February 13, 2020

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Artwork reclaims abandoned baptistery

Photographer’s art captures ‘otherworldliness’

400-plus gather to pray, venerate ancestors

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

www.catholic-sf.org

SERVING SAN FRANCISCO, MARIN & SAN MATEO COUNTIES

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

$1.00  |  VOL. 22 NO. 3

US bishops ask pope about Amazon synod, discuss range of issues CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

(PHOTO BY DEBRA GREENBLAT/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Consecrated Life Mass honors 32 religious

The Consecrated Life Mass at St. Matthew Church in San Mateo Feb. 2 honored 32 women and men religious celebrating jubilees this year in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Pictured with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone are, from left, Sister Margarita Ramirez Palacios, OJS; Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher, RSM, Sister Bernadette Hart, RSM; Sister Carol Njoku, DMMM; Sister Mary Aloysita, MC; Sister Kathleen Powers, DC; Sister Angeles Marin, RCM; Sister Paulina Simms, RSM; Sister Rosann Fraher, RSM; Sister Maria Mathew, CHF. See Page 3 for more.

VATICAN CITY – Talking about debates, differences and discernment, Pope Francis told a group of U.S. bishops that people focused on the possibility of ordaining some married men and women deacons for service in the Amazon will be disappointed in his apostolic exhortation. The Vatican will release “Querida Amazonia” (Beloved Amazonia), the pope’s postsynodal document, Feb. 12. The document came up Feb. 10 in the two-and-ahalf-hour discussion Pope Francis had with bishops from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, two of the bishops said. The bishops were making their “ad limina” visits to Rome to report on the status of their dioceses. As is his normal practice, Pope Francis told the bishops they could talk about whatever issues they wanted to raise, offering him information, asking him questions or even critiquing him, as long as the critique remained in the room. Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, told Catholic News Service the pope told the bishops: “I want to hear what you have to say. Criticisms, complaints and questions are welcome. That’s how the SEE BISHOPS, PAGE 11

Clergy abuse crisis gets a fresh reading in parish study group NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

A year-and-a-half after the Catholic Church in the U.S. suffered devastating and disheartening revelations of systematic abuse, have Catholics moved on? Months after the coverage of sexual abuse has died down, a group of parishioners convened at St. Gregory Parish in San Mateo to discuss it again and how Catholics should respond. Cindy Gherini, a parishioner at St. Gregory, said after now-laicized Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was accused of sexual abuse and a grand jury in Pennsylvania published a report on how state dioceses handled clergy abuse, her parish held a community discussion about what was going on. During that meeting, Gherini said, there was an outpouring of grief and anger. “And then it died after that, so to speak. Nobody led

“He (Bishop Barron) really calls those who read it to take action, do something and be part of the solution. We need to be responsible, too.” SUSAN ARMS, St. Gregory parishioner us forward,” she said. “How much longer can we stay in those emotions and not move forward?” What gave her direction was a short pamphlet written by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron and published by Word on Fire Catholic Ministries,

“Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis.” According to its preface, Bishop Barron wrote the booklet to support Catholics who are “demoralized, scandalized, angry beyond words and ready to quit.” He gives a spiritual and historical overview of the abuse crisis and urges people to stay and work for a holier church. Gherini said after reading it she decided to form a study group around it at St. Gregory. “I was really amazed how it was written, that it would take us step by step through thoughts and feelings and emotions and lead us in a direction,” she said. The parish handed out free copies of the book to parishioners and a group met for three weeks, during which the half-dozen attendees discussed the text and SEE ABUSE, PAGE 14

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INDEX On the Street . . . . . . . . 4 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 National . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 22


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