OC CATHOLIC - MARCH 6, 2022

MARCH 6, 2022

LIVING CROSS AT GARDEN OF HOPE PAGE 10

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM

LONG JOURNEY OF FAITH FR. BAO THAI’S APPOINTMENT AS THE NEW RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAPS A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN WITH A HARROWING EXPERIENCE AS A 9-YEAR-OLD IN VIETNAM PAGE 6

BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF FR. BAO THAI AS THE NEW RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL DURING A MASS ON FEB. 20. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

MARCH 6, 2022

CONTENTS

7 8 14

ROLE PLAYING

A child’s first role models are their parents; be the sort of person your child can look up to.

2022 CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ETHICS

The annual event returned as an in-person gathering at the JW Anaheim Marriott last month.

POPE CALLS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE Pope Francis called on the faithful to observe a day of prayer and fasting for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

PLUS

Guest Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey

ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.

ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC

The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840 Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange Executive Editor: Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com News Ideas: editor@occatholic.com Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com

ADVERTISING Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com

SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams

Art Director: Fernando M. Donado

Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein.

Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.

OCCatholic.com

OCCatholicNews

@OCCCatholicNews

GUEST COLUMN

LOVE’S GENIUS AND CHOOSING LIFE OVER WAR: ON PRAYING FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

BY GREG WALGENBACH DIRECTOR OF LIFE JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

A

S FULL-SCALE WAR BREAKS out by Putin’s Russian invasion, in Ukraine there are sadly now Christians, who share in the Body of Christ after praying the Divine Liturgy, who are ready to kill one another. That one side fights as invaders and the other defenders is an important distinction but not the focus here.

What we do know is that women, children, the poor and working classes suffer the most from war’s devastation. There is also a very real threat of escalation and even existential threat of nuclear conflict. Yet, as terrifying as that all is, war remains a power

4

that offers us meaning and consistently tempts us to trust that it will save us.

We must say No! to war and its attacks on human life.

Pope St. Clement of Rome once wrote: “Why do the Members of Christ tear one GREG WALGENBACH another; why do we rise up against our own body in such madness; have we forgotten that we are all members, one of another?”

Recently, following his predecessors, Pope Francis reminded us of the “madness of war”: “I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to do a serious examination of conscience before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the father of

O C C AT H O L I C n M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2

all and not only of some, who wants us to be brothers and sisters and not enemies.”

The strongman politics of Putin must be condemned and at the same time, as Francis encourages us in Fratelli Tutti, we must look inward at our own scapegoating, nationalistic tendencies, and acceptance of violence.

Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote: “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”

We are rightly appalled by the incredible, violent turn of events, and we too, as Americans and as the Church in the United States, CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

The Diocese of Orange, through OC Catholic newspaper, presents local, national and world news about the Catholic Church. Our intention is to give our readers access to a variety of perspectives in order to help them to process the information within the framework of our Catholic faith, but also to better understand the perspectives of those with opposing viewpoints.

We hope that ultimately our readers will be better equipped to have constructive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.

DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

“

The ability to be forgiven is a human right.

— Pope Francis

IN THE DESERT

SAINT PROFILE

”

COLETTE OF CORBIE 1381-1447

J

B

ESUS WAS LED BY THE SPIRIT into the desert for forty days, and then the devil tested him. Moses and the Israelites had been in the desert for forty years before being led to the land of milk and honey. There were times when they called out to God, sure that, as Saint Paul wrote to the Romans, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” We sometimes spend time in the desert as well. Not a literal desert most of the time, but a desert in which it seems difficult to perceive God’s presence, times when we face difficulty and are tempted to leave God’s ways behind. On this First Sunday of Lent, Jesus shows us what to do in these moments: stand firm and trust in God. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

ORN TO NICOLETTE BOELLET IN FRANCE, this reforming saint preferred Colette, her nickname. She entered and left several religious orders, then lived as an anchorite, or hermit, for three years. Eventually, she discerned that God wanted her to return Franciscan religious to their original rule of strict poverty. She was empowered in her reforms by the schismatic Benedict XIII, recognized in France as pope. Considered the founder of the Colettine Poor Clares, Colette also helped inaugurate reforms among Franciscan friars.

She spent every Friday fasting and meditating on Christ’s Passion. After reportedly saving the life of a woman dying in childbirth, Colette was considered a patron of expectant mothers. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

LV 19:1-2, 11-18; PS 19:8-10, 15; MT 25:31-46

IS 55:10-11; PS 34:4-7, 16-19; MT 6:7-15

JON 3:1-10; PS 51:3-4, 12-13, 1819; LK 11:29-32

EST C:12, 14-16, 23-25; PS 138:1-3, 7C-8; MT 7:7-12

EZ 18:21-28; PS 130:1-8; MT 5:20-26

DT 26:16-19; PS 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; MT 5:43-48

GN 15:5-12, 17-18; PS 27:1, 7-9, 13-14; PHIL 3:17 — 4:1 [3:20 — 4:1]; LK 9:28B-36

M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2 n O C C AT H O L I C

5

FEATURE

LONG JOURNEY OF FAITH FR. BAO THAI’S APPOINTMENT AS THE NEW RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAPS A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN WITH A HARROWING EXPERIENCE AS A 9-YEAR-OLD IN VIETNAM

BY GREG HARDESTY

D

OCTORS TOLD THE mother there was no hope for her 9-year-old son.

It was early summer 1979, and a severe malaria outbreak had ravaged Saigon.

Neighborhood friends of young Bao Thai had died, and he likely was next.

His distraught mother, Kim-Anh Nguyen, made a promise as she prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary: If she would heal her son, she and her five children would become Catholics.

As doctors continued to monitor Bao, his condition, miraculously, started to improve. He eventually went home fully recovered.

A few months later, on Aug. 15 --the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary – Bao’s mother made good on her promise. She and her five children were baptized in the Catholic Church.

Bao’s father, Minh Thai, was baptized six years later after the paratrooper in the South Vietnam military was released from prison. He had been captured by North Vietnam soldiers two days before the Vietnam War ended, on April 30, 1975.

These events sealed the desire of Bao, then 15, to become a priest.

And now, he’s Bishop Kevin Vann’s choice to succeed Fr. Christopher Smith as rector of Christ Cathedral, the spiritual home of the Bishop of Orange and a major center of Catholic worship on the West Coast that attracts 11,000 people to church each weekend.

“I’m speechless,” Fr. Bao said about receiving the new assignment, in which he will run a parish whose members come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

6

“First of all, I thank God for the new mission entrusted to me,” Fr. Bao said. “Secondly, I’m grateful to Bishop Kevin Vann and his Episcopal Council for having such confidence in me. This appointment is an honor.”

Fr. Bao’s appointment is effective July 1, 2022, when Fr. Christopher will assume the title of rector emeritus and finish some ongoing projects on the Christ Cathedral campus at Bishop Vann’s request.

Fr. Bao earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and taught high school for a year in Vietnam before the U.S. sponsored his POW-led family’s relocation to the U.S. They arrived in Orange County in July 1993.

His passion to become a priest still burning, Fr. Bao became active in his home parish, St. Bonaventure in Huntington Beach. He entered Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon in August 1995.

There, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

In 1998, Fr. Bao earned a master’s degree in divinity and a master’s degree in spiritual philosophy at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo.

After being ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 2003, Fr. Bao went on to earn his licentiate of sacred theology in spirituality at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (“The Angelicum) in Rome in June 2009.

Fr. Bao’s tenure in the Diocese has included serving as parochial vicar at the parishes of San Francisco Solano, Holy Family Cathedral, St. Anthony Claret and Our Lady of La Vang. Bishop Vann appointed him administrator of St. Cecilia in July 2015 and pastor in 2017.

FR. BAO TAI WILL SUCCEED FR. CHRISTOPHER SMITH AS RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL.

O C C AT H O L I C n M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2

CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.

FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Fluent in Vietnamese and English, and with a good knowledge of Spanish, the newly appointed rector also served concurrently as parish administrator of La Purísima Catholic Church for a six-month period in 2020.

Fr. Bao is on the board of the Orange Catholic Foundation, and he served two terms on the Diocese’s Priest Personnel Board. He also was instrumental as an advisory board member for the July 2021 dedication of Christ Cathedral’s Our Lady of La Vang Shrine, a contemporary outdoor display devoted to the Virgin Mary as she is believed to have appeared before a group of Vietnamese Catholics in 1798.

BREAKING THE NEWS

Bishop Vann noted that he spent considerable time at St. Cecilia with Fr. Bao a few years ago while recovering from a surgical procedure.

“My time there helped me to not only know Fr. Bao, but to see his love for his parishioners as their pastor,” Bishop Vann said. “And I got to see first-hand his ability to work with the Vietnamese, Hispanic and Caucasian parishioners of St. Cecelia, which is the same ethnic mix at Christ Cathedral.”

Recognizing Fr. Bao’s skills and accomplishments, Bishop Vann invited Fr. Bao to dinner at Il Barone Ristorante in Newport Beach on Jan. 14, 2022.

There, over a meal of fish and red wine, Bishop Vann asked him if he would accept the assignment as the new rector of Christ Cathedral.

Fr. Bao’s acceptance makes him the fourth Vietnamese rector of a cathedral in the U.S. and the second in California.

“I will humbly utilize my gifts to carry out the vision of Bishop Vann for Christ Cathedral with the help of God,” Fr. Bao said. C

ROLE PLAYING MY MOTHER, THE MAKER: HER EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS CHANGED MY LIFE

BY KATIE DAWSON

W

HEN IT COMES TO female role models, our first, most important, and lasting, is our mother. In considering this week’s global celebration of women, my thoughts naturally turn to my own amazing mother.

My mother was just 21 when I was born. I was the first of five – so I had a young and energetic mother who could do anything. In those early years, she was a whirlwind of activity, painting and wallpapering into the night after working in an office all day.

She really was a “maker,” full of ideas and creativity. As I grew older, she sewed my prom dresses, planned my parties and cooked for my friends. She did the same for my younger siblings. She was always a “maker” – making things fun, making life beautiful.

She loved us all so very much. She had been an only child into her teen years, and longed for a big, bustling family. And that is what she got.

When I was still very young, and my mother was pregnant with baby number two, it occurred to her that maybe going to a church would be good for her children. Not really believing in God, she threw a prayer into the air: “Jesus, if you are really God, please show me.” I don’t know what she expected to happen as she

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

prayed. But in the next instant she heard a voice. She heard Him say, “I Am.” She went to the nearest Catholic Church (Holy Rosary Parish in San Bernardino, now the cathedral parish), and “signed up.” She, my baby brother Brad and I were baptized together months later. That experience, those words from Jesus, undergirded the rest of her life. It defined her identity – and ours. She never let go of it through all life’s ups and downs. It was her sustaining truth.

When I was a young teenager, I had some questions about God myself. I was sad but sure that the universe was an empty place and God was just a nice story to make us feel good. When I shared my doubts with my mom, she smiled calmly and confidently and told me to just keep asking God to reveal Himself to me. “He will,” she said, and added that

she would be praying for me.

In the next few months, I didn’t hear a voice, but I recognized God’s presence.

My mother’s confidence calmed me and encouraged me to ask for revelation. That was my own turning point, the sustaining truth of Jesus in my own life.

When we are very young, it’s easy to believe our parents are super. Super strong, super smart, super funny. We aspire to be like them, to imitate them, emulate them. If we are lucky, as we grow older, though we recognize they are not exactly SUPER, we can still admire their virtues, receive their wisdom and appreciate their insights. (And we may still laugh at some of their jokes.)

When I think of my mother, now gone, I remember all her “making.” But most of all I remember how an encounter with Jesus made all the difference in her life.

She showed me what that meant -- and helped me find it, too. C The Maria Ferrucci Catholic Family Living feature is intended to inspire families to live their faith in the way Maria Ferrucci did throughout her earthly life.

M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2 n O C C AT H O L I C

7

FEATURE

ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION’S CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS 2022 CLOSE TO 700 ATTEND IN-PERSON CONFERENCE

BY LOU PONSI

A

FTER BEING HELD virtually in 2021, the 2022 Orange Catholic Foundation’s Conference on Business & Ethics returned as an in-person gathering, where three influential business leaders were celebrated for using their faith as the guiding principle in the day-to-day operation of their businesses.

The 19th annual conference, which drew 675 attendees from within the business, religious and academic communities, was held at the JW Marriott in Anaheim on Feb. 18.

In her opening remarks, Orange Catholic Foundation President and Executive Director Kimberly Jetton said the foundation’s mission is to serve Orange County’s Roman Catholic community through philanthropy and stewarding funds to ministries espousing their beliefs in loving service to God. “As we have been conditioned to be in this world, but not of this world, what distinguishes us is how we live our lives, how we run our businesses, and how we care for the wellbeing of others,” Jetton said. “Our faith and our livelihood are not mutually exclusive she said. The purity of our faith determines the quality of our livelihood.”

Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange, presented the Bishop’s Award for Exemplary Business Integrity to Al Baldwin, chairman of the board of Baldwin & Sons, a real estate development and home building company, and Roger Kirwan, chairman and CEO of Woodside Credit, a classic and collector car financing firm.

Baldwin, whose company has developed more than 20,000 houses, has

8

THE GONZALEZ FAMILY OF NORTHGATE MARKET ARE PICTURED WITH DANIEL K. WALKER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND CEO OF FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK (FURTHEST RIGHT). FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK ARE ALSO CO-PRESENTING PARTNERS AT THE CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA RENEE PHOTOGRAPHY

received multiple awards and commendations from civic, business and faithbased organizations.

Those include the Distinguished Citizen Award from Los Angeles County Boy Scouts of America, National Association of Homebuilders Legend Award, City of Chula Vista Man of the Year Award.

“I was very fortunate in life,” said Baldwin, a father of four with 13 grandchildren. “I came from a family that had very strong religious values and I was able to go to Catholic grade schools and

O C C AT H O L I C n M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2

Catholic High School.”

“Following the 10 Commandments in all areas of life is paramount,” he said.

“My feelings are if you never forgot those 10 rules that God gave Moses, you’ll make the right decisions,” Baldwin said. “If your underlying values are strong enough, you’ll make the right decision for your company, your employees, your family but most important, your God.” Kirwan has chaired or served on a variety of committees and has been recognized for accomplishments in

multiple arenas.

The New York native was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his alma mater, Xavier High School in New York.

He received the Segerstrom Center of the Arts Chairman’s Cup as the Outstanding Volunteer in 2003 and 2020.

He served on the Board of Orange County Philharmonic Society and chaired the Major Gifts Campaign for building Santa Margarita Catholic High School.

“I’m honored to be here, and I thank CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

FEATURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

God every day for what he’s given me,” Kirwan said.

The Gonzalez family, devout Catholics and owners of the supermarket chain, Northgate Market, received the Farmers & Merchants Bank Lifetime Achievement Award.

After the family’s shoe making business in Mexico burned down, Miguel and Teresa Gonzalez moved to the U.S. looking to start a life and provide for their 13 children.

Miguel and three of his sons came in 1970s to find work and then moved his whole family to Southern California 1976.

In 1980, Miguel and his son mortgaged their homes to obtain the money to purchase a small grocery store in downtown Anaheim.

The Gonzalez’s grew their business and today, there are 43 Northgate Market grocery stores in four counties with more than 6,000 employees.

All senior management meetings at Northgate being with prayer.

“The Gonzalez family runs Northgate market with the Belief of enriching their lives and the lives of their associates through their faith,” said Farmers & Merchants Bank CEO Daniel Walker, who presented the award to the family.

The keynote speaker of the conference was Luke Zamperini, son of Olympic and World War II hero Louis Zamperini and president of the Louis Zamperini Foundation.

Luke shared his father’s story as world class distance runner who participated in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

While serving in the U.S. Army Air Corp as a bombardier in a B-24 during World War II, Zamperini was on a search and rescue mission when his plane malfunctioned and crashed into the ocean.

He ended up on a Japanese occupied Marshall Islands and was beaten and tortured while a prisoner of war.

Zamperini was released after the war but suffered from PTSD and battled

THE 2022 CONFERENCE WAS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF HANK EVERS, WHO WORKED FOR 10 YEARS WITH THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE AND THE ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA RENEE PHOTOGRAPHY

alcoholism.

He became a Christian and went on to work with at-risk youth.

Zamperini’s life was chronicled in the book and movie “Unbroken.”

Today, the Unbroken Curriculum is taught in schools to students to examine their own challenges through the lens of Zamperini’s life.

The 2022 conference was dedicated to the memory of Hank Evers, who died

of cancer Oct. 4, 2021, at age 69.

Evers worked for 10 years with the Diocese of Orange and the Orange Catholic Foundation, where his efforts with the conference and other campaigns helped raise millions of dollars underserved students.

“Hank, I’m sure you are looking down on us right now and I hope you approve of what we are carrying on today in your memory,” said Conference co-chair Randy

Redwitz, who presented an award to the family in recognition of his contributions.

The foundation’s next major event, “A Night of Country Under the Stars,” takes place April 2 at Christ Cathedral.

The event features a Mass celebrated Bishop Vann, followed by a performance

by Gary LeVox, lead vocalist of Rascal Flatts.

For more information, please visit orangecatholicfoundation.org C

M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2 n O C C AT H O L I C

9

DIOCESAN NEWS

LIVING CROSS INSTALLED AT THE GARDEN OF HOPE

BY CATHERINE GRATTAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ORANGE COUNTY

R

EFLECTING ON THE transformation of a parking lot into a green space including murals, seating and fresh grown food, Santa Ana resident and muralist Brian Peterson prayed the Garden of Hope would fulfill a bigger vision as a territory of hope and renewed life.

Joan Steen, one of the major supporters of this project, remarked, “It washeartwarming to see how the Garden of Hope evolved from a simple idea as a labor of love for Jesus and our neighbors.”

Like how the smallest seed can yield the most fruitful harvest, the Garden of Hope is already impacting the community in unprecedented ways, reaching another milestone earlier this month.

In the second week of February, CalFresh Healthy Living staff held their first cooking demonstration at the Garden of Hope using fresh lettuce from the garden to make delicious chicken lettuce wraps. In addition to typical packaged goods, underserved community members excitedly received fresh lettuce and grape tomatoes from the garden at the Cantlay Food Distribution Center. That same day, the Living Cross was installed at the Garden of Hope.

Flowers and foliage will be planted in the Cross “as a continual reminder of God’s blessing on this humble garden,” Steen explained.

Catholic Charities of Orange County looks forward to seeing how the Garden of Hope will continue to impact the community. On June 18, Catholic Charities will honor those who have made the garden possible at the Garden of Hope Dedication and Blessing by his Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen.

To invest in the Garden of Hope project, go to ccoc. org and select the “Garden of Hope” tab, or text cultivator to 41444.

Catholic Charities is thankful for any and all contributions to make the garden a place of fellowship where people can learn about nutrition and healthy living.C

10

O C C AT H O L I C n M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2

VOLUNTEERS FROM THE CANTLAY FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER RECENTLY DISTRIBUTED FRESH LETTUCE AND GRAPE TOMATOES FROM THE GARDEN OF HOPE. PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ORANGE COUNTY LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THE GARDEN OF HOPE WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES.

DIOCESAN NEWS

HAZEL WRIGHT ORGAN UPDATE

BY STAFF

A

FTER MANY YEARS of planning, delays and meticulous work, the process of restoring Christ Cathedral’s Hazel Wright Organ recently took a major step.

On Feb. 7, in front of the organ’s main console, Bishop Kevin Vann, Fr. Christopher Smith (rector and episcopal vicar of the cathedral), Dr. Frederick Swann (former organist for the Crystal Cathedral), David Ball (Christ Cathedral organist and head of music ministry), Kevin Cartwright (the organ’s new curator) and Piero Ruffatti (the original builder of the organ) signed a special agreement. In effect, Dr. Swann accepted the organ’s restoration work by Ruffatti’s team, handing it off to Cartwright’s company, Los Angeles-based Rosales Organ Builders, for continued maintenance.

Monday’s signing signaled the end of several weeks of painstaking, detailed voicing work by Ruffatti’s team and its examination by Dr. Swann, who was the Crystal Cathedral principal organist and director of music under the Rev. Robert Schuller from 1982 to 1998. Dr. Swann’s playing was heard around the world by millions for Rev. Schuller’s “Hour of Power” broadcasts. The organ inside the Arboretum, Rev. Schuller’s original church, is named after Dr. Swann.

After the signing, Dr. Swann played for the signing team and other Diocese of Orange leaders, including Bishop Timothy Freyer and Msgr. Stephen Doktorczyk. Gabriel Ferrucci, a leading benefactor to the Diocese of Orange, was also present and was credited with being an instrumental coordinator in making the years-long restoration effort a success.

During the signing ceremony, Ball premiered a new work he commissioned as the inaugural piece for the organ, “Fanfare-Introduction in D” by Daniel

BISHOP KEVIN VANN IS PICTURED WITH DR. FREDERICK SWANN, FORMER ORGANIST FOR THE CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL, ON FEB. 7.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.

Ficarri. Later that night, Hazel Wright was also played during the World Marriage Day Mass.

The finished pipework in the organ will begin to be used for liturgies in the cathedral while another contractor on the project, Pennsylvania-based Walker Technical Company, works to install the digital portions of the organ. A blessing

and dedication celebration of the fully restored instrument are being planned, as is a Diocese-produced documentary about the organ and its restoration process.

Since Christ Cathedral’s dedication in 2019, the cathedral’s music ministry has been playing on a digital organ on loan from Walker. Its sounds come from

speakers placed throughout the cathedral.

The Hazel Wright Organ — named after a Chicago donor who appreciated Rev. Schuller’s “Hour of Power” ministry — contains 293 ranks with 17,106 pipes.

It was dedicated in 1982. It has been expanded over the years and is among the five largest organs in the world. C

M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2 n O C C AT H O L I C

11

DIOCESAN NEWS

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

BY STAFF

LENTEN MISSION SERIES

St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress is hosting a three-night Lenten Mission series with actor Frank Runyeon, from March 8-10.

“The Story of Faith” is an engaging and inspiring series of three individual plays designed to awaken our hearts and minds this Lenten season.

The schedule is as follows: Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m.: “Afraid: The Gospel of Mark”; Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m.: “Sermon on the Mount”; Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m.: “Signs: The Gospel of John.”

This Lenten mission series will also be livestreamed on Facebook, @stirenaeuschurch.

SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO CHURCH WELCOMES KATIE MCGRADY

ST. IRENAEUS CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CYPRESS IS HOSTING A THREE-NIGHT LENTEN MISSION SERIES WITH ACTOR FRANK RUNYEON. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. IRENAEUS CHURCH.

Draw near to Jesus this Lent by reflecting on how He has drawn near to you. We invite you to join us at San Francisco Solano for our 2022 Lenten Mission featuring Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel’s Katie McGrady.

Katie will speak at 7 p.m. nightly from March 7 to March 9. There is no cost to attend, and everyone is welcome.

For more details, please visit solanocatholic.org/lent.

YOU’RE INVITED TO EXPLORE LIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS!

St. Joachim’s Catholic Church will be hosting an Alpha Program, which is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. The program will run approximately 11 weeks starting Wednesday, March 16, from 6-8 p.m. Each talk looks at questions around faith and is designed to spark conversation in an open

12

ST. JOACHIM CATHOLIC CHURCH, COSTA MESA. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

and safe environment. Each week dinner can attend virtually via Zoom. will be provided, attendees will watch a There is no cost. Please visit https:// video, share experiences, ask questions stjccm.org/alpha or contact Carol Nasr and meet new friends. If you prefer, you at (949) 439-0226 to register.C

O C C AT H O L I C n M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2

SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO’S 2022 LENTEN MISSION WILL FEATURE SIRIUS XM’S THE CATHOLIC CHANNEL’S KATIE MCGRADY. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO.

GUEST COLUMN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Merchandise Fitness-Weight Loss LOSE 15-30 LBS IN 30 DAYS! I work with Clergy and Parishioners successfully! Easy & Safe. Gil Yurly 714-206-0443

To report sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel please call: 1 (800) 364–3064 Healing and Hope After Abortion: 1 (800) 722–4356 New Hope Crisis Counseling Hot Line (24/7): 1 (714) NEW–HOPE or 1 (714) 639–4673

“Communication & Hard Work is Our Key to Your SUCCESS”

714-956-4000 www.Masciel.com

Garrett Masciel • DRE#01920249

Gary Masciel • DRE#00614861

must take a hard look at our history, our present, our own hearts.

For the United States has its own creative storytelling about regional stability, peacekeeping, demilitarizations, quelling of slave rebellions, native uprisings, taking territories by means of war, systemic exclusion and infringement on the rights of people of color, migrants and unborn children. Currently, we’re having public arguments about whether we ought to tell the truth about this history at all. The line cuts close and deep indeed.

Once asked how she was coping with her cancer, Sr. Thea Bowman replied, “Part of my approach to my illness has been to say I want to choose life, I want to keep going, I want to live fully until I die.” Asked whether she had reconciled with her disease, she recoiled at the question: “I don’t want to reconcile with cancer, I don’t want to reconcile with injustice... racism... sexism... classism.

I don’t want to reconcile with anything that is destructive.”

Let us condemn the killing and refuse to reconcile with war. Let us choose life!

In the Eucharist we participate in the end of sacrifice, including the sacrifices of war. Jesus is the fulfillment of every good sacrifice and the overcoming of all of the ways that we sacrifice one another. What has come into being in Him is life.

That’s why when Christ tells us to love our enemies, he means it.

“If we are calling upon nations to disarm,” Dorothy Day once wrote, “we must be brave enough and courageous enough to set the example.”

As tempting as it might be to look to strongmen or military might, to a moral vision in which enemies have a monopoly on evil and therefore there’s no need to ask forgiveness, the way of the cross is a different path.

As Pope Benedict XVI put it beautifully in his 2007 Angelus at the start of Lent: “Christ’s proposal is realistic because it takes into account that in the world there is too much violence, too much injustice,

WHAT CAN WE DO? n Pray. Pray, fast, and give, for an end to the war in Ukraine, for protection for all in harm’s way (especially women, children, and the poor who usually suffer the most in times of war), and for peacemaking efforts.

Where to give to help Ukraine: www.catholicnews.com/update-where-togive-to-help-ukraine n Repent. That we would repent of our own attachments to aggressive nationalism, the violence in our own hearts and our refusals to condemn structural violence in our midst, and our temptation to see others, especially migrants and the poor, as threats and/or tools rather than Jesus seeking welcome and offering us a future (see in particular Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, secs.

11, 86, 141) n Peacebuilding. As Pope Saint Paul VI said, “If you want peace, work for justice.”

Get involved in working for justice, for protecting life and human dignity and all of creation. Be prepared to stand against war and U.S. and NATO pursuit of military responses and proliferation of arms and to encourage instead solutions that address root causes. Learn about peacebuilding movements and consider how you, your family, and parish community might train for peace, learning and practicing ways of being in the world free of violence and killing. Starting with the Eucharist.]

and therefore that this situation cannot be overcome except by countering it with more love, with more goodness. This “more” comes from God: it is his mercy which was made flesh in Jesus and which alone can “tip the balance” of the world from evil to good, starting with that small and decisive “world” which is the human heart.”

“Love of one’s enemy constitutes the nucleus of the “Christian revolution,” a revolution not based on strategies of economic, political or media power: the revolution of love.”

This Lent, let us pray for peace in Ukraine fervently and prepare ourselves to follow faithfully Christ our Peace. C

M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2 n O C C AT H O L I C

13

CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

POPE CALLS FOR DAY OF PRAYER, FASTING FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) —As the threat of war loomed over the world, Pope Francis called on people to pray and fast for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday.

Before concluding his general audience Feb. 23, the pope called on believers and nonbelievers to combat the “diabolical insistence, the diabolical senselessness of violence” with prayer and fasting.

“I invite everyone to make March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace,” he said. “I encourage believers in a special way to devote themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace protect the world from the folly of war.”

In his appeal, the pope said he, like many around the world, felt “anguish and concern” after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The pope said that due to the “alarming” developments in the region, “once again, the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests.”

“I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to do a serious examination of conscience before God,

POPE FRANCIS GREETS A WOMAN DURING HIS GENERAL AUDIENCE IN THE PAUL VI HALL AT THE VATICAN FEB. 23, 2022. PHOTO: PAUL HARING / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the father of all and not only of some, who wants us to be brothers and sisters and not enemies,” he said.

He also urged world leaders to “refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilizing the coexistence between nations and discrediting international law.”

Putin’s recognition of the two break-

away regions’ independence was seen by Western leaders as a violation of international law protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and as a move that could pave the way for a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine.

In the wake of the Russian president’s actions, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced sanctions against several

Russian banks and institutions.

In a statement released Feb. 22, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, said Putin’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has caused “irreparable damage” to the “logic of international relations.”

He also said the Russian president “destroyed foundational principles for a long-term process of restoring peace in Ukraine” and “created the path for a new wave of military aggression against our state.”

“Today, all of humanity has been placed in danger,” he said, because Putin’s action asserts that “the powerful have a right to impose themselves on whomever they wish, with no regard for the rule of law.”

Archbishop Shevchuk reminded world leaders of their duty and responsibility “to actively work to avert war and protect a just peace.”

“I call upon all people of good will to not ignore the suffering of the Ukrainian people brought on by Russian military aggression,” he said.

“We are a people who love peace. And precisely for that reason we are ready to defend it and fight for it.” C

U.S. BISHOPS’ PRESIDENT ECHOES POPE FRANCIS’ CALL FOR PRAYER AND FASTING FOR UKRAINE

BY U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS

WASHINGTON (USCCB) -- Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement on Ukraine: “On behalf of my brother bishops, I echo the Holy Father’s call for prayer

14

and fasting to end the war in Ukraine.

In times of trouble, we call on the tender mercy of God … to guide our feet to the way of peace (Lk 1:78-79). May our prayers, joined with those of people around the world, help guide those waging war to end the meaningless suffering and restore peace. Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.” C

O C C AT H O L I C n M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2

WORSHIPPERS LIGHT CANDLES AS THEY ATTEND A PRAYER SERVICE AT ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UKRAINE IN KYIV FEB. 20, 2022.

PHOTO: UMIT BEKTAS, REUTERS / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Moments MomentsininourourJourney Journey

Sunday Mass was celebrated on Feb. 20 with Bishop Kevin Vann and Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in San Clemente - honoring Fr. Jim Ries.

—Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Orange

Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com

M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 2 n O C C AT H O L I C

15