RISEN CHRIST
By Sandro Botticelli
His Mercy Endures Forever
April 2017 Vol. 35, No. 4
Serving the multicultural people of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe www.archdiosf.org
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April 2017
How Do Catholics Observe Holy Week?
HOLY WEEK PALM SUNDAY 9 April 2017
Blessing of the Palms, Procession and Holy Mass
HOLY WEDNESDAY 12 April 2017
GOOD FRIDAY 14 April 2017
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion Way of the Cross at the Colosseum
HOLY THURSDAY 13 April 2017
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
HOLY SATURDAY 15 April 2017 Easter Vigil
EASTER SUNDAY 16 April 2017 Holy Mass
Featured on front cover: The “Risen Christ” is depicted in a 15th-century painting by Sandro Botticelli. Easter, the chief feast in the liturgical calendars of all Christian churches, commemorates Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Easter is April 16 this year. (CNS/Bridgeman Images)
By Fr. Larry Rice, CSP
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or Catholics, as well as many other Christians, the celebration of Easter isn’t an isolated event that happens on one Sunday each spring. Every Sunday is, in fact, an Easter for us, a celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. But the observance of Easter itself (April 16) is the culmination of a whole week of significant religious observance and spiritual renewal. Holy Week really begins with Palm Sunday (April 9), also known as Passion Sunday. This commemoration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and the events leading up to his death, set the stage for the week to come. For people unable to attend the services later in Hoy Week, Passion Sunday encapsulates much of what is to follow. At some time during Holy Week, often on Tuesday or Wednesday, most dioceses will celebrate the Chrism Mass. [The Archdiocese of Santa Fe celebrates the Chrism Mass, Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe]. During this celebration, Archbishop John C. Wester will bless and distribute the three holy oils used at Churches throughout the year: The oil used to anoint the sick, and the oil of Catechumens and Sacred Chrism used when new members are initiated into the Church. Thursday of Holy Week (April 13) marks the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, at which the Church celebrates the establishment of the Eucharist, the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood present each time we gather and receive holy communion. This liturgy also features the washing of the feet, a symbolic action in which the priest and other ministers wash the feet of members of the congregation as a sign of humble service of God’s people. Good Friday (April 14) is the day for observance of the Lord’s Passion. This liturgy – which is not a Mass – consists of reading the Gospel account of Christ’s trial, suffering and death, as well as the veneration of the cross, an opportunity to prayerfully approach the cross and place there all our repentance, our sorrows, and our hopes. Holy Week culminates in the celebration of the Easter Vigil (April 15) on Saturday night. Courtesy USCCB (N.B., Editorial changes for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe events made by Celine B. Radigan, Ed.)
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Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for April 2017
Young People - That young people may respond generously to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves to God in the priesthood or consecrated life. Jóvenes - Por los jóvenes, para que sepan responder con generosidad a su propia vocación; considerando seriamente también la posibilidad de consagrarse al Señor en el sacerdocio o en la vida consagrada.
Table of Contents How Do Catholics Observe Holy Week? Archbishop’s Letter: Alleluia! Christ is Risen! NMCCB Voices for Children Sr. Blandina, SC: At the End of the Santa Fe Trail Vocations April is Abuse Awareness Month African American Catholic Community Celebrates 25 Years Catholic Charities V Encuentro Hope & Healing Mass Catholic Education God’s Mercy Endures Forever…Feed the Hungry Catholic News Service Confirmation Schedule Earth Day Archbishop’s Schedule Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Casa Angelica Fashion Show
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Seminary Burse
Official Magazine of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Editorial Assistant/Photojournalist: Leslie M. Radigan lradigan@archdiosf.org Production: Christine Carter
Publisher: Most Rev. John C. Wester Editor/Photography/Design: Celine Baca Radigan cradigan@archdiosf.org
Published monthly with the exception of July. The Editor reserves the right to reject, omit, or edit any article or advertising copy submitted for publication. All items submitted for consideration must be received by the 10th of the previous month. Check out Media Kit online @ www.archdiosf.org Advertising listings do not imply Archdiocesan endorsement. Friend us on Facebook: Archdiocese of Santa Fe Official twitter.com/ASFOfficial
4000 St. Joseph Pl. NWAlbuquerque NM, 87120 • (505) 831-8162
Together We Can Reach Our Goal!
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Our Goal $ 3,000,000
40% 30% 20%
Visit our new ACA Website at: www.archdiocesesantafegiving.org/ aca to donate to ACA 2017 watch Archbishop Wester’s ACA video, and much more!
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Pope Francis greets Norbertine Father Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, March 31 at the Vatican. The pope met with scholars taking part in a Vaticansponsored congress on the Lutheran Reformation as part of the 500th anniversary commemorating the start of Luther’s call for reform. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)
31%
The following parishes have sent in excess Mass stipends to the Archdiocesan Finance Office for seminarian education. These receipts are for March 2017. Excess Mass stipends are from multiple Mass intentions celebrated at parishes. The Archdiocesan policy is for excess Mass stipends to be used for seminarian education. Parish Name/City
Amount Received
Anonymous 100.00 Holy Ghost – Albuquerque 1,200.00 Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe – Taos 7,000.00 Our Lady of Sorrows - Bernalillo 1,000.00 Our Lady of the Annunciation – Albuquerque 1,509.00 Sacred Heart of Jesus – Española 700.00 St. John the Baptist – Santa Fe 500.00 St. Joseph on the Rio Grande – Albuquerque 410.00 Total $ 12,419.00
From the Office of the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
By Very Rev. Oscar Cuehlo, J.C.L., Judicial Vicar Case Name: ARCHULETA-MARRUFO; Prot. Num.: 2016-0047M Notice of Annulment Proceeding. Richard Anthony Marrufo is hereby notified that Angelina Marie Archuleta has filed a petition for a declaration of ecclesiastical nullity of the marriage contracted by both of you. Please contact the Office of the Tribunal before May 31, 2017 at: Office of the Tribunal 4000 St Joseph Pl NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120 • (505) 831-8177
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april 2017
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Alleluia!
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o all in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, I wish the fullness of Christ’s Easter peace, praying that our risen Lord will deepen within each of us the profound and abiding joy that belongs to those who, through baptism, have died with Christ and are one with Him in His resurrection. In a particular way, I welcome with great joy our elect and candidates into full communion with us as we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death. After 40 days of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, we enter 50 days of rejoicing and celebration, thanking God our Father for drawing us to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Without a doubt, we are truly God’s people and “Alleluia” is our song! One of the striking features of Christ’s resurrection appearances is that His wounds are clearly visible. In fact, the risen Christ invites His followers to “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you
can see I have.” (Luke 24:39) In a way, it seems strange that Christ’s glorified body would bear the marks of His cruel passion and death. We would like to think that all that pain and suffering was a thing of the past and pretend that it never happened, but the Paschal mystery, i.e., the suffering death and resurrection of Christ, cannot be compartmentalized. It is one mystery, one life-giving event that contains within it the unspeakable pain of Christ’s passion, and at the same time, the seeds of new life. This is the great, central mystery of our faith. That Jesus Christ, our Savior, is constantly turning night into day, darkness into light, sin into grace and death into life. Every aspect of our lives, all that we are, is caught up in Christ’s boundless love and bears the promise of new beginnings at every turn. Ours is not a faith that says, “don’t worry nothing bad will ever happen to you.” Rather, our faith says, “don’t worry, bad things may happen to you but they are nothing to worry about.” It is only through faith that we can see the empty tomb as a sign that Christ is risen from the dead. It is only through faith that we can hold fast to hope even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Faith teaches us that Christ is always with us, particularly in our darkest moments. In Mark’s narrative of the passion, it is the centurion who finally proclaims what we had been straining to hear throughout the first 14 chapters of Mark’s Gospel: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15: 39) He came to believe in the midst of the darkness: “at noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.” (Mark 15: 33) Paradoxically, it is in the darkness
that God dwells (see 1 Kings 8: 12 and 2 Chronicles 6:1). The same is true for us. In our darkest moments, Christ is with us, leading us to new life. Only with the eyes of faith can we see a way out from our suffering. Only then can we believe that the risen Christ will save us once again. We may not understand it at the time, but we believe that Christ will not abandon us. Our local Church is no stranger to pain and suffering and death. All too often, parents learn that their child was killed in a tragic accident or from a drug overdose. Parishioners worry about losing their employment or their homes, especially here in New Mexico where we have the highest rate of unemployment (6.8%) among the 50 states. So many times at the prayer of the faithful, we are remembering friends who are dealing with life-threatening illnesses. We see so many offenses committed against the sanctity of human life, either through abortion, including late term abortion, or the disturbing movement toward assisted suicide and the death penalty. Thousands in our archdiocese suffer from mental illness, rejection, loneliness, addictions, and fear of the unknown. We see many of our immigrants living in the shadows, afraid to go home and afraid to stay in what they would like to call home. Over 80% of babies born in New Mexico are eligible for Medicaid and yet our legislature will not address sensible and legitimate solutions within their grasp that would greatly improve early childhood education and nutrition through home visitations. Yet, in the midst of all this suffering, the light of Christ pierces the darkness and promises new life, new hope and new beginnings.
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This is not some kind of pie in the sky theology nor is it a naïve and “Pollyanna” view of life. Rather, it is the firm conviction, born of faith, that knows our Redeemer lives and that caught up in His unfathomable love, all will be well, all will be well (Cf. Juliana of Norwich). Furthermore, it is this faith that allows us to bring hope to the world. We are called to give witness to Christ’s resurrection and to remind people that the risen Christ continues to breathe life into His Church through the working of the Holy Spirit. One very good way to give witness to Christ is by showing mercy. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has extended Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy by declaring this an archdiocesan year of God’s Enduring Mercy. In that light, we are all encouraged to forgive as we have been forgiven, to seek forgiveness from those whom we have harmed and to allow the thread of compassion to weave its way into the fabric of our lives. In other words, death does not have the final word. We believe that our daily trials and difficulties are subsumed into the greater drama of divine Providence which is always leading to the empty tomb and new life. During the holy days of Easter, I pray that we will all be a source of life for each other, wounds and all, as we continue to follow Christ, recognizing Him in the breaking of the bread. It is worth repeating: death never has the last word – Jesus Christ does! Indeed, He is the Word uttered by God the Father, in the Holy Spirit, calling us out of darkness and into His own, wonderful light. Sincerely yours in the Lord,
Most Rev. John C, Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe
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april 2017
¡Aleluya! ¡Cristo a Resucitado! ¡Aleluya!
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todos en la Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe, les deseo la plenitud de la paz pascual de Cristo, pidiendo que nuestro Señor resucitado intensifique dentro de cada uno de nosotros un profundo y duradero jubilo que pertenece a aquellos, que por medio del baptismo, han muerto con Cristo y están unidos con Él en su resurrección. De manera particular, les doy con gran alegría, la bien venida a nuestros elegidos y candidatos a plena comunión con nosotros mientras celebramos la victoria de Cristo sobre el pecado y muerte. Al final de 40 días de ayunos, ofreciendo limosnas y oraciones, entramos a 50 días de regocijo y celebración, dando gracias a Dios nuestro Padre, por atraernos a Él mismo por medio de su Hijo, Jesucristo, en el Espíritu Santo. Sin duda, verdaderamente somos el pueblo de Dios y “Aleluya” es nuestro himno. Una de las características llamativas de las apariencias de resurrección de Cristo es que Sus heridas están claramente visibles. De hecho, el Cristo resucitado invita a Sus seguidores a que “Miren mis manos y pies: que soy Yo mismo. Tóquenme y fíjense bien, porque
un fantasma no tiene carne ni hueso como pueden ver que Yo tengo,” (San Lucas 24:39). De cierta manera, parece ser extraño que el cuerpo glorificado de Cristo tuviera las marcas de una cruel pasión y muerte. Preferiríamos pensar que todo ese dolor y sufrimiento seria cosa del pasado, y pretender que nunca pasó, pero el misterio pascual, la muerte sufrida y resurrección de Cristo, no puede ser dividida en partes. Es un misterio, un vivificante evento que contiene dentro de sí, ese inexpresable dolor de la pasión de Cristo, y al mismo tiempo, las semillas de vida nueva. Este es el gran y céntrico misterio de nuestra fe. Que Jesucristo, nuestro salvador, está constantemente cambiando la noche al día, oscuridad a luz, el pecado a gracia y la muerte a vida. Cada aspecto de nuestras vidas, todo lo que somos, está enredado en el ilimitado amor de Cristo y lleva en sí la promesa de nuevos principios a cada vuelta. La fe nuestra no es una fe que dice, “No te preocupes, nada malo nunca te pasará.” Más bien, nuestra fe afirma, “No te preocupes, cosas malas quizás te ocurran, pero no son nada para que te mortifiques.” Es solo a través de la fe, que vemos la tumba vacía como señal que Cristo está resucitado de la muerte. Es solo por fe que podemos mantener la esperanza en medio de dolor y sufrimiento. Fe nos enseña que Cristo está siempre con nosotros, particularmente en nuestros más tristes momentos. En el relato de San Marcos de la pasión, es el centurión que al final proclama lo que nos habíamos esforzado vigorosamente a oír por 14 capítulos del evangelio del apóstol: “Verdaderamente este hombre era Hijo de Dios,” (San Marcos 15:39). Llegó a creer en medio de las tinieblas: “Llegado el medio día, la oscuridad cubrió todo el país hasta las tres de la tarde,” (San Marcos 15:33). Paradójicamente, es en la oscuridad en que Dios habita (vea Primer Libro de los Reyes 8:12 y Segundo Libro
de Las Crónicas 6:1). Lo mismo es verdad para nosotros. En nuestros momentos más oscuros, Cristo está con nosotros, guiándonos hacia a la vida nueva. Solo con ojos de fe podemos ver la salida de nuestros sufrimientos. Solamente entonces podemos creer que el Cristo resucitado nos salvará de nuevo. Tal vez no lo comprendemos en ese momento, pero creemos que Cristo no nos abandonará. Nuestra iglesia comunitaria no desconoce el dolor, sufrimiento y muerte. Muy a menudo, padres y madres reciben la mala noticia que un hijo o hija a muerto en un trágico accidente automovilístico o de una sobredosis de drogas. Parroquianos se preocupan por la pérdida de su empleo o su hogar, especialmente aquí en Nuevo México donde existe la más alta proporción de desempleo (6.8%) entre los 50 estados de la unión americana. Tantas veces hemos recordado en las oraciones de los fieles, de amistades quien están viviendo con enfermedades graves. Vemos tantas ofensas en contra de la santidad de la vida humana, por medio del aborto - incluyendo los abortos de plazo tardío - o por la perturbadora campaña publicitaria hacia al suicidio asistido y la pena de muerte. Miles en nuestra arquidiócesis sufren de enfermedades de la mente, de rechazamiento, soledad, adicciones y temor a lo desconocido. Vemos a muchos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas inmigrantes viviendo a escondidas, con miedo a regresar a sus patrias y temor de permanecer en lo que quisieran llamar su verdadero hogar. Más del 80% de los bebes que nacen en Nuevo México califican para el programa de Medicaid y a pesar de esto nuestros legisladores ni siquiera se dirigen a soluciones razonables y legitimas que tienen dentro de su alcance, soluciones que de gran manera mejorarían la educación de niños de edad juvenil y su nutrición por medio de visitas domiciliarias. Y aún todavía, en medio de todo este sufrimiento, la luz
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de Cristo penetra la oscuridad y promete nueva vida, nueva esperanza y nuevos principios. Esto no es un tipo de teología ‘castillo-en-el-cielo’ ni tampoco una ingenua y soñadora fantasía de la vida. Más bien, es una firme convicción, nacida de la fe, que sabe que nuestro Redentor vive y qué atrapados en su insondable amor, “todo será bien, todo será bien,” (Juliana de Norwich). Además, es la fe que nos permite traer esperanza al mundo. Somos llamados a atestiguar a la Resurrección de Cristo y de recordarle a todo el mundo que el Cristo resucitado continúa a dar vida a su Iglesia mediante las obras del Espíritu Santo. Una muy buena manera de atestiguar a Cristo es de demostrar misericordia. La Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe ha extendido el Año de Misericordia del Papa Francisco declarando este un año diocesano de La Misericordia Duradera de Dios. Bajo esa luz, todos somos animados a perdonar, así como hemos sido perdonados, a buscar el perdón de aquellos que hemos lastimado y a permitir que la hebra de compasión pueda tejer su camino dentro de la tela de nuestras vidas. En otras palabras, la muerte no tiene la última palabra. Creemos que nuestras pruebas y dificultades diarias son absorbidas a un más grande drama de divina providencia que siempre está guiando hacia la tumba vacía y nueva vida. Durante los días santos de la Pascua, pido que todos seamos fuentes de vida uno por el otro - heridas y todo, como vayamos continuando a seguir a Cristo, reconociéndolo en el partir del pan. Vale la pena repetir: la muerte nunca tiene la última palabra – ¡Jesucristo sí la tiene! De verdad, Él es la Palabra pronunciada por Dios Padre, en el Espíritu Santo, llamándonos fuera de las tinieblas a su propia, y maravillosa luz. Sinceramente suyo en el Señor,
Reverendísimo John C. Wester Translation courtesy of Teresa & Eduardo Gómez
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April 2017
New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops
Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Most Reverend John C. Wester, M.Div., M.A.S., M.A. Most Reverend Michael J. Sheehan, Archbishop Emeritus Diocese of Las Cruces, Most Reverend Oscar Cantú, S.T.D. Most Reverend Ricardo Ramirez, Bishop Emeritus Diocese of Gallup, Most Reverend James S. Wall
Voices for Children By Allen Sánchez, Executive Director, New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops
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he bishops of New Mexico once again took the Gospel of Jesus to the public square with their 2017 legislative agenda. On the second day of the Legislative session, the bishops hosted a breakfast for the legislators to pray, break bread together and present the views of the Church regarding
Archbishop John C. Wester, Bishop James S. Wall and Bishop Oscar Cantú march for upholding the life to the New Mexico State Capitol (ASF/Leslie M. Radigan)
particular issues of moral and ethical value to the common good of the people of New Mexico. Through the work of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, the voice of the bishops has a daily presence to the legislators. Our great state is facing monumental problems that require haste to resolve. Unfortunately, each year we are witnessing a widening divide by legislators who have little desire to compromise or address crises head on. The elected officials need the Church’s prayers more than ever. If truth is to prevail, all must be committed to attentive listening and dialogue. Important issues of life were stalled by leadership who only received critical committee hearings in the last days of the session and scheduled them for a Sunday morning session. Who in our midst cannot see that such a schedule is blaring of bias? Proposed legislation to ban late term abortion saw its end in its first hearing in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Infant Born Alive Protection Act and Parental Notification for a minor to have an abortion also received the same fate of being tabled in its first hearing. In response to an irrational stance by some Catholic legislators invoking their Catholic faith as reason to vote against legislation endorsed by the bishops, the bishops issued a statement to clarify that the teaching of the Church does not justify the taking of any human life. The voice of the bishops was the only consistent voice of dignity supporting the protection of the unborn, opposing the reinstatement of the death penalty, and opposing the creation of legal physicianassisted suicide. The supporters of ending the life of the terminally ill promoted an agenda of a promise of death with dignity. This could not be further from the truth; this proposed legislation was defeated with a Senate vote of 22 to 20. The whole nation now looks at the distressing social conditions of our State and home. It is
no secret New Mexico ranks at the bottom of all indicators of children’s well-being. Leaving our families in these conditions is not acceptable. A Constitutional Amendment was proposed to allow voters the opportunity to vote to change the State’s Land Grant Permanent Fund archaic distribution formula which ranks as the second largest fund in the United States. The legislation passed the House of Representatives 37 to 32. It stalled out in its first hearing in the Senate. The legislators voting in to kill the legislation were not even present for the presentation and debate of the bill; they only returned to the hearing to vote it down. It was disappointing to hear Senators who opposed the bill using incorrect titles of the early childhood programs or unable to properly identify the fund in question. These are all signs of a lack of willingness to listen. The Senate adjourned without addressing the dire conditions of our children, with New Mexico ranking of the highest percentage of children living in poverty. Three days before the session ended Archbishop John C. Wester convened a press conference at the State Capitol to address his dismay concerning the plight of our little ones who are counting on the leaders of the state. We must pray for and continue to educate elected decision makers. All New Mexicans need to own the conditions our unborn, infants, toddler and school age children are living in. The measurement of a society is the well-being of its children. This measurement stick places all of us accountable to our Lord. A very sincere person once asked me why does God stand for children to suffer, I responded God doesn’t stand it, that is why he made you rich. The real question is after all God gives us is: how can we stand watching our children grow up in these deplorable conditions. God’s answer to poverty and suffering is you. Will you answer the call?
April 2017
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At The End of the Santa Fe Trail By Allen Sánchez, Petitioner for the Cause of Beautification and Canonization of Sr. Blandina Segale, SC
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n a world with so much negative news, the creation of a television series is a welcome breath of fresh air. In March 2017, the filming of “At The End of the Santa Fe Trail” began. The one-hour pilot was filmed over nine days by Sainthood Productions. Director Tomas Sanchez said, “We want to portray the hope and love of this Sister of Charity who found good in everyone she encountered.” The production crew will begin editing it this month. This introduction to the Servant of God, Sr. Blandina Segale, SC will fill the hearts of the audience. Filming sights were outside Antonito Colorado on the New Mexico side of the state line, on the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad in Chama, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Actress Alma Sisneros who plays Sr. Blandina says, “I feel so privileged to play the role of this saintly and inspiring woman, I feel her presence.” Sr. Blandina’s canonization inquiry continues to progress now in the second phase called the “Roman Phase”. The international attention to the beatification and canonization process has focused on her novena which is now sanctioned by the Church. The TV series will help people know and relate to this Servant of God with her counsel for a recipe of living a holy life. The series is based on the diary entries written by Sr. Blandina to her older sister Justina, also a Sister of Charity, who followed her younger sibling into the convent. Her writings were published into book form by the encouragement of Governor Richard C. Dillon in 1931. The governor promoted the publication as a rich treasure of New Mexico history. The young Sr. Blandina came to the west in 1872 and had run-ins with the first Billy the Kid, William LeRoy, a stagecoach robber on the Santa Fe Trail who proved to be much more dangerous than his contemporary Billy the Kid, William Bonnie. In the October 2016 Smithsonian Magazine issue, Sister’s befriending of Billy the Kid William LeRoy was confirmed. Producers plan to produce 24 episodes. The series will provide a window into the adventures and saintly work of the Sister now called by some staff at the Congregation for the Cause of Saints “la picola” (which means “girl” in Italian). The Chancellor of the Congregations advised, “You have now offered this little one’s life as an example to the world. While making a saint, don’t forget to be a saint.”
Allen Sánchez, Petitioner for the Cause of Beautification and Canonization of Sr. Blandina Segale, SC is pictured here with Actress Alma Sisneros who plays Sister Blandina, SC.
Cowboys driving their stagecoach into town on the “At The End of the Santa Fe Trail” movie set (photos courtesy CHI St. Joseph’s Children)
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April 2017
Archdiocese of Santa Fe Seminarians What does Easter mean to you?
Paul Chavez
What Easter means to me is it’s a remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ who is pulling us out of the darkness of our sins through His passion and death on the cross, then on the third day rising up and bringing us into newness of life. Easter is a time for us to rejoice in not only Christ’s resurrection from the dead but our freedom from sin and our turning back to a relationship with God our Father.
Mark Daniel
This is what Easter means to me: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)
Prayer for Vocations O God, Father of all Mercies, Provider of a bountiful Harvest, send Your Graces upon those You have called to gather the fruits of Your labor; preserve and strengthen them in their lifelong service of you.
Daniel Dupre
For me, Easter is very important because it is when we celebrate the culmination of the plan of salvation, which is the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Church gives us this time not only on Easter Sunday itself, but for 50 days following until the feast of Pentecost. This special time of year is something I always look forward to because it focuses so much on our Lord’s triumph over death and our salvation.
Open the hearts of Your children that they may discern Your Holy Will; inspire in them a love and desire to surrender themselves to serving others in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ.
Timothy Meurer
Easter to me is the culmination of the history of salvation. Everything that God has done to reconcile Himself with us has lead us to this point. It is a truly beautiful celebration of Christ’s triumph over death with confidence that one day we shall join Him in this victory. What a joyous mystery!
Teach all Your faithful to follow their respective paths in life guided by Your Divine Word and Truth. Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels, and Saints, humbly hear our prayers and grant Your Church’s needs, through Christ, our Lord. Amen. (courtesy of USCCB)
Jordan Sanchez
As a Christian, Easter Sunday is the most joyous day of the year for me. It is the day, above all others, that I can proclaim with my whole heart: “He is risen! Glorify Him!” All of my faith is based on this great Paschal Mystery: that He suffered, died, and rose—for me, and for you—so that we might be freed from the slavery of sin, and so spend eternity happily and lovingly face-to-face with Him. May it be so!
April 2017
PEOPLE of GOD
For vocations, one must go out, listen, call, pope says By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In its ministry to young people, and especially in vocations promotion work, church workers must step out of the sacristy and take seriously the questions and concerns of the young, Pope Francis said. Young people are searching for meaning, and the best response is to go out to where they are, stop and listen to them and then call them to follow Jesus, the pope said. Meeting participants at a vocations promotion conference sponsored by the Congregation for Clergy, Pope Francis emphasized the need for church workers to be on the move and to echo the vocations call Jesus used with the disciples, “Follow me.” “Jesus’ desire is to set people out on a journey, moving them from a lethal sedentary lifestyle and breaking through the illusion that they can live happily while remaining comfortably seated amid their certainties,” Pope Francis said. The seeking and desire to explore that comes naturally to most young people “is the treasure that the Lord puts in our hands and that we must care for, cultivate and make blossom,” the pope said. Care is key, he said. It requires an ability
for “discernment, which accompanies the person without ever taking over his or her conscience or pretending to control the grace of God.” Vocations promotion, which is the responsibility of every Catholic, the pope said, must follow the same steps Jesus used when interacting with people. “Jesus stopped and met the gaze of the other, without rushing,” he said. “This is what makes his call attractive and fascinating.” Jesus did not stay in “the secure fortress of the rectory,” the pope said, but set out into the cities and villages, pausing to listen to the people he came across, “taking in the desire of those who sought him out, the delusion of a failed night of fishing, the burning thirst of a woman who went to the well to get water or the strong need to change one’s life.” “In the same way, instead of reducing faith to a book of recipes or a collection of norms to observe, we can help young people ask the right questions, set out on their journey and discover the joy of the Gospel,” he said. Every pastor and, particularly, everyone involved with helping young Catholics discern their vocations, he said, must have a pastoral style that is “attentive, not rushed, able to stop and decipher in depth, to enter into the life of the other without making him
or her ever feel threatened or judged.” Pope Francis told conference participants that he has never liked speaking about vocations ministry as an office in the diocesan chancery or headquarters of a religious order. It’s not an office or a project because it is all about helping someone meet the Lord and answer the Lord’s call .“Learn from the style of Jesus, who went to the places of daily life, stopped without rushing and, looking upon his brothers and sisters with mercy, led them to an encounter with God the father,” the pope said. While looking at the young with mercy, vocations directors and bishops also must evaluate candidates for the priesthood with “caution (and) without lightness or superficiality,” he said. “Especially to my brother bishops, I say: Vigilance and prudence. The church and the world need mature and balanced priests, pastors who are intrepid and generous, capable of closeness, listening and mercy.” Vocations promotion work can be frustrating and discouraging at times, Pope Francis said, “but if we don’t close ourselves up in whining and we keep going out to proclaim the Gospel, the Lord will stay with us and give us the courage to cast the nets again even when we are tired and disappointed at having caught nothing.”
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“Know Your Rights” Resources for Immigrants USCCB Migration and Refugee Services has new materials available to assist immigrants who may be targeted for deportation, including “Know Your Rights” videos in English and Spanish, and bilingual materials on “Nine Ways to Protect Yourself”
and “Transitioning to a New Administration: How Can We Assist Immigrants and Refugees” You can access these materials at JusticeForImmigrants.org. You can help distribute them in your faith community or wherever immigrants gather.
Thank you for participating in CRS Rice Bowl this Lent! In mid-April, as we move into Holy Week and Easter, our Archdiocese has prayed, fasted and given alms with a special focus on the poorest members of our global community. Our lives were touched by stories from CRS’ work in India, Zambia, El Salvador, Mexico, Ethiopia and the Archdiocese of Honolulu, HI. Through our Lenten prayers and donations, we have touched the lives of millions of people served by Catholic Relief Services, our representative to the poorest communities in the world. Remember, 25% of your contribution goes for local projects that alleviate hunger and homelessness in our Archdiocese. Please return your Rice Bowl to your parish or school office immediately after Easter! Thank you for your generosity!
66th Annual Brother Mathias Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner By Valentin R. Varela, Event Co-Chair The Good Shepherd Center Auxiliary and St. Felix Pantry are happy to report the 66th Annual Brother Mathias Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner, held March 7, 2017 at St. Pius X High School, was a huge success. Over 1,300 people attended the event, enjoying the food, entertainment, children’s games, and a drawing. The historic partnership between the Good Shepherd Center Auxiliary and St. Felix Pantry proved to be a winning combination and resulted in a profitable fundraising effort for the benefit of two Catholic institutions, the Good Shepherd Center, a Brothers of St. John of God Sponsored Ministry, and St. Felix Pantry, a Felician Sponsored Ministry. Both institutions have long-standing ministries to the poor in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The organizers extend gratitude to all who attended the event and to everyone who contributed to its success by their work, talent, and financial support. Special thanks to St. Pius X High School for providing the beautiful venue for this year’s
event, and to Principal Barbara Rothweiler and the members of her staff who were so generous with their time and talents in assisting event planners with coordination of dinner activities. Special compliments are in order for the many St. Pius X High School students who volunteered their services with delightful energy and enthusiasm. We extend gratitude to Archbishop John C. Wester and Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan for their participation and blessings. Compliments to our caterer Mike Tafoya of Old Town Catering Company for preparing a delicious meal, and to Mr. Tom Gutierrez and the Fr. Carl Hammer Knights of Columbus Council for serving the meal. We are also very thankful to the many other Knights of Columbus Councils and members who participated as volunteers, performing the many functions required to execute a successful event. Last, but not least, we are very grateful for the delightful and talented entertainers who so generously performed music and dance at the dinner. We must extend very special thanks to our sponsors and advertisers, whose support was critical to the success of the event.
PEOPLE of GOD
April 2017
April is Abuse Awareness Month
By Annette Klimka, Victim’s Assistance Coordinator It has been over 20 years since we began to be aware that sexual abuse and harassment had become a serious problem in our Church. In that time, we have identified and removed many staff and clergy who had been involved in sexual misconduct. We have also provided counseling, financial assistance and legal settlements to victims of sexual abuse. As a result of this turmoil, some people have called this the worst epoch in the history of the Church. Some have called into question our leadership of bishops and priests. I disagree. As painful as the last few years have been for all of us, there is another story. This story does not make headlines and it is not featured on the ten o’clock news. It is the story of a Church that is learning through prayer, education and experience what it takes in today’s world for a community of faith to work together to protect God’s children. One key has been the archdiocesan policy on zero tolerance. Archbishop John C. Wester has stood firm by his resolve that sexual abuse of children will not be tolerated in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe by anyone: priest, religious, deacon, or lay volunteer. To support this resolve, the archbishop appointed an
Archdiocese of Santa Fe 2017 Abuse Awareness Training for Adults: Creating a Safe Environment for Our Children
(formerly known as the Sexual Abuse Misconduct Prevention Workshop) Rev. 03/20/2017
Attendance at the workshop is MANDATORY for all clergy, employees, and volunteers in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Pre-registration is necessary. These workshops are sponsored by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Contact: Annette the Victims Assistance Coordinator or Rose Garcia, at 505.831.8144. Note: Do not bring children. No one under age 18 is allowed in the workshop. If you are late you will not be allowed to enter the training. Please contact the Victim Assistance Coordinator to report any abuse that has occurred by Clergy, Employee or Volunteer in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe IN THE EVENT OF BAD WEATHER – CALL 505-831-8144 FOR A RECORDING ADVISING IF THE TRAINING IS CANCELLED March 25, 2017 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Saturday March 25, 2017 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 pm Saturday April 1, 2017 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 pm Saturday April 1, 2017 1:00 0 3:00 pm Saturday April 6, 2017 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Thursday April 22, 2017 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Saturday May 6, 2017 9:00 a.m. – Noon Saturday June 3, 2017 9:00 am – Noon Saturday June 8, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Thursday July 8, 2017 9:00 a.m. – Noon Saturday August 10, 2017 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Thursday
St. Thomas the Apostle #1 Church Plaza, Abiquiu 87510 St. Anne’s 306 West High St. , Tucumcari 88401 St. Anthony of Padua #11 St. Anthony’s Loop, Pecos 87552 San Francisco de Asis St. Francis Plaza #60, Ranchos de Taos 87557 Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Alb. 87120 St. Anthony 10 Church Plaza, Questa 87556 Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Alb. 87120 San Clemente 244 Luna Rd. NE, Los Lunas 87031 Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Alb. 87120 Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Alb. 87120 Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Alb. 87120
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Independent Review Board of professional women and men in our community to evaluate all allegations against clergy and make recommendations to him. To date, all recommendations have been accepted. We also have a policy of proactive communication and cooperation with civil authority and law enforcement. All allegations are reported to the district attorney in the county where the victim resides. A second key to child safety is education in abuse prevention. All adults in any ministry or employment are required to complete the Virtus Training Program either on-line or in person training sessions. The Virtus Training is a nationally recognized program utilized by many dioceses across the county. Our Church has made a number of strides to educate our parishioners to be vigilant in keeping our parish environment safe for everyone. A third key to a safe environment is open communication. When I started in the mental health field, there was not as much information of the extent and severity sexual abuse in our country. There is now a greater awareness and more resources to deal with the problem. Many excellent therapists are available to work with victims. This is very important. In the longrun however, I believe it is our growing awareness as a community of faith that will prevent the majority of crimes against our children. When we all take child protection seriously and dedicate ourselves to ensuring the safest possible environment for our children, we will see fewer incidents of abuse. It’s already happening. We aren’t perfect, but we’re learning. It’s a process. With God’s help and our continued watchfulness, we can create a better place to live and grow.
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April 2017
25 Years Proclaiming the Good News
By Sean Cardinalli, secretary of the AACC
T
he African American Catholic Community’s silver anniversary is an opportunity for all Catholics to celebrate our faith together. The African American Catholic Community of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe celebrates its 25th anniversary with an April 29th luncheon and April 30th Mass. The esteemed Msgr.Ray East, who has deep ties to New Mexico, will preside over the Mass and give a share at the luncheon. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The AACC was founded in 1992 when Brenda Dabney, Steven Woodbury, and others fulfilled a dream to worship while celebrating their black American culture. When the archdiocese discontinued its Martin Luther King Day Mass in Santa Fe, the AACC founders asked to revitalize the Mass in the Catholic Center chapel in Albuquerque. The gathering was
standing-room-only, attended by black and non-black Catholics and supporters. The group moved quickly to congregate for Mass again in April. The late Fr. Rollins Lambert came out of retirement to preside and became the AACC’s first spiritual director. The steering committee soon formed, led by Dr. Clarence Kirby, Mrs. Dabney, Tina and Larry Stevenson, Dorothy Howard, Ethel Davis, Lauren Moore, Joan and John Leahigh, and Mr. Woodbury. For some time now, Louise Davis has been choir director and Camilla Dodson drum unit leader. Mrs. Dabney recalls, “The Holy Spirit inspired others to help and support us during those early years.” Masses later moved from the Catholic Center to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. The AACC now holds five Masses annually at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande with Msgr. Lambert Luna’s blessing. In January 2016, the AACC formalized its constitution and by-
laws with assistance from the social justice office, which Archbishop John C. Wester ratified. The AACC gives back to the community with an annual Catholic school education scholarship. It meets every fall for a Sandia Lakes family picnic and both Mrs. Dabney and Mr. Stevenson fondly recall a youth retreat years ago in Mountainair. Members will eagerly attend the National Black Catholic Congress this summer. Mrs. Dabney is grateful for the opportunity to “spread God’s message and give our people some strength in light of what’s going on in the world today.” The group’s hope shines at the end of every Mass by stating, “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good,” along with the congregation. The AACC is on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/aaccnewmexico/ and information on our Masses and activities can be found by calling 505.620.0597 or emailing aacc4diosf@ gmail.com.
AACC Anniversary Luncheon Saturday, April 29, 1-4pm The Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community will celebrate their 25th anniversary with a luncheon at the Catholic Center, 4000 St. Joseph Place NW, Albuquerque on Saturday April 29, 1 to 4pm. Guest MC will be Msgr Ray East. Call Louise Davis 505.620.0597 for information on purchasing tickets. Ticket prices: Adults $25/ Children, ages 5-12 $15. Tickets must be purchased by Wednesday, April 19. AACC 25th Anniversary Mass and Fr. Rollins Lambert Scholarship Awards Sun. April 30, 12 noon. The AACC will celebrate their 25 Anniversary Mass on Sunday, April 30, 2017, 12 noon, Msgr. Raymond East will be the Guest Celebrant and Homilist at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Catholic Church, 5901 St. Joseph’s Dr. NW, Albuquerque. The Fr. Rollins Lambert Scholarships for students who attend Catholic School grades K through 8th grade will be awarded by the AACC after Mass. For more information, please call (505) 620-0597 or (505) 831-8167.
April 2017
PEOPLE of GOD
Honor Your Loved One in our Meditation Garden!
By Jess Jungwirth, Donor Relations, Catholic Charities
Thanks to the generosity of many donors, we are now in our new building, Casa de Corazon! We are also ready to complete our Community Courtyard and Meditation Garden, which is graced by a beautiful tile mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe, created by artist, Lisa Domenici. Bricks are for sale throughout the Lenten season. Each brick can have up to three lines, with 14 characters each, including spaces & punctuation. All who purchase bricks will be invited to an open house and celebration of our new building later in the late spring, after your brick(s) have been engraved and installed. Please call Catholic Charities at 505.724.4693 for questions, or to make your purchase over the phone. More information is available on our website at www.ccasfnm.org/waystogive
A Lenten message from the desk of Jim Gannon, Catholic Charities CEO/Executive Director
It is Lent once again. We know the routine, don’t we? Receiving ashes at Ash Wednesday Mass, the all-you-can-eat fish fry on Friday. Abstaining from foods or giving up a dessert is really not a sacrifice at all. Perhaps we are better served to examine not what to give up, but rather what to increase in our lives: increasing our Mass attendance by adding a mid-week Mass to our weekly Sunday schedule, helping through volunteering or doing good works, increasing our donations to worthy organizations in our Church and community. Through the generosity of so many, Catholic Charities has benefited from this mindset of giving. As evidenced by our new campus, Casa de Corazon (Home of the Heart). We provide more children with a safe, secure environment to learn and prepare for the future. New technology assists adults in educational goals once thought impossible. More families are accessing services to make radical improvements and fine tune their family’s dynamics; giving them a stable home life, and supporting parents’ needs to give their children the right start in life. Our new home is not a temporary exercise for Lent, it’s a long term commitment to those in need. We will serve over twice as many, and we will provide more inclusionary assistance to the newcomer that integrates them into their new community. This long-term commitment requires more staff, more volunteers and more funding. It takes a partnership between Catholic Charities, our archdiocese, our Catholic family and our neighbors of goodwill, providing more assistance. Catholic Charities’ mission is to respect the dignity of every human being by establishing the opportunity for every person to be included and valued in our community. This mission at times seems like a climb to a peak obscured by dark clouds of doubt and perceptions of impossibility, but it is a peak that can be scaled with faith in God and His people. Lent is the time to engage in the work of Christ’s mercy by bringing your life’s activities in balance with the devotion expressed in your prayer. Be the donor that sustains us throughout the year, or the volunteer that makes a difference in many, many lives. Thank you for giving your time, your treasure and your compassion, demonstrating the respect for human dignity every person deserves.
Thank you to St. Charles Borromeo Parish for Sponsoring a ‘40 Cans for Lent’ Food Drive to Benefit Catholic Charities! Items especially needed: Peanut Butter and Jelly Canned Soups Canned Fruit Small cans of Pasta Sauce Granola Bars Apple Sauce Canned Beef and Chicken Cereal They are accepting items in donation boxes located in the parish lobby. Thank you for helping us feed the hungry in our community!
Catholic Charities is on Facebook and Twitter! Find out about upcoming events, our mission and our impact in central New Mexico by following us on social media. www.facebook.com/ccasfnm www.twitter.com/ccasfnm
Upcoming Event!
Information Session: Team Refugee Learn about opportunities to assist refugee families and individuals through the Center for Refugee Support! Specifically, we are looking for committed small groups (5 or more adults) for “Team Refugee” and our youth mentoring program, which provide ongoing support to newcomer youth and families. Saturday, April 22nd from 10 - 12 pm at Catholic Charities (2010 Bridge Blvd SW)
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Four-year ‘encuentro’ process begins in the U.S. WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In Spanish, the word “encuentro” means encounter and in the modern church in the U.S., it refers to a series of meetings that will take place over the next four years aimed at getting to know Latinos and producing more involvement in the church of its second largest and fastest growing community. “The intent is for Latinos to have an encounter with the entire church and for the church to have an encounter with Latinos, understanding who they are, how they think, how they live their faith, so we can work together and move together and build a church together,” said Mar Munoz-Visoso, executive director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A recent report by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University commissioned by the
U.S. bishops shows that more than half of millennial-generation Catholics born in 1982 or later are Hispanic or Latino. Those numbers alone call for the church to have a plan of how it will bring Latinos in the U.S. into the church’s leaderships roles, its vocations and their role in society, Munoz-Visoso said. “You cannot plan the future of the church without having an important conversation about this population,” she told Catholic News Service. “This effort is very important.” While the numbers of Latinos in the church are growing, “there is a gap between the numbers of Latinos in the pews, and the numbers of Latinos in leadership, and the numbers of vocations, or (Latino students) in Catholic schools,” Munoz-Visoso said.
V Encuentro Mobile App Now Available on Apple App Store and Google Play
An App for engaging Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the U.S. Washington, D.C., March 31, 2017 – – Available today, the V Encuentro App offers participants and leaders of the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/ Latino Ministry (V Encuentro) access to important resources, news, and a social network to encounter each other and build community. The bilingual mobile app contains digital resources, reflections, calendars, and directories of diocesan, regional, and national contacts. It will generate one of the largest online networks of Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the United States. The app is also designed to receive consultation forms. During the process of the V Encuentro, Hispanic/Latino Catholics and those who serve them will encounter those living on the peripheries through a missionary process of evangelization and consultation. Published for smartphones and tablets, participants of this process can submit consultation forms answering questions
about the currently reality of those in the peripheries and the ways parishes are responding to the Hispanic/Latino presence. The app offers important videos about the V Encuentro and a music player with music published by Oregon Catholic Press.
Dr. Patricia Jiménez, Communications Coordinator stated, “The V Encuentro Mobile App is an exciting tool for the V Encuentro process since Hispanics/Latinos are more likely to use mobile devices to connect online. The mobile app provides an innovative social experience where V Encuentro participants and leaders can interact, share photos, and build community. It hopes to engage Hispanic/Latino millennial Catholics, particularly second and third generations.” Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, National Coordinator, emphasized, “The mobile application for the V Encuentro will connect more than one million missionary disciples in a social network that speaks of God’s love and a Church that goes out to encounter the other, especially young people.” The V Encuentro Mobile App is now available to download for free via Google Play and the App Store. A video demo will soon be available. Learn more about our app by visiting the V Encuentro website.
PEOPLE of GOD
April 2017
Nueva aplicación móvil para el V Encuentro Aplicación Móvil para el V Encuentro disponible a través de App Store de Apple y Google Play Washington, D.C., 31 de marzo de 2017 – Disponible hoy, la aplicación del V Encuentro ofrece a los participantes y líderes del Quinto Encuentro Nacional de Pastoral Hispana Latina acceso a importantes recursos, noticias y una red social para unirse y construir comunidad. La aplicación móvil es bilingüe y contiene recursos digitales, reflexiones, calendarios y directorios de contactos diocesanos, regionales y nacionales. Generará una de las mayores redes en línea de hispanos / latinos católicos en los Estados Unidos. La aplicación también está diseñada para recibir planillas de consulta. Durante el proceso del V Encuentro, los hispanos / latinos católicos y quienes les sirven saldrán al encuentro con los que viven en las periferias a través de un proceso misionero de evangelización y consulta. Los participantes de este proceso pueden presentar planillas de consulta que respondan a preguntas sobre la realidad actual de aquellos en las periferias y las maneras en que las parroquias están respondiendo a la presencia hispana / latina. La aplicación ofrece videos importantes sobre el V Encuentro y un reproductor de música publicada por Oregon Catholic Press.
In six states, more than 10 percent of the students in grades K-12 have at least one parent who is an unauthorized immigrant. (CNS graphic/ Liz Agbey)
La Dra. Patricia Jiménez, Coordinadora de Comunicaciones, declaró: “La aplicación del V Encuentro es una herramienta muy importante para el proceso de V Encuentro ya que los hispanos / latinos utilizan más los dispositivos móviles para conectarse en línea. La aplicación móvil ofrece una experiencia social innovadora en la que los participantes y líderes de V Encuentro pueden interactuar, compartir fotos y crear comunidad. Esperamos involucrar a los católicos hispanos / latinos de la generación millennial, particularmente a los de segunda y tercera generación”. “La aplicación móvil del V Encuentro conectará a más de un millón de discípulos misioneros en una red social que habla del amor de Dios y de una iglesia en salida al encuentro de los demás, sobre todo los jóvenes, ” recalcó Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, Coordinador Nacional del V Encuentro. La aplicación gratuita del V Encuentro ya está disponible para descargar a través de Google Play y App Store. Un video promocional estará disponible próximamente. Obtenga más información sobre nuestra aplicación visitando el sitio web de V Encuentro.
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Anniversaries
Gurule, Velarde
Mr. Joe Gurule and Miss Theresa Velarde are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on April 27, 2017. They were joined in the holy sacrament of matrimony at the Santa Cruz de La Cañada Catholic Church in Santa Cruz, NM. Their children include: Larry (Danette), Gino, Veronica (Ernest), and Kevin (Dawn), as well as 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Joe and Theresa have been members of Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Albuquerque since 1971, and currently remain active in several church ministries. They thank their Lord, Jesus Christ, for His countless blessings and the gift of love for each other and their beautiful family. Joe and Theresa’s family is profoundly grateful to their parents for their remarkable influence, and embrace their living example of enduring love and commitment.
Valdez, Martinez Mr. Paul Martinez and Miss Marguerite (Marge) Valdez exchanged vows on March 2, 1957 in Del Norte, CO at the Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church. They now attend Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Albuquerque. Paul and Marge have been active in the parish serving as Eucharistic ministers. Marge is also a talented seamstress and has helped make the banners for the liturgical seasons of the year. Just recently, they received the 2016 Archbishop’s Saint Francis of Assisi award representing Our Lady of the Assumption. They have been blessed with four children. Dennis who resides in Tucson, AZ with wife Loretta. Cindy Jiron and husband Gary from Albuquerque. Richard and wife Rebecca from Albuquerque. Ronald, who passed away while serving in the Air Force. Eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren complete the family.
Garcia, Vigil Mr. Vicente O. Vigil, Sr. and Miss Karla B. Garcia were joined in holy matrimony on April 8, 1967 at St. Anne Church in Santa Fe by Msgr. Phillip J. Cassidy, which is still where we belong. They were blessed with three children: Vicente Jr.; Maria Teresa (Michael Garcia) and Carlos Vigil (Tania) and five grandchildren: Matthew, Jennifer, Jonathan, Angel, and Carlos, Jr. Vicente worked for Indian Detours Transportation Co., served in the army, and after 20 years with the Santa Fe Fire Department, retired as a Lieutenant. Karla worked at the Bank of Santa Fe, Martinez Garcia & Gross P.C., Virginia’s Day Care, Niños Food Program and Santa Fe Public Schools. They have been active in their church for many years, doing volunteer work in the community and have been members of St. Therese Holy Family group for 50 years. Karla is a Catholic Daughter and a homebound minister. They consider themselves extremely blessed. God has been at the center of their marriage.
April 2017
Marriage Encounter Weekend: April 29 & 30 Brings Life Back to Marriages By Erica Otero, Marriage Encounter For married couples, feeling disconnected or “stuck in a rut” can lead to a sense of despair, sometimes leaving couples to wonder if it’s best to even continue in the marriage. Married couples need to understand that everything in this world, including relationships, evolve with time and need attention in order to flourish. With God at the center of any marriage, we are more inclined to be forgiving, to fight fair and to honor the sacrament of marriage and value our spouse. Since 1970, Marriage Encounter has successfully trained hundreds of couples in New Mexico to communicate in a deeper, more productive way while transforming good marriages into great marriages. Marriage Encounter is an opportunity for couples to spend one-on-one time with each other focusing on specific topics, while examining their lives together. Marriage Encounter is not couples therapy and, aside from presentations led by a team of lay couples, couples do not share with anyone except their spouse. The best part is that the weekend is for married couples from all backgrounds – empty nesters, newlyweds, busy parents, and those who are civilly married and looking to have their marriage blessed by the Catholic Church. Take advantage of the opportunity to improve and enhance your marriage with the upcoming Marriage Encounter weekend, April 29 and 30, at the Madonna Center in Albuquerque. A non-refundable registration fee of $100 is required to hold the weekend. The cost of the weekend itself is an additional $100 per couple which includes communication tools, all meals and lodging. Please inquire about scholarships or financial assistance if needed. Because Marriage Encounter is a non-profit organization, couples will have an opportunity to make a donation at the end of the weekend. Reservations will not be accepted past Friday, April 21. To register or for more information call Vivian Austin at 505.363.0363 or email Vivnava@ yahoo.com or call the Family Life Office at 505.831.8117.
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PEOPLE of GOD
Grieving with Faith Can Mend a Broken Heart Special Mass of Hope and Healing Offered to Families Suffering the Loss of a Child “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Mark 10:14 A Mass of Hope and Healing is a special Mass that celebrates the lives of children who have died in infancy or in utero. It is a way of offering healing to the child’s family and friends through liturgy, ceremony, and worship. The Office of Social Justice and Respect Life and the Office of Family Life are organizing three such Masses around the archdiocese during the spring and fall. The first Mass of Hope and Healing will be held on the evening of Monday, April 24th at Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish in Albuquerque, located at 2621 Vermont St NE. This event will include a holy hour, the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, Mass, and a reception. The holy hour will begin at 4:00pm. Mass will begin at 5:30pm, followed by a reception. The event will focus on the spirituality of the grieving process and its importance to healing. The second Mass of Hope and Healing will take place in Santa Fe with Archbishop John C. Wester presiding, at 10:00am Saturday, May 6th, at Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. This
Mass will be preceded by a presentation on healing through grief, to begin at 9:00am in Crispin Hall. A reception will follow the Mass. There will be a third Mass of Hope and Healing in the fall, to take place on November 3rd at St. Jude Thaddeus on Paradise Boulevard on the west side of Albuquerque. People who are grieving the loss of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or infant death are invited to this special Mass. Their children’s lives will be celebrated and each child will be lifted up. Commemorating a child whose life was fleeting can help the family to incorporate the baby’s memory into the family in a positive way and to honor the child’s place in the home. The Mass is open to everyone and especially welcomes Catholics who have felt alienated from God and the Church. Allowing the grieving process to take its course is the first step toward healing. If you or someone you know is suffering from the loss of a child, the Mass of Hope and Healing will help. Coming together with our faith community is vital during times of sorrow, as Jesus comforts us and as we comfort each other. For more information, please call 505.831.8235.
Masses of Hope & Healing Monday, April 24, 2017 Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish 2621 Vermont St NE 87110 in Albuquerque 4:00pm Holy hour 5:30pm Mass followed by a reception Saturday, May 6, 2017 Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, presided by Archbishop John C. Wester 9:00am Presentation on healing through grief in Crispin Hall 10:00am Mass followed by a reception Friday, November 3, 2017 St. Jude Thaddeus 5712 Paradise Blvd NW 87114 in Albuquerque
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St. Pius X Senior Leads Shoe Drive By Melissa W. Sais, St. Pius X Communications St. Pius X High School senior Victoria Montoya will spend the final months of her senior year focused on shoes. More specifically, she’s collecting new and gentlyused shoes for the children and families served by Barrett House Shelter and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico. “My goal is to overwhelm them with shoes so that they have a surplus,” Montoya says of the project she has named “Kicks for a Cause.” Montoya has worked for the City of Albuquerque as a recreation leader since her junior year, serving at recreation programs at three different schools in the city. “I saw that many kids really needed shoes,” she says, prompting her to launch the community service project. Montoya will collect shoes at St. Pius throughout the season of Lent and at area Catholic elementary and middle schools until the end of the school year. Her goal is to exceed the 400 pairs of shoes she collected during a similar project she operated during her eighth grade year at Holy Ghost Catholic
St. Pius X High School senior Victoria Montoya, second from left, and fellow seniors collect shoes for her “Kicks for a Cause” campaign.
School. Anyone with new or gently-used shoes to donate can leave them for Montoya at St. Pius X High School. Montoya plans to major in education and is deciding between Fort Lewis College in Durango and the University of New Mexico. “I’m excited to see what the future holds for me,” Montoya says. Montoya says she has been inspired in community service by many teachers at St. Pius, including Jennifer Gonzales and Greg
Hakeem, and community service coordinator Alicia Elier. “They are very selfless people, always encouraging us to help others around us,” Montoya says. If you would like to learn more about supporting Albuquerque’s only Catholic, college-prep high school and its students or about making a donation to the school’s Annual Fund, please contact Bobby Wallace at 505.831.8423.
MathCounts at Our Lady of Fatima By Jim Dillard, Math Teacher, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School The MATHCOUNTS Competition is a national middle school competitive program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging “bee” style contests. The program is supported by the National Society of Professional Engineers at the state and local levels.
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John Robledo Our Local Celebrity
Pictured here from left to right: Sr. Anne Louise Abascal, MPF, principal, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School; John Robledo, Mrs. Danielle Herrera, and Aubrey Dunn, State Land Commissioner.
In February, St. Thomas Aquinas fourth grader, John Robledo was featured on KRQE News 13 for his winning bookmark he created as part of the State Land Office’s annual program to design a bookmark. Elementary school entrants were asked to create bookmarks illustrating concepts of oil, gas/minerals, forest and watershed, recreation, agriculture or wind/ solar energy. John was surprised at his win out of several competing elementary students throughout the community, especially since he said it was a “last minute drawing.” John won a Kindle Fire and his class was awarded a pizza party. State Land Commissioner, Aubrey Dunn presented John with his award. John’s winning bookmark will be published and distributed at the NM State Fair in September.
Santo Niño Regional Catholic School Competes in Northeastern Regional Science & Engineering Fair In March, families, teachers, judges, and curious spectators gathered at Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM for the annual Northeastern Regional Science & Engineering Fair. Hearts palpitated as last minute fixes were carefully made to
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We first entered the competition seven years ago and our team continues to improve each year. A team of four students represent the school, and an additional six students compete as individual performers. The competition is broken up into three parts. The sprint round consists of 30 problems in which students are allotted 40 minutes to complete. Next is the target round. Here students are given problems in sets of two and have six minutes to complete each set. There are four sets in this round. Finally, in the team round, students work in teams of four collaboratively to complete 10 problems in 20 minutes. This year marks the fourth time our school team has placed in the top half of competing schools throughout the state, which is required to earn a trip to the state competition. Over the years,
their displays. Five sixth graders from Santo Niño Regional Catholic School were among those competing. They spent 12 hours setting up displays, being interviewed by judges, and anxiously awaiting the results of their hard work and skill.
we have had 16 different students participate at the state level as either a part of the school team, or as individual performers based on their scores in this competition. Students from 6th, 7th and 8th grades are selected based on their classroom achievement for the MathCounts program. The students meet weekly beginning in early November to prepare for the contest which is in mid-February. Each week we work a series of problems and discuss various strategies for solving each. The problems are designed to provide students with a large variety of challenges and prepare them for the MATHCOUNTS competition. We do a couple of school competitions in order for me to determine the best students to represent the school and allow students to become comfortable with the competition format.
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Members of the M.C. Baca Family accept an award for their family’s five generations of support of St. Mary’s Catholic School at the Belen school’s 90th anniversary celebration.
Josefa (Josephine) Márquez Sarracino Turning 100 Years Old This April 12th, 2017 By Therese Nuñez, St. Vincent de Paul at Sacred Heart Church Fita, as we always call her, was born on Third Street in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 12, 1917, to Julia and Julian Márquez, and is a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She married Mario Sarracino in 1942 at San Felipe de Neri Church. Fita and Mario had one son, Mario Sarracino, Jr., known as “Butch.” Fita has two grandchildren, Jaylene and David, and four great grandchildren. David, her grandson, passed away several years ago. Fita was the eldest of ten 10 children, and has two surviving sisters, Rosario Chavez and husband, Ray, and Rachel Lujan. Fita started cleaning houses when she was thirteen 13 years old, and was paid three dollars a week. During the Depression, after rent was deducted from Fita’s father’s paycheck, there was less than a dollar left to buy food. She quit school in the eighth grade to help with the family. She worked at the Schwartzman’s Meat Packing Company and the Excelsior Laundry. Fita and her husband, Mario, were both WWII veterans. In the mid-1950’s
they were both charter members of the Albuquerque Chapter of the American G.I Forum. Mario and Fita were in the restaurant business for many years. They owned
“Mario’s Café” on West Central, and owned the restaurant section of the Club Chesterfield. They had a concession trailer, and set up their trailer at many of the Native American feast days. Fita has belonged to the Catholic Daughters of America for over 40 years, and has worked with Sister Sr. Clementia for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Sacred Heart Church since 2001. She recalls walking to homes and visiting the needy in the Barelas neighborhood, providing them with food, and helping them with their rent, gas, or light bills. She worked with Sister Sr. Clementia on various other church projects. Fita is very talented, embroiders beautifully, sews, and made many kinds of arts and crafts to sell at the annual Sacred Heart Fiesta. These days, Fita spends her time enjoying her family and friends, reading, watching her favorite Mexican telenovelas, participating in the Mass on EWTN, and watching other Catholic programs. Thank you, Mrs. Sarracino, for sharing this information. Mrs. Sarracino is definitely one of our most valued members of Sacred Heart Church and the Barelas community.
April 2017
Celebrating 50 years of Catholic Charismatic Renewal By Sr. Anthony Birdsall, Director of the of the Catholic Charismatic Center The Catholic Charismatic Center in Albuquerque will be having its 43rd Southwest Catholic Charismatic Conference July 28-30, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albuquerque. The theme is: “Do not slack in zeal, but be fervent in spirit.” Romans 12:11 Early bird registration (received by June 23, 2017): adults $55, married couples $100, youth and children $10. Late Registration (received after June 23 and at the conference site): adults $60, married couples $110. youth & children $10. To register please call the Catholic Charismatic Center at 505.247.0397. Registrations are offered for the entire weekend only. One day registrations are not available. The deadline for cancellations/refunds is July 14, 2017. There is a cancellation fee of $10 per person. After July 14th there will be no refunds. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is offering special room rates. When you register for a room please tell them you will be attending the Southwest Catholic Charismatic Conference (group code CCC).
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Our Lady of the Smile By Rev. Vincent Chavez, pastor, Shrine of the Little Flower/St. Therese of the Infant Jesus On Friday, 3 February 2017, a bronze statue of Mary, our Blessed Mother under the title of “Our Lady of the Smile” was installed outside the north transept of The Shrine of the Little Flower at the Parish and School of Saint Therese of the Infant Jesus in Albuquerque. Many parishes have exterior statues of our Blessed Mother on their grounds yet this particular image of Mary under the title of “Our Lady of the Smile is exclusive to the life and story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the patroness of The Shrine, School and Parish. In the home of Saint Thérèse’s parents, Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin was a small statue of Our Lady. It is almost three feet high and is made of plaster, which is covered by a special varnish that makes it look more like marble. The statue was given to Louis and which he brought to his marriage and family home. The children of Zélie and Louis loved this statue and would often smother it with kisses. This statue was used by the family in daily prayer. When Thérèse was ten, she suffered a prolonged serious illness. After her mother’s death when Thérèse was young, her sister Pauline became as you will her second “mamá.” When Pauline entered the Carmelite Convent in Lisieux, this seemed to Thérèse as if she had lost her mother all over again. She went into a serious and dark depression. No treatment helped. While the family was surrounding her bed with prayer on Pentecost Sunday, 13 May, 1883 and feeling that little Thérèse was dying, her sisters threw themselves on their knees before their beloved statue of Our Lady, begging the Blessed Virgin Mary to have pity on their poor sick little sister. Suddenly the statue seemed to come alive—and Our Lady appeared to little Thérèse. Our Lady’s face glowed with a glorious beauty, but it was her wonderful smile, which filled the girl with joy. Two large tears rolled down Thérèse’s cheeks, and she though, “Ah! The Blessed Virgin smiled at me, how happy I am.” The real miraculous statue is in the Chapel of the Carmelite Convent in Lisieux, where it now overlooks the wax figure of her and above the marble case containing her bones. The statue has since been called “Our Lady of the Smile.” Our statue of Our Lady of the Smile here at The Shrine of the Little Flower took about seven years of initial vision, planning and fabrication. It was formally proposed as a new sculpture to the artist Michele vandenHeuvel of Bené Bronze of Albuquerque in the spring of 2014. In a con-
versation in the pastor’s office, a sculpture of Mary under the curious title “Our Lady of the Smile” was first explained to Michele. Michele was completing the life size sculpture of Saint Therese seated on a Garden Bench now located at the Prayer Garden of the parish campus. She had never heard this title before and it turned out coincidentally that the day of this initial conversation happened to be May 13th. In the planning of the sculpture, correspondence to France and the Rector of the Shrine in Lisieux took place requesting the exact dimensions of the original statue. This new sculpture was also to feature patinated bronze to make it more contemporary and detailed meetings took place to select the colors and their placement. Even the granite pedestal, the form, appearance, carved lettering and color were carefully considered. The color of the granite pedestal called “dragon’s blood” is a perfect complement to the Ludowici Terra Cotta Tile roof of The Shrine. This granite is OUR LADY continued on page 27
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God’s mercy endures forever…feed the hungry By SM Edna Pearl Esquibel, CSSF, Director of Religious Education In July of 1992, in an attempt to provide food to the poor and hungry, the San Martin de Porres Soup Kitchen (SMSK) was created in the city of Española. For the last twenty-five years, the San Martin Soup Kitchen has been active in serving the needs of the hungry in Northern New Mexico communities. The soup kitchen began as a small community outreach effort concentrating its attention on three meals a week. Due to the expanded need in the community, the San Martin de Porres Soup Kitchen now provides a hot lunch for an average of 50-90 patrons a day. The meals are served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to noon at the Apple Valley Senior Center. Food baskets are provided on a weekly basis to other families in need who are referred to SMSK by a church or State Agency. San Martin de Porres Soup Kitchen is funded by donations received from different parishes and congregations, the Santa Fe Food Depot, other organizations, businesses and the community at large. SMSK will gladly accept cash donations, food donations and volunteers. For more information or for assistance go to the San Martin de Porres Soup Kitchen website: www.smdpsoupkitchen.com, call 505-753-4956 or email smdpsoupkitchesn@yahoo.com.
Divine Mercy Retreat April 21 - 23, 2017 Divine Mercy Sunday is April 23
ATTENTION ALL MEN and WOMEN (16 yrs. & over with Adult) are invited to attend a spiritual weekend. Take this opportunity to learn more about yourself and God’s Mercy and Trust in Jesus. The Knights of Columbus are hosting a Divine Mercy Retreat. Most Rev Ricardo Ramirez, C.S.B. Bishop Emeritus of Las Cruces will be the Retreat Master and help lead the spiritual renewal weekend. Everyone will be able to attend daily Mass and receive Communion, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Friday evening), and Healing Services (Sacrament of Anointing - Saturday evening) prayers with the Benedictine Monastic Community along with the teaching sessions during the day. You may also receive the Plenary Indulgence. Where: Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey The Benedictine Monastery, Pecos, New Mexico When: 4:00 pm Friday, April 21, 2017 Early Check in time 2:00 pm Sunday Check out time Cost: $175.00 covers the entire retreat including all sessions, room and meals Registration: You may register online by going to http:// www.pecosmonastery.org click on “Retreats” or call monastery at 505.757.6415 Contact: Bill O’Donnell at 505.438.1809
The Knights of Columbus DVD documentary film on Divine Mercy narrated by actor Jim Caviezel will be shown; The Face of Mercy explores the history and relevance of Divine Mercy by exploring the powerful visions of a merciful God revealed to St. Faustina, the key role played by Pope John Paul II who propelled the message of Divine Mercy onto the world stage, and the Year of Mercy bestowed upon the Church by Pope Francis. Filmed in stunning 4K and seamlessly weaving together theology and history with modern testimonials and visual effects, this stirring film creates a remarkable tapestry of what constitutes the face of mercy in our modern world.
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W O R L D A N D N AT I O N A L N E W S Pay close attention to pope’s words and actions, papal nuncio says WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the United States, gets plenty of questions about Pope Francis. A March 27 discussion at Georgetown University, sponsored by the university’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, was no exception. The nuncio, who sat onstage with John Carr, the initiative’s director, was asked about the pope’s key issues and his impact in the four years since his election. Instead of emphasizing the pope’s special qualities or accomplishments, Archbishop Pierre, who has been in the Vatican diplomatic corps for almost 40 years, stressed how Catholics are called to view the pope and essentially work with him in the mission of spreading the Gospel. He told the audience, nearly filling a campus auditorium, that it is not a question of whether the pope is good or bad or if one agrees with him or not. The issue, for Catholics, is to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying through the pope. “We have to pay a lot of attention to the person of the pope and to his message and to his testimony because the pope is not just words but he is also actions and actions that are powerful words,” the nuncio said.
Bill passes to allow states to redirect funds away from abortion clinics WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Senate voted late March 30 to override a rule change made by in the last days of the Obama administration that prevented states from redirecting Title X family planning funding away from clinics that performed abortions and to community clinics that provide comprehensive health care. “The clear purpose of this Title X rule change was to benefit abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “Congress has done well to reverse this very bad public policy, and to restore the ability of states to stop one stream of our tax dollars going to Planned Parenthood and redirect it to community health centers that provide comprehensive primary and preventive health care,” he said in a March 31 statement. Midday March 30 Vice President Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, cast a tiebreaking vote that allowed Senate action to proceed on a joint resolution to block the Obama-era regulation that went into Jan. 18, two days before President Barack Obama left office.
Art exhibit puts Botticelli’s spiritual journey in historical framework WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (CNS) -- The culture wars of today have nothing on those from Renaissance times. In Florence, Italy, in 1497 -- after people had been repeatedly warned that some instruments, books, sculptures, paintings and clothes could lead them away from their faith -- thousands of these items were thrown into a huge pile in the center of the city and burned in the famous Bonfire of the Vanities. Among the works of art said to be set afire were some of the paintings of nudes or characters from mythology by Sandro Botticelli, who was a contemporary and friend of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and who painted a number of religious images and the famous paintings “Birth of Venus” and “Primavera.” A current
U.S. exhibition of Botticelli’s works, many of them appearing in this country for the first time, places the modern audience right in the middle of this tumultuous period and also shows how this time of intense spiritual scrutiny impacted the artist. “Botticelli and the Search for the Divine: Florentine Painting Between the Medici and the Bonfire of the Vanities” opened Feb. 11 at Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. After its April 5 closing there, the exhibit heads to its only other venue, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where it will be on display April 18-July 9. The exhibition provides a sense of the artist’s spiritual journey, said its curator, John Spike, assistant director and chief curator at the Williamsburg museum.
Vatican releases itinerary for papal trip to Egypt VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will meet with the leader of one of the world’s leading Sunni Muslim institutions, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church and representatives of the Catholic Church on a two-day trip to Cairo. The pope is scheduled to arrive in Cairo April 28 for courtesy visits with political and religious leaders and deliver a speech, along with the grand imam of al-Azhar University, to an international conference on peace. He will celebrate Mass for the small Catholic community in Cairo the next day and meet with bishops, clergy, religious and seminarians before returning to Rome April 29. In mid-March, the Vatican confirmed the pope would make the trip following an invitation from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the Catholic bishops in Egypt, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar. It will be the pope’s 18th trip abroad in his four years as pope and the seventh time he visits a Muslim-majority nation. He will be the second pope to visit Egypt, after St. John Paul II went to Cairo and Mount Sinai in 2000.
Catholic bishops join call to Trump to support humanitarian assistance WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Five Catholic prelates were among 106 faith leaders who shared their support for U.S. spending on international humanitarian aid in a letter to congressional leaders. Dated March 16, the letter cited the importance of maintaining support for the humanitarian and development programs through the Department of State “that enable countless people to pull themselves out of poverty and live life with dignity.” The letter was sent hours after the White House released a simplified version of its fiscal year 2018 budget that proposed deep cuts in federal spending on discretionary programs in the departments of State, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development as well as in the Environmental Protection Agency. Called the “skinny budget,” the president’s proposal includes a $54 billion increase in discretionary spending for the military with corresponding cuts in discretionary spending on nonmilitary programs. The budget proposes a 28 percent cut in the programs addressed in the religious leaders’ letter. Smaller increases were included for homeland security -- particularly $2.6 billion for building the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico and implementing border security technology -- and $1.4 billion for school choice alternatives.
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W O R L D A N D N AT I O N A L N E W S Stop prejudice, forgive sins of past, pope urges Christians VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Serious research on Martin Luther can help heal relations between Catholics and Protestants, highlight what was legitimate about the Reformation and pinpoint the errors and sins that led to the division of the church, Pope Francis said. “Today, as Christians, all of us are called to put behind us all prejudice toward the faith that others profess with a different emphasis or language, to offer one another forgiveness for the sins committed by those who have gone before us, and together to implore from God the gift of reconciliation and unity,” he said. The pope spoke March 31 to about 150 people taking part in an international congress organized by the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. The congress, held March 29-31, discussed the theme, “Luther: 500 Years Later. A Rereading of the Lutheran Reformation in the Historical, Ecclesial Context.” The pope told the participants that his first reaction to hearing about “this praiseworthy initiative” was one of gratitude to God and “a certain surprise, since not long ago a meeting like this would have been unthinkable.”
Pope asks council for evangelization to oversee Catholic shrines VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Highlighting Catholic shrines’ potential to strengthen the faith of Catholics and draw people to Christianity, Pope Francis transferred responsibility for coordinating the activity of shrines to the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. “Despite the crisis of faith impacting the modern world, these places still are perceived as sacred spaces where pilgrims go to find moments of rest, silence and contemplation in the midst of a life that is often frenetic,” Pope Francis said in a document published April 1. Issued “motu proprio,” or on his own authority, the document moves responsibility for Catholic shrines from the Congregation for Clergy to the council for new evangelization. While in most cases, religious orders or dioceses run Catholic shrines, the Vatican still has responsibility for providing some regulation and, especially, encouragement of their pastoral activities. The papal document specifies the pontifical council now will be responsible for: approving the designation of international shrines; studying and promoting the evangelizing activity of shrines; organizing and supporting national and international meetings to promote common pastoral initiatives; promoting specialized training of shrine workers; and ensuring that pilgrims are offered the spiritual support they need to grow from their pilgrimage.
Bishops urge Congress to take bipartisan approach on health care reform WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Now that lawmakers have withdrawn the American Health Care Act, Congress must “seize this moment to create a new spirit of bipartisanship” and make “necessary reforms” in existing health care law to address access, affordability, life and conscience, said three U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen.
The GOP bill was removed from consideration by the House at the eleventh hour March 24 because its passage looked unlikely, as a number of lawmakers disagreed with several of its provisions as well as the process that led to the drafting of the bill. The measure “contained serious deficiencies, particularly in its changes to Medicaid, that would have impacted the poor and others most in need in unacceptable ways,” the bishops said in a joint letter to Congress dated March 30 and released March 31 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. But the committee chairmen also said that withdrawal of the bill “must not end our nation’s efforts to improve health care.” The letter was signed by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty; and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
Panel: Archives of religious orders tell history of U.S. church WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The history of women and men religious in the United States is the history of American Catholicism and their archives reflect the rich role many played in weaving the fabric of the U.S. church, said a group of historians, scholars and archivists at a March 29 gathering in Washington to discuss religious order archives. Archives particularly show the roles women religious played in the country’s education, hospitals, immigrant communities and social movements, they said, and yet there’s a danger of losing some of that history -- as well as that of their male counterparts -- as religious orders consolidate, convents merge or close, and their historical materials are discarded, lost or scattered. When it comes to the records produced by the religious ministries of women religious, they tend to tell a richer story than official diocesan history, said Mary Beth Fraser Connolly, a panelist in “For Posterity: Religious Order Archives and the Writing of American Catholic History,” part of a daylong series of events at The Catholic University of America aimed at discussing the fate of religious order archives. Connolly mentioned the example of the official history of a parish school, where the priest is credited with its construction, but archives from women religious tell the story of how the women staffed the schools “for little to no salaries” and how they subsisted on other means of income to survive.
Bishop concerned U.S. won’t meet carbon emission goals after Trump order WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a review of the Clean Power Plan jeopardizes environmental protections and moves the country away from a national carbon standard to help meet domestic and international goals to ease greenhouse gas emissions, said the chairman of a U.S. bishops’ committee. The executive order, signed March 28 at the Environmental Protection Agency, fails to offer a “sufficient plan for ensuring proper care for people and creation,” Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice Florida, chairman of the bishop’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said in a statement EMISSION GOALS Continued on page 27
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OUR LADY continued from page 23 sourced from a quarry in South Africa where the pastor lived and worked decades before and first saw this striking red/orange granite used extensively in the public buildings. The height of the pedestal and the exact dimensions of the sculpture to the original statue were carefully considered so that that this image of Mary would have an intimate feel and be at eye level with people as they entered and departed The Shrine of the Little Flower. Most beautifully, Michele vandenHeuvel imprinted into the clay sculpture antique French lace in honor of Zélie and her professional business as Zélie was considered one of the most skilled lace makers of her time and country. The back of the sculpture also has columbine flowers which grow in flower gardens of the parish
and which are a symbol of Our Lady. There is a fable or tradition in the Church that when Mary journeyed to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, that for every step Mary took on her journey, a columbine plant sprouted from her footprint. Our statue is made in memory and gratitude of our dear Parishioner +Jacqueline Libby, “Mother for the Motherless.” Jacqueline in her professional career was in charge of adoptions for the State of New Mexico and was a dear friend, faithful and active parishioner. She was a past recipient of the Archbishop’s Saint Francis of Assisi Award and served as a Lector and an active member of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Our Shrine of the Little Flower has held the bone relics of Saint Louis Martin and Saint
EMISSION GOALS Continued from page 26 March 29. Trump, flanked by coal miners, said during the signing ceremony that his goal was to drive energy independence, bring back coal-mining and manufacturing jobs, and reduce the cost of electricity. Explaining that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has joined Pope Francis in supporting environmental stewardship and has long called for the U.S. to curtail carbon emissions, Bishop Dewane said the order “means that, sadly, the United States is unlikely to meet its domestic and international mitigation goals.” The USCCB has called for a national climate standard in recent years without supporting any particular economic, technical or political approach.
Archbishop: Belarusians devoted to Fatima, still struggle with secularism WASHINGTON (CNS) -- People in Belarus -- a former Soviet republic -- have a great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, and so does the archbishop who leads them. Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk, Belarus, who served as archbishop of Moscow from 1991 to 2007, speaks passionately about his devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared to three children in Portugal in 1917. “The idea of Fatima, the idea of the conversion of Russia -- it’s in my heart,” he told Catholic News Service during a late-March visit to Washington. “You will never find a church without a statue of Our Lady of Fatima in my country,” he added. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz said he met three times with Carmelite Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three children who received the visions of Mary. At the first meeting, in 1991, he told Sister Lucia that he was the Catholic archbishop in Moscow. “She asked several times, ‘Is it true?’” “’So,’ she said, ‘it means the prophecy of Fatima is fulfilled,’” Archbishop Kondrusiewicz said.
Zélie Guérin since 27 May 2016. When the sculpture was in its completed clay form and ready to be sent to Shidoni Foundry in Tesuque, the bones of the parents of Thérèse were touched to the sculpture. Of note is the interesting connection of the Family of Saint Thérèse on her maternal side to the Guérin Family of New Mexico. The Guérin Family is quite small in France and any Guérin of New Mexico (here pronounced with a Spanish-accented—Guerín) would be very closely, genetically related to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and her Family. So . . . the Parish and School of Saint Therese of the Infant Jesus, now has a beautiful and powerful statue of Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Smile. This image is very accessible to all and welcomes all. She is positioned purposely so that her face and hands extend
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in blessing toward the traffic, businesses and bustle of the city surrounding The Shrine of the Little Flower. Parishioners, children and pilgrims are already touching her feet, hands and face in devotion as they come to the image of Mary to pray. Our Blessed Mother, under the title of “Our Lady of the Smile” is the special intercessor on our behalf before her Son, Jesus (as she is visibly pregnant in the statue) for those who suffer the challenges of psychological or psychiatric maladies; depression; melancholy; or grief and sadness due to the loss of a loved one. May Our Lady of the Smile touch and heal many hearts. “Seek the well-being of the city to which I have sent you. Pray for it to the Lord. For in seeking its well-being you shall find your own.” Jeremiah 29:7 Vision and Mission Statement of Saint Therese Parish
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Revised 3/31/17
“Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear. Keep safe what you received. God the Father sealed you, Christ the Lord strengthened you and sent the Spirit into your hearts as the pledge of what is to come.”
— St. Ambrose
We invite you to keep our confirmandi in prayer.
Confirmation Schedule 2017 Celebrant
Day Date Time
Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Sat April 22 2:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sat April 22 5:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sun April 23 10:30 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sun April 23 11:00 a.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Mon April 24 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Mon April 24 7:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Tue April 25 7:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Wed April 26 6:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Wed April 26 6:30 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Wed April 26 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Thu April 27 6:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Thu April 27 6:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Thu April 27 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Fri April 28 6:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Fri April 28 7:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Sat April 29 10:00 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sat April 29 10:00 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sat April 29 4:30 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sun April 30 9:30 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sun April 30 11:30 a.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Mon May 1 6:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Mon May 1 7:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Tue May 2 7:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Tue May 2 6:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Wed May 3 6:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Wed May 3 6:30 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Wed May 3 7:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Fri May 5 6:30 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Fri May 5 7:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sat May 6 10:00 a.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sat May 6 7:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Sun May 7 11:00 a.m.
Parish
Location
St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish Albuquerque St. Charles Borromeo Albuquerque Our Lady of Sorrows La Joya St. Anthony of Padua Pecos Risen Savior Albuquerque Our Lady of the Assumption Albuquerque San Jose Albuquerque St. Jude Thaddeus Albuquerque Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Pojoaque San Miguel Socorro San Antonio de Padua Penasco Santuario de San Martin de Porres Albuquerque St. Alice Mountainair San Fransico de Asis Ranchos de Taos Church of the Incarnation Rio Rancho Santo Domingo Santo Domingo Pueblo St. Anthony Questa La Santisima Trinidad Arroyo Seco San Ignacio Albuquerque Immaculate Heart of Mary Los Alamos Holy Family Albuquerque San Jose Albuquerque Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Albuquerque St. Jude Thaddeus Albuquerque Shrine of the Liittle Flower St.Therese Albuquerque joined by…..Our Lady of Guadalupe, Albuquerque Our Lady of Guadalupe Peralta St. John Vianney Rio Rancho Immaculate Conception Las Vegas Our Lady of Fatima Albuquerque St. Gertrude the Great Mora Our Lady of Sorrows Las Vegas St. Edwin Albuquerque
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PEOPLE of GOD
Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sun May 7 5:30 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Mon May 8 7:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Mon May 8 6:30 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Mon May 8 6:30 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Tue May 9 6:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Tue May 9 6:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Tue May 9 7:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Wed May 10 6:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Wed May 10 6:30 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Wed May 10 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Wed May 10 7:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Thu May 11 6:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Thu May 11 7:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Fri May 12 6:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sat May 13 10:00 a.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sat May 13 5:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Sat May 13 7:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Sun May 14 10:00 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Tue May 16 7:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Tue May 16 7:00 pm. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Wed May 17 6:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Wed May 17 6:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Wed May 17 7:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Thu May 18 6:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Fri May 19 6:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Fri May 19 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sat May 20 10:00 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sun May 21 11:00 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Tue May 23 6:30 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Tue May 23 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Wed May 24 6:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Wed May 24 6:30 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Wed May 24 7:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Thu May 25 7:00 p.m. Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan Thu May 25 6:30 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Thu May 25 7:00 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Fri May 26 7:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Sat May 27 10:00 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sat May 27 4:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sun May 28 11:30 a.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Tue May 30 5:30 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Tue May 30 6:00 p.m. Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G. Wed May 31 6:00 p.m. Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna, E.V. Wed May 31 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Wed May 31 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Thu June 1 6:30 p.m. Archbishop John C. Wester Sun June 4 12:00 Noon
Santa Maria de La Paz Santa Fe San Felipe de Neri Albuquerque Immaculate Conception…joined by Cimarron …..St. Joseph, Springer; St. Patrick-St. Joseph, Raton …..St. Francis Xavier, Clayton St. Anne Albuquerque Queen of Heaven Albuquerque St. John the Baptist Santa Fe St. Thomas Aquinas Rio Rancho San Miguel de Vado Ribera Sangre de Cristo Albuquerque St. Anne Tucumcari San Clemente Los Lunas Our Lady of Guadalupe Clovis Our Lady of Belen Belen Sacred Heart…joined by Clovis …..St. Anthony of Padua, Fort Sumner St. Helen Portales St. Anthony of Padua…joined by Fort Sumner …..St. Mary, Vaughn Sacred Heart Albuquerque St. Rose of Lima Santa Rosa San Diego Mission Jemez Pueblo Our Lady of the Annunciation Albuquerque St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Albuquerque San Ysidro Corrales Immaculate Conception Albuquerque Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Santa Fe Holy Family Chimayo Immaculate Conception Tome Holy Cross Santa Cruz St. Anne Santa Fe Holy Ghost Albuquerque San Isidro Santa Fe St. Augustine Isleta Pueblo Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Taos Shrine of St. Bernadette Albuquerque San Jose…joined by Los Ojos …..St. Patrick, Chama and Santo Nino, Tierra Amarilla St. Francis Xavier Albuquerque Prince of Peace Albuquerque St. Thomas the Apostle Abiquiu Our Lady of Guadalupe…joined by Pena Blanca …..St. Bonaventure, Cochiti Pueblo Sacred Heart Espanola San Juan Bautista Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Estancia Valley Catholic Parish Moriarty Our Lady of Sorrows…joined by Bernalillo …..St. Anthony Mission, Sandia Pueblo Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary… Albuquerque …at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande St. Joseph Cerrillos Church of the Ascension Albuquerque Saint John XXIII Catholic Community Albuquerque Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Santa Fe …..joined by Cristo Rey, Santa Fe
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Celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2017 St. Francis’s Canticle of the Sun O most High, almighty, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing! Praised be my Lord God with all creatures; and especially our brother the sun, which brings us the day, and the light; fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor: O Lord, he signifies you to us! Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon, and for the stars, which God has set clear and lovely in heaven. Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind, and for air and cloud, calms and all weather, by which you uphold in life all creatures.
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure, for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!
Praised be my Lord for our sister water, which is very serviceable to us, and humble, and precious, and clean. Praised be my Lord for brother fire, through which you give us light in the darkness: and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty, and strong. Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth, which sustains us and keeps us, and yields divers fruits, and flowers of many colors, and grass. Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for God’s love’s sake, and who endure weakness and tribulation;
North American Pilgrimage Join our Group and Spiritual Director from New Mexico September 9th to 16th, 2017
Visit the Nat’l Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Ma Notre Dame Cathedral in the beautiful, walled City of Quebec Also visit: North American Martyrs and birthplace of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Other Shrines in Montreal & Quebec, Canada Including St. Joseph’s Oratory and St. Anne de Beaupre 2 nights at Niagra Falls Price: $2,100.00 includes RT airfare from Albuquerque and select cities to New York Charter Bus, lodging, 2 meals daily and all fees, taxes, tips included Contact: Cathy Smythe 505-384-2460, 505-705-5130 or csmythe@centurylink.net
Praised be my Lord for our sister, the death of the body, from which no one escapes. Woe to him who dies in mortal sin! Blessed are they who are found walking by your most holy will, for the second death shall have no power to do them harm. Praise you, and bless you the Lord, and give thanks to God, and serve God with great humility. (St. Francis, 1182-1226)
The Little Rose with a Soul A story based on a true miracle!
Meet Fiona, Ronan and their dog, Murphy!
They know a secret about prayer and special miracles in their flower garden. Fiona’s Grandma teaches her a special prayer to St. Therese. After their grandma’s passing, Fiona and Ronan experience a mysterious adventure, which teaches them about prayer, faith, hope, and love. To read this delightful children’s story (ages +7), go to www.amazon.com to order a copy. Available in both English and Spanish (La Pequena Rosa con Alma). Audio version is also available for purchase. To read about the true miracle that this story is based on, visit our website at www.dalia-n-ritabooks.com
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April 2017
TV MASS SCHEDULE The Catholic Center St. Joseph/St. Francis Chapel Over the air television Sunday at 6:30 a.m. on KRQE TV-13-2, KBIM TV-10-2, KREZ TV-6-2 and KASY-My50TV Cable or satellite providers on KRQE TV-13, KBIM TV-10, KREZ TV-6, FOX 2 American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreted TV Mass donations may be sent online to www.archdiosf.org or mailed to: Vicar General’s Office/TV Mass 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120 Check out Sunday and daily readings at www.usccb.org April 9, 2017 Palm (Passion) Sunday Abbot Joel Garner, O. Praem April 16, 2017 Easter Sunday Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan April 23, 2017 2nd Sunday of Easter Rev. Leon Vigil April 30, 2017 3rd Sunday of Easter Rev. Andrew Pavlak May 7, 2017 4th Sunday of Easter Rev. Andrew Pavlak
PEOPLE of GOD
ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE
April 9 Sun 11:00 a.m. 12:00 Noon 11 Tue 10:00 a.m. 12 Wed 12:00 Noon 1:30 p.m. 13 Thu 7:00 p.m. 14 Fri 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 15 Sat 9:00 p.m. 16 Sun 10:00 a.m. 22 Sat 6:30 p.m. 23 Sun 10:00 am. 24 Mon 2:30 p.m. 25 Tue ======== 26 Wed 12:00 Noon 27 Thu 1:30 p.m. 28 Fri 12:30 p.m. 29 Sat 10:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. 30 Sun 10:00 a.m. May 1 Mon 11:30 a.m. 2 Tue 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. 3 Wed 11:00 a.m. 2:30 p.m. 4 Thu 7:00 a.m. 5 Fri 4:00 p.m. 6 Sat ======== 7-8 === ======== 9 Tue 2:00 p.m. 10 Wed 2:00 p.m. 11 Thu 2:00 p.m. 12 Fri 12:00 Noon 5:00 p.m. 13 Sat 8:00 a.m.
Ecumenical Palm Blessing, Santa Fe Plaza Palm Sunday Mass, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Executive Presbyteral, Catholic Center Archbishop’s Radio Hour Executive Finance Committee, Catholic Center Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Stations of the Cross, State Penitentiary, Santa Fe Good Friday Services, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Easter Vigil Mass, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe Easter Sunday Mass, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe Keynote Speaker, Catholic Daughters of America State Convention, El Dorado Hotel, Santa Fe Confirmation and Listening Session, St. Anthony of Padua, Pecos Confirmation and Listening Session, Our Lady of the Assumption, Albuquerque Bishop Gerald Kicanas’ 50th Priesthood Anniversary, Tucson, AZ Confirmation and Listening Session, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Valle de Pojoaque, Pojoaque Confirmation and Listening Session, San Antonio de Padua, Penasco Confirmation and Listening Session, San Francisco de Asis, Ranchos de Taos Confirmation, St. Anthony, Questa Confirmation and Listening Session, La Santisima Trinidad, Arroyo Seco Confirmation and Listening Session, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Alamos Mass, National Association of Catholic Chaplains Conference Hyatt Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo Archdiocesan Finance Council, Catholic Center Presbyteral Council, Madonna Center, Albuquerque Confirmation and Listening Session, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Albuquerque Deans Meeting, Archbishop’s Residence, Albuquerque Confirmation and Listening Session, Shrine of the Little Flower, Albuquerque Breakfast, 75th Anniversary of Bataan Death March New Mexico National Guard Liturgical Commission, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe Knights of Columbus State Convention, Espanola Christ in the Desert Monastery Confirmation and Listening Session, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rio Rancho Confirmation and Listening Session, San Clemente, Los Lunas Confirmation and Listening Session, Our Lady of Belen, Belen Native American Governors’ Lunch, Catholic Center Vespers and Concert, Our Lady of Fatima, Albuquerque Procession and Mass, Our Lady of Fatima, Albuquerque
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I’m Not “Intrinsically Disordered!” I have met several priests over the years who ended up leaving the active ministry of the priesthood. Two of them have been on my mind and in my prayers recently, having left the priesthood and the Church over issues connected to homosexuality. I ran into one of them some time ago by chance as we were boarding the same flight. Filling me in on the decisions he had made, he shared: “I was never happy with the Catholic Church’s view that homosexuality is inherently…” and then he paused, “…what’s the phrase they use?” I replied: “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” “Ah, yes, intrinsically disordered,” he replied. “It’s a harsh institution that would call me intrinsically disordered, and I couldn’t remain in a Church that held those views.” The second priest who left had similarly decried how the Church, on account of his homosexuality, saw him as intrinsically disordered — which he took to mean that he was an evil person. I was saddened at the way both of these former priests misconstrued the teachings of the Church, and disappointed that they couldn’t see how we are not defined by our inclinations and proclivities, even if some of them may be disordered and in need of purification. As fallen creatures, every person faces disordered desires within, and no one is perfect except, we Christians believe, Jesus himself. Once when I was speaking with a person who was paralyzed, he shared how members of the disability community had given him some good advice after his accident: “Don’t say you are a disabled person, because that lets the disability define you. Say instead that you are a person with a disability.” With a similar emphasis, people shouldn’t
pigeonhole themselves by saying: “I’m a homosexual,” but instead say: “I’m a person with homosexual inclinations.” Our inclinations don’t define us, since we are free to decide whether we will act on them, or resist them. The process of resisting our disordered desires can be very difficult, but contributes significantly to our own growth and spiritual maturation. When referencing men and women “who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that such individuals must be accepted “with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.” These persons, thus, are children of God, unique and loved by the Lord and called to the pursuit of goodness, chastity and holiness. The notion of an “intrinsically disordered” act (sometimes also called an intrinsically evil act) has been part of the Church’s moral teachings for millennia. Such acts, as Pope John Paul II noted in his 1993 encyclical Veritatis Splendor, “are by their nature ‘incapable of being ordered’ to God, because they radically contradict the good of the person made in his image.” Even the best of intentions, he stressed, cannot transform an act that is intrinsically evil into an act that is good or justified. Many kinds of acts fall under the heading of an “intrinsic evil,” representing seriously damaging choices for those who pursue them and for those around them. A few randomly chosen examples would include: prostitution, torture, slavery,
trafficking in women and children, adultery, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual acts. As noted in the Catechism, homosexual acts “are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.” Or as noted in another important teaching document called Persona Humana, “homosexual relations are acts which lack an essential and indispensable finality.” Even though men and women may engage in intrinsically disordered acts at various points in their lives, that fact clearly does not make them “intrinsically disordered persons,” or “evil individuals.” We’re reminded of the old adage that we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. The Catechism sums it up well: “Man, having been wounded in his nature by original sin, is subject to error and inclined to evil in exercising his freedom,” but the remedy is found in Christ and in “the moral life, increased and brought to maturity in grace.” Thus, intrinsically disordered acts, while always destructive to ourselves and to others, do not put us outside of the eventual reach of grace and mercy, nor beyond the healing effects of repentance. Rather those acts and their harmful effects should beckon us towards the loving gaze of the Lord as he invites us to seek a higher path, one in which we renounce wrongdoing and resolutely embrace the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org
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April 2017
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Sr. M. Carolyn Ann Wheat est
in
Peace
Sr. Dolores Abeyta, OP Sr. Dolores Abeyta, OP of Albuquerque, New Mexico (born Maria Petrita Abeyta in Abeytas, NM) died on March 12, 2017. She was 78 years old and a Dominican Sister for 59 years. Sr. Dolores first served as a teacher in Michigan at St. Alfred, Taylor; St. Casimir, Saginaw; St. Anne, Alpena; St. Stephen, Grand Rapids and Beaver Island. Returning to the land of her birth, Sr. Dolores taught in New Mexico at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Alameda; Our Lady of Fatima, Albuquerque; Holy Cross, Santa Cruz; St. Mary, Belen and Holy Ghost School, Albuquerque. She also served as an assistant, a receptionist and a case worker at the Diocese of El Paso Catholic Charities and
as pastoral minister and pastoral Associate at Holy Cross Parish in Santa Cruz. Sr. Dolores received a B.A. and an M.A. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids and a certificate in Pastoral Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Continuing her education at Xavier University in summer courses, Sr. Dolores received a certificate in the Workshop Way Method. Sr. Dolores is survived by her sisters Mela Sanchez of Mesa, AZ; Angelina (Sesario) Trujillo, Albuquerque, NM; Dolores Duran (Benjamin) of Rio Rancho, NM and sisterin-law Pauline Abeyta of Las Cruces, NM; nieces and nephews, many friends and members of her Dominican Community.
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April 2017
PEOPLE of GOD
Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13 No secret: Last three popes share close bond to Fatima By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
Lucia’s death, urged Pope Benedict XVI to waive the five-year waiting VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Recent popes have period before her sainthood cause had a special affection for Our Lady of Fatima, could be opened. but no pope’s connection can match that of St. “The pope was very kind. He said, John Paul II. ‘Yes, you know more about this than “We cannot forget that he was saved by I do. We will do as you say,’” the Our Lady of Fatima from the assassination cardinal recalled. attempt here in St. Peter’s. This is fundamental Pope Benedict, the cardinal added, and central. It is never forgotten,” Portuguese was a “great devotee” of Our Lady of Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, former prefect Fatima, even before his election to of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, told the papacy. Portuguese shepherd children Lucia dos Catholic News Service March 29. Interviewed in his apartment near Santos, center, and her cousins, Jacinta and Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk, shot Pope John Paul Francisco Marto, are seen in a file photo St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Saraiva at close range as the pope was greeting a crowd taken around the time of the 1917 apparitions Martins grabbed a copy of part of in St. Peter’s Square on the feast of Our Lady of of Mary at Fatima. (CNS photo/EPA) the interview then-Cardinal Joseph Fatima, May 13, 1981. Ratzinger did in 1985 with Vittorio Two bullets pierced the pope’s abdomen, Messori, an Italian journalist. but no major organs were struck; a bullet had “Before becoming pope, he said: missed his heart and aorta by a few inches. ‘A stern warning has been launched St. John Paul would later say, “It was a from that place ... a summons to the mother’s hand that guided the bullet’s path.” seriousness of life, of history, to the That miracle, the cardinal said, is key in perils that threaten humanity,’” the “understanding well Pope John Paul’s devotion cardinal read. to Our Lady of Fatima.” The special papal bond with Our Given the date of the assassination attempt, Lady of Fatima continues today with Pope Francis, who as archbishop of the pope specifically credited Our Lady of Buenos Aires, was a frequent visitor to Fatima with his miraculous survival and a shrine in the Argentine city devoted recovery. Several months later, he visited the to her, Cardinal Saraiva Martins said. site of the apparitions, the first of three visits he Pope John Paul II is pictured with Carmelite Pope Francis will visit Fatima May 12would make as pope to Fatima. For St. John Paul, Cardinal Saraiva Martins Sister Lucia dos Santos, the last of the three 13 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Fatima visionaries alive in 1991. Recent popes said, “Our Lady of Fatima was everything,” and have had a special affection for Our Lady of apparitions. The cardinal recalled Pope Francis’ his three visits to the Portuguese town were Fatima, but no pope’s connection can match those of a grateful son to the mother who saved that of now St. John Paul II. (CNS photo/Joao “beautiful” words to Portuguesespeaking pilgrims on May 13, 2015, his life. Paul Trindade via EPA) the 98th anniversary of the apparition: “I still remember -- I’ll never forget it -- when he arrived at the little chapel of the apparitions where (the statue of) “Entrust to her all that you are, all that you have, and in that way you will be able to become an instrument of the mercy and tenderness Our Lady of Fatima was,” Cardinal Saraiva Martins recalled. St. John Paul was holding one of the bullets that had struck of God to your family, neighbors and friends.” “This an example of the words of Pope Francis, so he is a great him and slowly approached the statue, finally placing the bullet in her crown, he said. “It is still in the crown today. I witnessed these devotee of Fatima,” the cardinal said. “And for this reason, he will go gestures, how he expressed his devotion to Our Lady. He would just to Fatima. For him, it will be an extraordinary day in which he will walk closer and closer to Our Lady and would repeat: ‘You saved fulfill this great desire that has been expressed in so many ways.” Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima is emblematic of the popes of the me, you saved me.’” As the prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes from 1998 last century who have “always recognized” the relevance of Mary’s to 2008, Cardinal Saraiva Martins also oversaw the process leading message, particularly its emphasis on faith, conversion, hope and to the beatification by St. John Paul of Jacinta and Francisco Marto, peace, the cardinal said. “Today we need faith, to be closer to God and our brothers and two of the three young shepherd children, who saw Mary at Fatima. The cardinal also shared a personal friendship with the third seer, sisters -- not hate each other -- we need hope and we need peace,” Cardinal Saraiva Martins said. “In short, the message of Fatima Carmelite Sister Lucia dos Santos, who died in 2005. It was Cardinal Saraiva Martins who, two years after Sister given 100 years ago is of extreme relevance.”
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