Voice of the Southwest - Summer 2019

The Official Publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup | dioceseofgallup.org | Vol.59 No.2

VOICE

of the

SOUTHWEST Turning Toward God

Celebrating the Mass “Ad Orientem” - Facing God, present in the Eucharist

COMBATING ABUSE:

New directives for investigating bishops

PRIEST PROFILE: Meet Fr. Peter Short

TOTUS TUUS:

National youth catechesis program visits parishes

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COVER STORY NEWS

FEATURES

The Mass, Ad Orientem

20 Priest Profile

“I have decided that, since the recent solemnity of Corpus Christi, the 11:00am Sunday Mass will henceforth be celebrated ad orientem at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Gallup... ad orientem worship shows, even in its literal orientation, that the priest and the people are united together as one in worshipping God.”

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A look at the bills and laws, that defined the 2019 lawmakers’ session.

08 “The Light of the World” Bishops in NM and AZ have enacted several measures to combat abuse by high-ranking clerics

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CALENDAR

Fr. Peter Short, pastor in Winslow, reflects on his service in Argentina, meeting Pope Francis, and the challenges of priestly life

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Hall of Hospitality Gallup church opens longawaited parish hall

“Son La Luz del Mundo” La Carta ha sido objeto de crítica porque no se aplica a los obispos ni a sus equivalentes en la ley. El Papa Francisco ha corregido esa deficiencia mediante su reciente Carta Apostólica.

28 Events/Classifieds

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AZ Legislation

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USCCB: 3 New National Measures Enacted

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Voice

of the

Southwest

Publisher The Most Rev. Bishop James S. Wall

Editor Suzanne Hammons

Office Manager Anna Flores

Where to find us The Voice of the Southwest can be found in any parish, mission, or Catholic school in the Diocese of Gallup. To receive a subscription to your home, contact us at media@ dioceseofgallup.org or 503 W. Historic Highway 66, Gallup NM 87301

Contributors

EVANGELIZATION COLUMNS 18

Listening Session

30 Making Sense Out of Bioethics

The challenges facing Franciscans in the Southwest over the next 4+ years

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IVF and Gene Editing: Sacrificing our humanity in pursuit of risky scientific frontiers

“Totally Yours” National summer missionary program Totus Tuus comes to the Diocese of Gallup

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Bishop James S. Wall Archbishop John Wester Catholic News Agency Dr. Jean Lee Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk

Email comments to:

designoffice@dioceseofgallup.org

Write to:

Voice of the Southwest PO Box 1338, Gallup NM 87305-1338

Saints for Today Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) Founder of the Jesuit order

Cover Photo Bishop Wall celebrates Mass “Ad Orientem”. Photo by Peter Zelasko.

Follow Us! @DioceseOfGallup @DioceseOfGallup @DioceseOfGallup

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Obits, Jubilees and new priest assignments

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@DioceseOfGallup

New Seminarian Endowment

Icons from flaticon.com

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FROM THE BISHOP:

“Turning Toward God” Celebrating the Mass “Ad Orientem, Ad Deum, and Versus Populum” My dear friends in Christ: Recently Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI released a powerful letter, in which he touched on a number of topics, including especially the sexual abuse crisis that has impacted the Church and even society as a whole. In his letter, he also addressed the Eucharist. He acknowledged, and rightfully so, that we have become too lax in our approach to the Eucharist. There were a number of reasons for this, even extreme cases when Holy Communion has been distributed to non-Catholics at weddings and other large events for the sake of “inclusion.” We know, however, that such “inclusivity” is actually quite dangerous, for it can put someone’s soul at risk in the name of not hurting feelings. Remember St. Paul: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor. 11:27-29). We would do well to remember, then, that the Eucharist is not simply a nice “sign” or “symbol” of communion with God, but rather truly is communion with 4

God. (In fact, it is so far from being a mere symbol in the modern sense of that term, that Flannery O’Connor once famously said that “if it is just a symbol, to hell with it!)

For the Eucharist is nothing less than the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, and the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen gentium, 11).

Pope Benedict’s letter thus provides an opportunity for us to reflect on how better to respect the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. There are of course many ways to do this: arriving early to prepare for Mass in prayer; staying after to offer an Act of Thanksgiving; dressing appropriately at Mass and in Church (“Sunday best” is still a thing!); keeping the one-hour Eucharistic fast; making regular (even monthly) sacramental confession; and reverently, not hurriedly, receiving Holy Communion readily come to mind (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1385-1389). There is, however, one particular practice that I would like to highlight here. It is about exercising the option to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass facing “toward the East” (ad orientem) or “toward God” (ad Deum) as distinct from “toward the people” (versus populum).

Let me say at the outset: I know this can

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be a contentious topic. To make changes to the way we pray can be difficult, especially when it comes to liturgical prayer. By explaining and advocating for this, I am in no way trying to disrupt the way the people of this Diocese pray. Rather, I am trying to open the treasury of the Church’s patrimony, so that, together, we can all experience one of the most ancient ways that the Church has always prayed, starting with Jesus and reaching even to our own day, and thereby learn from the “ever ancient, ever new” wisdom of the Church.

With that in mind, let me start with just a brief historical note. Essentially, we can say that celebrating Mass ad orientem is one of the most ancient and most consistent practices in the life of the Church—it is part of how the Church has always understood the proper worship of God. Uwe Michael Lang has published a book showing just this, entitled Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer and published by Ignatius Press. His extensive and thorough research shows this very fact: that, in the words of Cardinal Ratzinger, “Despite all the variations in practice that have taken place far into the second millennium, one thing has remained clear for the whole of Christendom: praying toward the east is

Bishop Wall celebrates Mass “Ad Orientem”. Photo by Peter Zelasko.

a tradition that goes back to the beginning” (The Spirit of the Liturgy, p. 75). This means that celebration of Mass ad orientem is not a form of antiquarianism, i.e. choosing to do something because it is old, but rather choosing to do something that has always been. This also means, in turn, that versus populum worship is extremely new in the life of the Church, and, while a valid liturgical option today, it still must be considered novel when it comes to the celebration of Mass.

Allow me now to give a brief explanation of ad orientem or ad Deum worship.

Prayer and worship “toward the East” (ad orientem, oriented prayer) “is, first and foremost, a simple expression of looking to Christ as the meeting place between God and man. It expresses the basic christological form of our prayer. […] Praying toward the east means going to meet the coming Christ. The liturgy, turned toward the East, effects entry, so to speak, into the procession of history toward the future, the New Heaven and the New Earth, which we encounter in Christ” (Joseph Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy, p. 69-70). By facing Christ together at Mass, we can see how “[o]ur prayer is thus inserted into the procession of the nations to God” (ibid., p. 76).

Ad orientem worship is thus a very powerful reminder of what we are about at Mass: meeting Christ Who comes to meet us.

Practically speaking, this means that things will look a bit different, for at such Masses the Priest faces the same direction as the Assembly when he is at the altar. More specifically, when addressing God, such as during the orations and Eucharistic Prayer, he faces the same direction as the people, that is, toward God (ad Deum). He does so literally, to use a phrase dear to St. Augustine, by “turning toward the Lord” present in the Blessed Sacrament. In contrast, when addressing the people, he turns to face them (versus populum).

Some of you may be familiar with this, and perhaps have even been at Masses celebrated this way. The common way of describing such Masses is usually to say, by way of objection, that “the priest has his back to the people.” Now, while this is technically true, it largely misses the main point, which is one much grander and more beautiful: ad orientem worship shows, even in its literal orientation, that the priest and the people are united together as one in worshipping God, even physically with their bodies, “in a common act of trinitarian wor-

ship…. Where priest and people together face the same way, what we have is a cosmic orientation and also an interpretation of the Eucharist in terms of resurrection and trinitarian theology. Hence it is also an interpretation in terms of Parousia [end of the world], a theology of hope, in which every Mass is an approach to the return of Christ” (Joseph Ratzinger, Feast of Faith, p.

140). Celebrating Mass ad orientem, then, is meant to remind us of all these important factors of our faith, and, ultimately, that the Mass is not first and foremost about us, but rather about God and His glory—about worshipping Him as He desires and not as we think best. It is His work after all, not ours, and we are simply entering into it by His gracious will. In 2007, Pope Benedict spoke of just this fact in his address to the monks of Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Vienna: In all our efforts on behalf of the liturgy, the determining factor must always be our looking to God. We stand before God—he speaks to us and we speak to him. Whenever in our thinking we are only concerned about making the liturgy attractive, interesting and beautiful, the battle is already lost. Either it is Opus Dei

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“

The common way of describing such Masses is usually to say, by way of objection, that “the priest has his back to the people.” Now, while this is technically true, it largely misses the main point, which is one much grander and more beautiful: ad orientem worship shows, even in its literal orientation, that the priest and the people are united together as one in worshipping God.” [the work of God], with God as its specific subject, or it is not. In the light of this, I ask you to celebrate the sacred liturgy with your gaze fixed on God within the communion of saints, the living Church of every time and place, so that it will truly be an expression of the sublime beauty of the God who has called men and women to be his friends!

Notice the emphasis on looking toward God together!

Another common objection or at least misunderstanding is that this particular way of celebrating Mass was disallowed at or after the Second Vatican Council. This is not accurate, as none of the conciliar documents even mention this. Additionally, a close reading of the rubrics of the Roman Missal will still show today that ad orientem is 6

assumed to be the normal posture at Mass: they often describe the priest “turning to face the people,” which implies he is facing the altar before and after doing so.

Finally, let me say a few words on the matter of preference. There is an old saying that holds “de gustibus non est disputandum: when it comes to taste, there is no room for dispute”. To a point, that is true. Nobody can fault anybody for liking chocolate chip ice cream more than mint, or Chevrolet more than Ford. When it comes to the ways in which we worship God, however, nothing is simply a matter of taste. Msgr. Charles Pope explains this well: “Preferences should be rooted in solid liturgical principles. […] People matter, and they should be nourished and intelligently engaged in the Sacred Liturgy—but not in a way that forgets that the ultimate work of the Liturgy is not merely to please or enrich us but to be focused on and worship

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the Lord” (National Catholic Register, “5 Things to Remember in the ‘Ad Orientem’ Discussion,” 8 August 2016).

For all these reasons, I have decided that, since the recent solemnity of Corpus Christi, the 11:00am Sunday Mass will henceforth be celebrated ad orientem at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Gallup. This provides the faithful with the opportunity to attend the Mass in this way—indeed, in this way which is still approved and generously allowed by the Church. This is also a practice I would like to encourage throughout the Diocese of Gallup. I believe it is pastoral to offer Masses both ad orientem and versus populum, so that, together, we can all be exposed to the varied riches of the Church and Her prayerful history. With St. Augustine, allow me to conclude with this heartfelt prayer: in our worship, hearts, and lives, “let us turn towards the Lord God and Father Almighty, and with a pure heart let us give Him sincere thanks as well as our littleness will allow…. May He increase our faith, rule our mind, give us spiritual thoughts, and at last lead us to His blessedness, through Jesus Christ His Son. Amen.”

May God bless you!

Given in Gallup, at the Chancery/Cathedral, this 22nd day of July, in the Year of our Lord MMXIX, the tenth of Our Episcopate, on the liturgical memorial of St. Mary Magdalene.

Arizona Catholic Conference 2019 Legislative Wrap-Up

By Ron Johnson On May 28th, the Arizona Legislature adjourned sine die after spending 134 days in session. In total, more than 1,300 pieces of legislation were introduced with just over 300 of them set to become law.

Fortunately, some very significant bills supported by the Arizona Catholic Conference (ACC) were passed into law, while the most problematic bills failed.

Pro-Life Victories Arizona has had great success in recent years with respect to pro-life legislation which has made us a national leader in this movement. Following the recent elections last year, however, much of the effort this year has been made to protect these gains.

Numerous attempts were made to repeal virtually every pro-life and rights of conscience law already in statute.

These many bills proposed to eliminate parental and informed consent for abortions; as well as remove protections for religious employers who do not want to be forced to pay for abortions and contraceptives; and curtail freedoms for pharmacies and health care providers not wanting to participate in the taking of innocent human life.

Several bills were also once again introduced to legalize assisted suicide in Arizona. Fortunately, however, legislative leadership continued to make sure that none of these bills received a hearing so that they all failed to pass.

Perhaps the most extreme of the hostile measures this year was HB 2696, which attempted

to remove Arizona’s protections for babies born alive after failed abortions. The ACC was proud to be amongst those leading the testimony against this harmful bill which was defeated by a 0-8 vote in the House Judiciary Committee.

While all of the problematic life bills failed, a pro-life victory was gained with the passage of HB 2122, which requires parental notification before a do-notresuscitate (DNR) order is placed on a minor child. Additionally, the ACC is grateful for a measure (SB 1314) that was signed into law to somewhat reduce the scope of the death penalty in Arizona by eliminating three of these aggravating factors.

School Choice Successes Arizona is often referred to as the national leader in school choice because of our numerous laws helping parents choose the education that best fits the needs of their children. Without these programs, many low-income students would be unable to go to the schools they are currently attending and several of our Catholic schools would have to close.

This year there were numerous attempts made to weaken or harm these school choice programs, but none of them were successful.

Two school choice bills that the ACC supported, however, were passed into law. These measures included SB 1485, which allows the corporate tuition tax credit program to continue to grow and SB 1349 which clarifies that Arizona parents using 529 savings accounts for their children can use these earnings to pay for K-12 tuition

as well as for college.

Vulnerable Populations Protected The ACC was particularly grateful that Arizona will now include a partial income tax deduction for people who use the standardized deduction on their state income taxes and make contributions to charities and churches (HB 2757). With the overwhelming majority of people now falling into this category, this law will hopefully be an important incentive for charitable giving and mitigate some of the expected difficulties for charities from recent changes to the tax laws.

Finally, we were disappointed that an effort (SB 1217) failed to provide Arizona high school graduates, including undocumented immigrants, with a break on college tuition. Specifically, this bill would have allowed for these students to be charged tuition at a rate higher than in-state tuition, but lower than out-of-state tuition. Despite this setback, however, we were pleased that no harmful immigration measures moved forward this year.

Conclusion The Arizona Catholic Conference is grateful to all the elected officials and groups we worked with this past legislative session to have such success. We are also grateful for your assistance in responding to Action Alerts, and your prayers.

If you have not done so already, please sign up for free e-mail updates so that we can continue to grow the influence of the Catholic Church on important public policy matters.

To keep up with legislative updates from the Arizona Catholic Conference, visit: www.azcatholicconference.org

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“You are the light of the world”

Implementation Directives for Pope Francis’s Apostolic Letter, Vos Estis Vox Mundi

By Archbishop John C. Wester, Metropolitan, Province of Santa Fe

The Province of Santa Fe includes the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Dioceses of Las Cruces and Gallup, and the Arizona Dioceses of Phoenix and Tucson

In 2002, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) enacted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, commonly referred to as the Dallas Charter. The bishops also received authority from the Vatican to make the Charter canon law for the Church in the United States. This comprehensive plan for the protection of children and young people includes a zero tolerance policy that requires priests and deacons who have committed child sexual abuse to be removed from ministry.

One criticism of the Charter has been that it does not apply to bishops or those equivalent in the law (abbots,

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for example). Pope Francis has remedied this deficiency with his recent Apostolic Letter entitled, You Are the Light of the World (Vos Estis Vox Mundi). This means that the Pope has enacted universal law that pertains to the reporting and handling of complaints against bishops. Pope Francis has mandated that, starting June 1, 2019, a process be established for Church investigations of complaints against bishops for the sexual abuse of a minor. This process also addresses complaints against bishops for sexual acts involving adults regarded as vulnerable and for the negligent or intentional mishandling of such abuse or harassment cases. The process also mandates the internal reporting of

such cases, offers whistleblower protection for those reporting and prohibits any imposition of silence on those reporting.

At the USCCB meeting held in Baltimore, MD, from June 11–14, 2019, the bishops of the United States voted on several action items pertaining to the Pope’s Apostolic Letter, all of which received overwhelming approval.

The first of these items was the “Implementation Directives.” These directives outline the use of lay experts in the entire reporting and investigative process. They also call for a third party national reporting system (this will be up and running as soon as possible but no later than May 31, 2020.)

The bishops also approved the “Protocols” for dealing with bishops who are removed or who resign for reasons related to sexual abuse or abuse of power.

Finally, the bishops committed themselves to codes of conduct that include prohibitions against sexual misconduct and harassment. Moreover, they renewed their pledge to be subject to the Charter, to promote the ongoing formation for bishops and to include the expertise of lay professionals throughout the reporting process.

Please note that Pope Francis’s

Apostolic Letter and the measures passed by the United States bishops in Baltimore in June of 2019 refer to Catholic Church laws, policies and procedures.

If you wish to report a bishop or his equivalent in law for a crime, then you must first call your local civic authorities, i.e., the police and the child protection agency in your area. Secondly, please call the third party national reporting system telephone number.

It is important to remember that even though it will take time to establish the national third party reporting system, the universal law is already in effect regarding the reporting and handling of complaints against bishops.

Therefore, in the Province of Santa Fe, if you wish to report a bishop for the sexual abuse of a minor, sexual acts involving adults regarded as vulnerable and/or for mishandling such cases, please call the following number during regular business hours:

505.219.8743 If you call outside of business hours please leave a message, including your phone number, and your call will be returned as soon as possible. The layperson who handles these calls will

One criticism of the Charter has been that it does not apply to bishops or those equivalent in the law (abbots, for example). Pope Francis has remedied this deficiency with his recent Apostolic Letter entitled, You Are the Light of the World (Vos Estis Vox Mundi).

immediately inform the Archbishop of Santa Fe as well as the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, DC (the Apostolic Nuncio is the Pope’s representative in the United States). This will begin the process of investigation, which will result in appropriate measures being taken based on that investigation.

It is important to remember that even though the Pope has directed that Metropolitan Archbishops (archbishops of an archdiocese that includes other dioceses in what is called a “province”), are responsible for effecting this new mandate, qualified lay persons are involved in the entire process. These reports will be sent to Rome and action will be taken fairly and conclusively, and in a timely manner. If a report comes in about the Metropolitan Archbishop, then it will be directed to the senior suffragan bishop of the province who will direct the process.

At present, the senior bishop in the Province of Santa Fe is Bishop Thomas Olmsted, Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix.

Once the national third party reporting system is in place, then the public will be notified and the Santa Fe Province number shown above will be discontinued.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Pope Francis’s Apostolic Letter or the decisions of the United States Catholic Bishops, please contact the Pastoral Center in your diocese.

Please continue to pray for all victims of clergy sexual abuse and for the Church’s efforts to provide a safe environment for all children and young people.

May the Lord Jesus, who blessed the little children, bless our efforts as well.

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“Son la Luz del Mundo”

Directrices para implementar la Carta Apostólica del Papa Francisco, Ustedes son Vos Estis Vox Mundi

Por el Arzobispo Metropolitano John C. Wester, Provincia de Santa Fe (La Provincia de Santa Fe comprende la Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe, las Diócesis de Las Cruces y Gallup en Nuevo México, y las Diócesis de Phoenix y Tucson en Arizona)

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En el año 2002, la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos (USCCB, por sus siglas en inglés) promulgó la Carta para la Protección de la Niñez y la Juventud, comúnmente conocida como la Carta de Dallas. Los obispos también recibieron autoridad del Vaticano para establecer que la Carta se constituyera en ley canónica para la Iglesia en Estados Unidos. En este plan integral para la protección de niños y jóvenes, consta una política de tolerancia cero que exige que los sacerdotes y los diáconos que hayan cometido abuso sexual infantil sean removidos del ministerio.

La Carta ha sido objeto de crítica porque no se aplica a los obispos ni a sus equivalentes en la ley (por ejemplo: los abades).

El Papa Francisco ha corregido esa deficiencia mediante su reciente Carta Apostólica titulada “Ustedes son la luz del mundo”

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(Vos Estis Vox Mundi). Esto significa que el Papa ha promulgado una ley universal que se refiere a la forma de presentar denuncias y de manejar las quejas contra los obispos. El Papa Francisco ha ordenado que, a partir del 1 de junio de 2019, se establezca un proceso mediante el cual la Iglesia investigue las quejas contra los obispos por haber abusado sexualmente de un menor. Mediante el citado proceso también se atenderán las quejas contra los obispos por haber cometido actos sexuales en perjuicio de adultos considerados vulnerables y por el manejo inadecuado, negligente o intencional, de dichos casos de acoso o de abuso sexual. El proceso también exige que se denuncien internamente los casos de esa índole, ofrece protección a los denunciantes y prohíbe toda imposición de silencio a los denunciantes.

En la reunión de USCCB celebrada en Baltimore, Maryland, del 11 al 14 de junio de 2019, los obispos de Estados Unidos votaron sobre varias medidas relacionadas con la Carta Apostólica del Papa, todas las cuales recibieron una aprobación abrumadora. La primera de dichas medidas se refiere a las “Directrices de implementación”. En las directrices aparecen lineamientos en cuanto a la inclusión de expertos laicos en todo el proceso de la presentación y de la investigación de denuncias.

En ellas también se pide que se establezca un sistema nacional independiente para recibir denuncias (que deberá estar listo y en marcha lo antes posible, pero a más tardar el 31 de mayo de 2020). Los obispos también aprobaron los “Protocolos” para abordar los casos de obispos que sean removidos de su cargo o que renuncien por razones relacionadas con el abuso sexual o el abuso de poder.

Finalmente, los obispos se comprometieron a observar códigos de conducta, entre ellos las prohibiciones contra la conducta impropia y el acoso sexual. Además, renovaron su compromiso de estar sujetos a la Carta, de promover la formación permanente de los obispos y de propiciar la inclusión de profesionales laicos en todo el proceso de presentación y procesamiento de denuncias.

Cabe tener en cuenta que la Carta Apostólica del papa Francisco y las medidas aprobadas por los obispos de los Estados Unidos en Baltimore en junio de

2019 se refieren a leyes, políticas y procedimientos de la Iglesia Católica. Cualquier persona que desee denunciar a un obispo o a su equivalente legal por un delito cometido, primero deberá llamar a las autoridades civiles locales, o sea, a la policía y a la agencia encargada de la protección de menores de su localidad.

En segundo lugar, deberá llamar al número telefónico del sistema nacional independiente establecido para recibir denuncias.

Es importante recordar que, aunque tomará tiempo establecer el sistema nacional independiente para recibir denuncias, la ley universal con respecto a la presentación de denuncias y al manejo de las quejas contra los obispos ya está en vigor.

Por lo tanto, en la Provincia de Santa Fe, cualquier persona que desee denunciar a un obispo por haber cometido abuso sexual en contra de un menor, actos sexuales en perjuicio de adultos considerados vulnerables o por el manejo inadecuado de tales casos, podrá llamar durante horas hábiles al siguiente número telefónico:

505.219.8743 En el caso de llamadas telefónicas fuera de las horas hábiles, será necesario que la persona deje grabado un mensaje en el cual conste su número de teléfono. De ese modo se le podrá dar la debida atención a su llamada a la mayor brevedad posible. La persona laica encargada de atender las llamadas

La Carta ha sido objeto de crítica porque no se aplica a los obispos ni a sus equivalentes en la ley (por ejemplo: los abades). El Papa Francisco ha corregido esa deficiencia mediante su reciente Carta Apostólica titulada “Ustedes son la luz del mundo” (Vos Estis Vox Mundi).

de esa índole inmediatamente le comunicará la denuncia al Arzobispo de Santa Fe, así como también al Nuncio Apostólico en Washington, D.C. — el Nuncio Apostólico es el representante del Papa en Estados Unidos—.

Así se iniciará el proceso de investigación, a partir del cual se tomarán las medidas indicadas.

Cabe recordar que, aunque el Papa ha ordenado que los Arzobispos Metropolitanos —arzobispos de una arquidiócesis que abarca a otras diócesis en lo que se llama una “provincia”— sean los responsables de ejecutar este nuevo mandato, a través del proceso se propiciará la participación de laicos calificados. Las denuncias se enviarán a Roma, donde las autoridades eclesiásticas tomarán las medidas del caso de manera justa, concluyente y oportuna. Si se recibiese una denuncia contra el Arzobispo Metropolitano, ésta será dirigida al Obispo mayor sufragáneo de la provincia, quien se encargará de dirigir el proceso. Actualmente el obispo mayor de la Provincia de Santa Fe es el Obispo Thomas Olmsted, Obispo de la Diócesis de Phoenix. Una vez que esté en marcha el sistema nacional independiente para recibir denuncias, se le notificará al público y se suspenderá el número telefónico correspondiente a la Provincia de Santa Fe que se ha indicado más arriba.

Se le ruega a cualquier persona que tuviese alguna pregunta o inquietud con respecto a la Carta Apostólica del Papa Francisco o a las decisiones tomadas por los Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos, que se comunique con el Centro Pastoral de su respectiva diócesis. Continuemos orando por todas las víctimas de abuso sexual por parte del clero y por las gestiones de la Iglesia encaminadas a proporcionarles un entorno seguro a todos los niños y jóvenes. Que el Señor Jesús, quien bendijo a los niños, bendiga también nuestra labor.

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USCCB passes three measures in response to abuse crisis

By Ed Condon Baltimore, Md., June 13, 2019 / 10:15 am (CNA).- The U.S. bishops’ conference voted Thursday to approve proposals intended to respond to recent scandals involving sexual abuse, coercion, and cover-up on the part of bishops, most notably former cardinal Theodore McCarrick and the disgraced Bishop Michael Bransfield.

The bishops, gathered in Baltimore for their spring General Assembly, voted overwhelmingly in favor of three measures aimed at building processes to address episcopal misconduct or neglect, and the ongoing crisis of credibility widely perceived to overshadow ongoing work to eliminate sexual abuse from the Church.

The assembly approved protocol explaining the powers of a diocesan bishop to curtail the public ministry of a retired bishop in his former diocese by a margin of 212-4.

They also approved a set of directives applying in the U.S. the new universal norms for investigating allegations against bishops promulgated by Pope Francis in Vos estis lux mundi. After initial discussion earlier this week, they were presented to bishops June 13 with an explicit exhortation for metropolitan bishops to appoint “on a stable basis, even by means of an ecclesiastical office, a qualified lay person” to receive allegations against bishops and work with the metropolitan in any subsequent investigation.

The directives were approved by 218-1.

The bishops also approved a joint statement, “Affirming Our Episcopal Commitments,” establishing a nonbinding moral commitment by bishops to hold themselves to the same standards and measures as are currently applied to their priests and deacons.

That document passed by a similarly wide margin of 217-1.

The consensus in favor of the 12

Credit: Kate Veik/CNA Bishops at the USCCB General Assembly in Baltimore, June 2019.

measures was unsurprising. After the bishops were prevented by Rome from adopting similar proposals in November, the majority of bishops returned to Baltimore ready to vote.

The widespread agreement in favor of the three documents was reflected in the much-abbreviated discussion which preceded each vote. With relatively little debate, the bishops finished their morning session more than an hour ahead of schedule, even after adding business they’d intended to address in the afternoon.

As in the previous discussions on Tuesday, several bishops raised the need for clearly established lay involvement in the process of handling complaints against bishops. Changes to the text of the implementation directives for Vos estis were highlighted as a response to those concerns, something Cardinal Joseph Tobin noted was a “clear expectation” of Vos estis itself.

Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City said that mandatory lay involvement is essential “to make darn sure

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we bishops do not harm the Church” in the ways seen in recent cases.

Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler was the only bishop to raise directly the issue of Theodore McCarrick during the session, insisting that “a full reckoning” still needed to be made for the former cardinal’s career but that he had “been assured that the Holy See is working on that.”

On the specific point of whether lay people should be assigned formal, canonically governed “ecclesiastical offices” in order to assist metropolitans, Archbishop Bernard Hebda noted that the drafting committee thought it better to leave that as an option. In some places, he noted, metropolitans might find it best to include a non-Catholic (ineligible for formal ecclesiastical office) in the process if their expertise “offered the greatest possibilities for accountability.”

Several bishops, most insistently Bishop Jaime Soto, raised the prospect of an independent auditing process to track and assess the U.S. implementation of Vos estis over the three-year

trial period.

Bishop Robert Deeley explained to the conference that the independent third-party reporting mechanism, approved by the bishops on Wednesday, was itself a form of a self-auditing system with every complaint being tracked, though there were limits to how much the bishops could assess the effectiveness of what was a papal law.

“I think the committee agrees with you that an [assessment] process will have to be done,” Deeley said, but it was not for the U.S. bishops to decide how to evaluate the essential role of the Holy See in the process and implementation of its own norms.

Related to Rome’s role in the process of handling an allegation, several bishops noted that Vos estis provided for a response from Rome “within 30 days,” something Bishop Mark O’Connell, an auxiliary bishop of Boston, called an “intolerable» amount of time for a reporting Metropolitan to be unable to advance the case.

Deeley responded by noting that Rome had committed itself to responding “within not after” 30 days, and that the experience of many bishops was that when circumstances required it, the different Roman dicasteries were respond considerably faster. The longer time period was a reflection of the universal application of Vos estis, which would have to accommodate regions where communication could be more fractured and difficult.

Deeley noted that there had been four investigations into U.S. bishops conducted by metropolitans in recent months, including McCarrick and Bransfield, and that the successful way in which they had been concluded was a sign of the effectiveness of the new model. “That gives me confidence,” Deeley told the bishops.

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles told the bishops that “the Holy See is aware of the urgency of this matter,” and commended the passage of the directives to the conference.

After the passage of the abuserelated measures and the conclusion of some other conference matters, the bishops concluded the public portion of their meeting and convened an executive session.

New priest assignments

This announces several changes in assignments for priests in the coming months for the Diocese of Gallup. I ask that we extend a gracious farewell to those who are departing and a helpful welcome to those newly arriving. I pray that these changes will bring praise and glorify God and continue the blessings of the Sacraments on all the faithful of the Diocese. + Bishop Wall FR. ANTHONY DIKE: In addition to his roll as Pastoral Administrator of Santo Niño Parish in Aragon, New Mexico, Fr. Anthony will also administer Sacred Heart Parish in Quemado, New Mexico. This includes Pastoral care in the Missions in Reserve, Datil, San Isidro, Horse Springs and Glenwood.

FR. DIVINE EKEBE: Fr. Divine has been assigned as Parochial Vicar in Santo Niño Parish in Aragon, New Mexico and Sacred Heart Parish in Quemado, New Mexico plus extended pastoral care of the missions in Reserve, Datil, San Isidro, Horse Springs and Glenwood.

FR. RAYMOND MAHLMANN: Fr. Raymond is assigned in residence at the Discernment House in Gallup. His duties will include providing Mass for the faithful at the local nursing homes.

REV. EDWIN DIESEN: Will depart

by September 1, 2019 to assume temporary ministry in the Archdiocese of Miami.

FR. CYPRIAN OKERE: Fr. Cyprian is appointed as Parochial Vicar in the Catholic Communities of Winslow, AZ. FR. AUGUSTINE GEORGE OPARA: Fr. Augustine has been appointed as Parochial Vicar at St. Rita Parish in Show Low, AZ. REV. MR. CARL SADLIER: Deacon Sadlier has announced his relocation to Tucson, Arizona to be closer to family. He is relieved of his duties of assisting in St. John the Baptist, St. Johns AZ and San Rafael, Concho AZ. His faithful service has been appreciated.

REV. JOSEPH MARIE KODIGANTI: Will depart by the end of June 2019 for ministry in the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin. I thank Fr. Joseph for his generous years of service to the Diocese of Gallup and wish him well in his new ministry.

REV. MITCHELL BROWN: Is assigned to Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup, NM as Parochial Vicar effective July 1, 2019.

REV. ANSELM AMADI: Will depart Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup and assume temporary duties as Administrator of Our Lady of the Snows in Snowflake, AZ until August 31, 2019. He will then become the Administrator of St. Helena Parish in Alpine, AZ and St. Peter Parish in Springerville, AZ. REV. NATHANIEL BLOCK: Is assigned as Pastor of Our Lady of the Snows in Snowflake, AZ. Rev. Dan Kassis – is released from responsibilities as the Canonical Pastor for Our Lady of the Snow in Snowflake, AZ. His diligent oversight of that parish was appreciated.

REV. JOHN CORMACK: Is assigned as Administrator of St. Francis Parish in Whiteriver, AZ and in St. Catherine’s Parish in Cibecue, AZ effective September 1, 2019.

May God bless the ministries of these priests in the changes that are planned for them and in turn bless all the faithful with their ministry.

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Obituaries

SISTER ANN ROZALIA SZABO, OP: Sr. Szabo died on Wednesday April 10, 2019, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 86 years of age and in the 68th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Ann Rozalia was born in Tucumcari, New Mexico, to Louis and Florence (Murphy) Szabo. She graduated from Tucumcari High School and received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Spanish from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from California State University in Hayward, California, and a Master of Religious Education degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

Sister spent 36½ years ministering in elementary and music education in St. Clair, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Winslow and Kingman, Arizona; Oakland, Santa Cruz, Larkspur and Hayward, California; Albuquerque, Belen and Ramah, New Mexico; and Guayama, 14

Puerto Rico. She also was a pastoral parish minister for 10 years in San Juan Pueblo and Ramah, New Mexico.

Sister became a resident at the Dominican Life Center in 2011.

Sister Ann Rozalia was preceded in death by her parents and a twin sister, Rozalia Ann Szabo. Sister is survived by a sister, Frances Ann Shay of Tucumcari.

The Mass of Christian Burial was offered in St. Catherine Chapel on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.

Sister ministered in the Diocese of Gallup during the following assignments: St. Joseph, Winslow, AZ (1961-1963): Elementary/Music Teacher St. Mary, Kingman, AZ (1966-1967): Elementary/Music Teacher San Lorenzo Mission, Ramah (1994-2000): Pastoral Assistant

FR. EMERIC NORDMEYER, OFM: “He came from long-

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

lived people, and his memory will be longlasting.

“Emeric Nordmeyer was born on April 12th, 1927 in Batesville, Indiana, where he was baptized William Frederick Nordmeyer.

His parents were William Leonard Nordmeyer, who lived to age 84, and Elizabeth Reis, who lived to age 103. Emeric graduated from Batesville High School and joined the U.S. Navy in 1945.

After two years in the Navy, he decided to follow God’s call to the Franciscans and the priesthood, so he spent a summer studying latin and then a year in the “special class” at St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati, before entering the novitiate.

He went on to study philosophy at Duns Scotus College in Detroit, Michigan and made his solemn vows as a friar there on the 16th of August 1951. Emeric studied theology in Oldenburg, Indiana and was ordained a priest there on the 8th of June, 1956.

“Upon ordination to the priesthood, Emeric began a lifetime of mission work in the Southwest. His first assignment was St. Joseph in San Fidel, followed by San Jose in Laguna, and St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe, where he served the northern Pueblo missions of Tesuque, San Ildefonso

and Santa Clara. Next he served at Jemez Pueblo and its missions, before returning to the northern Pueblo missions from the Cathedral in Santa Fe, followed by five years as the pastor at Jemez Pueblo. Emeric studied counseling at St. Joseph College in Hartford, CT, and was a valuable part of the Santa Fe Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal. In 1971, his brothers elected Emeric a member of the Provincial Council of St. John the Baptist Province representing friars in the Southwest until 1974. In 1992, he left the Archdiocese of Santa Fe to become pastor at St. Teresa parish in Grants in the Dio cese of Gallup. In 2002, Emeric returned to Albuquerque to become the Administrator of Queen of Angels Indian Chapel.

He continued there until his declining health brought about his retirement over ten years later when he was eighty five years old.

Emeric lived long - the senior member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province for a number of years, and he lived faithfully as a friar and priest serving God’s people. His body was received at 9:30 am and his funeral celebrated at 10:30 am at Holy Family Church in Albuquerque on Thursday, March 21st, 2019, with burial following at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

DEATH NOTICE FOR FR. DIEGO MAZON: The Diocese of Gallup recently learned that Fr. Diego Mazon, OFM, passed away in Fall of 2018.

Fr. Mazon is named on our list of church workers who have been credibly accused of

abuse during assignments outside of the Diocese of Gallup.

In our Diocese, Fr. Mazon served in the following locations: St. Joseph Church, San Fidel NM (06/1977 – 05/1980) St. Michael’s Mission, St. Michaels AZ (06/1980 –

06/1981) Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Ft. Defiance AZ (06/1990-06/1994) St. Francis Church, Gallup NM (07/199412/2003)

(1992-93). Altogether, she ministered in the Southwest for 40 years.

Her final teaching position was at St. Francis of Assisi School, Gallup, N.M. (1998-2007).

She is retired at the Motherhouse.

ministered in the Santa Fe Archdiocese, in Kentucky and Missouri.

She is currently a postmaster, quilter and coordinator of the Guest House and Bethany at the Motherhouse in Maple Mount, Ky.

If you or someone you know has any allegations of abuse to

report, please contact the proper law enforcement authorities.

You may also make a confidential claim by calling Elizabeth Terrill, the Diocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator, at 505-906-7357

Jubilees

SISTER MARIE MONTGOMERY is celebrating 75 years in religious life. She taught at Sacred Heart School (1956-58, 197391) and Sacred Heart Catholic Academy (1993-94) in Farmington, as well as Sacred Heart Academy, Waterflow (1958-60). She also taught at Immaculate Conception School, Cuba (1997-98). She served as principal and teacher at St. Joseph School, San Fidel (196973) and returned as a teacher (1991-92). For two years, she was a parish minister for Sacred Heart Parish, Farmington (1994-96).

She also served as parish minister for St. John the Evangelist Parish, Houck, Ariz.

SISTER CECELIA JOSEPH OLINGER is celebrating her 60th year as an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph. A native of Glennonville, MO, Sister Cecelia Joseph taught at St. Joseph School in San Fidel from 198691, and was a teacher, librarian, and in charge of liturgical music at St. Anthony Zuni Indian Mission, Zuni, from 1991-95. She also

SISTER CLARA REID is celebrating her 60th year of religious life. A native of Holy Cross, KY, Sister Clara was principal at St. Teresa School in Grants from 1985-89. She served 34 years in Albuquerque, mostly as a teacher at St. Charles Borromeo School. She is retired at the Motherhouse, where she serves as an information receptionist.

Jubilarian

congratulations may be sent to Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

SISTER DONNA STEVENS of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration is celebrating 50 years of religious life. Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. She worked in Whiteriver, Arizona, serving the White Mountain Apache Tribe; first as a domestic violence and adult clinician from 1997 to 2006. She has served at the tribe's Treatment Center as a professional counselor since 2006 - currently as the supervisor at the dropin clinic.

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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A Positive Challenge: In the beginning of 2019, Catholic Extension named the Diocese of Gallup as one of seven Dioceses to receive a Seminarian Endowment Challenge.

Catholic Extension, a national agency which assists mission dioceses through grants, established the Seminarian Endowment Challenge in 2012 in response to the growing cost of assisting dioceses in educating their future priests.

“While seminarian education has always been an important strategic funding area for Catholic Extension, this growth in requests highlights the increasing gap between a diocese’s cost to educate seminarians and a diocese’s ability to fund them,” the agency wrote in a letter accompanying the announcement. “In order to meet this cost, mission dioceses are making difficult decisions to cut services, reduce staff, and draw down the principal of existing endowments, thus risking harm to the long-term health of the diocese.

The Diocese of Gallup has no endowment currently in place, or even a single parish or city from which to rely on regular or 16

increased fundraising efforts for seminarians’ education, according to Cathy McCarthy, who applies for grants on behalf of the diocese.

Many of her applications are directed toward Catholic Extension, and she noted that the annual collection taken up on behalf of the agency often ultimately ends up back in the Gallup diocese.

“Catholic Extension has a second collection that exists for areas like ours where it’s hard to keep priests and the sacraments present and the church doors open. Now that we’re through the Chapter 11, we’re going to try to build an endowment and the monies raised will go towards our mission diocese investment fund for seminarians only, set up by the Catholic Peoples Foundation,” she said, referring to the Gallup agency set up to organize and assist the Diocese of Gallup in fundraising efforts.

To build the endowment, a diocese must raise matching funds of up to $50,000 – the largest single amount granted to a diocese by Catholic Extension – and which the Diocese of Gallup has been challenged to raise.

But the funds aren’t meant to be

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

Building a Seminarian Endowment Fund raised through small collections or donations. The goal for the challenge is to receive larger single donations of $1000 or more, through fundraising inside or outside the borders of the Gallup diocese.

This way, McCarthy says, the endowment will be built by donors interested in the long-term positive impact that vocations and seminarians bring to a diocese.

“The whole thing is to develop awareness, and to keep these donors coming back.”

Because the Diocese of Gallup is just beginning to establish a longterm seminarian fund, obtaining the matching grant is the sole focus of the year.

“We’re so bare bones, we’re just building, building, building,” McCarthy said. “In this sense, we want to put a seed in. We’re putting a seed in for an endowment in the future, and an incentive for donors to come on board.”

Those with inquiries or donations regarding the fund can direct their questions to the Catholic Peoples Foundation. The deadline for donations is December 13th, 2019.

Create your legacy today

With a charitable gift annuity A charitable gift annuity to benefit the Catholic organization(s) of your choice is a generous expression of your support for the Catholic Church. The Catholic Gift Annuity Program, provided in partnership with the Catholic Peoples Foundation, is an effective way to make sure your legacy lives on.

What is a charitable gift annuity?

A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract. You make a gift to Catholic Peoples Foundation, and in return, you receive fixed payments for life. At your death, the remaining balance of the gift annuity is distributed to the Catholic organization(s) you designated.

What are the features?

• Secure, convenient deposit of payments into your preferred bank account.

• Three types of annuities to select from (rates vary):

- Immediate One Life

- Immediate Two Lives - Two recipients

- Deferred - start payments later • The Catholic Peoples Annuity Program combines your gift with others from across the U.S. to increase the impact of your generosity

The Catholic Gift Annuity Program is sponsored by Catholic Extension, which has been providing charitable gift annuities since 1912.

• The minimum amount to establish a gift annuity is $5,000; the minimum age to receive income is 55 years old.

What are the benefits?

Sponsor:

• Receive fixed payments for life; a portion of these payments are tax-free.

This notice provides basic information on a charitable gift annuity which is an irrevocable agreement. Advice from a financial advisor may be beneficial when considering this gift.

• Receive an income tax deduction for a portion of your gift, as allowable by IRS rules.

• Join a pool of thousands of Catholics in a financially strong program that helps the Catholic Church.

• Feel satisfied in making a significant gift that benefits you now and the Catholic organization(s) of your choice for future generations.

The Catholic Gift Annuity program follows the suggested payout rates by the American Council on Gift Annuities.

Rates and more information can be found at catholicgiftannuity.org The Gift Annuity is offered by the Catholic Peoples Foundation which provides this service to support schools, missions, and seminarians of the Diocese of Gallup.

For more information, please contact Herb Mosher, Director Catholic Peoples Foundation 505-726-8295 catholicpeoplesfoundation.com Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

17

Looking to the future FRANCISCANS HOLD RESERVATION LISTENING SESSIONS TO ADDRESS VOCATIONS, FUNDING SHORTAGE VOCATIONS AND FUNDING. TWO WORDS THAT ARISE AGAIN AND AGAIN IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CHALLENGES FACING THE AMERICAN CHURCH ALSO CAME UP DURING TWO LISTENING AND MEETING SESSIONS IN ST. MICHAELS, AZ IN MARCH. The parish and school at St. Michaels, along with several other mission parishes throughout the Diocese of Gallup, are staffed by priests, sisters and friars from Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, a Franciscan province headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. The province spans multiple dioceses in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

There are currently seven Franciscan provinces in the United States, all of whom face the same challenges. The most pressing issues are a decline in both vocations and funding for ministries, which has led to fewer priests and sisters, larger areas for a single friar to cover, and less money to support the mission of the province.

The Franciscans are working to address both challenges. In 2018, six provinces in the United States approved a resolution asking the Minister General in Rome to officially restructure into a single coast-to-coast entity. Three months later, the request was approved, and the restructuring is currently set to be implemented over five years, with completion slated for 2023.

Locally, the Guadalupe Province held two separate sessions on the Navajo reservation – one in January, and one in March.

“The basic process of the two listening sessions...was a bit different. The first was an open microphone for the people of the Reservation to share with the Provincial Administration and the friars about their experience of the presence of the Franciscans among the Navajo people.

What is good? What could be better, and how could it be made better?” Fr. Jack Clark Robinson explained via an email. Fr. Robinson is the provincial minister of Our 18

The Chapel at St. Michaels Indian school

Lady of Guadalupe Province.

In the second session, Fr. Robinson gave the 80-90 parishioners in attendance a handout with hard data on the challenges and issues facing the Franciscans who minister in the Diocese of Gallup. It notes a decline in friars – from 33 on the reservation in 1970 to 13 in 2019. Of the $2.5 million raised for reservation ministry, often from outside sources, the handout notes that 19% is used to directly support friars, 17% goes to St. Michaels Indian School, 36% supports maintenance, staff, and utilities at the school, and 28% goes to ministries unrelated to the school.

“These sessions are prompted by the fact that we know that we cannot continue to be doing things on the Reservation the way that we have been doing them, as we are running out of friars,” Fr. Robinson told the Voice. “And we have lots of buildings and other facilities on the Reservation, which require lots of money for maintenance and operation. The cost of maintenance and operation for the facilities at St. Michael Mission is about $200,000 a year, and the question is could we make better use of those facilities and that money?”

Following the presentation of data, the attendees were asked to break into small

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

groups for a discussion: “How can the friars help empower the people to proclaim and live the Gospel in the face of changes in the near future?”

Amanda Joe is a parishioner of St. Berard Parish in Navajo, NM. Her son attended St. Michael’s School and received a scholarship to help with the cost of tuition – a scholarship which is funded with the help of the Guadalupe Province. [editor’s note – she also works for the Diocese of Gallup as a coordinator for mission appeals] After attending both listening sessions, she feels the Franciscan missions could benefit from more direct engagement on a local parish and school level.

“One of the things they brought up at that second meeting was they wanted the priests to come out to the school and to talk to the children about vocations [as] something to consider, so that we have future priests. And then also the sisters, they wanted the sisters to present themselves also at the school. Because the way it’s going, we’re not going to have priests and religious out there,” she said, adding her support for funding to continue for St. Michaels Indian School.

Joe also feels that the school and friars can’t be expected to undertake

evangelization alone – for her, the faith starts in the family.

“To have strong families with strong marriages out there, so that they can bring up the children in the faith. They have a good school there at St. Michaels - I think it just needs to be more [of a] partnership there, just to make their presence known.

Just to be mentors to the children to influence them to open their minds, that they should consider vocations instead of kind of being lost. It’s something very important that we should - even as families - support our children in those vocations.

Even being there and talking to the children, I think that would really help.”

Fr. Clark echoed similar sentiments, and his hope that parishioners would welcome the opportunity to take a more active role in evangelization.

“The feedback has been positive toward the ministry of the friars, but has also indicated that we have lots to learn from the people and lots to share to help the people understand the reality of all of the challenges to religious life and ministry in the United States today. That is why it was

so important to look at the numbers of friars on the Reservation over the course of years.”

He recalled a time when it was “normal” to grow up around dozens of Franciscan friars and sisters on the reservation.

“But they just aren’t there anymore, not from any plan to reduce the numbers, but because all over the United States there are fewer Sisters and Friars who could come. In one way, this is a depressing development, but in another it is a great opportunity for the Navajo and other Catholic laity to take over what is their Church and their Faith, then share that Church and Faith with others!”

Joe hopes that the need will be seen and understood by parishioners who attend reservation missions, and that specific goals and objectives can be implemented to address the challenge of religious education and vocations.

“I think that’s the most important thing, because the need is now,” she said.

“Because if it’s not really set, it would be hard. It should be a goal, financial, peoplewhatever the Church needs. We need to be

[aware of] that so we can all work together on it.”

Due to the popularity and results of the Navajo meeting, Fr. Clark hopes to hold more listening sessions in other areas of New Mexico, including Gallup, Acoma and Laguna Pueblos, Albuquerque, and Roswell.

Despite the challenges facing the Franciscans, his discussions with the Navajo people have given him hope for the future.

“The Province will try to listen and learn from the People in order to see what we can do together to continue the proclamation of the Gospel, in new ways and with new energy. The most happily surprising part of these first two sessions for me was simply the presence of so many people who were willing to spend their evening with us to share their wisdom and insights when they could have been doing so many other things with their time!” he recalls. “That is a great sign of the importance of the Catholic Faith and even of the Franciscans in the lives of the people. What a wonderful affirmation that the Holy Spirit is alive among the Navajo People.” VS

Timeline for the reorganization of Franciscan Provinces in the United States 2012: The Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor met with the Councils of the Seven Provinces in the United States to talk about the Future of Franciscan Life and Ministry in the Country.

2013: A Commission of Franciscans (one from each of the seven Provinces) spent the year studying the situation of the Franciscans in the United States.

OCT. 2013: The Commission recommended to the Ministers Provincial of the seven Provinces that the friars seriously talk about immediate cooperation where they could cooperate in the things that Provinces have to do, and that they dis-

cuss restructuring their fraternal governance.

The Ministers Provincial decided to pass these recommendations on to all of the friars.

SPRING 2014: The Franciscans of all seven United States Provinces all recognized the need to “Come to the Table” to talk about Revitalizing their Franciscan life and Restructuring their fraternal governance, because all of the friars were getting older and the number of friars in each Province was getting smaller.

2014-2017: After a lot of study of how to go about revitalizing Franciscan life and restructuring fraternal governance, it was agreed to put before the friars

of six Provinces (one Province decided not to continue with the process) a proposal to request of the Minister General in Rome that the six Provinces be individually suppressed and one new coastto-coast Province be formed in their place in the U.S. 30 MAY 2018: On the same day, the Friars in the six Provinces, meeting in six different cities, all voted to ask the Minister General to restructure into one coast-to-coast Province where there had been six Provinces before.

AUG. 2018: The Councils of the six current Provinces met and heard from the Minister General that they have the

go-ahead to continue the process of restructuring their fraternal governance into one coast-to-coast Province. They continue to meet and the Ministers Provincial are serving as a “Steering Committee” to keep the process on track for the next five years.

2018-2023: More meetings of Franciscans than you can imagine or would ever want to attend!

2023: The projected date that the Restructuring will be done and one new coast-to-coast Province come into being in the United States.

No one knows yet where the headquarters will be or who will be in charge.

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Priest Profile FR. PETER SHORT REFLECTS ON LIFE IN REMOTE ARGENTINEAN VILLAGES, MEETING THE POPE (TWICE!), AND WORKING WITH VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES Bringing the Sacraments to remote missions and families, managing finances, helping to run schools or teach religion classes – all in a day’s work for a priest of the Diocese of Gallup. When Fr. Peter Short transferred here after 31 years of service in Argentina, he encountered many of these challenges, and more.

Fr. Short was raised in the United States and ordained a priest of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, where he served for 20 years before discerning that he was better suited to work as a diocesan priest. Because of his connections through his sister, Cathy McCarthy, who works as the diocesan grants coordinator and archivist, when he ultimately decided to return to the United States, it was to the Diocese of Gallup.

He currently serves as both a Vicar General for the diocese and as pastor in Winslow, AZ, a town with long and painful ties to the abuse crisis. Here, Fr. Short has labored to repair the relationship between the town and the Church, to minister to the needs of the diocese as a whole, and recently, to build a Hispanic Ministry program.

In January of 2018 he sat down for an interview with The Voice of the Southwest and reflected on the hardships and joys of his priestly vocation.

Please tell us a little of your background, and how you ended up in the Diocese of Gallup.

“I went into the [Oblates of the Virgin Mary] largely because of my brother [already an Oblate], and because I wanted a good order and good formation.”

Fr. Short notes that priests in his diocese in Argentina had no formal salaries or insurance coverage.

“I lived with what the people gave me, with what I could muster.”

Undertaking the rigorous safe environment training in the United States, especially the procedures in response to the abuse crisis, was also a new experience.

Was there an equivalent crisis in Argentina?

“Not as big as we have here - at least not yet and I hope they don’t.

“In Chile there was, but my understanding is that in Argentina it’s not as many cases and that many situations that have come up.”

(Editor’s Note: A recent report on abuse in Argentina found 63 cases of abuse reported over the past two decades. Authorities in Chile are currently investigating at least 166 cases.)

“I remember coming into the [Gallup] Diocese, the bishop asked me was that because people were afraid of denouncing or it just wasn’t as big? I can’t say for sure, but I’m hoping it wasn’t as big. I think overall the society’s a little more healthy there, more down to earth, very family oriented. They’re very warm - people express themselves in a very healthy manner.”

Do they have a large number of Indigenous peoples in Argentina?

Eventually Fr. Short discerned that he was better suited for life as a diocesan priest.

“When I entered the Archdiocese of Cordova [in Argentina] I did so with the understanding with the Archbishop that eventually I would probably ask to come back [to the United States] because my parents were still here and getting older and I wanted to be a bit closer to them.

“Although I was accepted in my own diocese in Bridgeport, Connecticut, I thought it would be better to go into a diocese which was poorer, more in need of priests, more missionaries, and so I thought of this diocese since my sister was here.”

Now that you’ve been here a few years, what are your impressions of the Diocese of Gallup?

“It’s been an adjustment for me - a big adjustment. The priesthood and parish life in the United States is a bit different than I had found in Argentina, which I expected.”

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Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

“They do. They don’t have specifically reservations in Argentina, they do have areas where Indigenous peoples live. Unfortunately, they live in extreme poverty, generally speaking. I did work in one area where there were Indigenous people for two years, up in the Andes mountains. It was impressive, the way that they lived - they lived like 200 years ago. There were absolutely no modern conveniences or anything - no roads, no light, no gas, so people just lived off the land. Aboriginal living. Very pious and fervent Catholics, but frightening poverty.

“Up in the north, for example, there’s some of the Guaraní. But they seem to treat the aboriginal people different than here. I’m not certain it’s better or worse. But most of my work was with Hispanics.”

What are some things you enjoy about being back in the United States?

“The freedom of speaking and preaching and teaching in my own culture. I was fairly good with the language down there but it’s

Right: Fr. Peter Short at Mass with members of the V Encuentro ministry of the Diocese of Gallup, January 2018.

Below: Herds of sheep graze in Argentina’s hills and mountain regions - a sight people in the Diocese of Gallup are familiar with!

Page 22, Top: Fr. Short and friends from Argentina meet Pope Francis.

Page 22, Bottom: A historical photo of St. Joseph Parish in Winslow, where Fr. Short currently serves as pastor.

them may very well be the Madonna house, that’s been here for 60 years.”

Madonna Houses are buildings or places of retreat and spiritual rest, staffed by dedicated lay men and women. In Winslow, members of the organization have lived and worked with the community for decades, serving at parishes, teaching children, assisting the poor, and praying with anyone who requests a sympathetic ear.

Is there anything specific you’ve done to help the community heal?

always a bit of a struggle because you have a lot of things that you receive from your childhood and your youth that are difficult to translate.”

What’s been most rewarding for you as a priest, as someone who’s given your life to serving in these various communities?

“Well I’m just very, very thankful that I can serve that way.

Knowing how unworthy I am of the priesthood, the fact that the Lord asked me and has guided me, and even though it has been at times very difficult. For example the decision to come from Argentina to here was clearly the most difficult decision I ever made in my life. But yet, when I got here there were signs that this is where God wanted me.

“These little things - these little blessings that the Lord gives you along the way, that confirm your pilgrimage, as it were - your vocation. I think those are things that make me very grateful.”

In Winslow, there is still a lot of healing to be done. How did you adjust to that, on top of all the other demands of your job?

“I was a little bit fearful coming to Winslow because [the history of the abuse crisis there] was one of the first things the bishop told me. I wasn’t reluctant to accept the assignment, but I was fearful of what I might find here. But surprisingly, I found a warmth and a welcome here, and a Catholic spirit here, that I have not found in the other Catholic parishes I’ve been working in the diocese. I think there’s many reasons for that. I think one of

“I don’t think I’ve had to. I’ve tried to be there for them as much as I can, with the Mass, with the Sacraments, with the work with the kids and adults, and I’m hoping that, with time, they will heal.

If they don’t see a crisis, if they don’t see a scandal, if they do see good things going on, hopefully that will be healing for them.

“We’ve had some good turnouts in the healing services here, and I noticed that many of the people who came were not specifically touched by the crisis but came to pray for those that were.

There were others that were, and they were able to speak with the bishop, and I think that was very good for them.

“But I’ve been very amazed. There’s a lot of reason for there to be certain resentment in the town. And not only that, there are other historical things in the town that would give one reason to believe there could be a lot of resentment here, and I have not found that. The people are very joyful, very generous, despite the difficulties they face. I don’t know of one family that isn’t facing some sort of difficulty, whether it be economic or social or different problems that they have.”

Can you describe for us what you do in your role as the Vicar General?

“Basically what it is, is to be an assessor of the bishop who doesn’t make decisions simply on his own. Bishop Wall wanted a small sounding board to bounce off his ideas, and also ask for our ideas and be aware of the difficulties that the Diocese is facing, to try to work on them as best we can. That’s on the one hand.

On the other it’s an aide to the Bishop, to the administrator of the diocese, not only [weighing in] by counsel but also [when] Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

21

some decisions are made. And basically being an extension - a right hand - of the Bishop where you are.”

Could you tell us a little about yourself personally? Do you have a hobby you enjoy?

“I like to paint - generally, acrylic. Sometimes oil. [Here Fr. Short indicates an icon hanging near his desk that he has completed]. I like working with my hands. One of my colleagues in the seminary was a professional artist, and he helped me with some techniques. Christmastime, I’m always the one involved with the manger scenes.

“When I travel I try to bring the best camera I have access to take the best pictures I can.

“In the seminary we used to go up in the summertime into the Alps. When I went to Argentina I was always close to mountains, but in the city, Cordoba is in the central plain of Argentina. It has a mountain range - not a very high mountain range - beside it.”

You came here just after Pope Francis was elected. Was that a huge deal in Argentina?

“It was. It was the last months I was there - I was still teaching in my high school and at lunchtime I had gone to visit a family, they had two twins who were altar servers of mine, about 15 at the time. They didn’t have much knowledge about what was going on in Rome, but they did know that Cardinal Bergoglio was one of the ones that was there, and of course they were rooting - the Argentinians love to root for their own country.

“So I happened to be there in their house when they heard the news that Cardinal Bergoglio was elected, and they literally jumped high off the ground like this [he holds his hand about four feet off the floor]. I mean it was like winning the World Cup, and that’s saying an awful lot. They were celebrating in the streets.”

A few years ago you helped an Argentinian – a very good friend with a translation of a biography of Pope Francis, and then got to accompany his family to Rome to meet the Pope. What was that like?

“It was interesting because he didn’t remember me - and I didn’t think he would - but I had seen him, and the reason was when I was choosing to come here, eventually [to the United States]. My superior had sent me for a year of sabbatical, and the reason for the sabbatical was to talk to [Francis, when he was still Cardinal Bergoglio], to go over my discernment, because he was wellknown for his ability of discernment. The problem was he was Archbishop-Cardinal of Buenos Aires at the time, so he didn’t have that much time. But [Cardinal Bergoglio] spent about 40 minutes with me, talking with me, at the end of which he sent me to one of his proteges, another Jesuit that was there in Buenos Aires, a Father Flares, who continued with my discernment later.

[Bergoglio] said ‘this man has the gift of discernment, you’ll do well with him’. So I went with him and continued and came to the conclusion I was making a good discernment. After becoming Pope he called Flares to Rome, so he’s now working with him at 22

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

the Vatican.

“That was helpful in confirming my decision to go into the Diocese.

“So to see [the Pope] years later at the Vatican was surprising for a couple of reasons - one, because of the fact we got in so easily. He was so accessible. Nobody checked us at security. To be there with this family was nice to begin with, and we brought in mate, the drink [a kind of tea popular in Argentina].

Nobody tested anything.

[The Pope] came in alone - he just walked into the room. It was a huge room but we were alone in there, and he walked in by himself! He sat down and we talked for longer than an hour. He asked me where I was from and didn’t remember me.

“But he did remember my brother - that’s why his expression with my brother [he points to a picture of his brother meeting Pope Francis] is much different! *laughs* My brother was in Argentina six years altogether, three years before I was, and he was the rector of a seminary. So when Cardinal Bergoglio was still a superior of the Jesuits he had a retreat house, and my brother would bring the seminarians there for retreats with [Bergoglio].

So they got to know each other there very well, and he remembered him, 40 years later, when the Oblates were having their general chapter.

“But it was very beautiful to think ‘here is this man, who had something to do with my being here in the states’, and he’s becoming very friendly with one of my oldest altar servers, that I watched grow up.”

This interview is part of our series of profiles of priests serving in the Diocese of Gallup.

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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The Blessing of San Damiano

New parish hall a long-awaited dream for parishioners at St. Francis Church in Gallup On May 31, 2019, the parish community of St. Francis of Assisi in Gallup formally celebrated the opening of their long-awaited parish hall.

“Hospitality, Humility, Charity” The celebration began with a Mass celebrated by Bishop James Wall, who noted during his homily that the parish had been working towards the construction of the hall for at least ten years – as long as his tenure as bishop of the diocese.

“That might seem like a long period, at least in our life,” the bishop said. “But if you think about in the ancient times, when they would build these great churches, these 24

great edifices. Think about a place like the Cathedral in Florence, in Italy. It took 175 years to build that building.”

Builders of great medieval churches often gave their time and efforts to a structure that only future generations would see. And in Gallup, many individuals and organizations helped to fund the long-term project through donations, volunteer work, and by sponsoring bricks that now decorate the outside of the new hall.

Friars from around the diocese concelebrated the Mass, including Fr. Jack Clark Robinson, the provincial leader of the Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose territory includes New Mexico and

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Arizona.

The celebratory Mass fell during the Feast of the Visitation, which commemorates the reunion between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, both in the early stages of pregnancy – Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist.

During his homily, Bishop Wall drew parallels between the virtues of the two women and the intended purpose of the parish hall, especially the virtues of charity, humility and hospitality.

“We see hospitality in the Gospel in the beautiful welcoming of St. Elizabeth, when she sings that she is glorifying God that the mother of her Lord should come to visit her. And so we pray today as we

All photos from the Mass and blessing of the hall, May 31 2019.

bless our new building that our new building might always be a place of hospitality. Hospitality where we welcome all. We welcome the stranger, we welcome those whom we know, and in doing so, we are always practicing the virtue of humility as our Lady shows us, and most especially the virtue of charity.”

Bishop Wall concluded by asking the parishioners of St. Francis to always seek the protection and aid of Mary.

“And so let us ask for her intercession as we call her blessed, that she will intercede on our behalf, so that we might be a hospitable people, we might be a people who

are deeply rooted and grounded in humility, and we might be a people - especially this community - one of charity, in imitation of our Lady.”

“Rebuild our Church” At the conclusion of the Mass, the bishop, priests and parishioners processed from the church to the new hall, where Bishop Wall blessed each room and the people in attendance. At the head of the procession and later placed prominently inside the hall was a replica of the San Damiano cross, from which the new hall takes its name.

Fr. Abel Olivas, pastor at St. Fran-

cis, explained first in English and then in Spanish to those in attendance that the name San Damiano was chosen because of the significance of the cross to St. Francis, founder of the Franciscan order.

Church history holds that it was when he was praying in front of the San Damiano cross that St. Francis received the command from God to “rebuild the Church”. The San Damiano cross remains a popular symbol for Franciscans as a reminder of their service to the Church.

“Each of us are called to do the same, to rebuild our church” Fr. Olivas said. “And because of that, the name of the hall is beautiful.” VS

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I

It’s a bright, hot day in June, and in a classroom at the Cathedral’s family center in Gallup, Maria Constantino is teaching an energetic young class of first-grade students about hierarchies in Church clergy.

Aaron Acunin leads his students in a prayer before their afternoon class.

“Okay, we have priests, who say Masses and administer sacraments,” she says.

“Does anyone know who the priests’ boss is?”

One little boy raises his hand. “The bishop?” he volunteers.

“Yeah! Good job.” Constantino writes his answer on a whiteboard. Elsewhere throughout the building, three of her teammates are teaching other grades as part of a weeklong youth ministry camp run by their organization, Totus Tuus.

“Totus Tuus” is Latin for “totally yours”, popularized when Pope St. John Paul II adopted it for his apostolic motto. The program started in the late 1980s in Wichita, KS, with two teams of students assisting a local priest in catechetical ministry. It has since evolved into a nationwide program – dioceses and parishes throughout the country support teams of four, two men and two women, who live as missionaries for the summer.

“The Totus Tuus missionaries go out to different parishes - one parish a week - and just put on a weeklong summer program for the kids,” explained Fr. Josh Mayer. Fr. Mayer, pastor of St. Mary in Bloomfield and St. Rose of Lima in Blanco, invited a team from the Diocese of Phoenix to his parishes last year. The parishes viewed it as such a success that a Totus Tuus team was invited back this summer, this time to three parish communities in the diocese: Bloomfield/Blanco, Winslow, and Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Fr. Mayer described how the missionaries spend one full week at each parish, teaching elementary and middle school-age kids in the mornings and afternoon, followed by a high school teen session each evening.

“They evangelize, catechize, have a lot of fun, help the kids get excited about 26

“Totally Yours” in Service Youth Missionary Program Expands Throughout Diocese the sacraments, all sorts of stuff.”

For Aaron Acunin, a junior in college, and Marlee Bigsby, Sophomore, their assignments to the Phoenix program mark the first time either has spent a summer teaching younger students with Totus Tuus.

“I teach 5th and 6th grade, so I try to teach it in a way that gives them something new. Most of them are really smart and know the material, so I’m trying to challenge them,” Acunin said. “It’s different with teens, though - you want to challenge them in the same way you want to challenge the kids, but you also want to make it in a way that engages them and is presentable to them.”

Bigsby, who teaches 2nd and 4th grade students, agreed – “[younger kids] know some things about the sacraments, but it does have to be very basic. The teens, especially this group… it’s definitely a talk for young adults, and even some stuff I might tell one of my peers if I was talking to them about the Sacraments.”

For Jose Lam, the fourth member of the team, each new parish in the Diocese

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of Gallup presented a new set of challenges and enjoyable experiences.

“The kids change, the environment changes, the parish contact coordinator changes, our team dynamic changes because we get to know each other at different levels,” he said. “Winslow they were so happy that we were there.

They didn’t even know us and they were so happy we were there. They were very supportive…so we were able to do our best to just be there for the kids.”

Each team member stressed that any young person thinking of joining a Totus Tuus team should be prepared for a rigorous prayer schedule – a sort of “spiritual boot camp.”

“I was expecting it just to be like ‘okay, you go out and you teach kids’”, Lam recalls. “But then I found out during the retreat that it’s all about personal holiness. I didn’t expect prayer to be such an integral part of it, so it was a very happy surprise. “ Constantino outlines the missionaries’ daily schedule: a rosary in the morning, Mass with the students each day, a daily Holy Hour and prayer in the

Maria Constantino teaches students during a weeklong camp at Sacred Heart Cathedral's family center in Gallup.

“They evangelize, catechize, have a lot of fun, help the kids get excited about the sacraments” evenings with the teen students.

its own in the future.

“Definitely more than we normally do, but that really helps with growth,” she said. “Working in community with the team is really cool - we’re basically with each other every waking moment.”

“We’re looking for college students in our Diocese who feel the call from the Lord to give up a summer of their life, to be sent out and to evangelize and teach about the faith and live in a small community of four traveling around in a car all summer to different parishes, spreading the word of Christ, evangelizing the Gospel.”

Acunin cuts in – “It’s a good and bad thing,” garnering laughs from his teammates.

After their week at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup, the team is off to other dioceses in Hawaii and Phoenix.

Fr. Mayer expressed great appreciation to the Diocese of Phoenix for sharing their teams, and hopes that the Diocese of Gallup can recruit a team of

Each of the four members of the Phoenix team happily recommends Totus Tuus to other young Catholics pondering summer job options.

“There [have] been struggles, but each difficulty has been an opportunity to grow, and I know it’s really helped me

personally,” Bigsby said. “This the most structured prayer life I’ve had during a summer so far, which has really helped me with my relationship with God and doing His will. It’s definitely very rewarding.”

Acunin echoes her statement, citing the rewards of personal spiritual growth and of guiding his students in their own spiritual development.

“You have a team and they’re there to support you and the set prayers we have each day - it’s like a sprint, and you’re gonna need that spiritual fuel to keep going. I don’t think I would have been able to keep doing this if I didn’t have that,” he said. “So I think it’s different when the mindset going into it is going in personal holiness, and that affects how you’re a witness to these kids and how you approach living out in a community, visiting other dioceses, visiting other parishes, and showing the kids love. We might not see the effect right away, but it’s really humbling to play a part in that." VS

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS/CLASSIFIEDS

August

September

October

October

17

MEN’S 19- #335 CURSILLO (ENG) Ed Fritz, 22 With Rector

05

25- ENGAGED ENCOUNTER 27 RETREAT WEEKEND

WHITE MOUNTAIN CATHOLIC MEN’S CONFERENCE Hosted by the Knights of Columbus and featuring guest speaker Jesse Romero.

Time: 8:00am-4:00pm Place: OLS Catholic Church, 1655 Main St., Snowflake AZ Contact: James Girard at 928-207-0529

September 14

SILENT MEADOWS RETREAT Silent Meadows’ tranquil surroundings provide a place of peace to seek God within your heart. George Sabol will be presenting on the topic of “The Sea of Tiberius”.

Place: 102 La Plata Lane, Durango CO 81303 Info and registration: 970-759-2833 or silentmeadowsretreat.com

15

SACRED MUSIC CONCERT The musicians of Sacred Heart Cathedral will present a “Sacred Music Concert” at the Cathedral. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Priests’ Retirement Fund.

Time: 2:00-3:30pm Place: 415 E. Green, Gallup NM 87301 Contact: Ruth Ruiz at 505-906-2098

Place: St. Johns, AZ Contact: Petra Velez at 928-587-0165

26- SNOWFLAKE PARISH SALE 28 RUMMAGE Our Lady of the

Snows will be hosting a Rummage Sale in the Community Hall on September 26th, 27th, and 28th. Donations are being accepted. If you would like to donate larger items such as furniture, please call the parish office at 928536-4559 to arrange for drop off.

Place: OLS Catholic Church, 1655 Main St., Snowflake AZ

27- RACHEL’S VINEYARD 29 RETREAT A retreat for men

and women struggling with the scars of abortion. Are you or a loved one plagued with regret, shame and years of emotional struggle?

We have a merciful God! Find healing and self-forgiveness.

Place: Albuquerque, NM Info and registration: Sophie at 505-386-7922

2829

SAN RAFAEL PARISH FIESTA Place: San Rafael, NM Contact: 505-285-6645

August 29

10TH ANNIVERSARY MASS @ 11:00AM Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert, 0258 US HWY 64, Gobernador NM, 874129

28

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

SOUTHWEST CATHOLIC YOUTH CONFERENCE The largest youth conference in the Four Corners - the theme this year is “Bridges”.

Time: 10:00am-6:00pm Place: Civic Center, 200 W Arrington St, Farmington, NM Info and registration: lifeguardlaplata.org

05

SILENT MEADOWS RETREAT Silent Meadows’ tranquil surroundings provide a place of peace to seek God within your heart. George Sabol will be presenting on the topic of “St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio”.

Place: 102 La Plata Lane, Durango CO 81303 Info and registration: 970-759-2833 or silentmeadowsretreat.com

11

DIOCESAN DIACONATE RETREAT With the Most. Rev. Jorge Rodriguez, Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, as retreat master.

Place: Sacred Heart Retreat Center, 167 NM Hwy 602, Gallup NM 87301 Contact: 505-722-6755

1720

#336 WOMEN’S CURSILLO (ENG) With Cindy Wagoner, Rectora Place: Grants, NM Contact: Petra Velez at 928-587-0165

19

ST. TERESA PARISH FIESTA Place: Grants, NM Contact: 505-285-6645

Engaged Encounter is an investment in the future — a weekend in which an atmosphere is created for each couple to concentrate exclusively on one another, free of the tensions, pressures and interruptions of daily living.

It is a quiet weekend, specifically designed to give a couple planning marriage an opportunity to talk honestly and intensively about their future together. This is the final marriage preparation retreat of 2019!

Place: Sacred Heart Retreat Center, 167 NM Hwy 602, Gallup NM 87301 Info and registration: Deacon Copeland at 505-726-2707

Special Collections September 14-15 Good Shepherd Retirement Fund

October 19-20 World Mission

November 16-17 Campaign for Human Development

November 30 December 01 National Religious Retirement Fund

Promise to Protect

Virtus Classes August 07

September 19

Time: 6:30pm Place: St. Rose of Lima, Blanco, 7378 US Hwy 64, Blanco NM 87412

Time: 9:30am Place: Chancery Offices, 503 W. Hwy 66, Gallup NM 87301

August 08

October 17

If you or someone you know has been abused by a priest, deacon or other employee or minister of the Catholic Church, please report this to: Elizabeth Terrill Victim Assistance Coordinator

505-906-7357

Time: 9:30am Place: Chancery Offices, 503 W. Hwy 66, Gallup NM 87301

Time: 9:30am Place: Chancery Offices, 503 W. Hwy 66, Gallup NM 87301

September 11

November 21

Time: 6:30pm Place: St. Mary Parish, Bloomfield, 307 North Church St., Bloomfield NM 87412

Time: 9:30am Place: Chancery Offices, 503 W. Hwy 66, Gallup NM 87301

victimsassistance@ dioceseofgallup.org We will help.

Your confidentiality will be protected.

Diócesis de Gallup Promesa de Proteccíon Si usted o alguien que usted conoce ha sido víctima de abuso por parte de un sacerdote, diácono u otro empleado o ministro de la Iglesia Católica, favor de reportar el incidente a:

Around the Diocese

Elizabeth Terrill Coordinador de Asistencia para Víctimas

505-906-7357

victimsassistance@ dioceseofgallup.org Nosotros le ayudaremos.

Su confidencialidad será protegida.

Parishioners at St. Jude Parish in Tuba City celebrate St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s Feast Day.

Notice about scams If you receive a text, email, or notification of any kind from a priest or religious asking for any kind of money or gift card directly, this is likely a scam. Often, the scams will ask for the following: money orders, wire transfers, direct deposits, gift cards, reusable bank/debit cards, google/itunes/amazon cards, requesting emergency funding because of a sick family member or person in need. When in doubt, contact your parish!

Do Háida’bił bee hodozįįł daíigi beeádee haho’dzíí’ Catholic Church dóó éé’ neishoodii yił ndaałnishi’ igíí dóó Baa ndaałah’ igíísh doo há’ atééh’ igoo da, nínįi’ yiyiiłaah’ Dóó’ oóshlí ła’ ísh ákóbí’ diiłyąą go nił beehoozin, Akohootįįngo nił beehoozin’go baahwíí’ diłníi’ Elizabeth Terrill Victim Assistance Coordinator

505-906-7357

victimsassistance@ dioceseofgallup.org

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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MAKING SENSE OUT OF BIOETHICS By Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk “The Anatomy Lesson”, by Rembrandt

The Corpse Raiders Most people recognize the importance of obtaining consent before retrieving organs from the bodies of deceased persons. They also understand the necessity of showing respect for those bodily remains following death.

Recent news stories have chronicled the troubling story of a funeral home in Colorado clandestinely taking body parts out of corpses and selling them to medical supply companies. One family was horrified to learn that their mother’s head, arms, pelvis, and parts of her legs had been harvested without their knowledge or consent. They and others are now suing the company. The funeral home had been selling body parts to places as far away as Saudi Arabia, and returning containers of ashes to the families that did not contain any actual trace of their loved ones.

The public outcry following these revelations, and the subsequent FBI investigation and legal prosecution of the funeral home directors, reminds us how easy it is to transgress important moral boundaries when we fail to respect the remains of the deceased.

Indeed, legal measures can remind us of our duties towards the dead, whether through laws that criminalize grave robbing, for example, or those forbidding the use of executed persons’ bodies for research. A few years ago, Chinese officials were timing the capital punishment of their prisoners in order to harvest their organs as soon as well-paying foreigners had arrived in Chinese hospitals to receive those transplanted body parts. International pressure quickly mounted to ban the practice.

While it is clear that we shouldn’t kill others for the purpose of obtaining their organs or body parts, it should be equally clear that when an intentional act of killing has already taken place, and a cadaver is available, valid informed consent is still required prior to harvesting bodily tissues. All ethically sound research involving human subjects is predicated upon informed consent, which needs to be given either by the donors themselves before 30

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

they die, or by their duly appointed proxy, acting on behalf of, and in the best interests of, the deceased individual.

When it comes to extracting cells or organs from the corpse of a deceased child at an abortion clinic, however, these ethical requirements for consent cannot legitimately be satisfied.

Some have been tempted to argue that aborted children “would have consented” to organ donation if they had been given the chance, since those organs are no longer needed by them after death. But if the justification for harvesting fetal organs is alleged to be the implied consent of the child, this has to be characterized as a false, even violent, presumption. The activity of harvesting tissues under these circumstances would only exacerbate the original evil act that terminated the child’s life. Taking cells or tissues without consent would be a callous extension of the original desecration of his or her bodily life.

Additionally, it is important to recognize that even if the mother of an intentionally aborted child were to sign the dotted line saying she granted her permission for the baby’s cells and organs to be donated, that consent would necessarily be null and void. Because she arranged for the taking of the child’s life, she already categorically demonstrated that she does not have the child’s best interests in mind. From the ethical vantage point, she disqualifies herself from being able to provide valid consent on behalf of her now-deceased child by the very decision to have the abortion in the first place.

While the action of taking bodily tissues without consent would be a lesser evil than the act of killing, this does not lead to the conclusion that we can therefore permit or encourage fetal corpse raiding at abortion clinics simply because we have some good use in mind, like pushing forward the frontiers of biological knowledge, or producing a new vaccine or even developing an important therapy for a serious disease.

Wherever cells from directly aborted fetuses are used in research or product development, alternative and ethically non-controversial cell sources should instead be pursued, using, for example, cells obtained from routine surgeries like the removal of an appendix, or foreskin removal during newborn circumcision, or fetal remains following a spontaneous miscarriage, after valid informed consent is able to be properly obtained from the parents. Consent given after the natural loss of a pregnancy would be analogous to granting permission for an organ donation from a couple’s naturally deceased newborn.

Even though significant scientific breakthroughs may have occurred in the past using illicitly gained cells and tissues from direct abortions, this cannot ethically sanitize this approach to tissue procurement, nor justify the continuation of the practice in the future. In fact, outlawing the use of the remains of abortion victims by scientists and researchers would be a small but highly important first step towards showing proper societal respect for the many unborn children who unjustly perish in abortion clinics today.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

S

SAINTS FOR TODAY by Dr. Jean Lee the selfish ideal of seeking glory for himself and lived instead “for the greater glory of God,” (Latin: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam).

In Paris to do further studies, Ignatius formed a brotherhood with six friends. Among them was Saint Francis Xavier who would become the great missionary to the East.

Having now been ordained a priest, Ignatius instructed the group using his own spiritual manual, “Spiritual Exercises.”

This work consisted of a four-week course designed to induct new “soldiers of Christ,” as Ignatius referred to the members of his brotherhood. They gave themselves to chastity and poverty, and was determined to teach those without education.

As founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola is one of the most influential saints in Catholic history. He started his order in 1534, when corruption within the Church and the Protestant revolt were tearing Christendom apart.

Ignatius and his Jesuits offered a new model of Catholic priesthood: men who were intensely trained in theology, in the art of debate and of preaching and in explaining and defending the faith. They went out as new missionaries to Europe, encouraging Catholics in their faith and reconciling Protestants to Rome. They founded schools that were recognized as the best in Europe; served as advisors to kings, noblemen, and popes; and traveled as missionaries to every corner of the globe.

Ignatius of Loyola, Priest & Order Founder (1491-1556) Feast Day: July 31 Founder of the Jesuits and the youngest of eleven children of a noble Basque family, Ignatius was raised to be a soldier in the Spanish army. He fought the French in Castile, but was wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521.

His broken leg was badly set, was broken again, and reset: the impact of the cannon-ball, made worse by bad surgery, left him deformed and with a limp for the rest of his life.

During his stay in the hospital he asked to read knightly romances; instead he was given “A Life of Christ” and some “Legends of the Saints.” His conversion followed; he lived for a year in prayer and penance. Having no strong convictions of faith or religion up to then, he reported suddenly having a vision of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, with Jesus beside her. During the time of prayer and penance, he experienced both desolation and consolation, and wrote the first draft of his famous “Spiritual Exercises.” He abandoned

Ignatius died suddenly in 1556. By then the Jesuits numbered over 1,000 members in nine European provinces besides those working in foreign missions throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the New World. Currently, the Jesuit order claims more than 16,000 members across the world. Ignatius was canonized in 1622 and declared patron of spiritual exercises and retreats by Pope Pius XI. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Craughwell, Thomas J. “Saints Preserved-An Encyclopedia of Relics.”

New York, NY: Image Books, 2011.

Creighton-Jobe, Rev. Ronald, et al. “The Complete Illustrated History of Catholicism and the Catholic Saints.” Wigston, Leicestershire: Anness Publishing, 2011.

Farmer, David. “Oxford Dictionary of Saints.” New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Prayer of St. Ignatius: “Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my whole will, all that I have and all that I possess.

You gave it all to me, Lord; I give it all back to you. Do with it as you will, according to your good pleasure. Give me your love and your grace; for with this I have all that I need.”

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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