Voice of the Southwest, Spring 2016

Voice of the Southwest The Official Publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup | dioceseofgallup.org | Vol.56 No.1

“We Just Want to Take Care of Our Residents”: Supreme Court Case May Have Dire Consequences for Religious Freedom

Columns 4

Bishop James S. Wall

Humanae Vitae: More relevant today than ever

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Saints for Today

23

Making Sense of Bioethics

The Ascension of Jesus

The Struggle of Addiction

News 7

Diocesan Holy Doors

08 Cover Story

Have you ever wondered about indulgences, or how to obtain them? This year, why not visit one of the designated Holy Doors to receive an indulgence?

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Fighting for the Future The outcome of a Supreme Court hearing may deal a blow to the Little Sisters of the Poor and perhaps all religious groups who minister in the United States.

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Annulments and Abortion We break down the new changes in the annulment process and the forgiveness of the sin of abortion during the Year of Mercy

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Features 14

What is the Cursillo Movement?

16 18 19 20

Calendar and Classifieds

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Obituaries & Anniversaries McCartys Feast Day Notice of Chapter 11 Objection Deadline 4 Religious Members Celebrate Anniversaries

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Voice

of the

Southwest

Publisher

The Most Rev. Bishop James S. Wall

Editor

Suzanne Hammons

Advertising/Office Manager Ella Roanhorse

Contributors

Julie Ferraro Fr. Tad Pacholczyk Dr. Jean Lee, D.Min. Cover photo: Taken at the Little Sisters of the Poor residence in Gallup, NM

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designoffice@dioceseofgallup.org

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

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Letter to the Editor: Catholic Bishops and the Refugee Crisis Dear Voice of the Southwest, I have a great respect for Bishop Olmsted (Arizona Catholic Conference) and our own Bishop Wall (New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops), but I am troubled by your article “Helping Refugees is a Moral Action”.

My concern is not the idea, I would hardly argue with the teachings of our Lord. What I wish to know is where was the collective voice of all the American Bishops two years ago when the Christian Syrians were dying of thirst on a mountain top, when the systematic murder of Christian villages was underway.

Even now Christian Syrians can’t stay in UN Refugee Camps because they are not safe among the Muslim population.

Better yet, the current Administration has instructed the State Department not to accept Christian Refugees for immi-

gration “because they are being persecuted by Islamic Terrorists and not their Government.”

Our Government with the help of Catholic Charities is forcing thousands of Muslims on our country in spite of the fact our Security Officials tell us “they have no way of vetting them and that the big majority of the refugees are Muslim males between the ages of 18 and 35, military age.” This is even after they admit they can help 100 people over there for the price of resettling one over here.

Could we not follow the example of the Knights of Columbus and the Glenn Beck organization who really help our Syrian Christian brothers and sisters rather than let our Church be led on by the jingle of a little Government silver?

- Ike Lobato, Blanco NM

Response: Thank you for your letter, Ike. This issue presents a good chance for dialogue about the refugee crisis. Thankfully, Secretary of State John Kerry has called the systemic persecution of Christians in the Middle East a “genocide” and called for greater action from the United States in addressing the needs of these people who are fleeing from death and destruction. However, war does not affect one group alone, and we are seeing that many other groups, including Muslim minority sects, are also suffering as a result of the regional strife.

The US Bishops certainly support efforts to screen refugees and promote safety within our borders. They also recognize our duty to help those who are suffering, regardless of nationality or religion, and especially when the greatest affected are the most vulnerable, such as children, women, and the elderly.

There is no motive in this - not even monetary - other than heeding Christ’s call to shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, care for the sick, and love our neighbors. To help those in need has always been one of the greatest missions and exhortations of the Catholic Church.

- Suzanne Hammons, Editor

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A couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary are blessed

by Bishop James Wall at the Feast Day of Santa Maria de Acoma mission in McCartys, NM on May 1, 2016.

More Pertinent Than Ever:

Pope Paul VI’s Prophetic Encyclical Reconsidered

by Bishop James S. Wall

Recently, an Australian food company aired a commercial where parents and children were asked, “Who would you most like to have dinner with?” The adults named various celebrities, television stars, and famous people they admired. But the children, almost without exception, named their parents. They wanted to eat with them, spend time with them.

The goodness of family and marriage is written on our hearts; everyone longs for family and intimacy. Even people who don’t believe in marriage want “marriage rights.” Our modern Western culture longs for stable, loving families but doesn’t know how to get there. All the experts tell us to follow our hearts, listen to how we feel, to think about ourselves, and we’ll be happy.

But is this true? We live in a world that promotes contraception to let us have so-called worry-free nights of sex; that tells us that “experimentation” and “sowing your wild oats” is healthy; that says couples bound in holy matrimony can separate without consequence. The voice of the Church is seen as old fashioned and out of touch—perhaps even cruel and inhuman. Whose voice should we follow?

We have been given a sure guide to happiness—to eternal happiness! In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells Peter, “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock

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I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:18-19).

These words were given not only to Peter but also to all his successors. When we hear the various voices that compel us to different things, we know that, where Peter is, there is Christ. Peter has the care of the Church.

The Church in turbulent times On July 25, 1968, Bl. Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae (“Human Life”), an encyclical on human life and its transmission. Almost fifty years after the release of this beautiful document, we can see how God inspired the Holy Father in everything he wrote. We need to go back and ponder Humanae Vitae. Blessed Pope Paul VI gave an exhortation to bishops about marriage to which it is even more necessary for all bishops to listen today: We invite all of you, we implore you, to give a lead to your priests who assist you in the sacred ministry, and to the faithful of your dioceses, and to devote yourselves with all zeal and without delay to safeguarding the holiness of marriage, in order

to guide married life to its full human and Christian perfection. Consider this mission as one of your most urgent responsibilities at the present time (Humanae Vitae [HV] 30).

God has given us a blueprint for a happy married life. We have spent more than fifty years ignoring it, and we can see the results in a broken society. We can be silent no longer. The Church must speak out, boldly and without fear, as Pope Paul VI taught: “The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings” (HV 1).

Let’s look at the context of Humanae Vitae. Giovanni Cardinal Montini was 65 years old when he was elected Pope Paul VI in 1963, in the middle of the Second Vatican Council. He served faithfully as pontiff for fifteen years, perhaps some of the most difficult in the history of the world and the Church.

It was the era of the so-called Sexual Revolution and cultural upheaval. It was the era of rock and roll, the moon landing, the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King.

In a reflection on Humanae Vitae when he was the major apostolic penitentiary, James Cardinal Stafford, then a priest of Baltimore, described how, in the 1950s and ’60s, out-of-wedlock pregnancies skyrocketed, and he first encountered

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The goodness of family and marriage is written on our hearts; everyone longs for family and intimacy. hard-drug users and, increasingly, broken families.

His ordinary, Lawrence Cardinal Shehan, Archbishop of Baltimore, was a part of the papal commission that had advised to allow the use of contraceptives.

Other Christian churches had allowed contraceptives since the Lambeth Conference in 1930, and when Humanae Vitae was promulgated, oral contraceptives had been on the market for about eight years.

What was happening in the Church?

The Second Vatican Council had ended three years earlier, and there was upheaval and confusion about what the council actually intended. Between 1962 and 1970, there were five new missals issued by the Church. (Remember how much upheaval and confusion a single new edition in 2002 and a single new translation in 2011 caused? Imagine a new book every two years!)

In short, there was a ball of confusion in the Church and outside it. Morality, liturgy, and the Faith itself seemed to be up for grabs. This is what the pope was trying to clarify and heal.

Warnings and remedy It is time, then, to regroup and listen to Pope Paul VI. It is time to restore what has been forgotten in our understanding of marriage. It is time to reread and take to heart the warnings heard in the prophetic voice of Humanae Vitae.

Remember, it’s not all doom and gloom: there is hope. Pope Paul VI didn’t merely show us the evils of forgetting God and his plan for humanity; he provided a remedy. What remedies did he prescribe for our culture of death?

The first thing he reminds us to do is to look to the source of marriage: the grace of the cross of Jesus Christ:

[L]et Christian husbands and wives be mindful of their vocation to the Christian life, a vocation which, deriving from their baptism, has been confirmed anew and made more explicit by the sacrament of matrimony. For by this sacrament they are strengthened and, one might almost say, consecrated to the faithful fulfillment of their duties (HV 25).

God has called each couple to marriage. It flows from their baptism.

There is a modern temptation to romanticize the wrong parts of a wedding and marriage. It is not the candles and the lighting and the flowers and the dress that are important; what is glorious is fidelity, and fruitfulness, and the fact the fact this man is unique and irreplaceable to this woman, and this woman is unique and irreplaceable to this man. It is the fact that they share together a privilege that God does not give even to the angels: to be the means through which new persons, destined for heavenly glory, are created. It is the fact that, for Christian marriage, God has decided that the love of husband for wife and wife for husband is the means through which he bestows his own love, his grace, and his salvation. They take on new duties in the heart of the Church: they are called to help each other to heaven, to raise up new members for the Church, to raise up new thrones in heaven.

Marriage is not simply about trudging through life: it is about eternal, heavenly glory. God himself has called couples together: “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt.

19:6). Jesus Christ has married couples from the cross, uniting them with the graces won by the piercing of his Sacred Heart. It is the path Jesus chose for the greatest of all saints, his own blessed Mother.

Since the heart of Jesus is the source of Christian marriage, and the cross of Christ is where he won the grace for human couples to enter into holy matrimony, we must go back to the cross and to the heart of Christ in order to restore and heal marriages. Pope Paul told his priests, “Teach married couples the necessary way of prayer and prepare them to approach more often with great faith the sacraments of the Eucharist and of penance. Let them never lose heart because of their weakness” (HV 29).

The fruits of self-discipline We must once again learn the value of generosity and self-discipline, to learn that I am not “number one.” That title belongs to God. I’m not even number two.

By putting the good of others before my own urges and desires, I learn to love. By learning control of myself, I give myself the freedom to love. In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI described eight values of training our hearts in self-discipline, especially in the sphere of marital intimacy.

It gives love more a human character, since it isn’t animalistic or consuming the other.

It develops the personalities of husband and wife, especially spiritually.

It brings tranquility and peace.

It fosters thoughtfulness and loving consideration.

It repels inordinate self-love.

It rouses a consciousness of the couple’s responsibilities to each other and to God. Control for the sake of love gives a couple a deeper influence on their children.

It gives children a right sense of values, helping them achieve proper use of mental and physical powers (HV 21).

Recently, actor Terry Crews made it public that he and his wife went on ninety-day “sex fast” as part of his recovery after his porn addiction threatened to destroy their marriage of twenty-five years. He discovered that learning selfcontrol enabled him to love his wife better and made their marriage stronger.

Part of learning generosity and communication comes from learning about the rhythms of the body—that is, to learn about the real-life person you’ve promised yourself to forever.

If therefore there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external circumstances, the Church teaches that married people may then take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile, thus controlling birth in a way which does not in the least offend the moral principles which we have just explained... ....But it is equally true that it is exclusively in the former case that husband and Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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wife are ready to abstain from intercourse during the fertile period as often as for reasonable motives the birth of another child is not desirable. And when the infertile period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express their mutual love and safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this they certainly give proof of a true and authentic love (HV 16).

Three to get married But this means more than just faithfulness, generosity, and communication between the couple. God has also entered into their marriage. It is not simply between a man and a woman that the sacrament occurs but between a man, a woman, and the Creator himself. This means there must be faithfulness, generosity, and communication with God. It means allowing God to direct us; it means following the beauty of God’s grand design.

Hence to use this divine gift while depriving it, even if only partially, of its meaning and purpose, is equally repugnant to the nature of man and of woman, and is consequently in opposition to the plan of God and his holy will. But to experience the gift of married love while respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not the master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator. . . . “Human life is sacred—all men must recognize that fact,” our predecessor Pope John XXIII recalled.

“From its very inception it reveals the creating hand of God” (HV 13).

To live true generosity, to live true love, we need God, we need his grace.

It’s funny, but so many of us are uncomfortable asking for God’s grace. We almost think we are more free or better people if we can “do it on our own.” We get a little embarrassed to involve God when we are struggling. But, you know, no one finds it embarrassing that we rely on food or air. No one says, “You won’t believe this, but I had to eat today” or “I had to breathe this last five minutes.”

Of course we do! Why do we think we need God any less? To leave God out of our marriage, to thrust him from the bedroom (or the kitchen, or the garage) will only end in disaster and misery.

Proper use of the rights of marriage and

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the true regulation of birth: “- demands from individual men and women, from families and from human society, a resolute purpose and great endurance. Indeed, it cannot be observed unless God comes to their help with the grace by which the goodwill of men is sustained and strengthened. But to those who consider this matter diligently it will indeed be evident that this endurance enhances man’s dignity and confers benefits on human society” (HV 20).

Responsible parenthood Humanae Vitae teaches we must learn responsible parenthood (HV 10).

But the pope’s use of the term is vastly different from the culture of death’s definition. There are four parts to this responsible parenthood: - Knowing the body and respecting it - Having control of our emotions and drives - Evaluating real-life conditions and deciding to generously have more children - Or,“for serious reasons and with due respect to moral precepts, decid[ing] not to have additional children for either a certain or an indefinite period of time” (HV 10). all:

The pope continues with the key to it

Responsible parenthood, as we use the term here, has one further essential aspect of paramount importance. It concerns the objective moral order which was established by God, and of which a right conscience is the true interpreter. In a word, the exercise of responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties toward God, themselves, their families and human society (HV 10).

In the garden of Eden, when man rebelled against God, nature and our own flesh rebelled against us. God is the Source of all good—to separate life and human love from him is to cut out the heart of marriage. It will bleed. To heal, we need to reorganize our lives according to God’s plan—God’s good plan, which is the only plan that can make us truly happy.

Pope Paul VI tells us: Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the blind evolution of natural forces. It is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them alone, develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new lives” (HV 8).

He continues by explaining what married love means: “Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner’s own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself” (HV 9).

Your spouse is your neighbor In all of this, Pope Paul VI anticipates St. John Paul II and his Theology of the Body. If you place them side by side, you see the same themes, the same focus, the same truths being explained.

It is easy to look at abstract questions, but it’s hard to look at real people, especially when that person is oneself. This was the struggle of the scholar of the law who asked Jesus the question that led to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37): “Who is my neighbor?” Who does this truth really apply to?

If you are married, this applies first and foremost to your spouse. Restore your own marriage. Renew in your heart the vows of your wedding day—perhaps even this evening, whisper them into the ear of your beloved. All of us, even the unmarried (especially the priests and bishops) must recommit ourselves daily to the truth—the happy truth—about authentic married love. And this ultimately means a recommitment to God. Our world needs authentic witnesses to the truth—the Truth personified in Jesus Christ.

The Most Reverend James S. Wall is Bishop of Gallup, New Mexico. This article is adapted from his keynote address at Catholic Answers’ national conference in March, “Restoring Marriage Today.”

The following parishes have designated Holy Doors:

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Gallup NM

St. Joseph Church, Laguna NM

Sacred Heart Church, Waterflow NM

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, Ft. Defiance AZ

St. Johns Church, St. Johns AZ

Indulgences and Diocesan Holy Doors better time to gain a plenaW hat ry indulgence than during the

Lenten season? For the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has sought to make indulgences widely available to gain by designating a Holy Door in every Cathedral around the world, along with special shrines and parishes in each Diocese.

Each of these doors is located on a particular side of the parish (at the Cathedral, for instance, the Holy Doors are on the north side of the building with a pitched overhead roof).

Even though we can only obtain one plenary indulgence a day, if you perform the required actions for other plenary indulgences on the same day, you can still obtain multiple partial indulgences.

To receive the Jubilee Year indulgence, you must fulfill the usual conditions, (specified below) and perform the indulgenced act: passing through a designated Holy Door during the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy (between Dec. 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the immaculate Conception, and Nov. 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Christ the King) or performing one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy.

As for the sick and the elderly, the Pope has said, “For them it will be of great help to live their sickness and suffering as an experience of closeness to the

Lord who in the mystery of his Passion, death and Resurrection indicates the royal road which gives meaning to pain and loneliness. Living with faith and joyful hope this moment of trial, receiving communion or attending Holy Mass and community prayer, even through the various means of communication, will be for them the means of obtaining the Jubilee indulgence.”

You may receive the plenary indulgence yourself, or offer it for a person in purgatory.

To receive a plenary indulgence: To refresh everyone’s memories, here are the normal conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence: – It is necessary that the person be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed.

– A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the person must, in addition to being in the state of grace: have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; have sacramentally confessed their sins; receive the Holy Eucharist; and pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and

especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an Our Father and a Hail Mary are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.

Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.

For more information on making a trip to the Holy Doors, please call the designated parishes at the following numbers: Sacred Heart Cathedral: 505-722-6644 St. Joseph Church: 505-552-9330 Sacred Heart Church: 505-598-5454 Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church: 928-729-5068 St. Johns Church: 928-337-4390 Some of this text has been adapted from the decree on plenary indulgences for the 2000 Jubilee Year.

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Little Sisters Fight for Their Future On March 23, the Supreme Court formally heard arguments in a case that may carry dire consequences for religious groups in the United States. Perhaps the most well-known of these religious groups is the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of Catholic nuns who operate homes for the elderly poor.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the United States Department of Health and Human Services has tried to enforce provisions that would require employers of companies and non-profits to provide insured health coverage of contraception and abortifacients. Recently, the company Hobby Lobby was granted an exemption to this ruling, but the HHS Department is still seeking compliance from many non-profit religious groups.

After their case was denied in lower courts, the Little Sisters’ case was bundled in with many other similar cases from various religious groups across the country, to be presented in whole to the Supreme Court for a final ruling.

“Many groups were very concerned about what the government was doing and what its plans were, and so we

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had the opportunity to represent the Little Sisters and we’re honored to be able to do that,” said Lori Windham, a senior attorney representing the case of the religious groups seeking the exemption. Windham is senior counsel for the Becket Fund, a non-profit law firm which represents a diverse range of faith-based clients in religious freedom issues. The Becket Fund was the first group to file a lawsuit against the HHS Mandate on behalf of Belmont Abbey College, a client that is now also awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court.

Now, representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services are arguing that all the Little Sisters must do is simply sign a simple form “opting out” of contraceptive coverage. But according to the Becket Fund, this form would still require the religious groups’ insurance plans to cover or reimburse contraceptive expenses.

This “piece of paper” is frequently cited by opponents of the religious groups as a reasonable amendment by the government. But during a 2014 interview, Becket Fund attorney Mark Rienzi asked

Image courtesy: The Becket Fund

“We Just Want to Take Care of Our Residents”

Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly, “If the ‘piece of paper’ really is a meaningless piece of paper, then why on earth is the government threatening [the Little Sisters] with huge fines if they don’t sign it?

The ‘piece of paper’ is actually the key to the government’s system to get people contraceptives and abortion drugs and to get reimbursement payments made for those drugs.”

Even more stunning is the fact that 1 in 3 Americans are covered by insurance plans that do not have to comply with the HHS Mandate, and that the government has declined to force these insurance providers to cover contraceptives in the same manner as they pressure religious groups.

Pepsi, Exxon Mobile, and Tricare, the insurance provider for the US Military, were grandfathered in after the passing of the Affordable Care Act. It was ruled that each of these groups met the minimum required standard of care, even when that standard did not necessarily cover family planning services.

“The government has gone to court and said that women must have this cov-

erage to have equal dignity,” Windham said. “It’s pretty shocking that they would say that when they exempt the women who are on their own government-run insurance plans.”

According to Windham, each of these companies and government agencies has been allowed to designate their own standards of coverage for contraceptives and been ignored, while small, faith-based groups have been ruthlessly threatened with fines and consequences for non-compliance.

“The government has not pursued them the way it’s gone after religious groups like the Little Sisters. In fact, Congress looked at Tricare issues, and did not pass a bill that would have required Tricare to follow the law, the HHS Mandate. So it’s pretty amazing that the government is going after the Little Sisters when there are much bigger fish to fry.”

For Windham and the religious groups represented by the Becket Fund, this case is about more than simply not providing coverage for contraceptives; the entire issue is one of religious freedom.

“The government is willing to work with people who have cost or convenience reasons why they can’t do this, but it’s not willing to work with people who cannot be part of this for reasons of conscience. And that really turns our guarantees of religious freedom on their head. Those are supposed to be the important things we protect, rather than just cost or convenience.”

Dr. Ann Church is an obstetrician and gynecologist practicing in Grants, NM. For many years she took a neutral position on the subject of birth control and abortion, but has since embraced a completely pro-life perspective. The relationship between individual medical choices and an organization’s religious objections is relevant to her own practice.

“From a legal perspective, because of Obamacare [contraceptive coverage] was written into law, but it isn’t a constitutional, bill of rights protected issue like freedom of religion is. We’re all taught that we should be able to make our own choices. But sometimes, making choices comes with a price, be that financial or something else, and just as the laypeople now are saying that the Little Sisters and other religious groups’ religious objections shouldn’t trump their right to have birth control, I would say that the person’s choice in contraceptives shouldn’t be trumping someone’s deeply-held religious beliefs.”

Many religious groups who are not being represented in the case, and who may hold different opinions on the subject of contraception and abortion, have also spoken up in support of the Little Sisters. Some of Windham’s past clients have included a Santeria priest and a group of Amish builders. One thing each of her clients has in common is a cherished belief in religious freedom.

“You have these minority faith groups come together to say that while they didn’t necessarily share the Little Sisters’ beliefs, they share their interest in religious freedom for all Americans,” Windham said.

Several of the groups represented in the upcoming Supreme Court case are non-Christian, including a group of Orthodox Rabbis.

While religious freedom is commonly agreed upon to be an important right, what about the rights of women who wish to obtain family planning services? Opponents in the case often state that a lack of contraceptive coverage would place a burden on women, particularly those in lower-income brackets.

If the Government is Willing to Pay, Isn’t That Enough?

For the Little Sisters, it’s not a financial question but a moral one about what their plan includes.

This isn’t a strange concept for Americans.

Many schools have decided not to offer soda and remove soda machines from their halls because they don’t think soda is good for their kids. The question isn’t whether the soda companies offer to pay for the vending machines and the school’s decision doesn’t prevent children from getting soda elsewhere. But the schools don’t want to provide or support something they believe is bad for their kids.

That’s all the Little Sisters are asking for.

They are not fighting to make contraception illegal or block access. And there is a simple and better alternative to forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor to offer these services. If the government offered them through the ACA healthcare exchange, that would both protect the religious freedoms of the Little Sisters and better meet the government’s goal of providing contraception coverage to women--because the exchanges could provide it, not just to the few women in religiously protected plans, but to the third of American women not even covered by the mandate HHS is fighting so hard to force the Little Sisters of the Poor to follow.

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According to Dr. Church, a large network of public, private and even corporate systems are already in place to provide that coverage.

“Commercial pharmacies have made contraceptives very affordable for just a few dollars a month,” she said. “Most public health places dispense them for free. Planned Parenthood - not that I’m promoting them - but they’ve always had cheap, affordable contraception, and most public health [clinics] have.”

Many of these options do require a prescription or visit to a healthcare provider, but those can be attained fairly easily.

“But that would be the case in any situation, right?” said Church. “Even for the employees for the Little Sisters or those other organizations that are imposed upon by this contraceptive mandate, the insurance still pays for the doctor’s visit.

And that would still be part of health care.”

Dr. Church also highlighted two troubling aspects of the case: the tenuous, and sometimes nonexistent, difference

between contraceptives and abortifacients, as well as future ramifications for other conscience-based objectors.

“The truth is, abortifacient or some abortion-causing agent can be part of almost any contraceptive. Barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms don’t have much abortifacient issue, but birth control pills and IUDs (intrauterine devices) certainly can. And that’s because birth control pills have more than one method of action. They’re supposed to stop ovulation which should stop conception, but officially now with lowerdose birth control pills, ovulation can still happen, and if that does, an ovulation could lead to a conception. But because a birth control pill keeps the uterine lining thin, it prevents that newly-formed embryo from implanting, and therefore by definition it’s an abortifacient. So birth control pills, patches, any of the hormonal methods and IUDs all have the potential to be abortifacient medications.”

Dr. Church herself promotes Natural Family Planning, a method of fam-

This case is about more than simply not providing coverage for contraceptives; the entire issue is one of religious freedom.

Visit thelittlesistersofthepoor.com for more information on this case, including videos, infographics, and photos of the Little Sisters at their homes.

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ily planning officially endorsed by the Catholic Church. But if the Becket Fund loses their case, she envisions a future where her own moral objections to contraception could be brushed aside.

“I think we’re on a very slippery slope.

If [the Supreme Court] decides against the Little Sisters we’ll have a continuous slide downhill, and conscious rights of providers and pharmacists will be in jeopardy. So yeah, it worries me.”

Windham believes this worry is wellfounded, especially from a legal standpoint.

“Ruling against the Little Sisters would set a dangerous precedent, because it would allow the government to secondguess religious believers when they say they can’t do something for reasons of conscience.”

She remains optimistic, even with the recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia, that the Supreme Court will continue to uphold the rights of religious groups.

“When some of these groups have lost in the courts below, they’ve been forced to go all the way to the Supreme

Court. But with emergency orders asking for protection until a final decision is made - the court has looked at those and time and again protected those groups from complying with the mandate. It did that for the Little Sisters in 2014, with a unanimous decision. So it’s hard to see why they would then go back and change that when they have a pattern of protecting these groups.”

Although the case is being presented on behalf of a wide variety of groups, the outcome will still be felt in the Diocese of Gallup. The Little Sisters of the Poor have operated a home in Gallup since 1985. Most of their employees, volunteers, and residents are Native American.

Sr. Mildred is a smiling, happy woman, and one of the sisters who helped to spread the word about a special day of prayer held on March 15th by homes throughout the province, along with a 12-hour block of Eucharistic Adoration.

“Our whole province of Chicago, ten homes, we’re all doing it today,” she explained. “We just want everyone to pray, to help support our cause, so that the Supreme Court justices will rule in our favor. This is monumental, and only prayer can do it, so we have a lot of faith in prayer.”

And while religious freedom is the large issue represented by the case, on a very personal level, the Sisters express a simple desire: to love and care for the poor.

“That’s the whole thing, it’s very simple,” said Sr. Mildred.

“We just want to take care of our residents and have total religious liberty to live our life. We couldn’t do that if they rule against us.”

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Annulments and Forgiveness of Abortion: What’s New About the Process?

In 2015, Pope Francis issued a Papal Bull of Indiction which established the Jubilee Year of Mercy. And while Catholics are pretty used to their Pontiff making headlines, two of his announcements that accompany this year are rather groundbreaking – and perhaps a little confusing to laymen.

The announcements concern the forgiveness of the sin of abortion and changes to the annulment process, respectively. Fr. Kevin Finnegan, the Judicial Vicar for the Diocese, and Fr. Lawrence O’Keefe, the Assistant Judicial Vicar, run the Tribunal Office, which oversees marriage and annulment cases.

In this article, they take a look at each of these important issues and how they impact the Church.

Forgiveness of Abortion Canon Law holds that any woman who obtains an abortion and anyone who assists in the procurement of an abortion is automatically excommunicated, and must obtain absolution from a bishop before the excommunication can be lifted. A bishop can delegate this faculty to absolve to a priest. In the United States, most American bishops have already delegated this ability to their priests, although the right sits first with the bishop.

In our own Diocese, this power to absolve had already been delegated to priests since the administration of Bishop Hastrich in the late 1980s.

For the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has given all priests worldwide the ability to absolve the excommunication without first obtaining permission from their bishop. The Pope has made it clear that this is a very deliberate act of compassion, because if a woman or man has cooperated in an abortion, it can take an enormous amount of courage to bring

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this to a priest for forgiveness.

“I think in particular of all the women who have resorted to abortion. I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal. I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope. The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father.”

– Pope Francis, January 9, 2015

Permanent Changes to the Annulment Process The Church defines sacramental marriage as a marriage between two Christians. For example, if two Baptists were married by a Justice of the Peace, and it was a first marriage for both, not only is that a valid marriage, it is a sacramental marriage. If a Catholic is involved, a third condition must be met in order to be sacramental – it must be witnessed by a minister of the church: a bishop, priest, or deacon.

The church wants to uphold the teachings of Jesus on the sanctity and indissolubility of marriage – “what God has joined together, let no man divide.”

But He also makes provision for marriages that never should have taken place at all. The question during the annulment process is basically “did God or did He not join these two together in marriage?” And this is where the Church has laid out the various conditions that must be met.

Ultimately, there has been no change in the Church’s teaching on marriage.

But because of the concern for mercy for people who find themselves in difficult situations, the Pope asked canonical experts in Rome to see if the procedure for examining marriages could be simpli-

fied. This has resulted in simplification in the following 3 areas: 1: A change which applies to the Tribunal Office: there are new rules for determining competence. Competence refers to the right of a particular court to try a case.

Example: in civil law, if a man is accused of murder on the Navajo reservation, the courts in Gallup and New Mexico are incompetent to deal with that – it automatically is a federal case that must be tried in federal court. The federal court has competence. The New Mexico State court does not.

So, in the Church, the grounds of competence are simplified in the following way: A tribunal may process a case if the marriage took place in that tribunal’s Diocese, and if either the petitioner or the respondent lives in the Diocese.

Before, if the respondent lived outside the Diocese, permission would have to be obtained from the Diocese where the respondent lived. The Pope has done away with this requirement.

2: There is no longer a requirement for a second review of a case when there is an affirmative judgment. Before, a case was always sent to another tribunal.

Example: if the office in the Diocese of Gallup had judged that there were grounds for an annulment, the case would have been sent to the Diocese of Phoenix for a second review.

Now, the only time a second review will be needed is if the respondent or the Defender of the Bond appeals the Judicial Vicar’s decision. Otherwise, the case is closed and the applicant is free to remarry.

3: The Pope has specified that in cases where the evidence is very clear, the annulment process should be shortened even further.

Example: a very clear-cut case would be one in which a person asks for an annulment on the basis that one or both parties did not intend to be faithful, and there is plenty of evidence and corroboration to back this claim. The judicial vicar could then go to the bishop and ask for the case to be streamlined. If the

Ultimately, these issues cannot be separated from the Pope’s call for compassion. bishop agrees, the case would then go to an instructor and an assessor (these terms are covered below). They would look over and prepare the case for the bishop by gathering evidence. The bishop would then take the case and look through it himself, and if he was able to achieve moral certitude that the marriage was invalid, he could officially annul it.

There are also certain conditions which have to be met for a valid marriage: • There must be freedom of choice for both parties (someone cannot be compelled, forced, or scared against their will into marriage) • A person must have the capacity to enter into marriage (the person must fully understand what marriage is and the duties it requires) • A person must have the right intention (I intend to enter a Christian marriage; I intend to be faithful; I intend that my marriage is open to children; I intend to live a lifelong marriage, etc.). If any of these intentions are missing, and according to witnesses and evidence it is obvious that one or both parties did not fulfill these intention, then the case may be a candidate for streamlining.

However, most cases are not as clearcut as this, so a streamlined process would not be used in every case.

All three of these are permanent changes in the Church and in the Canons.

90% of all annulments in the world are granted by tribunals in the United States and this is precisely because the tribunals in the US take marriage so seriously.

How is the responsibility for the process divided?

In the Catholic Church there is a threefold division of power – very similar to the government of the United States: executive, judicial, and legislative. The difference is that in the Church, all three reside in the Bishop.

The executive ability can be delegated, and would go to the Vicar General.

The Judicial authority can be delegated to the Judicial Vicar. However, only the Bishop has the power to legislate in the Diocese. In a Diocese, legislation refers to making policies. A Bishop may hear recommendations from a group, like the Presbyteral Council, but he is the only one who can enact procedures and policies.

Along with the Judicial Vicar, the Bishop may receive aid from two other positions in the Tribunal Office: the instructor and the assessor.

An instructor gathers the evidence for a case. The Diocese of Gallup has a small Tribunal office, so our equivalent of an instructor would be the tribunal secretary. She gathers evidence, sends letters to witnesses, and files cases.

An assessor looks over the gathered information and makes a recommendation as to whether it fits the conditions for a streamlined process. An assessor can be anyone, and they do not have to have a degree in Canon Law, although they do have to have experience and education in Canon Law. It really requires someone with good knowledge and judg-

ment. They also must be appointed by the Bishop.

Despite Bishops being able to delegate, Pope Francis has indicated that he wishes them to maintain a role in the judicial side of things, and this means taking an interest in the tribunal office and annulment process.

In our own Diocese In the Diocese, Fr. O’Keefe and Fr. Kevin met with Bishop Wall and planned out their own implementation.

This gave Canonists time to get an instructor and an assessor in place for any streamlined cases.

Ultimately, these issues cannot be separated from the Pope’s call for compassion. Pope Francis has stated that “We live in a savage world”, where there is little mercy evident. And yet mercy is at the heart of the Scriptures and the Gospel. In his Encyclical, Pope Francis moves through the Old Testament, the Psalms, and the Prophets, always making note of the references to God’s mercy and compassion. He means to underline an essential teaching about God, and to stand in contrast to a world that turns away from mercy.

Do you have questions about any of these changes? Send them to us at designoffice@ dioceseofgallup.org

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Cursillo Movement Puts Piety and Faith Into Action

It’s a Saturday morning in Gallup, NM, and Mary Cullen is busy checking on the progress of two workshops being led at Sacred Heart Family Center, next to the Cathedral.

Cullen is the lay leader of the Cursillo movement for the Diocese of Gallup, and today is the second day of the retreat that the movement puts on every few months. The dates and locations rotate from parish to parish in the Diocese, but the goal of each retreat is always the same.

“Cursillo is a shortened course in Christianity. In the Gallup Diocese it’s learning about the Catholic Church – there are Cursillos in other religions but ours is about the Catholic Church,” Cullen explains.

The movement has spread to other denominations, most notably the Episcopal church, but the origin and tradition of Cursillo is firmly Catholic. To really understand Cursillo, the best step is to examine the foundation of the group, formed in the 1930s and 40s in Spain.

In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War,

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two priests, Manuel Aparici and Sebastian Gaya, were in charge of a group known as the “Catholic Action for Youth”. They wanted to show local anti-Catholic authorities that loyalty to the Faith was still strong, especially among young men. The idea they settled on was to mobilize as many youth as possible for a pilgrimage to the basilica at Santiago de Compostela.

This Basilica, in northwest Spain, is believed to hold the remains of the Apostle St. James the Greater. The earliest records of people making a pilgrimage to the site date from the 9th century, but the route, known as the Camino de Santiago, or way of St. James, was officially organized by Church officials in the 12th century. Despite looting by a Muslim caliphate, and the later rise of anti-clerical Fascists in the early 19th century, the Basilica and pilgrimage remained popular attractions.

It was well-traveled enough that in 1779, John Adams took the route in reverse, from Spain to Paris, and later wrote that he regretted not visiting Santiago.

So for the members of the Catholic Action movement, a pilgrimage to the site was a natural demonstration of their devotion to the Church. But because of the logistics required for such a trip, the pilgrimage took several years to be realized. This is where a man integral to the modern Cursillo movement comes in, by the name of Eduardo Bonnin Aguilo.

Bonnin was introduced to Catholic Action for youth by a friend, and because of his zeal and earnest manner, he became one of the key members. It was decided that in order to prepare everyone spiritually for the pilgrimage, a week-long cursillo – Spanish for “class or workshop” – was held.

In 1948, the long-awaited pilgrimage was made by 70,000 men. Their movement had grown so strong that when they arrived at Santiago, they were greeted over the radio

by Pope Pius XII. The classes, fellowship, and meetings that prepared them had proved so effective in inspiring the men to take their faith back to their local communities that the

“

For every human being it’s an experience: you encounter yourself, you encounter Christ, and then your community.

Cursillo movement eventually took shape and evolved into the weekend retreats we know today.

Manual Zepeda is one of the local directors for the Gallup Diocese Cursillo. A native of Mexico, he helps organize both English and Spanish retreats, and says that Cursillo reignited his passion for life.

“My first Cursillo was in 1996 in Durango.

That’s when I was really born in my faith, because before, I didn’t really understand anything. Where I came from, I received the Sacraments – Baptism and Confirmation on the same day, and then after that my parents sent me to CCD. I went because they said. But after that, I jumped to being a teenager, and my mother would tell me to go to Church, yes I’ll go to Church, but I didn’t understand anything. But now, I do.”

This weekend’s retreat is bilingual, with sessions held in both English and Spanish. In one room, a man with a guitar leads the participants of Cursillo, called cursillistas, in song, just as the young men of Spain would sing at their own gatherings in the 1940s.

Across the building, another group of twenty or so people listen to a lecture in Spanish. The participants of this weekend’s Cursillo range in age from their early 20s up through retirement age, and they come from various parishes all over the Diocese. But today, they have come for the same purpose.

Both Cullen and Zapeda explain that one aspect of Cursillo that sets it apart from other Catholic retreats is the focus on taking what they’ve learned during the weekend and implementing it every single day in their community. They refer to it as a “tripod”.

“In our talks, we talk about piety, study and action. Those are our tripod,” Cullen says.

”

You have to have all three.”

Another set of three Zapeda mentions is the three encounters Cursillistas are asked to make. “[Cursillo] has a moment when we understand who we are – that’s the first step we do, in meditation: who I am. And the second is about the prodigal son. When we understand that we are the prodigal son, then we come a little closer in understanding and finding our ideal. In these three days, for every human being it’s an experience: you encounter yourself, you encounter Christ, and then your

community. That’s what makes the difference, see, we are not a group. We as cursillistas – cursillistas means the type of life you’re living with Christ in your community.”

The “tripod” then guides the cursillistas in how to live as community members.

“Piety, you know, when you have piety in yourself, you understand others and you understand the love of God. Study is the way you discover the mission the Holy Spirit has for every one of us, especially myself. And action, of course, I cannot be a good Catholic if I sit on my couch, right? I have to get up -” (here he claps his hands and smiles) “- and go, and do.”

Just as the Spanish pilgrims persevered in the face of opposition by coming together in fellowship, so too do Cullen and Zepeda the strength and future of the movement in their fellow cursillistas.

“Even though we might not speak the same language as anybody else, we’re all the same,” Cullen says. “We all have red blood.”

Zepeda spreads out his arms and gestures to the mass of people in the hall, now visiting and eating with one another during the lunch break.

“The only thing I can tell you – Christ is alive. Believe me, He is.”

Learn more: gallupcursillo.com

Each retreat features lectures and workshops in either English or Spanish.

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Calendar of Events/Classifieds

June

Michaels Indian School May 26 - St. 04 Spring Carnival Spanish Men’s Cursillo St. Michaels School 12 - Place: Farmington, NM 30 Place: Contact: 928-871-4350 gallupcursillo.com 15 Contact: Come and enjoy the festivities!

A weekend Catholic retreat for Over 20 rides, food (including cotton candy and candy apples), bingo, games, a ferris wheel, and much more! Pick up your oneday rife bracelets today for $20 at the school development office.

men held in Spanish. Rector will be Manuel Zapeda.

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St. Michaels Graduation Place: Ft. Defiance Field House Contact: 928-871-4350 Join us for senior graduation day, from 11:00am - 1:00pm

Formation 20 - Ministry Weekend Sacred Heart Retreat 22 Place: Center

Gallup, NM 87301 Time: 6:00pm - 10:30pm Contact: 505-722-6755

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Twilight Retreat with Fr. Josh Mayer Place: Sacred Heart Retreat Center Time: 6:00pm - 10:30pm Contact: 505-722-6755 Presented by Father Josh Mayer on the various titles and feasts of Mary Mother of God and our Mother. Includes a Mass at 6pm. Cost is $25. Registration is essential by May 23.

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27 29

Sacred Heart Spanish Market Place: Sacred Heart Family Center

555 S. Woodrow

Gallup NM 87301 Contact: 505-722-6644 Artists and craftsmen from New Mexico and Arizona, specializing in traditional and contemporary Spanish Colonial art, will exhibit and sell their work. Displays include tin work, Santos, weaving, wood carvings, jewelry, straw art, furniture and books. Saturday the 28th will also include a classic car show, food and games for kids. On Sunday the Parish Grand Raffle will take place: top prize is $10,000.00 and tickets cost $100.00

Priestly Ordination Place: Sacred Heart Cathedral

415 E. Green Ave

Gallup, NM Time: 11:00 am Contact: 505-722-6644 Everyone is invited to attend the ordination Mass of Deacon Robert Badger to the priesthood, celebrated by Bishop Wall.

Kings’ Men Retreat 09 - The Place: Show Low, AZ Mark at 267-98013 Contact: 5507

Join the Kings’ Men leader team for an authentically masculine, outdoor experiential retreat weekend for men at a private ranch in the cool white mountains of Show Low, AZ. Activities include Mass, orienteering, rifle shooting, outdoor cooking, adoration, and archery.

For more information or to register, visit intothewildweekend.com or call the number above.

Want to see your event here or online?

Send notices about upcoming events to designoffice@dioceseofgallup.org or call 505-863-4406

June (continued) 10 12

Engaged Encounter Weekend Place: Sacred Heart Retreat Center

NM 602

Gallup, NM Time: 9:30am - 5:00pm Contact: 505-726-2707 engagedencountergallup.org A special weekend retreat for Catholic couples preparing for marriage.

July 14

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Feastday Mass Place: Sacred Heart Cathedral

415 E. Green Ave

Gallup, NM Contact: 505-722-6644 Annual feastday Mass in honor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, celebrated by Bishop Wall.

Fundraisers St. Francis of Assisi Parish Memorial Brick Fundraiser St. Francis Parish in Gallup, NM is raising money for a brand new parish hall with a special memorial brick drive. There are two options available: a large 8x8 brick with room for up to 5 lines and logo, or a small 4x8 brick with room for up to 3 lines.

Large bricks cost $150.00 and small bricks cost $100.00. For more information please call Kathy at 505-8633033 or James at 505-870-0133.

Klagetoh Basketball Court Fundraiser St. Anne Mission in Klagetoh is holding a fundraiser to build a new basketball court for the enjoyment of the youth and people of Klagetoh.

Basketball is hugely popular with the Navajo, and a court where families can exercise and play together is a way for the mission to serve the local people in a healthy manner for generations to come. For more info, visit gofundme.com/f7p9azv8

Job Openings The Diocese of Gallup has 4 Open Positions for School Principals St. Anthony School, Zuni NM Serving mostly Native American children of the Zuni tribe, the school has educated generations of local children. The school enrolls children in Pre-K through grade 8, serving an average of 140 students per year.

St. Bonaventure School, Thoreau NM Serving mostly Native American children of the Navajo Nation, the school enrolls an average of 200 students in Preschool through eighth grade.

St. Teresa of Avila School, Grants NM With an average enrollment of 85 students in grades Pre-K through grade 8, St. Teresa School serves a diverse population of Native American, Hispanic, and Caucasian students.

St. Michael Indian School St. Michael Indian School is a private, religious order school under the direction of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

Applicants interested in the position at St. Michael Indian School may contact the school directly through their website stmichaelindianschool.org Qualifications: •Practicing Catholic in good standing with the Catholic Church •Five years experience as a teacher or administrator in a Catholic School •Be eligible for teacher licensure in the state of New Mexico or Arizona respectively Preference will be given to candidates who hold a Masters Degree and/or administrative licensure.

Compensation will be based on level of experience and qualifications according to the Diocese of Gallup Salary Scale for Catholic Schools.

For more information and to receive an application contact the Diocese of Gallup Office of Catholic Schools at catholicschools@dioceseofgallup.org

Promise to Protect 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 victimsassistance@dioceseofgallup.org

We will help.

Your confidentiality will be protected.

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: Elizabeth Terrill Coordinador de Asistencia para Víctimas 505-906-7357 victimsassistance@dioceseofgallup.org

Nosotros le ayudaremos.

Su confidencialidad será protegida.

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

Priest Assignments

Father Edwin Bryan-Diesen has been appointed Administrator to Saint Helena Parish in Alpine, AZ. He will also remain administrator at St. Peter Parish in Springerville, AZ. Father Raymond Mahlmann has been appointed Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Quemado, NM and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mission in Datil, NM. Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Obituaries

Fr. Bernard Doerger, OFM Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, Order of Friars Minor, reports that Fr. Berard Doerger, OFM, (80) died January 24, 2016, at Casa de Rosa Care Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Thomas Doerger was born on January 27, 1935, the son of Joseph J. Doerger and Marie Doerger (nee Schehl) in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in the shadow of St. Clement Parish and Friary in St. Bernard, Ohio. Berard was invested with the Franciscan habit on August 15, 1952 at St. Anthony National Shrine in Cincinnati, Ohio, and first professed vows there on August 16, 1953. Solemn profession took place at Duns Scotus College in Southfield, Michigan on August 16, 1956. Berard was ordained priest by Most Rev. Rembert Kowalski, OFM, on June 13, 1961, at St. Leonard College, Dayton, Ohio.

Berard’s love of the written word, and his talent for music served him well during his varied ministerial career as a friar priest. He taught at Bishop Luers High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana, when newly ordained. He also served as an instructor at St. Francis High School Seminary, Mt. Healthy (Cincinnati) for seven years. He served as pastor and associate pastor in Buras, Louisiana, Roswell and Cuba, New Mexico, and in Olpe, Kansas. He also ministered at Houck and Lukachukai, Arizona, as well as Laguna, Acoma, and Jemez Pueblos in New Mexico.

Berard was a friar who devoted much of his time to prayer and meditation, and was instrumental in founding several houses of prayer during his ministry: first in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, and later at Houck, Arizona. He spent a year in Bolivia, South America, on sabbatical. He also spent time in Israel and Croatia. His final years of active ministry were spent in Pena Plance and Albuquerque, New Mexico, before ill health forced his retirement from active ministry in the Summer of 2013.

Berard was an avid storyteller, and regaled our young friars in formation with tales of St. John the Baptist and Our Lady of Guadalupe Provinces. His love of music spilled over into various provincial celebrations, and he was always ready to lead song fests. Berard wrote poetry and meditations that chronicled his own spiritual journey. Additionally, he would compose music for his own creative outlet and satisfaction.

Berard is survived by his siblings: Jerry Doerger, Richard (Judy) Doerger, Patricia Mae Doerger, Rita Gullette (+Jim), and brother-in-law Don (+Joanne Doerger) Speed.

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Fr. Frank Stanfield Fr. Stanfield passed way Friday, February 26, 2016.

He was born on February 26th, 1928 in Kansas City, Kansas to Paul and Rosemary Stanfield.

He attended Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas and graduated from St. Benedict’s College in Atchison, KS in 1951. He attended St. Mark’s Seminary in South Union, Kentucky and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Gallup by Bishop Jerome Hastrich at St. Agnes Church at Shawnee Mission, Kansas on December 7, 1980.

Father Stanfield was assigned as Assistant Pastor at St. John Vianney Parish in Gallup in 1981 and also served as Financial Secretary for the Diocese of Gallup from 1981 until 1988. He also served, as Pastor of Good Shepherd Mission in Pinehaven, NM and in 1985 became Pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Gallup. He retired in 2002, and moved back to Kansas City. He most recently resided at the Villa of St. Francis in Olathe, Kansas. Please pray for the repose of his soul.

Fr. Michael J. Kugler On April 11, 2016 Father Michael J. Kugler, a priest of the Diocese of Gallup, passed away in Milwaukee, WI. Father Kugler was diagnosed with late stage cancer in early 2016 and was in hospice care for the last month. He was very appreciative of the prayers of his brother priests. A funeral Mass for Father Kugler is to be celebrated in Milwaukee.

Father Kugler is survived by two brothers, Tom and Jim.

Anniversaries

Sr. Ruth Mattingly

Sister Ruth Mattingly, who ministered at St. Joseph School, San Fidel, is among seven Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph celebrating anniversaries of religious life in 2016 at Maple Mount, Ky. Sister Ruth is celebrating 60 years in religious life. She was a teacher at St. Joseph School from 1991-93. A native of Loretto, Ky., she was also a teacher in Kentucky and Missouri, and served in parish ministry in Kentucky. She is now involved in the Powerhouse of Prayer at Mount Saint Joseph, and in quilting baby quilts.

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

Founded at Maple Mount in Kentucky in 1874, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph currently minister throughout the Americas. Visit online: ursulinesmsj.org

The statue of the Virgin Mary is carried around the outside of the pueblo church.

McCartys Feast Day:

A Celebration of Pueblo History and Culture It was standing-room only

at the May 1st Feast Day celebration of Santa Maria de Acoma mission in McCartys, NM.

The patron saint of the McCartys mission is the Virgin Mary, and each year on the first weekend in May the people gather for a Mass and procession in her honor.

Santa Maria de Acoma is one of the most notable churches in New Mexico, standing out prominently on the hillside above Interstate 40 just east of Grants.

The style and architecture of the inside and outside of the church reflect the old Spanish missions established in the 18th and 19th centuries, with carved wooden beams and adobe-style walls inside. But the church itself is less than a century old, established in 1933 as a mission of

Acoma Pueblo.

“The tribe at Acoma helped to build this church, and so they are very involved with the feast days,” said Fr. Wayne Gibbeaut, pastor of the mission churches in Laguna and Acoma. He noted that even the statue of the Virgin Mary, crowned at the beginning of Mass, has been an old and treasured piece of the history of the church from the beginning.

Bishop James Wall was the main celebrant of the Mass, with Fr. Gibbeaut as concelebrant. Members of Acoma Pueblo filled the church, many dressed in colorful traditional dresses and shirts and wearing moccasins. Whole families were in attendance, with many parents holding their small children or making room for elders.

“The culture and the faith are one,” said Fr. Gibbeaut, reflecting later on the day’s events. “The people of the pueblos have always believed in one God, and their traditional teachings are much like the Catholic Church: be kind to one another, take care of each other, take care of your parents.”

This strong sense of faith, family and culture was personified in a husband and wife celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. They were presented before Bishop Wall, who congratulated them and then blessed their wedding rings.

At the conclusion of the Mass, the statue of Mary was reverently taken up and carried in a procession around the outside of the church. At intervals, a Native chant was said and the statue was presented to the four cardinal directions sacred to the Pueblo peoples, beginning with the north. At the conclusion of the procession, Governor Kurt Riley and 1st Lieutenant Governor Raymond Concho, Jr. of Acoma Pueblo each gave a blessing in the traditional Keres language and thanked the bishop and the people for their faith and participation in the feast day celebration.

Although the day was cold, due to a late Spring snowfall, the spirits of the people were high, with Governor Riley cheerfully noting that the tribe would always welcome moisture.

“This feast day, it’s one way they can celebrate a saint with their singing, their dancing, their food,” said Fr. Gibbeaut.

“It’s part of the culture of the pueblos to celebrate.”

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO In re: ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE DIOCESE OF GALLUP, Debtor, Chapter 11, Case No. 13-13676-t11 Jointly Administered with: BISHOP OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE DIOCESE OF GALLUP, Case No. 13-13677-t11 (the “Debtors”) NOTICE OF (I) OBJECTION DEADLINE FOR PLAN, INSURANCE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS AND PARTICIPATING PARTY AGREEMENTS; AND (II) PLAN CONFIRMATION HEARING On May 3, 2016, the Debtors filed “Debtors’ First Amended and Restated Plan of Reorganization Dated March 21, 2016” [Dkt. No. 567] (the “Plan”) and a disclosure statement with respect to the Plan [Dkt. No. 568] (as such disclosure statement may be amended, the “Disclosure Statement”). On May 3, 2016, the Bankruptcy Court approved the Disclosure Statement [Dkt. No. 568]. The Plan provides the means for settling and paying all Claims asserted against the Debtors. The Plan also provides for Participating Parties and Settling Insurers to participate by contributing funds that will be used, in part, for the benefit of Tort Claimants. The Plan provides for the creation of a Trust for the exclusive benefit of Tort Claimants. The Plan also provides that all Tort Claims against the Debtors, Settling Insurers, and Participating Parties will be channeled to the Trust, meaning that the Trust will be the sole and exclusive source of payment for any such Claims against the Debtors, Settling Insurers, and Participating Parties. The Trust Assets will consist of Cash from the Debtors, contributions by Participating Parties and Settling Insurers, and proceeds from the sale of certain real property of the Debtors. The Debtors have entered into certain Insurance Settlement Agreements and Participating Party Agreements, all of which must be approved in order for the Plan to be confirmed. Therefore, the Debtors will seek approval of the Insurance Settlement Agreements and Participating Party Agreements in conjunction with confirmation of the Plan.

As part of the Plan, the Debtors will seek the entry of an Order permanently enjoining and barring all Claims by any Person or Entity against the Settling Insurers and Participating Parties as well as the Debtors, and releasing the Settling Insurers and Participating Parties from any further liability relating to (a) policies issued or allegedly issued to the Debtors or Participating Parties, (b) NMPCIGA statutory obligations, and (c) Tort Claims (as specifically defined in the Plan, which includes Claims related to sexual abuse) as part of the Plan, the confirmation of which is a condition of the Insurance Settlement Agreements and Participating Party Agreements.

The “Settling Insurers” include: (i) Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, (ii) Catholic Relief Insurance Company of America, (iii) The Home Insurance Company, and (iv) New Mexico Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association. If the Insurance Settlement Agreements are approved, the Debtors will sell, and Settling Insurers will purchase (if applicable), the Insurance Policies and Home Guaranty Claims described more particularly in the Plan and Insurance Settlement Agreements, free and clear of all liens, claims, encumbrances, and other interests. The “Participating Parties” include: (i) Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Order of Friars Minor, (ii) Province of St. John the Baptist of the Order of Friars Minor, (iii) St. Michael’s Mission, (iv) Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, (v) Saint Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, Inc., (vi) Southwest Indian Foundation, Inc., (vii) United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, and (viii) the Parishes.

IF YOU HOLD CLAIMS AGAINST THE DEBTORS, SETTLING INSURERS OR PARTICIPATING PARTIES, YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED. Copies of the Plan and the exhibits thereto, including the Insurance Settlement Agreements and the Participating Party Agreements, can be inspected at the Office of the Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court at the address below, online at a link that can be found at http://www.nmcourt.fed.us/usbc, or by contacting counsel to the Debtors. These documents will also be available on the website for counsel for the Committee at www.pszjlaw.com.

Any party who objects to the Plan, the Insurance Settlement Agreements or the Participating Party Agreements must file its objection with the Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court, Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 500 Gold Ave. SW, Tenth Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (or P.O. Box 546, Albuquerque, NM 87103) no later than June 10, 2016 and serve a copy of the objection on Elizabeth S. Fella, Quarles & Brady LLP, One South Church Avenue, Suite 1700, Tucson, Arizona 85701. If objections are timely filed, they will be considered at the hearing on confirmation of the Plan to be held on June 21, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. MDT before the Honorable David T. Thuma, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Dennis Chavez Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 13th Floor, 500 Gold Ave., S.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87102. If no objections are timely filed, an order approving the Insurance Settlement Agreements and Participating Party Agreements will be presented to the Court without further notice.

20 Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

Celebrating 245 Years of Service A fitting end to the Year of Consecrated Life took place in the Diocese of Gallup on Saturday, February 6, at Sacred Heart Cathedral, when the community gathered to pay tribute to four religious serving in the Diocese who celebrate their jubilees of religious profession this year.

Beginning with a delicious brunch in the Family Center, Sr. Catherine Clemons, DC, welcomed those present, including Bishop James Wall. She presented the opening prayer, A Blessing of Angels by John O’Donohue before the meal.

Bishop Wall spoke afterward about how much he and the Diocese valued the lives and service of the jubilarians: Sr. Maria Magdalena Studer, SC, Sr. René Backe, CSA, Sr. Natalie Bussiere, SNDdeN, and Rev. Gilbert Schneider, OFM. Each jubilarian, in turn, stood and reflected on their years as vowed religious, with Sr. Magdalena summing it up well, “I still love what I do.”

A Mass in the cathedral followed the brunch, with six concelebrants, and Dr. Randolph Copeland, the new diocesan chancellor, serving as deacon. Each jubilarian processed into the church, while a brief biography was read. Then, the congregation sang a joyful, “Alleluia!” in praise and thanksgiving.

Sr. Maria Magdalena Studer, SC, (65

years) is a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth, whose motherhouse is in Convent Station, New Jersey. She grew up in Maplewood, NJ, and spent 47 years in the field of education prior to coming to the Diocese of Gallup. Eight of those years, Sister taught math at St. Catherine Indian School in Santa Fe. Currently, Sr. Magdalena lives and serves St. Berard Parish in Navajo, New Mexico, as well as the mission at Sawmill, Arizona.

Sr. René Backe, CSA, (60 years) is director of Sacred Heart Retreat Center, academic director of the Deacon and Lay Ministry Formation Program for the Diocese, and the Bishop’s Delegate for Religious. She came to the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes after growing up in Crown Point, Indiana. She has been a teacher, principal, and director of novices throughout the Midwest.

Sr. Natalie Bussiere, SNDdeN, (60 years) grew up in Massachusetts, and has been teacher and principal throughout her religious life as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. After 19 years as principal at St. Bonaventure School, Thoreau, she is now Director of Development for St. Bonaventure Indian Mission.

Rev. Gilbert Schneider, OFM, (60 years) came to the Order of Friars Minor from his home in Hamilton, Ohio.

Within the Diocese of Gallup, he has served at Laguna, Zuni and St. Michaels, along with Peña Blanca in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. He was elected as Minister Provincial of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province of the Franciscans, after which he returned to the Diocese of Gallup, now pastor at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Fort Defiance, Arizona, and its missions at Sawmill and Navajo.

In his homily, Bishop Wall quoted from Popes John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis about the value of consecrated life. Following the Prayer of the Faithful, Bishop Wall called all the religious present to stand with the jubilarians and renew their vows, a moving moment in which they asked, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, “to live this commitment faithfully.”

“On behalf of the Church,” declared Bishop Wall, “I thank you for your years of commitment, ministry, and service to the People of God. I pray for the blessings of peace, joy, and continued fidelity for each of you.”

The event concluded with a reception in the Family Center, where the many religious communities serving in the Diocese were featured in pictorial displays.

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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Saints for Today: The Ascension of the Lord

By Dr. Jean Lee The Ascension of the Lord is the elevation of Christ to heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection. Ascension Day is a feast day traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the 40th day of Easter (following the count given in Acts 1:3), although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday.

In the Gospels and Book of Acts, the risen Christ revealed himself to a number of disciples at various points, although these tended to be fleeting encounters.

The apostles themselves were frightened and demoralized, and Thomas was at first reluctant to believe that the sightings had even taken place. Finally, 40 days after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared before them in a room where they were all gathered.

He urged them to carry his message to all the nations of the world. He told them not to fear; the H o l y

Spirit would protect them. He also said they would be able to pick up serpents and not be harmed, and they would have the power to cast out demons and heal the sick.

What happened next is unclear because the gospels differ on the details.

However, there is agreement among the gospel writers that Jesus ascended to heaven: “a cloud took him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9) The ascension is primarily a metaphor, reflecting an ancient and psychically deep-seated cosmology, used to express the real transcendent destiny of Jesus. It also serves to explain the paradoxical character of the present relationship between Jesus and his church, his supremacy over the created universe, his sending of the Holy Spirit, his role as revealer, his heavenly priesthood and the expectation of his second coming. Being the ascension of man Jesus, it is also the basis of the hope of all humankind.

Jesus’ ascension into heaven reveals the destiny which God intends for the rest of humankind. The faithful know that their true country is a heavenly one (Heb 11:16), that their homeland is heaven itself (Phil 4:20).

M o re over, united with their exalted Lord through faith and baptism, they are encouraged to look beyond this present life to their final destiny which is to appear with Christ in glory.

“He as-

cended into heaven”—the reality of Jesus’ ascension into heaven is a truth which provides the key to an understanding of many different aspects of our faith, ranging from the affirmation of Jesus’ own destiny to the revelation of a spirituality and a morality which correspond to this affirmation in the lives of those who make it.

Quotes from the early Church Fathers: “For I know that after His resurrection also, He was still possessed of flesh. And I believe that He is so now.” –St. Ignatius of Antioch “Jesus is still sitting there at the right hand of the Father—man, yet God. He is the last Adam; yet, He is also the original Word. He is flesh and blood, yet His body is purer than ours.”—Tertullian “After His resurrection, Christ existed in an intermediate body, as it were. For it was somewhere between the physicalness of the body He had before his sufferings and the appearance of a soul uncovered by such a body. It was for this reason that when His disciples were together and Thomas was with them, Jesus came and stood in their midst, even though the doors were shut… And in the Gospel of Luke also, while Simon and Cleopas were conversing with each other concerning all that had happened to them, Jesus ‘drew near and went with them.’ …

And when their eyes were opened and they knew Him, then the Scripture says, in express words, ‘And He vanished out of their sight.’”

—Origen Jean M. Lee, M.A., D.Min., is a licensed behavioral health and substance abuse counselor, founding a nonprofit, state-licensed behavior health counseling agency and Christian gift/book store. A Catholic revert after 32 years away from the Church, she is devout in the Catholic faith, loves the saints, and lives a deeper spiritual/religious and more joyful life since returning to the Church.

Making Sense out of Bioethics:

Supporting Those Struggling with Addiction

by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Addiction can be extremely harmful, and in some cases, fatal for those individuals ensnared by it. It can be seriously disruptive and damaging to those around them.

Who is to blame when it comes to addiction? Family and friends may think to themselves, “Why can’t Jane just stop drinking?” Or, “Doesn’t Joe understand that his gambling addiction is bankrupting the family?” Or, “Can’t Bob see how his pornography habit is destroying his marriage and his relationships?”

For those facing addiction, it seems they ought to be able to recognize their behavior as harmful and turn away from it by a resolute decision. Family and friends, however, can face years of frustration when they see their loved ones fall into a slow motion “crash and burn,” spiraling downwards as they remain unwilling or unable to step away from their addiction.

Enslaved to addiction The individual caught in the web of addiction objectively falls prey to a loss of personal freedom. His will becomes weakened, and he becomes enslaved in a way that limits his ability to recognize the right order of goods in his life.

By repetitively choosing the addictive behavior, it becomes ingrained, and the ability to choose better, alternative behaviors becomes enfeebled, if not seemingly impossible.

For these reasons, there is almost always diminished personal responsibility in situations of addiction. To be accountable for our acts, we must freely choose those acts, but the internal pressure and downward spiral of the addiction may have already co-opted the individual’s ability freely to choose otherwise.

Eventually this bondage can appear to be permanent, and addicted individu-

als can imagine themselves pathetic and hopeless to such a degree that they almost give up. In the words of a formerlyaddicted individual: “I believe that I did not have a choice to stop...It never became clear to me that I could live another way until a medical intervention from my physician and friends took place. Willpower plays a small role here, but it too cannot work if one has a malfunctioning brain. I speak for myself here...I could not stop. Period.

“Now, I have stopped. Not just because of the intervention, but because I have turned my life and my will over to the God of my understanding. That is something 12 step programs have taught me.”

Making choices This radical loss of freedom lies at the heart of the tragedy of addiction.

Because we are creatures of habit, the choices we make, either for good or for evil, form us in one direction or the other, so we become individuals who are either capable or incapable of choosing the good freely.

Virtue is a habit of good, while vice is a habit of evil. Early choices leading down the road towards addiction, freely made, can quickly snowball into vice, addiction, and a loss of freedom. As one recovered addict graphically described it: “My beef is with those who claim that they never chose to become an addict or never chose to hurt their families. . . . While we likely didn’t intend to end up helpless, dysfunctional people who [hurt] our loved ones, the choices we made put us at risk of ending up in a sorry state where we were capable of doing things we would have never dreamed of.

“Unless you were raised on Mars, we all deep down knew the risk of our choices, especially if you’re talking about coke,

crack, meth, or heroin but we chose to roll the dice anyways. At a certain point, when I was starting to do coke almost every weekend, I knew that it would be wise to stop, but I chose not to because I was having fun and I told myself it will never happen to me. By the end, I was going on solo three day benders with alcohol and cocaine, and I landed in treatment...my point is that I made the choice to try the substance, the choice to begin to use the substance more regularly, and the choice not to quit when I could have.”

Supporting those addicted While there may have been significant moral culpability at the beginning of an individual’s descent into addiction, it is still critical for us to never stigmatize, patronize, or abandon those who are in the throes of addiction.

They may feel they are defined entirely by their addiction, unlovable and wretched, rather than seeing that they are, in fact, human beings who are precious to God and those around them, and even now endowed with some tiny space of remaining freedom.

That tiny space will become key to determining whether they ultimately choose the behavioral changes needed to improve their situation and recover the human freedom that is rightfully theirs. We should support, encourage and love them in ways that will help lead them toward those good choices and successful outcomes.

Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D., is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., and serves as the director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See: ncbcenter.org

Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org

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In the footsteps of St. Junípero Serra...

Presents

California Mission Trail With Patrick Madrid Author & Radio Host October 2–9, 2016

Bishop James Wall

Space is Limited! Call 603-878-5451

Chaplain

800-653-0017

Patrick Madrid Your Host

October 2 ~ Our pilgrimage begins as we depart our local airport for our flight to San Diego, California.

Following our hotel check-in, we visit the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, known as the “Mother of the Alta California Missions.” We will learn the history leading up to this challenging undertaking and see a re-creation of the cloister of St. Junípero Serra, OFM (canonized on September 23, 2015).

Before checking into our hotel we will visit the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. St. Louis led the crusades to regain the Holy Land for Christ. Overnight Ocean City

The Christ Cathedral

October 3 ~ Following breakfast we’re off to visit the Mission San Juan Capistrano, named after the 14th century theologian, one of the most picturesque sites in all of California. Next, we’ll visit the famous Christ Cathedral (the former Crystal Cathedral) in Orange, now the home of the diocese – and tour its stunning façade and the magnificent gardens that surround it. Continue on to visit the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, aka the“Pride of the Missions” and the Mission San Fernando Rey de España. Overnight Ventura October 4 ~ Following breakfast, we visit the Mission San Buenaventura, named after St. Bonaventure.

We then visit the Mission Santa Barbara, known as the “Queen of the Missions.” Following a break for lunch, we visit the Mission Santa Inés, named for St. Agnes of Rome, and the Mission Purísima Concepción, “Immaculate Conception.” Overnight Santa Barbara

Mission Santa Barbara

October 5 ~ We depart the Santa Barbara area for the scenic drive to Carmel and Monterey. Our first stop along the way is the Mission San Luis Obispo. We then proceed to the Mission San Miguel Arcángel, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Following a stop for lunch, we visit the Mission San Antonio de Padua, St. Serra’s third Mission. We end the day with the beautiful area surrounding the Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. Dinner. Overnight Monterey October 6 ~ After breakfast, we’re off to the Mission San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo, where St. Junípero Serra is entombed beneath the sanctuary of this mission church. We’ll view his sarcophagus as well as that of three of his fellow missionaries. We then proceed to visit the “Mission of Music,” the Mission San Juan Bautista. We view the only remaining original Spanish Plaza, surrounded by 30 buildings including the original adobe manjerio (nunnery). Following lunch, we make a brief visit to the Mission Santa Cruz alongside the San Lorenzo River, and finish the day with a beautiful drive by Cannery Row in Monterey. Overnight Monterey

Mission San Juan Capistrano

October 7 ~ This morning we travel to Santa Clara, where we find ourselves in the middle of the Santa Clara University campus to visit the Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Following our visit, we stop at the Mission of San José, an active participant in the Parish of St. Joseph. We break for lunch, then proceed to the Mission San Francisco de Asís, in the middle of a busy city and home to the “National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.” We finish our day with the Mission San Rafael Arcángel, which began as an offsite hospital to the Mission of San Francisco de Asís. Overnight San Francisco October 8 ~ Following breakfast, we proceed to the famed Sonoma Wine Region and Marin County area by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for a visit to the 21st and last of the originally established California Missions: the Mission San Francisco Solano, which is nestled in the wine country 40 miles north of San Francisco and across from the site of the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846.

Overnight San Francisco

Mission San Miguel Arcángel Cost per Person:

Double Occupancy Single Occupancy

$1,995.00 $2,445.00

Ground Only (no airfare):

Double Occupancy Single Occupancy

$1,595.00 $2,055.00

October 9 ~ With a renewed sense of pilgrimage and an invigorated love of our Catholic faith, we board our plane for the return flight home.

Travel Package Includes: † Pilgrimage chaplain with daily Mass and devotions offered along the pilgrimage route † Roundtrip Airfare from most major U.S. cities (incl. airport taxes, subject to change) † Hotel accommodations 4 star for 7 nights (such as the Hampton Inn by Hilton or similar) † Breakfast & dinner daily – 16 meals † Professional English-speaking tour escort & local guides † Daily sightseeing as per itinerary † Deluxe motor coach transportation † Entrance fees per itinerary † Service charges, gratuities, and luggage handling

Canterbury Pilgrimages & Tours, Inc. 166 South River Rd. Suite 110, Bedford, NH 03110-6928 | 800-653-0017 | canterburypilgrimages.com | reservations@canterburypilgrimages.com