September 2017 Vol. 35, No. 8
Serving the multicultural people of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe www.archdiosf.org
PEOPLE of GOD
September 2017
Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for September / Septiembre
Parishes
Table of Contents
2 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 3 Assignments 4 Abide in Christ: September 27, 2017: A Day to Save 8 You Can Help: #HurricaneHarvey 9 Feed the Hungry Day 09.30.17 10 AZ & NM Bishops Statement on DACA 12 Archdiocese of Santa Fe Mission Office 13 Social Justice 14 Vocations 17 Catholic Charities 18 African American Catholic Community 20 Catholic Schools News 24 Jubilarians 26 Making Room – Catholic Extension 28 World & National News 30 Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal 31 Archbishop Wester’s Calendar 35 NM Conference of Churches
Anniversary of Reformation
36 48th Annual Rosary Rally
Official Magazine of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Assistant Editor/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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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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Parroquias al servicio de la misión
Por nuestras parroquias, para que, animadas por un espíritu misionero, sean lugares de transmisión de la fe y testimonio de la caridad.
2017 Special Collection September 16-17, 2017 Hurricane Harvey Special Collection Archdiocese of Santa Fe parishes have been invited to participate in a second collection during the weekend of September 16-17, 2017 to aid those affected by Hurricane Harvey. These donations will also be given to Catholic Charities in Southeast Texas and Louisiana to help relief efforts.
Archbishop John C. Wester has made the following assignments: Effective Tuesday, August 1, 2017 – Rev. Sean Garrity, C.S.B., currently chaplain at UNM Hospital in Albuquerque, has been appointed as parochial vicar for St. John XXIII Catholic Community in Albuquerque under the guidance of the pastor, Rev. Arkad Biczak. Effective Thursday, August 31, 2017 – Rev. Michael DePalma, has served as vocations director for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe from June 30, 2006 to August 31, 2017. He will remain pastor for St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish in Albuquerque. Effective Friday, September 1, 2017 – Rev. John Trambley III, has been appointed as vocations director for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of San JuanBautista in Ohkay Owingeh Effective Friday, October 15, 2017 – Rev. Michael Niemczak, has been appointed as parochial vicar for Santa Maria de La Paz in Santa Fe, under the guidance of the pastor, Rev. Daniel Balizan. In addition, he has also been appointed as associate vocations director under the direction of director of vocations, Rev. John Trambley III. Effective Tuesday, August 1, 2017 – Deacon James Beaudette, previously assigned at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, has been granted retirement from diaconal ministry. Effective Monday, August 21, 2017 – Deacon Keith Davis, currently assigned at Our Lady of Fatima in Albuquerque, has been appointed to diaconal ministry at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Albuquerque, under the guidance of the pastor, Very Rev. Robert Campbell, O.Praem.
86% From the Office of the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe By Very Rev. Oscar Coelho, J.C.L., Judicial Vicar
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That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.
Our Goal $ 3,000,000
Case Name: ROMERO-SISNEROS; Prot. Num.: 2017-0132M Notice of Annulment Proceeding. Joyce Desirri Romero is hereby notified that Andrew Hubert Romero 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 October 13, 2017 at Office of the Tribunal 4000 St Joseph Pl NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, 505.831.8177 Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Joyce Desirri Romero is to inform the Office of the Tribunal as soon as possible.
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September 27, 2017: A Day to Save Together, you and Pope Francis can lead the world in helping migrants and refugees “The future is made of you, it is made of encounters.” Pope Francis In this series examining Catholic teaching on migration, my last column addressed what are called the root causes of migration, or the push-pull factors that force people to migrate in the first place. Now, I have learned that Pope Francis is calling us to action and I invite you to respond. Pope Francis is being joined by my brother bishops across the US and around the world to launch a global two-year campaign to support our brothers and sisters who have fled their homes seeking a decent and safe life for their families. This historic campaign, Share the Journey will respond to some of the most desperate of God’s children and your leadership and inspiration are needed! This effort fits well with my continued focus on the plight of migrants and refugees and our call to respond with compassion and love to their needs. You can help our Archdiocese, your parish, school or other organization to participate in the Share the Journey campaign, along with Pope Francis, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA and the Church’s global charitable network, Caritas Internationalis. Through prayers, acts of compassion and support, you can help shape conversations and actions to answer God’s call to love our neighbors. On September 27 in Rome, Pope Francis will officially launch this campaign. A web site with resources for parishes, schools and other groups will go live in early September. How will you respond? Here in our Archdiocese, I have gathered a group of leaders from the Archdiocesan offices, from Catholic Charities and others who work with immigrants and refugees locally. Together we will be planning different opportunities for prayer, for learning, for encounter throughout the two years of the campaign. “Migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a better life, far away from poverty, hunger, exploitation and the unjust distribution of the planet’s resources which are meant to be equitably shared by all.” Pope Francis sums up so much when he talks with deep humanity about migration. His words and actions have shown us the way.
Leading by example, the Pope washed the feet of 12 refugees – Muslim, Hindu, Coptic Christian and Catholic. “We are children of the same God,” he said. Tears streamed down the refugees’ cheeks. They had been welcomed. Pope Francis went to Lampedusa soon after hundreds of migrants had drowned off its shore. He gave hope and comfort. He went to Greece, returning with three Syrian refugee families. Together, they have shared meals at his home. They too have been welcomed. On Mexico’s border with the United States, Pope Francis called forced migration a “human tragedy.” He named people who help migrants, “the beating heart and the accompanying feet of the church that opens its arms and sustains.” Pope Francis is lighting up the path for us, illuminating our journey to creating his ‘culture of encounter,’ a culture of welcome. The goal of this campaign is promoting Pope Francis’ ‘culture of encounter’ by increasing the spaces and opportunities for migrants and local communities to meet, talk and take action. We must be welcoming and speak up for the rights of migrants. We want everyone with a migration experience to share the story of their journey– from migrants themselves, to people who live in communities where migrants leave from, pass through or arrive and settle. More people will hear and understand the reasons why people migrate and its human basis. Caritas firmly believes that positive encounters not only contribute to changing the debate around migration, but also counter fear, racism and xenophobia. We will encourage everyone to listen, because migration has many causes. These can be economic, such as moving to find work, or social, like reuniting with family members. Political or environmental reasons - war, persecution or difficulties with the natural world - also prompt people to move. Whatever the cause, migration has an impact on the place and the people left behind, the place of transit and the place where people eventually settle. As a visible demonstration of support for immigrants and refugees, our Archdiocese will join Pope Francis in kicking off this campaign with a Mass celebrated by me at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, Wednesday, September 27, 7:00pm. More details to come. I invite you to join Pope Francis and me in leading the world in helping migrants and refugees and go to www.journey.caritas.org to learn more!
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Share the Journey Mass Presider: Archbishop John C. Wester Wednesday, 7:00 PM September 27, 2017 Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Santa Fe, NM
PEOPLE of GOD
Faces of Migration In mid-August, the Department of Homeland Security terminated the Central American Minors (CAM) parole program. This program provided critical temporary protection and a legal avenue for vulnerable children from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala to reunify with their parents in United States. Through this program, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops / Migration and Refugee Services was able to assist children like Lucia – whose story is below – escape violence and find safety in the U.S. Lucia’s Story Lucia* was living in El Salvador with her grandmother when, at the age of 16, she became a target for local gangs. After refusing to become a gang member’s “girlfriend,” the gang threatened Lucia’s life as well as that of her family. Facing daily harassment, Lucia lived in constant fear for her safety. She could no longer even attend school due to the danger posed by the gang. Through the CAM parole program, Lucia was able to find a safe and legal way to escape this danger and reunite with her mother who was living in the United States. Without the daily threat of violence hanging over her, Lucia is thriving. She is attending high school and maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
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27 de septiembre: Un día para marcar. Juntos, ustedes y el Papa Francisco pueden liderar el mundo ayudando a los migrantes y refugiados. “El futuro está hecho de ustedes, está hecho de encuentros.” Papa Francisco En esta serie que examina la enseñanza católica sobre la migración, mi última columna abordó lo que se conoce como las causas fundamentales de la migración o factores de empuje y atracción que obligan a la gente a emigrar en primer lugar. Ahora me he dado cuenta de que el Papa Francisco nos está llamando a la acción y yo los invito a responder. Al Papa Francisco nos unimos mis hermanos obispos en Estados Unidos y alrededor del mundo para lanzar una campaña global de dos años para apoyar a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que han huido de sus hogares buscando una vida decente y segura para sus familias. Esta campaña histórica, llamada “Compartiendo el viaje” responderá a algunos de los más desesperados entre los hijos de Dios y ¡su liderazgo e inspiración son necesarios! Este esfuerzo encaja bien con mi continuo enfoque sobre la difícil situación de los migrantes y refugiados y nuestro llamado a responder con compasión y amor a sus necesidades. Ustedes pueden ayudar a nuestra arquidiócesis, a su parroquia, escuela u otra organización a participar en la campaña “Compartiendo el viaje”, junto con el Papa Francisco, la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA y la red caritativa global de la Iglesia, Caritas Internationalis. A través de oraciones, actos de compasión y apoyo, ustedes pueden ayudar a dar
forma a conversaciones y acciones para responder a la llamada de Dios a amar a nuestro prójimo. El 27 de septiembre, el Papa Francisco lanzará oficialmente esta campaña en Roma. Un sitio web con recursos para parroquias, escuelas y otros grupos se pondrá en marcha a principios de septiembre. ¿Cómo responderán? Aquí en nuestra Arquidiócesis, he reunido a un grupo de líderes de las oficinas de la Arquidiócesis y de Caridades Católicas, así como a otros que trabajan con inmigrantes y refugiados localmente. Juntos estaremos planeando diferentes oportunidades para orar, aprender y encontrarnos a lo largo de los 2 años de la campaña. “Los migrantes son nuestros hermanos y hermanas que buscan una vida mejor lejos de la pobreza, el hambre, la explotación y de la injusta distribución de los recursos del planeta, que deberían ser divididos equitativamente entre todos”. El Papa Francisco engloba tanto cuando habla con profunda humanidad sobre la migración. Sus palabras y acciones nos han mostrado el camino. Dando el ejemplo, el Papa lavó los pies de 12 refugiados - musulmanes, hindúes, cristianos coptos y católicos. “Somos hijos del mismo Dios”, dijo. Las lágrimas corrían por las mejillas de los refugiados. Habían sido acogidos. El Papa Francisco fue a Lampedusa poco después de que cientos de inmigrantes se hubieran ahogado en sus costas. Dio esperanza y consuelo. Fue a Grecia y volvió con tres familias de refugiados
sirios. Juntos compartieron comidas en su casa. Ellos también fueron acogidos. En la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos, el Papa Francisco llamó a la migración forzada una “tragedia humana”. Llamó a las personas que ayudan a los migrantes, “el corazón comprensivo y los pies acompañantes de la iglesia que abre sus brazos y sostiene”. El Papa Francisco nos está iluminando el camino, iluminando nuestro viaje para crear su “cultura del encuentro”, una cultura de acogida. El objetivo de esta campaña es promover la “cultura del encuentro” del Papa Francisco aumentando los espacios y las oportunidades para que los migrantes y las comunidades locales se reúnan, hablen y actúen. Debemos ser acogedores y defender los derechos de los migrantes. Queremos que todo aquel que haya tenido una experiencia de migración comparta la historia de su viaje, desde los propios migrantes, hasta las personas que viven en comunidades donde los migrantes salen, pasan o llegan y se establecen. Más personas escucharán y entenderán las razones por las que la gente emigra y su base humana. Caritas cree firmemente que los encuentros positivos no sólo contribuyen a cambiar el debate sobre la migración, sino que también contrarrestan el miedo, el racismo y la xenofobia. Alentaremos a todos a escuchar, porque la migración tiene muchas causas. Estas pueden ser económicas, como desplazarse en busca de trabajo, o social, como reunirse con familiares. Las
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razones políticas o ambientales: guerra, persecución o dificultades con el entorno natural, también impulsan a la gente a trasladarse. Cualquiera que sea la causa, la migración tiene un impacto en el lugar y las personas que quedan atrás, el lugar de tránsito y el lugar donde la gente eventualmente se establece. Como muestra visible de apoyo a los inmigrantes y refugiados, nuestra Arquidiócesis se unirá al Papa Francisco para iniciar esta campaña con una misa celebrada por su servidor en la Catedral Basílica de San Francisco de Asís en Santa Fe, el 27 de septiembre a las 7:00 pm. Más detalles por venir. ¡Les invito a unirse al Papa Francisco y a su servidor en liderar al mundo ayudando a migrantes y refugiados y a que visiten www.journey. caritas.org para aprender más!
PEOPLE of GOD
Rostros de la migración A mediados de agosto, el Departamento de Seguridad Interna terminó el programa de libertad condicional de los menores de Centroamérica (CAM). Este programa proporcionó una protección temporal crítica y una vía legal para niños vulnerables de El Salvador, Honduras, y Guatemala para reunificarse con sus padres en Estados Unidos. A través de este programa, la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos / Servicios de Migración y Refugiados pudo ayudar a niños como Lucia - cuya historia está abajo – a escapar de la violencia y encontrar seguridad. La historia de Lucia Lucia* vivía en El Salvador con su abuela cuando, a la edad de 16 años, se convirtió en un blanco para las pandillas locales. Después de negarse a convertirse en “novia” de un pandillero, la pandilla amenazó la vida de Lucia, así como la de su familia. Ante el acoso diario, Lucía vivía en constante temor por su seguridad. Ya no podía asistir a la escuela debido al peligro que representaba la pandilla. A través del programa de libertad condicional CAM, Lucia fue capaz de encontrar una manera segura y legal para escapar de este peligro y reunirse con su madre que vivía en los Estados Unidos. Sin la amenaza cotidiana de violencia abrumadora, Lucia está prosperando. Ella está asistiendo a la escuela secundaria y mantiene un promedio de 4.0. * El nombre y la imagen de la foto se han cambiado para proteger la privacidad.
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Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Communications/ Social Media 4000 Saint Joseph Place NW Albuquerque, NM 87120-1714 Celine Baca Radigan, Director Voice 505.831.8180, FAX 505.831.8248 cradigan@archdiosf.org, www.archdiosf.org
Archbishop John C. Wester’s Statement on DACA ALBUQUERQUE – Tuesday, September 5, 2017–IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Archbishop John C. Wester has issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s decision on DACA: I am deeply troubled by the president’s decision today to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects more than 800,000 young immigrants from deportation. In my judgment, DACA has stood as a counterpoint to the voices of exclusion and now, without the action of Congress, this crucial support for these young immigrants has been taken away.
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DACA recipients are talented, hard working, and full of potential and promise. Many live here in New Mexico. Having arrived here as minors through no fault of their own, they want to contribute their skills and allegiance to the only country they have ever known. They are committed to the principle that America is a country of fairness, opportunity and freedom--values upon which this nation was built--and are prepared to pursue the American dream with enthusiasm. Sadly, with this decision we are betraying these values, dimming the hopes of these young people, and, because of it, are less as a nation. To deport them to countries they do not know would be nothing less than cruel. I call upon Congress and the New Mexico delegation to expeditiously pass the bipartisan DREAM Act without compromise and for President Trump to sign it into law. These young leaders deserve a chance to become US citizens and contribute to the future of New Mexico and our nation. I encourage all to contact their elected representatives and to ask them to support comprehensive immigration reform and the nonpartisan DREAM act. Please take a moment to read the California Catholic Conference statement which provides more information on this decision. Click http://www.cacatholic.org/daca-statement or read the statement below.
CALIFORNIA CATHOLIC BISHOPS URGE IMMIGRATION REFORM FOR DACA YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES Pledge Abiding Solidarity with Immigrants; Denounce the Administration’s End of Program Offering Hope The Catholic Bishops of California released the following statement today in anticipation of a Trump Administration announcement on Tuesday terminating the DACA Program in 6 months. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a program to temporarily suspend deportation proceedings in the case of undocumented young persons brought to the United States as minors, many of whom have no memory of being raised in any other country but the United States. It is estimated that 800,000 people are covered under this program, 200,000 of them in California alone. Please attribute to the Catholic Bishops of California: SACRAMENTO, CA -- The Catholic Bishops of California believe, along with many of our fellow Californians, that immigrant youth and their families are a critical part of California’s future vitality. We will continue to believe in them, pray for them, and work with them for a society where all God’s children may enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We invite all those who share this dream to join us as sentinels of hope for the hundreds of thousands of young people who have registered or are eligible for the DACA program. While the decision of the Administration may eclipse our common aspirations for them, we should not let our confidence be diminished. We have faith that this momentary shadow will pass and our hopeful light will continue to burn brightly. Sustaining the status of DACA students against the current threats
is imperative but more must be done. We urge all responsible political leadership at the state and federal level to work for comprehensive immigration reform and to put meaningful and effective immigration reform on the President’s desk before the DACA program expires. This is the most reasonable and sustainable remedy for the DACA students and their families, and for all immigrants. DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, was from the beginning a tentative and tenuous attempt to ameliorate the frustrating circumstances for many undocumented young men and women who through no fault of their own found themselves falling through the cracks of a broken immigration system and rejected by the only country they know as home. The current actions by the Administration further aggravate years of bipartisan indifference and inaction on comprehensive immigration reform. Now is the moment for Congress to show courage and compassion despite the Administration’s capricious, ill-conceived action. The lack of political will has become a moral betrayal of America’s long-standing beacon of hope beckoning all those yearning to be free. The need for the political leadership on all sides of the aisle to work toward a bipartisan solution grows more and more urgent every day. Now they apparently have a clear deadline to craft reasonable and effective comprehensive immigration reform. CALIFORNIA BISHOPS continued on page 28
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ARIZONA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE DIOCESE OF GALLUP • DIOCESE OF PHOENIX DIOCESE OF TUCSON HOLY PROTECTION OF MARY BYZANTINE CATHOLIC EPARCHY OF PHOENIX
Diocese of Galup
Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Diocese of Las Cruces
Arizona and New Mexico Catholic Bishops’ Statement on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Youth August 31, 2017
In light of increased tensions and speculation over the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program (DACA), the Catholic Bishops of Arizona and New Mexico want to reiterate our strong and unwavering support for DACA youth so they do not have to live in fear of deportation. These young people entered our country as children and should have the opportunity to remain in our country to be educated here and to have opportunities to exercise their gifts for the enhancement of our nation. Presently, DACA protects nearly 800,000 of these young people, while allowing them to live and work in our country without fear of deportation. Through DACA they have furthered their education, started small businesses and become integral members of our communities in Arizona and New Mexico. While DACA is not a permanent solution, we support its continuance until a permanent solution can be found. Accordingly, we urge our federal elected officials to move forward with permanent solutions that grant relief to these young people along with the chance to earn permanent residency and eventually to seek citizenship. We ask that all people of goodwill join us in praying and advocating for governmental efforts to protect DACA youth and for reform of our broken immigration policies. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Rev. John C. Wester
Archbishop of Santa Fe
Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted Bishop of Phoenix
Most Rev. Oscar Cantú
Most Rev. James S. Wall
Bishop of Las Cruces
Bishop of Gallup
Most Rev. Eduardo A. Nevares Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix
Most Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas Bishop of Tucson
Arizona Catholic Conference / 400 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 / 602-354-2390 / www.azcatholicconference.org
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JustFaith By Rev. Arkad Biczak, Pastor of St. John XXIII Catholic Community
JustFaith is an intensive group process for faithful Christians looking to deepen their commitment to care for vulnerable people and our planet. Through prayer, study, dialogue and immersions the participants form community as they explore critical realities and the implications to their lives and their faith. JustFaith is a means of evaluating the dimensions of spiritual life and help participants discover the call to a ministry of openness to God’s care for our less fortunate brothers and sisters and our planet. St. John XXIII Catholic Community is planning to implement JustFaith for interested parishioners and others. Fr. Ark first became aware of JustFaith at a CRS meeting at the National Social Ministries Conference in Washington, DC. He was unaware that the program had already been conducted in a few parishes in the Archdiocese. He initially felt that there would not be enough interest since the program runs for 26 weeks, but Maria Duran, volunteer director of the parish Social Concerns ministry, felt the parish should try. At a Social Concerns meeting at which it was discussed, it was discovered that four members of the committee had already completed the program. The committee unanimously agreed that the parish should have the program. Fr. Ark always believed “we can’t just preach about social justice, without being an example of what that means and having our faith communities respond to the needs of the poor in whatever way they can.” It is truly part of every Catholic’s vocation. “As pastor, I feel blest to have the care and generosity of the many parishioners who help our Social Concerns programs locally and worldwide. As Archdiocesan Mission Director, which includes CRS and Catholic Mission Societies, the parishioners have been a great help for this task.” Under the direction of Maria Duran, the Social Concerns Standing Committee and its many subgroups have become the backbone of the parish philosophy of recognizing the less fortunate in our society and in the world. JustFaith is now going to be a reality in the parish. The members of the parish who have already completed JustFaith are great examples of ministering to the parish’s many programs. St. John XXIII Catholic Community would like extend an invitation to anyone who is interested in participating in the JustFaith program.
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Archdiocese of Santa Fe Mission Office By Rev. Arkad Biczak, Director, Mission Office, Pastor, St. John XXIII Catholic Community The Mission Office of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is responsible for directing both the Catholic Mission Society (Propagation of the Faith) and Catholic Relief Services and all their various programs. Archbishop Michael Sheehan appointed Rev. Arkad Biczak (Fr. Ark) as mission director, succeeding Rev. Ramon Aragon, in 1995. Fr. Ark is also pastor of St. John XXIII Catholic Community. In taking on this responsibility, an orientation in both programs was necessary. The Catholic Mission Society’s orientation was over several years with in depth training in Rome at the Propagation of Faith International Offices and other mission societies. The orientation for Catholic Relief Services was done at the National Office in Baltimore, MD. At his orientation for CRS, Fr. Ark was asked to do the homily at the Mass for the group. He remembers that first meeting and the Mass in which he started his homily with the word, “Wow,” followed by a reflection on the readings and the unbelievable learning experience about CRS that happened. In these meetings he was shocked to realize how little he knew about the work and the many people who put their lives on the line in response to human needs. He saw the Secure Room for sensitive calls protecting all members working in many countries from U.S. Government access to information that could compromise the valuable work CRS does. To learn more about the work of CRS, go to their website at https:// www.crs.org. In the archdiocese, the CRS office is responsible for both the national collection and for CRS Rice Bowl, which is a Lenten catechetical program. The Rice Bowls, which are free to parishes and schools that order them, is a Lenten Collection taken up annually with the hope that all parishioners will participate, since 25% of the collection remains in the Archdiocese to support programs of social justice and care for the needy locally. Since the Social Justice/Respect Life Office is best suited to find these archdiocesan needs, the director, Anne Avellone, as CRS Education Coordinator, is a tremendous help in directing that part of the CRS Office. The Catholic Mission Societies also have many important programs. The archdiocese mainly responds to the national collection taken up in all parishes in October. This collection supports missionary priests, religious, catechists and lay help throughout the world. Some of the programs are the Child Mission Association for childhood learning about the missions, the Mission Co-Op (missionaries’ appeals to parishes), and others. For more information, go to http://www.propfaith.net.
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Take Action to Insist on Moral Criteria in Health Care Repeal/Replace
After the August recess, the Senate will begin hearings to potentially draft another bill intended to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Contact your Senators to insist on action to: prevent harmful changes that will wreak havoc on the poor and vulnerable; protect the unborn in all respects; and include conscience protections for those involved in the health care system. Take action now: https://www.votervoice.net/USCCB/ campaigns/53829/respond
New Resource to Celebrate Feast of St. Francis (Oct. 4) Catholic Climate Covenant is offering a free catechetical resource to help faith communities explore how they can better care for creation and the poor. The resource includes a liturgy for a blessing of creation and an educational program. Request materials here: http://www.catholicclimatecovenant.org/FOSF
September 27: A Day to Save.
Together, you and Pope Francis can lead the world in helping migrants and refugees Pope Francis is being joined by bishops across the US and around the world to launch a global campaign to support our brothers and sisters who have fled their homes seeking a decent and safe life for their families. This historic campaign, “Share the Journey” will respond to some of the most desperate of God’s children and your leadership and inspiration are needed. You can help our Archdiocese, your parish, school or other organization to participate in the “Share the Journey” campaign, along with Pope Francis, the US Conference of Cthaolic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA and the Church’s global charitable network, Caritas Internationalis. Through prayers, acts of compassion and support, you can help shape conversations and actions to answer God’s call to love our neighbors. On September 27 in Rome, Pope Francis will officially launch this campaign. A web site with resources for parishes, schools and other groups will go live in early September. How will you respond? Start planning today! Local Archdiocese of Santa Fe kick off: Mass celebrated by Archbishop John C. Wester at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis in Santa Fe, September 27, 7:00pm. More details to come.
Come to the Annual AACC Picnic Sept 23 Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community invites you to their Annual Picnic on Saturday, September 23, 1-5 pm at the Sandia Lakes, 76 Sandia Lake Road, Bernalillo, NM. Please RSVP to Darly at 505-363-3435 by Sept. 9. Bring your own chair and dish to share.
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Save the Date! CRS Helping Hands Event October 14 in Albuquerque You’re invited to fight global hunger with CRS Helping Hand. Make a difference for our brothers and sisters overseas. Our Archdiocese plans to package 10,152 meals to send to Burkina Faso. All ages can participate in this high-energy event. October 14, 9:30-2:00pm, St. Pius Gym in Albuquerque. Come join us for a family friendly day of service. Great for youth groups, confirmation service hours or family service projects.
Save The Date: African American Catholic Community Mass Oct 29 The Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community will celebrate Mass on Sunday, October 29, 12 noon at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Catholic Church, 5901 St. Joseph’s Dr. NW, Albuquerque. For more information, please call (505) 836-3627 or (505) 831-8167.
JustFaith Group Beginning in October. Don’t Miss It! Looking for something? Feeling called to deepen your faith? Longing for a greater sense of purpose? Try JustFaith. Be inspired and energized during this program that focuses on engagement in the life of Jesus and our call to love and serve others. Through the exploration of Catholic social teaching, and in community with fellow participants, you’ll share a spiritual journey of faith and compassion that is life-giving. For more information about JustFaith, contact Judy Traeger at judyetraeger@gmail.com or 505-974-1248.
Save the Date! Mass of Healing and Hope, St. Jude Thaddeus, Albuquerque, Fri. Nov. 3 St. Jude Thaddeus Parish 5712 Paradise Blvd NW, Albuquerque 5:00: Speaker on Healing Through Grief The sacrament of reconciliation will also be available beginning at 5:00 6:00: Mass of Hope and Healing Losing a child in infancy or in utero is a painful loss. The child’s memory remains with us always, no matter how long ago it happened. Know that you are not alone. God understands and offers healing and hope. If you have suffered the loss of a child through early death, miscarriage or abortion, or if you know someone who is grieving such a loss, or if you want to come and pray with your brothers and sisters, please join us for this Mass of Hope and Healing. “I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 )For more information please call the Office of Social Justice at 505.831.8167
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PEOPLE of GOD
September 2017
MEET OUR SEMINARIANS
Assumption Seminary (San Antonio, TX) & University of St. Thomas University (Houston, TX) Michael Villavicencio (Assumption), Xavier Gutierrez (Assumption), Luke Malone (St. Thomas), Robert Lopez (Assumption), Jason Marshall (Assumption)
Mt. Angel Seminary (St. Benedict, OR) Nestor Gaitan, Adrian Sisneros, Jordan Sanchez, Timothy Davis, Darrell Segura, Joseph Baltz, Agustin Henderson, Deacon Tai Pham, Nathan Lopez, Jacob Romero, Deacon John Kimani, Matthew Cockrell, Deacon Christopher Martinez, Timothy Meurer, Deacon Jason Pettigrew
September 2017
PEOPLE of GOD
MEET OUR SEMINARIANS
Pontifical College Josephinum (Columbus, OH) Mark McDaniel, Paul Chavez, Daniel Dupre, Anthony Leon, Joseph Magoffe
2017 - 2018 Seminarians
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September 2017
Have you heard of the 2017 Seminarian Endowment Challenge? Join us on the campaign to $100,000!
MEET OUR NORBERTINES
Zaccary Haney professed his first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on the Feast of St. Augustine, August 28, 2017. Zaccary was born in Madison, Wisconsin and received Zaccary Haney a BA degree in Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in 2013. He graduated with a MA in the History of Christianity from the University of Chicago in 2015. He studied abroad in Rome, Italy in the fall of 2012. In addition to working with refugees through Catholic Charities, this past year he was a member of the RCIA team at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. In early September, he will move to Holy Spirit House of Studies in Chicago where he will he will begin theological and ministerial studies for the priesthood at Catholic Theological Union. Zaccary has three sisters and two brothers. His parents Vance and Anne Haney live in Wisconsin.
Patricio Chacón
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe was selected by the Catholic Extention to be a part of a special grant process to build a permanent endowment for Seminarian Education.
All donations of $1,000 or more will be matched by Catholic Extension. We need to raise $50,000 to qualify for the matching grant of $50,000!
You can help us reach our goal. Donations to Date $12, 575.00 25% of our Goal Please contact the Office of Stewardship, 505-831-8173 or email stewardship@archdiosf.org to make a donation today.
Patricio Chacón was initiated as a novice into the Norbertine Community of Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey at First Vespers of the Feast of St. Augustine, August 27, 2017. Patricio was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is a graduate of Coronado High School in Gallina, New Mexico. He received an AA Degree in Liberal Arts from Central New Mexico Community College in 2017. He has been actively engaged in the teen SEARCH for Christian Maturity Retreat program over several years serving in various capacities including as acting director. He is also an active member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community in Albuquerque serving in youth ministry, in music ministry and as a minister to the homebound. As a postulant he assisted with the young adult ministries and liturgies at the Abbey. Patricio has three brothers, one sister and two nieces. His parents Amadeo and Adela Chacón live in Capulín, New Mexico. When asked about what inspired him to enter the Abbey, Patricio says: “I came to realize one of the main motives for my desire to enter the community is to have yet another family walking this journey with me, all realizing we are human and imperfect, and allowing each other into the most intimate parts of our lives. Even though imperfect, we continue to strive towards God as one.”
PEOPLE of GOD
September 2017
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Festive Back-to-School Celebration Held for Refugee Youth & Families
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ugust held an amazing evening at Sandia High School where Catholic Charities hosted its Back-to-School Celebration for refugee youth in its Mentoring and Team Refugee programs. Getting ready for back-to-school is challenging for many families, and our new neighbors and community members are no exception. The celebration included backpacks stuffed with school supplies, free clothes and shoes, socks & underwear, resource lists, free haircuts, yummy food & drink, games, soccer, and music. Catholic Charities has many to thank for helping us create such
Catholic Charities Honors Staff Member Isabel Otero’s 30th Service Anniversary
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his year Catholic Charities is celebrating the 30 year service anniversary of Isabel Otero, Director of Immigration and Citizenship Legal Assistance. After 30 years, Isabel continues to have a distinguished career with Catholic Charities, advocating for families seeking immigration assistance. We were honored to have Archbishop John C. Wester surprise her with the most beautiful blessing. Board chair, Giulia Urquhart and board member Susan Smith were in attendance to read a proclamation honoring Isabel. To top it all off, her mother, children and grandchildren stopped by, which brought her to tears of joy- truly a blessed day for all!
Left to right: Archbishop of Santa Fe, John C. Wester, Isabel Otero, Director of Immigration Legal Assistance, and Giulia Urquhart, Catholic Charities Board Chair
a fun and resourceful celebration: APS Community Clothing Bank (clothes and resources) , Chick-fi- A (delicious sandwiches and chips), Wamba (African drumming), A Better U Barber Academy (free haircuts), Donna Teuteberg (Sandia staff extraordinaire), Our Lady of Annunciation Parish (school supplies), St. Jude Thaddeus Church (school supplies), Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (school supplies), Latter Day Saints Church in Los Lunas (school supplies) and our amazing volunteers including an Elsa and a Snow White! Hope you can join us next year!
Graduates Celebrate Achievements in High School Equivalency, ESL, Citizenship and Workforce Trainings
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atholic Charities Center for Educational Opportunity held a joyous graduation celebration to honor the achievements of its nearly 200 graduating adult learners. Their completion of programs in High School Equivalency (HSE), English as a Second Language, U.S. Citizenship and
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Workforce Development make these graduates’ futures even brighter. Are you or someone you know seeking to continue your education in these areas? Contact the Center for Educational Opportunity at 505.724.4672 about their course schedule and offerings.
Casa de Corazon Formally Blessed by Archbishop John C. Wester
n August, nearly 70 of Catholic Charities’ 400 capital campaign donors gathered for a special blessing of Catholic Charities’ building, Casa de Corazon, by Archbishop John C. Wester, officially marking the building and its campaign’s completion. The program featured comments and prayers from ecumenical faith Left to right: Art de la Cruz - past Bernalillo County Comrepresentatives including missioner, Ken Sanchez - City Councilor, Sarah Rahman Rev. Susan Quass with the – Islamic Center, James Gannon – Catholic Charities, Alan Armijo – City of Albuquerque Mayor’s Office New Mexico Conference of Churches, Dave Simon from the Jewish Community Center, and Sarah Rahman from the Islamic Center. Former Bernalillo County Commissioner, Art de la Cruz and City Councilor Ken Sanchez also spoke, and Allen Armijo from the City of Albuquerque’s Office of the Mayor proclaimed August 5th “Catholic Charities Appreciation Day”! A heartfelt thanks you to all who supported our capital campaign, and all who joined us for this great occasion.
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PEOPLE of GOD
Act Justly, Love Goodness, Walk Humbly
Pictured (from L to R): Frank Dabney, Brenda Dabney, Barbara Antrom, Sean Cardinalli, Louise Davis
By Sean Cardinalli, AACC Secretary
The AACC was filled with the Holy Spirit at the National Black Catholic Congress
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he 12th National Black Catholic Congress convened in Orlando, FL this past July. Members of the African American Catholic Community of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AACC) attended with the help of the archdiocese’s largesse. Congress is a precious opportunity for black Catholics to share our culture and express ourselves at Mass in the way we’ve historically cherished. Over 2,000 participants attended with 100s of clergy, including Vatican representative Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Papal Nuncio, who welcomed us all with a letter by Pope Francis himself. The theme was “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me; Act Justly, Love Goodness, and Walk Humbly With Your God.” The opening Mass was held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, where the choir and orchestra shook the
September 2017
building, as did a rousing homily delivered by Fr. Patrick Smith of St. Augustine in Washington, DC. Cardinal Peter Turkson, a beloved figure in the Church and President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, referenced Pope Francis’s calls to act mercifully. He reminded us to work toward the re-enfranchisement of all of God’s people. A keynote address by Bishop Edward Braxton of Illinois, who’s published two pastoral letters on America’s “racial divide”, spoke about personally attending Emmett Till’s 1955 funeral, and exhorted us to have justice and love “written in our hearts”. His words moved AACC Coordinator Brenda Dabney profoundly. Before congress, Mrs. Dabney and the AACC Steering Committee met with Archbishop John C. Wester to discuss racial inequality, so she attended workshops on social justice. Her husband Frank enjoyed congress. “It was like being home,” he commented. Assistant Coordinator Barbara Antrom wants to hand over the AACC’s reins to the next generation. She was encouraged to see so many young people at congress and, upon returning, is focusing on recruiting more youth who “need to be active in their communities”. Her expectations for congress were exceeded and she was glad to “renew friendships with people [she’d] met years ago.” Deacon Leon Jones and his wife Roberta intended to bring home a plan to proliferate Afrocentric-styled worship to all African Americans from one end of New Mexico to the other. Roberta, the administrative assistant at Ascension in the South Valley, enjoyed the workshops and was thrilled to see “cardinals that could someday be the [next] pope.” Scholarship Chair Louise Davis participated in the congress choir and sang the praises of Choir Director Tonya Dorsey and Executive Director Valerie Washington. She wants to help Catholicism become a more “welcoming Church,” a dictate the AACC earlier discussed with Archbishop Wester and his Evangelization Commission. She hopes Catholics won’t “be afraid to show [they] are witnessing to what the priest is saying [at Mass] by saying ‘Amen!’” Mrs. Davis appreciated Cardinal Turkson’s mandates for our youth and believes the adults, too, should remember that “God’s gifts are greater than human gifts” and can be asked upon to help us “listen, learn, think, act, and pray” on the world around us, which was Bishop Braxton’s imperative for us all as we left congress.
FLORIDA NATIONAL BLACK CONGRESS The 12th National Black Catholic Congress in Orlando, Fla., closes with a Mass July 9. CNS/courtesy Nancy Jo Davis, National Black Catholic Congress
September 2017
PEOPLE of GOD
My Life Changing Poland Mission Trip 2017
By Deandra Pierre-Louis
Before going on the mission trip, I prayed to God for an opportunity to travel in a meaningful way, in which I could serve Him. The next thing you knew, my friend Lucia came up to me after church and told me she thought I was the perfect person for this mission trip. I knew right away this was my opportunity from God. I was scared but extremely hopeful. Nothing could have prepared us for the trip, we knew we were going to Poland but we were not sure what to expect. The long plane rides, buses, and trains to get to the camp were preparing us to meet the kids. The excitement and anticipation we had in our hearts was contagious. The kids could feel our love of God. They were very shy at first and did not want to open up to us about why they loved God, but as we continued to share our stories, they began to open more and more. The more we loved them, the more they trusted us. One day at the camp, a few of the middle school girls that I was able to connect with well were on the trampoline listening to music. From a distance, I heard a song that sounded very familiar, so I walked over to where they were. They were singing the VBS theme song that we had been
practicing every day called “We have decided to follow Jesus�. This song was one I really connected to in my life. I had to truly decide to follow Jesus, and there was no turning back. Every day I sang it with the kids, I sang it passionately from my heart. The girls could see how passionate I was, and they felt comfortable being able to show their love of God also. As we sat there together singing the song, they asked me why I loved this song so much and I told them it was because in my life God was always there waiting for me, and I finally decided to follow Him, and that included coming on this trip. They said the same thing to me, they have decided to accept Jesus as their friend because He knows what is best for them. Being able to impact children, and showing them my love of God was the biggest thing I got out of this trip. However, saying how we got to know God was not easy, but had to be the most impactful things for the missioners and the high school students. Saying how we accepted God into our life so vulnerably was so freeing. Being able to relate to at least one person was so powerful, and let them know that they were not alone. Overall this trip was healing, powerful, and helped us grow stronger and more confident in our faith.
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African American Catholic Community of Archdiocese of Santa Fe The African American Catholic Community of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AACC) has a scholarship committee that gives elementary school scholarships to students of African American descent as an evangelization effort within the archdiocese. The official name of the scholarship is The Fr. Rollins Lambert Scholarship and the recipients are called Fr. Lambert Scholars. The scholarship committee also sponsors a school supply drive that serves all Catholic schools within the archdiocese. Dr. Gerry Harge heads the committee and works along with Ms. Barbara Antrom, Ms. Anne Avellone, Mrs. Brenda Dabney, Mrs. Louise Davis, and Mr. Ernest Dorko. A former recipient of this scholarship, Ms. Deandra Pierre-Louis, a graduate of St. Pius X HS and is a third year student at the University of New Mexico, we are proud to announce, spent her summer doing evangelistic work in Poland through a special program at her Church, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. This is an example of the success of one of our Fr. Lambert Scholars who was given help in receiving a Catholic school education and is giving back to her community. Following is an article written by Ms. Pierre-Louis describing her experience and what it meant to her.
Come to the Annual AACC Picnic Sept 23 Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community invites you to their Annual Picnic on Saturday, September 23, 1-5 pm at the Sandia Lakes, 76 Sandia Lake Road, Bernalillo, NM. Please RSVP to Darly at 505-363-3435 by Sept. 9. Bring your own chair and dish to share.
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Congratulations Santo Niño on Being of One of the Best of Santa Fe!
Santo Niño Regional Catholic School has won 2nd Place in the Santa Fe Reporter’s Best of Santa Fe contest. The school received recognition under “Best Elementary School”.
34th Annual Archbishop's School Fund Dinner
September 22, 2017 Sandia Resort & Casino The Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Catholic Schools is very proud to celebrate our 34th Annual Archbishop’s School Fund Dinner.
WALK ON WATER
ALL AGES LOVE IT! Join us for a wonderful evening in support of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe!
We invite you to be part of our event. RSVP TODAY www.asfcatholicschools.org or call 505-831-8172. Mr. Jonathan Doyle is an international speaker, author, and educator. He recently gave the keynote address at the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) convention. He founded the Going Deeper program which inspires, educates and challenges Catholic teachers to deepen in their personal faith and knowledge of Catholic teaching. He shares in our mission to make Catholic schools affordable and accessible for all families.
September 2017
PEOPLE of GOD
September 2017
St. Pius X High School Friday, October 13, 2017 5:00pm-10:00pm
The St. Pius X Fine Arts Department is happy to announce a new event, the St. Pius X High School Art Hoedown. The Hoedown mission is a celebration of the arts and the community of St. Pius X High School. As the name implies, the event is to be festive, informal, fun and chock-full of art and performances. One night only, the community and artists will come together for an evening of art sales, auction, dancing and food, all overlooking the beautiful river and mountain views on a crisp fall evening. The event is a community builder, as we will be inviting not only our St. Pius
X High School community, but the community at large to come visit with us and enjoy the evening. The Hoedown is also a venue for fundraising. The event will support the number of fine arts programs we
offer our St. Pius X students as well as to provide tuition assistance to our students. If you are interested, or know of artists and gallery owners that might be interested in donating their work through this event please
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contact Jack Davidson at jdavidson@spxabq.org All proceeds from the event will go to support the St. Pius X Fine Arts programs and tuition assistance. Hope to see ya’ll there!
Register Today: Tinnin Shootout Oct. 28 Join us on Saturday, Oct. 28, for the SPX Jamie Tinnin Memorial Clay Shootout at Tinnin Hunt Club in Bernardo, NM. For more information regarding sponsorships or team registration contact the SPX Advancement and Alumni office at 505831-8406.
REGISTER TODAY! SUPPORT CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SANTA FE Bring the entire family to RUN or WALK with us on Sunday, September 24th, 2017 at St. Pius X High School 8am Mass - St. Pius Quad Celebrant Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan 9:15am - 5K Run/Walk 9:45am - Kids 1K Proceeds to benefit tuition assistance. Help make Catholic education affordable and accessible for all families!
www.asfcatholicschools.org or call 505-831-8172 $20.00 Adults and $15.00 Students
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Holy Ghost Welcomes Fr. Thomas J. Paickattu By Donna Doporto, Office Assistant, Holy Ghost Church The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has announced Fr. Thomas J. Paickattu’s assignment to Holy Ghost as parish administrator, with full parish responsibility. Fr. Thomas is expected to stay at Holy Ghost for six years. Currently, he is a religious of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate based in India, and has petitioned to incardinate in the archdiocese. This process has begun. He was born in Ernakulam, Kerala, (God’s Own Country), India, on August 5, 1968. He was ordained on December 29, 1999 after 16 years of religious and priestly formation. Fr. Thomas received his licentiate and doctorate in Moral Theology from the Academy of Alfonsiana at the Lateran University in Rome. He was a professor of Moral Theology, Social Ethics and Christian Bio-Medical Ethics for two years prior to his arrival in the USA. Appreciation to John and Julie Condon, his spiritual parents, for providing Fr. Thomas a smooth American transition. Father has a spiritual devotion to the Blessed Mother of The Word and his patron saint is St. Thomas the Apostle. His favorite scripture is “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” 2 Cor. 12:9. Fr. Thomas lives by this personal motto: “No human person shall ever suffer on account of me”. His parents are farmers, they have a pineapple, banana and rubber plantation, in Kerala, India. Father shares that his home, “Is a sweet home! I feel that my home is a miniature model of heaven on earth. My family gathers daily for evening prayers, which include recitation of the rosary and the Divine Mercy, every day, with no exception, this practice keeps us united. Father has one brother and three sisters, one is a nun. His home is a place where there are sweet pineapples, delicious nuts, fragrant spices, many different types of bananas, and the coconuts grow abundantly. Holy Ghost Parish welcomes and is excited to have Fr. Thomas in our parish, we look forward to having him as our Pastor. Todo lo mejor!
September 2017
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Deacon Michael Illerbrun, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Come and join us for the celebration! What celebration you might say? We at Nativity parish are celebrating the feast day of our Lady… specifically her birth. Known as the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is one of only two days in the year where we celebrate the birth of a saint rather than the day they died. We are also celebrating our new pastor, Fr. Nathan Libaire and fondly remembering our retired pastor, Fr. Juan Mendez. This year, our fiesta falls on Sunday, September 10 and everyone is invited! Our Mexican kitchen opens at 8:30 for breakfast and the rest of the fiesta will open from 10 am to 6 pm. Make it a day of fun! Come worship with us at 7:30 am, 9 am, 1045 am (Spanish) or 12:30 pm and then stay for the party. We have a full day of entertainment on two stages with many different musical groups for
your pleasure. When you get hungry we will have, in addition to the Mexican kitchen, two hamburger booths, two Indian Taco booths, a banana split booth and a snack bar. Bring your kids and have them try out our many game booths. Bring your family and have them shop our many arts and crafts vendors. Come visit our silent auction which is filled with dozens of wonderful items. This year we will also be holding a live auction for two large storage sheds. And don’t forget to buy your raffle ticket! Our first prize is $10,000; second prize is a large oriental carpet and third prize is a large office desk and hutch. It is hard to believe that we can pack so much fun into one single day! With all of the fun, we want to remind everyone that the important thing to remember is that everyone is welcome here at Nativity! Come for an hour or come for the day. You are welcome to come back every week as part of our family community. We’ll see you on the 10th at 4th and Alameda!
Service Hours and Pre-Confirmation Students By Socorro Trujillo, Director of Religious Education, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Taos Three seventh grade students (Drake Miera, Joshua Gonzales and Jaelyn Gonzales) and two honorary students (Jordan and Dakota Hardin) attended religious education class last year. Under the direction of Ms. Madalena Miera (catechist) and Mr. Miguel Martinez (altar server director), these students took it upon themselves to earn service hours even though they are not required to do so until they attend the first year confirmation class. Following is what they did to earn their service hours: January: The students prepared 15 bags of goodies for the homeless. The bags include hand warmers, granola bars, water, socks, gloves, cup of soup, etc. In addition, they made 64 get well cards for patients at Holy Cross Hospital.
February: The students made Valentine’s Day Cards for Ensuenos (an organization for adults with special needs) and children who are in foster care in our community. March: The students visited the Taos Retirement Village and play games with the residents. They also plan to make flowers and decorations to decorate their common area at the Village. They also prepared a hot meal for two families who are homebound parishioners from Our Lady of Guadalupe. April: The students took flowers to the Cancer Center and the Dialysis Center for patients who are going through treatments. According to Ms. Madalena, these students came up with the ideas on their own and under the supervision of Ms. Madalena and Mr. Miguel, they are accomplishing their tasks. These students are truly living the Corporal Works of Mercy. May God bless them on their journey.
Please help us support the less fortunate moms of our community We are requesting that recently delivered moms donate their gently used maternity clothes to Birthright of Albuquerque for moms in need. Clothing may be dropped at our location at: 3228 Candelaria N.E. Office Hours: Mon. – Thurs. 10:00 – 3:00, Fri 12:00 – 3:00 Birthright would like to thank the community for its support for over 40 years.
PEOPLE of GOD
September 2017
Hope for My Future
By Linda Strasburg, Regional Vice President - South Central Region, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has embraced a program that engages families to bring them out of poverty. The program brings the families together for 18 study/ discussion sessions over a nineweek period. The participants are called Investigators because they are charged with learning the causes of poverty in our society, determining how these forces might be overcome, and identifying the forces working in their own lives that keep them from achieving their goals. Finally, the Investigators access per-
sonal and community resources and set goals for where they want their families to be in 6 months, a year and further into the future. Investigators also gain a personal voice so they can take a seat at the decision-making table and advocate for their own needs. Each Investigator is also partnered with two mentors who offer friendship, advice and support as they continue to make changes in their lives. These mentorships are for a minimum of one year and up to two years. Our experienced mentors have told us this partnership is extremely rewarding. In addition to the Investigators’ class work, each of the 18 sessions includes the evening meal for the entire family, childcare and a gift card to be used for groceries or gas. Restaurants in the community help to provide these meals at a
Court 2229 Celebrates 36 Years
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discount or even at no cost. The parish-based St. Vincent de Paul conferences also assist with meal preparation, serving, childcare and being a part of the steering committee. For this last program there were 21 conferences that worked to make it a success; it could not have been done without them. Students from Pius High School provided assistance with the childcare. We would like to thank Mary Katherine Keating, principal of Queen of Heaven Catholic School, and Fr. William Young, pastor of Queen of Heaven, for allowing us to use their facilities for our program. This is a perfect venue for our needs. A graduation celebration for the Investigators was held in spring with a celebrity host, Steve Stucker, weatherman with KOB4 Eyewitness News. Stucker is well known for his community involvement, and especially enjoys speaking with students about the importance of staying in school and making their
dreams come true. One of the Investigators said, “I felt alone at first. It was hard to open up when you don’t trust anybody, but they made me feel comfortable. There are people out there who really want to help.” We know you are now asking, “How can I help?” As we continue this work, we need people to work with us as mentors. We also need community assistance and businesses to help us with their available resources. Working to make our community stable will require that everyone work together. Trainings and workshops are provided at no cost and we invite anyone interested to contact Linda Strasburg at LJSTRASBURG@gmail.com or 505.615.3168 and attend our next workshop to be held on Friday evening, September 29th and Saturday, September 30th. We look forward to hearing from you as we continue to make a difference one person, one family, one neighborhood at a time.
NEW MEXICO MISSION OF MERCY
FREE Two-Day Dental Clinic ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION CENTER • SEPTEMBER 22 & 23, 2017
Catholic Daughters of New Mexico State Regent Angelina Romero with Regent Rosalie Ortega from Sangre de Christo # 2229 in Questa celebrating their 36th anniversary along with her members, and members from Court Sacred Heart # 2242, her sister Gina Trujillo, Rev Andrew Ifele and Deacon Marcus Rael.
Financial Peace
St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church 5712 Paradise Boulevard NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114 Starts Thursday, September 14, 2017, 6:30pm This life-changing class is taught by Dave Ramsey and coordinated by Andrew Hadcock at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church in Albuquerque. This class will teach you how to spend money wisely, get out of debt, become a good steward for the riches God gave you, and give generously. The public is welcome to join the class. My wife January, and I will coordinate this class. Please arrive to class by 6:20 and you are welcome to bring your own dinner and eat during the class. Instruction will begin at 6:30 in room 5 of the parish hall on the south end. If you have any questions, send me an email: Andrew@TheDynamicBroker.com. Thank you, and we look forward to meeting you! Andrew Hadcock
NO APPOINTMENTS NEEDED!
COME EARLY – Line starts at 4:30pm, Thursday, September 21, 2017 DOORS OPEN at 5:30am, Friday & Saturday, September 22 & 23, 2017 QUESTIONS? CALL 505.375.1393 FREE BASIC DENTAL SERVICES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN: FILLINGS • EXTRACTIONS • TEMPORARY PARTIALS LIMITED ROOT CANALS • CLEANINGS
FOR MORE INFORMATION
nmdentalfoundation.org nmmom2@nmdaf.org
SPONSORED BY: United Way of Central New Mexico
PRIME SPONSOR
The New Mexico Dental Association Foundation is the charitable arm of the New Mexico Dental Association
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Fr. James Bradley, SJ, Celebrates 50 Years as a Priest By Therese Meyerhoff, Director of Communications, USA Central and Southern Province Fr. James Bradley, SJ, and his Jesuit brothers in the USA Central and Southern Province this year celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a Catholic priest. Fr. Bradley was born in Albuquerque in 1934. Following his graduation from Regis College in Denver, he entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) Feb. 1, 1955 at St Charles College in Grand Coteau, LA. He made his first vows two years later. He was ordained a priest on May 27, 1967 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. He pronounced his final vows on August 15, 1973 in Albuquerque. He currently serves as the director of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Pavilion, the retirement community for Jesuits, in Grand Coteau, LA. His previous ministries include: • Jesuit High School, New Orleans, Teacher of Math, Religion and Speech, 1961-62 • Jesuit High School, Shreveport, La., Teacher of Physics and Math, 1962-64 and 1968-71. Principal, 1971-72. • Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla., Principal, 1972-73. Principal and President, 1973 – 1976 and 1988 – 1996. • Jesuit Secondary Education Association, New York City, Comm. On Research and Development, 1976 – 1987 • Loyola University, New Orleans, Teacher, Provincial Assistant for Education, 1987 – 1988 • Provincial, New Orleans Province, New Orleans, 1996 – 2002 • Rector, Loyola University New Orleans, 2003 – 2009 • Superior and Director, Ignatius Residence (for senior and infirm Jesuits), New Orleans, 2009 - 5/2013 Fr. Bradley earned a bachelor of science in education from Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL., in 1961. He also has a bachelor of science in physics from Fordham University, Bronx, NY. He studied theology at St. Marys College/Saint Louis University and physics at Texas A & M. He earned a Master of Arts in secondary education from the University of New Mexico and a licentiate in sacred theology from St. Louis Divinity School. He also has a Ph.D. in educational administration and church leadership from Fordham. Jesuits have served in this area of the United States as early as the 16th century and continually since the restoration of the Society in 1815.
September 2017
Fr. Ronald Gonzales, SJ, Celebrates Jubilee By Therese Meyerhoff, Director of Communications, USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus Fr. Ronald Gonzales, SJ, former associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Albuquerque, is celebrating 25 years as a Jesuit. Fr. Gonzales was born June 8, 1967, in Los Angeles, CA. He entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) on August 14, 1992 in Grand Coteau, LA. He made first vows two years later. He was ordained a priest at Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans, June 14, 2003. He pronounced final vows at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in San Antonio, TX, on December 12, 2010. Since 2013, Fr. Gonzales has served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in El Paso, TX, and is the superior of the Jesuit Community there. His previous ministries include: • Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla., 1997 – 2000 Associate pastor, Immaculate Conception Parish, Albuquerque, N. M., 2003 - 2005 • Associate pastor, Sacred Heart Parish, El Paso, Texas, 2005 – 2007 • Pastor and superior, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, San Antonio, Texas, 2008 – 2013. Fr. Gonzales earned a bachelor of arts degree in religious education from Loyola University New Orleans and a master’s in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. His M. Div. is from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in Berkeley, CA. The USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded nearly 500 years ago by St. Ignatius of Loyola, was formed in 2014 by the joining of the New Orleans Province and Missouri Provinces, with the Independent Region of Puerto Rico added a few months later. With more than 16,000 priests and brothers worldwide, the Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are widely known for their colleges, universities and high schools, but Jesuit ministries also include retreat houses, parishes, hospitals and refugee camps. The USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province serves in 12 states, plus Puerto Rico and Belize and has approximately 400 men who serve as pastors, administrators, educators, spiritual and retreat directors and in other roles. Jesuits have served in this area of the United States as early as the 16th century and continually since the restoration of the Society in 1815.
Archdiocese of Santa Fe Upcoming Classes Class: Introduction to Mark’s Gospel Date: Thursday, September 28, October 5 & 12 Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Location: Lourdes Hall Instructor: Deacon Keith Davis Price: $10.00 Class: Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality Date: Monday, October 2, 9, 16 Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Location: San Isidro Parish Instructor: Sr. Paula Gallagher Price: $10.00 Class: Aspect of the Theology of St. John Date: Tuesday, October 16 – November 13 Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Queen of Heaven Instructor: Jason Rodarte Price: $10.00 Class: Grandparenting in Faith Date: Monday, October 30, November 6, 13 Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Location: San Isidro Parish Instructor: Sr. Paula Gallagher Price: $10.00 Class: Introduction to Church History Date: Wednesday, November 8 – December 6th Time: 10:00 am – Noon Location: Lourdes Hall Instructor: Deacon Keith Davis Price: $10.00
Class: Forgiveness; The Heart of the Good News Date: Thursday, November 30 – December 14 Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Location: Lourdes Hall Instructor: Megan McKenna Price: $10.00 Class: Fruitful Discipleship Date: Saturday, January 13 – February 10 Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm Location: St. Anne’s Parish Instructor: Jason Rodarte Price: $20.00 for the Book, $10.00 for the Class Please Register by December18th
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Baldonado, Duran
Garcia, Padilla
Griego, Sanchez
Ernest and Elena Duran are celebrating 70 years of marriage. Ernest and the former Elena Baldonado were married on August 24, 1947 at the St. Francis De Paola Catholic Church in Tularosa, NM. Ernest served in the U.S. Navy in WWII and later worked as an accountant. Elena was a busy homemaker. They have four children, Virginia (and husband Jim Ginn, deceased), Frances and husband, Osie Williams, Joseph and wife Cheryl and John. They have seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. They celebrated beginning with a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving on August 26, 2017 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, followed by a reception and dance with family and friends. The Durans have centered their time to church and family. Their priority is daily attendance at Mass and weekly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In addition, they have always practiced an active lifestyle, such as a regular exercise program.
Mr. Aris B. Padilla and Miss Ruby R. Garcia were joined in holy matrimony on August 27, 1949 at San Jose Parish in Albuquerque. Aris is originally from Lemitar, NM and Ruby is an Albuquerque native. They are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Albuquerque. Aris is an active choir member. They have been blessed with four children: Iris, Barbara (husband, Guy), Ruben (wife, Debbie), Margaret (husband, Deacon Robert); eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. They give thanks to our dear Lord for all the blessings, family and friends.
Mr. Albert Tommy Sanchez and Miss Christine Griego were married on August 26, 1967 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Santa Rosa, NM with Fr. Jerome A. Plotkowski officiating. They both attended St. Rose Catholic School in Santa Rosa. Their children, also Catholic school graduates are, Albert Gregory, Margaret and husband Jim Maes, and Rebecca. Grandchildren are Victoria, Monica, Daniela, Sophia, Catalina, and Mireya. Albert and Christine are members of Holy Cross Parish in Las Cruces, NM where Christine has served on the parish council, Martha Ministry and Christ Child Circle. Albert retired from NM Department of Health and worked as Director of Development for the Diocese of Las Cruces for five years. They are grateful to God for all the blessings that they have received.
Lucero, Romero Mr. Margarito Romero and Miss Virginia Lucero celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on August 9, 2017. They were married in Mountainair, NMat the Parish of St. Alice. Margarito and Virginia were residents of Estancia, NM and graduated from high school there in 1947 and were married thereafter. They had been high school sweethearts. They
May God bless you and grant you joy. May He deepen your love for each other. May He bless you and your family and friends, and lead you to unending happiness in Heaven. May Almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, Bless us all, and keep us in His love for ever and ever. Amen. began their married life moving to Santa Fe and Margarito pursued employment at the New Mexico State Capitol. They started their family and now are proud parents of five sons, several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Virginia and Margarito have been members of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish since
1952 when Margarito’s employment brought them to Albuquerque. They have both been active parishioners in OLA Parish. Margarito served as a leader for over 26 years with the Knights of Columbus and Virginia has lead the bilingual choir for the past 46 years. Margarito celebrated his 90th birthday on August 25th. They celebrated on August 6, 2017 with a family brunch.
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Making Room By Tim Muldoon, Catholic Extension Director of Mission Education What does it mean to make room for Jesus’ words in our lives today? In a recent visit to the Diocese of Brownsville, on the Texas-Mexico border, I saw firsthand the importance of this question. Brownsville is the most densely Catholic diocese in the United States, but it is also one of the poorest. The parishes I visited have regular streams of baptisms, confirmations, and weddings—one pastor estimated he’d done about 50 baptisms each month in recent months. But they also have regular streams of recent migrants looking for help, and it is in their response to these newcomers that I saw the most profound examples of making room for Jesus’ words. The writers of the New Testament describe the way that people responded to Jesus by either making room for his words, or shaking their heads and turning away. The Greek verb is choreo, meaning “to accept,” “to receive,” or “to have room.” In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus notes that “not all can accept this word” (Matthew 19:11). What he implies is that “accepting” God’s word means fundamentally re-orienting your life—rejecting the easy solutions offered by society and trusting in the Lord’s often difficult path. Similarly, in John’s gospel, Jesus accuses some of his peers of resting too easily in their assumption that being descendants of Abraham was proof of their being children of God. He says, “You are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you” (John 8:37). Jesus’ word “has no room” because they believe that their lives are fine just as they are, needing no reorientation (the Biblical word is “repentance” or, literally, a “change of heart”) to more fully embrace God’s call to love and service. What I saw in Brownsville were many who make room for Jesus’ words by taking the phrase “making room” rather literally. One example is the Humanitarian Respite Center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, where up to 100 men, women, and children per day spend time as they await their asylum hearings. The parish donated the use of their hall to Missionary of Jesus Sister Norma Pimentel and her staff at Catholic Charities, because of the overwhelming need to make room for people fleeing violence further south. Catholic Extension was there with its chancellor, Cardinal Cupich of Chicago, who raised funds at his consistory to help build a permanent new center a few blocks away. Another example is St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church in Pharr, Texas, located 3.6 miles away from the border with Reynosa, in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. A grant from Extension will help them to expand the kitchen they use to offer food to migrants who travel across the border in search of a safer life. Like so many of their peers, those who cross have often done so at great personal and family sacrifice. One father I spoke to described simply wanting his 16-year-old daughter to have access to decent schools; another was a woman who pointed to basic desires, like access to good work and safety for her family. I visited several places that similarly made room for the new migrants in their midst. At a lunch held at Sacred Heart Church in Hidalgo, Texas, only a mile from the border, I sat down with parishioners and officials—including the mayor and the chief of border security—and talked about the way that the Church serves populations impacted by the realities of migration. Those of us who live far from the border may be influenced by the treatment of the issue in local news cycles, brief as they are, but many in the Brownsville diocese understand it in far more complex, human terms. They see the mothers hoping their children can live free of violence; they work with the fathers who have been hunted by drug cartels and the sons who flee from gangs that threaten their lives if they do not join. In perhaps his most well-known parable, Jesus described as “neighbor” the good Samaritan who went out of his way to help a man bruised and beaten on the side of the road. The good Samaritan made room in his life for the reality of sin and violence, understanding that to be too concerned with his own affairs amounted to neglect of
Cardinal Cupich, chancellor of Catholic Extension, and Missionary of Jesus Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, greet refugees at the Humanitarian Respite Center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, Texas.
Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension (far left), meets with a group at Conception Mission in Lopezville, Texas, during a recent immersion trip to the Rio Grande Valley.
A worker cuts blocks on the site of the new Sacred Heart Catholic Church close to the border in Hidalgo, Texas. Catholic Extension donated $75,000 toward the building of the church. Another $100,000 was donated to build the new Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen. God’s word. Theologian James Keenan has argued, in a related vein, that sin is a “failure to bother.” In the face of migration—one of the most pressing global moral issues today—we do well to ask ourselves how we avoid such failure, and engage in the kingdom-building work of “making room” for the strangers in our midst. Please keep in prayer the people of Brownsville and all those in south Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey.
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PEOPLE of GOD
Stuck in Traffic By Ron Rolheiser, OMI
There’s a famous billboard that hangs along a congested highway that reads: You aren’t stuck in traffic. You are traffic! Good wit, good insight! How glibly we distance ourselves from a problem, whether it is our politics, our churches, the ecological problems on our planet, or most anything else. We aren’t, as we want to think, stuck in a bad political climate wherein we can no longer talk to each other and live respectfully with each other. Rather we ourselves have become so rigid, arrogant, and sure of ourselves that we can no longer respect those who think differently than we do. We are a bad political climate and not just stuck in one. Likewise for our churches: We aren’t stuck in churches that are too self-serving and not faithful enough to the teachings of Jesus. Rather we are Christians who too often, ourselves, out of self-interest compromise the teachings of Jesus. We aren’t stuck in our churches, we comprise those churches. The same is true apposite the ecological challenges we face on this planet: We aren’t stuck on a planet that’s becoming oxygen-starved and a junkyard for human wastage. Rather it’s we, not just others, who are too careless in how we are using up the earth’s resources and how we are leaving behind our waste. Admittedly, this isn’t always true. Sometimes we are stuck in negative situations for which we bear no responsibility and within which, through no fault of our own, we are simply the unfortunate victim of circumstance and someone else’s carelessness, illness, dysfunction, or sin. We can, for instance, be born into a dysfunctional situation which leaves us stuck in a family and an environment that don’t make for easy freedom. Or, sometimes simple circumstance can burden us with duties that take away our freedom. So, metaphorically speaking, we can be stuck in traffic and not ourselves be part of that traffic, though generally we are, at least partially, part of the traffic we’re stuck in. Henri Nouwen often highlighted this in his writings. We are not, he tells us, separate from the events that make up the world news each day. Rather, what we
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see written large in the world news each night simply reflects what’s going on inside of us. When we see instances of injustice, bigotry, racism, greed, violence, murder and war on our newscasts we rightly feel a certain moral indignation. It’s healthy to feel that way, but it’s not healthy to naively think that it’s others, not us, who are the problem. When we’re honest we have to admit that we’re complicit in all these things, perhaps not in their crasser forms, but in subtler, though very real, ways: The fear and paranoia that are at the root of so much conflict in our world are not foreign to us. We too find it hard to accept those who are different from us. We too cling to privilege and do most everything we can to secure and protect our comfort. We too use up an unfair amount of the world’s resources in our hunger for comfort and experience. As well, our negative judgments, jealousies, gossip, and bitter words are, at the end of the day, genuine acts of violence since, as Henri Nouwen puts it: Nobody is shot by a gun that isn’t first shot by a word. And nobody is shot by a word before he or she is first shot by a murderous thought: Who does she thinks she is! The evening news just shows large what’s inside our hearts. What’s in the macrocosm is also in the microcosm. And so we aren’t just viewers of the evening news, we’re complicit in it. The old catechisms were right when they told us that there’s no such a thing as a truly private act, that even our most private actions affect everyone else. The private is political. Everything affects everything. The first take-away from this is obvious: When we find ourselves stuck in traffic, metaphorically and otherwise, we need to admit our own complicity and resist the temptation to simply blame others. But there’s another important lesson here too: We are never healthier than when we are confessing our sins; in this case, confessing that we are traffic and not just stuck in traffic. After recognizing that we are complicit, hopefully we can forgive ourselves for the fact that, partially at least, we are helpless to not be complicit. No one can walk through life without leaving a footprint. To pretend otherwise is dishonest and to try to not leave a footprint is futile. The starting point to make things better is for us to admit and confess our complicity. So the next time you’re stuck in traffic, irritated and impatient, muttering angrily about why there are so many people on the road, you might want to glance at yourself in rearview mirror, ask yourself why you are on the road at that time, and then give yourself a forgiving wink as you utter the French word, touché.
The “Expendable Children” Couples who struggle to get pregnant are turning with greater frequency to the in vitro fertilization (IVF) industry for assistance. In some cases, they can end up feeling they are “too pregnant” when twins, triplets or quads arise. This occurs from the practice of implanting more than one embryo at a time to improve pregnancy success rates. A multiple pregnancy can involve significant risk, both for the children in utero, and for the mother. Because of these risks, the pregnant mother will sometimes be advised to opt for a “selective reduction,” where potassium chloride is injected into one or two of the growing babies, to cause their hearts to seize, followed by death and the gradual re-absorption of their bodies during the remainder of the pregnancy. This can allow the one or more remaining brothers or sisters to grow more safely and avoid further complications during the pregnancy. Given the incredible effort expended by the couple to become pregnant in the first place, these lethal practices often draw gasps of disbelief from others. A New York Times Magazine article from 2011 chronicled the saga of a woman who selectively reduced her pregnancy from twins to a single. Even though she tried to not think too much about the two ultrasound shadows within her, she was
forthright about her justification for doing it: “If I had conceived these twins naturally, I wouldn’t have reduced this pregnancy, because you feel like if there’s a natural order, then you don’t want to disturb it. But we created this child in such an artificial manner — in a test tube, choosing an egg donor, having the embryo placed in me — and somehow, making a decision about how many to carry seemed to be just another choice. The pregnancy was all so consumerish to begin with, and this became yet another thing we could control.” Her devastatingly honest appraisal of IVF and the way it devalues the lives of children offers an important opportunity for reflection. When we take it upon ourselves to manufacture new human life in test tubes, it indeed becomes another “thing we can control,” an object for our own willful manipulation, another means to realize our own goals. This “command and control mentality” over procreation sets up a glide path for us to begin treating our own offspring like raw material, even tempting us to exercise an absolute, death-dealing dominion over them. As they are produced in the laboratory and transferred to the womb, our children can become an abstraction, mere pawns to be played in the end game of seeking what we want. This attitude of seeing our offspring as expendable is becoming more widely accepted not only among IVF customers, but also among biomedical researchersBIOETHICS Continued on page 29
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W O R L D A N D N AT I O N A L N E W S Catholic leaders sharply criticize Trump’s decision to end DACA WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholic church leaders, immigration officials and university presidents were swift and unanimous in their condemnation of President Donald Trump’s Sept. 5 decision to phase out Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals known as DACA. “In the past, the president stated that the Dreamer story ‘is about the heart,’ yet (the) decision is nothing short of heartless,” said Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich. “The Dreamers are now left in a six-month limbo, during which Congress is supposed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, a feat they have been unable to achieve for a decade,” he said in a Sept. 5 statement. The rescission of DACA, announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, places an estimated 800,000 undocumented immigrants, many of whom were brought to the United States as young children and have known no other home, under threat of deportation and losing permits that allow them to work. From August through December, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the work permits of more than 200,000 DACA recipients will expire and only 55,258 have submitted requests for permit renewals. The decision to end DACA is “a heartbreaking disappointment,” said Jeanne Atkinson, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. She also said her organization rejects and adamantly disagrees with Sessions’ “untested personal opinion that DACA is unconstitutional.”
Catholic Charities USA gives $2 million for hurricane relief SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- Catholic Charities USA presented a $2 million check Sept. 4 representing donations received to date for immediate emergency assistance for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and its catastrophic flooding. One hundred percent of the funds raised will go directly to immediate and long-term recovery efforts. Making the presentation was Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, accompanied by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of the neighboring Diocese of Victoria, J. Antonio Fernandez, president and CEO of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield, general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Catholic Charities USA’s Mobile Response Center vehicle, filled with emergency supplies, left Catholic Charities headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, for Texas and will remain there to assist Catholic Charities agencies with response efforts. Diocesan Catholic Charities agencies have been hard at work in recovery efforts, trying to address difficulties as they arise. In Houston, which has received the lion’s share of attention, there have been huge problems finding temporary housing. Apartments are flooded and hotels are not accepting payments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On top of that, the city is getting ready to shut down shelters.
Break mirror of narcissistic culture, pope tells Shalom community VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Today’s narcissistic culture leads to sad souls who worry more about keeping up appearances than caring for others, Pope Francis said. Speaking to young people of the Shalom community, Pope Francis warned them of the sadness caused by narcissism, when “you live worried about putting makeup on your soul,
about looking better than you are, about contemplating whether you’re more beautiful than others. It is the sickness of the mirror,” the pope said. “Young people, break this mirror! Don’t look at the mirror because the mirror deceives,” he said. “Look outside, look at others, escape from this world, from this culture we are living in that is consumeristic and narcissistic.” The pope met Sept. 5 with an estimated 4,000 young men and women from the Shalom community. Founded in 1982, the group is comprised of married couples, celibate individuals and priests living out their faith through communities based on contemplation, unity and evangelization.
Be the first to love, to build bridges, pope tells Colombians VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Colombia’s transition to a just and lasting peace requires a commitment on behalf of all the nation’s people to taking the first step toward reconciliation, Pope Francis said in a video message. “’Let’s take the first step’ is the motto of this trip,” the pope said in the message broadcast Sept. 4. “This reminds us also to be the first to love, to build bridges, to create fraternity. Taking the first step encourages us to go out to meet the other, to extend a hand and exchange the sign of peace,” Pope Francis said. The pope was to arrive in Colombia Sept. 6 for a five-day stay in the country. He was to visit the capital, Bogota, and the cities of Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena. A key point of the trip was to give encouragement to Colombians after more than five decades of civil war. The government ratified a peace agreement with the largest rebel group, known as FARC, in November 2016. And just two days before the pope’s arrival, negotiators for the government and the National Liberation Army, the ELN, announced they had reached a temporary cease-fire agreement.
Work against fear, hatred, pope tells South Korean religious leaders VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The day before North Korea detonated what it said was a hydrogen bomb, Pope Francis urged religious leaders from South Korea to dedicate their words and actions to building peace and harmony. “We are called to be heralds of peace, proclaiming and embodying a nonviolent style, a style of peace, with words clearly different from the narrative of fear and with gestures opposed to the rhetoric of hatred,” the pope said Sept. 2. The 20 leaders on pilgrimage to Rome included Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Confucians and followers of Cheondoism and several native Korean religions. Pope Francis told them progress on the path to peace is made “not just by raising our voices but by rolling up our sleeves, to sow the hope of a future in which humanity becomes more human, a future which heeds the cry of so many who reject war and implore greater harmony between individuals and communities, between peoples and states.”
Brownsville Diocese offers support for hurricane victims BROWNSVILLE, Texas (CNS) -- The Rio Grande Valley was in the “cone” of possible impact from Hurricane Harvey and residents had prepared for heavy winds and rain. Schools and businesses had even closed in anticipation, but the valley was bypassed by the storm’s destructive path. “If the Rio Grande Valley was spared the major impact of Hurricane Harvey, it is so that we can more ably help those most
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W O R L D A N D N AT I O N A L N E W S affected,” said the Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville. “The Rio Grande Valley in the past has often received the help of others in times of dire distress; we are called to offer our assistance in that same spirit to others.” In response to Harvey, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, with the assistance of local TV station Telemundo 40, set up several sites to receive donations of water, dry goods, diapers, canned foods and other items. The donations were delivered to distribution centers in the most affected areas. “We have to be generous and grateful that we ourselves here in the valley were spared in this disaster,” said Sister Norma Pimentel of the Missionaries of Jesus and executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. “We are in solidarity with the many people who are hurt in Texas.”
Pope offers prayers for victims of flooding in Texas, Louisiana VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis offered his prayers for the people of Texas and Louisiana struggling to cope with the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey and he praised all those engaged in rescuing and caring for the thousands of people forced out of their homes. In a message to Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of GalvestonHouston, Pope Francis asked that his “spiritual closeness and pastoral concern” be relayed to all those affected by the hurricane and flooding. CALIFORNIA BISHOPS Continued from page 10
DACA students are not the so-called “bad hombres,” an insidious label used to instill fear in others and feed the racism and nativism that unfortunately is rearing its ugly head in our cities. Far from it, DACA eligible youth are high school graduates, in school or working on their GED. Many are now in college. They may be honorably discharged members of the armed services. No one convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor (or three misdemeanors) can apply for DACA. These young people are working in businesses and professional jobs, harvesting our fields, building our homes, and providing
The message was sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and released by the Vatican Aug. 31. “Deeply moved by the tragic loss of life and the immense material devastation that this natural catastrophe has left in its wake, he prays for the victims and their families, and for all those engaged in the vital work of relief, recovery and rebuilding,” Cardinal Parolin said.
Celebrate creation, pray for environment, say church leaders in Europe VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholic bishops’ conferences and Christian churches in Europe have invited all Christians to pray for the world and the environment during a monthlong celebration of creation. “Recent developments remind us of the growing urgency of the continuing climate change, loss of biodiversity, growing piles of waste and many other challenges,” said a joint statement by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, the Conference of European Churches and the European Christian Environmental Network. “Even if we know there are several causes, we cannot forget that part of the problem is due to our selfishness, lack of care and widespread misunderstanding of the world as a source of profit,” said the statement, which was released Aug. 31. Because “Christians of all traditions acknowledge creation as a gift from God,” the three groups jointly called on all Christians to care for and manage creation with responsibility.
many of the services of hospitality we take for granted. They have placed their lives on the line to defend our liberty and freedom. Most importantly, they are giving back to the only nation they have ever known. They are the hard working good neighbors America needs to compete in the global economy of today.
serve, comfort, and protect our brothers and sisters. We will not protect serious and violent criminals and we will work with authorities in advancing security and other legitimate requirements. We will, however, not allow reckless rhetoric to bully us from the course of compassion and basic decency.
Catholics – both in our parishes and larger service organizations such as Catholic Charities and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) – will remain steadfast in offering assistance to immigrants. As Bishops, every day we see the impact of the failure of a political leadership that washes its hands while immigrants suffer. We choose to continue to
We are encouraged by the fatherly admonition of Pope Francis: “[C]hildren are a sign. They are a sign of hope, a sign of life, but also a “diagnostic” sign, a marker indicating the health of families, society and the entire world. Wherever children are accepted, loved, cared for and protected, the family is healthy, society is more healthy and the world is more human.”
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themselves. In August, a highly troubling report was published describing the first successful editing of DNA in human embryos. The experiments were carried out in the laboratory of Shoukhrat Mitalipov at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and involved the generation of many dozens of embryos by IVF. The experiments utilized a new and highly precise DNA-editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9 to fix a defective, disease-causing gene that some of the embryos carried. While research into understanding and eliminating serious diseases is certainly good and praiseworthy as a goal, the techniques we employ as we pursue good research goals need to be good as well. Doing evil that good may accrue, is, after all, still doing evil. These research experiments performed on human embryos at OHSU were morally objectionable on a number of counts. If such genetically modified embryos had been allowed to grow up, there may well have been unintended effects from modifying their genes, unanticipated defects that they and future generations would bear. The problems and risks associated with this kind of “germ-line therapy”
raise such serious concerns as to make it doubtful it should ever be attempted in humans. Even more distressing from the moral point of view is the fact that very young humans were treated not as ends, but as mere means to achieve particular investigative goals. They were created in laboratory glassware, experimented upon, their genes were tinkered with and they were killed and dispatched as research fodder into biohazard waste containers. The purported darkness of medieval times was never as dark as the remarkable ethical blackness that is descending upon contemporary “enlightened” man as he exploits and destroys his own offspring. Vigilance and care are required when dealing with vulnerable research subjects, and human embryos are among the most vulnerable of God’s creatures, entrusted to us as our children, calling for stringent measures to ensure their protection and safeguard their human dignity. 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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September 2017
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. 07/18/2017
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. September 9, 2017 9:00 a.m. – Noon Saturday
Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Albuquerque, 87120
September 23, 2017 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Saturday
Queen of Heaven 5300 Claremont NE Albuquerque, 87110
October 5, 2017 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Thursday
Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Albuquerque, 87120
October 7, 2017 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Saturday
Our Lady of Guadalupe 205 Don Fernando St. Taos, 87571
November 4, 2017 9:00 a.m. – Noon Saturday
Catholic Center 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Albuquerque, 87120
4333 Pan American Fwy. NE ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87107 PHONE: (505)
247-0444 FAX: (505) 243-1505
John A. Menicucci, CPM President / Real Estate
Frederic Brennan, CPCU President / Insurance William F. Raskob President / CEO
Gabriel A. Portillo Vice President
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REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Curtis A. Brewer, CCIM Bill Campbell James Ellis Bruce Golden Dan Hernandez, JD Larry McClintock Timothy P. Mullane
ACCOUNTING
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Vangie Pavlakos CCIM Jim Schneider Stuart Sherman Tai Alley Dave Vincioni Alan Vincioni Karen Ward
Dede Walden
INSURANCE
Sherry Anderson Linda Atkinson Sylvia Austin Jeannie Boyd Ryan Brennan Kaelan Brennan Rhonda Hill Amber Laguillo Frank Melendez Joseph Menicucci Pam Muzzi Carolyn Nasi
Brian O’Malley Carol Pinnell Melissa A. Portillo Angela Romero Jim Sampson Dee Silva Ann Skelley, CISR Debra Stiles Tracy Thompson Jessica Vargas Vanessa Villegas Kathy Yeager
To advertise in People of God, THE MAGAZINE contact Leslie M. Radigan at 505-831-8162 or email lradigan@ archdiosf.org
PEOPLE of GOD
September 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 KASYMy50TV 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
ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE September 10 Sun 12 Tue 21 Thu 22 Fri 23 Sat 30 Sat
9:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 6:00 p.m. 8:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m.
Procession and Mass, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe Mass of the Holy Cross and Procession, Cathedral Basilica, Santa Fe Presbyteral Council, Madonna Center, Albuquerque Deans Meeting, Madonna Center, Albuquerque Archdiocesan Finance Council, Catholic Center Catholic Foundation Grant Awards Luncheon, Sandia Resort, Albuquerque Archbishop’s School Fund Dinner, Sandia Resort, Albuquerque Mass, Deacon Retreat, Location TBD Mass, Deacon Candidates installed as Acolytes, Location TDB
October 1 Sun 2:00 p.m. 4 Wed 4:00 p.m. 5-6 7 Sat 6:00 p.m. 8 Sun 8:30 a.m 9-12
48th Annual Rosary Rally, Isotopes Stadium, Albuquerque St. Francis of Assisi Awards Mass, Cathedral Basilica Amoris Laetitia Conference, Boston College Villa Therese Clinic 80th Anniversary Dinner, Villa Therese Clinic, Santa Fe Installation of Fr. Hoi Tran as pastor and listening session, Our Lady of La Vang, Albuquerque Priest Convocation, Drury Inn, Santa Fe
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Celebrating over $400,000 in grant distributions
September 2017
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME! "Baseball with the Bishop" Buy your raffle tickets today at the Catholic Center, your local Catholic School, online at www.asfcatholicschools.org or call 505-831-8172.
L U N C H E O N
5 Isotopes Suite Level Tickets Refreshments provided for YOU and your guests
SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Enjoy the game with Archbishop John C. Wester and Superintendent Susan Murphy!
Sandia Resort & Convention Center
Raffle Tickets $5.00/each
30 Rainbow Rd NE | Albuquerque, NM 87113
Drawing date 9/22/17 - Need not be present to win 3 Grand prize winners - Game date TBD (2018 Season)
Presenting Sponsor:
Purchase tickets online at thecatholicfoundation.org.
Proceeds from the raffle tickets will support Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
Golfing with a Padre Canyon Club at Four Hills Albuquerque Monday, October 16, 2017
Many Thanks to Our Premier Sponsor: Available Sponsorships Silver: $2500 • Up to 2 foursomes • Sponsorship Recognition Parish Sponsor: $750 * One foursome, including a Priest from your parish, if available * Parish Recognition Drink Sponsor: $500 * Sponsor sign Hole Sponsor: $250 * Sponsor sign Player Packages: One, two, three or four persons. To insure you play with a Padre, sign up early! Each player: $125 Includes: Golf fee, box lunch, BBQ dinner, welcome gifts Priest Sponsor: Deacon: BBQ Dinner only:
$125 $100 $30
and our Silver Sponsors: New Mexico Bank & Trust & Baca’s Trees Scramble Format:
Event will take place rain or shine! Registration begins at 10:30 am ~ Shotgun start at 12:00 noon BBQ Dinner, no-host bar, awards and drawings at 5 pm. Questions: Contac: Tom McCollum 505-298-6343 tmgmtmmm@aol.com For more information or to register and pay on-line: www.SerraClubAlbuquerque.org
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Rest in Peace Rev. Anthony G. Maes Fr. Anthony G. Maes passed away at the age of 62 on Monday, September 4, 2017 in Albuquerque. Fr. Maes was ordained on May 29, 1982. He served at Our Lady of the Annunciation in Albuquerque, Queen of Heaven in Albuquerque, San Juan Nepomuceno in El Rito, as chaplain and as a teacher at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque, and at the Shrine of St. Bernadette in Albuquerque until he had to retire due to health reasons. Please pray for the repose of the sould of Fr. Anthony G. Maes, and for his family and friends. At the time of this printing an obituary was not available
Momma Rose was a powerful presence By Ollie Reed, Jr. / Journal Staff Writer, Saturday, July 22, 2017 reprinted with permission
Long after age made it difficult for her to work the floor of Garson & Sons, the Catholic religious supply store she founded with her husband John, Rose Garson was a presence there, perhaps working on inventory in the back but holding high court wherever she was. “And woe be to you – priests, deacons, nuns, brothers or other friends – if you came in the store and did not go back to say hello to Momma Rose,” said Louise Davis, former liturgist for Albuquerque’s Queen of Heaven Catholic Parish and a longtime friend of Rose Garson. “You were always welcome to sit and chat with Rose. She wanted to know about you. ‘How are you? What have you been doing? What do you need?’ She would tell you what she was about, too. She was not afraid to give you her opinion.” Rose Garson died June 15 at age 95.
John and Rose Garson, with son Mark, in front of their first religious goods store at 1403 San Mateo NE. (SOURCE: Paul Garson)
Pre-planning for one’s own funeral or arranging an at-need funeral for a loved one is one of the most difficult crosses we must bear in life. Because of this, the Catholic Cemetery Association has put into print: Heaven Starts Here on Earth: A Funeral Planning Guide. This booklet is meant to give information on the Funeral Liturgy, the funeral home process and choosing a cemetery. The guide will be delivered, along with the People of God, in September and available at no charge. Rosario 499 N. Guadalupe St. Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 983-2322
Mt. Calvary 1900 Edith Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87102 (505) 243-0218
asfcca.org
Gate of Heaven 7999 Wyoming Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 (505) 821-0800
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September 2017
With this ring.... Did you hear wedding bells in 1957/1967?
Celebrate your golden or diamond anniversary with the People of God. You are invited to include the information below and have it published in one of our issues: Groom’s name Bride’s Maiden Name Date you received the Sacrament of Matrimony Parish Town/City Parish to which you presently belong 100 words about your family or a brief reflection of your life Please include your phone number and email address. Mail to People of God 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl NW Albuquerque, NM 87120 or email lradigan@archdiosf.org and attach a high res photo.
NOBODY DELIVERS FASTER 2720 Carlisle NE • Albuq. NM 87110
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Business & Workplace Products New Mexico’s Largest Home Owned & Independent Office Supply Company
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5900 Midway Park NE • Albuquerque, NM www.midwayos.com
September 2017
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