Sharing the spirit of St. Francis with the world VOL. 129/NO. 4 • OCTOBER 2021 • PUBLISHED BY FRANCISCAN MEDIA
How Should We Combat Hate? page 11
FRIAR MICHAEL JOSEPH GROARK
ADDICTION, RECOVERY, AND GRACE
LIVING AS ST. FRANCIS DID BECOME A PRAYERFUL ACTIVIST THE POWER OF THE ROSARY
Peace and joy
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VOL. 129 N O. 4
OCTOBER
2021 20/21
32 32 A Friar for Broken People
COVER STORY ABOVE: Father M.J. Groark stands with his parents, Michael and Anna, on the day of his ordination.
Story by Joyce Duriga; photography by Karen Callaway
COVER: KAREN CALLAWAY; ABOVE: COURTESY OF GROARK FAMILY ARCHIVES
As the nation battles an opioid crisis, Father M.J. Groark shares his story in hopes of showing others a path to recovery and redemption.
18 My One-Year Experiment with the Rosary By Shannon K. Evans
There is a path to deeper connection and inner peace if you incorporate the rosary into your daily life.
23 Living as Francis Did By Patrick Carolan
What does the Franciscan way of life have to offer laypeople?
28 Becoming a Prayerful Activist By Rev. Dr. Bruce G. Epperly
Francis of Assisi was an activist, pacifist, and prophet. In our own ways, we can mirror his revolutionary spirit.
Coming
A special issue celebrating the saints— in the NOVEMBER from lesser-known holy people to the
Issue
Church’s heavy hitters
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 1
T
Saints featured in the month of October include . . .
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
St. John of Capistrano
St. Peter of Alcántara
St. Thérèse of Lisieux is one of the most popular saints in the Catholic calendar. A young Carmelite nun who wanted to go to the missions, she remained within the cloister yet became the patron of the missions. Thérèse entered the convent at 15 and died at 24.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, like Pope Francis, spent her life reminding people of God’s mercy. She will forever be associated with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the symbol of Christ’s love. Many follow her in prayer to the Sacred Heart on the first Friday of every month.
Born at a time when the bubonic plague had decimated Europe’s population, St. John of Capistrano was a voice of strength and hope. He was known for his preaching and his ability to reconcile warring factions. His talents were felt in the Church and in the Franciscan Order.
St. Peter of Alcántara lived in the 16th century, a time of Church reform. He was confessor for St. Teresa of Avila, another great reformer. Peter was known for his life of penitence and the virtue of patience. He founded a branch of the Franciscans known as the Alcantarines.
October 1
October 16
October 23
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he saints were real people with real stories—just like us! Their surrender to God’s love was so generous that the Church recognizes them as heroes and heroines worthy of being 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.
VOL. 129 N O. 4
“We should wish for nothing else and have no other desire; we should find no pleasure or delight in anything except in our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior; he alone is true God.”
OCTOBER
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—St. Francis of Assisi
10 SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS 10 Ask a Franciscan
God’s Kingdom: What Is It?
2021
44 POINTS OF VIEW
15 Editorial | Pat McCloskey, OFM Growing in Faith as Francis of Assisi Did
12 Followers of St. Francis
16 At Home on Earth | Kyle Kramer
14 Franciscan World
44 Faith and Family | Susan Hines-Brigger
Brother Massimo Fusarelli, OFM
Brokenness and Beauty
The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity
Bridging the Generation Gap
14 St. Anthony Stories Lost in the City
42 CULTURE
40 Media Reviews Podcast Ten Percent Happier Streaming Naomi Osaka
42 Film Reviews The Eyes of Tammy Faye CODA Not Going Quietly
6 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 Dear Reader Your Voice 5 6 Church in the News
45 Friar Pete 46 Let Us Pray 48 Reflection
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 3
dear reader Hope after Darkness
T
he statistics are startling: Every 16 minutes, a person in the United States dies from an opioid overdose. Every state has reported a spike or increase in overdose deaths and substance abuse problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports the American Medical Association. And the list goes on. If you asked, I suspect that you would find someone you know who has some connection to those statistics. Many families have been affected by the drug crisis, which seems to be running rampant throughout the world today. And while this crisis is certainly not something new, it does seem to be growing, according to the statistics. Sometimes, the situation can seem helpless. I have lived through the war on drugs and “Just Say No” era. I have also seen that those slogans, with all the best intentions behind them, aren’t working. But then there are the stories of people who find their way out of the dark night of drug addiction. One of those individuals is featured on page 32 of this month’s issue. Father Michael Joseph (M.J.) Groark, OFM Cap, could have very well been one of the statistics cited at the top of this column. However, with the help of faith and the Capuchin Franciscans, Father M.J. faced his addiction and eventually found his way to the priesthood. His story is an honest look at what addiction can do to someone and the hope of making it to the other side toward recovery. Let us pray for all those touched by the illness of addiction, that they may find peace and healing.
PUBLISHER
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
Sandy Howison
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Sharon Lape
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Susan Hines-Brigger, Executive Editor
ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X) (U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956) Volume 129, 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 452026498. 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 292309, Kettering, OH 45429-0309.
PHOTOGRAPHER A Friar for Broken People PAGE 32
Karen Callaway is the photo editor of Chicago Catholic, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago. She worked for 20 years as an assistant editor for Northwest Indiana Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Gary. She has enjoyed taking professional photographs for three decades.
JOYCE DURIGA
REV. DR. BRUCE EPPERLY
WRITER A Friar for Broken People
WRITER Becoming a Prayerful Activist
PAGE 32
PAGE 28
Joyce Duriga is the editor of Chicago Catholic, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Something Joyce learned early on in her journalism career is that everyone has a story to tell, and journalists have the honor of sharing those stories with others. It is a reality that always makes her a bit emotional, and Father M.J. Groark’s story is no different.
Rev. Dr. Bruce Epperly has written over 50 books on practical theology, ministry, spirituality, and wellness, including Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism (Franciscan Media). He lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with his wife, Rev. Dr. Katherine Gould Epperly, his son, daughter-inlaw, and grandchildren.
4 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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POINTSOFVIEW | YOUR VOICE Feedback from Our Online Readers
On “From Convert to Cardinal: The Journey of Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory,” by Christopher Gunty (August 2021) What an inspiration Cardinal Gregory is! This article is a vivid reminder that the Catholic Church is not only—or even mostly—White. This is an important point I feel that some of my fellow Catholics forget in our mostly White Midwestern diocese.—Rebecca
News Coverage Helps to Stay Informed
Thank you for the coverage in “Church in the News” from the August issue of St. Anthony Messenger of the Kamloops Indian Residential Schools that were operated by the Church. I have some friends in British Columbia who contacted me about this via social media. I think it is important that all Catholics and non-Catholics know about this. Coverage of this story helps me be informed to discuss this with people of all faiths. Thank you. Andrew John DiLiddo Jr. , Canton, Ohio
Ministering to the LGBTQ Community
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Thank you for publishing the well-written Faith and Family column in the August 2021 edition of St. Anthony Messenger (“The Day My Daughter Left the Church,” by Susan Hines-Brigger, with sidebar by Sandy Howison). The column discusses the Catholic Church’s overarching difficulty in ministering to LGBTQ people. The two authors clearly portray the frustration that my wife and I experienced with the Catholic Church’s failure and inability to help us nurture our deceased homosexual son’s spiritual needs—and, to that extent, our spiritual needs as well. Fortunately, we know God loves our son.
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Struggling with a Sense of Belonging
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Keith P., Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
I am writing in regard to Susan HinesBrigger’s Faith and Family column from the August issue and its sidebar by Sandy Howison. As a longtime subscriber and a gay man, it was refreshing to learn that some of their family members also struggle with Church teaching about LGBTQ members. I, too, struggle with feeling like an outcast, even though I often go to church to pray and make offerings for departed loved ones. My
spouse and I were together for 46 years until his death last year from complications from Parkinson’s disease. Early in our relationship, we regularly went to Mass, but it became clear that we were not being included in parish functions. So we stopped going. How can you feel comfortable confessing your sins when your Church considers you to be the sin? I truly thank these brave mothers for telling their stories and for asking such difficult questions. Maybe someday our Church will have satisfactory answers so that we may all get back into its fold. Thomas C., Wilmington, Delaware
The Challenges of Passing on the Faith
We are longtime subscribers to St. Anthony Messenger, and I have a deep devotion to St. Anthony. I have often wanted to comment on articles but never have until now. Susan Hines-Brigger’s Faith and Family column in the August issue particularly resonated with me. We raised our children in the Church and sent them to Catholic schools. Two are (sort of) raising their children Catholic, and the third is not, but we totally support all three. Shortly before the 2016 presidential election, during the homily at Mass, the priest told us that, as Catholics, we needed to vote for a particular candidate. The political party of that candidate, the priest said, shared the beliefs and values of the Church. Many in the congregation clapped. We were not the only ones in the congregation who did not return to that parish. Sadly, I view the Church as similar to a dysfunctional family. It is far from perfect, but I was born in the Church and will die in the Church. I truly understand people like Susan’s daughter and our son. Susan Ryan, Hingham, Massachusetts
Mary and Clare’s Yes to God
In the month of August, when we celebrate the solemnity of Mary’s assumption and the feast of St. Clare, I am reminded of the wonderful results that their yes to God achieved. The reflection by Carol Ann Morrow in the August Let Us Pray column (“St. Clare’s Prayerful Life”) touched me deeply, and I shared it with my brothers and sisters in fraternity. May all who meditate on this reflection strive to let their “jars go empty.” Jerry Rousseau, OFS, Blairsville, Georgia
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StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 5
people | events | trends
By Susan Hines-Brigger
POPE FRANCIS URGES PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19
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ope Francis has joined six other bishops from North and South America in a video message encouraging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). In the three-minute video, the pope says that getting vaccinated is “an act of love.” Social and political love, he says, is built up through “small, individual gestures capable of transforming and improving societies” and adds that “getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.” Pope Francis then prays to God that “each one of us can make his or her own small gesture of love. No matter how small, love is always grand,” he says. “Small gestures for a better future.” Also offering messages encouraging vaccination are: Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes of Mexico; Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, retired archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil; Cardinal
Gregorio Rosa Chávez, auxiliary bishop of San Salvador, El Salvador; and Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte of Trujillo, Peru. The video message, which is delivered in Spanish with English, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles, is part of a global effort by the US-based nonpartisan, nonprofit Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative’s “It’s Up to You” campaign. The Vatican’s Dicastery for Integral Human Development also cooperated with the educational initiative. Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council, said in a press release that “the role of trusted messengers to educate and inspire their networks is undeniable—and has been a core element of our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative since the beginning. To the world’s billion-plus Catholics, the pope is one of the most trusted messengers and holds unparalleled influence. We are extremely grateful to him and the cardinals and archbishops for lending their voices and platforms to help people across the globe feel more confident in the vaccines.”
I
talian police have identified the person who sent an envelope—containing three bullets—addressed to “The pope. Vatican City. St. Peter’s Square in Rome.” Police launched an investigation after postal workers discovered the envelope on August 8. According to Catholic News Agency, the police have not revealed the person’s identity, but said on August 9 that it is a French citizen “already known to Vatican security, with whom the Carabinieri of Milan will now coordinate to evaluate the meaning of the gesture and its possible danger.” The Italian news agency ANSA reported that “the information that most interests investigators is knowing where he is because it would raise a different level of alarm to know if he were in France or in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.” Along with the three pieces of 9 mm ammunition, of the kind used in a Flobert gun, the Italian police also reported that there was a message inside the letter making reference to the Vatican’s financial operations, as well as a copy of a 10-euro deposit. It is not known what the deposit was for or under what circumstances it would have been made.
6 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
TOP: CNS SCREENSHOT/COURTESY AD COUNCIL (2); BOTTOM: ZIM 286/ISTOCK
LETTER CONTAINING BULLETS ADDRESSED TO POPE
CNS PHOTOS: TOP LEFT: RICARDO ARDUENGO/REUTERS; RIGHT: LAURA GOTTESDIENER/REUTERS
Pope Francis and Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles are pictured in an ad campaign promoting COVID-19 vaccines throughout the Americas.
POPE DONATES AID TO HAITI FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE
LEFT: People take shelter in a makeshift camp in Les Cayes, Haiti, during the passing of Tropical Storm Grace, which hit the country just days after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake battered the impoverished Caribbean nation. RIGHT: Kettney Francois poses outside the remains of St. Famille du Toirac Church in Toirac, Haiti.
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CNS PHOTOS: TOP LEFT: RICARDO ARDUENGO/REUTERS; RIGHT: LAURA GOTTESDIENER/REUTERS
TOP: CNS SCREENSHOT/COURTESY AD COUNCIL (2); BOTTOM: ZIM 286/ISTOCK
ollowing the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on August 14, Pope Francis has decided to send an initial contribution of $235,000 to help those affected, according to a statement from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, headed by Cardinal Peter Turkson. As of August 27, 2,207 people had been killed and 344 were still missing. According to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, 12,268 people were injured and nearly 53,000 houses were destroyed by the quake. The dicastery’s statement said that the money will be distributed in collaboration with the Apostolic Nunciature among the dioceses most affected by the disaster. It “is intended to be an immediate expression of the feeling of spiritual closeness and paternal encouragement towards the people and territories affected.” Following the earthquake, Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles issued a statement saying: “On behalf of the bishops of the United States, I wish to express my heartfelt
prayers for the people of Haiti who are mourning the loss of loved ones and are suffering from the destruction caused by the earthquake that took place this morning. We offer our prayers to Archbishop Launay Saturné, president of the bishops’ conference of Haiti, and to all those who tirelessly serve the faith communities in Haiti.” He then added that “Catholics and all people of goodwill may assist in the relief work by contacting Catholic Relief Services. I am grateful to all who can support the relief effort for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.” According to a press release from the bishops’ conference, Archbishop Gómez also sent a letter to all US bishops asking them to consider taking up a voluntary special collection in their dioceses for the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund. The funds collected will be used to support the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church as well as the efforts of Catholic Relief Services and/or Catholic Charities USA, the official relief agencies of the US Catholic Church.
WASHINGTON ARCHDIOCESE LAUNCHES ACTION PLAN TO CARE FOR CREATION
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o mark the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’,” the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, launched the new Laudato Si’ Action Plan: Embarking on a Seven-Year Journey Promoting an Integral Ecology (adw. org/laudatosi). In a letter announcing the plan, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, head of the archdiocese, said: “This action plan is for all of us! We are all called to protect our common home according to our ability and means.” He invited everyone to study the plan “and be challenged to protect and restore our fragile earth and our natural resources.” The plan offers easy, moderate, and advanced strategies for individuals, parishes, schools, and other institutions to work toward protecting the earth. It also has relevant videos
and links to resources such as grant applications, study guides, and local environment-focused events. Genevieve Mougey, director of the archdiocese’s Office for Social Concerns, put the action plan in context of the August 9 United Nations report on the dire threat to the world from climate change. “While the UN report illustrates the gravity of the situation we are facing, it behooves us as Christians to remember the core tenet of our faith is hope,” Mougey said. “Hope moves us forward to live in God’s call of love and the care for our common home. The reality of what it means to be a Christian is that we live in hope. That’s what the encyclical and this action plan call us to do—act out of hope and faith in God’s love for us and our planet.” StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 7
people | events | trends
BISHOPS SAY US GOVERNMENT MUST URGENTLY ACT TO RELOCATE FLEEING AFGHANS
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n light of the current situation in Afghanistan, the heads of two USCCB committees say the US government must urgently act to relocate Afghans who are fleeing following the Taliban’s takeover of the country, reported CNS. Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a joint statement in which they called upon the US government to “act with the utmost urgency, considering all available avenues to preserve life. We know that time is of the essence to help our brothers and sisters in need.” The bishops pointed out: “For the past few weeks, staff from the USCCB, Catholic Charities, and other partners have
been at Fort Lee in Virginia, assisting the US government in the welcoming and resettlement of SIV [Special Immigrant Visa] applicants and their families. We will continue that work as long as necessary until those who are in harm’s way are brought to safety.” Pope Francis has also expressed his concern for those in the midst of the situation. Following his Angelus on August 15, Pope Francis asked everyone to unite in praying to “the God of peace so that the clamor of weapons might cease, and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue.” Only this way, he said, can the “battered population of that country—men, women, elderly, and children” be able to “return to their own homes, and live in peace and security, in total mutual respect.”
SCHOOL TO BE NAMED AFTER TEEN ON PATH TO SAINTHOOD
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diocese in the Australian outback has announced that it will be building a K–12 school named after Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenage computer programmer beatified by Pope Francis last year, reported CNS. Blessed Carlo Acutis College will have a liberal arts focus. Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes said he hopes to build the school in Moama, a fast-growing Riverina town in the southern part of the vast, sprawling New South Wales Diocese. “It is an honor to name our school after such an inspiring young person who showed that children and teenagers can live lives devoted to God and to caring for those around them,” Bishop Macbeth-Green said of the new college designed by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects. “All the students will be proud of their school name knowing that they, too, can live inspiring lives for others.” Blessed Carlo Acutis was only 15 when he died of leukemia in 2006. This rendition depicts how Blessed Carlo Acutis College will look when He has been called the first millennial saint and “God’s influencer.” it is constructed in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes in Australia. 8 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
LEFT: CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN; MIDDLE: CNS ILLUSTRATION/WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES; RIGHT: COURTESY OF SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
People rally near the White House in Washington, DC, on August 21 to show support for and welcome Afghan refugees who are being evacuated following the Taliban’s takeover of their country.
CNS PHOTOS: BOTTOM: CLARKEHOPKINSCLARKE ARCHITECTS VIA THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY; TOP LEFT: REUTERS; TOP RIGHT: KEN CEDENO/REUTERS
A child who fled with his family due to the Taliban takeover sleeps in a public park in Kabul.
NEWS BRIEFS
Students at Trinity Washington University
10th World Meeting of Families official image
LEFT: CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN; MIDDLE: CNS ILLUSTRATION/WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES; RIGHT: COURTESY OF SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
CNS PHOTOS: BOTTOM: CLARKEHOPKINSCLARKE ARCHITECTS VIA THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY; TOP LEFT: REUTERS; TOP RIGHT: KEN CEDENO/REUTERS
IN LATE JULY, Trinity Washington University used funds from the American Rescue Plan to pay off more than $2.3 million in unpaid tuition balances for 535 undergraduate students. According to a press release from the school, President Pat McGuire said the move “is absolutely the right thing to do for our students.” Trinity’s tuition is the lowest among all private universities in the Washington, DC, region and provides substantial financial aid to students. The school annually awards more than $6 million in Trinity’s own grants and scholarships to DC students.
Dr. Julie H. Rubio
THE GLOBAL CATHOLIC CLIMATE Movement has changed its name and is now known as the Laudato Si’ Movement. Leaders of the movement said the change better reflects the work of the six-year-old worldwide network and its connection to prayerful action on environmental protection and climate change. The movement includes more than 800 organizations and thousands of what it calls Laudato Si’ animators, people working worldwide to implement the pope’s encyclical in parish and school life, local communities, and businesses.
THE OFFICIAL IMAGE for the 10th World Meeting of Families was unveiled this past July. The image, which portrays the wedding at Cana, was painted by theologian and artist Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, SJ. The world meeting, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, will take place in Rome next year from June 22 to 26. THE BOSTON GLOBE REPORTED in late July that police in the Boston suburb of Wellesley have charged former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 in a criminal complaint filed by Wellesley Police in a district court in nearby Dedham, Massachusetts. A summons was issued ordering McCarrick, now 91, to appear at the court for arraignment on August 26. The crimes for which McCarrick is charged allegedly took place in 1974, when he was a New York archdiocesan priest and secretary to Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York. ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ GÓMEZ has appointed Dr. Julie H. Rubio to the USCCB’s National Review Board. Dr. Rubio is a professor of Christian Social Ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. The National Review Board was established as part of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and advises the bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People adopted by the US bishops in 2002.
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StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 9
SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | ASK A FRANCISCAN
By Pat McCloskey, OFM
God’s Kingdom: What Is It?
The Lord’s Prayer contains the phrase “Thy kingdom come.” Jesus also says, “For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Lk 17:21). John the Baptist urges people, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 3:2). Does kingdom here refer to a place, a church, a new culture based on the beatitudes, or any situation in which the presence of Jesus is experienced? I would like to better understand what I am asking God the Father to bring forth when I recite this prayer.
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WE HAVE A DIGITAL archive of past Q & As. To get started, go to FranciscanMedia.org/ St-Anthony-Messenger/ Ask-Archives. Material is grouped thematically under headings such as forgiveness, prayer, saints, sacraments, and Scripture.
Justification by Faith Alone
What is the Catholic Church’s position on justification by faith alone?
T
his was initially Martin Luther’s strongest complaint regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching about salvation. In effect, he denied that good works guarantee a person’s salvation. No argument there. In Romans 1:17, St. Paul wrote, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.” He was quoting Habakkuk 2:4a: “See, the rash have no integrity; but the just one who is righteous because of faith shall live.” Notice that neither verse contains the word alone. In Galatians 3:11, St. Paul reaffirms both of these quotes, but he later writes in the same letter, “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (5:6). Genuine faith is not simply an idea, a state of mind alone; it must be reflected in action, as Jesus noted when he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). The people represented as sheep and goats in Matthew 25:31–46 are not divided according
10 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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Father Pat welcomes your questions!
raying “Thy kingdom come” says, in effect, “God, help me to be willing to live by your values, especially when this is extremely difficult.” This prayer is not a reminder for God to do something but rather a reminder for whoever prays it to open their hearts more widely to divine grace and then to act on it. God’s kingdom will indeed come—with or without the cooperation of any person saying this prayer. Throughout history, various Christian groups have seen themselves as establishing God’s kingdom on earth. No such group has ever been entirely successful. Why? Sin is very real and can always be found among Christ’s followers, always trying to disguise itself as something good. Does that mean that we should give up on trying to make more room in our hearts for God’s kingdom? By no means! Every time someone gives up trying to improve on God’s values and instead accepts them wholeheartedly as “normal,” the kingdom of God is being more deeply established. The greatest saints (canonized or not) have always known that every sin is built on a series of lies. St. Peter was not promoting God’s kingdom when he denied even knowing Jesus (Jn 18:15– 18 and 25–27). When Peter made his threefold confession of repentance (Jn 21:15–19), he was finally moving in the right direction regarding God’s kingdom. Peter needed to make daily decisions to keep on the right path. The kingdom of God grows whenever someone accepts, at progressively deeper levels, God’s definition of “normal.”
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Pat McCloskey, OFM
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Education
How Should We Combat Hate?
How do we overcome the small, everyday negativities that can build up and weigh us down? Hate can exhaust us both mentally and physically!
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Overcoming Poverty
to their ideas but according to their deeds. Good deeds do not guarantee salvation, but genuine faith is always reflected in generous, loving actions. The Catholic Church’s most recent and extensive teaching on this issue is contained in the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification,” signed on October 31, 1999, by official representatives of the Catholic Church and Lutheran World Federation (representing most but not all Lutherans worldwide). Since that time, several other Christian groups have officially accepted that teaching.
erhaps St. Paul gives the best answer when he writes: “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rom 12:21). We are strongly tempted to respond in kind to the negativities that you describe. Sometimes we even ask ourselves or others, “But what else could I have done?” We always have options; responding in kind is only one possibility, though it often seems the easiest one. Because we assign a meaning to events, we can always assign a new and different meaning to the things that you describe. We can create a more life-giving context for that situation. Any past event is a fact; we cannot rewind the tape of our individual or collective life, replacing something ugly and extremely destructive with something much more pleasant and life-giving. The Holocaust (Shoah) is a fact; child abuse is a fact; so is human trafficking. Happy thoughts will not erase them. We must try to remove innocent people from situations in which they are being abused. Even if we may not be completely successful, we can do something positive. Sin always fosters discouragement, a feeling of “What’s the use? I can’t protect all of them.” Sin easily moves into cynicism and accepting as important only those things that I can completely control. During the Last Supper, Jesus told the apostles: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33). Some translations use the word overcome instead of conquered in that verse. Some people might say that Jesus’ crucifixion and death prove that he has not conquered the world. In the short term, that may seem true, but Jesus takes a much longer view and encourages us to do the same.
Donors like you make it possible for these children to attend school. Visit StAnthony.org/gkts to help the kids in our Jamaican mission rise above poverty.
The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist 1615 Vine St, Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492 513-721-4700, ext. 3219 /StAnthonyShrine /ShrineStAnthony /StAnthonyShrine
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 11
SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | FOLLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS
By Pat McCloskey, OFM
n July 13, Massimo Fusarelli was elected minister in the United States and president of the English-Speaking general of the Order of Friars Minor. The 118 voters Conference (ESC), says: “Although I had never met Massimo celebrated the order’s general chapter at the Capuchin San prior to the general chapter, my interactions with him durLorenzo da Brindisi International College outside Rome. ing the chapter have given me a favorable impression of Brother Massimo had led Rome’s St. him. I look forward to working with him Bonaventure Province since July 2020. and the others who have been elected to Brother Massimo, born in Rome in our general government as we continue 1963, professed his final vows in 1989 to put the priorities of the order into and was ordained a priest later that practice.” The ESC currently includes year. Before being elected as minister of seven US provinces, one each in Canada, his province, he had animated the friar Ireland, Lithuania, and Malta, plus community at San Francesco a Ripa in one custody each in Great Britain and Trastevere (Rome) and led its parishioners the United States. and others in ministering to immigrants, Brother Mark Soehner, minister of St. those with addictions, and other marJohn the Baptist Province and ESC vice ginalized people. For three years Brother president, describes the new minister genMassimo had helped friars in six northeral as “warm, confident, and clear about ern Italian OFM provinces to become St. his mandate from the general chapter to Anthony Province in 2016. continue to revitalize the order.” He espeBrother Massimo Fusarelli Brother Massimo became the 121st cially supported the creation in 2023 of a successor of St. Francis to lead the Order of Friars Minor. new US province from six of the seven existing ones. He follows Brother Michael Perry (Sacred Heart Province, United States), who served as minister general since 2013. “God touched Francis’ heart through In his homily at the general chapter’s final Mass, Brother the mercy offered to a brother, and Massimo said that we thank the Lord on our faith journey he continues to touch our hearts through because “he puts so many people in our path, especially the encounter with others, especially those who are most despised and lonely, the small and the poor, those impoverished by life, the discarded. In their the most needy.” school, he makes us once again attentive to the Gospel and —Pope Francis its power already at work in us.” Brother Isauro Covili Linfati from Chile was elected vicar WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ASKING OF US general on July 14, followed the next day by the election of Every general chapter has the right to indicate priorities for general councilors from Bissau, Brazil, Colombia, Guinea, all the friars until the next general chapter. The 2021 chapItaly, Malaysia, Malta, Poland, and Switzerland. ter’s final document identifies what the Holy Spirit is inviting Brother Tom Nairn, minister of Sacred Heart Province the friars to offer the Church and society at large. They should clearly show the order’s “two lungs” (fraternity and being lesser brothers to all) while offering more assistance to their refugee sisters and brothers. The friars should use the encyclicals “Laudato Si’” and “Fratelli Tutti” as guides for animating their renewal in the next six years. They should cooperate fully with Church and civil authorities to safeguard minors and vulnerable adults. The friars should be “missionary disciples,” open to being evangelized by the people to whom they are sent. They must always recognize that the “cry of the earth” and the “cry of the poor” are closely connected. In a telegram to Brother Massimo Fusarelli (right), Pope Francis congratulated the new minister general and wrote, “May the seraphic father, St. Francis, be an encouragement for you in leading your brothers.”
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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PONTIFICAL INSTITUTE FOR ARABIC AND ISLAMIC STUDIES
O
Friend of the Poor Elected Minister General
Article 10 of the document points to the order’s founder as a source of direction: “The people of God demand more from us by virtue of our public commitment to be lesser brothers after the example of St. Francis.” The document expresses that Franciscans must be ready to make changes within their friaries and provinces, including internal governance changes to fulfill their mission more effectively. Franciscans need to renew their approach to initial and ongoing (lifelong) formation and to embrace the future energetically rather than simply keep reviewing the past. In article 41, the document states, “In an age distinguished by increasing sectarianism, violence, and division, the friars need to provide a prophetic witness of universal fraternity to a world in need of such a model.”
ST. ANTHONY
BREAD
TOUCHING HEARTS THROUGH MERCY
Father Massimo:
A Very Rich Background
• speaks Italian, German, French, Spanish, and English, • holds a licentiate and doctorate in patristics (Church Fathers) and has taught in that field, • served in the national vocations center of the Italian bishops’ conference, and was provincial and national moderator of ongoing formation for the friars, • between 2003 and 2009 was the order’s general secretary for formation and studies, and • served as formator of young friars in the Roman province and as a member of its provincial council.
FRANK JASPER, OFM
In his Zoom message to chapter members on July 17, Pope Francis referenced St. Francis’ embrace of a man suffering from leprosy and added: “This encounter with the least and the suffering, in the name of mercy, is the very root of your spirituality. God touched Francis’ heart through the mercy offered to a brother, and he continues to touch our hearts through the encounter with others, especially with the most needy.” Pope Francis encouraged the friars to live out the general chapter’s theme: “Arise, and Christ will give you light” (Eph 5:14).
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.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PONTIFICAL INSTITUTE FOR ARABIC AND ISLAMIC STUDIES
viSit our webSite to:
StAnthony.org mAil poStAl communicAtionS to:
Brother Massimo stands near a wooden sign with St. Francis’ Prayer before the Crucifix etched on it in Italian. In the prayer, Francis asks God for “right faith, sure hope, and perfect charity.”
St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 13
SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS “We had nothing but reliance on the Lord to provide for our needs. In confidence we carried on, joyful and without worry.” —Mother Odelia
FRANCISCAN WORLD
By Pat McCloskey, OFM
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
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ST. ANTHONY STORIES
Lost in the City
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hen my son was attending graduate school in New York, my nephew decided to pay him a visit on one of the colorful weekends last October. While my son was attending classes, my nephew toured the city by foot, walking 90 blocks. As he returned to my son’s apartment, he realized his St. Anthony medal was not on his neck. This medal belonged to his late grandfather, who had a special devotion to St. Anthony. “Please help me find my medal, St. Anthony,” he prayed. The next morning, my nephew retraced his steps—all 90 blocks—but to no avail. Four months later, upon returning to his apartment from class, my son spotted a shiny object on a windowsill. There, to his amazement, lay the St. Anthony medal. You can imagine the joy my nephew felt when my son called him with the news. St. Anthony once again proved himself to be the finder of lost things! —Mrs. Teresa Meszaros, Cheektowaga, New York
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MOTHER ODELIA This Precious Blood sister made an emergency stop in Wisconsin and ended up helping to found a new Franciscan congregation. WHEN ROSA WAHL and two other sisters were on their way to St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, their superior became ill. Their chaplain continued on, intending to return later. When he did, he learned that they and two other German immigrant women had decided to form a new congregation, which they did in 1869. Due to the religious restrictions during the Kulturkampf in Germany during the 1870s, 28 Poor School Sisters of St. Francis came to the United States and joined the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in their educational and hospital ministries. By Mother Odelia’s death in 1899, the community had grown to 269 members. —Pat McCloskey, OFM
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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MANITOWOC FRANCISCAN SISTERS (3)
he Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity began in 1869. Their charism is selfless dedication to service of others, love for the Church, joyful acceptance of poverty, and simplicity built on faith in a loving God. The congregation began in Clarks Mills, Wisconsin, and later moved to Manitowoc, where Father Joseph Fessler served as their spiritual guide. Their present motherhouse was built in 1973. Between 1875 and 1876, 28 Poor School Sisters of St. Francis joined the Manitowoc sisters, having left Germany because of Otto von Bismarck’s Kulturkampf restrictions on religious communities. Built on an educational foundation, the Manitowoc congregation eventually expanded into the healing ministry of Jesus in both health care and spiritual guidance. Sponsored ministries include Genesis Healthcare (Zanesville, Ohio), Holy Family Memorial (Manitowoc), Franciscan Care Services (West Point, Nebraska), and St. Paul Elder Services (Kaukauna, Wisconsin). Educational and spiritual guidance ministries are located in Arizona, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. The sisters strive to bring the Gospel message of love and mercy to everyone they meet. The congregation can be contacted at FSCC-CalledtoBe.org. Thanks to Sister Caritas Strodthoff, OSF, for assisting with this profile.
POINTSOFVIEW | EDITORIAL
By Pat McCloskey, OFM
Growing in Faith as Francis of Assisi Did
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rancis of Assisi was always a saint, right? Absolutely wrong! In his teens and early 20s, he often found God’s ways to be an obstacle to the generous, self-sacrificing life for which he would much later be revered. He wanted to be a highly respected knight. Though many Christians link the term dark night of the soul to St. John of the Cross (16th century), Francis knew it very well even without using that expression. Francis’ two attempts to achieve military glory ended in failure, the second one involving a year as a prisoner of war. As a soldier, did Francis ever kill an enemy? Quite possibly. In his Testament, Francis wrote that he once shunned people with leprosy but eventually learned to love them. Many of the hours that he spent praying in caves were not moments of consolation and ecstasy. What, in fact, did God want him to do? Even when God gave him brothers, Francis frequently found that leading them could be very difficult. Living as a hermit would have been much simpler.
FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM
FAITH AS A RELATIONSHIP
By the time he died around the age of 45, Francis fully embraced many things and people he had once shunned, exchanging his sense of normal for God’s sense of it. Francis’ conversion was ongoing. Christian faith is first a relationship with Jesus, and then it has content—for example: Was he really God? Was he indeed human? What does the command “Do this in memory of me” mean? Don’t all humans find that the need for content grows as the relationship becomes more serious? People who are friends or lovers first have a relationship and then seek to know more facts about each other. When people today say that they, their children, or friends have “lost their faith,” aren’t they usually describing no longer believing in many facts that once gave them great comfort? They have been unable to rework life’s bruises into a growing faith. Many people can easily complete the sentence, “Believing in God was easy until _____ happened.” If we idealize, as many people do, a 5-year-old’s faith, it’s inevitably downhill after that. A 5-year-old’s faith is wonderful—for a 5-year-old! It won’t support the faith questions of a 17-year-old, a 45-year-old, or a 73-year-old. We don’t expect human relationships to grow without hard work on the part of each person involved. If we do, such a relationship “runs out of gas” quickly, and we often explain what happened as the fault of someone else who disappointed us in some major way. GROWING THROUGH WORSHIP
Francis’ relationship with Jesus—his faith in Jesus—grew through generous service to women and men on the margins
Two failed attempts to gain military fame left Francis dejected but prepared for how God wanted his faith to grow by incorporating these bruising experiences.
of 13th-century Italian society, but it also grew through private and public prayer. Francis and his followers had a role in spreading how the Church in Rome celebrated the Eucharist. This belongs to the whole Church before it belongs to any of its individual members. Julian of Speyer, a friar contemporary of Francis, described him as a “totally catholic and apostolic man.” When Pope Francis announced on July 16 new restrictions on the celebration of the Tridentine Mass (promulgated in 1570), many Catholics were shocked. Some people had claimed that it was the only valid Mass, clearly much more so than the reformed Mass authorized by St. Paul VI in 1970. I was 22 years old then and knew the Tridentine Mass quite well. The Catholic Church has a right—and duty—to regulate its public worship. To reject the changes introduced in 1970 runs the risk of creating an idol out of the Tridentine Mass, something it never claimed for itself. In the first Jurassic Park movie, there is a scene that shows amber resin dripping on a mosquito and then hardening around it. The Tridentine Mass is not a mosquito gloriously encased in amber. Public worship exists not to reinforce individual preferences but to connect us with a great variety of people living out their Baptism, always challenged by the words of Scripture and the example of saintly men and women. Francis of Assisi became a saint because he allowed his relationship with Jesus to remain primary. Facts are important only for allowing that faith to grow and evolve as we mature. A 5-year-old’s simple faith can mature into a 73-year-old’s adult faith. Shouldn’t we follow Francis’ example here? StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 15
POINTSOFVIEW | AT HOME ON EARTH
By Kyle Kramer
Brokenness and Beauty
Kyle Kramer
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n recent years, I’ve had a couple of significant knee and back injuries. With help from wise people in my life, I’ve been trying to reflect on what invitations, learnings, and graces God may be offering in them. As I’m sitting with all this—at the moment, with my leg propped up, healing from a torn meniscus—I’m beginning to see parallels between my personal experience of injury and the large-scale, societal-level questions about how we human creatures relate to our wonderful but wounded earth. One thing that’s becoming clear to me is that I tend to push myself to the limit. I hear it from almost everyone who knows me well. Whether it’s the demands of my challengingbut-rewarding job, the innumerable side projects I take on, or the aggressive way I throw myself into sport and exercise, I often operate on the outer margins of my time, energy, and mental and physical capacity. It’s becoming undeniable that we’ve all been pushing Mother Earth well beyond her limits too. The groaning of creation is sending all of us a similar message: We are exceeding the earth’s capacity to regenerate and heal, causing grievous, lasting injuries to our planet. But why? Why do we push our personal and planetary limits? I know there’s part of me that struggles to accept myself as I am or my circumstances as they are, so I’m always
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pushing for change and improvement. We do that as societies too: Consider the Western myths around “progress” and “growth,” most of which are rooted in an inability to be satisfied with the abundances and limitations our world offers us. Some of us might even call that original sin. NOT ALL BAD
Pushing limits, however, isn’t just some aberration of human nature; it’s also one of our best gifts. Our species is inherently curious: Ever since we ventured out from our original home in Africa, we’ve been pioneers and explorers. And as we spread out across the globe, we didn’t just destroy everything we found. We learned new ways to live sustainably in new locations, working within ecological and social limits. Plenty of indigenous peoples have managed to live quite contentedly in the same place for thousands of years. I think it’s possible to cultivate a sense of abundance and gratitude in which physical limits—of an individual body or of an ecosystem—become invitations to tremendous creativity and to different kinds of growth: spiritual, moral, intellectual, and relational. I also think we can push limits in ways that honor our innate drive to explore, learn, innovate, and grow, but to do so with care and humility and without causing damage and destruction.
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EarthandSpiritCenter.org
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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 Making Room: Soul-Deep Satisfaction through Simple Living (Franciscan Media, 2021). 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.
I’m learning to do that better in the arena of exercise and sport, but we can do the same in terms of technology, agriculture, and all of our large-scale efforts. This is one of the most exciting and rewarding human endeavors I can imagine for the decades and centuries to come. When we have gone past sensible limits, though, it’s so important to cultivate self-compassion. As my knee is healing, one of my key spiritual challenges is to avoid beating myself up and adding insult to my injury. God’s invitation to me is to believe and trust that even—perhaps especially—in weakness, vulnerability, and pain, I’m still worthy of love. Fortunately, as I recover, I’m blessed with family, friends, and colleagues who treat me with the kindness that I often have trouble showing toward myself. Their care also helps me get through those moments when I’m staring into an abyss of fear and despair, thinking I will never get better. We can direct similar compassion toward the large-scale suffering of Mother Earth. It’s a hard thing to witness and feel and grieve the hurt and harm we’ve collectively wrought. It’s far easier to distract ourselves with Netflix or with fantasies about colonizing Mars. But we can—we must—still love Mother Earth, strip-mined and deforested and polluted as she is. Even with her once elegantly balanced ecosystems now wounded and ailing, she is still our one and only home. We can still love her beauty, even if it is a scarred beauty.
Isn’t this how God loves her, and us? Isn’t this what our Hebrew prophets have shown us: that deep love and deep lament always go hand in hand? Isn’t this the faith we learn from the cross, which teaches us clear-eyed courage and compassionate solidarity in the face of woundedness and suffering? In the course of a human life, injury and illness are basically inevitable. And whether by human hand or otherwise, the entire history of the earth is a history of damage and destruction. This is a hard truth. But it sits alongside another truth: that healing is woven just as deeply into the fabric of creation. Sometimes special intervention is necessary, whether it’s knee surgery or the active remediation of ecosystems. But generally, our bodies and our earth have the power to knit themselves back together, given time and some TLC. And in those cases where full physical healing isn’t possible, emotional and spiritual healing still is. God draws all of creation toward wholeness—or perhaps better put, toward “whole”-liness. The invitation, then, is to step consciously into that river of healing and to let it take us toward a kinder, gentler way of treating ourselves, each other, and our common home. It can be hard to trust that current; we often prefer to limp along on our own weak knees. But perhaps we might become like the swan described by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, which waddles awkwardly on land but, in letting itself into the water, finally finds its true grace and beauty.
HELPFUL
TIPS
GRACE AND GROWTH
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Whenever you are ill or injured, bring intentionality to your prayers. Ask God not simply for recovery, but for growth toward a greater wholeness and wisdom.
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Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “The Swan” offers one of the most perfect images for allowing oneself to be carried by grace. Look for the translation from German by Robert Bly.
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Learn to find beauty outside your zone of comfort and familiarity. Make an openhearted visit to a run-down part of your town, a site of ecological damage, or even a homeless shelter. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 17
My One-Year
EXPERIMENT
There is a path to deeper connection and inner peace if you incorporate the rosary into your daily life. By Shannon K. Evans 18 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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rowing up as a Protestant kid in the southern United States, I hardly knew what a rosary was, much less how to pray with one. The circular strand of beads seemed to me no more than a collector’s item or baseless superstition. I didn’t know the rosary had a methodology based on Jesus’ life until I went through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) at age 30. By the time I became Catholic, I no longer felt skeptical of the rosary but had no real intention of taking up the practice either. In my early years in the Church, I was given a few sets of beads by enthusiastic cradle Catholics and by my Baptist
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mother, who admired their beauty in antique stores. But it always felt like a tradition I stood outside of, as though by merit of my conversion I was somehow disqualified from this seemingly complicated set of prayers that my peers had memorized long ago. But eventually Mary worked her charm on me, and I began longing for a way to incorporate my love for her into my prayer life. I wondered about the rosary: Could this ancient, repetitive practice really hold value for my spiritual life as a modern woman? In some ways it felt doubtful. Yet if the Catholic Church had taught me anything, it was not to discount something because of its age; often the oldest traditions stand the test of time for good reason. UNIVERSAL APPEAL
DISCOVERING WHAT WORKS
Suspecting this could be a devotion that would take a long time to settle into, I committed to praying the rosary every day for one year—and good thing, too, for the learning curve was indeed lengthy. In the beginning I printed out the less familiar prayers so as not to forget them, then later decided to omit the optional ones to keep it simple. Some days I listened to audio recitations to help jog my failing memory. I tried out variations of the wording until I found the form that suited me best. For a task that sounds so simple—“pray the rosary”— finding my footing took many weeks. But I was surprised to discover that I had a great deal of patience with the process. It somehow felt right to be fumbling my way into this ancient practice, figuring out how to make it feel genuine and authentic to me as a 21st-century millennial woman. After
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The origins of the rosary are muddled to say the least, but we do know pieces of its evolution. Sometime around the year 1221, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic and urged him to pray the rosary to combat a popular heresy called Albigensianism, which taught that physical matter, including the human body, was evil. Following that apparition, St. Dominic and the Dominican Order played a major role in promoting the rosary all over the world. That Mary would give her followers a physical tool to help assure them and others of the holiness of the material world feels apropos in the Catholic faith, where Jesus embodied both heaven and earth and where we treasure the sacraments as visible signs of God at work in a world of matter and senses. But interestingly, Catholicism is not the only religion to use prayer beads: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and others have their own variations as well. It seems there is something in the human spirit that gravitates to the repetition and tactile nature of this particular prayer aid.
This was a comforting thing for me to discover as my interest in the rosary grew. Despite the fact that I had not memorized all the scripted prayers and felt helpless to keep the different mysteries straight, the universality of prayer beads helped me believe that my desire to cultivate this practice was not in vain. If millions of people throughout the generations and spanning many religious cultures had found value in it or something similar, surely there was spiritual treasure waiting for me with the rosary. Eventually, and completely by surprise, I came across a book written by a non-Christian couple who had cultivated an unlikely spiritual connection with Mary through praying the rosary. OK, I finally told myself, if people who are not even Catholic can pray the rosary in a more or less traditionally Catholic way, then surely I can do it, too, no matter how intimidating it seems. I decided to give it a try.
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 19
I wasn’t the only one calmed by the practice: The repetition stilled my children as well, and like clockwork they would both be asleep by the final Hail Mary.
all, anything worth doing is worth doing wholeheartedly. Had I slipped into the rhythm more easily, it likely would not have impacted me so deeply. It didn’t feel very deep in the beginning. For quite some time, it was a pretty black-and-white way to pray, a near daily experience that was not unwelcome but not particularly transformative either. Most nights I would tuck my preschoolers into their bunk beds, settle into the rocking chair in the corner of their room, reach behind me to pull the wooden rosary from the shoulder of the chair, and commence my recitations without experiencing much on the inside. Yet even though there were no lightning bolts from heaven, there was something about the practice that centered me. As I recited the prayers above the dull murmur of my boys’ whispers and wiggles, I felt the stress of the day slowly leave my mind and body. And I wasn’t the only one calmed by the practice: The repetition stilled my children as well, and like clockwork they would both be asleep by the final Hail Mary. It’s not surprising that praying the rosary fit so seamlessly into my life as a mother. Although plenty of men have benefited from a commitment to the practice, it has been women who have clung most loyally to the little beads throughout the generations. The image of the Catholic grandmother fingering her rosary while working in the kitchen may be cliché, but it is one for a reason. Praying with the rosary is a spiritual discipline that fits what has historically been the female lifestyle, one that revolves around caring for children and the elderly, surrounded by community, or busied with work in the house or kitchen. While women today have many diverse options for how our daily lives look, the women of previous generations spent much of their time in caregiving and homemaking capacities—a way of life that doesn’t easily lend itself to hours of silence and contemplation. In my research I learned there may be reason to believe that discrepancies in prayer approaches can be traced back to the hunting and gathering lifestyle of the ancients. What we typically think of as contemplation—sitting still in silence— may have originated from our male ancestors crouching in quiet solitude for hours while out hunting. Prayer beads, on the other hand, may have emerged from women gathering berries in community with other women and children. While men found themselves alone with hours of silence for meditative prayer, women sought a spiritual practice that could be integrated within the hustle and bustle of their noisier days. Thus, rosaries are a seamless way for a group to pray together in unity or for a woman to pray while stirring a pot of soup with one hand. In my own experience, praying beside my smallest children as they fall asleep is the most natural time in the rhythm of my day.
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A FEMININE PRACTICE
The Joyful Mysteries and Their Fruits traditionally prayed on Mondays and Saturdays
Annunciation: Humility Visitation: Love of Neighbor Nativity of Jesus: Poverty of Spirit The Presentation: Obedience Finding Jesus in the Temple: Piety
JOYFUL
The Sorrowful Mysteries and Their Fruits traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays
Agony in the Garden: Conformity to the Will of God
SORROWFUL
Scourging at the Pillar: Mortification Crowning of Thorns: Moral Courage Carrying the Cross: Patience Crucifixion: Salvation
GLORIOUS
The Glorious Mysteries and Their Fruits traditionally prayed on Sundays and Wednesdays
Jesus’ Resurrection: Faith
LUMINOUS
The Ascension: Hope Descent of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom Assumption of Mary: Devotion to Mary
MYSTERIES
Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Eternal Happiness
The Luminous Mysteries and Their Fruits traditionally prayed on Thursdays
Wedding at Cana: Mary’s Intercession Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom: Repentance and Trust in God Transfiguration: Desire for Holiness
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ISTOCK IMAGES: LEFT: WHITEWAY; RIGHT: EUCALYPTYS
Baptism of Jesus: Openness to the Spirit
Institution of the Eucharist: Adoration StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 21
OPENING TO THE SPIRIT
As the weeks of my rosary experiment turned into months, I slowly began to notice changes in my experience. I began thinking about how any form of prayer can be made into a superstition if we use it as a bartering tool against God. However, if we accept that prayer might not necessarily change circumstances but can always change us, then a world of spiritual growth opens. After half a year of praying a daily rosary, my unconscious state became more free as I spoke the words aloud. I noticed my mind wandering to events of the day or conversations that I’d had, and suddenly I would see them in a slightly new way or arrive at novel insights I’d previously missed. As my mind and spirit gradually relaxed into the repetition, I experienced small but not inconsequential phenomena. One such surprise was the occasional Freudian slip. For example, one particular night when my boys had a hard time winding down, I continued my prayers in the rocking chair while feeling frustrated and annoyed. Firmly resolving to make it through the entire rosary despite their rambunctious chatter, I was surprised that what accidentally came out of my mouth was “Blessed is the fruit of my womb” rather than the prescribed words to Mary, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Caught off guard at my own slip, I immediately felt recentered in love for my kids, no matter how disruptive, awake, and unruly they were. Speaking an unexpected blessing over them brought me back to a sense of affection and gratitude. Moments like those did not happen every time, of course, but I did experience noteworthy thoughts or so-called “lightbulb” moments fairly regularly. The practice of making my unconscious self available to the Holy Spirit made its mark, and I found myself wanting to experience it more and more. AN INVITATION
Shannon K. Evans is a mother of five and author of numerous articles for St. Anthony Messenger, including “After ‘I Do’: Facing the Challenges of Marriage” (September 2021). To learn more about her work, visit ShannonKEvans.com. 22 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
MAMMUTH/ISTOCK
As Christians, many of our religious practices revolve around conscious and intentional actions; we make specific choices like attending Mass, partaking of the sacraments, reading Scripture, and praying through a list of intentions. But we don’t always avail ourselves of the practices that allow the Holy Spirit to invade our consciousness and bring us to greater awareness of our own inner life. There are many such practices within the Catholic tradition: Ignatian prayer, centering prayer, and eucharistic adoration. But praying the rosary might be the most underestimated of them all. For on the surface it may look like mindless repetition—even superstition. But for those who are open to it, the rosary is an invitation for the Spirit to introduce new awareness of God’s presence—and a chance for us to respond to that presence in ways that might permanently change us.
Living as Francis Did What does the Franciscan way of life have to offer laypeople? By Patrick Carolan
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n 2010, I accepted the position of executive director of the Franciscan Action Network (FAN). When I interviewed for the position I was asked about my experiences working with Franciscans. My answer was: “Where I grew up, there was a Franciscan high school. I didn’t attend it, but some of my friends did.” When I was young, my limited understanding of St. Francis centered around the blessing of the animals on his feast day, statues of St. Francis at the birdbath, and the stories the nuns told about St. Francis talking to the birds. When I graduated from high school, two of my friends who attended the Franciscan high school left to enter a Franciscan seminary. My mother challenged me, asking if I was also feeling God calling me to be a Franciscan. My snarky response was, “If God calls me, I am going to tell him he has the wrong number.”
MC KOZUSKO/SAM
FRANCISCAN LIFESTYLE
When I accepted the position at FAN, I was somewhat apprehensive. I had only a rudimentary understanding of who Francis of Assisi was and what it meant to be Franciscan. I decided that if I was going to do this, it had to be more than just a job that I did from 9 to 5 and then went home. It had to be a commitment to a lifestyle. This became especially obvious a week after I accepted the offer, when Sister Margaret Mary Kimmins, the FAN board president, called to tell me they had run out of money and could not afford to pay me. But she hoped I would still take the StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 23
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pull the person back. The Franciscan jumped in the water and realized he had no idea how to swim. Sister Margaret Mary told me not to worry, just jump in the water and trust the Holy Spirit to guide you. She went on to become my good friend and mentor. This decision wasn’t something I could make on my own. Many years earlier, Stella and I formed a life partnership when we fell in love and got married. Our relationship was anything but typical. Stella was a single mom when we first started dating. So our decisions, our lifestyles, our commitments didn’t just involve two adults starting out together; they involved a 7-year-old as well. Stella and I built a very comfortable life together. At the time, we both had good jobs and made decent money. We had a nice house and got to go on vacations to Disney World. Our older daughter, Dina, was thinking about college while our younger daughter, Jenna, was a preteen starting to exert her independence. In short, we were the stereotypical White, comfortable, middle-class family. One day, Stella read an article about the need for foster parents and said, “We should do this.” We didn’t spend a lot of time thinking and discerning; we just jumped into the river. The agency asked us if we would think about taking in two children, a brother and sister who were considered challenging to place as they were a little older and African American. A year later we adopted Delvon and Briana. As Father Murray said in his book The Way of St. Francis, “Francis spent the rest of his life drawing people out from behind the comfortable walls of their boredom.” Our life went from being comfortable to being transformed. We had to rethink our own attitudes and beliefs. St. Clare challenges us to become a mirror of Christ: to reflect Christ in our lives, to help build up the body of Christ through transformation in love. But if we were going to become a mirror of Christ, we first had to look into the mirror. Stella and I realized that we had to rethink parenting. We began to understand that parenting White children was very different from parenting Black children. We never had to have “the talk” with our White children. We didn’t worry about our White children being pulled over by the police for simply driving
TOP RIGHT: SOLANGE Z/ISTOCK; BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF PATRICK CAROLAN
JUMPING INTO THE RIVER
COURTESY OF PATRICK CAROLAN
Patrick Carolan hikes with his daughter Jenna and his son, Delvon, in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. After adopting Delvon and his sister, Briana, Patrick and his wife had to rethink parenting.
position. I guessed that the poverty part was going to start early. But as Father Murray Bodo says of Francis, “Poverty was never an end in itself, but a means to the indwelling of God and a way of life that makes present the kingdom of God.” When I expressed my apprehension to Sister Margaret Mary, she simply said, “Let me share a story.” She told a joke about two priests—a Jesuit and a Franciscan—who were fishing. They noticed a person drowning across the river. The Jesuit started to calculate the wind speed, the water current, how much energy it would take for him to swim out, and how much strength he would need to
while Black or teachers who singled out our Black children whenever there was a disruption in the class. As an activist who regularly participated in marches and rallies, I thought I understood racism. Looking in the mirror, I began to realize that I really didn’t understand. After some discernment, we made a decision not only to adopt Delvon and Briana but to open our home to other children as well. In addition to taking in other foster kids, we welcomed friends of our children who needed a safe haven.
TOP RIGHT: SOLANGE Z/ISTOCK; BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF PATRICK CAROLAN
COURTESY OF PATRICK CAROLAN
INVISIBLE PEOPLE
Francis believed that the Gospels were not a series of static stories about historical events that we read each Sunday so we can feel good about ourselves. The Gospel was and is a way of life. Many of us believe that we first have to be in right relationship with God, which we often equate with piety. Then after we are in right relationship with God, we can work on being in right relationship with creation. But Francis, in his writings and his life, suggests that we must first be in right relationship with all of God’s beautiful and wondrous creation. Only then can we enter into right relationship with God. Stella and I had to think about what that meant. We were already following the Gospel, but were we living the Gospel? Our parish had a program where people would donate clothing for the poor and homeless. We set out collection boxes, and someone would gather them up and take them to a homeless shelter. One day, several of us were sorting through the coats. One of our team mentioned reading about a woman who made a big pot of soup every Sunday and brought it to a bridge where the homeless congregate to serve them. Ann Deennean, who was considered a quiet leader in our church, spoke up. She told us to remember that when St. Francis went to help the lepers, he didn’t bring food and clothes and leave them at the outskirts of the leper colony. He entered into a relationship with them; he listened to their stories and learned their names. In doing so, he was transformed. We decided to stop dropping off stuff at the back door of a homeless shelter and go to the bridge where we could spend time with the homeless people, learn their names, share their stories, and pray with them, not for
them. In doing so, while we were helping the poor, we were becoming like St. Francis. I carried that lesson with me when I moved to Washington, DC. Each morning when I arrived at the Metro station I encountered a homeless man. He had a sign saying he was a homeless vet and needed help. He would stand there saying “Good morning” and “God bless you” to the crowds of people who passed through the station. Sometimes I put a dollar in his can. One morning I stopped and asked him his name. He said it was John and went on to share his story. Every day after that as I was walking into the station I would say, “Good
BOTTOM: Patrick Carolan (center) is flanked by Sister Maria Orlandi, OSF, Father Mike Laskey, Sister Marie Lucey, OSF, and Sister Ann Schult, SSND, at a rally for social justice.
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 25
Stella and I decided that if we were going to be in right relationship with creation—if we were going to “be Franciscan” and really believe in the interconnectedness of creation—we had to start with changes to our own lifestyle. St. Francis lived a life of total ecological integrity. He did not separate the spiritual from the material. He viewed the earth and all nature as God’s creation, a place of continual incarnation. He considered all of creation to be his brothers and sisters.
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COURTESY OF PATRICK CAROLAN (2)
CARE FOR CREATION
Food is a key factor in determining lifestyle. What kind of food we eat, where we get our food, and how we prepare it all help define our relationship with creation. So Stella and I eat a mostly plant-based diet. We try as much as possible to buy all our food locally at farmers’ markets. We get to spend wonderful Saturday mornings meeting with and sharing the stories of the farmers who grow our food. When we sit down and give thanks for our food, we feel more connected knowing where it came from. We also try not to waste food. When we trim our vegetables, we save the ends and skins and make broth. We strain the veggies and add them to our compost. I planted a small garden in my backyard. I had visions of growing lots of vegetables and inviting friends over to share in wonderful feasts from the fruits of my garden. I soon realized that instead I was feeding rabbits, birds, squirrels, and the hedgehog who took up residence under my shed. At first I was angry and started researching ways to keep the critters out. One morning I noticed a squirrel gingerly scooting across the top of my fence so he could get close enough to
OMEGA FOREST/ISTOCK
For St. Francis, prayer was a way of life, a way of being. If I look in the mirror and I don’t see Christ, how can I expect to be the image of Christ to others?
morning, John. How are you today?” One day he said to me: “You know, I am invisible. Every single day I am invisible to thousands of people who pass by me. But not to you. You see me. Why are you different?” After that encounter, I started packing extra peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, and maybe some extra granola bars. As I made my way through DC, I would stop and talk with homeless people, learn their names, listen to their stories, and share my food.
pull a nearly ripe tomato off the vine. I saw birds swoop down and pick up the parts of the tomato that the squirrel had dropped. I spied a rabbit skillfully finding a tiny crack in the fence so she could get in and feed on the spinach leaves. I realized my vision had come true: I had grown a garden and was sharing it with my friends. Stella and I intentionally looked for a place to live that was energy efficient, large enough to offer hospitality to folks who needed a place to stay, and close enough to walk to work and stores. We felt that following in the footsteps of St. Francis meant reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible. So we found a house where we could welcome travelers who were coming to DC with a bed, a good meal, and a glass of wine. We have welcomed folks coming to protest and maybe get arrested with me the next day. Others come in for work or maybe to visit their children at college. Some stay a night, others for a week, and one for almost a year. Some we have known and others we meet for the first time. They all become family when they enter our home. We gave up one of our cars and use the remaining one sparingly. This not only helps the environment but also makes us more aware of our surroundings.
The author and his wife, Stella, volunteer at the Little Portion Farm at St. Anthony Center in Ellicott City, Maryland. The farm uses sustainable farming practices to provide food to people in need.
The Franciscan Action Network Created in 2007, the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) is a collaboration of Franciscan branches in the United States. Currently, more than 50 Franciscan institutions are members of FAN. Based in Washington, DC, its mission is to advocate for public policies that reflect the Franciscan values of peace, justice, and care for creation. Go to FranciscanAction.org for more information.
COURTESY OF PATRICK CAROLAN (2)
OMEGA FOREST/ISTOCK
THE GOSPEL WAY OF LIFE
My parents were Irish Catholic immigrants who came to America in 1950. They got off the boat with nothing: no money, no education, and no real job skills. What they did have was a strong faith and a commitment to justice, like St. Francis. Being Franciscan is not about wearing a brown or gray habit or a Tau cross. It is a way of living, choosing to embrace all creation, not being a passive observer or a victim. For St. Francis, prayer was a way of life, a way of being. If I look in the mirror and I don’t see Christ, how can I expect to be the image of Christ to others? Not everyone is called to be a professed Franciscan. But everyone is called to be Franciscan. Patrick Carolan 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.
The Franciscan Action Network (FAN) advocates for peace, justice, and care for creation. FAN’s former executive director, Patrick Carolan (center), stands with current staff members (left to right) Janine Walsh, Sister Maria Orlandi, Nora Pfeiffer, Sister Marie Lucey, and Jason Miller. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 27
LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM
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Becoming a
PRAYERFUL ACTIVIST F Francis of Assisi was an activist, pacifist, and prophet. In our own ways, we can mirror his revolutionary spirit.
LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM
Rev. Dr. Bruce G. Epperly
rancis of Assisi lived in a God-filled world. For him, the heavens declared the glory of God—and so did sparrows, wolves, and worms. Our cells and souls reflect divine wisdom and are constantly being energized and replenished by God. In a God-saturated world, synchronous events populate our days, if our spirits and senses are open. Around each corner is a burning bush or a ladder of angels for pilgrims of the spirit. But more than that, God wants us to move from mysticism to activism, midwifing and giving birth to God’s vision in our personal lives and public responsibilities. Synchronicities abound for those who live prayerfully, asking for guidance and then listening to God’s wisdom moving through their lives. Francis believed in divine synchronicity and saw it as essential. Surely it was synchronous that Francis showed up at the church of San Damiano and then listened to the guidance he received from God. No doubt it was synchronous for Francis to notice a leper as he traveled the roads of Umbria. Mortified and disgusted by leprosy, Francis may have wished to pass by on the other side of the road. But God’s still, small voice told him to stop, to reach out, and to embrace the man with leprosy. Both the man and Francis were transformed in that moment. But, when Francis looked back as he continued the journey, the leper had disappeared. Francis wondered if the man was Christ in disguise; as he embraced the leper, was he embracing Jesus? Saints and mystics train their senses to be open to God’s presence. In my spiritual companionship with Francis, whether I’m walking Assisi’s roads or Cape Cod’s beaches, I have made a commitment to see God in all things and all things in God. I have exclaimed with Francis and his followers, “My God and all things.” I felt God’s call to pay attention to intuitions, insights, dreams, and encounters, knowing that I may be entertaining angels without knowing it.
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LEFT: FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM; RIGHT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM
age. When we look in the mirror, we may exclaim Sainthood can be a blessing and a curse. Servant of God in disbelief: “Me, a saint? Are you kidding?” Dorothy Day, the social activist, spiritual guide, and one of BE THE CHANGE the founders of the Catholic Worker Movement, protested Within the limitations of against those who admired life, our gifts are lived out her generous and saintly spirit: and expand as we devote “Don’t call me a saint,” she ourselves to prayerful once said. “I don’t want to be activism. Still, we ask, dismissed that easily.” recognizing our fallibilDay recognized that saints ity and limitations: Who could be categorized as so am I to be a saint or a heavenly minded that they are mystic? Who am I with perceived to be of no earthly my temptations, impagood. Untouched by domestic tience, and intolerance to life, saints can be discarded be in God’s presence and as irrelevant to the challenges claim my role as God’s most of us face daily: raising companion in healing the a family, working, and politiearth? What can I do? The cal involvement. challenges are so great, Beneath her protestation, and I am so small! though, Day believed that God Saints and mystics often called everyone to spiritual feel unprepared for their greatness through embodying calling. Isaiah shrank as he our faith in daily life. “We are encountered God, whose Dorothy Day’s devotion to the poor and marginalized through the Catholic all called to be saints,” she once Worker Movement won her praise, but she chafed at being labeled a saint. glory fills all creation, affirmed. “We might as well get “Woe is me! I am doomed! over our bourgeois fear of the For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people name. We might also get used of unclean lips, and my eyes to recognizing the fact there is We need saints and mystics for our have seen the King, the Lord some of the saint in all of us. time, and we need to claim our unique of hosts!” Cleansed by an Inasmuch as we are growing, mysticism and sainthood as we confront angelic touch, but still filled putting off the old man and putwith a sense of inadequacy, ting on Christ, there is some of the crises of the 21st century. Isaiah hears the voice of God the saint, the holy, right here.” saying, “Whom shall I send? Francis would have agreed Who will go for us?” With with Day’s vision of activistfull cognizance of his imperfections and limitations, Isaiah sainthood. Francis always turned people to Christ, chalclaims his vocation as God’s prophet, a mystical activist sent lenging them to follow Jesus’ path of service, sacrifice, and to heal his nation, “Here am I . . . send me!” (Is 6:8). hospitality. Like John the Baptist, his vocation was to live the Isaiah wasn’t the only one who questioned his calling. message of Jesus and point others to the pathway of discipleJeremiah protested his youth and inexperience. Paul strugship, whether as monks or householders. gled with his past. Peter wrestled with God’s call to welcome Another activist-mystic, Simone Weil, boldly challenges strangers and foreigners. Francis constantly struggled with us to claim our own saintly and mystical activism: “Today the temptations of the flesh and later his desire to mold and it is not merely enough to be a saint, but we must have the maintain the religious order he founded in his image. Saints saintliness demanded by the present moment, a new saintliand mystics are not perfect. Their primary qualification is ness without precedent . . . a new revelation of the universe that they have—in fear and trembling and doubt and wonand of human destiny.” der—said yes to encountering the living God and to followGod calls us to mystical activism, a deep-rooted spiritualing God’s path in their lives. ity inspired by our encounters with God and commitment Francis followed suit. He told his followers to walk on the to our spiritual practices, to bring beauty and healing to the good earth, forsaking the privilege and comfort of horseworld. Walking in the footsteps of Francis and Clare, we are back riding. He didn’t want his followers to be separated and called to be mystics of the here and now, not some distant
COURTESY OF MILWAUKEE JOURNAL, FEBRUARY 1968
MYSTICS HERE AND NOW
St. Francis of Assisi encouraged his brothers to forsake comfort for a higher calling. For all of their needs, he taught, God would provide.
superior to ordinary working-class people. To be a saint is to plunge into the intricate and wondrous interdependence of life. It is about knowing our utter dependence on God and the bounty of creation for every breath and for the energy to share in God’s vision. Saints rejoice in their common humanity, knowing that God’s word becomes flesh in fallible and ambivalent persons like ourselves. We need saints and mystics for our time, and we need to claim our unique mysticism and sainthood as we confront the apparently insurmountable crises of the 21st century: climate change and species destruction, starvation and poverty, political unrest, pluralism, the growing gap between the wealthy and poor, the identification of materialistic success with self-worth, and the threat of pandemics challenging the rugged individualism of persons and nations. We need to recognize that we can be the change we want to see in the world through joining mystical moments with acts of activism and kindness.
LEFT: FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM; RIGHT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM
COURTESY OF MILWAUKEE JOURNAL, FEBRUARY 1968
Rev. Dr. Bruce G. Epperly has served as a congregational pastor, university chaplain, professor, and seminary administrator for over 40 years. He is currently the senior pastor of South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Centerville, Massachusetts. He lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with his wife, Rev. Dr. Katherine Gould Epperly, his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.
This article was adapted from Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism (Franciscan Media).
To order a copy go to:
Shop.FranciscanMedia.org.
For 20% off, use code: SAMWalking
Breathing in the Peace Prayer Though not written by him, this prayer attributed to St. Francis reflects the spirit of the 13th-century saint. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love; For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Take a few minutes each morning to breathe deeply, opening to God’s spirit energizing, enlivening, and inspiring you. Experience God’s spirit giving life to your cells as well as your soul. After a few moments, read the prayer slowly and meditatively. Let the prayer soak in, permeating your spirit and guiding your steps throughout the day. You may choose to carry the prayer with you or post it where you can see it during the day. When you find yourself straying from your sense of God’s vision for your life, return gently to the prayer without judgment, opening again to its guidance for your spiritual path. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 31
A FRIAR FOR PEOPLE
As the nation battles an opioid crisis, Father M.J. Groark shares his story in hopes of showing others a path to recovery and redemption.
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hen Michael Joseph (M.J.) Groark found the Capuchin Friars, he knew he was home. He felt called to pursue a vocation to the priesthood, but he worried they might not let him enter. Covered in tattoos, he had “a hell of a backstory,” as he puts it, centered around his addiction to opioids, heroin, and other substances. But after hearing M.J.’s story of addiction and recovery, sin and redemption, a friar told him, “You’re going to help so many people.” Father M.J. was vested in the habit in 2009 and ordained a Capuchin priest on December 7, 2019. Currently based in Chicago, he serves as the vocation director for the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. Today, he gives talks to parish groups and other ministries on his backstory, which he says he receives many requests for, given the opioid crisis in the United States today. “You name it. I’ve done it. I’ve been to the gates of hell,” Father M.J. says. Through those darkest days, his parents’ newfound Catholic faith sustained them and would provide a lifeline to M.J. Today he testifies to the transformation that took root the day he tagged along for Mass and experienced the presence of Jesus in a palpable way.
‘A RECKLESS EXISTENCE’
Raised Lutheran in Sacramento, California, Father M.J. grew up in a “poor, rough neighborhood.” His parents, however, worked hard to shield him and his brothers from negative influences and give them a happy childhood. They raised them to know the Bible and Jesus. M.J.’s introduction to drugs came in high school in Portland, Oregon. He thought he would convert the school for Jesus but quickly learned that wasn’t the way to be popular with his classmates. “That was the first time in my life where I realized how easy it is to compartmentalize God, morality, my value system, in order to feel accepted,” he recalls. He got into sports and cliques, and his interest in God waned. “Then I got into my experimental phase. About the 10th grade, I found out what marijuana was like and drinking and chasing girls,” Father M.J. recalls. For many young people, these phases are temporary, but for others they can be the start of a dark trajectory. “That sort of harmless, experimental phase for me went from zero to 100 real quick,” says Father M.J. By his sophomore and junior years, he was “experimenting with every substance out there”—hallucinogens, amphetamines, alcohol.
Story by Joyce Duriga Photography by Karen Callaway 32 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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making his dad proud. But around this time, in 2002, things began to turn. One day a friend told M.J. about a new drug that hit the streets called OxyContin and showed him how to chop and snort it. “The first pill that I did was like heaven, or at least what I thought heaven would be like,” he recalls. “That’s how evil this stuff is. It just embraced me totally and made me feel like Superman—and loved, I suppose.” He quickly became hooked on OxyContin, taking multiple pills a day, unable to stop. Soon, he mixed the pills with other drugs in order to get the same high. Friends overdosed and died during this time, but M.J. thought he was invincible. Then the drugs started to become more expensive and harder to get. At this point, M.J. started calling in sick to work, and the image he was so careful to maintain was slipping. Then another friend approached him with a street-level heroin. “I immediately found relief. Those were much easier to get. I was doing up to 10 balloons of heroin a day. I was
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“I was just living a reckless kind of existence,” Father M.J. recalls. Yet he was able to fool everyone into thinking that he was OK. “I was very good at wearing masks. I would show up to church a couple of times a month in my Sunday-best clothes and make my parents think everything was great,” says Father M.J. “I was getting 4.0 grades at school, honor roll, the whole nine yards. I was a magician at life. No one knew who the real me was and the trouble I was getting into.” At 16, M.J. started his first job at one of the camera stores his father oversaw as a district manager. He was a natural at both photography and sales, quickly becoming a top salesperson. All the while he continued to live in extremes. “On the weekends, I was getting blackout drunk and high. I started selling drugs and running with gang members, living this crazy lifestyle that no one knew was bubbling in the background,” Father M.J. says. Dealing drugs gave him more money to spend on using substances and partying, and it made him popular with
Out to din n hiding his er with family in 20 battle wit h addictio 04, M.J. Groark (l eft) n from his loved one was s.
dent with
At the time of M.J.’s high school graduation in 2001, his descent into addiction was accelerating.
his peers. He did so well in school he was on the verge of graduating early. He was also earning good money working for his dad. “The day I graduated high school I was basically making more money than any of my teachers just on my salary alone. I was very cocky and prideful,” Father M.J. remembers. A DANGEROUS DESCENT
The day after graduation, he was promoted to manager of a store in Portland, Oregon, that grossed $5 million annually. He oversaw a staff of a dozen. At the same time, he continued dealing and taking more dangerous drugs. He worked at the store during the day and spent the nights partying. He was promoted two more times, 34 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
A+ stu .J. was an M , 6 1 e . ag tography above at Pictured ing talent for pho a blossom
able to kind of maintain this for a while, maybe a few more months,” still calling in sick and making excuses. It all came to a head when his dad confronted him at work. It turned out his father was investigating him and had proof that his son was embezzling from the company. “My dad is a strong man, a strong businessman, and he began to weep. That was a shocking moment for me, seeing my dad just cry,” Father M.J. says. His father called him out and asked if he was on drugs. Instead of admitting what he had done and asking for help, he turned his back on his father and his promising future. “I’m standing there high on heroin, full of ego, and I remember being just like, ‘I don’t have time to listen to you, old man. I don’t need this crap.’”
ALL PHOTOS ON THESE TWO PAGES: COURTESY OF GROARK FAMILY ARCHIVES
The newly ordained Father M.J. Groark performs his first priestly blessing upon his mother, Anna, who had seen him rise from the ashes of addiction.
His father fired him, and within 90 days the bank took everything he owned. M.J. ended up living on the streets of Portland. “The last conversation that I had with either of my parents was when my dad fired me. I was so embarrassed and so addicted to heroin that I spent the next two years just eating out of trash cans, robbing people, and engaging in terrible behavior,” he says. For a period of time, he was with a woman who engaged in prostitution to support herself. A MOTHER’S PRAYER
When M.J. was a junior in high school, his parents had converted to Catholicism. While their son was on the streets not communicating with them, they were growing deeper in
On the day of his ordination in 2019, Father M.J. is pictured surrounded by his family in St. Francis of Assisi Church in Milwaukee.
their faith. In 2006, they decided to take a pay cut and move from Vancouver, Washington, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to work for a Catholic religious goods store. Their faith got them through the dark times when their son was on the streets, feeding his addiction. “Our faith was all we had,” says Anna Groark, Father M.J.’s mother. “We prayed almost constantly for several years. I went to daily Mass, asked everyone I could to pray for him.” On the day of their move to Milwaukee, Anna went back into the empty house. She pictured her son and put him in the hands of Mary at the foot of the cross. She asked Mary to either put her son in jail or take him to heaven because then she’d know he was safe. “I did not feel peace, however, until the night I prayed StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 35
Father M.J. celebrates Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, Indiana.
36 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
for Mother Mary to intercede on his behalf that he would Genesis was run by the city of Milwaukee and didn’t be delivered from whatever hell he was in, whatever that charge for treatment. “It was hell on earth, and it saved my meant—either recovery or death,” Anna says today. “I felt life,” recalls Father M.J. “It was just the most amazing gift that even death would be better than not knowing where he God could give me to be in this place.” was or what condition he would be in.” He spent about two months there. When he was released, Around this same time, M.J. hit bottom. his parents thought he was going to disappear again or seek “I just had this moment of clarity that this was enough. out drugs. But he surprised them by saying he was tired of So I hustled up enough change to make a phone call being miserable and asked that they take him to their church. because we had pay phones back then. I got 35 cents and I knew my dad’s cell phone ‘JESUS IS HERE’ number by heart.” They took him to noon Mass It is a day he at the Basilica of St. Josaphat, will never forget. which is run by Conventual “My dad picks up the Franciscans, and left him in phone and that’s the first the back while they went to the time we had heard each front for Mass. It turned out to other’s voices in two years. be another pivotal moment. It was 3 p.m. in Milwaukee, “I’m sitting in the very last and they were on their knees pew, just totally broken and praying the Divine Mercy ashamed,” he remembers. “For Chaplet for my deliverance.” some reason when I saw the His parents asked M.J. priest with the Eucharist in where he was and sent his his hand, it was the most real brothers who still lived thing I’ve ever experienced. in Portland to pick him I thought, Jesus is truly here. up. They took him to the Christ is present on this altar airport and on a plane fully and substantially. I didn’t bound for Milwaukee. All know that intellectually, but I the while, he was detoxing knew it in my gut.” He remembers feeling from the drugs. an invitation to ask Jesus He remembers getfor forgiveness. ting off the plane wearing “Every fiber and molecule the clothes he had been in my body just said, ‘Run to in for months. He had a him as fast as you can,’” Father Some of Father M.J.’s tattoos are covered up, while others prominently feature thick beard and no laces M.J. recalls. “I didn’t know on his duct-taped shoes. religious imagery, a testament to his spiritual evolution over time. what that meant, or I didn’t At first, his mom walked even know what Catholics right past him because she were, but I was 100 percent convinced that God was calling didn’t recognize him. me to something.” His parents had prayed hard for their son to come He held that in his heart and cried. Next, M.J. started back to them and, when their prayers were answered, they getting his life together. He got a job and paid rent to his parwere overwhelmed. ents. He attended therapy and 12-step meetings. Eventually “We knew M.J. was in trouble, but we did not know that M.J. told his parents he wanted to become Catholic. the trouble was heroin until the evening before he arrived,” “On Easter Sunday 2007, I stood at the altar at St. Francis Anna recalls. “I spent the night trying to figure out what to Church in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and I got confirmed and do with a heroin addict. It’s not something that you would I received my first Eucharist,” he says. “My parents are like ever think you need to know.” levitating just watching their prodigal son come into the They took him to their apartment and started calling Church.” Unbeknownst to his parents, when they took M.J. rehabs. They had trouble finding a place to take him because to Mass that first day he was out of rehab, God had started he had no insurance, there were waiting lists, and some were calling him to the priesthood. He broke the news on the way too expensive. So his parents said a rosary. home from Mass the day he was received into the Church. “I’m shaking and screaming and wailing, and they are His father almost wrecked the car. praying for me,” says Father M.J. “The next click of a mouse That started a discernment period where M.J. explored on Google took my mom to a website for a place called becoming a priest for the archdiocese and also visited some Genesis in Milwaukee.” StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 37
“Every fiber and molecule in my body just said, religious orders. Nothing supposed to be.” ‘Run to him as fast as you can.’ I didn’t know felt right. But one day he “We were so what that meant, or I didn’t even know what saw Franciscan Father thrilled,” recalls his Benedict Groschel talkmother. “I was a conCatholics were, but I was 100 percent coning about Father Solanus vert to Catholicism vinced that God was calling me to something.” Casey. He spent that and Michael [my —Father M.J. Groark whole night searching husband] was a online for everything revert. We had he could find about raised our children Solanus, the Capuchins, and St. Francis of Assisi. “I started in the Lutheran tradition. I honestly never thought any of reading about Francis and I was just enthralled. I fell madly our three boys would be Catholic.” Now all three of her in love with this man.” sons are Catholic. He emailed the Capuchin vocation director and met Father M.J. knows he is one of the lucky ones to come out with him the next day. “He brought me to the friary in on the other side of opioid addiction. His is a story of hope Chicago, and immediately I knew this was where I was when so many lives are lost to opioid addiction each year, one he feels called to share with others. “It’s a story about metanoia and it’s a story about God,” he explains. “I’m the key player in this particular narrative, but really it tells me something about who God is, about God’s mercy and grace and patience, his commitment to me.” Joyce Duriga is the editor of Chicago Catholic, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Karen Callaway is Chicago Catholic’s photo editor. INSET: Father M.J. dries a plate while on kitchen duty with two fellow friars at the St. Clare Friary in Chicago. BELOW: Father M.J. chats with Anthony Brown, bread truck coordinator for Port Ministries in Chicago, which provides food for those in need.
38 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
Brother Rohr may just take you to places you’ve both avoided and longed for, to truth, union, joy, laughter, and, greatest of all, to your own precious self, here on earth with us, child of God. —Anne Lamott, from the foreword
Break negative patterns and experience greater internal freedom.
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By Erika Glover
Ten Percent Happier Find it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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here is a great divide between money and Listening to Ten Percent Happier has happiness. We have been asked the ageexposed this reviewer to many different phiold question, “Would you rather be rich or losophies and worldviews, equipping me with happy?” as a common mindfulness exercise. knowledge I wouldn’t have otherwise. As a The answer is (or should be) that of desired recent college graduate, I was able to relate to happiness, not wealth. On his podcast, Ten the topics and reflect while listening, espePercent Happier, author and cially because of the down-toABC news anchor Dan Harris earth nature in which Harris explores the ins and outs of asks his questions. An important happiness in all its forms, oriListeners might especially topic explored in gins, and explanations. enjoy recent episodes about the podcast is the In the over 350 podcast self-compassion, the idea of difference beepisodes, Harris interviews goodness, and the science of tween empathy experts from all walks of life, happiness. An important topic and compassion, including His Holiness the explored in the podcast is the how we can be 14th Dalai Lama, Western difference between empathy happier by bethought leaders, scientists, and compassion, how we can and celebrities. The episodes be happier by being more ing more comexplore topics such as social compassionate and connected, passionate and anxiety, cultural bias, creativwhat we misunderstand about connected. ity, pain management, produclove, and a more scientific tivity, relationships, and many definition for that culturthings in between. ally loaded term. Harris is real and relatable in sharing with The podcast has been met with great suchis audience that he once suffered a panic cess, finding its way into millions of houseattack on live television, and he delves into the holds with a legion of followers. In fact, last depths of mental health and the journey to August, Harris left his post at Good Morning happiness and wholeness. While this podcast America to focus on this podcast and its isn’t explicitly religious, it does explore the greater mission. The community, dubbed science behind what happiness is and how we the “Ten Percent,” has a mobile app with can train our minds toward calm, generosity, resources ranging from meditations to teachcompassion, and connection. Listeners will ings and recordings to promote peace, happileave with tangible ways to apply these pracness, and stress reduction. Find out more at tices in their lives. TenPercent.com.
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By Christopher Heffron
Naomi Osaka Netflix
In Case You Missed It
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hese new and hidden gems are also available on Netflix for autumn streaming.
THE MOVIES THAT MADE US
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eloved classics Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, Jurassic Park, and Forrest Gump made over $2 billion in box office receipts. But it’s their cultural influence that matters. This raucous series looks at how these four movies changed the cinematic landscape—and us as well. • TV-MA
TOP LEFT: CC0 4.0 INTL./ANDREW HENKELMAN; TOP RIGHT: CC0 2.0 GEN./PETER MENZEL; FAR RIGHT: COURTESY NETFLIX (3)
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apan’s Naomi Osaka is a dichotomy. On the tennis court, the four-time grand slam champion is a terror, with a blistering serve and punishing groundstrokes. Off the court, however, she blends into the wallpaper. And for sports fans, that is a disconnect we cannot easily reconcile. We want our heroes to always be “on.” But Osaka, we’re learning, isn’t wired to be a celebrity, and that is the narrative thread throughout Netflix’s three-part docuseries. Osaka, 23, made headlines last May during the French Open when she withdrew from the tournament over what she felt were harmful press conferences following matches. Seeking to protect her mental health even further, she withdrew from Wimbledon a month later. In the tennis world, perhaps in all professional sports, this was unheard of. Elite athletes aren’t designed to crack under pressure, right? Wrong. As this docuseries illustrates, Osaka, Tom Brady, Nelly Korda, Kevin Durant—any athlete who performs on the world stage—are not machines. They have valleys. They can break. But rarely have we seen a marquee player step out of the game entirely to tend to his or her mental health. In that respect, Osaka is a trailblazer. In fact, gymnast Simone Biles followed suit and pulled out of several events in the Tokyo Olympics last summer for the same reason. Both women show that when your spirit is hurting, your sport is secondary. The docuseries takes a measured look at Osaka off the court and addresses her upbringing, her blended heritage (her father is Haitian; her mother is Japanese), her friendships and family, and her grueling touring schedule. What we learn is that family, consistency, and authentic inner peace are paramount to Osaka. “For so long, I’ve tied winning to my worth as a person,” she says in the first episode. By the series’ end, what we are witnessing is not a study of a woman recoiling from the limelight but the rebirth of a battered spirit in full bloom. • TV-14
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DOWNTON ABBEY
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inally! PBS’ impeccable family drama about an aristocratic family in Yorkshire and the servants who work for them is available to binge on Netflix. The upstairs/ downstairs drama is good (if exhausting) fun and is anchored by a career-defining turn from Maggie Smith. She steals every scene. • TV-14
MURDER AMONG THE MORMONS
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his docuseries looks at the life and crimes of Mark Hofmann, a con man and convicted murderer who forged historical documents connected to the Latterday Saints. Murder Among the Mormons takes a bold look at Hofmann’s crimes and how their ripples still reverberate today. • TV-14 StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 41
CULTURE
By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
about
FILMS SOCIAL ACTIVISM Just Mercy (2019) Restrepo (2010) Cries from Syria (2017) Cesar’s Last Fast (2014) Last Call at the Oasis (2011)
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WANT MORE? Visit our website: StAnthonyMessenger.org
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ammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain) meets Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) when they attend the same Bible college in Minnesota. In 1961, they marry and move to South Carolina, where they begin a traveling ministry. They cross the country as a Gospel act: Tammy Faye sings and plays the accordion, while Jim preaches. In 1964, the couple creates a puppet ministry for Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Robertson (Gabriel Olds) tells Jim that if the puppet show is a success, he can host a late-night show, The 700 Club. After the Bakkers leave CBN, they cofound the Trinity Broadcasting Network in California in 1973. Soon the partners have a disagreement, and the Bakkers move to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they begin the PTL Club, a late-night talk show. This grows into the first Christian Satellite Network and reaches 120 million people a year. The Bakkers build their headquarters in Fort Mill, South Carolina, which includes Heritage USA, a Christian-themed amusement park. Jim is investigated by the FCC and the IRS for fraud and misuse of donated funds. While Tammy Faye has a brief affair with a musician, Jim is accused of paying off Jessica Hahn, who claims she was raped by Bakker and another PTL staffer. Roe Messner (Sam Jaeger), who is deeply involved in the Bakkers’ business affairs, delivers the hush money. Jerry Falwell (Vincent D’Onofrio) assures the Bakkers he will handle the situation. But he breaks his promise, and the PTL ministry is lost. In addition to telling the story of the Bakkers and the history of televangelism, the film offers a nuanced portrait of Tammy Faye. It looks beyond the makeup, hairstyle, and wardrobe to the heart of a good woman with a simple message: “God loves you just the way you are.” She was the first televangelist to interview a gay man and pastor with AIDS on live television, thus reaching out to the LGBTQ community. Chastain’s compelling performance is filled with empathy. She believes Tammy Faye’s legacy is needed more today than ever before, as the actress told me in an interview. Garfield inhabits the role of Jim Bakker in all his moral complexity. Jerry Falwell’s well-documented homophobia is conveyed by D’Onofrio in a commanding performance. This award-worthy film is based on a 2000 documentary of the same name.
Not yet rated, PG-13 • Some sexual content and drug use.
42 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
CODA: COURTESY OF APPLE TV+; NOT GOING QUIETLY: PEOPLE’S TELEVISION INC.
Sister Rose’s FAVORITE
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE: SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES/EPK.TV.COM (2)
Sister Rose is a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. She has been the awardwinning 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.
NOT GOING QUIETLY
T CODA
CODA: COURTESY OF APPLE TV+; NOT GOING QUIETLY: PEOPLE’S TELEVISION INC.
LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE: SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES/EPK.TV.COM (2)
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uby Rossi (Emilia Jones) lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her tight-knit deaf family: parents Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant). Ruby is a CODA, which means a “child of deaf adults.” The family owns and operates a fishing boat, but the man who owns the cooperative where the fishermen sell their catch doesn’t pay well. As the Rossi family struggles financially, Ruby auditions for the school choir and begins to dream of studying music in college. Her teacher, Mr. Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez), says he will help Ruby win a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music because she sings so well. Ruby’s decision to leave the family who depends on her to mediate the deaf culture and hearing world upsets them. She insists that they must let her go. But when Frank, Leo, and others decide to form their own cooperative, their dependence on Ruby increases. One day when Ruby is not with them, they fail to stop their boat for a Coast Guard inspection because they cannot hear the radio call. They are now mandated to always have a hearing person onboard, leaving Ruby more conflicted than ever. CODA is a beautiful and loving coming-of-age comedy-drama that lets us inside the deaf culture and the challenges of being a hearing child of deaf parents. Ruby’s audition for Berklee is a moment of pure cinematic grace. Jones, who is excellent as Ruby, studied American Sign Language for nine months to prepare for the role. Matlin, who is still the only deaf person to win an Oscar (Children of a Lesser God), insisted that all deaf characters be played by deaf actors. Writer/director Sian Heder agreed.
A-3, PG-13 • Some sexuality, language, and fighting. 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
Source: USCCB.org/movies
his new documentary tells the story of social justice activist and attorney Ady Barkan. In 2016, at the age of 32, he is diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. As the disease progresses, Ady continues his activism for health care for all. On a flight home from Washington, DC, in 2017, he overhears another activist, Liz Jaff, talking about her use of social media in political campaigns. They quicky hatch an idea when they realize that Senator Jeff Flake is on the same flight. They challenge him to “be a hero” and vote in favor of health care. The video of the encounter goes viral. Ady and Liz decide to work together and fix up an RV to accommodate Ady’s wheelchair and go on a multistate tour to promote their “Be a Hero” campaign. Its purpose is to motivate people to demand health care justice from their elected officials. Not Going Quietly is inspiring, funny, and filled with good people who blend activism and assisting Ady in day-to-day living. It is also a guide on how to speak truth to power when the dignity of human persons and the common good are at stake. Ady is the first person to address a Senate hearing about health care for all using augmentative (eye-activated computer) communication because he was no longer able to speak.
Not yet rated • Language. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 43
POINTSOFVIEW | FAITH AND FAMILY
By Susan Hines-Brigger
Bridging the Generation Gap Her generation has a point. Older generations do tend to dismiss the challenges, insights, or ideas of the younger generations, citing their lack of experience. So they are not all wrong in their perspective. But they’re also not completely right either. THE OTHER SIDE
Susan welcomes your comments and suggestions! EMAIL: CatholicFamily@ FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Faith and Family 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
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OK, boomer.” That’s what my daughter said to me the other week when she was helping me set up my new phone. When she said it, I was confused. I had simply been telling her how lucky she was to have all this technology because, when I was her age, we only had one phone on the wall in the kitchen for my two sisters and me to use. And I am certainly not a member of the baby boomer generation. I am a very proud, card-carrying member of Generation X, the forgotten generation. I could tell she meant the expression in a playful way, but I also know my kids well enough to read between the lines. And in that space was a sense of exhaustion of hearing about “the old days” and how much easier this generation has it. Beneath that phrase lies a tension between the generations that is not going away. If you were to ask members of older generations what they thought about kids today, you might hear words like “entitled,” “weak,” or “irresponsible.” On the flip side, younger generations tend to see their elders as intolerant, selfish, and out of touch. Still, I was interested to know what she thought the expression meant. She told me it was a term people of her generation (Generation Z, or “Zoomers”) and other generations (millennials and Generation Alpha) use to refer to older people’s apparent lack of understanding of things that seem second nature to her generation. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase OK, boomer is “a viral Internet slang phrase used, often in a humorous or ironic manner, to call out or dismiss out-of-touch or close-minded opinions associated with the baby boomer generation and older people more generally.”
44 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
MEET IN THE MIDDLE
That is the problem, though. Suddenly, these discussions become territorial, with both sides lobbing generalizations at each other and defending their generation. Those kinds of conversations paint entire generations with one broad stroke. Sure, there are people in both age groups who might fall into these stereotypes. But that is not everyone, and to think that way isn’t fair. All of us need to remember that. I talked to my daughter about this divide and the lack of understanding between our generations. Surprisingly, she listened. Then I listened—without talking—to her. And I truly heard her and her concerns and perspective. So how do we keep this conversation going? Well, moving forward, perhaps we older generations could present our insights and opinions in a less imposing and more open way. And the younger generations could help us and talk with us in a more understanding and open way. Hint: Phrases like “OK, boomer” are not going to help. The bottom line is that boomers and Zoomers each have something important to offer our world. Let’s take advantage of it.
TOP RIGHT: COURTESY ERIKA GLOVER; MIDDLE: DELPIXART;
Susan has worked at St. Anthony Messenger for 27 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.
There is the other side to this generational back-and-forth. For instance, without members of Generation X, there would be no beloved smartphones. It was the baby boomers who brought us the Internet and fought for many societal changes such as women’s rights and civil rights. Sometimes younger people see things as “back in the day,” but they fail to see that those things have a direct effect on their lives now. And all that experience we’ve earned and tell you about? It does have worth. And it could prevent you from making some of the same mistakes we made. Take that, Zoomers.
TOP FAR LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP: HISPANOLISTIC/ISTOCK
Susan Hines-Brigger
FAITH and FAMILY
A DIFFERENT GENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
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’ve lived in two centuries, four decades, and two millennia, and I’m only 22 years old. Having been born in the year 1999 has made my life full of interesting assumptions. Those of us born in or around that year find ourselves recently graduated from college, finishing up our education, or navigating the first few years of postgrad life. There are those of us who call ourselves millennials and those who call ourselves Generation Z. But, for me, it seems I’m somewhere in between. The generations above and below me have some sort of problem with each other, and I don’t seem to resonate with either. Being born in 1999 means we can’t call ourselves ’90s babies because we were only a year old, but being a 2000s baby means something completely different, according to the stereotypes. We were born in a year that allowed us to live through 9/11 but not remember it, to grow up while the Internet became a household commodity, but also remember having a limit of only 30 texts a month and a flip phone. We grew up in a time in which older generations say, “We had it easier,” but no one accounts for the toll that technology has taken on our mental health. Being a 20-something in 2021 means a lot of things. But if there’s something we do well, it’s being passionate and connected: a passion for change and a desire to be connected.
COUNTERING STEREOTYPES
In a negative way, though, this can be viewed as our generation being lazy and overly sensitive, especially the portion of our age group that is closely Erika Glover related to Gen Z. We are told time and time again that “back in my day, we didn’t have all this fancy technology to do things for us.” And while I have to agree, the idea of an encyclopedia doesn’t sound thrilling, and the easy spread of false information isn’t all that grand either. We are told we are devoid of faith, but we desire change and growth in our world, having deep faith in what we expect of our peers. We find ourselves at a crossroads, one side of us relating to the millennials’ McDonald’s PlayPlaces, cartoons, and video store runs before sleepovers. But on the other hand, like most Zoomers, we are extremely individualistic and have our minds set on making a difference to change the world. It seems my generation is the gap between two—one might say the best of both worlds. Being born in a world before smartphones and living to see how a pandemic impacts school and job interviews, you could say we’ve been preparing for “the real world” this whole time, and we didn’t even know it. —Erika Glover
TOP RIGHT: COURTESY ERIKA GLOVER; MIDDLE: DELPIXART; FRIAR PETE BRAINTEASER: BOB VOJTKO
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) ANSWERS: 1) The dog’s collar has studs on it. 2) There are only two bricks visible on the wall. 3) The cat doesn’t have whiskers. 4) The shadow in the door is slanted the opposite way. 5) Friar Pete’s finger isn’t visible on the door. 6) The stone on the top of the doorframe is larger. 7) The bird’s other wing is showing. 8) Part of sister’s veil is not visible.
TOP FAR LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP: HISPANOLISTIC/ISTOCK
Fr i a r Pe te & Re pe at
StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 45
LET US PRAY
reflect | pray | act
Stephen Copeland is a storyteller and an Indiana native who now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He recently published his first memoir, Where the Colors Blend, about his journey from doubt and despair to a place of faith and hope. He’s been published widely in this magazine and at FranciscanMedia.org. You can follow his work at CopelandWrites.com.
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ow do I begin writing about prayer when I have not felt like praying? It’s not that I’m angry at God. It’s not that I’m indifferent to prayer. But sometimes there’s a heaviness to suffering that only silence can hold. There are times when words fall short. Instead of rising from my lips, as my prayers once did, now they sink like stones, collecting on the ocean floor of my family’s pain. The tide betrays a rocky shore, remnants of my efforts, all those sunken words. In the morning, I’ll cast them into the ocean again. Grief, in this sense, is pure mysticism. There is a weight to my words because my mom passed away unexpectedly last February. She was 60 years old—healthy with no existing medical conditions. But her pure and loving heart stood no match against a cardiac arrhythmia that took her in her sleep. Just a few months before, we were dancing on my wedding day, all three of her and Dad’s children to be married within the same year. We felt that her best days awaited her, before a seeming glitch in the grand design stole her away. As I write this, having found out two days ago that my wife and I will be having a child,
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46 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
I am simultaneously filled with wonder over the miracle of life and with a deep ache that just one more year with my mom would have fulfilled her dream of becoming a grandmother. Some dreams will never be. There is no why, no explanation, no resolve. These are our own crucifixions. So, what does prayer look like when words fall short, in the anguish of our own Garden of Gethsemane? What happens when our words sink into a dense expanse and are coughed up with the tide? DESERT HEALING
Last summer, my wife and I finally went on our long-awaited honeymoon that the pandemic delayed. One day, the blazing sun in Sedona, Arizona, rose above the red rocks and invited us to a day of hiking. We soon discovered that surrounding wildfires had forced authorities to close the parks and trails. We drove around dismayed, then saw a sign for a placed called the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Why not check it out? Our day’s plans had been derailed anyway. When we walked into the chapel overlooking the red rock buttes and scorching sandstone, not even the scrambling tourists
LOWER RIGHT: RAPIDEYE/ISTOCK; LOWER MIDDLE: COURTESY OF STEPHEN COPELAND
Stephen Copeland
When Words Fall Short
TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF STEPHEN COPELAND; BPTTOM: PAWEL.GAUL
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By Stephen Copeland
LOWER RIGHT: RAPIDEYE/ISTOCK; LOWER MIDDLE: COURTESY OF STEPHEN COPELAND
TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF STEPHEN COPELAND; BPTTOM: PAWEL.GAUL
and blatant disregard for “no photos” signs in the chapel could drown my awe. As beautiful as the chapel and its location were, what captured my gaze was the 30-foot bronze crucifix raised high. It was almost as if Jesus’ broken body flowed downward into the golden trunk of a tree that climbed upward. Its branches stretched above Christ’s head, adorned with 12 leaves, paralleling St. Bonaventure’s image of the Tree of Life. Here was paradise and trauma intertwined, victory and horror colliding, Eden and Golgotha flowing outward into this very moment in time. Somehow, it was enough. We sat in a pew, somewhat distracted by the couple taking a selfie at the crucifix as if it were a national monument. “Should we light a candle for your mom?” my wife eventually asked. “Yeah,” I said, rising to my feet. I lit the wick of a votive candle. My wife held my arm and asked, “Do you want to say a prayer?” “No,” I responded. I did not have the words. Somewhat self-conscious that I could not even offer up a prayer for my own mother, we exited the chapel. I stopped when I saw a humble green statue that no one seemed to notice. It was St. Francis, always seeming to show
PRAYERFUL
TIPS
up in my weakest moments, perhaps because he realized poverty made us strong in Christ. Francis, one of the few saints depicted without a book or scroll in his hands, did his own kind of Lectio Divina before the crucifix. So did his spiritual sister, St. Clare, most notably before the San Damiano Cross. I could not utter a word in that chapel, yet I was taking part in a great Franciscan tradition without realizing it. Sometimes icons, symbols, nature, and art can take us where words cannot. We read them by allowing them to read us. This, I think, is its own kind of prayer.
On the way down the mountain, having felt something in my soul that had been mostly numb since February, I took a photo of the chapel. My camera captured something I hadn’t noticed in the glare of the sun: a sun dog bending over the chapel, almost like an eye gazing outward toward the heavens. I look at the photo often. It reminds me of the bronze crucifix and its outward gaze upon my life, as the cross somehow contains all the prayers I cannot yet pray.
SILENT TRUST Suffering Christ, even when I cannot feel you, I trust you are near. When I do not have the words, or when the words I pray fall short of what I mean, I trust you pray them for me. I may not have the words, but I offer you my gaze. The author captured a sun dog in the sky above the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona.
Amen.
BEING PRESENT WITH THE CROSS
• Spend time meditating before a crucifix, as Sts. Francis and Clare so often did. Maybe that means getting to Mass 15 minutes early and gazing upon the crucifix above the altar, taking a prayerful stance before the one on your bedroom wall, or even pulling up a photo of the San Damiano Cross or the Chapel of the Holy Cross on your digital device. • Gaze upon the cross without the pressure to pray or conceptualize what you see. Trust the encounter and remain open to whatever rises up during this experience, even if it is nothingness or emptiness. StAnthonyMessenger.org | October 2021 • 47
reflection
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
PHOTO LEVI/ISTOCK STELLA CREDIT HERE
—Jimi Hendrix
48 • October 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
reflect + pray + act Reflect We’re taught to forgive when we are wronged, to turn the other cheek. Sometimes it’s even more difficult to forgive ourselves. May this prayer be our first steps in doing just that.
Pray Dear God, When I sin, I know you are eager to forgive. But sometimes I cannot be quite so merciful with myself. Teach me to be graceful with others but also forgiving of myself when I stumble. Allow peace to fill my heart, and let me never forget that l am worth finding when I stray too far. Amen.
Act Share this prayer with somebody who’s struggling with guilt. Remind them that nothing can turn God away from them. ..................................................................................
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