the official newspaper of the archeparchy of pittsburgh
dayful of joy
Inside
2015 Women’s Day of Spirituality focuses on family, health, happiness Page 5
Pope: Do not be ‘silent’ about persecuted Christians ‘they are our martyrs today’
vol. 60 no. 6
‘peace be with you’
‘spring’ board
Parishes have much good news to share as they reflect on springtime and Paschal activities Pags 6 & 7
Peace and social justice columnist reminds us that Jesus came to liberate us with his peace. Page 9
Archieparchial newsmakers: sister
ruth plante, osbm
from Vatican Radio
is over, but what must continue on the part of all is the spiritual journey of prayer, intense prayer; the concrete participation and tangible help in the defense and protection of our brothers and sisters, who are persecuted, exiled, killed, beheaded, for the only reason of being a Christian,” said Pope Francis. “They are our martyrs today and they are many; we are able to say that they are more numerous than in the first centuries,” Pope Francis said. “I sincerely hope that the international community does not look the other way,” he added. n
Sisters of St. Basil the Great
Pope Francis on [Bright] Monday [April 6] expressed his hope that the international community does not look on, “silent and inactive,” in the face of the “unacceptable crime” of the persecution of Christians around the world. The Holy Father was speaking to the Shalom Community at the end of his Easter Monday Regina Coeli Address. The Community had sponsored a relay which ended in St. Peter’s Square to show solidarity with and raise awareness of persecuted Christians. “Your itinerary on the streets
very rev.
andrew j. deskevich
Nepal Earthquake relief thousands dead, millions need help
very rev. archpriest
eugene p. yackanich
Nick Havrilla, Sr.
villages. The needs are expected to be significant, with millions in catastrophic distress. Catholic Relief Services is responding and has committed resources to relief efforts. CRS and its Caritas partners have begun procuring emergency relief materials such as shelter kits and water, sanitation and hygiene materials. However, your help is urgently needed. Donations to CRS will help immediate emergency response and allow the organization to reach even more affected families. Donations may be bestowed three ways: 1) by filling out the donation form on the CRS web site www.crs.org; 2) by phone at 877-435-7277 (8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern) or 3) by mail by sending a check or money order to: Catholic Relief Services P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD 21297-0303. n
Robert Cifrulak
The morning of April 25, a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal near Kathmandu, also affecting nearby parts of India. Avalanches were reported in the Himalayas, including Mount Everest. There is calamitous structural damage in Kathmandu; people remain trapped in collapsed buildings. The death toll has climbed at an alarming rate as survivors dig through the rubble frantically trying to free loved ones and neighbors. As of April 28, reports claim nearly 5,000 dead, over 9,000 injured, and millions affected by the devastation. Caritas Nepal has not been able to get in touch with its field offices because of damaged communications lines and therefore is unable to confirm the number of people that will need help in the surrounding
sunday, may 3, 2015
The Provincial Chapter of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province of Uniontown, Pa. was held the weekend of April 16-19 on the grounds of the Sisters’ monastic home. A new leadership team was elected for the 2015-2020 term during the Chapter; Sister Ruth Plante was chosen to lead the Sisters of the Province for the next five years. She succeeds Sister Seraphim Olsafsky, who served in the same capacity from 2005-2015. Turn to page 3 for story and photo. n
Father Andrew was inducted into the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Circle of LaRoche College at an evening gala on April 17. Adjacent to the college, the spacious Grand Hall at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh’s North Hills filled with the eleven honorees and their invited guests, who witnessed bestowal of the award medals upon each recipient by LaRoche president Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, PhD. Turn to page 3 for event photos. n
Celebrating 50 years of service as a priest within the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church, Father Eugene was feted at a grand celebration April 26 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall, Pa., where a Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving and festive banquet were held. Many of Father Eugene’s classmates were in attendance, including principal celebrant Bishop Gerald N. Dino of the Eparchy of Phoenix. Full story and photos will appear in the May 24 issue of The BCW. n