Sharing the spirit of St. Francis with the world VOL. 128/NO. 4 • OCTOBER 2020 • PUBLISHED BY FRANCISCAN MEDIA
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Faith & Family page 46
FAITH IN FOCUS:
IMAGES OF GOD’S CREATION OCTOBER 2020 • $4.99 StAnthonyMessenger.org
A WALK WITH FRANCIS & CLARE THE HIDDEN SUICIDE EPIDEMIC STRIVING FOR GOD’S GRACE
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VOL. 128 NO. 4
2020 OCTOBER
20
COVER STORY
20 Faith in Focus: Images of God’s Creation
ABOVE and COVER: Through his photography, Friar Javier Garza, OFM Cap, continues the Franciscan tradition of praising God’s creation.
Photos by Javier Garza, OFM Cap; text by Daniel Imwalle
Inspired by Franciscan spirituality, a friar and photographer in Mexico trains his camera on the world around him.
27 Walking through Assisi with Sts. Francis and Clare
COVER AND ABOVE: JAVIER GARZA, OFM CAP
By Patti Normile
This armchair pilgrimage can bring us closer to important sites in the lives of Francis and Clare of Assisi.
32 Police & Suicide: A Hidden Epidemic By Peter Feuerherd
Police officers are more likely to die by suicide than be killed by criminals. A retired Catholic Charities executive and others are working to change that.
36 Striving for Grace By Richard Rohr, OFM
Forgiveness is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the whole Gospel.
COMING NEXT
ISSUE
A story on a nationwide movement where young spiritual seekers and religious sisters come together for conversation and community
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 1
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Saint Day
T
he saints were real people with real stories—just like us! Their surrender to God’s love was so gen-
erous that the Church recognizes them as heroes and
of the
heroines worthy to be held up for our inspiration. Join Franciscan Media in our daily celebration of these holy men and women of God. Sign up for Saint of the Day, a free resource delivered right to your inbox.
St. Theodora Guérin
St. Francis of Assisi
St. John XXIII
St. Teresa of Avila
October 3 St. Theodora was born in France but came to Vincennes, Indiana, at the invitation of its bishop. Eventually she established a new foundation of her community, but not before suffering many hardships. Theodora is buried at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, the headquarters of the Sisters of Providence.
October 4 St. Francis of Assisi: founder of the Franciscan family, patron saint of ecology, inspiration to thousands, claimed by people of all faiths as well as by those with no particular faith, a truly “catholic and apostolic man.” Though born in the 12th century, he belongs to all ages.
October 11 A shy man, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli became Pope John XXIII. The irony was that his fellow cardinals elected him as a stopgap pope to give them time to get the politics ironed out for a permanent candidate. But the Holy Spirit had more in store for this “temporary” pope.
October 15 St. Teresa of Avila lived before and during the Council of Trent. Having experienced the Reformation, she felt a need for reform, but took things in a different direction than the Protestants. Teresa set an example for presentday reformers.
LEFT TO RIGHT: SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE OF SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS; MC KOZUSKO/SAM; CNS PHOTO/VATICAN; PUBLIC DOMAIN USA/FRAY JUAN DE LA MISERIA
Saints featured in the month of October include . . .
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VOL. 128 NO. 4
“Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. We must always remember this. The actual words matter less.”
2020 OCTOBER
—St. John XXIII
11 SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS 10 Ask a Franciscan
Who Informed the Biblical Writers?
14 I’d Like to Say | Patrick Carolan Don’t Be a Single-Issue Voter
12 Franciscan World
16 At Home on Earth | Kyle Kramer
12 St. Anthony Stories
18 Faith Unpacked | David Dault, PhD
13 Followers of St. Francis
19 Editorial | Christopher Heffron
Poggio Bustone
LEFT TO RIGHT: SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE OF SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS; MC KOZUSKO/SAM; CNS PHOTO/VATICAN; PUBLIC DOMAIN USA/FRAY JUAN DE LA MISERIA
14 POINTS OF VIEW Pioneers 2.0
A Treasure in the Trash
A Different Kind of Harvest
Donna Hollis, OFS
Voter Suppression Is Civic Aggression
46 Faith & Family | Susan Hines-Brigger In the Footsteps of St. Francis
44
CULTURE
42 Media Reviews
TV/Streaming | Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground Book | Francis of Assisi’s Sermon on the Mount
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8 44 Film Reviews
Radioactive Pray: The Story of Patrick Peyton Words on Bathroom Walls
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 Dear Reader 5 Your Voice 6 Church in the News
47 Lighten Up 47 Pete & Repeat 48 Reflection
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dear reader Saints in a Vacuum
PUBLISHER
F
or most of us, when we think of saints, we view them as frozen in time. St. Francis will always be wandering the hills of Assisi, preaching the Gospel, and facing the challenges of the Church in his time. But what if we allowed ourselves to expand our vision of the saints a bit? What if we tried to think about their messages, teachings, and words and apply them to modern-day scenarios? Patti Normile does exactly that in her article (on page 27), “Walking through Assisi with Sts. Francis and Clare.” Normile takes readers on a trip to Assisi, traveling the very roads that Francis walked. But it is not merely a travelogue. Rather, “You are invited to visit these sites in prayer and to ponder questions related to Francis’ time that can bring insights and hope into the 21st century,” she writes. Places such as San Damiano—where St. Francis heard God’s call to “repair my house”—and the refuge of the Carceri offer much food for thought for armchair pilgrims. Following in the footsteps of Sts. Francis and Clare brings the light of their wisdom to help us through challenges we face today. May St. Francis—and all the saints—guide you along your journey.
Daniel Kroger, OFM PRESIDENT
Kelly McCracken EXECUTIVE EDITORS
Christopher Heffron Susan Hines-Brigger
FRANCISCAN EDITOR
Pat McCloskey, OFM ART DIRECTOR
Mary Catherine Kozusko MANAGING EDITOR
Daniel Imwalle
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Susan Hines-Brigger, Executive Editor
Sandy Howison
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Sharon Lape
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Ray Taylor
PRINTING
Kingery Printing Co. Effingham, IL writer Walking through Assisi with Sts. Francis and Clare
PAGE 20
PAGE 27
Friar Javier Garza is a Capuchin Franciscan from Monterrey, Mexico, who has combined his passion for photography with his love of Franciscan spirituality and fraternity. He began honing his craft of photography 10 years ago and says he’s “obsessed with the elements that make a great photograph: light, shadow, composition, and emotion.” Learn more about him at JavierOFMCap.com.
Patti Normile wrote her first book (in blue and black crayon!) at age 8. Since then, she has woven her experiences as teacher, industrial arts instructor, stable hand, truck driver, religious education director, retreat director, hospital chaplain, grandmother, and faith seeker into several books, numerous articles, and spiritual care publications and videos. She is currently making plans to visit Assisi next year for her sixth time.
RICHARD ROHR, OFM
ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X) (U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 128, Number 4, is published 10 times per year for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-6498. Phone 513-241-5615. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional entry offices. US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: St. Anthony Messenger, PO Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189. CANADA RETURN ADDRESS: c/o AIM, 7289 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON, Canada L4T 1G8.
writer Striving for Grace PAGE 36
Richard Rohr, OFM, is an internationally recognized author and spiritual leader. He teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, non-dual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these affect the social justice issues of our time. He is the author of numerous books, including Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps and What Do We Do with Evil?
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MIDDLE: PHOTO COURTESY OF PATTI NORMILE/KEISER PHOTOGRAPHY
JAVIER GARZA, OFM CAP
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POINTSOFVIEW | YOUR VOICE ‘A Graced Encounter’
The cover story in the August issue of St. Anthony Messenger (“The Courage to Change: Wisdom from Assisi,” by Gillian T.W. Ahlgren) is a pure delight. Sts. Francis and Clare do indeed exemplify a bold and bracing witness to courage and faith. I appreciated the noteworthy effort to move beyond the usually sentimental image of Francis as “the birdbath saint.” Their lives and legacies are so richly evocative—both timely and timeless. I was reminded of this famous quote from St. Thomas Aquinas: “Better to illuminate more than merely to shine.” Francis and Clare continue to illuminate. I found Holly Schapker’s art quite fascinating. Her beautiful paintings provided a graced encounter with Sts. Francis and Clare. Thank you! Sister J. Sheila Galligan, IHM, Malvern, Pennsylvania
Bring Back Moral Teaching
.S.P.S. TION ed 10 Friars Street, 5615. addiddress ngers, AIM, 8.
call n the Single notice ption-
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I am writing in regard to Daniel Imwalle’s editorial in the August issue, titled “Standing in Solidarity against Systemic Racism.” We need to do more than take small steps, or, as he refers to them, “drops of water in an ocean of injustice.” Challenging ourselves, friends, family members, coworkers, and others when we hear something that supports systemic racism is a small beginning. We need more. We need to change our education system. From the youngest students through high school seniors, we need to teach morality and insist on respect. Morality can be taught without bringing in religion. The great philosophers Aristotle and Socrates spoke on and taught about morality. Respect for themselves and others is basic behavior for the good of society. George Floyd did not deserve to be killed. Those responsible will have to accept the responsibility of their actions and will have a trial. But using his death as permission for looting and destruction is just as wrong. We need the Black community to hold up positive examples for their young people. Thurgood Marshall comes to mind. On a related topic: We have to stop telling our young mothers that they have a right to kill their unborn babies. If we can’t get mothers to respect the lives of their babies, how can we get our children to respect life? Mary Long, Lake Wylie, South Carolina
Violent Acts Should Be Called Out
On receiving the August issue, I found columns on the evil of racism but no condemnation of riots, death, and destruction occurring in our cities. The infiltration of Antifa and other rioters should not receive a pass for what they are doing to communities already suffering from poverty. They are taking advantage of the situation and causing hardship on the poor. Our good police should be supported. I’m disappointed in your reporting. Betty Krisovitch, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Article Sparks a Vivid Memory
What a surprise to see the article about Covenant House in the August issue (“Forgotten No More,” by Peter Feuerherd). In the 1970s, our parish (St. Columba in Hopewell Junction, New York) sponsored a trip for the youth of our parish to visit Covenant House and see firsthand the work they were doing. My husband and I were chaperones on the bus. Most of the teens were impressed by the youth they spoke to and by the way they had changed their lives and their hopes for the future. On the way back home, the kids were all talking about what they had seen and had many questions (e.g., “What can we do to help?”). Thank you for providing an update about Covenant House. May they keep up their good work. Valerie Golembiewski, Tucson, Arizona
Political Bias Takes Away from Spiritual Message
In the article by Susan Hines-Brigger in the June/July issue (“Adults Are Part of the Solution”), I feel that political bias was shown in the following statement: “Unfortunately, this less-than-stellar behavior goes all the way to the highest office in the land. President Donald Trump is well known for his Twitter rants and name calling.” To mention President Trump in this way was not necessary, whether the statement is correct or not. I have been a reader of St. Anthony Messenger for years and do not find political opinion important to the development of my spirituality. Carole Ginzl, Jacksonville, Florida
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StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 5
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church IN THE NEWS
people | events | trends
LAWSUIT ACCUSES RETIRED ALBANY BISHOP HUBBARD OF ABUSE
By Susan Hines-Brigger
CRUCIFIX IN MANAGUA CATHEDRAL DESTROYED IN ATTACK
F
According to a new report from the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has paid out or approved over $50 million so far to 222 clergy sex-abuse survivors. The program was launched in November 2018 as a means of providing settlements to claimants alleging abuse by archdiocesan clergy. Its administrators, acting independently of the archdiocese, assess claims and offer compensation with no monetary cap, either individually or in total. Claims are considered regardless of how long ago the events in question occurred or whether the statute of limitations had expired. The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, however, announced that is putting a moratorium on any future decisions or payments to abuse survivors through its Independent Victim Compensation Program due to “a precipitous decline” in revenue due to COVID-19. Camden diocesan spokesman Michael Walsh told the Philadelphia Inquirer in an e-mail that the diocese “remains committed to providing compensation” to abuse survivors “when we are again able to do so.” The Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, had to take similar action this past April.
he crucifix in the cathedral in Managua, Nicaragua, was destroyed this past July in what the Nicaraguan bishops’ conference has called “an act of terrorism,” reported CNS. According to witnesses, a hooded man entered the Chapel of the Blood of Christ on July 31 and threw a Molotov cocktail, which started a fire that engulfed a 400-year-old crucifix housed in the chapel. The crucifix was completely destroyed in the fire. “We condemn and reject such a violent and extremist act, typical of an act of terrorism, premeditated and planned to seriously offend our faith in Christ the redeemer and our Nicaraguan history and identity,” the bishops said in the statement. Shortly after the attack, Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo claimed candles in the chapel had caused the fire. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua tersely rejected the explanation, telling reporters, “There are no candles in the chapel.” The attack was the latest on the Nicaraguan Catholic Church, which has found itself coming into opposition with the country’s Sandinista government. The firebombing of the cathedral was one of at least three attacks on churches in Nicaragua within days, said Msgr. Carlos Aviles, Managua archdiocesan spokesman.
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CNS PHOTOS: TOP LEFT: COURTESY HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES (2); TOP RIGHT: CNS GRAPHIC/COURTESY DICASTERY FOR LAITY, FAMILY, AND LIFE; LOWER RIGHT: MARTIN RICKETT/PA IMAGES VIA REUTERS
IN RELATED NEWS:
T
CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: BOB ROLLER; RIGHT: OSWALDO RIVAS, REUTERS
or the fifth time, retired Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany has been accused of sexual assault, this time in a lawsuit filed by a 55-yearold man currently living in South Carolina, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). The lawsuit alleges that Bishop Hubbard sexually abused the man when he was 10 on a church bus trip from St. James Parish, which is now St. Francis of Assisi Parish, to West Point in 1975. It also alleges abuse by the bishop from 1974 to 1976, when the boy was an altar boy at St. James. Bishop Hubbard has now been named in five lawsuits since the Child Victims Act went into effect last August. The law opened a one-year Retired Bishop Howard J. Hubbard window for victims of alleged abuse to file claims against their abusers in cases that were previfaces new allegations of sexual abuse. ously time-barred. That window was set to expire in August but was extended by executive order by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo until January 2021 because the courts have been closed due to the coronavirus. The governor later extended the deadline to August 14, 2021. Bishop Hubbard, 81, was first accused of misconduct in 2004 but was cleared during an investigation by Mary Jo White, the former US attorney for the Southern District of New York. He has vehemently denied the claims, saying last year he “never sexually abused anyone.” In response to the latest lawsuit, Mary DeTurris Poust, Albany’s diocesan director of communications, said that while the diocese cannot comment on any pending litigation, it “remains focused on survivors, intent on making sure the truth comes out in every case that has been filed. As always, we urge anyone who has been abused to contact local law enforcement and our diocesan assistance coordinator.”
HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES WINS HUMANITARIAN PRIZE
VATICAN LAUNCHES #SENDYOURHUG CAMPAIGN TO COUNTER COVID LONELINESS
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CNS PHOTOS: TOP LEFT: COURTESY HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES (2); TOP RIGHT: CNS GRAPHIC/COURTESY DICASTERY FOR LAITY, FAMILY, AND LIFE; LOWER RIGHT: MARTIN RICKETT/PA IMAGES VIA REUTERS
CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: BOB ROLLER; RIGHT: OSWALDO RIVAS, REUTERS
Homeboy Industries works to improve the lives of former gang members.
omeboy Industries, founded by Jesuit Father Greg Boyle, was awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s 2020 Humanitarian Prize. The nonprofit organization works to improve the lives of former gang members in East Los Angeles. The Hilton Humanitarian Prize is the world’s largest humanitarian prize presented to a nonprofit organization judged to have made extraordinary contributions toward alleviating
human suffering. Father Boyle said the prize, which is $2.5 million in unrestricted funds, is “validation of our work of 32 years.” He said it also “strengthens our resolve to create a community of kinship and healing in Los Angeles. All of us at Homeboy Industries are profoundly humbled by the Hilton Foundation’s recognition.” In announcing the award, the foundation said: “Father Boyle saw young people who deserved a chance and has since worked to change the way the world treats those who have been systematically marginalized. Homeboy Industries embodies the spirit of the prize and the work of the foundation—focusing on equity, resilience, and dignity—in an inspiring way.” Father Boyle started the nonprofit organization in 1988 with the goal of improving the lives of former gang members in East Los Angeles. It is now the world’s largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program and is dedicated to providing hope, training, and support to individuals.
The Vatican’s #SendYourHug campaign began on July 26.
A
mid the COVID pandemic, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life has launched a campaign urging young people to connect with the elderly who are experiencing loneliness during lockdowns because of the disease, reported Vatican News. The Elderly Are Your Grandparents campaign invites young people “to do something that shows kindness and affection for older people who may feel lonely. “The pandemic has hit the elderly particularly hard, and it has disconnected the already weak links between generations,” reads the statement. “However, respecting social distancing rules does not mean accepting a destiny of loneliness and abandonment.” Young people are urged to send hugs—via phone, video call, or an image—to the older people of their parish or neighborhood who may be experiencing loneliness. They are also encouraged to share their outreach efforts on social media by including #SendYourHug in the post. The best posts will be shared on the Twitter account of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life: @LaityFamilyLife.
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church IN THE NEWS
people | events | trends
JOHN HUME, KEY FIGURE IN BRINGING PEACE TO NORTHERN IRELAND, DIES AT 83
EL PASO BISHOP FORMS COMMISSION TO ADDRESS ISSUES BEHIND SHOOTING
ABOVE: Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, announces the formation of an anti-hate commission. INSET: A family attends a memorial after the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
J
ohn Hume, the Northern Ireland politician who is credited with bringing peace to the region, was remembered during his funeral on August 5 as a “paragon of peace,” reported Vatican News. Hume is credited with convincing the Provisional IRA to declare a cease-fire in their conflict with the British in 1994 and with being the key architect of the Good Friday Agreement four years later. Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, celebrated the funeral in St. Eugene Cathedral in Londonderry. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, though, members of the public were not permitted to attend. The funeral was broadcast, however, by the national broadcaster RTE. In his homily, the archbishop said: “Today we are remembering a paragon of peace, a giant of a statesman whose legacy of unstinting service to the common good is internationally acclaimed, even though it is still perhaps only unfolding. “John put Catholic social teaching into practice—sometimes at great personal cost and risk—working ceaselessly for a process of reconciliation through which the dignity of every human person is recognized and upheld.” In 1998, Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with David Trimble, then the most influential politician in the Protestant community in Northern Ireland. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI honored Hume with papal knighthood.
O
n the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting in El Paso, Bishop Mark J. Seitz and other civic and spiritual leaders announced the formation of a commission to examine ways to eradicate the hate that prompted the attack, reported CNS. Authorities have said the attack on August 3, 2019, by alleged shooter Patrick Crusius, of Allen, Texas, that killed 23 people and wounded 25 others, was believed to have been aimed at Latinos, as the alleged shooter reportedly told authorities he was targeting “Mexicans.” Bishop Seitz said: “We really believe that ceremonies of remembrance, while they’re important, and times of prayer, while they’re essential, aren’t enough. We also have to deal with the reality that led to those events on that day and were very clearly present in the mind and heart of the attacker.” The idea of the commission, he said, came about to produce something to honor those affected, and that wasn’t limited to a memorial. The bishop went on to say: “So the question was: How do we fittingly memorialize? How do we fittingly remember? Because the greatest disservice we could do to those who lost their lives on that day, those who were wounded, was to forget what really happened.” The bishop said the commission would have members from a variety of faiths and groups with the idea of bringing people together for “an honest conversation” directed at making structural changes. “It’s more and more clear to us that people of color in our community have a tough go of it,” he said. “We need to hear them. . . . We need to deal with the things that still fall short of that ideal of equality that was spoken from the time of our founding fathers and mothers.”
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CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: LORRAINE O’SULLIVAN/REUTERS (2); RIGHT: FERNIE CENICEROS, COURTESY DIOCESE OF EL PASO; RIGHT INSET: CALLAGHAN O’HARE, REUTERS
ABOVE: Irish Catholic leaders praised Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume as a champion of social justice. INSET: He died on August 3 at age 83.
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SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | ASK A FRANCISCAN
By Pat McCloskey, OFM
Who Informed the Biblical Writers?
How did the gentlemen who gathered together to write the Bible do so? Where did their information come from? The holy Bible is beautifully written. When was it written? How did they know all the details? ltimately, God inspired them to convey the unique divine self-revelation that we find in the Bible. We need to accept the Bible on its own terms. We may mistakenly think of it as entirely eyewitness accounts in which the biblical writers act like court reporters, giving us a verbatim account. Although most biblical writers do not claim to be eyewitnesses to the events described, the Jewish people and later the Christians recognize these writings as inspired by God. If biblical writers were giving verbatim accounts, why does the Book of Genesis open with two very different accounts of creation: the Priestly account (1:1—2:4a) and the Yahwist account (2:4b—4:26)? Why do the oldest books of the Old Testament deny that there is a life after this one while some of its newest books Tertius (left) takes St. Paul’s dictation of the Letter to the Romans are open to that idea? Why did some New (woodcut by Julius Schorr von Carolsfeld, d. 1872). Testament writers expect Jesus to return imminently and others did not? Also, your question assumes that the biblical writers were all men, but that might not be true. The Old Testament books were written over a period of 1,700 years (from the time of Moses to shortly before the birth of Jesus), and the New Testament books were completed in approximately 75 years. If you could gather all the biblical writers in one place, and if they all spoke the same language, you might witness some rather heated debates. The Bible is indeed a wonderful collection of books, but we must accept it on its own terms without imposing our expectations on it. For example, because Tatian in the middle of the second century was bothered by different Gospel accounts, he tried to homogenize them into a single text called the Diatessaron rather than admit that God could and did inspire four Gospels with different details in places but identical in affirming Jesus Christ as God’s best self-revelation.
Father Pat welcomes your questions! ONLINE: StAnthonyMessenger.org E-MAIL: Ask@FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Ask a Franciscan 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
All questions sent by mail need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
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WE HAVE A DIGITAL archive of Q & As, going back to March 2013. Just click: • the Ask link and then • the Archive link. Material is grouped thematically under headings such as forgiveness, Jesus, moral issues, prayer, saints, redemption, sacraments, Scripture—and many more!
‘I’ve Always Wondered . . . ‘
How did St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil become friends? What led to the ending of that friendship? hey met only once in late 1219, for about two weeks. Francis and Brother Illuminato went to preach the Gospel to the sultan, who immediately recognized Francis as a very spiritual man. The sultan was a very devout Sunni Muslim. He gave Francis an ivory horn that is displayed in Assisi’s Basilica of St. Francis. Francis died in 1226; the sultan died 12 years later. During the Fifth Crusade when Christians and Muslims were killing one another, Francis risked his life to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ to the sultan, who respected him deeply.
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STOCK N SHARES/ISTOCK
Pat McCloskey, OFM
TOP LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP RIGHT: ZU 09/ISTOCK; BOTTOM RIGHT: PUBLIC DOMAIN
U
Quick Questions and Answers I recently read that a prenuptial agreement invalidates any marriage in the Catholic Church. Is that true? No. The Catholic Church rejects any prenuptial agreement that contradicts the public declarations made in the Catholic Rite of Marriage (regardless of where the wedding took place or who officiated). A prenuptial agreement could not, for example: 1) sanction a genital relationship with someone other than the spouse in this agreement, 2) set a time limit for how long this marriage will last (five years, 12 years, etc.), or 3) rule out the possibility of children from this marriage.
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join us online!
At the National Shrine of St. Anthony, we celebrate the Novena to St. Anthony with benediction every Tuesday at 2:30 PM (EST).
ans
Visit
StAnthony.org/Live
Why do Catholic liturgies so often ask God to show us mercy? That has already been done through Jesus Christ!
to join us LIVE each week and to download the prayers for the service.
These references to God’s mercy are not there because we fear that God will forget to be merciful. They are there because we might forget that. “How we pray reflects what we believe,” the Church has taught for centuries.
It can be prayed at the death of a friend, relative, someone you greatly admire—or for a group of people on a special anniversary.
The word peace is used five times in the Mass prayers immediately before Communion. What does peace mean in this context?
It means living in right relationship with God, oneself, and others. Any lies that I tell myself will undermine the Eucharist that I am about to receive. If ever there is a time for radical honesty, this is it. Perhaps that is why Jesus encouraged reconciliation before offering one’s gift at the altar (Mt 5:23–24).
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When is it appropriate to pray the Liturgy of the Hours’ “Office of the Dead” besides All Souls’ Day?
Christians have been celebrating the Eucharist since the time of Jesus—to fulfill his command, “Do this in memory of me.” Although it has evolved over time, the Eucharist has always linked worshippers in a unique way with the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist 1615 Vine St, Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492 513-721-4700, ext. 3219 Franciscan.org • StAnthony.org
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 11
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SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS “I praise only that poverty which we patiently endure for love of our crucified Redeemer.”
—St. Peter of Alcántara
FRANCISCAN WORLD
Poggio Bustone
By Pat McCloskey, OFM
“G
A VERY SUCCESSFUL preacher, Peter (1499–1562) erected a cross in each parish where he preached a mission. People said, “To bear such an insult one must have the patience of Peter of Alcántara.” Most of the friars who came to the New World in the 16th century followed his reform of the Franciscan Order. For a short time, he was a spiritual director for St. Teresa of Avila. Inspired by him, many people became Poor Clares, Secular Franciscans, or Friars Minor. He was canonized in 1669. His feast is October 22. —Pat McCloskey, OFM
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ST. ANTHONY STORIES
A Treasure in the Trash
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wo months after my husband’s death, I decided to start wearing his wedding ring, a wide gold band. It fit perfectly on the index finger of my right hand. Three days later, while watching television, I glanced down at my hand, and the ring was gone. First, I retraced my steps through every room in the house in a frantic search. I thought the ring might have fallen into the kitchen trash can, which was in a pull-out drawer that had been left open. I didn’t see it, and knew I would have to empty the trash later and search more carefully. Then I went outside to check the driveway and sidewalk. Nothing. Walking back to the house, I prayed to St. Anthony, promising I would write if he would help me. As I passed through the kitchen to begin another room-by-room search, I glanced at the trash can again. There was the ring, in plain sight sitting on top of the trash, impossible to miss. Thank you, St. Anthony! —Carol Bailey, Chester, Virginia
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PHOTO COURTESY BOB STRONACH, OFS
Born into Spanish nobility, he was soon recognized by the friars as a natural leader and a holy man.
LEFT: CREATIVE COMMONS CC0 1.0/PUBLIC DOMAIN; TOP RIGHT: CREATIVE COMMONS 2.0/CHRISTOPHER JOHN; BOTTOM RIGHT: MONZENMACHI/ISTOCK
PETER OF ALCÁNTARA
ood morning, good people,” said Francis to the residents of this town in the Rieti Valley north of Rome. He first visited there in 1209 and moved into an abandoned hermitage. Each year on the feast of St. Francis, a man goes around to each household and repeats the greeting that Francis first used there. A friary was established in 1217. A half-hour walk brings pilgrims to a sanctuary recalling Francis’ ties to this place. Six small stone chapels along the way record incidents in Francis’ life. Brother Giles and other early companions of Francis lived at Poggio Bustone for many years. There Francis had a strong sense that his sins were forgiven and that his fledgling brotherhood would survive and grow. This incident, described in 1 Celano 26–27, has caused this place to be called “sanctuary of light and peace.” The Rieti Valley has three other Franciscan sanctuaries: Fonte Colombo, Greccio, and La Foresta. Thomas of Celano says that, after his experience at Poggio Bustone, Francis “seemed to be changed into another man.” Many pilgrims to this site have likewise had a deep sense of God’s generous grace and mercy. Francis of Assisi had a strong sense of God’s mercy at Poggio Bustone.
s
FOLLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS
ST. ANTHONY
Reflecting the Heart of Jesus “This is what I want! I want to be a Franciscan.”
PHOTO COURTESY BOB STRONACH, OFS
ever underestimate the power of a truly good movie. One such movie, Brother Sun, Sister Moon—the 1972 biopic of St. Francis, directed by Franco Zeffirelli—had a profound impact on Donna Hollis. Seeing the movie for the first time in the theater brought tears to her eyes, and something deep inside screamed: “This is what I want! I want to be a Franciscan.” Early in her Franciscan vocation, Donna, now a Secular Franciscan, admits she was called to be a Franciscan, but not necessarily to be a Catholic. The formative years in her family were what she would describe as a pretty anti-Catholic setting. As she explored what it would take to become a Franciscan, she was introduced to a man who was just beginning to establish a new Secular Franciscan community. Little did she know, this man would eventually become one of the most famous faces of the Franciscan movement: singer/songwriter John Michael Talbot. It was Talbot who told her if she wanted to become a Secular Franciscan, she would first have to become a Catholic. Not sure that was what she wanted, but knowing she wanted to be Franciscan, she moved from southern Texas to Indianapolis, Indiana, where Talbot was establishing his community. Despite resistance from her family, Donna underwent instruction and was received into the Church. Currently serving the immigrant community in and near Las Cruces, New Mexico, just miles from the Mexican border, Donna continues to follow in the footsteps of the poor man of Assisi. Working from her base of operations at the Holy Cross Retreat Center, administered by Conventual Franciscan friars, Donna and her team of volunteers facilitate the entry of immigrants into the United States.
They are a part of a hos- Donna Hollis, OFS pitality coalition made up of the local governments in Las Cruces, El Paso, and the Mexican cities of Juarez and Palomas; several evangelical churches; and community organizations. The coalition works closely with the border patrol. When new immigrants are processed and enter the country, they often have nothing with them except the clothes on their back. Donna and her team help the newly arrived immigrants navigate their first few days in the United States. They’re provided with clean clothes, food, basic medical treatment, showers, and a safe place to sleep. The goal is to help arrange for transportation to the immigrant’s final destination. Donna assists the immigrants in understanding their paperwork and making sure they understand when their court date has been set. Time is of the essence, Donna says, because these immigrants are equipped with ankle monitors that track their movements and must arrive at their final destination within two weeks. COVID-19 has, for now, changed the ministry of the Hospitality Coalition. “Be in the present moment,” she says, “and be at peace with where you are.” The pandemic has halted the influx of immigrants. Her work now consists of picking up prepacked boxes of food, along with many others from southern New Mexico and Palomas/ Juarez, to take back to those in need. “There are many hungry people in our area,” she says. Reflecting on her life of service, Donna says, “Just as the water reflects your face, your face reflects your heart.” Ever joyful in her ministry, she hopes her face will always reflect the heart of Jesus to those in need. —David Seitz, OFS
FRANK JASPER, OFM
LEFT: CREATIVE COMMONS CC0 1.0/PUBLIC DOMAIN; TOP RIGHT: CREATIVE COMMONS 2.0/CHRISTOPHER JOHN; BOTTOM RIGHT: MONZENMACHI/ISTOCK
N
BREAD s
The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation. The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below. Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. viSit our webSite to:
StAnthony.org
s
mAil poStAl communicAtionS to:
St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498
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POINTSOFVIEW | I’D LIKE TO SAY
By Patrick Carolan
Don’t Be a Single-Issue Voter
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Patrick previously served as executive director of the Franciscan Action Network. He is also a cofounder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement. He currently serves as director of Catholic outreach for Vote Common Good. He is a recipient of the 2015 White House Champions of Change Award and is personally dedicated to social justice through individual and societal transformation. CatholicClimateMovement.global
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IMPORTANT ISSUES
Two simple actions that could have significantly helped contain the spread of the virus are wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing. Scientists and health professionals have argued this from the beginning of the crisis. Many political and religious leaders joined in urging people to follow these simple steps. Some governors issued stay-at-home orders and mandatory wearing of masks. Others did not. Some suggested it was an infringement of individual liberties, as if your right to get a haircut was more important than my right to live! Instead of a health crisis that required well-researched, scientifically valid solutions, it was turned into a political issue. Wearing a mask became not a means to help protect us and stem the spread of COVID-19, but a symbol of who we supported politically. When we were confronted with the reality
of systemic racism and white privilege, many of our political and religious leaders refused to acknowledge the problem and engage in meaningful dialogue about solutions. Instead, they painted those trying to raise awareness of the problem as anarchists trying to overthrow the government. Our leaders ordered troops to violently break up peaceful protests. WHAT’S A VOTER TO DO?
This November, we have a choice to make. The election will determine who we are as a people, as a nation. Our vote will define our moral and ethical values. With the opportunity to vote comes the responsibility of carefully choosing a candidate. We all wish that there was a single candidate who lived the values that we believe and reflected them in his or her work. Unfortunately, neither Jesus nor St. Francis is on the ballot this year. So we have to make a choice. For many the choice comes down to a single issue. Abortion is the most prevalent, but issues of gun rights and gun control are close behind. Some folks want the government to intercede and regulate abortion but believe that the government should have no say in issues about guns. Others believe the government should have nothing to do with a woman’s right to choose but should be strongly involved in regulating guns. I have friends on one side who support candidates on 75 percent of the issues yet will not vote for those candidates because they are not adamantly anti-abortion. On the other
UPPER LEFT: COURTESY PATRICK CAROLAN; TOP: ADAMKAZ/ISTOCK
Patrick Carolan
e are living in a perilous time. Our nation is as divided as it was during the Civil War. We are all affected by crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us know people who have died, and many of us have lost our jobs. We all have had to rethink who we are. As a nation, we have been slapped in the face with the reality of systemic racism and white privilege. Many of us, especially white folks, are confronted with the realization that while we may have been willing to speak up and condemn overt racism, we have been unwilling to acknowledge that we, maybe unintentionally, have benefited from an immoral, corrupt system of white privilege. We often hear that times of crisis bring out the best in us. But we have also witnessed the opposite. In times of crisis, we often look to our political and spiritual leaders to unite and lead. We should challenge them to put differences aside and come together for the common good. After all, as people of faith we believe that just as God is in each of us, we are all one with God. We are all connected to each other and all creation through God. We pray every time we celebrate Mass, “Through him, with him, in him.” But from many leaders we have heard words to divide us, not unite us.
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side, I have friends who agree 75 percent of the time with certain candidates but will not vote for them because they are not adamantly pro-choice enough. With Rev. Brian McLaren, I recently published an article, “It’s Time to Change the Abortion Debate in America.” In it we said: “Each side, by providing us with a shortcut to a sense of moral superiority, also gives us a weapon with which to demonize and even dehumanize our counterparts. When we render our opponents the evil enemy, we risk becoming a house so divided that our nation becomes ungovernable.” That seems to sum up where we are as a nation today.
UPPER LEFT: COURTESY PATRICK CAROLAN; TOP: ADAMKAZ/ISTOCK
VOTE TO REFLECT CATHOLIC VALUES
So how do we go about choosing our leaders? What criteria should we use? Bishop Robert McElroy suggests it is time for Catholics to consider character. In a February speech at the University of San Diego, he said, “Because our nation is in a moment of political division and degradation in its public life, character represents a particularly compelling criterion for faithful voting in 2020.” Pope Francis has argued that “an essential aspect of good politics is the pursuit of the common good of all.” In January, he told the US bishops, “Christians must come down on the side of the poor and those who are in need.” His words seem like a clear rebuke to those who believe that abortion is the only issue in deciding how to vote. When addressing the issue of climate change in December, Pope Francis stated, “We are facing a ‘challenge of civilization’ in favor of the common good.” Regarding the issue of asylum, the US bishops said, “At its core, asylum is an instrument to preserve the right to life.” Abortion is clearly an important issue. I have been involved in standing for justice most of my life. I have marched, gone on hunger fasts, and been arrested in support of the poor and marginalized. I have always done so under the banner of promoting a consistent ethic of life. I came to realize that being a single-issue voter is not following Catholic teachings. • The decision to turn away immigrants seeking asylum and separate children from their families at our southern border does not reflect Catholic values. • The decision to cut federal aid to our nation’s poorest families—most recently by announcing major budget cuts to the food stamp program, affordable housing efforts, student loan aid, and Medicaid—does not reflect Catholic values. • The decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord and to rescind environmental regulations leading to the destruction of God’s wondrous creation does not reflect Catholic values. • Support of the death penalty does not reflect Catholic values. • The constant degrading of women, minorities, and the poor, as well as lying and using hateful language, degrades Catholic values.
OUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The organization Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice (NetworkLobby.org) has published a Right to Life scorecard so voters can make an informed choice based on all right-tolife issues. They start by saying: “In March of 2018 and again in June 2020, Pope Francis gave Catholics, and all people of good will, clear instructions for how we are called to position ourselves and prioritize social issues. In the apostolic exhortation on holiness, ‘Gaudete et Exsultate,’ and again in his general audience following the murder of George Floyd, Pope Francis spoke of all of the ways we must defend, promote, and protect the sacredness of human life.” In November, we, as people of faith, have the right and the obligation to help choose our leaders. Our choice should be based not on our individual needs but on the common good. We should vote for those who seek to end economic inequality, poverty, and racial injustice. We should choose those who have the courage to enter into meaningful dialogue on actions, such as providing adequate health care and family leave policies, that will dramatically reduce the number of abortions. Our leaders should be those who, when seeing a person of a different color, gender, race, or sexual orientation, do not see “other” but rather see sister and brother. We should elect those who are willing to walk the path of St. Francis of Assisi and see all of God’s wondrous creation as sacred.
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D
n
POINTSOFVIEW | AT HOME ON EARTH
By Kyle Kramer
Pioneers 2.0
Kyle Kramer
EarthandSpiritCenter.org
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mid the twists and turns of COVID-19, I have been paying attention to some interesting trends. Many employers, whose workers are staying productive while working from home, are planning to encourage more remote work even beyond the pandemic. The virus has also motivated many people to leave cities for less densely populated areas—from wealthy individuals setting up shop in their second homes to scrappy millennials disillusioned with city life. Many of these people plan to make this relocation permanent since new ways of working remotely now make that more feasible. As someone who has spent most of his adult life living in rural areas, I’m very hopeful about this trend. Eighty percent of the US population now resides in cities, which has led to overcrowding, glaring social inequity, and environmental challenges. It’s also drained the countryside of the critical mass of people required for healthy rural economies, agriculture, and cultural life. A significant demographic shift to the countryside could potentially reverse both of those problems: Everyone could win. As the Church tries to find new ways to be Church during and beyond the pandemic, I’m excited to imagine how Christians and other people of faith might move to the countryside and craft new forms of intentional discipleship, devotion, and prophetic witness—and do so, as much as is possible, in community with others who share similar values and commitments.
BACK TO THE BEGINNING
Fortunately, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The Christian tradition has a long, venerable history of intentional rural communities in various forms. Beginning in the third century, Christian hermits fled to the Egyptian desert to escape persecution and, later, what they saw as the decadence of imperial Christianity. They left the cities for solitude, but they ended up forming communal monastic cultures that would sustain Christianity and Western culture through the Dark Ages and beyond. Recent centuries have seen the rise of Anabaptist communities such as the Amish, Mennonite, and Bruderhof movements. More recent still have been Catholic Worker farms and other intentional Catholic communities like Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia. Some of these movements and communities may be more radical than most of us could or would commit to. But if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we can try new, bold, risky things even—and especially—in how we live out our spiritual commitments. And this “new monasticism” could take any number of forms, with varying degrees of commitment. Regardless of the particular form they take, new ways of inhabiting rural areas as an act of faith and discipleship would have many common threads, like the “Twelve Marks” or “Nine Vows” articulated by the New Monastic movement. These might include spiritual formation and daily contemplative prayer;
LEFT: COURTESY OF KYLE KRAMER; RIGHT: KAYCO/FOTOSEARCH
Kyle is the executive director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center, which offers interfaith educational programming in meditation, ecology, and social compassion. He serves as a Catholic climate ambassador for the US Conference of Catholic Bishopssponsored Catholic Climate Covenant and is the author of A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer, and Dirt (Ave Maria Press, 2010). He speaks across the country on issues of ecology and spirituality. He and his family spent 15 years as organic farmers and homesteaders in Spencer County, Indiana.
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nonviolent peacemaking and solidarity with marginalized people; connection to and care for the earth; and commitment to intentional forms of community life such as geographical proximity, resource sharing, regular common meals, praying together, and shared works of mercy.
LEFT: COURTESY OF KYLE KRAMER; RIGHT: KAYCO/FOTOSEARCH
POSITIVES AND PITFALLS
The main point is the intentionality: Like the sacraments of Marriage, Confirmation, or Ordination, it involves making an explicit (and hopefully long-term) commitment to a certain way of life. Such a movement faces many potential pitfalls, though. It could, for example, become a nondiverse movement of the privileged who have the kinds of jobs and income that allow them to leave cities—a new form of “white flight.” New rural pioneers could fail to create right relationships with the land and its First Peoples— as when the first wave of American pioneers ended up causing genocide, the Dust Bowl, and the near-extinction of American bison. New rural dwellers would certainly have to embrace some degree of asceticism: giving up easy conveniences and entertainment, driving longer distances for shopping and essential services, figuring out creative solutions for childcare and education. On the other hand, the rewards of such a monastic movement could be manifold for its members and for the broader society. I know from my family’s own experience that living in close relationship to the land fulfills something deep and essential in the human spirit. The simple tasks of tending to basic needs, like growing a garden or tending livestock, can create a clarity of mind and heart that can free us from the mostly empty distractions of social media and the news cycle, free us from the need to fill our lives with too many possessions, and free us for various kinds of creative pursuits and loving service. Most importantly, when we cultivate some kind of intentional common life with others who share similar commit-
ments—with all of the messy challenges that entails—we are touching on what is most real, authentic, and meaningful about being alive. What more important and satisfying work could there be than to be part of building, together, the necessary elements of a thriving rural economy and culture? This kind of humble yet radical discipleship certainly isn’t for everyone. I myself am both attracted to it and terrified by it, with little idea if and how to step toward it amid the tangle of my midlife responsibilities. To the extent such movements “succeed” (whatever that means), they usually do so only in part. But I do take some comfort from those early monastics, who went to the desert not to be “successful,” but simply to be faithful. If Jesus is truly “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2), then there’s reason to hope that he might lead today’s faithful pioneers on a path of love that helps bring all of us toward a better future.
HELPFUL
TIPS
EDUCATE YOURSELF
1
There are plenty of examples of new monastic communities in urban areas too. For a great example, check out Shane Claiborne and The Simple Way community in Philadelphia.
2
The Catholic Rural Life organization has spent decades promoting ethical agriculture, rural ministry, and care for creation. You can find many helpful resources at CatholicRuralLife.org.
3
For an example of the Church’s theological reflection on rural life, read “This Land Is Home to Me,” a beautiful pastoral letter from the bishops of Appalachia.
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StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 17
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POINTSOFVIEW | FAITH UNPACKED
By David Dault, PhD
A Different Kind of Harvest
I
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NEED FOR HEALING
Harvests are important to Christians. Jesus talked a lot about them. In chapter 9 of the Gospel of Matthew, after Our Lord calls some disciples, performs a few miracles, and argues with Pharisees, we are told that he is surrounded by the sick and the needy. The text goes on to say that Jesus was moved with pity for these poor souls, “because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). But then Jesus does an amazing thing. He had just demonstrated his power by miraculous healings and powerful teaching, so it is easy to assume that he plans to be the star of the show. But instead, he turns to his disciples and says to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (9:37–38). Immediately after this, we are told that Jesus takes aside those same disciples and gives them the power to heal, teach, and do the miraculous things that he had just shown were possible. I love this exchange so much. When we distill it to its core elements, the dynamic of it is very clear. Jesus demonstrates a miraculous power to heal, and then Jesus notes the overwhelming need for healing. He then says to the disciples, “There are too many for me to do this alone, so you have to step in and help,” and he gives them the power and the courage to do it.
REAPING WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
This has been a very important story for me and my family to meditate upon these past months. The spring is a time for planting. This year, back in March, like many others, my family began planting seeds of patience, bravery, and care in the dark and unknown soil of the pandemic. All through the summer, just as a farmer would tend to these seedlings, we have worked together to cultivate a growing crop of these virtues while doing our best to remove the weeds of fear and anger that seek to choke the green shoots. It hasn’t been easy. My children are just old enough to understand the gravity of everything we have faced these past months—both as a nation and a world. But we have also worked to understand what the first disciples themselves came to know: In the face of overwhelming sickness and need, Our Lord has called us to be laborers in the harvest. We are called to do what we can, with compassion and care, to bind up and heal the scared and the broken. It starts in our own home, with each other. But now, as the fall has come upon us, we are seeking ways to continue reaching outward to support our community and the lost and hurting souls we encounter there. This is an October that will be unlike any other in my memory. The harvest that awaits us is unlike any that the Church has seen in a long, long while. When Jesus saw the overwhelming need, he turned to his disciples and said, “The harvest is here. I am equipping you to work, and to reap, and to heal.” Right now, Our Lord is saying the same thing to us.
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David hosts the weekly radio show Things Not Seen: Conversations about Culture and Faith. He also cohosts The Francis Effect podcast with Father Dan Horan, OFM. He lives with his family on the South Side of Chicago.
TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF CHICAGO SUNDAY EVENING CLUB/KHIEM TRAN; TOP RIGHT: AARON 007/FOTOSEARCH
David Dault, PhD
live in Chicago, and around this part of the country, October is harvest time. Living in the city, it’s not always so easy to notice. However, every year since we moved here, my family and I have made an effort to get out to the country and enjoy a bit of the fall festivities. Most years, that includes a trip to northern Indiana to spend the day at a farm with orchards, hayrides, and a huge corn maze. They also sell hot cider, and we usually head home with a peck or two of fresh-picked apples and a couple of pumpkin pies. It’s a day well spent, and we’ve got five years’ worth of family memories wrapped up in the trip.
POINTSOFVIEW | EDITORIAL
By Christopher Heffron
Voter Suppression Is Civic Aggression
W
hen I’m disillusioned by the rhetoric surrounding this year’s election, I focus on a quote from Father Theodore Hesburgh: “Voting is a civic sacrament.” Hesburgh, as a white American, likely never faced opposition when he voted, as nonwhites had in southern states before 1965. Frankly, he had the luxury to be optimistic about this civil liberty. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t right. Voting is a sacred privilege, our civic responsibility to select the candidates who will best serve our country. And while voting is our duty, for some it’s not a priority. According to the United States Election Project, 139 million Americans voted in the 2016 election—only 60 percent of the population. The 2020 election, however, is a different animal entirely. COVID-19 has made voting in person irresponsible, if not dangerous. Voting by mail, the logical alternative, has been called into question these past couple of months as unreliable. The possibility of not having our votes accurately counted has suddenly become real.
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TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF CHICAGO SUNDAY EVENING CLUB/KHIEM TRAN; TOP RIGHT: AARON 007/FOTOSEARCH
A THORNY HISTORY
Our country’s history with voting for those outside the white/male paradigm is appalling. Abolitionists first proposed extending voting rights to newly freed slaves during Reconstruction, and it was an uphill battle from the start. Although the 15th Amendment in 1870 assured the rights for men of any color to vote, Jim Crow laws in southern states made it all but impossible. Several tactics were used at the time to keep voting a whites-only exercise. Literacy tests, moral character exams (the irony is too rich), and poll taxes were instituted to keep African Americans from exercising this right. It wasn’t until President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965, prohibiting racial discrimination with voting, that progress was made. Suffragettes had their own bloodied journey to the polls as well. COVID-19 has only complicated this year’s election. Science and common sense tell us that wearing masks and social distancing can slow the spread of the disease, so gathering to vote in enclosed spaces would be hazardous. Hence, the need for safe and reliable mail-in voting. But how many of us will put this privilege into practice? A 2020 Pew Research study found that, while mail-in voting statistics
differ from state to state, overall rates across the country are relatively low. But COVID-19 has turned absentee voting from an option in past elections to a necessity in this one. And then the noise began—on both sides of the political aisle. President Donald Trump said in August that he opposed funding the United States Postal Service to deter mail-in voting, asserting that an influx of ballots cannot be accurately counted, thus undermining the integrity of the election. His opponents have charged the president with political gamesmanship to guarantee his reelection. Whatever the president’s motives, voter suppression is certainly a regression. If there’s a chance that mail-in votes won’t be counted, which would include ballots from American soldiers overseas, the election becomes pointless. PRAY, DISCERN, VOTE
To be clear: Voter suppression is a bipartisan strategy. It has been employed by both parties historically. But never has America had to deal with a presidential election and a pandemic that has killed 177,000 of its own in the same year. If a candidate threatens, through rhetoric or legal action, to invalidate our votes, it is a threat to democracy. But it cuts even more deeply: Peel a layer back and it is our own individual worth as citizens that is being undermined. It’s an unprecedented moment in our history, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Pope Francis, in fact, has had his eye on this election all year. In a January meeting with the US bishops in Rome, before COVID-19 got a foothold in this country, the pope imparted words of wisdom on the election to those present. “Teach your people discernment by you stepping back from the sheer politics of it. If you try to step back and say, ‘but here are the major moral issues that we face,’ that’s what is most important,” the pope was quoted as saying. That’s a good reminder. In every election, we as citizens and as Catholic Christians must shoulder the weight of many social issues when we vote, not just one or a few. That requires discernment, prayer, and voting our conscience. But perhaps our prayers should also include a petition that our ballots will be counted, that our government officials will respect this civic sacrament, and honor the rights of those who voted for them. Only then do they deserve our vote of confidence. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 19
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FAITH IN FOCUS
images of god’s c
Photos by Javier Garza, OFM Cap | Text by Daniel Imwalle Inspired by Franciscan spirituality, a friar and photographer in Mexico trains his camera on the world around him.
F
ranciscans figure in strongly to the history of Mexico and the presence of the Church there. Juan Diego famously reported the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, a Franciscan friar. The religious order established numerous missions across the region, with many still operational to this day. In a country with nearly 93 million Catholics, one doesn’t have to travel far before seeing signs of the Church’s presence, whether they be basilicas or the brown robes of a Franciscan habit. In the northern foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, the bustling
city of Monterrey, Mexico, is home to about 1.1 million people and a major industrial center in the Latin American nation. But like everywhere in Mexico, the Church is intertwined with society. Away from the towering modern skyscrapers and factories churning out raw materials such as steel and concrete, the St. Pio Friary, located southeast of the city, stands in stark contrast as a bastion of peace, introspection, and spiritual rejuvenation. A mission of the Capuchin Franciscans Western America Province (headquartered in Burlingame, California), the friary is administered by the Capuchin Franciscans of north-
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s creation
ern Mexico. It’s a place for those discerning their vocation to engage in faith formation, prayer, and study while also serving as a springboard to connecting future friars to the surrounding community, local parishes, and schools. THROUGH A FRANCISCAN LENS
This is also the place where Friar Javier Garza, OFM Cap, responded to the call to religious life. Finding his university studies in business administration to be less than fulfilling, a young Javier turned to a weekly religious education class for comfort and deeper meaning.
Around the same time that he made the leap to discerning the vocation of religious life, Friar Javier discovered a profound passion for photography. He’s honed his skill as a photographer for the past 10 years, and it’s clear that his identity as a friar is inseparable from his art. Friar Javier sees the world—figuratively and literally—through a Franciscan lens. Javier Garza, OFM Cap, is a Franciscan friar and photographer in Monterrey, Mexico. He joined the Capuchins of northern Mexico in 2008. Daniel Imwalle is the managing editor of this publication.
OPPOSITE PAGE: In this photo, titled Following the Path, the four friars are symbolic of the long line of Franciscans who devoted their lives to the Gospel. The movement captured in the photo hints at the coming of future followers of Francis. ABOVE: Three friars cast a fishing net, bringing to mind Jesus’ invitation to Peter and Andrew in Matthew 4:19: “‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”
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BELOW: The balance and simplicity of Reflection of Peace echo core values of Franciscan religious life. RIGHT: The life of a friar can be somewhat of a balancing act. Time spent alone absorbing the beauty of nature can help reenergize efforts to minister to members of the faith community.
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TOP: “The areas of seeking, listening, dialogue, and discernment make fraternity a privileged place for encountering God and for the formation and companionship of our brothers,” says Friar Javier. BOTTOM: The title of this photo, Mission, implies the Franciscan call to spread the Gospel to all of God’s people. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 23
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TOP: As a friar looks out over a verdant pasture, the words of John 10:11 come to mind: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” BOTTOM: As Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical “Laudato Si’,” caring for creation is a crucial element of authentic Christian living.
ABOVE: A friar’s rosary hangs from his cord. Devotion to Mary is immensely popular in Mexico, a nation of nearly 93 million Catholic faithful.
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Mary million
TOP: This photo, taken at a farm outside Monterrey, is reminiscent of Pope Francis’ call for priests to be “shepherds living with the smell of the sheep.” BOTTOM: In the photo titled Francis, Repair My Church, one can imagine the early followers of St. Francis in a similar setting, assisting their leader in rebuilding churches and chapels. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 25
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Because of you,
we are celebrating 20 years of service in Jamaica!
Pilgri narro
FRIARS WHO HAVE SERVED IN JAMAICA: Humbert Moster, OFM • Henry Beck, OFM • Louis Zant, OFM • Mark Gehret, OFM Felix D'Souza, OFM • Joseph Hund, OFM • Joseph Rigali, OFM • Blane Grein, OFM • John J. Gonchar, OFM • Patras Sardar, OFM Vincent Delorenzo, OFM • Christopher Meyer, OFM • Thomas Gerchak, OFM • Kenneth Viegas, OFM • James Bok, OFM Richard Goodin, OFM • Max Langenderfer, OFM • Bernard Bhatti, OFM • Colin King, OFM • Stephen Dupuis, OFM • Saleem Amir, OFM
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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARY CATHERINE KOZUSKO/SAM
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR JAMAICAN MISSION THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
ASSISI walking through
with sts. francis and clare
Pilgrims trace the steps of Francis and Clare on the narrow, cobbled streets of Assisi.
This statue of a war-weary St. Francis on horseback overlooks the basilica in Assisi named after him.
E
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARY CATHERINE KOZUSKO/SAM
S.
M
The Basilica of St. Clare holds the remains of the saint who followed Francis into a life of holy poverty.
This armchair pilgrimage can bring us closer to important sites in the lives of Francis and Clare of Assisi.
By Patti Normile
ight centuries after his death, Francis, the beloved saint of Assisi, still beckons all people to follow his way. He lived in a violent world where Crusades raged, where ordinary people had few rights and fewer possessions. From a warring world, Francis emerged as a champion of peace and nonviolence. Recently, more than 30 individuals from three continents undertook a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, dedicated to peace and nonviolence, which explored how the lives of Sts. Francis and Clare might guide lives today in a world where violence, war, and military conflicts affect people globally. The 2019 Peace and Nonviolence Pilgrimage was sponsored by Pace e Bene in celebration of its 30 years of nonviolent endeavor. Pilgrimage guides were nonviolence advocates Father John Dear and Ken Butigan of DePaul University. The pilgrims prayerfully visited sites in Assisi that influenced St. Francis in his quest to follow Jesus, who proclaimed, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). This pilgrimage guide can help readers rediscover the power of nonviolence in a world that trembles in the eddy of turmoil. You are invited to visit these sites in prayer and to ponder questions related to Francis’ time that can bring insights and hope into the 21st century. SAN DAMIANO: THE CALL
Francesco Bernardone began his life as a wealthy youth of Assisi, probably spoiled StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 27
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ABOVE: When Francis decided to renounce his possessions, he went to the bishop’s palace. INSET: His trust in God led him to this courtyard, where he presented his clothes to his father, vowing obedience to God alone.
by an adoring mother, affluent father, and a cadre of funloving friends who encouraged him in a frivolous life. That life changed after a foray into war, a period of imprisonment, and poor health. His present life no longer satisfied him. Then Francis stepped into San Damiano, a little chapel on the plain below Assisi, perhaps to seek comfort on a hot Umbrian day, perhaps to pray. The ornate, life-size crucifix over the altar seemed to speak to him, “Francis, go and repair my house, which is falling into ruin.” A task! Something to do that had meaning! Francis took the message literally. He set about repairing small churches that dotted the area. All well and good, but God’s plan was much larger. Francis was to begin rebuilding the Church that is the body of Christ. As you sit before a crucifix on this spiritual pilgrimage, listen to what Jesus is calling you to do. To rebuild the small church that is the family? To help resolve issues in your parish church, your community, the nation, the world? To be a peacemaker? Now is the time to create a plan for following Jesus and Francis in a nonviolent life. CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE: FREEDOM FROM POSSESSIONS
Francis’ response to his call was dramatic. After repairing local chapels, often with funds “borrowed” from his father, Francis realized he must give away all that he possessed. In a dramatic gesture on the Piazza del Vescovado—the square in front of the bishop’s palace—before the bishop, the town’s mayor and citizens, and his father, Francis disrobed and returned his fine clothing to his father. He declared that from that time forward he would give obeisance only to his Father in heaven. One can stand today on the very stones where Francis gave away his possessions, trusting only in God to provide for him. What might these stones say to us? A century ago, many houses were built without closets. People’s clothing fit in modest-sized wardrobes. Today,
room-sized closets inhabit homes, and massive storage lockers store excess possessions—winter clothes for those who move south with no intent of return to winter and silver, crystal, and china for those who plan to do no formal entertaining. Advertising belts us with messages of what we must purchase to be happy. We live in a culture of abundance, yet Jesus died with nothing as the soldiers divided his clothes among themselves. What items do we cling to “just in case” we might need them sometime? Do possessions bring genuine happiness or complicate life as we accumulate and care for them? Consider ways that material possessions can contribute to violence in our 21st-century world. THE HERMITAGE: A PLACE OF REFUGE
Pilgrimage can be physically and spiritually challenging, as we stretch ourselves into new ways of being and learning. Pilgrimage requires a resting place from time to time. Francis found his in the Hermitage of the Carceri in the hills surrounding Assisi. One niche became his bed, complete with a stone pillow. The Hermitage was a place to which he could retreat when the conflicts of the world assailed him, to pray and gain the right perspective on situations that might have robbed him of his sense of peace. We each need a hermitage for rest, relaxation, and reshaping our life’s perspective. A bench in a park, a pew in church, a rocking chair on the porch—there is no limit to the possibilities for private hermitages. Peace and quiet are required. Wherever you choose, know that the Lord is near. Francis taxed his body in many ways. We might even say he did violence to his body by denying himself food and trudging mile after mile to share Jesus’ message. We need to care for ourselves so we can care for others. A hermitage is a place to escape the violence of words and actions that flow too freely in today’s world, a place to nurture body and soul in order to continue the journey to which we are called.
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In front of a crucifix in San Damiano, Francis heard God’s call to “go rebuild my house.”
This outdoor chapel is part of the Hermitage, where Francis came to rest and nurture his soul.
When Francis needed respite from the world, he slept in this cave with a stone for a pillow.
As we prayerfully enter our own hermitage, what tensions and worries can we leave behind? What creative ideas for fostering peace and nonviolence in the world arise in your heart? Think of ways to move from your resting place of prayer into a place of action to create a more nonviolent world. BASILICA OF SANTA CHIARA: SILENCE REIGNS
St. Clare was a young woman of noble birth in Assisi. Status and wealth were hers for the asking. Instead, she chose to follow Francis into a life of prayer and poverty. Her family was not pleased, though several family members eventually followed her into quiet, prayer, and seclusion. Clare lies in a relatively uncorrupted state in the Basilica of Santa Chiara eight centuries after her death. One of her final acts was to beg the pope for the privilege of poverty for her followers. Yes, privilege. That privilege affirmed her trust in God to care for all needs. In terms of human activity, Clare did little. She built no churches; she did not preach in town squares. She prayed! And she wrote letters, which in her day was an accomplishment. Letters to her sisters still exist to inspire readers in the 21st century. Clare’s quiet ministry is a powerful
The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi was built to protect the small chapel called the Porziuncola, or “Little Portion.” Construction of this magnificent structure took over a century to complete.
reminder of what is possible from the quiet of home. Prayer is powerful. Words are powerful. Both travel to places feet may not venture. Posts on social media and letters to editors, members of Congress, friends, and relatives inspire others to work for peace and nonviolence. Never underestimate the power of the pen. Think of someone you might inspire by written messages to consider changes that could make the world a more peaceful planet. Do you have the courage to speak the truth to power in hopes of seeding nonviolence? BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA DEGLI ANGELI: LITTLE PORTION
The tiny chapel known as the Porziuncola rests within the shelter of a magnificent basilica in Assisi. Porziuncola means “little portion.” That’s what St. Francis of Assisi desired—less, smaller. Throughout his life, he sought to be less, so that Christ would be more. One wonders how the poor Francis, also known as Il Poverello, would view the magnificent structure built in his honor. The basilica was built in order to protect the small chapel from the elements that swept across the StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 29
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The Porziuncola is one of the churches Francis restored after hearing God’s call.
The Basilica of St. Francis was constructed within two years of the saint’s death.
A striking rose window rises over the entrance to the middle area of the Basilica of St. Francis.
plain below Assisi. The faithful of the 21st century are called to protect the values inherent in that little portion. Those values can be protected by choices we make in daily living as we speak truth, guard the rights of little ones, feed the poor, care for the sick, and seek peace. We, who live in a world of enormous need, can make a difference. A pilgrimage for peace and nonviolence calls us to this world-changing mission. In your life, how have you gone forth to make peace? Do you proclaim the value of nonviolence? Look for ways to proclaim the peacemaking endeavors of Jesus, Francis, and Clare in a world that seems to honor hostility and war. BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS: FINAL REST
The people of Francis’ day in the early 13th century recognized that a saint lived among them. The Basilica of St. Francis that clings to the mountainous slope was constructed in two years following his death. Today the body of the saint lies entombed in an austere block Francis is buried in this tomb inside the basilica that bears his name. Eight centuries after his death, Francis continues to inspire us to follow his way of peace and nonviolence. 30 • October 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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of stone bound by an iron rope. His resting place is a spiritual haven possessing what might be called a magnetic grasp on those who gather there for prayer and to pay reverence. St. Francis of Assisi lives in the hearts of the faithful while his way of following Jesus endures. Our call is to preserve the mission. Is Jesus calling you through the life of St. Francis to be a peacemaker? How will you respond? If you have heard this call before, how can you renew your commitment to peacemaking and nonviolence for the rest of your life? Consider inviting someone to join you on your pilgrimage.
PACE E BENE AND CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
Pilgrimage is a search for a new place of being, a journey into new life, a quest for values beyond what today’s culture offers. It can be a journey through the mind, heart, and spirit. Most pilgrimages do not end, but continually invite the pilgrims to seek deeper meaning. The challenge is to continue it throughout life. Life itself is a pilgrimage, but sacrifice is required. The faith of childhood will be called to grow into adult faith. Where will God put us to work for peace and nonviolence in the way of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi? Patti Normile is a Secular Franciscan, retired teacher, and hospital chaplain who resides in Terrace Park, Ohio. A wife, mother, and grandmother, she is the author of several books and has written numerous articles for St. Anthony Messenger.
SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1989 by the Franciscan Friars of California, Pace e Bene (PaceeBene.org) has promoted active nonviolence throughout the world. The Italian phrase, meaning “peace and all good,” was used by Sts. Francis and Clare and is still used by Franciscans today. Its long-term project, Campaign Nonviolence, began in 2014 and promotes active nonviolence by “connecting the dots by working to end war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction,” according to the website. The organization’s annual Action Week took place September 19–27, 2020, with activities in all 50 states and worldwide. Visit CampaignNonviolence.org for more information.
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Police & Suicide A Hidden Epidemic By Peter Feuerherd 32 • October 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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Police officers are more likely to die by suicide than be killed by criminals. A retired Catholic Charities executive and others are working to change that.
B
rian Cahill has never been a cop, but burnished in his psyche is a troubling slice of data about police officers. No matter how tough the city or how crime-ridden a neighborhood, psychological risks are more likely to bring down a cop than the most hardened criminals, says Cahill, retired executive director of Catholic Charities in San Francisco. The fact is, more police officers kill themselves than are killed by criminals. In the first 10 months of 2019, 188 police officers across the nation died by suicide. Two years before, 140 police officers killed themselves, while 129 died in the line of duty. Particular police work and certain cities have been suicide hot spots. In New York City in the first 10 months of 2019, 10 police officers took their lives. Six in a similar time period killed themselves in Chicago. The rate is even higher among corrections and border patrol officers. A MISSION BORN OF PERSONAL TRAGEDY
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Cahill is a veteran of social service leadership, but he comes to the issue with more than a professional stake. In 2008, just days after his retirement party, he got word that his son, John, a San Jose, California, police officer, 42 years old and the father of two, killed himself. “I’m just the father of a cop who lost his way,” says Cahill. Like many other family survivors, he has taken it upon himself to make something good come out of personal tragedy. He has studied the issue and spends time in police departments around California and the country, warning police officers and their supervisors to be wary of signs of despair among fellow cops. “You guys have to train for the hidden risks,” Cahill, a frequent suicideprevention lecturer for police audiences, often tells them. For the past eight years, he has tried to shed light upon those risks by making suicide prevention among cops a mission. Cahill speaks regularly to officers in San Francisco and San Jose, and he wrote a book in 2018 about his son’s death, titled Cops, Cons, and Grace: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Suicide. His work with Catholic Charities gave him the background and skills to immerse himself in a sensitive issue. “I do think that as a social worker all my life, once I started to climb out of my initial grief and pain, it was a logical and natural inclination to look to how I could help other cops and their families avoid what happened to my son,” he says. San Francisco police are required to take 40 hours of ongoing education every two years. Cahill gets a half hour of that time to spread his message of the need for self-healing as well as signs to watch out for among colleagues. His theory, and that of others in the field, is that just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an involved community to watch out for the mental health of police officers. The model of the lone cop fighting through personal demons doesn’t work. Theories abound as to why police officers are vulnerable to suicide. Some point to their access to guns; however, others note that often the method of killing does not involve a firearm. Cahill sees the psychology of a police officer as a major factor. “They are used to bringing control out of chaos,” he says, noting that they are often the first on the scene of a crime or a tragic accident. When that ability to control personal problems—such as drinking, money problems, or a marriage StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 33
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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHICAGO POLICE CHAPLAIN MINISTRY
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAHILL FAMILY
conflict—begins to slip, cops the San Francisco Police become vulnerable. Department who have Another factor is the taciexperienced combat and who turn culture of police departhave served as officers tell ments, especially suspicion him that the pressure is often that those outside the blue more intense in police work, wall cannot fully comprethat the exposure to trauma hend the strains of the work. is even more intense. Police are often reluctant What develops, says to ask for help, says Cahill, Howard, is a “hypervigilant noting that there is a credo stance that officers get into among many officers that by being on guard all the doing so is a sign of weaktime.” ness. In some departments, The go-it-alone attitude is admitting to mental illbeginning to crack as departness or addiction can mean ments across the country John Cahill, a father of two, served as a motorcycle officer in San Jose, California, squandering a chance for promote mental health promotion or being assigned until his death in 2008. initiatives. to restricted duties. One of his goals, says But police departments across the country are beginning Howard, is to encourage officers to look out for themselves to change, trying to encourage officers to seek help when as well as their fellow officers. The goal is to encourage them needed. to seek therapy, to promote a culture that can overcome the One such department is San Francisco, where Art Howard stigma attached to seeking help. The department trains 300 has risen to the rank of sergeant over an 18-year career. He is officers in peer support, helping them learn to identify warnnow part of the department’s employee assistance program. ing signs. “Everything we’re doing is suicide prevention,” says “Suicide is killing more cops than bad guys [are],” he Howard. says, talking to a reporter on a rare day off. He echoes Cahill, That approach is now more common across the country. whom he has worked with on employee assistance programs, Chicago police officer Cindy Phillips began a program when it comes to analyzing the whys of police suicide. “In she calls STAR (Suicide Trauma and Recovery), intended to law enforcement, we take control of situations,” he says. bring police officers together to talk out personal issues. It’s a “That’s part of our job. When we feel out of control, we feel program she would like to extend around the country. depressed.” Phillips, a 19-year police veteran, began STAR after her A common issue among police officers is alcoholism, 17-year-old daughter Emily killed herself. Emerging from often aggravated by post-traumatic stress disorder, much her own grief, she wanted to help others. The issue of suicide like veterans who have been through war. In the jargon of among her police colleagues was obvious to her. therapy, too many stressed police officers are self-medicating The goal of STAR is to get officers to talk about issues via drinking and other drugs. without fear of stigma. “Police officers will tend to open up to other police offiA LIFETIME’S TRAUMA IN ONE DAY cers,” she says. STAR brings together cops to share personal Experts on police mental health note that the nature of the and emotional concerns. job creates special challenges. For most people, a violent The group sessions are not intended as professional event may happen once or twice in their lives. For many vettherapy. “But at least if you are talking, you are getting a foot eran officers, simply going to work may result in an encounin the door,” says Phillips. The idea is to present a friendly ter that could prove traumatic. community for troubled officers, who can still perceive even A study by the Ruderman Family Foundation noted that the most well-intentioned official channels as obstacles. a typical police officer encounters 188 critical incidents in Phillips believes that talking about her own struggle can a career, traumatic events such as the beating of a child, a help others. Her work is geared not only to police officers but deadly car accident, or seeing a corpse. also to the families, like hers, that have suffered the trauma The nature of police work is not normal, says Howard. of suicide. Exposure to violence and accidents, sometimes resulting “Every single person I meet, I will tell them Emily’s story. in death, is part of a police officer’s work. “That could be It opens up a taboo subject,” she says. a Monday for us,” he says, noting cops’ repeated exposure COP-CHAPLAIN: ‘ONE IS TOO MANY’ to trauma can create adrenaline rushes that are hard to get Robert Montelongo, another Chicago police officer, supdown from. ports Phillips’ efforts. Suicide prevention is a team effort that Howard notes that some military veterans working for
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHICAGO POLICE CHAPLAIN MINISTRY
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAHILL FAMILY
has to involve everyone, overcome, much like a physical including cops who are illness. not personally affected but Prevention is accomplished can see the issue emerging through supportive environin the lives of their fellow ments for all. officers, he says. “The greatest thing we Montelongo, 22 years can do is to get people to talk a cop, is also a deacon for to us,” he says. Montelongo the Archdiocese of Chicago spent many years on the street, and now serves as a police including a stint on bicycle chaplain. Because of the patrol. It helps his credibility size of the department, he to have a vocation as both a has seen a number of suiCatholic cleric and a police cides among fellow officers. officer. “One is just too many,” “I’ve done what they’ve says Montelongo, noting done. It means a lot. They’ll that he is sometimes one of use police lingo that I will the first on the scene and is understand,” he says, someexpected to offer consolathing a civilian would have tion to both fellow cops trouble comprehending. and families. He has knelt (From left) Chaplain Bob Montelongo, a deacon and a cop, stands with Officer Jason For example, cops at the over and blessed the bodies Font and Father Dan Brandt outside Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. scene of great tragedies often of suicide cop victims. maintain a cool demeanor, Why are cops vulnerable? He points to the nature of the appearing to the outsider as oblivious to the carnage that job. Every day, cops deal with the worst days that others surrounds them. They may use language that can seem experience. It can be wearing. insensitive, for example, referring to a corpse as a “stiff.” But “You see the horrible things that happen in the world,” he Montelongo knows it is part of the job, a way to rise above says. Police are on the front lines of social disorder, especially exposure to horror. in a city like Chicago, which has one of the nation’s highest The civilian world can help by providing emotional and murder rates. spiritual support for cops, he says. At St. Gabriel Church Montelongo wears three uniforms on the job: civilian in the Canaryville neighborhood of Chicago, parishioners office attire, a police uniform, and the clericals of a deacon. regularly pray the rosary for police officers. It is a quiet act, These roles have much in common, says Montelongo, who but appreciated. compares being a police officer to a religious calling. “We are “We need to have that,” says Montelongo, who notes that called to a vocation to go out and help others, to put it on officers feel the sting of volatile opposition to the police, your shoulders. It’s the call of a police officer.” which has at times been a part of life in Chicago and other In many ways, his work with survivors of cop suicide major cities. is a ministry of presence. There are no preplanned magic In many police departments, there is a long tradition of words. When responding to such a call, Montelongo will pull Catholic involvement. over and say a prayer that he can bring the healing of the For survivors, faith in a loving God is one way to move Holy Spirit to the scene, whether on the job or at the police toward acceptance of a tragedy and healing, says Phillips, officer’s home. a member of St. Barbara Parish in Chicago. “I can’t change For Catholics, religious concerns often emerge when deal- it,” she says of her experience with her daughter. “I give it to ing with the suicide of a fellow officer or family member. God and let him take care of it.” Some Catholic police families find little solace in their For Cahill, urging police officers to seek help is one way religion, which once condemned the act of suicide as conhe works through the issues surrounding his son’s death. He trary to God’s law. But in more recent times pastoral leaders also receives spiritual direction from an 85-year-old Jesuit emphasize that no one in this world can judge the culpability priest, whom he respects for his wisdom and counsel. In his of a suffering victim. The Catechism of the Catholic Church book, he describes hearing his son’s voice on occasion. states, “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave He quotes the spiritual writer Father Ron Rolheiser that fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the God’s love, unlike ours, can go through locked doors, a responsibility of the one committing suicide” (2282). thought that offers him solace. Montelongo communicates to grieving families and Peter Feuerherd is the news editor of the National Catholic Reporter and teaches friends that their loved one suffered from an illness, like those who die from cancer. It is a battle that could not be journalism at St. John’s University. He lives in Queens, New York. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 35
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Striving for Grace Forgiveness is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the whole Gospel.
by Richard Rohr, OFM
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Hate, though, is unfortunately here to stay. Hate can be helpful to certain causes. It unites a group quickly, it gives a person identity—even if it is a negative one—and, most of all, it takes away doubt and all free-floating anxiety. It gives us a place to stand that feels superior and in control. Hate settles the dust and ambiguity that none of us like. Hate is much more common, and more immediately effective, than love. Hate, as we will sadly see below, makes the world go ’round. We could say, in fact, that Jesus came to resolve the central and essential problem of hate. There is no other way to save us from ourselves, to save us from one another and, therefore, to “save us,” unless we are saved from our need to hate. We have produced so much utopian talk about Jesus and love, but Jesus had a very hard time getting to the issue of love. First, he had to expose and destroy the phenomenon of hate. Once he exposed the lie and illusion of hate, love could show itself clearly—and it did. The pattern is still, unfortunately, the same. As Jesus shockingly put it, Satan is “the ruler of this world” (Jn 12:31). Hate, it seems, is the ordinary, daily agenda. Love is the totally enlightened, entirely nonsensical way out of the ordinary agenda. The Gospel presents the dilemma in a personal and cathartic narrative that grounds the whole issue in history and in one man’s enlightened response to our history. Jesus accepts the religious and social judgment of hate and bears the consequences publicly, but in an utterly new way that transforms the pattern and the possibilities. ALL ARTWORK BY PUNNARONG/ISTOCK
mong the most powerful of human experiences is to give or to receive forgiveness. I am told that two-thirds of the teaching of Jesus is directly or indirectly about this mystery of forgiveness: God’s breaking of God’s own rules. That’s not surprising because forgiveness is probably the only human action that reveals three goodnesses simultaneously! When we forgive, we choose the goodness of the other over their faults, we experience God’s goodness flowing through ourselves, and we also experience our own goodness in a way that surprises us. That is an awesome coming together of power, both human and divine. If we don’t get forgiveness, we’re missing the whole mystery. We are still living in a world of meritocracy, of quidpro-quo thinking, of performance and behavior that earns an award. Forgiveness is the great thawing of all logic, reason, and worthiness. It is a melting into the mystery of God as unearned love, unmerited grace, the humility and powerlessness of a Divine Lover. Forgiveness is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the whole Gospel, as far as I can see. Without radical and rule-breaking forgiveness—received and given—there will be no reconstruction of anything. It alone breaks down our damnable worldview of trying to buy and sell grace. Grace is certainly the one gift that must always be free, perfectly free, in order for it to work. Without forgiveness, there will be no future. We have hurt one another in too many historically documented and remembered ways. The only way out of the present justified hatreds of the world is grace.
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For 2,000 years, he has remained the most striking icon of a possible new agenda. His death exposed the lie and the problem like never before. His risen life tells people their lives could have a different story line. He did not only give us textbook answers from a distance, but also personally walked through the process and said, “Follow me.” I believe that fear is almost always behind hate. Sometimes it looks like control, but even control freaks are usually afraid of losing something. It is almost always fear that justifies hatred, but a fear that is hardly ever recognized as such. “And now wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14). The best and most convincing disguise for fear is virtue itself, or godliness. Then it never looks like fear. For fear to survive, it must look like reason, prudence, common sense, intelligence, the need for social order, morality, religion, obedience, justice, or even spirituality. It always works. What better way to veil vengeance than to call it justice? What better way to cover greed than to call it responsible stewardship? Only people who have moved beyond ego and the controlling of all outcomes, only those practiced at letting go, see fear for the impostor that it is. To be trapped inside of our small ego is always to be afraid. To not have anyone that we can trust is necessarily to be a control freak. Thus, great religion tries its best to free individuals from the tyranny of their small and fragile selves. It always points toward a larger identity that we call the Godself, the True Self, the self “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), the trustworthy Lover. Healthy and true religion, like Jesus himself modeled, tells us that there is Someone we can trust. We do not have to create all the patterns or fix all the failures. What else would be the beginnings of peace?
If the small ego is not transformed, one other pattern is inevitable. The fear is too destabilizing and unsettling for the small self to bear alone, so it must either be denied or projected elsewhere. The process of both denying and projecting our fears and hatreds is called “scapegoating,” from the Jewish ritual of putting our faults on a goat that was whipped out into the desert (see Leviticus 16). The object of our wrath, like the poor “escaping goat,” is completely arbitrary and artificial. It has nothing to do with truth or reason. It has to do with fear. With a scapegoat, a plausible and much-needed projection screen will always be found for our little drama. The amazing thing is how well it works. We rather easily displace our fears onto other people, other issues, other places, and other times. Anything seems better to us than bearing the burden of my-fear-here-now-myself. Only the Great Self can carry such anxiety, such ambiguity, such essential insecurity. It is simply much too much for the small self to carry. So, we are stuck with ever new brands of hate. Some have said that the best we have been able to do in the last 60 years is to move hatred to ever higher forms of sophistication and ever more subtle forms of disguise. We still love to hate: Feminists can hate men, liberals can hate conservatives, activists can hate rich people, good-family-values folks can hate homosexuals, and victims can hate perpetrators. We just change the vocabulary to make it sound well-considered. This twice-distilled hate is now legitimate, necessary, deserved, and very well disguised! Jesus would call it “driving out the devil by the prince of devils” (see Luke 11:14–23), hating supposed evil and becoming hatred ourselves—but now even more well-hidden from ourselves and difficult to expose. Now we hate under the banner of God, goodness,
Great religion tries its best to free individuals from the tyranny of their small and fragile selves. . . . Healthy and true religion, like Jesus himself modeled, tells us that there is Someone we can trust.
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and political correctness. This is the prince of devils, for sure, a devil almost impossible to drive out. Paul the Pharisee had to be thrown to the ground and the scales had to painfully fall from his eyes for him to recognize that, in the name of his religion, he had become hate, and even a mass murderer. The cock had to crow several times before the first pope, Peter, could recognize that he was doing the very thing he said he would never do. Yet these are the two figures that stand in front of the largest church in Christendom—as the two pillars of the Roman Church. They were not saints by later, pious definitions. Instead, they were transformed examples of hatred and fear. This is not the rare exception, but the norm and the pattern. It seems there is something we know by losing and finding that we never would have known by simply being safe and sweet. The greatest lovers are not uncommonly the same people who once hated and feared. Virtue is not only willpower, but also actually vice overcome. Both René Girard and Gil Bailie have taught us that the most effective and common way to turn social hatred into social harmony is via a scapegoat. It works so well, it gathers the community so quickly, that it has endured through most of human history. Now it is the normal story line, so normal that we hardly see it. It remains denied, invisible, and unnoticed. ‘SACRED’ VIOLENCE
Carl Jung saw the same pattern in the individual that Girard sees in society and culture: That which we fear, deny, and avoid will, with 100 percent certainty, be projected somewhere else. In other words, there is an intrinsic connection between fear, hatred, and violence. Furthermore, we will do it with impunity and even grandiosity. It is the sacralization of violence and the most common form of violence. That way, we can be hateful and not feel the least bit guilty about it—but, in fact, feel morally superior! The process of creating sacred violence is so effective that it is now in the “hard wiring” of human personality. As Aquinas noted, no one intentionally does evil. They have to explain it to themselves as good! I am sad to say that, historically, religion is the most effective proponent of hatred and fear, and therefore violence. Sacred violence is the most common kind of violence. How strange that we could ever arrive at this place after Jesus said that he came for “the forgiveness of sin” (Mt 26:28) and to share the perfect love that casts out all fear! It’s no surprise that Jesus has to spend a great part of his ministry in an effort to reform religion itself. Religion is, ironically, the safest place to hide from God! In its healthy forms, it is also the place to find God. As the Latin saying goes, corruptio optimi pessima (the corruption of the best is the worst of all). We see the classic pattern already in Adam’s treatment of Eve and Cain’s killing of Abel. It is the original lie and has continued nonstop until now. It is called history: largely a
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Girard says that the Christian West was the most destabirecord of who kills, imprisons, tortures, oppresses, controls, enslaves, rapes, occupies, or exploits whom. It’s really quite lized by the virus of the Gospel, then moved into overdrive to cover its fear and its need to hate, despite the orders from disappointing, once we see it. Then, the utterly predictable response is revenge or retribution. The old and only story its designated God. The central teaching of Jesus on love of line continues unabated. It never stops. At this point, it is enemies, forgiveness, and care for those at the bottom was getting quite boring. We need a new plot, beyond “get the supposed to make scapegoating virtually impossible and bad guys.” unthinkable. It is only the mystics and seers in all of the great religions Scapegoating depends upon a rather sophisticated, who give us a genuinely new story: redemptive suffering but easily learned, ability to compartmentalize, to sepainstead of redemptive violence. Socrates, Jesus, the Mother of rate, to divide the world into the pure and the impure. the Maccabees, Buddha, Harriet Tubman, Gandhi, and Óscar Anthropologically, all religion begins with the creation of Romero—these give us a genuinely new story line. These few the “impure,” and very soon an entire moral system emerges, are the true history-makers, who expose the self-serving lie with taboos, punishments, fears, guilts, and even a priestof hatred and open a way through for the rest of us. All others are only delaying the resurrection of humanity. Resurrection will be taken care of for us, as quietly as a silent Sunday It is only the morning, once the lie of “Good” Friday has been exposed and thereby undermystics and cut. Once Jesus put all his effort and seers in all of the energy into that Friday, God took care great religions of Sunday easily. But, as the Gospel who give us a texts say, “suddenly there was a violent genuinely new earthquake . . . [and] the guards were story: redemptive . . . like dead men” (Mt 28:2, 4). The suffering instead game of smoke and mirrors was over— for good—but there is a continuing of redemptive seismic shift toward the imperial violence. system. LOVE, INFECTIOUS AND FREE
As a Christian, I do believe that Jesus’ death was a historical breakthrough, and it is no accident that Christians date history around his life. Afterward, we could never quite see things in the same way. The “virus” of the Gospel was forever released into human history, archetypally pictured as blood flowing from the crucified. It was only a minority of Christians who ever got the point, however. Still, the toothpaste cannot be put back into the tube; the movement of grace cannot be reversed. Most Christians, with utter irony, worshipped Jesus the Scapegoat on Sundays and, on the other six days of the week, made scapegoats of Jews, Muslims, other Christian denominations, heretics, sinners, pagans, the poor, and almost anybody who was not like themselves. One would have thought that Christians who “gazed upon the one they had pierced” (Jn 19:37) would have gotten the message about how wrong domination, power, and hatred can be. The system had been utterly wrong about their own, chosen God figure, yet they continued to trust the system. I guess they did not gaze long enough. Many followers of other religions seem to have been infected by the virus more than most nominal Christians.
hood to enforce it. It gives us a sense of order, control, and superiority, which is exactly what the ego wants and the small self demands. But, before you start hating historical religions too much, think about red meat, patriarchy, bourgeois values, all institutions, sexist language, and even Christianity itself. These have become the new “impure” contaminants. (Remember, it only gets more sophisticated and justified!) The absolute religious genius of Jesus is that he utterly refuses all debt codes, purity codes, religious quarantines, and the searching for sinners. He refuses the very starting point of historic religion. He refuses to divide the world into the pure and the impure, much to the chagrin of almost everybody—then and now. Jesus is shockingly not upset with sinners. This is a shock so total that most Christians, to this day, refuse to see it. He is only upset with people who do not think they are sinners: These denying, fearful, and illusory ones are the blockage. They are much more likely to hate and feel no compunc-
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tion. Formerly, religion thought its mission was to expel sin and evil from River City. Through Jesus, we learn that sin lies in the very act of expelling. There is no place to expel it to. We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us. We either carry and transform the evil of human history as our own problem, or we only increase its efficiency and power by hating and punishing it “over there.” The Jesus pattern was put precisely and concisely by Paul: “For our sake he made the sinless one a victim for sin, so that in him we might become the uprightness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). I admit, that is heavy stuff. Only the mystics and the sinners seem to get it. In the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus tells of a man by the side of the road waking up in enemy territory, realizing that he has been loved by the very one who is supposed to hate him and whom he is supposed to fear. Could this be everybody’s awakening? Could this be an accurate image of God discovery and truth discovery? Jesus is clearly presenting the foreign Samaritan as a very image of God. He ends the shocking parable by saying, “Go and do the same” (Lk 10:37). The human task has become the very imitation of God, which seems almost unthinkable. God, the one that history has been taught to fear, is in fact the utter Goodness that enfolds us and creates a safe and nonthreatening universe for us—a renewed universe that we can now pass on to others. For Jesus, there are no postures, group memberships, behaviors, prayer rituals, dietary rules, asceticism, or social awareness that, of themselves, transform us or make us enlightened, saved, or superior. There are no contaminating elements or people to expel or exclude. These will be exposed as inadequate when goodness is exposed all the more. If that is not the moral message that shouts from Calvary, I cannot imagine what the message is. There is no redemptive violence. There is only redemptive suffering. Hate is the norm, but hate is never the future. It is the old and dead story. This article is excerpted from The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder by Richard Rohr, OFM (Franciscan Media). Richard Rohr, OFM, is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and the founding director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An internationally recognized author and spiritual leader, he teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, non-dual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these topics affect social justice issues today.
To order a copy, go to:
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By Christopher Heffron
Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground OCTOBER 6, 9–10 P.M., VOCES ON PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS)
Vice President Joe Biden attends a Culinary Union protest.
Latinos for Trump gather at a rally in February 2020.
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ccording to a Pew Research Center study, in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton won the Latinx vote in a walk: 66 percent to Donald Trump’s 28. Democratic candidates, in fact, won the group’s favor in the laset three elections. But that shouldn’t suggest that Latinos will always back the left. As Dr. Gabriel Salguero of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition says midway through this impactful documentary, “No political party has a monopoly on Gospel values or Hispanic priorities.” Candidates who fail to connect with Latinx voters do so at their own political peril. Another Pew Research study showed that naturalized citizens will make up one in 10 eligible voters in the 2020 election—roughly 10 percent of the country’s electorate. What director Bernardo Ruiz’s Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground does so well is the way that it juxtaposes the Latinx community as both an imperiled, misunderstood population and a powerhouse voting bloc. In 21st-century America, you can be both. The documentary introduces us to a dizzying number of community organizers and activists, among them Adrian Rivera-Reyes, a young scientist in Philadelphia who seeks to mobilize the city’s Puerto Rican community. Pasqual Urrabazo, a Las Vegas pastor and Trump supporter, tries to energize Latino evangelicals. Sonja Diaz, founding director of the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Initiative, addresses the ever-present xenophobia within politics. While the people profiled here may differ in their political beliefs or which candidate they support, all are united in engaging their diverse communities. Some of the most penetrative voices in the film belong to first-generation Americans, children of parents who fled violence or corrupt governments in their home countries for better opportunities in the United States. One of these young activists, Cuban-born Daniela Ferrera, a fiery and articulate orator, wants to help move her adopted country forward. She is the American dream in motion. Latino Vote, which covers a lot of ground in 60 minutes, says one thing clearly: The Latinx community is not a monolith, nor can it be categorized neatly. Rather, it is an important ingredient in the melting pot that is America today: conservative, liberal, and independent alike. And they are a growing, mobilized community. Come the November elections, the film asserts, 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote. The presidential candidate who can relate to the Latinx community without pandering to them—the latter happening far too often, historically—will have a true superpower backing him.
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FRANCIS OF ASSISI’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT BY JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT Paraclete Press
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“We pray with every breath, and as we do, we breathe in the fullness of our faith. These are filling breaths.”
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e have all heard the expression that “timing is everything.” John Michael Talbot’s latest work on The Admonitions of St. Francis is a perfect example. The timeless words of St. Francis are beautifully expressed through the work of Talbot. The uncertainty of the current times with a pandemic, social unrest, and financial turmoil for many has created a level of anxiety that I personally have never witnessed. Finding words that express a deeper meaning to the turmoil of the current state of affairs is a welcome relief. Talbot has taken St. Francis’ 28 admonitions and broken them down into digestible bites that are well explained and applicable to our daily life. These admonitions can seem extremely challenging to the average person, but Talbot shows that they are not only achievable but desirable to follow. One thing I found compelling is his look at St. Francis’ criticism of the religious practices occurring during his time and how they carry forward today. In admonition 14, poverty of spirit, he refers to this as a Gospel poverty: addressing attitudes behind actions and not only actions. Talbot goes further to say, “We have all met people who are very religious but not very Christian and certainly not much like Jesus.” He goes on further to suggest that those who are more worried about how they look, the devotions they use, rubrics, or some other rule are not exercising the true call of the Christian life. This book is timely and much needed today. The call to follow the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s love and mercy are needed now more than ever. I highly recommend this work; take your time with it, pray with it. There is a lot to digest and much to gain. Reviewed by Deacon Dave Profitt, who serves at Holy Spirit Parish in the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, and is director of the St. Anne Retreat Center. He and his pastor, Msgr. Bill Cleves, are the creators of the Catholic Soup podcast and also provide retreats and talks. Deacon Dave earned his master’s degree in church management from Villanova University.
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FRANCIS OF ASSISI: THE ESSENTIAL WRITINGS BY JON SWEENEY Paraclete Press
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uthor Jon Sweeney wants his readers to be sure they are reading the actual words of “the little poor man (il poverello) from Umbria.” This 128-page second edition remains easily accessible and includes six additional writings— songs, prayers, letters, and teachings—providing insight into the humility and spirit of St. Francis.
FRANCISCAN FRIARS COAST TO COAST BY JACK CLARK ROBINSON Arcadia
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art of the Images of America series, this edition presents the archived photos and history from six US Franciscan provinces. While ministering to Native Americans, supporting US troops in World War II, and serving immigrants and those on the margins of society, their message is clear: All people matter to God and the friars.
HAVE A FAVORITE CULTURE ITEM YOU WANT TO SHARE? Let us know about it: MagazineEditors@FranciscanMedia.org StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 43
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CULTURE
By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
FAVORITE FILMS
about
HEALING
I’ll Push You: A Real-Life Inspiration (2017) When a Man Loves a Woman (1993) Gravity (2013) The Color Purple (1985) The Intouchables (2011)
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etflix’s new feature film on the life of Marie Curie begins with Polish-born Marie Skłodowska (Rosamund Pike) arguing with her mentor, Professor Lippmann (Simon Russell Beale), over her laboratory equipment at the University of Paris being moved again without her permission. She is single-minded about her research on the magnetic properties of steel. A fellow scientist, Pierre Curie (Sam Riley), offers her space in his laboratory. Pierre and Marie are attracted to one another but must find a way to work together. He believes in collaboration, though Marie does not. They grow in respect for one another, marry in 1895, and have two children. Based on the discovery by Henri Becquerel of the X-ray properties of uranium, Marie and Pierre discover two new elements, polonium and radium. Marie calls the energy emissions of radium “radioactivity.” They talk about the potential for good of their discoveries as well as the dangers of them falling into criminal hands. In 1903, Pierre and Becquerel are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and Pierre insists that Marie be included in the prize. She is the first woman to receive the prize. Tragedy strikes when Pierre is killed in Paris in 1906. In 1911, Marie is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She is the only woman to receive two Nobel Prizes and in two different fields.
Radioactive tells a fascinating story, and Pike’s portrayal of Curie is outstanding. I love the script, which gives the audience the right amount of scientific information to keep us interested as we follow the stories of the main characters. Marie, who was born and raised a Catholic, falls away. She cannot reconcile her mother’s death years before with the idea of a benevolent God. Pierre, a Protestant, develops an interest in spiritualism. After Pierre’s death, Marie dabbles in it, desperate to see her husband again. Riley’s portrayal of Pierre as a kind man who complements Marie is warm and moving. Throughout the film are scenes of the future showing the dire consequences of the misuse of radium and polonium, such as the atom bomb and the atomic arms race. The good uses are also shown, such as targeted radiation to shrink cancerous tumors and efforts during World War I to equip vehicles with mobile X-ray units. Curie’s relevance shines through the film. She continues to pave the way for women to assert their intelligence and persist in gaining their rightful place in academia and research. A-3, PG-13 • Peril, adultery, chauvinism, anti-Semitism.
44 • October 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS: LD ENTERTAINMENT AND ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS/JACOB YAKOB; PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON: COURTESY OF FAMILY THEATER PRODUCTIONS/FATHER PEYTON FAMILY ARCHIVES/HCFM INTRANET PICTURES (2)
Sister Rose’s
RADIOACTIVE
LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; RADIOACTIVE: COURTESY OF NETFLIX (2)
Sister Rose is a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. She has been the award-winning film columnist for St. Anthony Messenger since 2003 and is the author of several books on Scripture and film, as well as media literacy education.
WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS
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PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON
WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS: LD ENTERTAINMENT AND ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS/JACOB YAKOB; PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON: COURTESY OF FAMILY THEATER PRODUCTIONS/FATHER PEYTON FAMILY ARCHIVES/HCFM INTRANET PICTURES (2)
LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; RADIOACTIVE: COURTESY OF NETFLIX (2)
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n 1928, two young men emigrate from Ireland to the United States to make their fortune. Born into a poor farming family in Attymass, County Mayo, Patrick and his older brother, Thomas, make their way to their sister’s home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. After landing a job as a sexton at a parish, Patrick begins to feel the call to the priesthood that he had in his youth. The two brothers decide to join the Congregation of the Holy Cross, traveling to the seminary at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. During his studies, Patrick is waylaid with tuberculosis. During this time, his devotion to Mary, Mother of God, begins to direct his life. During World War II, Father Patrick begins using the radio, and then film and television, to call people to prayer. In 1947, he founds Family Theater in Hollywood. Actors such as Bing Crosby, Bob Newhart, Ann Blythe, and Lucille Ball lend their talents to productions about the rosary. Father Peyton becomes known as “the Rosary Priest,” whose motto, “the family that prays together stays together,” becomes popular. He begins Family Rosary Crusades that take place around the world and attract tens of thousands of people. Father Peyton died in 1992 and was declared venerable in 2017. The media work of Family Theater Productions continues in the heart of Hollywood today. On the one hand, this film is a standard biographical documentary; on the other, it tells a story of one man’s faith in God, as well as his devotion to Mary that continues to inspire the world. Historical footage is woven with interviews with several of Father Peyton’s relatives and members of his religious community. Pray is an inspiring story that shows why Father Peyton may someday be named a saint. Not yet rated • No objectionable material.
Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings. A-1 General patronage
A-2 Adults and adolescents
A-3 Adults
L Limited adult audience
O Morally offensive
dam (Charlie Plummer) is expelled during his senior year of high school after his hallucinations lead to violent behavior. A Catholic school accepts him, but Adam, now diagnosed with schizophrenia, must stay on his medications and keep up his grades. His divorced mother, Beth (Molly Parker), must keep the principal, Sister Catherine (Beth Grant), informed of his mental health status. Adam wants to get his diploma so he can go to culinary school and become a chef. Adam, beset by three voices in his head, experiences auditory and visual hallucinations that are calming, terrifying, and depressing. He stops taking his medication so he will feel more himself around Maya (Taylor Russell), another senior who tutors him. This leads to a serious relapse. Adam, who is not Catholic, feels lost and talks with Father Patrick (Andy Garcia), who guides him through some very rough times. Words on Bathroom Walls is a film that sees people with mental illness as real individuals. The film, directed by Thor Freudenthal, is based on the novel by Julia Walton. The brilliantly created sequences of Adam’s hallucinations bring the audience into the world of schizophrenia. A-3, PG-13 • Peril, cheating, real and imagined violence.
Source: USCCB.org/movies
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POINTSOFVIEW | FAITH & FAMILY
By Susan Hines-Brigger
In the Footsteps of St. Francis
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Susan welcomes your comments and suggestions! E-MAIL: CatholicFamily@ FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Faith & Family 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
A SELF-IMPOSED BREAK
Often when I see her climb into one of her cave-like dwellings, I think of St. Francis and his retreats to the caves atop Assisi’s Mt. Subasio. Francis used to retreat up the mountain with some of his brothers when the world down in the city became too much for him and he became overwhelmed and began to lose focus. The mountain was his place to recharge and reconnect with his vision and purpose. When I was in Assisi a few years ago, I remember similarly being drawn to this place, even more so than to some of the more wellknown spots from Francis’ life. I could see myself being very easily attracted to the quiet nooks amid the rocks and trees. Maybe that’s where Kacey gets it. Here at home—4,756 miles away from Assisi—some days I can see myself climbing into one of Kacey’s forts and hiding out— away from the world. THE HEALING FORCE OF NATURE
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I thought about this again recently when our family took a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was a short trip planned to replace the larger vacation we had scheduled for this summer and to provide a change of scenery. We found a cabin and hunkered down. It came at a perfect time.
Just two weeks before the trip, my dad passed away following a brief illness. Because of the coronavirus, our family’s interactions with him were limited to the last two days of his life. His death, the funeral, the packing up of his room and possessions all seemed to come at me—and my sisters—fast and furious. I was also facing the reality of no longer having either of my parents here with me. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. But then I went to the mountains. Like St. Francis, I stepped away and hit the pause button on everyday life. It was a muchneeded retreat that allowed me to hide away for a little while from the harsh realities that awaited me back home. I was able to sit with my feelings and begin to process and reset my bearings. I like to think that’s how St. Francis felt about his time up on Mt. Subasio. In the book Francis: The Journey and the Dream, Murray Bodo, OFM, wrote of Francis’ time on the mountain, “He was always aware that he would have to return to the workaday world below, but it was possible to do so with joy, knowing that the mountain would not move, that the mountain would be there waiting, drawing him back.” I can relate to that. And I know that if I need to get away someplace closer, there’s a cave right here in my living room that’s calling my name.
46 • October 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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SQUIRREL: SYBIRKO/FOTOSEARCH; CARTOON: BOB VOJTKO; PETE & REPEAT: TOM GREENE
Susan has worked at St. Anthony Messenger for 26 years and is an executive editor. She and her husband, Mark, are the proud parents of four kids—Maddie, Alex, Riley, and Kacey. Aside from her family, her loves are Disney, traveling, and sports.
LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; RIGHT: AJ WATT/ISTOCK
Susan Hines-Brigger
f you were to come into my house right now, you would be greeted by a massive wall of blankets and sheets draped over various pieces of furniture to form a cozy hideaway for my youngest daughter, Kacey. For some reason, she has always been attracted to such cave-like spaces. At various times over the years, she has taken up residence in the space between her bed and the wall, large boxes that have been left following deliveries, and even her lower bunk bed, which is enshrined in blankets. Within these hideaways sit a vast array of stuffed animals to keep her company. She is my animal lover. In fact, some of her time hidden away is spent planning her alpaca farm and animal sanctuary she has talked about for years—and she’s only 10. I can see a lot of St. Francis in her.
B
LIGHTENUp!
brainteasers | games | challenges | cartoons
COLORTIME
“Yes, you have to love thy neighbors even if they give out carrots.”
TRIVIA QUESTIONS 1: To whom did Juan Diego report the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe? 2: What is the name of the church where St. Francis of Assisi renounced all his possessions? 3: Who plays Marie Curie in the film Radioactive?
SQUIRREL: SYBIRKO/FOTOSEARCH; CARTOON: BOB VOJTKO; PETE & REPEAT: TOM GREENE
PETE&REPEAT
HINT: All answers can be found in the pages of this issue. ANSWERS AND CAPTIONS: E-mail your answers to: MagazineEditors@FranciscanMedia.org, or mail to: St. Anthony Messenger, 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two. So look and see if you can name Eight ways in which they’re not the same. (Answers below)
GET THE FUN FOR BOOK
ALL AGES!
Go online to order: Shop.FranciscanMedia.org For ONLY $3.99 Use Code: SAMPETE ANSWERS to PETE & REPEAT: 1) The pumpkin on the right has more lines. 2) The knob on the end of the spoon is gone. 3) A curb is visible behind Pete. 4) Leaves have filled in a gap in the tree branches. 5) A knot in the tree has appeared. 6) The orange inside the pumpkin’s nose is no longer visible. 7) There is less fringe on Sis’ scarf. 8) Pete’s sleeve is longer.
LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; RIGHT: AJ WATT/ISTOCK
4: Who founded Homeboy Industries in 1988?
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2020 • 47
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reflection
Happy those who endure in peace, By you, Most High, they will be crowned.
October 4 is the feast day of St Francis of Assisi.
BILL OXFORD/ISTOCK
—St. Francis of Assisi
48 • October 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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