accomplishments and also praised his work in Africa; just think of the numerous people who are better off and no longer afflicted with those diseases. My only comment is that he omitted the fact that as an example Laura Bush was always a person one could be proud of – both her school interest work and personally. In the same Catholic San Francisco I read she visited a Catholic school in Maryland as her last school visit as First Lady. A great example and inspiration as a husband and wife, as First Couple. I am a 92-plus-year-old Catholic, a graduate nurse and proud to be a third generation San Franciscan. Mrs. Alivina M Sawyer Atherton
Myopic praise George Weigel (Jan. 23) said his ancient joke should be read aloud in the best Irish accent manageable. I might consider myself as a “natural” except that the best Irish accent is a Cork one. I went to Ireland every year for the past 40 years so as not to lose my Dublin accent. In George’s story (I believe from Charles Lever’s “Handy Andy”) the name was Taig (two-faced) and not like mine, Paddy. If G.W. happens to be caricaturing the Irish for reasons best known to himself, let it be Paddy. It’s a good story worth telling again and again. As I heard it, however, Taig came silently LETTERS, page 14
February 6, 2009
Catholic San Francisco
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The Catholic Difference
Dangers of premature reconciliation Given the unique status of the Holocaust as an icon of evil in a morally confused world, Holocaust-denial triggers revulsions similar to those triggered by blasphemy in the Middle Ages: the Holocaust-denier must be shunned, for everyone else’s moral health. Thus it was completely understandable that, when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of four bishops illegally ordained in 1988 by the late French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, reporting and commentary focused on the fact that one of the four, Richard Williamson, is a Holocaustdenier and a man given to extolling that hoary anti-Semitic forgery, “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” Understandable, but something of freakish sideshow, for Williamson is an internationally known crank and no serious person can believe that Benedict XVI’s act constituted an endorsement of Williamson’s lunatic view of history. As the pope made clear at his Jan. 28 general audience, he has long recognized the Holocaust as a unique icon of wickedness – one that should call all of us “to reflect on the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man.” For Catholics, condemning Holocaust-denial is a moral imperative rooted in the conviction that anti-Semitism (of which Holocaust-denial is a pseudo-sophisticated form) is a sin against the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus – a God who keeps his promises, both to the people of Israel and to the people of the Church. That conviction leads readily to another conviction: that God preserves the Church from fundamental error in essential truths. And that, not questions of liturgical taste, is what is really at issue with
Lefebvrists. Were the Second Vatican Council’s teachings on the nature of the Church, on Church-state theory, and on the sin of anti-Semitism in continuity with the great tradition of Catholic faith? Or did they represent a rupture and a breach of faith? The interpretation of Vatican II among Catholic “progressives” has long stressed that Vatican II was a Council of radical change: a new beginning that, in effect, created a new Church. On this understanding, the Council broke with hundreds of years of Catholic history by mandating an open dialogue with secular modernity. In an odd mirror-image, the Catholic far right – embodied by Lefebvrists, among others – agrees: except that, in this instance, rupture means betrayal. Marcel Lefebvre was shaped in part by currents in French public culture that helped produce the Vichy regime during World War II. To a mind formed in that cauldron of resentments, prejudices and dreams of an ancient regime restored, it seemed self-evidently clear that the Council made a fatal bargain with modernity, thereby emptying Catholicism of its content while eviscerating the distinctive Catholic way of life. For the past three decades, by contrast, Joseph Ratzinger has argued vigorously in defense of Vatican II as an authentic expression of Catholic faith that must be interpreted in continuity with the Church’s tradition. For Ratzinger, Vatican II was a Council of development. Its teaching teased new meanings out of ancient tradition, but it in no way involved a rupture with the past. How could it, if God keeps his promise to preserve the Church in essential truths?
The Council’s continuity with the great tradition of Catholic faith is what Archbishop Lefebvre and his movement have long denied. And while some may sympathize with the George Weigel Lefebvrists’ commitment to dignified worship, few, I suspect, will want to defend the Lefebvrist claim that the Council taught falsely when it defined religious freedom as a fundamental human right. Thus, if Benedict XVI’s attempt to reconcile dissidents on the far starboard edge of world Catholicism is to contribute to the Church’s unity, his gestures of reconciliation must be met from the Lefebvrist side by a clear rejection of the rupture theory of Vatican II. That means an unambiguous acknowledgment from the Lefebvrist bishops that the Council taught the truth of Catholic faith in affirming religious freedom and condemning anti-Semitism. Until that happens, the absurd Lefebvrist claim that their movement is “the Tradition” (most recently made by the leading Lefebvrist bishop, Bernard Fellay) will remain an insuperable obstacle to the restoration of full communion. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Potpourri
Phone call from heaven She hadn’t been to Mass for a long time, longer than she could remember. Somehow, the mishaps of a messy divorce, a problem son long since gone, and financial struggles had been among the series of missteps over thin ice that had eventually cracked, sliding her into cold alienation from the Church. The adage, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” doesn’t compute spiritually. Absence from the awareness of God, of the love between him and his creatures, needs recharging or, like a light, it goes out. Hers had long since gone out. And now, in the hospital where death was all around her in the deep, hacking cough of other victims of a variety of lung diseases, she ignored the daily visits of a blustery, red-faced lump of a priest who blithely intruded on her privacy as he made his noisy rounds. Did she want to confess? (He would shout.) To talk? No! Just let me alone! She wanted to scream. Instead she just kept shaking her head against the merciless rota-rooter of his grinding determination to get her back on the road to some spiritual Oz. Because she had few visitors and fewer phone calls, her days were as monotonous as the gray weather outside the sanatorium. Entertainment was equally limited. Aside
from the daily crossword puzzle, some worn paperbacks and Oprah’s TV show there was nothingness. Until the morning her bedside phone rang. “Margaret? This is Carol, your old friend from Hunter College,” a pleasant female voice told her. “Doreen told me you were ill, so I’ll do all the talking, and you just listen.” So she listened – listened to the soft rush of words recalling days of carefree fun, of wonderful teachers, exciting boyfriends. Of the careers or successful marriages that followed, Carol brought her up to date on everyone and then, with a meaningful pause, she said, “My very dear Margaret, I remember how you loved the Memorarie, how it was your favorite prayer. I’m going to say it now, just for you. And I’ll continue to say it every morning with you in my heart. “Remember, O most blessed Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help and sought your intercession was left unaided ….” She finished the lovely and familiar prayer and then, with a whisper, “Goodbye, dear Margaret,” and the caller was gone.
Margaret did not know anyone named Doreen, nor did she recall Carol. She had not attended Hunter College. Yes, her name was Margaret, but so was the patient’s across the hall. She had received the call Jane L. Sears by mistake. Yet in her heart she also knew that it was no mistake, that she was meant to receive that call – a call back to God, to Mary and to the Church. “O Virgin of Virgins, my mother, to you I come....in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.” The next morning came the familiar bellow she now eagerly awaited, “And a good morning to you, Margaret! Would you like me to hear your confession today? To receive the Eucharist? “Yes, Father. Yes. I would.” Jane L. Sears is a freelance writer and member of Our Lady of Angels Parish, Burlingame.
Spirituality for Life
Carrying our solitude at a high level In an autobiographical novel, “My First Loves,” Czech writer Ivan Klima, shares how as a young man he struggled with a particular ambivalence. At one level, he wanted to be as free as his friends to act out sexually, but another part of him made him reticent to do that. This left him with the question: Was his hesitancy rooted in an unhealthy timidity or in a noble desire, a desire to carry his solitude at a high level? In the end, he decided it was the latter. To carry one’s solitude at a high level is not easy, especially inside a culture where most everything invites us take a path of less resistance. Our society, like the one within which Klima was raised, mostly invites us in the opposite direction, to take the road more traveled. Even among people with faith, the idea is prevalent that it is not worth the cost, if the cost is high, to hold out, to retain a high ideal. Rather our culture suggests: Sooner lower your standards than live in pain. Sooner let your soul endure an indignity than end up being alone. Sooner sell yourself short than be lonely. I recently received a letter from a woman who expressed frustration in finding support, even among her church friends, for living out a high ideal. Here is
how she expresses this: “It’s been seven years now that I have lived widowhood, bringing me to lots of desolation and loneliness. I recall comments that were made to me shortly after my husband died, by good Christian friends: ‘You’ll marry again.’ ‘Why get married, just live with someone.’ ‘Why live with someone, just have the occasional Saturday night sleep over.’ This attitude is very prevalent in my age group. And yet I never hear spiritual writers comment on this. You have a large audience. Could you?” Her letter goes on to help spell out what that ideal is: “There is something amazing and wonderful that widows, male and female, can bring to the world that is not happening at the moment. Everyone is promoting performance and good looks, from medical intervention for sexual dysfunction, to glamorous lifestyles traveling, to being in beautiful homes (always young, good-looking, always in pairs), to anti-aging interventions of all kinds from face-lifts, cellulite reduction, etc. We need another voice! Where do we hear of the joys of surrendering to a life larger than ours, to entering the barren landscape of breaking bodies and minds, where the spirit can finally fly free, unencumbered, through cracks and wrinkles?”
Perhaps it’s not as much that we have lost the ideal as that we have personally despaired that it can be there for us. In the end, we all still want to guard the dignity of our souls and we all still seek someone to meet Father and honor us there, with Ron Rolheiser full respect for who we are. But, as one journalist reviewing a book on chastity recently put it, that ideal makes more sense when you’re young and still have dreams of what you’re waiting for than it does when you’re in midlife and have long given up hope that what’s best will ever happen for you. She speaks for our culture which believes, as the popular song puts it, that even a bad love is better than (what seems to be) no love at all. But, as Doris Lessing once put it: There is only one real sin and that is calling second-best by anything other than what it really is, second-best!
ROLHEISER, page 14
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Scripture reflection
Job 7:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; I Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 1:29-39 A READING FROM THE BOOK OF JOB JB 7:1-4, 6-7 Job spoke, saying: Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. Praise the Lord, for he is good; sing praise to our God, for he is gracious; it is fitting to praise him. The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; the dispersed of Israel he gathers. R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name. R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; to his wisdom there is no limit. The Lord sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground. R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 1 COR 9:16-19, 22-23 Brothers and sisters: If I preach the
gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. A READING FROM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK MK 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Letters . . . ■ Continued from page 12 from the back of the chapel, slowly took his cap off and spluttered, “Begorrah, yer reverence, ye know his brother was worst.” The slant of the article is more troublesome than the way Mr. Weigel tells the story. Since there isn’t an “O” or a “Mac” before “Weigel,” we can forgive him for messing with the joke. It’s more difficult when he insults Presidents Buchanan and Hoover by suggesting President Bush, the worst president in United States history, was better than they. It seems to me President Bush was unencumbered by the fetters of the truth in being aware of the dreadful, unnecessary suffering he brought to humanity and especially to the Iraqis. Like many, I voted for his father and did not vote for Obama because I’m pro-life. I felt Bush was sincere, and was not just using the Catholic vote for his ambitions. However, I have no stomach for the war which caused the butchering of tens of thousands of harmless Chaldean Catholics and decimated the oldest branch of our Church in Basra. Shall we go along with Mr. Weigel, just accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative so we don’t get furrowed brows? Padraig Quinn San Mateo
Left out facts Just a few thoughts regarding recent correspondence by Mike DeNunzio. He states that pro-life Republican President George Bush “liberated 25 million men and women in Iraq who now have a better life.” This is a questionable statement. What are the facts? How about the countless thousands who have lost their lives?
DEACON ED CUNNINGHAM
‘… he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed’ One humorous scene in the movie “Clueless” features two teenage girls walking side by side down the crowded hallway of a high school, talking to one another on their cell phones! That we live in a time of easy mass communication goes without argument. Cell phones, Blue Tooth, texting – these are all so much a part of daily life, so commonplace, that we readily accept them and give them little attention. Years ago, a person standing alone and talking out loud would draw quizzical stares and perhaps a few rude comments. Not so today. Easy communication is a fact of life, but not so easy is that communication with God we call prayer, not because we do not know how to pray or what our prayer should be, but simply because we seem to have trouble finding the time. Perhaps Sunday’s Gospel can help. Mark recounts a day filled with activity. Jesus has been at the synagogue, goes to Simon and Andrew’s house, only to find Simon’s mother-in-law laid low with a fever. Jesus helps her up, the fever disappears, and she is able to wait on them. That cure is only the beginning. When the sun goes down and darkness shrouds the village, the whole town flocks to the home bringing their sick and possessed to Jesus to be cured. The days that follow will be the same. There will be other villages and synagogues and preaching and healing. But at the end of that first day, there is some rest, and then comes the moment that Mark describes in fewer than 20 words. “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” The message to us is certainly implied and clear. There is time for action, for doing; there must also be time for prayer. Caught up with one activity after another, our days filled with traveling here and there, busy with work or school or organized recreation, catching a bite to eat on the run, a sit-down family meal perhaps
He fails to mention that the Iraq War has caused the deaths of 4,222-plus U.S. military plus more than 30,000 injured, and it had continued to occur under the leadership of former pro-life Republican President George Bush. Yes, we do need “intellectual honesty.” Ruth F. Becker Daly City
News or abetting? A Jan. 23 article on page 3 has me wondering. The article is headlined “Walk for Life protest planned.” I wonder why space was given to the “enemy” to protest against pro life. If the article had any kind of resentment to the protestor, I would find what was expected. I see why the “enemy” would shout, “Hurrah!” after reading the article. “This is nice publicity.” Father Ed Cleary San Rafael
Graphic truth I wonder why the Catholic Church doesn’t tell the story of abortion like it really is – the killing of a child – in pictures. I had a detailed picture posted on my van window and had young people ask, “Is that what really happens?” If this picture were shown frequently, I am sure many more people would be strongly opposed to abortions. Frank A. Zoeller Menlo Park
Roman endowment A Jan. 16 letter from Thomas Notaro argues that the LETTERS, page 15
only a memory, we find few moments of rest and quiet in the day, and certainly no chance to slip off to a deserted place for prayer! We can more easily identify with Job in the first reading and complain about the drudgery of life, our worries and cares keeping us awake restlessly waiting for the dawn as the night drags on. We have all the more reason to find that deserted place to pray. But in our case, that “deserted place” might well be a quiet moment during which we pause to acknowledge His presence in our lives, a second or two to thank God for His goodness and for all the blessings we have received, the briefest of moments to ask His loving care for those who have no one to pray for them, a minute to seek His blessing and help for those whose lives are miserable beyond that of the desponding Job. Ideally, it would be nice if we could set aside 15 to 30 minutes each day for prayer—an uninterrupted block of time when we place ourselves in the presence of God in quiet meditation or thoughtfully recite the rosary or reflect on a passage of Scripture. It would be nice if we habitually greeted the dawning of each day with a prayer that gives over to God our thoughts, words and actions of the next 24 hours. But so very often our best intentions remain our best intentions. It is not that we are clueless about our need to pray, about our need to stay in touch with God. Often overwhelmed with activity, we easily forget. Perhaps we should let our cell phone, Blue Tooth, texting brothers and sisters serve as models for us. No matter what the time or place might be, they always find a moment to connect. After all, as we walk down the crowded, noisy hallway of life, He walks beside us. Deacon Ed Cunningham directs the archdiocesan permanent diaconate formation program.
Rolheiser . . . ■ Continued from page 13 A lot of people struggle with this. Another woman, also a widow, writes: “And with deepest respect and honor we may have to call upon our courage to walk away from anything and everything that does not resonate with our soul’s truth as we struggle to know ourselves in the deepest ways. And if in the end we stand alone with the presence of God perhaps that is the way it was always meant to be. In other words, I’m setting my limits and it’s mighty lonely!” That’s a pretty accurate description of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Gospels, in describing his passion, never dwell on the physical pain (the scourging and the nails) but focus instead on his moral loneliness, his radical aloneness, on what it felt like being “unanimity-minus-one”. And this, his refusal to compromise, was his great gift to us. He paid the price, in blood and loneliness, of entering that barren landscape of broken bodies and minds to carry solitude at a high level. Despite every kind of pain, humiliation and loneliness, he refused to comprise. And it left him mighty lonely. Inside everything that’s best in us, we hear an invitation to join him there: To live in pain rather than lower our standards, to risk being alone rather than compromise who we really are, and to be lonely, mighty lonely even, rather than to sell ourselves short. Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser can be contacted through his website: www.ronrolheiser.com.
Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Letters . . .
Leadership lapse
Flutterings of hope
â– Continued from page 14
It’s really appalling to see photos in the Jan. 23 Catholic San Francisco of Catholic school children celebrating the inauguration of President Obama on the very same day he signed a presidential order permitting U.S. taxpayer funding of abortions in foreign countries. They should instead be praying for his conversion. The new president has also promised to sign the so-called Freedom of Choice Act outlawing any and all legal restraints on abortion in all states. The school administrators and teachers who encourage and organize these activities must be considered actively anti-Catholic. Somewhere a great lapse in leadership exists. Are our leaders just ignorant of the daily activities in the schools, or are they trying to radically change the policies and nature of the Church? We don’t find the schools encouraging participation in our annual “Walk for Life,� for example. They seem like traitors in the cultural war in which we are surely engaged. G.P. Heckert San Mateo (Ed. note: Walk for Life materials were distributed by the archdiocesan Respect Life Program to Catholic schools. Many Catholic schools, parish youth groups and young people took part in the Walk for Life.)
I couldn’t bring myself to watch President Obama’s inauguration. I couldn’t rid myself of the thought that countless more babies would be murdered during his presidency. I felt a sense of despair. Then I went on the Walk for Life in San Francisco. I heard profoundly uplifting pro-life message eloquently articulated by the speakers. They were so obviously inspired by the Holy Spirit. I felt the first flutterings of hope. The more I listened the more my spirits soared. The secular media wants us to believe we’re in the minority on this issue, but we’re not. Millions in this country are against abortion but they are not making themselves heard. We have to be more vocal. We have to stand up and be counted. We must be God’s instruments in promoting this message for life. There were some pro-choice advocates at that rally, hurling abuse from the sidelines as we marched and prayed the rosary. They seemed full of hate and I wondered why. I felt no anger toward them, only pity. A sense of peace prevailed on that march because we knew we were on the side of good and Jesus was walking beside us. We know that Jesus is Lord over all, including President Obama, the government, and the abortionists. He loves us
riches of the Vatican should be sold and the proceeds used to help feed the poor. This reminds me of when I was young and liberal. “The golden candlesticks should be melted down,� I asserted. The problem with this kind of youthful passion is that after all the art treasures and other irreplaceable jewels were liquidated and the poor were fed, there would still be hungry poor people but the Church would be poorer. The Lord advised us that “the poor we have with us always.� God knows why. Isn’t it wonderful to know that Catholic charities serve the poor on a massive scale, world-wide, greater than all other charities and the Red Cross combined! Why must some people continue to harp on the Roman endowment which reverted to the Church at the fall of the empire? God has seen fit to retain this arrangement. Even though the city of Rome has been sacked, the Vatican fortress has never fallen. God is truly great! I am reminded of an old saying: Those who are under 30 and are not liberal, have no heart. Those who are over 40 and are not conservative, have no brain. Steven J. Catalano Manteca
10th Anniversary . . . ■Continued from page 11 God for sending me Joe Sullivan, who, I feel, was an angel who saved my life.� CSF feature stories on the many extraordinary ministries undertaken by area faithful have often led to broadened support for them. A recent example is the work with blind children in Vietnam spearhead by archdiocesan priest Father Thuan Hoang. Father Hoang told the newspaper staff recently that readers surprised him with generous support and requests for ongoing involvement. And Catholic Charities CYO’s recent Season of
Caring campaign uplifted the spirits of the CCCYO staff as readers shrugged off the ailing economy and donated generously during the holiday season. A few years ago, CSF Executive Editor Maurice Healy was caught off guard by a phone call from a woman who said although she and her husband had not been Catholic at the time, they had begun receiving Catholic San Francisco about two years earlier. “She said they had grown to love the paper and eagerly awaited its arrival each week,� he remembers. At the end of a brief conversation, she told CSF that because of the paper, she and her husband had recently gone through RCIA and had become Catholic.
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Unfair judgment
The Jan. 16 review of the movie “Frost/ Nixon� was appalling. It was so patently obvious that Father Basil De Pinto harbors animosity toward Nixon that his review of the movie has Tour no credibility. For example, after he described Frank Langella’s portrayal of Nixon, he writes that “you may understand this man, but you are not inclined to forgive.� Father De Pinto went on to write that Nixon (Langella) said he “’let the country down’ - a small enough admission, considering the enormity of his crimes.� His statement, “enormity of his crimes,� has Father De Pinto judging Richard Nixon, the person. He should know that Richard Nixon was never impeached nor prosecuted for any April crimes. 29-May 10, 2009 I was led to believe that Catholics, espeTour 90502 cially priests, are to forgive and not pass judgment on one’s character. After all, isn’t that why Catholics confess their sins to a priest so as to be forgiven and not judged? Mike Guidotti San Carlos
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16
Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Music TV
Books RADIO Film stage
Mercy Beyond Borders’ foundress shares refugees’ reality “THIS FLOWING TOWARD ME” by Marilyn Lacey, RSM. Ave Maria Press 2009. Paperback, 224 pages. $15.95.
By Liz Dossa At the time of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake Mercy Sister Marilyn Lacey experienced an unusual sensation she couldn’t identify. A strange unease caused her to go to bed with her shoes on for days. Her roommates had to help her name the unfamiliar feeling. “Marilyn, that’s fear,” they said. One of Sister Marilyn’s great gifts is that unless she is confronting spiders, she rarely feels that stomachtightening panic that can grip any of us. Her ease with danger has allowed her to travel and work in places where people live in constant peril. In her just-published book, “This Flowing Toward Me,” she writes about refugees she has come to know from living and working with them for more than 21 years. A curly-haired, slim figure with an intent gaze, she talks about her work in refugee camps in Thailand and Africa and from her experience as director of Refugee Services for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of San Jose. The book is a compelling narrative of her life with the displaced who often exist in appalling conditions without sufficient food or clean water amid ongoing violence. They have been her teachers in her journey with God. The book, written on a sabbatical in 2006, was drawn from ideas and reflections she entered in her prayer journal and notes she took in her travels. She was a natural storyteller among the Mercy Sisters. “I had been musing for a number of years,” she said. “When I would tell stories about the refugees, people urged me to write them down. Father Peter van Breeman, SJ, who directed me on a long retreat in 1993, inspired me and encouraged me to write because he said the book would lead many to God.” The book she finally wrote relates those moving stories, human and entertaining and often laced with humor. Sister Marilyn grew up in Millbrae with four brothers, attended St. Dunstan’s and enjoyed a natural talent for baseball. Eventually she chose religious life, not really knowing what awaited her. After her profession as a Sister of Mercy in Burlingame, she began teaching math and religion at Mercy High School. But, in 1980 her curiosity was piqued by a sign posted on the convent bulletin board: “Urgent! Refugees arriving at SFO from Southeast Asia. Volunteers needed to assist at the International Terminal.” Helping weary and disoriented refugee families coming in from Asia find their way onto planes to their final destinations
prompted her own journey. She volunteered to teach English in Nong Khai refugee camp in Thailand where each person was allotted 18 square inches of living space, and the scant food rations were routinely stolen before reaching the camp. “During the flight to Thailand, I thought ‘Here I am, Supernun. I’m going to rescue these people,’” she said, reflecting on her youthful idealism. “After I got there I realized I couldn’t rescue them. I was going to be rescued from my own narrow world and would be blessed by what I would learn of God through them. They were stuck in miserable confinement in that camp. I wasn’t going to fix their lives. It dawned on me that just being with them was a grace. This is what we mean by true solidarity with the poor. We recognize our bond with our brothers and sisters.” Her affinity with those suffering prompted her to return home to enroll in the master’s degree program in social work at the University of California at Berkeley. As she received letters from friends in the refugee camp she was overwhelmed by her inability to help. Where was God? “I was angry with God. Then I had what I would call a waking dream sitting on a bench in a Berkeley garden. I had a searing certainty that God was in the suffering. It was as if God said to me, ‘I am with you in this, more than you can ever realize. And I am with your brothers and sisters in the camps, too. I am weeping with you.’ My image of God is of a quadriplegic. Love makes us vulnerable. Not powerful.” “This was a searing insight,”she said. “I knew it was real, and it released an impasse in me.” She felt free to act, aware of God as a loving presence who would act through her. Full of energy and purpose, she began her role as the director of Refugee Services at Catholic Charities in San Jose, helping to resettle victims of war and political oppression from all over the world. She helped them to find jobs, learn English and enroll in schools. In return, she learned poignant lessons from them. In the midst of her multiple tasks, they often focused her on the simplicity of the immediate. “Relationships are tremendously important to them,” she said. “I’m brought up short by how many call me and stay in touch. In welcoming them, you are welcomed. Stripped of possessions, their faith is vibrant and alive. God is the one they cling to.” Even though her goal was to be present with refugees as they emerge dazed into American culture, she was constantly distracted by her own ideas when she saw needs. As she founded job placement, immigration services, literacy classes, aging programs, youth programs and parish adoption programs, the administrative
Sister Marilyn Lacey, RSM, and friends in southern Sudan.
tasks mushroomed. Her staff grew from four to 45. She admits with a laugh, “I was a victim of success. I went to so many meetings, but I really wanted to be closer to the refugees.” “I feel called to downward mobility,” she said with emphasis. “If we don’t remain close to the poor, it’s hard to remain close to God.” Following her convictions, she stepped back from her role in agency management to allow more time for the welcoming of the strangers. As she wrote the book, she refocused her goals. She established the nonprofit Mercy Beyond Borders dedicated to educating women and children in the most need. “Refugee resettlement is fantastic, but refugees are less than one-half of one percent of the world. I feel called to the other 99 ½ percent. Mercy Beyond Borders is a way for us to partner with women and children in extreme poverty. Every dollar given can transform a life.” Currently, she’s working to direct funds to St. Bahkita, a girls’ school in Sudan; to buy bicycles in seven Sudanese villages; and to finance roadside cafes by women in southern Sudan where the building of new roads makes these businesses profitable. Her book speaks to one of the most urgent issues of the time: the fear a culture can feel of the “other,” the immigrant, the foreigner taking refuge here. Sister Marilyn has been deeply saddened by the post 9/11 world. Out of insecurity fences are built. Strangers are seen as terrorists. Still, some of the world’s most frightened people have shown her another truth. “It’s not building walls that will make us safe,” she says. “It’s building relationships that makes us safe.” The website for Mercy Beyond Borders’ is www.mercybeyondborders.org. Liz Dossa directs communications for the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest, Burlingame office.
Talented duo extend themselves in service of great music By Father Basil DePinto There have been fine performances already this season and there will be more, but there will hardly be a more satisfying one than the recital by Christian Tetzlaff, violinist, and Leif Ove Andsnes, pianist, given on Jan. 27 under the auspices of San Francisco Performances. These extraordinary artists have appeared here before, together and singly, and they never disappoint. It is highly significant that each of them has a distinguished solo career because when they appear together their teamwork is stunningly seamless and devoid of ego. Tetzlaff is the more physically active as he plays, although his movements are never distracting. Ove Andsnes is quieter but constantly on the alert and sensitive in his role as equal partner. Neither tries to outshine the other, and the composers they serve are the true stars of the evening. But in the event it’s clear what enormous talent each of them possesses. So – on to the excellent interpretations of the works they presented. They began with Janacek’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano.” How did we ignore for so long the magnificent achievement of the great Czech master? Only in the second half of the 20th century, and largely through the efforts of British conductor Charles Mackerras, did he begin to be widely known. This sonata, largely still unfamiliar, speaks yet again of
Christian Tetzlaff
Leif Ove Andsnes
the originality and creativity of a composer who continues to astonish audiences. The piece dates from 1914 when the composer entered his final and amazingly fruitful last years of life. Its distinctly modern sound maintains its roots in classical harmony, and the two interpreters exhibited their clear conception of Janacek’s embrace of different musical worlds. The spiky, percussive opening movement gives way to a lusciously lyrical Ballada and a conventional scherzo, finally concluding with a slow movement, just to
keep you guessing. And yet there is no trickery here, just the evidence of an amazingly fertile musical imagination. After that eye-opening start one might expect the rest to be anti-climactic. The best was yet to come. Before intermission there was the Brahms D minor sonata and after it the Mozart F major. Brahms, ever the symphonist, casts his work in four movements, while Mozart sticks to the standard fast-slow-fast formula. But both works betray the composers’ common passion for the piano. His
personal proficiency as a pianist could lead Brahms to relegate the violin to a subordinate role. But he was able to overcome that in this work, so that the violin is not subdued and the piano dominant; there is an admirable fusion of both instruments. True, the feeling of large, expansive life seems to spring from the keyboard, but the violin joins it willingly, casting its own particular glow over the proceedings. This was illustrated most beautifully in the Adagio, where the performing team used their extraordinary sensitivity to produce a fully integrated and balanced reading. The Mozart revealed the enthusiasm of the composer just arrived in Vienna and reveling in a new lease on life. The program concluded with the “Rondo Brillant”of Schubert. To say that this piece gave the players the opportunity to showcase their virtuosity in no way deflects from their musical integrity. The demands of the piece call for large-scale talent and this pair have that in spades. But the ease with which they displayed it allowed them and the audience to have great fun while the artists continued to extend themselves in the service of great music. The large and enthusiastic audience made their pleasure known by sustained applause which indicated anticipation of another visit very soon. Father Basil De Pinto is a frequent contributor on the arts scene.
February 6, 2009
Taize/Chanted Prayer 1st Friday at 8 p.m.: Mercy Center, 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame with Mercy Sister Suzanne Toolan. Call (650) 340-7452; young adults are invited each first Friday of the month to attend a social at 6 p.m. prior to Taize prayer at 8 p.m. The social provides light refreshments and networking with other young adults. Convenient parking is available. For information contact mercyyoungadults@sbcglobal.net. Tuesdays at 6 p.m.: Notre Dame Des Victoires Church, 566 Bush at Stockton, San Francisco with Rob Grant. Call (415) 397-0113. 3rd Friday, 8 p.m. beginning Dec. 19: Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, Motherhouse Chapel, 43326 Mission Blvd in Fremont. Contact Maria Shao at (408) 839-2068 or maria49830@aol.com or Dominican Sister Beth Quire at (510) 449-7554 or beth@msjdominicans.
Pauline Books and Media Daughters of St. Paul, 2640 Broadway, Redwood City (650) 369-4230 - Visit paulineredwood. blogspot.com. Feb. 11, 7p.m.: Continue to celebrate the Pauline Year with a Faith and Film Night sponsored by the Daughters of St. Paul. The evening will include a brief introduction to the excellent film dramatization, St. Paul, excerpts of the film, and a follow-up discussion. Join the sisters for an enjoyable evening of movie and fellowship.
TV/Radio Sunday, 6 a.m., KOFY Channel 20/Cable 13 and KTSF Channel 26/Cable 8: TV Mass with Msgr. Harry Schlitt presiding. Saturday, 4 p.m.: Religious programming in Cantonese over KVTO 1400 AM, co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry and Chinese Young Adults of the Archdiocese. 1st Sunday, 5 a.m., CBS Channel 5: “Mosaic,” featuring conversations on current Catholic issues. 3rd Sunday, 5:30 a.m., KRON Channel 4: “For Heaven’s Sake,” featuring conversations about Catholic spirituality. KSFB Catholic Radio 1260 AM offers daily Mass, rosary and talk on the faith – visit www.ihradio.org. EWTN Catholic Television: Comcast Channel 229; Astound Channel 80; San Bruno Cable Channel 143; DISH Satellite Channel 261; Direct TV Channel 370. For programming details, visit www.ewtn.com.
Trainings/Lectures/Respect Life First Saturdays: San Mateo Pro-Life prays the rosary at Planned Parenthood, 2211 Palm Ave. in San Mateo at 9 a.m. and invites others to join them at the site. The group is also open to new membership. Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month except August and December at St. Gregory Parish’s Worner Center, 138 28th Ave. in San Mateo at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Jessica at (650) 572-1468. Feb. 10, 7 p.m.: “Emergence of the Feminine Paradigm,” in 21st century leadership, a conversation at Notre Dame de Namur University’s Cunningham Chapel, 1500 Ralston Rd. in Belmont. Free and open to the community. Sponsored by the school’s Dorothy Stang Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement. Call (650) 508-4120 or e-mail dstannard-friel@ndnu.edu Feb. 12, 8:15 a.m.: Notre Dame Sister Roseanne Murphy tells the story of late Notre Dame Sister Dorothy Stang who was murdered for her work on behalf of poor South American farmers on Feb. 12 several years ago. Takes place in library of Notre Dame Elementary School 1200 Notre Dame Ave. off Ralston in Belmont. Call Jodie Penner at (650) 344-1205 or e-mail jpenner@nde.org Feb. 17: The Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought at University of San Francisco announces its Spring Events beginning Feb. 17 with John T. Noonan Jr. in conversation with visiting social justice chair, Msgr. Robert W. McElroy, 4 p.m. in the Berman Room of the school’s Fromm Hall.
Datebook Sacro Costato Missionary Sisters celebrate the 100th anniversary of their founding at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1310 Bayswater, Burlingame Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. Salt Lake City Bishop John C. Wester, a former priest and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, will preside. A reception follows the Mass. The Sacro Costato Sisters have taught in St. Catherine Elementary School for 35 years guided by the exhortation, “From the heart of Christ to the heart of the world.” From left: Sacro Costato Sisters Amy, Corinna, Alessandra and Antonello, school principal. “Come join us as we celebrate 100 years of faithfulness,” Sister Corinna said. Topics include “A Church that Can and Cannot Change: The Development of Catholic Moral Teaching.” For full schedule, directions and more information, call (415) 422- 5200 or visit www.usfca.edu/lanecenter. Feb. 22, 1:30 p.m.: Franciscan Father Richard Rohr, well-known spiritual teacher and author, speaks about “Contemplation and Action in the 21st Century” at St. Ignatius Church, campus of USF, corner of Parker and Fulton in San Francisco. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at door. To pre-register, make check payable to Contemplative Outreach and send to Mary Wyman, Event Coordinator at 202 Roosevelt Way, San Francisco, 94114. University and high school students admitted free with school ID. Feb. 25 through April 5, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.: Members of San Mateo Pro-life will be praying for an end to abortion during this “40 Days for Life.” The “peaceful prayer vigil” will take place in front of Planned Parenthood, 2211 Palm Ave. in San Mateo every day during the assigned hours. “All are welcome,” said Jessica Munn, an officer of the pro-life group. Visit www.40daysforlife. com/sanmateo or e-mail fortydaysforlife@yahoo.com or call (650) 572-1468. Mar. 14, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Training for New Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Offered by the Office of Worship at Corpus Christi Church, San Francisco. Fee is $15. Please pre-register at (415) 6145505 or buchsiebm@sfarchdiocese.org. Mar. 21, 10 a.m. - noon: Training for Communion to the Sick and Homebound. Offered by the Office of Worship. $5 fee; waived for previous attendees. To be held at Corpus Christi Church, San Francisco. Please pre-register at (415) 614-5505 or buchsiebm@ sfarchdiocese.org. Mar. 14 and Mar. 21 (Session I & II): Training for New Lectors. Offered by the Office of Worship. Fee is $20. Session I: Mar. 14, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Session II: Mar. 21, 10 a.m. - noon, at Corpus Christi Church, San Francisco. Please pre-register at (415) 614-5505 or buchsiebm@sfarchdiocese.org
older. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Free dance lessons 7 – 8 p.m. with Olivia Guillory. Music by Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic. Call (415) 374-6698 or (925) 522-8727. Feb. 20, noon: Reunion lunch for Class of ’57 from St. Ignatius, Sacred Heart and Archbishop Riordan high schools at Caesar’s Restaurant, Bay St. at Powell in San Francisco. Tickets at $35 include lunch, tip and contribution to Riordan scholarship fund. Contact John Strain, SI, at (415) 492-3310 or e-mail bigstrains@ sbcglobal.net; Tom Doonan, SH, at (415) 621-6324 or e-mail tobenapa@aol.com; Mike Farrah, Riordan, at (415) 681-0300 or e-mail FarrahRE@aol.com. Feb. 25, noon: Spaghetti and meatball lunch at Immaculate Conception Chapel, Folsom off Cesar Chavez/Army St. in San Francisco. Tickets are $8. The family-style meal includes salad, bread, pasta and homemade meatballs. Beverages available for purchase. The meal is served in the church hall, beneath the chapel. Call (415) 824-1762. Feb. 28, 6:30 p.m.: Annual “All You Can Eat” Crab Feed sponsored by Serra Club of San Francisco at St. Anne Parish’s Moriarty Hall, Judah at Funston in San Francisco. Tickets are $45. No-host bar. Call Joan Higgins at (415) 333-2422 or e-mail at jhigg2390@ aol.com. Feb. 28, 5:30 p.m.: Cioppino Dinner and Silent Auction benefiting St. Thimas More School, St. Thomas More Way and Brotherhood Way in San Francisco. Tickets are $40 per person including complete dinner and wine. Visit www.stthomasmoreschool.org Mar. 1, 5:30 p.m.: Columban Fathers Annual Dinner and Raffle at United Irish Cultural Center, 45th Ave. at Sloat Blvd. in San Francisco. Guests of honor are Nora Mullane and Terry and Dan Kelleher. Tickets at $40 include pot roast or chicken pomadora dinner. Call Pam Naughton at (415) 566-1936 or Anne Quilter at (415) 586-8017.
Food & Fun
Feb. 12, noon: Meeting of the Serra Club of San Francisco at Italian American Social Club, 25 Russia Street off Mission Street in San Francisco. Jesuit Brother Douglas Draper, retired Dean of Students at St. Ignatius College Preparatory is guest speaker.
Feb. 14, 7 p.m.: Valentine Zydeco Dance at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Parish, 1122 Jamestown Ave. at 3rd St in San Francisco. Adults only, 21 years of age and
Vocations/Meetings
Catholic San Francisco
17
Tickets for lunch are $16. Non-members welcome. Feb. 21, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) will host an informal “Come and See” gathering at the Jesuit School of Theology, 2621 Ridge Rd., Berkeley. Single men, ages 18 to 45, interested in learning more about the Jesuits and/or exploring a vocation to religious life are invited to attend this event. Includes Mass, prayer period, vocation stories, panel discussion, and “Q&A” session. No cost; lunch is provided. To RSVP, contact Radmar Jao, S.J. at (510) 225-6137 or rjao@calprov.org. General info: contact Jesuit Brother Jim Siwicki, vocation director, at (408) 884-1613 or jsiwicki@calprov.org.
Special Liturgies Feb. 7, 11 a.m.: First Saturday Mass at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma, All Saints Mausoleum Chapel. Call (650) 756-2060 or visit www.holycrosscemeteries.com. Feb. 14, 10 a.m.: Mass and Renewal of Marriage Vows for couples married 25, 50 or more than 50 years at St. Anne of the Sunset Church, 850 Judah St. at Funston in San Francisco. San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William J. Auxiliary Bishop Justice will preside. Reception follows. William J. Justice Couples may register at www.Sffamilylife.com. Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m.: Archbishop George Niederauer presides at a Gospel Mass commemorating the Feast of St. Paul at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, 3rd St. at Jamestown in San Francisco. Concelebrants include pastor, Conventual Franciscan Father John Gawlowski, Father Charles Onubogu with Deacon Larry Chatmon assisting. The parish Gospel Choir will lead song. “Archbishop Niederauer’s presence brings added graces to our year-long celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul and blesses our annual observance of Black History Month,” the parish said in a statement. Call (415) 468-3434 for more information. Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m.: Bishop William Justice presides at Mass for secular and lay orders of the Archdiocese of San Francisco at St. Thomas More Church, Brotherhood Way at Junipero Serra Blvd. in San Francisco. Reception follows. Call Mary Munden at (408) 730-5385 or Linda Silverio at (415) 239-4200 for more information.
Reunions Feb. 20, noon: Reunion lunch for class of ’57 from St. Ignatius, Sacred Heart and Archbishop Riordan high schools at Caesar’s Restaurant, Bay St. at Powell in San Francisco. Tickets at $35 include lunch, tip and contribution to Riordan scholarship fund. Contact John Strain, SI, at (415) 492-3310 or e-mail bigstrains@ sbcglobal.net; Tom Doonan, SH, at (415) 621-6324 or e-mail tobenapa@aol.com; Mike Farrah, Riordan, at (415) 681-0300 or e-mail FarrahRE@aol.com. Mar. 19, 11:30 a.m.: Classes of ’39 to ’47 from Star of the Sea Academy at Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco. Call Dorothy at (415) 681-1493.
Datebook is a free listing for parishes, schools and non-profit groups. Please include event name, time, date, place, address and an information phone number. Listing must reach Catholic San Francisco at least two weeks before the Friday publication date desired. Mail your notice to: Datebook, Catholic San Francisco, One Peter Yorke Way, S.F. 94109, or fax it to (415) 614-5633, or e-mail burket@sfarchdiocese.org.
ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO 2009 DELUXE DIRECTORY INCLUDES:
Archdiocesan Officials and Departments, Catholic Charities, Parishes & Missions, Parish Staff Listings. Latest E-mail Addresses, Phone Directory Yellow Pages, Mass Schedules. Schools: Elementary, High Schools, Universities & Colleges. Religious Orders, Religious Organizations, etc. . . .
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
obituary
(PHOTO BY ADM GOLUB)
Sister Elizabeth dies Jan. 24
CYO Hall of Fame inducts three Filling the San Francisco St. Emydius gymnasium for the Second Annual Catholic Youth Organization Athletics Hall of Fame induction dinner and ceremonies, 270 guests from 23 parishes paid tribute Jan. 23 to three new inductees: seated, Barbara Foy and Frank Finnegan, and Tim Curran (third from left). Also pictured standing are, from left, Courtney Johnson Clendinen, CYO Athletics director; Jeff Bialek, Catholic Charities CYO executive director; and Msgr. Harry Schlitt, archdiocesan vicar for administration. “This event continues to be a great way to connect the CYO Athletics community of San Francisco. The excitement in the room was such a testament to the impact that CYO Athletics has had on the community for over 76 years,“ said Johnson Clendinen. The event raised $13,000 for CYO Athletics. Foy has served CYO in varied capacities for 23 years, including athletics director at Mission Dolores. Finnegan is a former longtime CYO boys and girls basketball coach. Curran is a former CYO player and veteran coach.
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TA XMAN CORTES TAX SERVICE Income Tax ● Notary Public Alan J. Cortes Ph: (415) 641-4292 3750 Mission St. (415) 641-4296 San Francisco, CA 94110 Fax: (415) 839-8501
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Adrian Dominican Sister Elizabeth Clare Schindler died Jan. 24 at her congregation’s retirement facility in Adrian, Mich. She was 84 years old and in her 64th year of religious profession. Locally, Sister Elizabeth served as principal and teacher at St. Brendan Elementary School in San Francisco from 1953 – 59. The late religious held a post called Elementary Supervisor in the Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1961 – 67. Msgr. John Foudy, retired pastor of St. Anne of the Sunset Parish in San Francisco, was superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1957 – 64. “I was very glad to have Sister Elizabeth on my team,” Msgr. Foudy said from Alma Via residence in San Francisco where he now resides. “It was a time when new schools were being built Sister Elizabeth and classrooms were more than full. Clare Schindler, OP We were very satisfied with her work.” “Sister Elizabeth Clare was a real community woman,” said former Adrian Dominican Prioress, Sister Nadine Foley. “First of all, she was committed to life in community. Throughout her entire life in the Congregation she never lived alone. During those years she was asked to serve in many roles — teacher, principal, superintendent, provincial, coordinator of congregational housing, staff member in the finance office, member of the chapel renovation committee.” Born in Chicago, Sister Elizabeth held graduate degrees in elementary education from the University of California and in administration from Iowa State University. In addition to San Francisco, teaching assignments during her 38 years as an educator took her to schools in Michigan, Illinois, Oakland, and Iowa. Survivors include a cousin, Adrian Dominican Sister Dolores Marie Dolan. A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 27 at the Sisters’ St. Catherine Chapel with interment in the congregation cemetery.
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Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Catholic San Francisco
classifieds For Advertising Information CALL 415-614-5642 FAX 415-614-5641 EMAIL penaj@sfarchdiocese.org
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furnished, sunny, MB in house w/stairs, for one quiet adult, shared bath & kitchen. Household: mature, quiet, working, student. Near Ocean K line. Please call 415-584-5307 before 10 pm.
PUBLISH A NOVENA Pre-payment required Mastercard or Visa accepted
Cost $26
If you wish to publish a Novena in the Catholic San Francisco You may use the form below or call 415-614-5640 Your prayer will be published in our newspaper
Name Adress Phone MC/VISA # Exp. Select One Prayer: ❑ St. Jude Novena to SH ❑ Prayer to St. Jude
Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assistme in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. C.M.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Basement Apt. Room for Rent for Rent 2 rooms w/bath, kitchen. Sunny, light, basement apartment, free parking for one car. $1300/mo. Household: mature, quiet, working, student. Please call 415-584-5307 before 10 pm.
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Maid Services MAID CLEANING SERVICES I clean houses, apts & offices. LOW PRICES – 20 yr. experience reliable
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Vocations OVER 30? PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER!
Desire Priesthood? Religious Life? Lay Ministries? Superb Sabbatical? Jesuit Retreats? 800-645-5347 – 24/7 gonzaga.edu/ministryinstitute
Prayer to St. Jude Oh, Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near Kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make you be invoked. Say three our Fathers, three Hail Marys and Glorias. St. Jude pray for us all who invoke your aid. Amen. This Novena has never been known to fail. This Novena must be said 9 consecutive days. Thanks. MMcS
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail.
Holy Spirit, you who make me see everything and who shows me the way to reach my ideal. You who give me the divine gift of forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank you for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. Amen. You may publish this as soon as your favor is granted. C.C.
Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assistme in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. MMcS
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail.
Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assistme in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. S.G.
Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assistme in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. S.G.
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For Lease OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE Approximately 2,000 to 3,500 square feet of space (additional space available if needed) at One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco (between Gough & Franklin), is being offered for lease — preferably to a non-profit entity. Space available includes four enclosed offices, open work area with seven cubicles, large work room, and storage rooms on the bottom level of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Chancery/Pastoral Center. We also have mail and copy services available, as well as meeting rooms (based on availability). Space has access to kitchen area and restroom facilities. Parking spaces negotiable. Ready for immediate occupancy with competitive terms. For more information, contact Katie Haley (415) 614-5556; email to haleyk@sfarchdiocese.org.
Help Wanted PRINCIPAL
❑ Prayer to the Blessed Virgin ❑ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
CLASSIFIED RATES
Serra for Priestly Vocations Please call Archdiocese of San Francisco Fr. Tom Daly (415) 614-5683
POSITION OPENING 2009-10
Please return form with check or money order for $26 Payable to: Catholic San Francisco Advertising Dept., Catholic San Francisco 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail.
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19
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EDITOR – CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is seeking a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as editor of Catholic San Francisco – the official newspaper of the San Francisco Archdiocese. Catholic San Francisco Editor plans newspaper content including news and feature stories; organizes and directs editorial staff, freelancers, photographers; writes and assigns stories; edits copy; selects wire service material; works collaboratively with advertising director and production manager, leads the production of each issue of the newspaper, and manages/oversees the content of the Catholic San Francisco Online website. Position reports to associate publisher/ executive editor. This full-time position is located at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, One Peter Yorke Way, in San Francisco. Desirable candidates for the editor position will have a degree in journalism and 14 or more years of newspaper experience, including 7 or more years experience as editor or assistant editor. Candidates should be faithful Catholics with a commitment to Church doctrine and teaching. They also should have a working knowledge of the U.S Catholic Church and an understanding of the universal Church. Prior diocesan newspaper experience is helpful, but not required. Catholic San Francisco is published weekly most of the year and twice a month in June, July and August.
Please send cover letter, resume, and samples of work to schmidtp@sfarchdiocese.org. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
20
Catholic San Francisco
February 6, 2009
Allow political process to decide marriage debate, argues filing By Caroline Glatz The courts should withdraw from the marriage rights debate in California and let the political process take its course, the Church and two other faith organizations argue in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the state Supreme Court’s review of Proposition 8. “The People should be allowed to debate and decide the legal definition of marriage,” according to the filing by lawyer James F. Sweeney, representing the Church through the California Catholic Conference and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Allowing the political process to decide allows for a resolution that balances competing interests and avoids the danger of a divisive outcome like the “frozen conflict” that
characterizes the abortion issue, according to the Jan. 19 filing. “Although many have argued that same-sex marriage is a winner-take-all battle, there is room for at least some middle ways in the debate,’’ the filing states, arguing that the task belongs to the people and their elected representatives rather than to the courts. The filing also maintains that removing the definition of legal marriage from the political process “would needlessly generate wide-ranging church-state conflict.” Religious people and institutions that object to same-sex marriage will face a wave of lawsuits under anti-discrimination laws never intended for that purpose and will be labeled bigots by state and local governments, the filing states. Prop 8 restored the definition of marriage as only between a man and woman, overturning last May’s state Supreme Court ruling that marriage is a constitutional right that must
be extended to all couples regardless of sexual preference. Prop 8 opponents sued after losing the Nov. 4 election, saying it is unconstitutional to limit marriage to only some of the couples who want access to it. On Nov. 19, the Supreme Court issued an order to show cause in three cases challenging Prop 8 -- Strauss, Tyler, and City and County of San Francisco. That order directs the parties to brief and argue the following issues: 1) Is Prop 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution? 2) Does Prop 8 violate the separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution? 3) If Prop 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of Prop 8? Oral argument has not yet been scheduled. After the cases are heard, a ruling is due within 90 days.
Cardinal laments communication lapse that fueled controversy By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The controversy over a traditionalist bishop who has minimized the full extent of the Holocaust was fueled in part by a lack of communication within the Vatican, said a cardinal who coordinates Vatican dialogue with the Jews. “Up to now people in the Vatican have spoken too little with each other and have not checked where problems might arise,” Cardinal Walter Kasper told Vatican Radio’s German program Feb. 2. “There were misunderstandings and management errors in the Curia,” he said, in reference to the lifting of the excommunication of British-born Bishop Richard Williamson, who has claimed that reports about the Holocaust were exaggerated and that no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers. Bishop Williamson was one of four bishops of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X whose excommunication was lifted by the pope Jan. 21 – the same day a Swedish television station aired a November interview with Bishop Williamson in which he repeated his position on the Holocaust. The papal decree was made public Jan. 24 and Jewish groups expressed shock the Vatican would lift the excommunication against Bishop Williamson even after his comments had been televised. Cardinal Kasper said he has been following the unfolding controversy “with great concern.” He said the pope “wanted to open the discussion because he wanted unity inside and outside” the Church. But the cardinal said he “would have also liked to see more com-
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