The Record Newspaper 12 August 2004

KNEEL WITH THE POPE IN PRAYER

AUGUST

General: That the European Union may draw new impulse from the Christian heritage which has always been an essential part of its culture and history.

Missionary: For ever greater unity and cooperation among Institutes working in the missions.

WA’s only Catholic weekly newspaper Perth: 12 August 2004 Price: $1

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W YD tour for WA youth

Tour takes advantage of Order’s houses

Bishop Justin Bianchini of Geraldton will join 50 young Australians, including 32 from WA, on a special 24-day tour for World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, next year.

Organised by priests of the Salvatorian Order, the tour taking in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland will cost only about $5000 because the accommodation in Europe has been arranged through the Order.

Places in the August 4-28 pilgrimage are available to people aged 16 to 35 from Salvatorian parishes, and schools with a Salvatorian priest as chaplain.

The allocation of places in WA is: Lumen Christi College 4, Chisholm College 4, Ocean Reef Parish 5, Greenmount 3, Balcatta 3, Bruce Rock 2, Merredin 2, Esperance 2, Carnarvon 2, and the Geraldton Diocese 5.

Team leaders Fr George Kolodziej SDS, Miss Kelly Croll, 21, and Dan Fleming 18, both of Sydney, visited WA last week to talk to the schools and parishes about the tour.

Speaking at Ocean Reef on Sunday, Miss Croll said that the WA contingent would meet the Sydney group in Singapore and fly to Rome for three days which would include Mass at the tomb of the Salvatorian founder, Fr Jordan. They would then travel by bus to Assisi, Florence, Venice, Vienna and Prague, with stops of varying duration. From Prague they would fly to Cologne for the week of World Youth Day, including gatherings with Salvatorian groups from Spain and other countries.

Three

Following the WYD experience, they would travel to Poland for a quiet time, spending three days in the mountains at a place often visited by Pope John Paul II.

Both Kelly and Dan attended WYD in Toronto in 2002.

Kelly described it as “like the Olympics except that everyone is nice”. Dan told the congregation that World Youth Day had

changed his life, freeing him from the trap of acting like someone he wasn’t, unable to be himself.

“In Toronto, I gained a whole new understanding of God. I saw him in the people around me, not as a distant policeman in the sky,” he said.

“800,000 people accepting you as you are, not as an image you put on, makes a big difference.“ I came

home and lived as myself, and people accepted me for myself and I made a host of new friends.

“Religion is now a beautiful part of my life because I see Jesus in people, and people recognise this in me.”

Dan Fleming is a student at Australian Catholic University and Kelly Croll is a graduate from ACU and doing her practical teacher

training at St Peter’s College in Tuggerah on the NSW Central Coast.

Those wishing to go on the tour must apply to their parish priest or school chaplain. This tour is separate from the archdiocesan tour which will be led by Bishop Donald Sproxton.

More information on the tour is available from www.sdswyd.com

Exhibition offers stunning Western impressions

US bishops say no to abortion politicians

By Nancy Frazier O'Brien

WASHINGTON (CNS) - US Catholic politicians or candidates who support keeping abortion legal have been barred from receiving Communion in any Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and in the dioceses of Charleston, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. In a joint letter issued

on August 4, Archbishop John Donoghue of Atlanta and Bishops Robert Baker of Charleston and Peter Jugis of Charlotte said the ban can only be lifted after the politician's "public disavowal of former support for procured abortion" and "with the knowledge and consent of the local bishop."

"We undertake this action to

safeguard the sacred dignity of the most holy sacrament of the altar, to reassure the faithful and to save sinners," they said.

But in North Carolina's other Catholic diocese, Bishop Joseph Gossman of Raleigh is taking a different approach to the question of Church sanctions against those who want to keep abortion legal.

The Church's long-standing practice is "not to make a public judgment about the state of the soul of those who present themselves for holy Communion," Bishop Gossman said in a July 8 statement.

"The pastoral tradition of the Church places the responsibility for such a judgment on those C o n t i n u e d - P a g e 1 3

Lourdes now accepting intentions via Web

The Internet now makes it possible to participate spiritually in John Paul II’s pastoral visit to Lourdes from August 14-15, and to have a prayer deposited in the grotto of the French shrine. Fr Thierry Lamboley and Sister Catherine Sesboue have committed themselves to place in Massabielle the intentions sent before Aug. 14 to the email address: lourdes2004 @croire.com.

The priest and nun will open the e-mails at Lourdes and deposit the intentions in the Massabielle Grotto.

The official Web page of the papal visit is www.lourdes 2004.com.

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Local work offers a glimpse

Aconversation I had with an elderly woman some time ago was quite thought provoking. It was about her work as a visitor in her parish. The parish has been developing a pastoral program to develop “Neighbourhood Church.”

This lady is in her mid-seventies and she keeps in contact with about a dozen Catholic families who live in her vicinity. She has been visiting these families for over six years, just doing the neighbourly thing, talking about how things have been going since the last time they met.

She told me about the lady she met when she first went around. As soon as the door opened, she said, she recognised the woman. This was the woman she had seen at Mass, almost every Sunday morning for the past 40 years. And guess what? They had never said a word to each other in all those 40 years until that door opened and they stood facing one another.

I have given a lot of thought to this story and it has made me so convinced that we Catholics have a role in helping our communities redis-

cover the neighbourhood experience. Some neighbourhoods have never lost their special spirit. But I am sure the majority have lost or never had it.

For that visitor, knowing her neighbours and keeping the contact with them has meant she knows more of the people who celebrate at Mass with her.

Our suburbs are the focus not just of the Church but also governments. More resources are being made available to help recreate the ideas and dynamism of neighbourhood.

The Archdiocese has its part to play in this new focus and I see the work of creating Basic Ecclesial Communities in parishes as being a great start.

At this moment, the parish of Holy Family, Como is preparing for the launch of the first BECs early next year.

Three or four other parishes close by will probably follow suit.

The parish will develop the BEC in a sector where six volunteers will be given a few known Catholic households to visit once or twice a year. This contact will be maintained by

visits at home or casual meetings at shops or in the street. The point of it is that every known Catholic will be in contact with the parish, whether they attend Mass or not. As time goes by, the visits may bring a close contact for each person to the Catholic community.

Being known or recognised, being cared for because you are a brother or sister through Baptism, being in contact on your own terms, these are all necessary for evangelisation to begin. The BEC concept attracts me as it helps the parish keep in view the 100 per cent of Catholics.

There is certainly enough to do caring for 15 per cent of Catholics who are close to the worshipping community. But this means we can lose sight of the 85 per cent. The question is: how do we contact them and engage them?

The BEC has the potential to establish the contact again and maintain a sort of network with all the known Catholics. Parishes will begin to see how and where they can respond as the needs of people become known. Our communities can experience new life. There is more interest

being expressed by parishes in this pastoral initiative. As the BEC or the “Neighbourhood Church” begins to develop in the first parishes, I am sure the idea will catch on and those pioneers will be at the service of other parishes.

New Catechists commissioned to be a light

We Hold a Treasure. That was the theme of the Commissioning Ceremony held recently at the Chapel of St Michael the Archangel to welcome 65 new Catechists to the

St Joseph Pignatelli Parish

Attadale

Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Jubilee Dinner

Friday 3 September at 7pm

ministry. In his homily, Fr Paul Fogarty said Catechists were “always putting themselves out there, at the rock face of the Church. You might say that our Catechists

are the front line troops... who let the likeness and glory of God shine through them to the children to whom they pass on faith”.

The mystery of our faith calls us to a constant journey and conversion together. It is through our dying and rising with Jesus that we carry within us the light of God.

Paraphrasing the writings of St Paul, Fr Fogarty continued:

“Your were called by God to this ministry... to grow in your faith so that there will be more thanksgiving in your communities that you serve...for the glory of God the Father.”

“In some way, the light of God shines through you in your act of service to the children you teach, to the Personal Advocacy Service and to the wider community. You have been called to this. Without you in this ministry, there is something lacking,” he added.

Putting the challenge out to the new Catechists, as well as to those already serving in their ministry, Fr Fogarty said they were called by God to help the children discover the treasure in their own lives.

Tompkins Park Recreation

Alfred Cove.

Tickets $38. Contact Steve on 9330 4000.

Jubilee Mass

Sunday 5 September at 9.30am, followed by displays and morning tea.

Past

“It is up to us to pass on our excitement of knowing this treasure so that they (the children) can discover their own excitement as they grow and enter more fully into their faith,” he concluded.

S t o r y / p h o t o s : P h i l B a y n e / C E

New catechists gather in the Chapel of St Michael the Archangel at the Catholic Education Office in Leederville for the commissioning ceremony.

Fr Paul Fogarty leads the ceremonies.

Ma ssive turnout for marriage

More than 1,000 people packed the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra, on Wednesday August 4 in a massive show of support for legislation which would define marriage as being exclusively between a man and a woman.

The National Marriage Forum was hosted by the National Marriage Coalition which was founded by the Australian Christian Lobby, the Australian Family Association and the Fatherhood Foundation.

Prime Minister John Howard addressed the Forum, defending his legislation and in a possible hint at election timing, urging the Senate to pass the bill within the fortnight so that it did not become an election issue.

Labor has supported the move to define marriage, but has opposed the government’s bid to also ban same-sex adoption. The Australian Democrats are opposed to both

aspects of the legislation and have referred it, with Labor’s support, to a Senate committee.

In response, the government has split the bill and is planning to reintroduce the marriage definition legislation.

Mr Howard commended the

organisers of the Forum and said the large numbers of people present showed how important the issue was to the community.

“I have a very simple view about the issue that is currently before the federal parliament, and that is to insert affirmatively into the Marriage Act the definition of marriage that we have always commonly understood in our society,” he said.

“It expresses the fundamental Judeo-Christian view and that is that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and woman to the exclusion of all others. It is also a view of marriage which is entertained by many other religions around the world and also by many people who profess no religious faith at all.

“And the reason why, above everything else, that I would like this definition put into the Marriage Act is that I believe that the Australian public wants a reaf-

M arian Tindari celebration looms

The Association of Maria Santissima del Tindari will celebrate the ninth anniversary of its popular feast and procession in Fremantle on Sunday 12 September.

3000 people are expected to take part in the procession through the streets of Fremantle in a colourful display of faith and devotion towards the Black Madonna.

The secretary of the Association Mr Joe Franchina said the festivities will begin with a Solemn Triduum in Fremantle’s Basilica of Saint Patrick on Thursday

September 9 at 7.45pm running until Saturday I I September.

On Sunday 12 September, at 9.45am there will be a Concelebrated Solemn Mass presided over by local Priest, Fr Gaetano Nanni.

The procession will leave the Basilica on Sunday September 12 at 2.00pm.

The statue will be carried through the streets of Fremantle to the Esplanade, where there will be a brief pause for a daytime fireworks display. At the conclusion of the fireworks, the procession will

return to the Basilica for Benediction.

Mr Franchina said that according to popular legend the Black Madonna arrived in the small Sicilian town of Tindari by miraculous circumstance after a merchant ship sought shelter in the bay of Tindari because of a storm. The year was 726 AD.

But it was through the devotion, determination and above all, the faith of the community that another statue of the Black Madonna was commissioned and produced in Fremantle in 1996.

firmation in the highest form, and that is through an act of the national parliament, of something that until fairly recently they’ve taken for granted.”

Mr Howard said marriage should be defined by the parliament and not the courts.

Other speakers at the forum included Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, Shadow AttorneyGeneral Nicola Roxon, Tasmanian Senator Guy Barnett, the Rev Dr Margaret Court, Professor Patrick Parkinson from the University of Sydney, former RSL President Major General Digger James, the Rev Fred Nile, columnist Angela Shanahan, Jim Wallace from the Australian Christian Lobby and Bill Muehlenberg from the Australian Family Association. Shadow Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, representing Opposition Leader Mark Latham, said she wanted to make it clear that Labor did not support gay marriage.

“Labor supports the institution of marriage as an important social, and for many a religious, union between a man and a woman,” she said.

“Labor has stated this position from day one, when this issue was raised and has repeated it many times in the Parliament.”

Ms Roxon said that Labor supported sending the Bill to a Senate Committee because it believed the public should have the right to have a say on the definition of marriage.

She also noted Mr Howard’s intention to reintroduce the Marriage Definition Bill.

“If he does, we’ll vote for it,” she said. However, Labor would not vote for the ban on same-sex adoption from overseas countries because it remained opposed to the Commonwealth becoming involved in adoption law which had always been the responsibility of the states.

Vinnies bargains galore!

St Vincent de Paul Society’s Rockingham Retail Centre is shifting out end of season winter stock and that means bargains for locals!

Proceeds from sales help the state’s largest charity assist those who are most in need in our community.

The Rockingham Retail Centre at 17 Hurrell Way will be bringing in new stock, from the 339 tonnes donated to the charity each year to attract new clients

and to ensure locals are receiving the best bargains in WA.

Volunteer In Charge Rita Edwards says that she thinks the most popular bargain items will be jackets, pants and bric-abrac.

The 43 St Vinnies Retail Centres across the state allow community members to buy quality discounted second hand clothing and bric-a-brac all year round.

The Rockingham Centre phone number is 9528 1071.

The AFA’s Bill Muehlenberg.

Please! Just another title?

Question: I know that the Church has defined the Assumption of Mary into heaven as a dogma of the Faith. But does the Assumption have any relevance for us on earth, or is it just another Marian title?

On 1st November 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly described the crowning event in the life of the Blessed Virgin: ‘The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.’ (Munificentissimus Deus)

Taught in seminal form in Revelation 12, constantly believed by the Church from earliest times, and nowhere denied in Scripture, the Church’s medita-

tion on the mystery of Mary led to the clearly defined dogma of her Assumption into heaven. Why did it take so long to declare this as an article of Catholic faith?

It’s because Church doctrines are not isolated teachings, ‘invented’ by some devout theologian or ‘imposed’ by a pope. These dogmas always relate to God’s plan for all of us, and an examination of Church history, and indeed of world history, shows that these dogmas are declared at pivotal moments.

Consider Pius XII: a Roman by birth, he had grown up during the carnage and aftermath of World War I, and had seen his beloved Italy overcome by the godless Fascism of Benito Mussolini. A Church diplomat by profession, he had been the Holy See’s ambassador to Germany during the rise of Adolf Hitler, another megalomaniac who turned the heads of people away from God and toward himself.

Chosen by Divine Providence to be Pope during the terrible years of World War II, he then faced the immediate threat of Soviet Communism in the post-war period. In the first half of the 20th century, millions had died needlessly, many of them in horrific circumstances like the Nazi concentration camps and the Soviet gulags.

Not only that: the post-war release from the twin threats of destruction and economic

Lourdes in France has been a popular place of pilgrimage since St Bernadette received visions of Mary at the grotto more than a century ago. Pope John Paul II visits there from August 14-15 as part of his commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the solemn proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

depression sent Western nations into a moral decline which continues even in our own day. The Pope consulted with theologians and bishops around the world; the laity, too, were consulted in each diocese. The very strong consensus was that the definition of the dogma of the Assumption would be a spiritual boost to the Catholic world, a reminder of basic human dignity, of the sanctity of the body, the divine plan for humanity to live in peaceful obedience to God’s will as Mary

Pius XII taught when he defined the dogma, ‘the early Fathers and Doctors of the Church did not draw their teaching from the feast itself, but spoke of this doctrine as something already known and accepted by Christ’s faithful.’

Countless popes, theologians and preachers proclaimed the Church’s constant belief in the Assumption through the centuries. Among them are the Eastern Church preachers St John Damascene and St Germanus of Constantinople, the Franciscans St Bernardine of Siena and St Anthony of Padua, the Dominicans St Albert the Great and St Thomas Aquinas, and the post-Reformation bishops St Robert Bellarmine, St Francis de Sales and St Peter Canisius, among many others.

CNS graphic by Anthony DeFeo

did. The dogma was an exhortation to avoid undue attachment to material things, and a proclamation of renewed hope in our eternal destiny. Indeed, this teaching was met with great celebration, precisely because it was so relevant to post-war times.

Catholics believe in Mary’s Assumption because it is a fact of revelation known through a verified Sacred Tradition, although this doctrine is not found in the written Scriptures. Sacred Tradition never contradicts the Word of God.

Simply because a teaching is not explicitly taught in the Bible does not mean it is not untrue or that it is not there implicitly –waiting to be uncovered by the Church’s reflection on the Word of God. After all, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide the Church into all truth. Would He allow the Church to proclaim a doctrine that was false?

From very early times Christians have celebrated the Assumption of Mary. The Armenian Church in Jerusalem included this feast in its lectionary in 451, St Gregory of Tours preached about it in 549, and the Emperor Maurice extended its observance to the whole Roman Empire in 602. There is a Latin expression – lex orandi, lex credendi (‘the way we pray is the way we believe’) – and as Pope

What is the relevance of the Assumption? As the first member of redeemed humanity, Mary stands forth as the pledge and promise of our own final resting in the Lord for all eternity. What Christ has done for her, the first and most faithful of His followers, He will certainly do for all who die believing in Him.

In the Creed we state: I believe in the resurrection of the body. If a person denies the Assumption of Mary, then is he or she also denying the resurrection of the dead? Or is it just a matter of timing – should Mary wait in the queue with the rest of humanity?

Would it be appropriate that Mary, preserved free from sin, should suffer the corruption of the body that is a penalty resulting from original sin? Of course not.

We will all share in the resurrection one day; but Mary, who faithfully followed her Son in His earthly life, passion and death, appropriately shares in His victory in a way that is similar to, but distinct from, the way in which all believers will do so. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection, and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians. (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 966)

Send your questions to:

Dear Padre, c/- The Record PO Box 75 LEEDERVILLE WA 6902

Vespers for Our Lady

A beautiful service of Vespers will be sung in St Mary’s Cathedral this Sunday 15 August at 4.30pm and you are being invited to be present. The special occasion – although the Cathedral Choir sings Vespers throughout the year – is the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption. The Feast of the Our Lady’s Assumption is one of the more high-profile feast days in the Church’s year, honouring as it does the unique status of Mary the Mother of God.

The centuries-old belief that

Mary was immediately assumed body and soul into heaven at the end of her life became Church teaching on November 1, 1950 when Pope Pius XII issued the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, having written the words that described the crowning event of Mary’s life:

“The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” The service will be lead by the Choir.

DEARPADRE

Cardinal Pell visits Notre Dame

The Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, visited The University of Notre Dame Australia last Friday August 6 to discuss plans for the proposed Sydney campus.

Cardinal Pell met with Notre Dame’s Vice Chancellor Dr Peter Tannock, board members and senior staff and toured the University’s rapidly growing Fremantle campus.

He also celebrated Mass for staff at the University’s Holy Spirit Chapel.

Dr Tannock said he was delighted to welcome Cardinal Pell to Notre Dame.

“Our discussions have been very constructive,” he said.

Dr Tannock said the University was looking forward to the development of its campus in the Archdiocese of Sydney, an initiative that had been strongly endorsed by Archbishop Barry

Hickey, Archbishop of Perth.

Notre Dame proposes to open a Sydney campus on two sites in Sydney – the historic St Benedict’s Church and school in Broadway, Chippendale and the Sacred Heart parish site in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, opposite St Vincent’s Hospital.

It is proposed to open in 2006 offering courses in law, business, teaching and nursing.

Meanwhile, the University’s College of Education’s new premises on the corner of Mouat and Phillimore Streets were officially blessed the day before by Archbishop Barry Hickey.

The Archbishop also blessed a San Damiano crucifix which has been donated to the college. The crucifix which depicts St Francis of Assisi will grace the building’s main entry hall off Mouat Street.

The heritage-listed building, known as His Majesty’s Hotel,

was purchased by Notre Dame in May 2003 and restored over the following year.

The building houses the Schools of Teaching and Religious Education, lecture and tutorial rooms, a computer laboratory, and rooms for staff and post-graduate students.

Head of the School of Religious Education Associate Professor Maureen Mears said the refurbished building was an excellent facility.

“For the first time in years the College’s two schools are under the same roof, and this is a very positive development,” Associate Professor Mears said. “We now have the room and the modern facilities we need to work.”

The College of Education was Notre Dame’s first college when the University enrolled its first teacher education students in 1992.

Bentley celebrates 50 years as parish Couple renew wedding vows for golden jubilee celebration

Archbishop Barry Hickey was present for the special concelebrated Mass of the Golden Jubilee of Santa Clara Parish, Bentley, last Sunday, August 8.

About 300 past and present parishioners and their families attended the Mass at 9.30am along with Dominican Sisters who taught at the school and Missionary Sisters of Charity who still minister in the parish.

The concelebrants were past parish priests Fr Jim Petry (1971-81), Fr Lawrence Murphy (1970), Norbertine Right Rev. Fr Roman and parish priest Fr Douglas Hoare.

Fr Hoare organised the event with the help of the Parish Council and finger foods were served after the Mass in the school grounds in glorious sunny weather.

Archbishop Hickey said before the Mass it was a "very important anniversary in the life of the church which celebrates the contribution of countless numbers of people in building up the parish."

He said he was pleased to see "former parish priests and the Sisters who had worked so hard in the parish for many many years, also present and past parishioners."

Originally known as Bentley Park, the parish was part of St Joseph's parish, Queens Park, in the early days, and a small pocket belonged to Our Lady Help of Christians parish, East Victoria Park.

In June 1952, Mass was celebrated in a 100pound ($200) marquee near the site of the present Warwick Street.

Soon afterwards, the building of a School Church began and was opened by Archbishop Redmond Prendiville on August 17, 1952.

Work began on the church by sub-contracting in October 1962, and with the help of voluntary labour by parishioners was completed by May 30, 1963, when it was officially blessed and opened by Archbishop Prendiville. (Full story next week).

- G l y n n i s G r a i n g e r

The State President of the St Vincent de Paul Society Brian Bull and his wife Pat celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with family and friends at their local parish, St Anthony’s in Greenmount, on Friday August 6.

Pat Bull is herself a St Vinnies volunteer of more than 40 years, and opened the Society’s first retail centre in Midland in 1963.

The couple had just returned from Malta where they attended the marriage of their only grand daughter, Rebecca Bull, to Noel Vella.

The young couple joined Brian and Pat for the renewal of their wedding vows so that rest of the family in Perth could witness them.

Brian and Pat said that deep loyalty, loving trust and strong sharing of faith have been the basis of their marriage through a long and fruitful life which included Brian being Commissioner of Police for 10 years.

They have raised their family in a truly Catholic way and are proud of how they

have followed in their footsteps, which is clearly demonstrated in their daily life, through work and a wide variety of community involvement.

The family tradition is exemplified in

their religious duties as Brian has been an Acolyte for over 20 years and has seen his by son Wayne and grandson Ben commissioned for the same service in the Church.

Gathered with Cardinal Pell during his visit to Notre Dame were, left to right, Sydney Archdiocesan Business Manager Danny Casey, Monsignor Brian Rayner of the Sydney Archdiocese; Notre Dame Chancellor Terry O’Connor QC, the Cardinal’s private secretary Dr Michael Casey, NDA Trustee Father John Neill, Vice Chancellor Dr Peter Tannock and NDARegistrar Peter Glasson.

Celebrating half a century:Brian and Pat Bull.

Yes, there is something about Miriam

Helga was on her deathbed when she had a vision of God. “You will not die”, He told her, “you will go on to live a long and fruitful life”. Sure enough, Helga pulled through and returned to full health. So excited by the prospect of a long life ahead she decided to celebrate with a complete cosmetic makeover. Many nips, cuts, tucks and implants later, she left the surgery a “new woman”.

Alas, as she walked out the front doors she was run over by a bus and killed. She was indignant when she faced God this time and demanded to know why He had broken His promise. “Oh my goodness”, gasped God in horror as He gave her a closer look, “I’m so sorry, Helga... I didn’t recognise you!”

Now obviously the humour in this joke stems from the fact that God will not, and in fact cannot, fail to recognise us, no matter what choices we make in our lives. “Even if a mother forgets her child”, God promises, “I shall never forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

However the media frenzy surrounding one of the recent TV “Reality” showsbased on a transsexual deceiving five hot blooded males into believing that he may be ‘Miss Right’ - indicates that our society falls well short of God’s unconditional and non-judgemental love.

The show, There’s something about Miriam, fortunately and justifiably ignited

Rosary Bouquet 2004

The 48 Hour Rosary Bouquet for Our Lady’s birthday commences Sunday 5 September at 6pm and concludes Tuesday 7 September at 6pm.

This is the 16th year that the people of WA have been widely involved in this birthday gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Patroness of Australia.

The gift is free of any intentions – it is for Our Lady to use as She desires.

All are once again invited to take part in this birthday bouquet – praying the Rosary privately, or in groups and wherever convenient, linking parishes and people across the state with Her favourite prayer for 48 hours.

A Scroll has been prepared, dividing the 48 hours into halfhourly segments. Please forward your committed time slots to the addresses below so that they can be recorded on the Scroll. Individual names are not essential when a Parish is involved –name of Parish and hours covered is sufficient.

I Say, I Say......

with Mark Reidy

a public outcry about the ethical and moral depths to which some elements of our society have sunk.

I was actually relieved to find that there existed a section of the media who advocated that ‘the line’ had finally been overstepped. I was beginning to wonder if such a line existed anymore.

However, among all the social and even theological debating that followed, it occurred to me that buried and forgotten under all the publicity lay a sad and lonely individual.

This thought led me to wondering how Jesus would have handled Miriam. I envisaged Miriam being dragged through the streets of Jerusalem by the righteous, lawabiding citizens and being roughly thrown at the feet of Jesus. With stones in hand they would await His condemnation. Yet as with the woman caught in adultery, I know I would see Jesus squat next to this terrified man and with depthless compassion look beyond his self-imposed veil.

The Rosary Bouquet will be presented with the Offertory gifts at Our Lady’s Birthday Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral on Wednesday 8 September at 12.10pm, preceded (from 11am) by an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Meditative Rosary.

Bishops throughout WA have been asked for their support and blessing. Once again, all Catholic schools in WA have been invited to take part in the Rosary Bouquet, acknowledging the power of children’s prayer.

On the right is the roster covering the 48 hours. Please forward committed parish or individual times to:

Margaret Bowen, 2 Suso St, Woodlands 6018, Phone 9446 1935, Fax 9446 1933, Email: bowen@iinet.net.au; Janis Mackin, Phone 9255 1382, Fax 9255 4182; Kathy Varady, Northam, Phone 9622 5963

Jesus would see the confused and tormented child that had endured a life long struggle with their sexual identity. He would feel the pain of each verbal and physical barb that would have come his way and He would understand the isolation and loneliness of Miriam’s imprisonment. Jesus would have reached out His hand in love, not condemnation.

Would He approve of the choices that Miriam had made? I’m sure He would not. But He would understand why he had made them.

I can’t help replaying this whole scenario in my mind each time I enter Perth’s own public square; Forrest Chase. As a member of the Holy Spirit of Freedom Community, our call is to try to reach out to those who are the most lost in our society. In Forrest Chase we have begun to enter into relationships with a diverse assembly of people.

Everywhere we turn there is an array of “Miriams”, frightened, lonely “children”

hiding beneath a self-created fortification. What the public is presented with is the drug and alcohol abuse, the promiscuity and bisexuality, the darkness of the gothic sub-culture, the occult symbols, and the many other antisocial behaviours and language.

Yet, if one was to delve beyond the facades they would soon recognise the hurt which comes from broken families, abuse and the absence of love on which these “new identities” are founded.

But more often than not we choose to remain detached from this broken minority by allowing ourselves to be deceived by the counterfeit behaviours and appearances that are displayed.

We see and respond to the results of hurt rather than trying to understand the seeds from which they were born. Too often we fail to see the creation of God that is buried beneath the debris of pain and hopelessness. Yet as Christians we are called to do as Jesus did 2000 years ago: To see not the adulterer that those around Him saw, but to venture beyond to the hurting person within.

So what will we do when we are next confronted with the “Miriams” of our world? Will we offer a smile and a friendly greeting, born of a true love and compassion, or will we, in our hearts, cast the first stone?

Father David Watt, commenting on the Holy Father’s warning about the communications overload of modern society (The Record July 22), says: “Great stress is also caused by the totally unrealistic expectation that everyone must be instantly contactable all of the time”.

Well, not absolutely everyone, and not all of the time, but for some people perhaps quite a lot of the time. What about the mothers of teenaged children who may be in need of help, or have simply missed the bus home?

What about doctors - particularly obstetricians - and priests?

In the days before the advent of mobile phones I was very glad to be able to contact my parish priest at home (poor man, it was 5am) to ask him to come and give the last sacraments to my dying husband in hospital. Surely a priest who is not a monk or a hermit cannot afford to be so totally immersed in his private devotions, however admirable in themselves, that he risks missing that sort of summons.

Not all telephone calls, whether on fixed or mobile phones, consist of idle chatter. Think of the poignant last messages which some of the victims of September 11th were able to send to their wives or husbands, thanks to their mobile phones.

Name and address supplied

Apology for advert

On June 22, 2004 an advertisement for our company Envirotechnics Pest Management appeared in the Stirling Times. The advertisement offended many members of the Catholic community.

As a company, which has benefited from the personal and professional support of the same community the staff of Envirotechnics and myself are deeply distressed that this has happened.

The particular advertisement was constructed in a hurry to meet a last minute deadline. It is obvious that during this process no consideration was given to the fact that it may upset members of our catholic community, which it did.

The fact that we were under pressure to meet a deadline is no excuse for what happened, it’s too late for that. Rather it is offered to make it clear that there was no deliberate intent to cause offence to anyone.

We are very disappointed by the fact that we did.

As a member of the communities in which we work it is never our intent to cause distress or offence to other members through our actions or communications.

On behalf of Envirotechnics and myself I offer our public and unreserved apologies to anyone who was distressed, offended or upset by that advertisement. We hope you will forgive our ignorance.

I also offer a personal guarantee that Envirotechnics will never use the advertisement, or anything like it, again.

Peter

Adam, General Manager Envirotechnics

Pest

Management

The Da Vinci Code

The feature on The Da Vinci Hoax in the August edition of Discovery made for interesting reading. I want to preface my views by noting that, while I have not read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, I have read an earlier novel by the same author entitled Angels and Demons. The plot of this latter story revolves around a terrorist plan to destroy Vatican City and, with it, the Catholic Church — thwarted, I’m pleased to report, by a quick-thinking American expert on symbology, no less.

Many of the criticisms made of Brown’s Da Vinci Code by its debunkers, the co-authors of the Hoax, Carl Olsen and Sandra Miesel, resonated with me. Whilst I enjoyed Angels and Demons as a rattling good tale with some brilliantly imaginative plot elements and gloriously vivid descriptions of Rome and its artistic and architectural marvels, the plot wasn’t in the least bit plausible. Brown simply took far too many liberties with history, the nature of the Vatican and how the Church actually functions to be taken seriously. The sheer absurdity of some of the action described in the plot, particularly a farcical climax at the end, lent nothing to its plausibility. In fact, I have shied away from reading

The Da Vinci Code because I’m convinced there are many more gifted story-tellers than Brown, not because I can credit that his portrayal of the Church in Angels and Demons would inflict any real damage. The more recent novel may have the potential to do more harm to the Church, but if it is written with as little finesse and overall credibility as Angels and Demons, we shouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

The main purpose in writing is to take exception to a comment made by one of the co-authors of The Da Vinci Hoax, Carl Olsen, as it was reported in the Discovery article. Olsen is quoted as saying, “It was rather revealing, I think, that the TV program Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci included only one Catholic theologian (Fr Richard McBrien, not known for upholding Church doctrine).” This snipe at Fr McBrien, a distinguished Catholic theologian who is currently Professor of Theology at Notre Dame University in the US, is highly gratuitous — indeed, it is extremely ungracious. I don’t know whether or not Carl Olsen, who describes himself on the Carl E. Olson homepage as “husband, father, author, editor, apologist, smart aleck, illustrator, designer, music collector, book lover, and lousy tennis player”, can present any credentials which would qualify him to pass judgment on theologians of Fr McBrien’s eminent standing in the Church, but I doubt he could match McBrien’s, including the

readers that I firmly believe that the Judeo-Christian principles of our society instill in us a respect for the sanctity of life, self pride, the ability to determine right from wrong, our demand for fair play and our love for our families, our children and our fellow man, that make us a very fair and just society.

While not a Catholic myself, my late uncle, Sir Launcelot Goody was the Catholic Archbishop of Perth and from him I understood the very important aspects of the Catholic faith.

Doctorate in Theology he was awarded from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1967. In the same way that flaws in Angels and Demons led me to discount the overall value of Brown’s story-telling and his views on Catholicism, I found Mr Olsen’s unjust imputation of disloyalty by Fr McBrien to the Church led me to seriously question where he, Mr Olsen, was coming from. It is deeply disturbing whenever Catholics — belonging as we do to a Church that has since at least the Second Vatican Council unambiguously taught that unity within diversity is a sign of God’s presence (cf. Catechism 814-815) — are prepared to show hostility towards anyone who dares to express, in a respectful way, different or even dissenting opinions from statements made by the Pope and the curia which are not infallible. All Catholics have the right to do so in good conscience, and I would have thought that one of the most brilliant theologians of our day is much more qualified than most of us to do so. Does such dissent warrant the comment “not known for upholding the doctrine of the Church”? I think not. The reality is that, if Fr McBrien ever dissented from any of the Church’s doctrines, he would most certainly have never been allowed by Cardinal Ratzinger to hold a chair in theology at Notre Dame. Unfortunately, the Church seems beset with commentators who are far too eager to play the man and not the ball. Why should any person, moreover another Catholic, be subjected to such denigration? McBrien may have said some controversial things during his long career as a teacher, writer and commentator on matters theological, but to my knowledge he has never been excommunicated for his opinions; and even if he had, it behoves Christians to speak of others in a spirit of charity (again, see Catechism 814-815).

Perhaps the next time Mr Olson presumes to understand the truth of another person’s thoughts and motivations, one of the more difficult things to achieve in this life, he might check himself and try to follow the advice of Angelo Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII), who wrote to a priest-friend: “Veritatem facere cum charitate [to do truth with charity] is good Pauline doctrine, and it does honour to everyone.”

Shane Negus Wembley

A second apology

A member of my staff has handed me a copy of Envirotechnic’s advertisement appearing in The Stirling Times. I find the advertisement highly offensive and as Chairman of our organisation, I must accept responsibility for this.

I would like to point out to your

I have spent my working life fighting to protect individuals denied democratic rights in our society.

I understand that my manager from Envirotechnics has written a letter of apology to your readers. Would you please accept unreservedly, my apology for any hurt that may have occurred through this tasteless advertisement. Our organisation has 2868 direct employees, 6000 subcontractors and a turnover of $1.2b. I endeavour to instill in all of my staff the democratic principles that make our society good and the need to provide quality service in their business dealings.

L W Buckeridge Executive Chairman

BGC Australia Pty Ltd

Title fight

H ow is it that The Record, though short-staffed, has always had time to substitute its own titles for the ones I give to my letters? As I made clear (July 22) what is ‘evil’ is not e-mail per se, but the current overdose of this and other such means of communication.

Fr David Watt Chaplain, Edith Cowan University

Thankyou, Guy

Congratulations to “Guy Crouchback” for his comments on dirge-like hymns with indifferent lyrics.The trouble is that numbers of people genuinely seem to like them - though I remember that at the Papal Mass at Belmont in 1986 the one hymn that everyone enthusiastically joined in singing was the Our Father to its plainchant tune. The late Father Jim O’Brien once made the memorable wry comment: ‘People don’t like singing those old sentimental hymns any more; they like singing new sentimental hymns’.

Janet Kovesi Watt Claremont

What was Carmen thinking?

T hank you for pointing out Carmen Lawrence’s attempt to link the Catholic Church with same-sex unions in centuries past and your refutation of any such thing ever happening.Readers might like to go to a website where Robin Darling Young, Associate Professor of Theology at the Catholic University of America has a good bit to say about what John Boswell, Professor of Medieval History at Yale University claimed in his book “Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe”. Her paper is called “Gay Marriage: Reimagining Church History” and it is just over nine pages long.

Here are a two quotes: ... ”I will say flatly that neither Boswell’s reconstruction of them(texts that supposedly back up his assertions that same-sex relationships were blessed by the church’ thus making them actual nuptial ceremonies)nor his method of argumentation can possibly support the interpretation he proposes”.

Even the most cursory examination of Boswell’s documentation exposes the way he has struggled to force a group of documents to conform to his conclusions”...

There are other refutations but I leave it at that here. The web site is www.leaderu. com/ftissues/ftt9411/articles/darling.html http://www.leaderu. com/ftissues/ftt9411/articles/darling.htm

Other learned and competent refutations are available on the web, but what I deplore here are attempts by certain anti-catholicstance public-profile people to sling “mud” around in the direction of the Church, in the knowledge that some will stick, even though attempts are made to wash it off. This is utterly deplorable, to say the least.

Jerome Gonzalez

Willetton

TV violence’s effect

News of a terrified young girl, fleeing in flames from her teenage attackers in a Sydney park, recently outraged the community.

How could girls do such a thing?

Perhaps it’s about time we took seriously the latest research. A study on the influence of media violence on youth by Anderson et al, published last December by the American Psychological Society, found that violence on TV, films, videos, video games and music “increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behaviour in both immediate and long-term contexts”.

Media violence is only one factor contributing to aggressive behaviour, but the study found its effect is significant, and “no one is wholly immune”.

So can someone please tell me why commercial TV stations have recently been allowed to slash the weekend timeslot for G programs, allowing potentially more violent PG programs during most daylight hours on Saturdays and Sundays?

Roslyn Phillips

Adelaide

Thanks for opening

I am wishing to thank all of those priests who leave their churches open during the daylight hours. It means so much to me to be able to visit the tabernacle as I am rushing by in my daily duties. It saddens me if I cannot steal a few moments in a lunch break (I work part- time on the road) with our Lord in the blessed sacrament.

Whether or not the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, I find it a total relief to find a place in the middle of all the hubbub of life to meditate on who matters the most. I reckon priests who afford the Catholic public that privilege show a special regard for the Priesthood, the gift of prayer, and faithful trust (that the church is safe), hope and charity.

You know who you are, thankyou, trusting souls.

Name and address supplied

O u r s o c i e t y m a y i n c r e a s i n g l y b e r e j e c t i n g G o d , b u t y o u n g p e o p l e a r e s t i l l s e a r c h i n g f o r t h e a n s w e r t o e v e r y p e r s o n ’ s l i f e . I n J u l y , Record r e p o r t e r J a m i e O ’ B r i e n a c c o m p a n i e d a P e r t h c o n t i n g e n t o f y o u n g p i l g r i m s w h o m e t u p w i t h t h e i r p e e r s f r o m t h e N e o c a t e c h u m e n a l W a y a r o u n d A u s t r a l i a i n A d e l a i d e .

Y o u t h c e l e b r a t e

i n A d e l a i d e

By Jamie O’Brien

Embracing the theme “We want to see Jesus” (taken from the Gospel of John) more than 70 men and women from the Neocatechumenal Communities of Perth, most of them youth, threw themselves into the experience of a pilgrimage recently.

The major pilgrimages undertaken by young people in the last two decades or so have usually been to World Youth Days, held every few years and introduced by Pope John Paul II shortly after the beginning of his pontificate. But the Pope also understands that the time between World Youth Days has been fruitful and has encouraged youth to respond to the Gospel like the Greeks who said to the Apostle Philip, “Sir, we should like to see Jesus.”

Perth youth, mainly from the parishes of Mirrabooka, St Mary’s Cathedral, Kelmscott, East Fremantle and Rockingham, were joined by others from the Broome Diocese to travel by bus to Adelaide for the July 8 – 14 event.

The pilgrimage culminated in an explosion of guitars, tambourines and palms on the Sunday during a procession to St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide and a Eucharist with Archbishop Wilson.

Co-incidentally, the event marked the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral and Archbishop Wilson’s eighth anniversary of ordination as a Bishop.

Before leaving Perth, pilgrims participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help prepare fully for the experience.

22-year-old James Georgiades, from the communities of St Mary’s Cathedral, is a third-year Engineering student at UWA. He said he was happy to go to Adelaide because he knew he would be spending time with other young people wanting to deepen their faith in Christ.

Adelaide was the fourth pilgrimage for James, who also went to Paris in 1997, Israel in 2000 and Toronto in 2002.

“I knew it would be a concrete experience of being part of the Church,” he said.

Leaving Perth on Thursday July 8, the pilgrims began the journey with Morning Prayer on the bus and listened to the Gospel of the Annunciation of the birth of Christ “It was a sign of the joy the pilgrimage would bring to my life,” James said.

The first stop was the parish of St Mary’s Kalgoorlie, where pilgrims celebrated a Eucharist with Parish Priest Fr Tony Vallis.

Each day during the journey on the bus began with Morning Prayer and included time for pilgrims to share their experience as to what led them to go to Adelaide.

This year’s pilgrimage was the sixth for 25-year-old Serena Ceccarelli, who is studying for a Master’s degree at UWA and belongs to the communities at St Gerard’s Mirrabooka.

“I came on this pilgrimage to have an experience of God while being detached from the world and my comfort zone,” Serena said. She said she wanted “to have an intimate relationship with God – like Christ in the desert, because that is where we went.”

Talks on the teachings of the Church about marriage, sexuality and vocations during the journey were given by local catechists from the Neocatechumenal Way in Perth.

“The talks gave a good insight into what young adults need to be prepared for as we discover our vocation... to help us take our life seriously,” James said.

Erin Cudmore, 20, from Kelmscott parish, said the theme of the pilgrimage “We want to see Jesus,” had convinced her to make the journey.

“I thought it was going to take me away from the reality of my life but it actually helped me to see and understand it better,” she said.

Accommodation and meals were found at roadhouses and mining camps along the way and at Rostrevor Boys’ College in Adelaide.

After arriving in Adelaide on the Saturday afternoon, the youth from Perth were met by 250 other pilgrims from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Canberra.

They were also accompanied in Adelaide by the national team of Catechists responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in Australia, Toto and Rita Piccolo and Fr Tony Trafford.

On Saturday, Archbishop Philip Wilson met with the pilgrims at Rostrevor College and celebrated evening prayer.

The Archbishop spoke to them of his experience in coming to know that Christ was present in his life.

“I had a very strong experience all my life, especially in my childhood, that Jesus was looking at me,” he said.

“Whatever enjoyment I had, whatever great times I had, I always came away with the sense that Jesus was looking at me,”

“All of us have to learn the lesson that when Jesus looks at us, and he looks at us with love, it doesn’t mean for most of us that it is a moment of total conversion,” Archbishop Wilson said.

“I think for most of us the experience of conversion happens again and again and again.”

“And it often happens in the midst of falling again and again in the train tracks that are created by our own humanity and the world that surrounds us,” he said. The Archbishop also spoke to the youth about making choices.

“I know why people do the things that they do,” the Archbishop said.

“So many of the choices that we make are because we believe that somehow those things or those people are going to bring us the love and affection and security that we want,” he said.

At the centre of the pilgrimage on the Sunday, young people walked into the Cathedral singing, playing guitars, tambourines and bongo drums, and waving palms.

During his homily Archbishop Wilson spoke about the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, inviting the congregation to think about how they can be like the main figure in the parable recounted by Jesus.

“Jesus is the original Good Samaritan,” he said.

“He heals our wounds so we can continue our lives,”

“Let us be what we are in front of Christ,” the Archbishop said.

Later that day, Archbishop Wilson led evening prayer and a procession at Rostrevor College with an icon of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by the singing of the rosary.

At the conclusion of evening prayer, the Archbishop invited any of the youth to stand up if they felt the call to the priesthood or religious life.

Six men stood up to offer themselves for the priesthood, and five girls for the religious life.

“The calling for vocations was a really moving experience for me,” Erin said.

“To see God’s faithfulness [to the youth that offered themselves] in this moment was really inspiring,” she said.

With the conclusion of the Sunday’s events, time came for the youth to begin the third part of the pilgrimage – the journey home.

In Port Pirie, returning Perth pilgrims were greeted with afternoon tea at St Mark’s Cathedral and addressed by Bishop Eugene Hurley.

“It was a joy to have so many committed young people join us during their pilgrimage,” Bishop Hurley said. An early-morning stop was also made at the Great Australian Bight during the overnight journey into Kalgoorlie.

Meanwhile, few, if any, of the pilgrims were disappointed by their experiences.

Many will re-live their experience through the life of their own community, which acts as a support in their ongoing conversion.

James said he believes this is the most important aspect of a pilgrimage.

“I don’t believe a pilgrimage would make sense without having something to go back to,” James said.

“My community is a place that helps me not to forget the fact that Christ loves me as am, because returning home can often be quite a shock,” he said.

Participants from Perth, below left and at right, process to St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide for the celebration of the Eucharist with Archbishop Philip Wilson.

Pope meets the r eal heroes

Pope John Paul II met with five women who decided against an abortion and chose to deliver and keep their babies.

Before thousands of pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope gave an “affectionate greeting” to “some mothers who refused an abortion and to their children.”

After the Pope’s August 8 Angelus prayer, the five women and their toddlers were part of the procession of well-wishers who lined up to greet the Pope.

The women — two from Albania and one each from Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Italy — were part of the “Opera Mater Dei” community in Castel Gandolfo.

With the encouragement of the Pope, the community was asked by its bishop four years ago to help pregnant, disadvantaged women.

While the number of Italian women requesting an abortion has steadily declined over the years, the number of foreign women in Italy requesting the procedure is on the rise.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported the number of women undergoing an abortion in Italy has dropped more than 44 percent since 1982. For the past decade, the average number of women terminating their pregnancies has hovered around nine out of 1,000 women each year.

Meanwhile, Italian Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia was considering a proposal to require women to pay for abortions after their first. In 1978, Italy legalised abortion in the first three months

Faith the way to freedom

Faith is the way to true freedom, which is not just doing what you want, but doing what you should, Archbishop Barry Hickey told Year 12 students at Sacred Heart College, Sorrento on Friday last week.

The Archbishop visited the College, where he was chaplain in his younger days, to concelebrate Mass with the current chaplain, Fr Bob Carden OFM, and to present to Year 12 students a book which encapsulates the messages delivered by Pope John Paul II in addresses to young people around the world.

The book, Pope John Paul II Speaks to Youth was published by Archbishop Hickey and is available only to Year 12 students in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. The Archbishop and Bishop Don Sproxton visit the schools to meet the senior students and present the books.

This practice is now in its third year. It is greatly appreciated by the schools, Sorrento principal Ian Elder said.

Speaking to the students, Archbishop Hickey said the instruction “Be not afraid” was a central theme of all the Pope’s addresses to young people, and also of his own life.

In his youth and his time as priest and

of pregnancy. The procedure is free when performed within the state-sponsored health care system. But in an attempt to prevent abortion from becoming a method of birth control, Sirchia told Italian news agencies on August 8 he was considering a proposal to require a woman to pay for 50 percent of the procedure if it was her second abortion. For a third and all successive abortions, the woman would have to pay for terminating the pregnancy, which costs the state between 2,000 and 3,000 euros (US$2,500-$3,700). Low-income women would be exempt from any payment under the new proposal.

Sirchia told Italian television it was “ethically unacceptable” and represented “unjust costs” to make the public pay for an individual’s multiple abortions. CNS

bishop in Poland he had faced great difficulties under the Nazis and then the Communists, and during it he had held many young people together and eventually an entire people. He still told world leaders face to face what they should do and was not afraid to repeat his message of peace even when people would not listen. The message ‘be not afraid’ appeared in one form or another in the Gospels 365 times, once for every day of the year, to remind us that the essence of faith is to abandon fear.

“Make Jesus the centre of your lives

because he transforms lives,” he said. “Make him your friend, as the Pope says, but remember he is a demanding friend and will ask a lot of you.

“In return, he will enable you to do your part in changing the world for the better.”

The Archbishop urged the students to make quiet time for themselves free from distractions to read and re-read the inspiring messages from the Pope, a man with an extraordinary rapport with young and a deep understanding of the ideals that inspire them.

Archbishop Barry Hickey presents Matilda Sydenham with books for her fellow students at Sacred Heart College in Sorrento as Fr Bob Carden OFM, college chaplain, looks on.

Pope John Paul II smiles at a child after delivering his Sunday Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on August 8. Photo:CNS

The Devil made me do it... ?

I n t e r v i e w w i t h C a r d i n a l G e o r g e s C o t t i e r

We should take the devil “very seriously,” but without losing confidence in the love of God, said Cardinal Georges Cottier in a late July interview with the Rome-based ZENIT news agency.

Cardinal Cottier, also the theologian of the Pontifical Household gave the interview following the murder of a priest in the cathedral of Santiago, Chile. The killing was linked to Satanism.

Q: In the great mystery of evil, how much does the action of the devil count and how much responsibility does man bear?

Cardinal Cottier: The devil is without a doubt the great seducer because he tries to lead man to sin by presenting evil as good. But the fall is our responsibility, because the conscience has the ability to distinguish what is good and what is evil.

Q: Why does the devil want to induce man to sin?

Cardinal Cottier: Out of envy and jealousy. The devil wants to drag man with him because he himself is a fallen angel. The fall of the first man was preceded by the fall of the angels.

Q: Is it a heresy to affirm that the devil also forms part of God’s plan?

Cardinal Cottier: Satan was created by God as a good angel, because God does not create evil. Everything that comes from the creative hand of God is good. If the devil has become evil, it is by his own culpability. It was he who, by using his freedom badly, made himself evil.

Q: Will there ever be redemption for the devil, as some theologians affirm?

Cardinal Cottier: Let’s articulate a premise: Man has fallen into sin because the first sinner, namely the devil, dragged him into his abyss of evil. What does this mean in substance?

The rejection of God is, above all, opposition to the Kingdom of God as Providence’s plan for the world. This rejection that stems from the freedom of an altogether spiritual creature as the devil, is a total rejection, irremediable and radical, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church also says.

Q: There is no hope, then, that in the end the mercy of God will be able to conquer the devil’s hatred?

Cardinal Cottier: The perfect character of the fallen angel’s freedom makes his choice definitive. This does not mean putting a limit to God’s mercy, which is infinite. The limit is constituted by the use that the devil made of freedom. It is he who impedes God from canceling his sin.

Q: Why did the devil, who is a most intelligent spirit, use his freedom in this way which in any case is always a gift of God?

Cardinal Cottier: Here we are before the mystery. The mystery of evil is first of all the mystery of sin.

We are stricken, justly, with

physical evils. But there is a much more radical and sad evil which is the evil of sin. The devil is fixed in his rejection. Moreover, the angel’s sin is always more grave than man’s. Man has so many weaknesses in himself that in some way his responsibility may be veiled; the angel, being a most pure spirit, has no excuse when he chooses evil. The angel’s sin is a tremendous choice.

Q: It seems impossible that an angel created in God’s light could have chosen evil.

Cardinal Cottier: When we speak of a fallen angel due to sin

we address a very serious argument and we must therefore treat it with great seriousness. In man’s temptation we have almost a reflection of what was the very sin of the angel. Here is the supreme seduction: to put oneself in God’s place. Satan also did not recognize his condition of creature.

Q: Why is the devil called the prince of this world?

Cardinal Cottier: It is an expression of John’s Gospel. It means that, when the world forgets God, it is dominated by sin. The devil’s action is guided by

hatred for God and when we follow his temptations he can cause grave damage. The devil’s principal evil is spiritual evil, that of sin. This action touches both the individual and society.

Q: Could not God have impeded all this?

Cardinal Cottier: Yes, but he permitted both the devil and man to have the freedom to act and, at times, to sin. It is a tremendous mystery.

St. Paul says: “Everything contributes to the good of those who love God.” That is, when we are with God, even evil contributes to

our good.

Q: Isn’t this difficult to accept?

Cardinal Cottier: Let us think of the martyrs, of the extraordinary spiritual good that, in the light of faith, derives from a tragedy such as a martyrdom.

Commenting on Paul, St. Augustine said: “God would not have permitted evil if he had not willed to make of this evil a greater good.” There are goods that humanity would not have known if it was not for the presence of sin and evil. It is difficult to affirm this, but it is the truth.

Q: How does the devil act in everyday reality?

Cardinal Cottier: We can understand it from some expressions of John’s Gospel, when he says that the devil has been a murderer from the beginning. That is, he is a destroyer and causes death, either in the proper sense or spiritually. This is why he is called the great tempter.

Q: Are we referring to the devil when we say in the Our Father “lead us not into temptation”?

Cardinal Cottier: Yes, we pray to God to resist temptation. It is mistaken to think that every temptation comes from the devil, but the strongest and most subtle, the most spiritual, certainly have his mark. And they are both individual and collective temptations.

The devil acts on human history. His influence is negative. Death, sin and deceit are signs of his presence in the world.

Q: You say that not all temptations come from the devil. On what else must we be on guard?

Cardinal Cottier: Christian Tradition tells us that there are three sources of temptation.

The most terrible, of course, is that of the devil. Then there is the world, society, “others” in John’s sense. And finally there is the “flesh,” that is, we ourselves.

St. John of the Cross says that of these three temptations the most dangerous is the last, that is, we ourselves. The worst enemy for each one of us is ourself.

Before attributing the temptations to the devil and the world, let us think of ourselves. Here we also find the importance of humility and discernment. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of discernment and preserves us from the arrogance of placing too much confidence in ourselves.

Q: What is the most correct attitude that the Christian must have before the mystery of the Evil One?

Cardinal Cottier: Not ever to forget that the passion and death of Jesus have triumphed forever over the devil. This is a certainty. St. Paul says it. Faith is the victory over the father of sin and lies.

This means that the devil, being a creature, does not have infinite power. Despite all his efforts, the devil will never be able to impede the building of the Kingdom of God, which grows despite all the persecutions. The Christian, thanks to fidelity in the faith, conquers evil.

We must take the devil very seriously, but we must not think that he is omnipotent. There are people who have an irrational fear of the devil.

Christian confidence, which is nourished with prayer, humility and penance, must be above all confidence in the love of the Father. And this love is stronger than all. We must have the consciousness that the mercy of God is so great as to surmount all obstacles. - Zenit

What is beautiful must be destroyed and disfigured: children orphaned during recent attacks by Sudanese government troops and Janjaweed militias, sit outside a home in Kidingir in southwestern Sudan on June 28. Ultimately, actions which lead to this sort of result all come from the devil.

A shot at a better life

Woman starts program in Guatemala for children living in dump

By Lawrence Meegan

At Guatemala City’s garbage dump, 10-yearold Gustavo picks through refuse for recyclables like plastic, copper, aluminum and cardboard.

Gustavo says he does not know his last name, but he can tell you he has been at the dump for three years and expects to remain there for a long time.

For many Guatemalans who come to the city without job skills or education, life in the garbage dump becomes a career by default. For many such families, children are moneymakers, extra hands to comb the refuse.

Fernando Gonzales Salazar, 34, and his wife, Wendy, 33, have six children. In an average day the couple can earn about $4.

Because of a program begun in 1999 by a Catholic woman from Yarmouth, Maine, instead of working at the dump, the four oldest Gonzales children attend school daily. The two youngest, twins, are in a day-care centre.

Hanley Denning, 34, founded the Safe Passage program after being invited by a nun to visit the garbage dump.

Denning said she was shocked by the plight of the thousands of people who scavenge through the dump daily and who live in the surrounding slums.

“I saw hundreds of kids who really wanted to go to school and, for what I thought was a nominal amount of money, couldn’t. As an educator, it angered me,” she said. “I felt this obligation to go back and see what I could do to make a difference for those kids.”

Denning said she listened to the people describe their needs. Then, utilising her experience teaching and working with the U.S. government program, Head Start, she drew up plans for her program.

“The children we serve are very at-risk in the sense that they are growing up in one of the worst “A lot of the kids never had any formal structure or experience in school, so some of them had behaviours that were difficult for even the most hardened teachers to imagine,” she said. “They were bringing extremely horrendous experiences with them.”

With a $10,000 grant from the Sisters of the Precious Blood in Dayton, Ohio, Safe Passage began with an after-school program for 40 first-grade students. An additional 90 students sporadically

attended Safe Passage’s drop-in program.

Claudio Ramos, 23, director of Safe Passage’s after-school program, stressed that it is not a school but a reinforcement system that works closely with a dozen neighbourhood schools. Children attend school for a morning or afternoon session, then come to Safe Passage’s building during their free time to do homework, participate in recreational activities and receive vocational training.

They also eat what will perhaps be their only meal of the day.

“Safe Passage is not a handout program,” Denning said. “Every child is expected to earn his or her assistance toward school expenses by attending classes and Safe Passage on a consistent basis.”

Guatemalan social workers employed by Safe Passage monitor the child’s participation. A student’s effort is valued over high grades, but many of Safe Passage’s students are top performers in their classes.

“The children and parents learn that through their own effort and attendance they can move themselves beyond the city dump through education,” Denning said.

From January to October, school in Guatemala is mandatory for children between the ages of 5 and 15, yet many do not attend for a variety of reasons. While public school is theoretically free in Guatemala, students must pay registration and uniform fees.

Many parents cannot afford those costs, said Fredy

Maldonado, 39, Safe Passage’s special projects coordinator. He said that Safe Passage is free and provides students with school supplies.

Denning said many parents are unfamiliar with schools and do not consider education a priority over work. As an incentive for parents to keep their children in school, Safe Passage provides food and clothing to replace the lost earning power of the children. It also offers parenting training.

Until recently, Safe Passage operated in a rent-free, cityowned building, known by staff as “the submarine” because of its gloomy interior.

The program just completed a move to a new building that will provide a permanent and safe place for the children, Denning said. The new building houses classrooms, a computer centre and small health clinic and offers a variety of services.

Safe Passage currently has 350 students, including 32 who live in Casa Hogar, a residential unit in San Pedro los Huertas, near Antigua.

Although the program cannot afford to take on more children, exceptions are made for children entering Casa Hogar, Maldonado said.

“They’re all children in crisis,” he said. “We can’t say, ‘I can’t take you. Go home so your father can beat you some more.’ Generally, it’s a life or death situation.”

Parents or guardians of a child must give their consent before a child enters Casa Hogar, and the child must agree to abide by the

Electricity, tap water and care transform

The Bangkok Archdiocese’s social action centre has helped people who scavenge at a city garbage dump improve their quality of life and build a community spirit.

Chun and Mon, a married couple who rummage through four-story-high mounds of garbage at the dump in Nongkhaem, on Bangkok’s outskirts, said their community now has tap water, electricity and roads thanks to the church program. Their remarks were reported by UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

“In the past, people just lived for themselves, but today there is more unity among slum people,” Mon said.

The two are among 1,000 people of 170 households of squatters in the slum in the westernmost part of the capital. Many people there arrived about 20 years ago from Isaan, Thailand’s impoverished northeastern region, looking for jobs. They ended up at Nongkhaem to rummage and sell recyclable material such as copper, aluminum, paper, and plastic or glass bottles dumped daily by trucks on the six-acre site.

rules, said Vilma Garcia, 27, community liaison for Safe Passage.

Walter Yoc, 12, said he found it difficult at first to adjust to life at Casa Hogar, but now likes the home. His grandmother requested that, for his safety, he return home only once a month.

“I really like it here,” Walter said. “We have lots of space, and it’s different. I have a room of my own and good food to eat.”

Safe Passage employs 23 Guatemalans as teachers, social workers and office administrators. The program also relies on the talents of more than a dozen foreign volunteers.

“Volunteers provide the individual caring and attention these kids need,” said Denning. “They are critical to the success of the program.”

Denning said most volunteers stay between one month and two years. They range in age from high school students to middleaged adults.

Total expenses for 2003 were more than $370,000, said Edward Mahoney, 51, the organisation’s volunteer accountant. Mahoney estimates the budget will increase about $19,000 this year due to the rising costs of the educational program and social services.

“Our objective is that the children graduate from high school,” said Denning. “With a high school education, they can become teachers, secretaries or mechanics and move their families from the grinding poverty of the city dump to a better life.”

Mon expressed appreciation for the church making life more comfortable amid the stench from the nearby waste, saying the community would not be “what it is today” without Banchong Sae-ung and other church workers.

Banchong, 45, a father of two, recalled that the slum was small when he was growing up nearby. The ethnic Chinese businessman, who became a Catholic in 1994, said he started helping the residents 14 years ago when he noticed they had no one to turn to when they faced social and health problems.

Banchong said he approached Father Phibul Visitnonthachai at a parish in neighboring Nakhon Pathom province. Banchong said he did not know then what a Catholic priest was, but met Father Phibul visiting slum dwellers.

The priest recalled that he began visiting the community after he chased away some people rummaging through trash at the parish compound. Later, he said he “felt bad” and approached the slum dwellers.

In time, the slum dwellers worked with church officials to create a committee, and they elected Banchong as their representative. The committee built Dwelling of the Heart centre, where people such as Sister Amelie Varaporn Tirasak organise social activities for slum dwellers. - CNS

A Guatemalan boy searches through a garbage dump in Guatemala City in May this year. A program called Safe Passage, started by US resident Hanley Denning, allows children such as this boy to attend school for free. Many children living in poverty have been prevented from attending school because they support their families by searching through the dump daily.

Photo:CNS Joseph Delconzo

Passion limited for Malaysians

Johor Baru (AsiaNews) –After box-office records in the Arab world, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ will soon be released in Malaysia, but for “Christian eyes only.” Some months ago Catholics and Protestants were worried that the Film Censorship Board might block its release, but following the intervention of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi the movie was approved for “Christians only,” for viewing “at designated cinemas,” and without prior advertising.

Malaysia’s population stands at 25 million, two thirds of whom are Muslims. The rest are Indian and Chinese with Christians constituting about 9 per cent of the population and Catholics just over 3 per cent.

Islam forbids the representation of animals and humans, including sacred figures. Its holy book, the Qu’ran, considers Jesus a prophet, not the crucified Son of God, and for this reason does not in principle allow his depiction. For this reason, the 1998 screening of the animated movie The Prince of Egypt, which depicts Moses, known in Islam as the prophet Musa, was not allowed. In light of this precedent, Protestant churches were glad that at least Christians could see the movie.

Speaking to the Kuala Lumpur Herald Msgr. Paul Tan Chee Ing, the Bishop of Melaka-Johor, called upon the Home Ministry to reconsider the “Christians-only” restriction saying that “it would put Malaysia in a bad light in the vibrant, globalised universe that is increasingly looking for positive common ground.”

Statistics alarm

The Church lamented the “alarming statistics” that show a sizable increase in the number of suicides in Japan last year. Japanese police reported that 34,427 people took their lives last year, 7.1 per cent more than in 2002, the Vatican agency Fides noted.

Among minors, the suicide rate soared by 57.6 per cent. In the majority, they are students — 83 secondary school youths and 10 elementary school pupils.

Suicides also rose noticeably among those ages 40 to 50 — people who lost their jobs or suffered bankruptcy during the recession. - Zenit

International News

Catholic news from around the world

Sudanese women in camps tell US bishop: ‘We need food’

By Stephen Steele

While meeting with a group of Sudanese mothers in a re f ugee camp in western Sudan, US Bishop John Ricard was told, “We need food.”

Bishop Ricard, chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Policy, met with the women at a camp in the Darfur region of Sudan, where Arab militias have driven some 1.2 million people from their homes in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against black Africans.

Bishop Ricard told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, that he first met with male residents of the camp out of respect for African culture, but the women of the camp demanded a chance to speak with him, too.

“They said they were running out of food. It was very difficult for me to hear this, but these women, these mothers were saying ‘We don’t have food,’” the bishop said.

The bishop travelled to Sudan from August 1-5 with Ken Hackett of Catholic Relief Services, and Franciscan Father Michael Perry, policy adviser to the US bishops on African affairs.

Bishop Ricard said Darfur is facing a humanitarian crisis as “massive as any I’ve ever seen.”

“The consequences in terms of loss of life and disruption of livelihood are as serious as any I have ever seen before,” he said. “It’s a very hard situation to experience, very tragic.”

He said aid agencies have started to mobilise and bring aid to the region, but the response has been hampered by a number of factors. Darfur, a remote region already, has been further cut off from aid by heavy rains.

“We’re dealing with a country

No food

that has very few functioning roads; paths used for roads have become nonexistent once the rains come,” the bishop said.

The heavy rains have also added to the misery of life in the refugee camps, which he described as a “series of sheds set up on treeless plains under a blazing sun.”

“There’s nothing that resembles hell more strikingly than refugee camps when it rains. Rains come through the tents and makeshift shelters; mothers, children and babies and old people essentially have to sleep in the mud,” Bishop Ricard said.

He said he met with a mother and her five children who were living in a 10-foot-by-10-foot hut. Two of the women’s children had severe dysentery.

“I am quite certain those children will die within the next few days,” the bishop said, noting that the nearest medical facilities were miles away from the camp.

The US group visited two camps in Mershing; one had 4,000 refugees, the other 6,000. A visit to a camp of 50,000 in Kalma was cancelled after the United Nations closed the camp due to security reasons.

The group was accompanied to the refugee camps by Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok of Khartoum.

Bishop Ricard said relief efforts also have been hampered by a slow response from the international community. The Bishop said that promises of aid from the donor community have not materialised, in part because “of how quickly the situation unfolded and the massive scale of it.”

“We’re talking about over a million-and-a-half people,” he said. “This is a very remote area of the world, inaccessible by and large.”

Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese could die within the next couple of months without an outpouring of aid from the

international community, Hackett said.

“I just hope and pray that we can forestall a major situation of famine,” he said.

The 1.2 million people displaced by the violence in Darfur “are at the mercy of the international community and all of us,” Hackett said.

“These people are in a devastated condition; they’re traumatised and feel that they don’t have a future,” he said.

On June 30, the UN threatened sanctions against Sudan if it did not end the violence in Darfur within 30 days.

At least 30,000 people have been killed as a result of the violence in Darfur. According to a recent estimate by the U.S. Agency for International Development, another 350,000 are likely to die unless they receive immediate assistance.

The United Nations has described Darfur as currently the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. - CNS

Underground (but officially approved) Bishop dies

HONG KONG (CNS) — Chinese

Bishop Joseph Wang Dianduo of Heze died of a heart attack on July 27 while returning to his diocese from a neighbouring city.

“Bishop Wang felt unwell while visiting in Jinan and later died on his way back” to his diocese, Father Wei Ligen of the Heze Diocese told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

“The heart attack occurred so suddenly; there was no time for resuscitation in the hospital,” he said.

Heze and Jinan are in eastern China’s Shandong province.

Father Wei said Bishop Wang, 83, had been hospitalised fre-

quently over the past 15 years due to heart disease.

He said he will always remember the bishop as “an easygoing and virtuous person who lived a very simple life.”

Bishop Fang Xinyao of Linyi, also in Shandong, presided at the July 31 funeral Mass at the Catholic church in Heze. Bishop Wang’s body was then taken to Rosary Church in Cao county, 30 miles south of Heze, to allow Catholics to pay final respects before the burial at the church’s side altar.

Bishop Wang was born on February 3, 1921. He entered the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the 1940s and studied in Hong

Kong and Manila, Philippines.

After priestly ordination in Manila in 1950, he returned to Heze, which the Vatican yearbook refers to as Tsaochow (Caozhou) Diocese.

Bishop Wang was imprisoned three times: for four months in 1951; 1958-1962; and 1982-1986. Months after his last release, he returned to serve in the Heze Diocese, where most Catholics are poor peasants. He was clandestinely ordained a bishop in 1996 by Bishop Nicolas Shi Jingxian of Shangqiu in the neighbouring Henan province.

Since 2001, Bishop Wang resided with papal approval at

Rosary Church. When Bishop Wang was installed in the government-recognised open church in 2000, the Heze Diocese did not have a single church, and Father Wei was the only priest assisting him.

Before the decade-long Cultural Revolution began in 1966, there had been more than 30 churches scattered throughout the diocese.

While harsh restrictions on religion are imposed in some parts of China, in other regions the statesanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the underground church loyal to Rome openly practise the faith together.

Refugees walk through blowing sand during a storm near the Oure Cassoni camp in Chad, on the Chad-Sudan border. Rain, sand and wind are hampering relief efforts for more than a million Sudanese refugees who have been driven from their homes.

Photo:CNS/Reuters

International News

Catholic news from around the world

M arriage wins two to one in vote

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien

WASHINGTON (CNS) —

Heeding the recommendation of the state’s Catholic bishops, voters in the US state of Missouri overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

The August 3 vote was 71 per cent in favour of the amendment and 29 per cent against, according to unofficial state tallies.

The Missouri amendment states: “That to be valid and recognised in this state, a marriage shall exist only between a man and a woman.”

Similar amendments were set for votes later this year in at least nine states. An amendment in Michigan is awaiting formal approval to be placed on the ballot there.

In an August 4 statement, Deacon Larry Weber, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, said the vote made clear that “the people of Missouri recognised the need to protect the institution of marriage.”

“Contrary to what some people are saying, this is not about discrimination,” he said. “It is about protecting the traditional marriage and the family. Marriage and family are the foundation, the basic building block, of society and are worthy of the full protection of our laws.”

In a June 28 message, the bishops of Missouri’s four Catholic dioceses had said support of the amendment “will help to preserve the integrity of marriage and family life.”

“Without the protection offered by such a constitutional amendment, what God himself established as marriage seems likely to be redefined, with damaging con-

sequences for true marriage,” they said. Missouri, like 37 other states, already had a law on the books

defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. But supporters say a constitutional amendment is necessary to

assure that same-sex marriages in one state will not have to be sanctioned by other states. The bishops noted that the

Lesbian couple takes Catholic school to court

PORTLAND, Oregon (CNS) —

The US Archdiocese of Portland said it will “vigorously defend” itself against a lawsuit claiming unlawful discrimination at a Catholic school.

The suit, filed by a lesbian couple, “is believed to be totally without merit,” the archdiocese said in a statement on July 28.

Last summer, the O’Hara School withheld admission from a preschooler who is being raised by a lesbian couple, Lee Inkmann and Trish Wilson.

The pair said their lifestyle was

the reason Inkmann’s daughter was not admitted to O’Hara.

The pair filed suit on July 28 against the school and St Mary Parish, saying the admission decision violated the city code banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and state law that blocks discrimination because of marital status.

The claim seeks up to US $550,000 in damages for loss of educational opportunity and “severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, depression

and damage to their reputations.” The suit contains “numerous false statements of fact,” said a spokesman for the archdiocese. Also named in the suit were Dianne Bert, principal at O’Hara, and Father Mark Bachmeier, pastor of St Mary Parish, which oversees the school. According to the suit, Bert told Inkmann that the couple’s lesbian relationship ran counter to church teaching and would be confusing for other children and parents.

Missouri Legislature, “in a strongly bipartisan effort,” had overwhelmingly agreed to place the issue in the voters’ hands.

“We invite all people of good will, regardless of political or religious persuasion or sexual orientation to reflect carefully on the common good of society, based upon the Judeo-Christian virtues, and to stand with us in defending the meaning and purpose of marriage,” the bishops added.

Support for the amendment is not intended to “offend the dignity of persons with same-sex attractions,” they said. “Christians must give witness to the whole moral truth and oppose as immoral both homosexual acts and also any unjust actions or hateful attitudes against persons with same-sex attractions.”

The next vote on a state constitutional amendment is set for Louisiana on September 18. Similar votes are scheduled for November 2 in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.

Officials of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops were among the backers of a proposal to amend the US Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

The Senate’s attempt to approve the amendment lost a first round on July 14 on a procedural vote of 48-50, 12 short of what was needed to keep the measure open for discussion and a vote on the legislation itself.

Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska and Nevada already have amended their constitutions to define marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

Bishops refuse Communion for abortion-supporting politicians

C o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1 who come forward to receive holy Communion," he added. "For the present this will continue to be my position."

In Georgia's other Catholic diocese, Bishop Kevin Boland of Savannah did not sign the joint letter. His spokeswoman, Barbara King, told Catholic News Service on August 5 that the Bishop told her a day earlier that "he has decided to take another approach and he's still studying the matter."

In their letter, Archbishop Donoghue, Bishop Baker, whose diocese covers the state of South Carolina, and Bishop Jugis admonished "all Catholics whose beliefs and conduct do not correspond to the Gospel and to church teaching" that they "must approach holy Communion free from mortal sin."

"Those who are conscious of being in a state of grave sin should avail themselves of the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to holy Communion," they added.

"Catholics in political life have the responsibility to exemplify in

their public service" the Church's teaching against abortion, "and to work for the protection of all innocent life," the letter said.

"Because of the influence that Catholics in public life have on the conduct of our daily lives and on the formation of our nation's future, we declare that Catholics serving in public life espousing positions contrary to the teaching of the church on the sanctity and inviolability of human life, especially those running for or elected to public office, are not to be admitted to holy Communion in any Catholic church within our jurisdictions," Archbishop Donoghue and Bishops Baker and Jugis said.

"Only after reconciliation with the Church has occurred, with the knowledge and consent of the local bishop, and public disavowal of former support for procured abortion, will the individual be permitted to approach the sacrament of the holy Eucharist," they

added.

Bishop Robert Carlson of South Dakota had a similar message in a column for the August issue of The Bishop's Bulletin, monthly diocesan newspaper.

"You cannot on the one hand support abortion rights and on the other be a Catholic in good standing," he said. "Likewise, you cannot offer personal opposition to abortion and then act differently in your professional life."

Bishop Carlson criticised "faulty thinking today that all life issues are equal or the same," and said, "In fact, there is one which is primary, life itself."

He added, "Opposition to abortion binds every Catholic under pain of mortal sin and admits of no exceptions. It was for this reason that I stated in October of 2000 that you cannot vote for a politician who is pro-abortion when you have a choice and remain a Catholic in good standing."

In a mid-July statement, Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle said Catholics themselves - and not eucharistic ministersshould decide if they are properly disposed to receive Communion.

"Catholic politicians who unambiguously reject Catholic moral values, even if giving them lip service, are adopting a morally untenable position and are choosing a path that leads away from the church and inhibits their ability to gather honestly with the faith community to celebrate the Eucharist," he wrote.

"Those who persist" in public opposition to Catholic moral principles "indicate that they are personally denying their communion with the Church," Archbishop Brunett said. "In integrity, they should voluntarily withdraw from eucharistic sharing without the need for formal action by the church.

"With that understanding, however, ministers of the Eucharist should not take it upon themselves to deny holy Communion to anyone who presents them-

selves," he added. In a July editorial for KNXT, the diocesan television station, Bishop John Steinbock of California, said: "Let us not politicise the Eucharist. We all struggle, whether we are public figures or not, to be faithful to the Lord Jesus, and must constantly examine our own consciences.

"Let us not judge the consciences of others and be so presumptuous as to say who is and who is not worthy to receive Communion," he added.

At their June meeting near Denver, the US bishops approved a statement on Catholics in political life that said politicians who act "consistently to support abortion on demand" risk "cooperating in evil and sinning against the common good."

In the statement, approved by a 183-6 vote, the bishops said that "all must examine their consciences" about their worthiness to receive Communion, including with regard to "fidelity to the moral teaching of the church in personal and public life."

Voters in the USState of Missouri have voted to retain marriage as between a man and a woman. Photo:CNS

Reviews

perspectives on popular culture

To kill a priest

By George Russo

Ihave never been to Poland; nor do I know much about its history, but I do remember the time when a Catholic priest, Father Jerzy Popieluszko, was killed by the State police when his car came scudding in towards Warsaw after celebrating his monthly Mass for Solidarity. It was October 1984. His killing horrified the nation; and quickly brought down the `iron curtain’ on the communist government that had predominated in Catholic Poland. Ultimately, too, it resulted in the total demolition of European Communism; and, it all began with the tragic murder of a brave young priest, twenty year ago.

Father Popieluszko was well-known throughout Poland for his monthly Masses, but also for his stirring sermons to the steel workers of the Solidarity Trade Union that made an even greater impact. Its members attended in thousands and listened eagerly to his preaching being relayed over loud speakers to the overflowing congregation; and his fiery words offered them ardent support throughout the whole of Poland, leading other European nations to question the regime’s legitimacy. Nevertheless, it was due to his courage, and the people’s sense of patriotism for their nation, honed over many centuries, that the shackles of communism were resisted.

He was also immensely popular. Many thought that he was the most popular man in Poland. Yet, he was brutally murdered for his brave stand against the Communist regime.

His killing was carried out by three State Security police who stopped his car, beat him to death, and threw his broken body into the Vistula river. Polish radio had announced his disappearance -and possible kidnapping - but no-one knew for certain of his death. Crowds assembled in his parish church and masses were celebrated every hour for his welfare, but there was no news of his whereabouts. Lech Walesa, the chief of Solidarity, appealed for non-violence by

his members, who were already marching along the streets in support and packing the churches, praying desperately for his safe return.

Soon it was announced at Masses throughout Poland that Father Popieluszko’s body was found in the Vistula river where it had been thrown by his murderers. The congregation was very sad and angry, but the celebrant priest urged them not to hit back in anger, but to remember `Christ weeping over the death of his friend, Lazarus’. They prayed for his soul, and as they did something very moving happened. The congregation repeated three times after the priest, the words from the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespassers as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

The priest remembered it as a very moving occasion, and “a Christian answer to the unchristian act of the murderers.”

The Solidarity steelworkers – ten thousand of them - whom the priest had served as chaplain, signed a petition for permission to have the body buried at St Stanislaus Koska’s church rather than at the local cemetery. It was granted by the archbishop. Pope John Paul II attended and paid tribute to the heroism of the young priest, saying that `one priest had

sacrificed his life so that many young priests may come forward to take up the work for the glory of God and the good of Poland.’ He had not died in vain.

To this day the grave of Father Popieluszko remains a place of pilgrimage ‘where the fact of Christian life in Poland is remembered.’

His killing, and the train of events that followed it, came at a time when the long struggle of Catholic Solidarity against communism seemed in danger of being crushed. Their European neighbors were fiercely communistic and any resistance was cruelly crushed. One has only to think of Ceausescu’s Romania, or Dubcek’s Prague, or Zhivkov’s Bulgaria for examples of the crude brutality of their regimes. Any dissidents were mercilessly stopped, and there was no semblance of religious freedom. Yet, all through this time, Poland had a vigorous Catholic faith.

attempt to blacken the priest’s reputation, but, in vain. Distinguished lawyers came forth to represent the priest’s family. The three policemen were duly convicted and jailed for 25 years.

Jaruzelski’s Poland, although not free from the communist overlords of Soviet Russia, had the advantage of the brave Solidarity movement which operated in spite of being outlawed since 1981. But, above all, it had the huge help of their former archbishop who now led from the Vatican, as Pope John Paul II. He was a Polish leader of real authority who cemented Catholic Poland to the authority and prestige of Rome.

Certainly the communists saw the strength of the radical young priest and their need `to get rid of him’. Ironically, it was the priest’s death that became the stimulus for Poland’s resistance and challenge to the communist regime.

Fr Popieluszko had become a threat to the communists, largely because of his preaching against them at his crowded Masses. He became a rallying-point. The government had to do something to stop him, and they resorted to police brutality, killing him and throwing his body into the Vistula river. There was a trial and the judge and prosecutor made every

Popieluszko death also became a stimulus to other foreign countries under communist domination to challenge them and ultimately to bring them down. The Polish leader, General Jaruzelski, was deposed; and a non-communist leader appointed. It meant that this outpost of the Soviet Empire had triumphed over the supposedly indestructible empire of communist Russia.

It all happened because an inspirational young priest gave his life that his country may be free from the terrors of atheistic Communism. Will Pope John Paul preside over his canonisation? We don’t know! But we can be assured that he would want any visitors to Warsaw to place a lighted candle and a posy of flowers on the grave and say a prayer to this saintly priest who was killed twenty years ago by the evil agents of the communist state. I would line up to do just that were I ever to visit Poland.

P.S. Recently the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder visited Warsaw and paid tribute to the 200,000 Poles killed by the Nazis in 1944. The Poles had rebelled against the Nazis’ cruel occupation of their country, but none of the neighbouring Russians came to their assistance, merely witnessing the slaughter from the safe side of the river. The German leader was reduced to tears on the occasion.

Speaker urges youth to think for self

Singer-songwriter tells young people it’s time to stop being sponges

By Lori Krasnesky

Sommer Stowe, a 29-year-old musician and vocalist, urged youths gathered at an annual Erie Diocesan youth festival to think for themselves, not just soak up “the things of the world like sponges.”

Stowe was a keynote speaker at the June festival, which drew 300 youths, volunteers and youth leaders to Camp Notre Dame in Fairview. The event, called “Journey to Emmaus,” was organised by the Erie Diocesan Youth Office.

In an interview with the Lake Shore Visitor, Erie’s diocesan

newspaper, Stowe said she “talked a lot about being blind and being able to see — more like spiritual sight.”

“I talked about how that relates to authentic freedom,” she added.

“John Paul II says (authentic freedom) is following Christ and avoiding evil and really challenging youth.”

She told festival participants the

story of her adoption from Seoul, South Korea, when she was 5. Her parents in the United States adopted five children and raised them in the Catholic faith.

“My feelings in high school were of self-doubt and insecurity,” she said. “I didn’t look like everyone else. It caused me some issues I had to work out.”

She also performed for the youths, an acoustic guitar hanging from a blue strap over her shoulder. She sang in a gentle, crisp voice and challenged her audience to listen to a song she wrote about Mary and Jesus titled “My Son.”

She has written lyrics for several years, and has just finished a CD, “Back to Home,” which is available on the Web at: www.sommerstowe.com.

Stowe, who grew up in Michigan, has a master’s degree

in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. She now lives in Dallas, where she teaches Scripture to ninth graders at Bishop Lynch High School. She also helps out on retreats.

Keynote speaker Sean Dalton, director of the youth and young adult office of the Archdiocese of Denver, talked about how people can get lost within themselves.

“We are all wounded — for one, by original sin,” he said. “If we don’t learn to relate that woundedness and pain to God to heal us of our woundedness, we will withdraw into ourselves.”

People can become lost through the distractions that bombard them every day in the media, he said.

“There is the reality (that) the Bible and church tell us of being eternally lost and how tragic that

is,” he added, saying that “those who are eternally lost choose to be” because they “cannot accept God’s love for them.”

A Marian theme, “totus tuus,” was threaded throughout the festival, with mysteries of the rosaries prayed at various times between activities and talks. “Totus tuus,” Latin for “all yours,” is Pope John Paul II’s motto expressing his dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Festival participant Leah Bronson, who will be a ninthgrader in the fall, said everything about the weekend helped her grow in her faith.

“It has been an emotional and spiritual weekend. ... It gave me a jump and more excitement in my faith,” said Bronson, a member of St. Brigid Parish in Meadville.

W h i t f o r d s y o u t h f i r e u p - P a g e

Newly installed Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski of Poland embrace at the Vatican in 1978. CNS photo by Arturo Mari

Father Jerzy Popieluszko

BAKERBAKERY MANAGER

WE REQUIRE a well organised person to run our artisan wood-fired bakehouse in the monastery at New Norcia. A small range of scratch doughs are produced daily for the town and our famous New Norcia Nut Cake and other products are produced throughout the week.You will be required to lead and manage a small team.A small century old cottage is available as is work for a partner.Apply in writing to:

Kingsley Sullivan, New Norcia Bakeries, PO Box 437, Mt Hawthorn WA 6915

BRICK

F OUND

BAPTISMAL bracelet belonging to Paula Jane 27/06/82.Found in Bullcreek area.Please phone 9312 2011

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

DUNSBOROUGH - New 4 x 2, great location, sleeps 9.Ph:0407 409 787.

DENMARK beautiful 3brm, 2bth, cott, fully equip, special rates.Ph:0412 083377

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

Bibles, Books, CD’s, Cards, gifts, Statues, Baptism & Communion Apparel, Albs, Vestments and much more.

RICH HARVEST,39 Hulme Court,Myaree, 9329 9889 after 10.30am.

PERROTT

THE HUMBLE MESSENGER 9225 7199.Shop 16/80 Barrack St (inside Bon Marche arcade), Perth Sale of communion dresses and Christening Gowns. 10% off selected statues.

Sunday,August 15

ETERNAL WORD TELEVISION NETWORK

1 - 2 pm on Access 31:In honour of the Feast of the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady, we present:Mary’s House at Ephesus:a pilgrimage documentary.Programs for July 25 and August 1 had to be switched, due to a technical difficulty.Our apology.Please help us keep these great Catholic programs on Access 31.Cheque or money order payable to the RCTA may be sent to The Rosary Christian Tutorial Association, PO Box 1270, Booragoon 6954.Enq about videos: 9330 1170

Sunday August 15

VESPERS

Solemn Vespers for the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption will be sung in St Mary’s Cathedral at 4.30pm.The cathedral choir will lead the celebration.All are welcome.

SundayAugust 15

GATE OF HEAVEN

Please join us this Sunday at 7:30pm on 107.9 FM Radio Fremantle, for more Global Catholic Radio.This week we will feature:(1) The Mysteries of the Rosary, Assumption with Fr Jacques Daley.(2) The Teaching of Jesus Christ, The 4th Commandment with Fr John Corapi.Donations toward the program may be sent to Gate of Heaven, PO Box 845, Claremont, WA 6910.Programs subject to change without notice.

Sunday August 15

CHILDREN OF THE CROSS COMMUNITY

Children of the Cross Inc is a lay Catholic Association providing a means to live the Gospels in their fullness, Please join us for our community prayer from 2-3pm and for morning prayer every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning at 7am.Prayer is held in Santa Clara Church, Bentley.

Saturday August 21

FOR YOUNG MEN

ALL areas.Mike Murphy 0416 226 434.

Caritas Bangladesh Flood Appeal

Caritas Australia has launched an appeal and is on the ground in Bangladesh supplying food, medicine and blankets and will be involved in r econstruction.

20 million have been affected; 40 per cent of the country is submerged in floodwater; Diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases are rife in flood-affected areas.

West Australians wishing to help this relief effort can phone 1800 024 413, 92231311 or go to our website at

www.caritas.org.au to make an online donation.

There will be a day of prayer and reflection for men who are discerning their vocation in life. With Fr Hugh Thomas, Redemptorist Monastery, 190 Vincent St, North Perth.9am to 5.30pm. Lunch provided.RSVP Thursday August 19. Enq:9328 6600.

Saturday August 21

HOLY HOUR FOR VOCATIONS

10-11am at the Redemptorist Monastery, North Per th, with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Sunday August 22

LEGION OF MARY SILENT DAY RETREAT

At Santa Maria College Chapel, Moreing Road, Attadale from 10.30am to 4pm.Retreat Master: Fr Hugh Thomas All welcome, BYO lunch, tea/coffee provided.

Even a little ad like this can be effective!

Sunday August 22

a roundup of events in the archdiocese

BASILICA OF ST PATRICK

47 Adelaide St, Fremantle.Flame Ministry Prayer Gathering 2.30 – 4pm.Prayer, Rosary and Benediction.Enq:Fr John P Sherman OMI 9335 2268.

Sunday August 22

WORLD YOUTH DAY REUNION MASS

Will be at St Thomas More Church, Bateman (100 Dean Road) at 6pm.All past World Youth Day participants are invited to attend, as are young people intending to go WYD in Cologne, Germany in August 2005.Join in the memories on power point and music of Rome, Toronto and before.Enq:Bateman Youth Office 9310 1747.

Tuesday August 24

SPIRITUALITY IN THE PUB

Will be held at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow Pub Lake St Northbridge from 7.30-9pm.The theme:Embracing Hope, continues with a performance by the Band of Angels Gospel Choir. Some of the choir members will talk about the inspiration of gospel music in their lives.Join us for dinner from 6.30pm.Queries contact Andrew 0422 305 742.

Wednesday August 25

THE LIVING HERITAGE OF VATICAN II

Fr Gerald O’Collins SJ, a Professor of Systematic and Fundamental Theology, Gregorian University, Rome.Will be giving this year’s Slattery Lecture at the University of Notre Dame Australia, in Foley Hall (off Mouat Street, Fremantle) 7.30pm.The topic will be The Living Heritage of Vatican II.Enq:College of Theology 9433 0138.

Sunday August 29

50TH ANNIVERSARY NAREMBEEN CHURCH

A Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Hickey at 11am to mark the 50th anniversary of the blessing and opening of Our Lady of The Blessed Sacrament Church, Narembeen.A luncheon will follow.Names and details of past parishioners are sought for this occasion. Photos and memorabilia also needed.Contact Rhonda Hickey Box 43, Narembeen, 6369 or phone 9065 3026.

Saturday September 4

REUNION BALL - LA SALLE COLLEGE

La Salle College’s 50th Anniversary Reunion Ball will be held at the Burswood Grand Ballroom.Tickets are available now for purchase at the College.For more information contact Ms Sabrina Lynsdale-Ross on 9274 6266.

Thursday September 9

FEAST OF OUR LADY MARIA SANTISSIMA

DEL TINDARI

Basilica St Patrick, Adelaide St, Fremantle.The feast will be during the second week of September.It begins with a Triduum, which will be celebrated by Fr Nanni Thursday Sept 9 to

Saturday Sept 11 at 7.45pm.The concelebrated Mass will be on Sunday Sept 12 at 9.45am.The principal celebrant will be Fr Nanni.Procession through the streets of Fremantle will commence from the Basilica at 2pm.Enq:Joe Franchina 9335 1185 or mob 0404 801 138.

Saturday September 11

GOLDEN JUBILEE – FR MAURICE TOOP

Celebration Mass at 6pm at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Seventh Avenue Maylands to be attended by Archbishop Hickey.Mass will be followed by supper in the Parish Hall.All welcome.

Saturday/Sunday 11–12 September

ST PAUL’S PRIMARY SCHOOL MT LAWLEY

Cordially invites all past staff, parents and students to celebrate its 75th Anniversary.There will be three Masses on Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 8am and 10am at St Paul’s Parish Church, Rookwood St Mt Lawley.10am Mass followed by a luncheon at St Paul’s School, Learoyd St, Mt Lawley.RSVP by August 20 to receive a complimentary ticket to the luncheon. Luncheon by ticket only.Enq:St Paul’s School 9271 8593, fax 9370 3047 or email admin@stpaulsmtl.wa.edu.au.

Sunday 12th September

TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS - ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH – GINGIN

Volunteers are required to participate in carrying the cross from Midland to Gingin with 14 stations (or change of teams) along the way.The total distance is 69 km.The pilgrimage will begin at 5pm, Sept 11 at St Brigid’s in Midland and arrive in Gingin about 11am on Sunday.12noon lunch, refreshments, Confessions.1.30pm, Eucharistic Procession, Rosary & Benediction. 2.15pm Blessing of Outdoor Stations and praying of the Stations.3pm Holy Mass.4pm

Afternoon Tea.BYO Lunch.Enq:Sheila 9575 4023, Conrad 9576 0403 or Fr Paul 9571 1839.

CATHOLIC FAITH EXPLORATION (CaFE)

FOR YOUTH - MODULE 2

Are you ready to find more answers? Youth CaFE Module 2 invites the youth of Perth to explore their faith.7.30pm at the Catholic Pastoral Centre Seminar Room, 40A Mary St, Highgate.Eight weekly sessions.Ages 16 to 35.

Cost:Free.Enq:Christine 0411 273 572 or Daryl 0402 223 563, or info@youthcafe.org.

Website:www.youthcafe.org.

CROSS ROADS COMMUNITY

Healing Masses:1st Monday of month 7pm Church of East Fremantle, 2nd Monday of month 10am St Jerome’s Munster.Term 3 –26th July to 1st October for:Family & Friends Support Groups of Substance Abusers on Wednesdays 7–9pm, Substance Abusers

Support Groups on Tuesdays 5.30–7.30pm &

Friday’s All day Group for Substance Abusers on Fridays 9.30am–2pm, Bible Night:Tuesdays 7–9pm & Healing Mass:Fridays 12.15pm.

official diary

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EVETTE by Buffet, made in France, wooden with silverplated keys.New $3500.

g{xÜxáx role brings Lindsay home to the Church

Quaker-turnedCatholic actress plays ‘Little Flower’ in new movie

By Joseph Pronechen

Lindsay Younce was a Quaker teenager on her way to morning Mass in Washington, when she first made the acquaintance of St. Therese of Lisieux.

As a 16-year-old on the road to conversion, she did not know that one day she would portray the saint, known as the Little Flower, in a major motion picture, Therese. The film is scheduled for release in the US on October 1, the Saint’s feast day.

That morning the young actress didn’t know what to make of all the excitement about the saint’s relics arriving at the church for veneration.

“That was my first encounter with Therese,” the 22-year-old Younce said in a July 25 interview at Christ the King Church in the Diocese of Bridgeport. She was

there for a conference celebrating the Holy Family.

“I honoured her relics although I didn’t know what it meant,” she said. “But I felt different, like some kind of veil came over me.

Then I forgot about her.”

But the Little Flower kept her eye on Younce. Still a high school student, Younce began performing a one-woman show called Women in the Life of Jesus. An audience member urged her to audition for a movie being made on St Therese’s life by the independent Luke Films. It took several prompts before the naturally shy and reserved teen called to audition for Celine, Therese’s sister. But Luke Films had her read for Therese. “They felt Therese was calling me to do this film,” Younce said.

She sees divine providence at work from the start. “In no way was I looking for a film career at that time,” she said. “I was 18 and thinking only of graduating (from) high school and college.”

When Younce got the role, she spent her senior trip reading Therese’s autobiography, Story of a Soul

Once filming began, “Leonardo

and I prayed every day on the set,” she said, referring to Leonardo Defilippis, the director and founder of Luke Films. “He always said, ‘We’re doing this for Jesus, we’re doing this for Mary, we’re doing this for Therese so the people can love as Therese loved.’”

Younce believes St Therese was always on the set with her.

“Having her writings with me all the time kept me in perspective,” she explained. During the filming of the movie, she added, she was able to wear a first-class relic of the saint. That seemed foreign at

the time, given her Protestant upbringing. “I tried to think of it as having Therese close to me in a physical way,” Younce said. “It was a comfort during the death scene. Her death was so beautiful.”

The actress described being raised a Quaker in a Protestant evangelical family that was very Christ-centred. But at 16, when she was questioning Quaker doctrine as she studied it, a friend introduced her to the Catholic Church.

“I longed to experience God and wanted to communicate with him,” she said. “But it was the last church I wanted to be a part of because of my misconceptions.”

She took up her friend’s challenge to read the catechism and church history, and every week listened to ‘Catholic Answers’, a syndicated apologetics program broadcast on US radio.

By her senior year she had decided to become a Catholic, but her parents asked her to wait until she was out of the house. They didn’t want her going to Mass either. Yet she went daily.

Then on May 31, 2001, after filming ended, Younce was bap-

tised and confirmed in Portland, Oregon, by retired Bishop John Basil Meeking of Christchurch, New Zealand, who now lives in Chicago and played the Pope in the movie.

Her role in the film enhanced her faith. “While theology wooed me into the Catholic Church, it was Therese who taught me spirituality, and that rounded out my Catholic education,” she said. She believes all audiences — Catholic, Protestant, and nonChristian — will gain something from Therese

“I hope the people learn ultimately the only way to true spirituality is through love, and they realise it’s attainable in spite of our imperfections,” Younce said. “We can be imperfect and still be close to God.”

And for teens? “It’s great,” she added. “Her audacity gives young people the courage they need to follow God’s will.”

She urged everyone to help bring Therese to their area by going to the film’s Web site — www.theresemovie.com — “to show their support and let distributors know there’s an audience for it.” - CNS

Lindsay Younce, left and above, stars as Therese Martin - St Therese of Lisieux - in the yet-to-be released film Therese

Photo:CNS/Luke Films

Younce in a publicity shot. Photo:CNS