October 7, 2011 by Catholic San Francisco

Religious liberty: Bishops’ group to fight ‘assault’

Catholic san Francisco

By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — Saying they are increasingly distressed over government policies that promote contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage and amount to an assault on religious freedom, the U.S. bishops have established a committee to shape public policy and coordinate the church’s response on the issue. The Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty was announced Sept. 30 by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., was named chairman of the new committee. “There is a common and factually grounded perception that religious liberty is increasingly under assault at the state and federal level in the United States, whether through unfriendly legislation or through rules and regulations that impede or tend to impede LIBERTY, page 20

Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

CCCYO sports to mandate pregame ecumenical prayer CYO Athletics introduced mandatory prayer before girls volleyball games in Marin County on Sept. 11, a policy that will be instituted across the Archdiocese of San Francisco by September 2012, according to Catholic Charities CYO. “We think that an opening prayer is a great way to bring us together as a community and remind us that God is present in each of us,” said Jeff Bialik, executive director of Catholic Charities CYO, who noted that parish athletic directors were the ones who first suggested the idea. “We are also trying to reintroduce fun and civility into our games, which can sometimes be too much about winning or losing.” Hundreds of prayer cards were distributed to coaches, parents, and athletic directors to kick off the first phase of the program, said CYO Director of Athletics Courtney Johnson Clendinen, who oversees grade three through eight athletics in Marin, San Mateo and San Francisco counties. “Sharing prayer with someone is very powerful,” said Clendinen. Eighty girls volleyball teams, grades three through eight, were the first to pray the ecumenical prayer that had been written over the course of seven months by a team of religious education directors, athletic directors, pastors and Catholic Charities CYO officials. In January, the 300 Marin County CYO boys’ basketball teams will inaugurate the policy. In September 2012, the rest of the CYO basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams MANDATORY PRAYER, page 13

Arely Caballero and Giselle Sierra, both 11, members of St. Boniface Church in San Francisco, carry a cage with a pair of Australian parakeets, Folsom and Ruth. The pet birds were blessed during the annual Franciscan Blessing of the Animals at the church in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District.

(PHOTOS BY JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

By Valerie Schmalz

Blessing of the Animals

Franciscan Father Tommy King, pastor at St. Boniface, and another parish member look on as a child wants to play with Jack, a dachshund that needs wheels to travel. Right, a young woman gives water to her dog.

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION On the Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Missal series . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Wisdom vs. logic . . . . . . . . 17

Archbishop’s Journal: Poetic epiphany ~ Page 3 ~ October 7, 2011

Cherishing children with Down syndrome ~ Page 9 ~

The elderly are a blessing ~ Page 15 ~

ONE DOLLAR

Father Rolheiser . . . . . . . . . 19 Service Directory . . . . . . . . 22

www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 13

•

No. 31