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FEBRUARY 4, 2011 FEBRUARY 4, 2011
Vol. 47,8No. 8 | $2.95 January 3-16, 2014 Vol. 47, No. | $2.95
Parish becomes GreenFaith sanctuary
US NEWS US NEWS
Letters outline Letters outline bishops’ USUS bishops’ policy priorities policy priorities
AFRICA: A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK AFRICA: A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
BEATIFYING BEATIFYING JOHNJOHN PAULPAUL II II
Tension between personal Tension between personal holiness, public actions PAGE 5PAGE 5 holiness, public actions
ANALYSIS ANALYSIS
By BRIAN ROEWE
By MICHAEL WINTERS By MICHAEL SEANSEAN WINTERS
As you pass by the Church of the PreThe U.S. bishops released The U.S. bishops released sentation in Upper Saddle River, N.J., to members of two two lettersletters to members of you’ll notice a not-so-ordinary feature Congress latemonth last month Congress late last that that outline the “principles and prioutline the “principles and priglimmering in the sunlight on the roof that guide the public oritiesorities that guide the public pol- polof the building. icy efforts” theConferU.S. Confericy efforts” of theofU.S. ence of Catholic Bishops. ence of Catholic Bishops. “The solar panels make the place look The first signed The first letter,letter, signed by by more attractive,” opines Fr. Bob Stagg, BISHOP RUIZ the newly installed conferBISHOP RUIZ the newly installed conferpresident, Archbishop the pastor. ence ence president, Archbishop Champion of poor and Champion of poor and Timothy of York, New York, Timothy DolanDolan of New While outward sign of the parish’s indigenous in Chiapas, indigenous inan Chiapas, exhorts the lawmakers to proexhorts the lawmakers to proMexico, dies 86 energy 11 Mexico, dies at 86 at to PAGE 11PAGEconservation commitment tect human life from conceptect human life from conceptionnatural to natural tion to death.death. “Our “Our and fiscal responsibility, it serves as just prayers and hopes prayers and hopes [are] [are] that that one piece of an effort to promote envithis newly elected Congress this newly elected Congress SPECIAL SECTIONacross its countadvance the common SPECIAL SECTION will will advance the common ronmental stewardship and defend theand life and good good and defend the life photo/Christina S.N. Lewis —NCR —NCR photo/Christina S.N. Lewis less ministries and 4,000 families. DEACONS dignity of all, especially vulDEACONS Mary Henrietta Nyangoma, general superior the Evangelizing of in Mary in dignity of all, especially vulAnna Anna Mary Henrietta Nyangoma, general superior of theof Evangelizing SistersSisters of Mary nerable persons nerable and and poor poor persons The tocollaborative energy has transOngata Rongai, Kenya, turns away as policemen examine the corpse of a watchman Letter newly ordained; Ongata Rongai, Kenya, turns away as policemen examine the corpse of a watchman slain slain Letter to newly ordained; are critical in whosewhose needsneeds are critical in on the convent’s grounds Jan. 14. Presentation into a GreenFaith new statistics on deacons on the convent’s grounds Jan. 14. new formed statistics on deacons this of time of difficult economic this time difficult economic inand US; more and. more PAGES PAGES 1a-8a 1a-8a in US; and policy choices.” sanctuary and policy choices.” The letters were The letters were dateddated Jan. Jan. GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition 14 released and released the public 14 and to thetopublic that offers resources and assistance to Jan. 18. Jan. 18. —Courtesy of Church of the Presentation pledges to “seek DolanDolan pledges to “seek ways ways religious communities seeking to beFr. Bob Stagg in June 2011 blesses solar panels installedtoon thework roofconstructively of the Church to work constructively with with come better environmental stewards. Attack highlights all common tooThe common African violence the in administration Attack highlights all too African violence the administration the the of the Presentation. array has cut the parish’s energy bill half. and and new Congress and others of new Congress and others of The organization offers a two-year cerBy CHRISTINA herand doordemanded and demanded The men goodwill to pursue policies Thehit men the picBy CHRISTINA S.N. S.N. her door goodwill to pursue policies thehit pictification program to achieve Green- LEWISLEWIS money, Sr. Levina respect the dignity turetheir with knife, their knife, money, Sr. Levina Ka- Ka-ture with whichwhich respect the dignity of all of all likwela grabbed a called small, human life and bring breaking it, Kalikwela Faith sanctuary status, which distinin a creator God who us to 2009, it hadhuman begun the process of greater placlikwela grabbed a has small, life and bring greater breaking it, Kalikwela . In the gold-veneered . In ONGATAKENYA RONGAI, KENYA gold-veneered framed justice tonation our nation and peace told me. RONGAI, the framed justice to our and peace told me. guishes a religious group as a ONGATA leader be responsible stewards for our planet’s ing solar panels on the church. It had cool morning early morning picture the Virgin our world.” were asking cool early hourshours picture of theof Virgin to ourto world.” “They“They were asking COLUMN COLUMN in environmental sustainability The health life,” Ed said dur-Kalikwela, also its bathrooms tosigned use less of14, Jan. 14, awakI was awak-and Mary with theCiuba baby JeThe second — signed me,” said Kalikwela, her of. Jan. I was Mary withFr. the baby JeThe second letterletter — me,” said herupdated ened by piercing by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo voice cracking. “And I ened by piercing screams. sus. sus. by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo cracking. “And I requirements and fees (Presentation ing screams. a homily the day before thevoice official water and replaced paper towels with CULTURE GUNGUN CULTURE and again, entered of Galveston-Houston, was telling AgainAgain and again, the the “They“They entered and I and I was telling of Galveston-Houston, head head them them I haveI have paid $1,300 to Guns enroll) onscreamed. presentation. “Being ano ‘sanctuhand women screamed. held it,” thenamed sister of pro-life the pro-life committee; no money. have nodryers. arevary toolsdepending women held it,” the sister told told of the committee; money. I haveI no Guns are tools I did not know itis then, me theday, nextstandday, standBishop Stephen E. Blaire of money.” a very not know itary’ then, meathe next Stephen E. Blaire of money.” with with a very an institution’s size, denominationI did and not conclusion, but a continuaBut thoseBishop initiatives only scratched but gunmen had brokening ining her destroyed Stockton, chairman of That night the gunmen Stockton, but gunmen had broken herin destroyed bed- bed-That night Calif.,Calif., chairman of the gunmen limited use limited use location, but fall into three categories: tion of those efforts.” the surfacetheofjustice what GreenFaith neinto the complex “I ‘God, said, ‘God, murdered the justice and human murdered into the complex of the of the room.room. “I said, and human devel-develone ofone theof the inworld our world in our Evangelizing Sisters ofwe’rewe’re finished.’ I compound’s committee; compound’s guards. spirit, stewardship and16 environmental The initiative began inIAnd 2011 through cessitated. opment The opment stewardship category Evangelizing Sisters of finished.’ And committee; and and guards. PAGE 16PAGE an African of held justitheld like this.” WhileWhile Archbishop José H. Gomez of they did not physi- Archbishop Mary,Mary, an African orderorder of just likeitthis.” José H. Gomez of they did not physijustice. the parish’s Justice andthe Peace Ministry . alone required Los 25 Angeles, programs in seven Catholic IShe grasped She grasped picture chairman cally harm the sisters, Catholic sisterssisters wherewhere I the picture Los Angeles, chairman of theof the cally harm the sisters, To date, 15 religious communities ministry learned of GreenFaith separate In addition, the parish was spending the night. inhands both hands anditheld it manhandled migration committee — dealt they manhandled three, areas. was spending the The night. in both and held migration committee — dealt they three, Continued on 8Page 8 Continued on 12 Page 12 thecame men came to her over her head. Continued on would Page Continued on Page WhenWhen the men toit scheduled over head. have passed the certification process, when a series of speakers need to hold six eco-themed worpredominantly Protestant and Jewto talk about environmental issues. ship services and a half dozen annual ish congregations. When Presentation “It seemed a systemized way for us to educational classes to satisfy the bulk made the decision to pursue certificareally make a commitment to do someof the spirit conditions. tion, it began a path to becoming theBy PAT thing,” said Beth Begley, a member of To lead the numerous projects, the ByMARRIN PAT MARRIN first Catholic GreenFaith community, the Justice and Peace Ministry. parish assembled a Sr. Green Team, led Mary McCauley, Sr. Mary McCauley, left, left, . Sr. Mary . Sr. Mary SAN ANTONIO McCauley, her silANTONIO McCauley, silstands with immigrants an honor it received during aSANcelebraA firsther step had the parish reviewby Stagg and made up of immigrants members of stands with ver hair framing a classic Irish face, ver hair framing a classic Irish face, Ampora Ampora and and as tion Mass Oct. 20. inga diminutive GreenFaith in light the parish staff Isabel and Isabel parish council, nun requirements in couldcould easilyeasily seem seem a diminutive nun in her four three three of herof four herlooking 70s looking retirement after a efforts. As early as her beliefs 70s at retirement after a “We were able to affirm our ofatalready ongoing well as representatives from the were Justice children, who children, who were
Sistersand andthieves thieves Sisters
d on Jan. 28.
on Jan. 28.
Immigration: ‘Tell them to come to the church’ Immigration: ‘Tell them to come to the church’
lifetime the classroom or convent lifetime in theinclassroom or convent administration. But circumstances administration. But circumstances and, she would say, divine providence and, she would say, divine providence putather St. Bridget Church as pasput her St. at Bridget Church as pastoral administrator in2008, May when 2008, when toral administrator in May hundreds FBIImmigration and Immigration hundreds of FBIofand and and Customs Enforcement agents Customs Enforcement agents
allowed to return to allowed to return to Postville, Dec. 4, Postville, Iowa, Iowa, Dec. 4, on agranted visa granted to on a visa to workers who were workers who were victims of crimes victims of crimes at theat the Agriprocessors Agriprocessors plant.plant. —Judy Callahan, BVM
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
January 3-14, 2014
an incinerator or toxic and Peace Ministry, waste site, any of that the liturgy and youth had on poor people.” committees, and the “We don’t see frackSt. Francis Ministry. ing, we don’t see lots of That broad coalition toxic conditions in our formed a solid base area, so I think that’s toward achieving the probably the hardest goal of certification. to teach people,” Stagg “With the pastor said. embracing it, I think To begin making that’s always an imthat connection, the portant point,” said parish reached out to Connie LaMotta, chair the Ironbound comof the St. Francis Minmunity in nearby istry, which focuses on Newark. The neighenvironmental stewborhood, home to ardship. “But with the —Courtesy of Church of the Presentation 50,000 people with community of leaders Members of the Green Team stand during the Oct. 20 presentation Mass one in four living in in this area really emwhere the parish received its GreenFaith sanctuary certification. poverty, is filled with bracing it, that made mote creation. Movie nights reinforced shuttered factories and industrial sites, it move.” One by one, the parish crossed the nuthose themes, as did a pamphlet written with high rates of asthma among both merous tasks off the list. by Ciuba, titled “Why Should We Care children and adults. They installed more efficient light About Planet Earth, Our Home?”, which Looking to help, Presentation pabulbs and upped their recycling efforts. was distributed to all parish families. rishioners partnered with community They switched to greener cleaning They brainstormed ways to integrate groups to plant gardens and clear deproducts and hired an environmenenvironmental care into the summer bris, and have offered legal services and tally conscious lawn care crew. They Bible camps for kids, and planned ecofurther support of their efforts to limit worked with other parish committees themed field trips to nearby wetlands pollution. In addition, they joined a peand groups to abandon bottled water at and organic farms. tition to block storage of toxic fracking meetings for pitchers and coolers, and The steps fulfilled GreenFaith rewaste in the state, Begley said. replace Styrofoam products with requirements, and instilled a concern for Looking back, Presentation can see cycled paper products, even if it meant the earth into the parish’s DNA. the signs of its labor. People inside and a higher cost. On top of that, they built “What’s fundamental in our parish outside the parish pray and contemplate birdhouses, installed beehives, planted is being lovers of God looking to grow as they walk the labyrinth. The solar an organic garden, and invested $70,000 spiritually, and being a green parish is panels have slashed energy costs in half, in establishing a Chartres-style labyjust another dimension of doing that,” while Stagg has seen a contagious enrinth on the property. LaMotta said. ergy grow in his parishioners, not ready In terms of worship, they added seaAdded Begley, “Just like I think justo rest on their laurels, but to continue sonal, environmentally themed servictice and concern for the poor are part of moving forward. es, including a rebirth-focused liturgy our baptismal calling, I think care of the “It’s just a sign that the community in the spring, followed by a “first fruits” earth is also.” wants to leave the earth a better place than when we got here,” he said. “And But seeing how environmental deciservice in the summer. An outdoor bonthat’s what we want to do with faith — sions impacted the poor proved more fire and creation story accompany the we want to pass on our faith to the next difficult than their ties to worship and Easter Vigil liturgy, while Stagg and generation … and I think good ecologistewardship. other priests deliver sermons throughcal stewardship of the earth is a good “It was a new connection for many, out the year emphasizing the environchunk of that.” many people who already were enviment. ronmentally committed,” Begley said. Outside the Mass, Presentation imple[Brian Roewe is an NCR staff writer. “They didn’t realize the disproportionmented an annual Green Fair to connect His email address is broewe@ncronline.org.] ate influence that anything from putting faith with actions to protect and pro-
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