February 2018 Vol. 36, No. 2
Serving the multicultural people of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe www.archdiosf.org
Procession for the
Sanctity of Life Leslile Radigan/ASF
See p. 13
The 2018 Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018 with Easter Sunday on April 1.
See p. 16
Celebrate
National Marriage Week February 7–14, 2018 Celebrate the beauty and sanctity of marriage with Humanae Vitae (1968-2018): • Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realize that it takes its origin from God, who “is love” (no. 8).
• “Marriage . . . [is] ordained toward the procreation and education of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the highest degree to their parents’ welfare” (no. 9; GS, no. 50). • “The fundamental nature of the marriage act, . . . renders [husband and wife] capable of generating new life—and this as a result of laws written into the actual nature of man and of woman” (no. 12).
Marriage Benefits Everyone . . .
• Economically: Married men and women have more wealth and financial stability. • Personally: Men and women in a stable marriage live longer lives and have better health and greater personal happiness. • For Children: Children who are raised by a married mother and father perform better in school and have less trouble with the law, teen pregnancy, and addiction.
For resources to prepare for marriage or strengthen your marriage and family, visit: www.foryourmarriage.org www.portumatrimonio.org
For videos, study guides and catechesis on why marriage is unique, visit: www.marriageuniqueforareason.org. For national studies and statistics as well as resources for your marriage, visit: www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth
Copyright © 2017, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Quotes from Humanae Vitae, copyright © 1968, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City State. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Photos: Getty Images.
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February 2018
Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for February/Febrero
Universal: Say “No” to Corruption That those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption
Inside this Issue
2 National Marriage Week February 7-14 4 Archbishop’s Letter: Christ Is Waiting For You 8 Annual Catholic Appeal 10 Vocations 12 New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops 13 Sanctity of Life & Unity Day 14 Make Disciples of All Nations 16 2018 Lenten Season 18 Rite of Election & Call to Continuing Conversion 19 Rice Bowl 21 2017 CRS Award: Rocio Gonzalez 22 A Shepherd Among the Poor 24 St. Vincent de Paul 26 Catholic Schools Week 31 Faith and Superstition 32 Easing Burdens in the Virgin Islands 34 Archbishop Wester’s Calendar 35 Loyola Med School DACA Recipient with NM Ties 36 2018 Flu Season Liturgical Directives 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
Universal: No a la corrupción Para que aquellos que tienen un poder material, político o espiritual no se dejen dominar por la corrupción.
Seminary Burse The following parishes have sent in excess Mass stipends and other contributions collected at the Archdiocesan Finance Office for seminarian education. These receipts are for December 2017 and January 2018. Excess Mass stipends are from multiple Mass intentions celebrated at Parishes. The Archdiocesan policy is for excess Mass stipends to be used for seminarian education. Parish Name/City
PROMISE Pledge to Protect to HEAL We train everyone to prevent and report abuse.
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.
195 U.S. dioceses/
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!
100% 90% 80% 70%
eparchies have a victim assistance coordinator to obtain assistance and provide support for those abused.
100% of U.S. dioceses/eparchies
50%
require allegations of sexual abuse to be reported to public authorities.
40% 30%
We report all allegations.
20% 10%
Visit our new ACA Website at: www.acaarchdiosf.org to donate to ACA 2018, watch Archbishop Wester’s ACA video, and much more!
3% 0%
0%
2,400,627 adults trained 4,484,609 children
trained
We provide outreach to those abused.
We require background checks.
Our Goal $ 3,000,000
60%
Amount Received
Anonymous...........................................................................................................................250.00 Catholic Charismatic Center – Albuquerque........................................................150.00 Immaculate Conception – Albuquerque................................................................355.00 Immaculate Heart of Mary – Los Alamos.......................................................... 3,029.00 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Albuquerque......................................1,000.00 Our Lady of Lavang – Albuquerque.....................................................................4,000.00 Our Lady of Sorrows – Bernalillo......................................................................... 2,000.00 Our Lady of Sorrows – Las Vegas.........................................................................5,000.00 Our Lady of the Annunciation – Albuquerque.................................................2,415.00 Sacred Heart of Jesus – Espanola.........................................................................2,400.00 St. Joseph on the Rio Grande – Albuquerque................................................... 1,190.00 St. Thomas Aquinas – Rio Rancho............................................................................ 153.00 San Diego Missions – Los Lunas................................................................................ 30.00 San Francisco de Asis – Ranchos de Taos...........................................................500.00 San Juan Bautista – San Juan Pueblo - Ohkay Owingeh...........................1,000.00 Total $ 23,472.00
We work with law enforcement. Copyright © 2015, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.
2,390,956
background checks for clerics, employees and volunteers
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February 2018
Christ Is Waiting For You By Most Reverend John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe During the first week of January, we bishops of Region XIII made our annual retreat at the Redemptorist Retreat House near Tucson, AZ. The retreat house is located in the northern part of the Sonora Desert, nestled near the famous Picture Rocks, named for the ancient hieroglyphics found on them. Each day of the retreat, I enjoyed taking a walk into the desert which is at once beautiful and ominous. The saguaro cactus is abundant along with many other desert flora and fauna. I half expected to see Snoopy’s brother Spike leaning against one of the cacti as he takes a nap! But the desert is nothing to joke about. It can be a very dangerous place. Though survival becomes one’s first priority, an opportunity presents itself to bask in its beauty One of the beauties of the desert is how it demonstrates the tenacity of life, how it breaks through the cracked and dry soil. On my daily walks, I saw life springing up in so many ways. For example, I saw cactus growing out of boulders, showcasing how life is so tenacious even in the midst of a hostile environment. It then struck me that our Church is just as tenacious in defending and protecting the precious gift of human life in all its stages. The late Cardinal Joseph Bernadin wrote eloquently on this topic, referring to the Church’s stand as a commitment to hold sacred the “seamless garment” of life from conception to natural death. This approach underscores the beauty of life, the sacredness of it and the uniqueness of each unrepeatable human life. Lent is certainly a time for us to deepen our appreciation for the gift of life. By stripping away all that is not essential - the superficiality, the glitz and glamour - I come to realize what really counts: the sacred gift of life God has given me and my relationship to the God of love who created me in His very image and likeness. Through my prayers, I
relate to God more deeply which helps me realize what really counts… the gift of life. It’s not money, not possessions, not power, but the great precious gift of life and my relationship to the Author of life. Perhaps this is why Jesus went into the desert to begin His public ministry. He knew there He could strip away all that was not essential and deepen His appreciation for the gift of His life, God made man, lived in the presence of the Father. In the desert, Jesus would be alone, truly alone and He could hear more clearly the voice of His Father calling Him to do His will. In the desert, Jesus confirmed His decision to do the will of His Father as He began a ministry that would eventually lead to His death, resurrection and our redemption. The desert provided Jesus with the venue He needed to make sure He was on the right path even if it was a path fraught with peril and suffering. Of course, this path does not end with the cross but with the resurrection: no cross, no resurrection. It was in the desert that Jesus gathered the strength and the grace He needed to move forward in fulfilling the will of His Father, for Him and for all of us. During those 40 days and nights, Jesus emptied Himself so He could experience anew the love of His Father, the only gift that would truly satiate Him. No wonder, then, that the church calls you and me to enter into the desert of Lent that we also might confirm our desire to do the will of God in our lives and to deepen in our appreciation for the gift of life. It is in the Lenten desert that we can strip away the superfluous, the unnecessary and do battle with our temptation to make ourselves the center of the universe instead of God, thus reestablish our commitment to follow Christ, no matter the cost. It is in the desert that we will follow the path that leads to the Easter mysteries in which we will celebrate
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Christ’s resurrection and His triumph over sin and death. What does the desert of Lent look like? Our Lenten desert is comprised of three elements: fasting, almsgiving and prayer. By fasting, we are reminded that we are hungry for God. By almsgiving, we are reminded that Christ’s body, the Church, is hungry for God. By praying, we are reminded that we are hungry for eternal life with God. These Lenten practices put me in touch with my existential poverty and my journey in the desert reminds me to turn to God, not the world, if I wish to experience the fullness of life. This Lent, the Church invites us to enter into the desert as we place our trust in God’s love, aware of God’s deep desire to satisfy our longing hearts and souls. The desert can certainly be difficult: it is never easy to stand alone in the presence of an all-knowing, all-powerful God. But Christ reminds us that we are also in the presence of an all-loving God who wants nothing more than to fill us with His undying love. We enter the desert of Lent to become poor so that God can make us rich in His love and grace. I encourage us all to provide more time in our day for prayer, reflecting on Christ’s passion and death so that we will be prepared to celebrate His victory over the grave. I also encourage us to connect our fasting with our almsgiving. Fasting is far more efficacious if it serves as a reminder to reach out to others in need, not out of charity, but because I who am poor and hungry give to my brother or sister who is poor. Such “charity” reminds me that there are many ways to be poor and that in God’s presence, we are all poor in one way or another, standing in need of his love and mercy. It also reminds us that the greatest poverty of all is to fail to respect the sanctity of human life given by God to each unrepeatable human being so that we might be one with Him forever in heaven. As you and I prepare for our Lenten journey, our Lenten retreat in the desert, remember the words of Hosea Chapter 2: “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.” Christ is waiting for you in the desert – may you have a blessed journey. Sincerely yours in the Lord,
Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe
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Cristo te está esperando Durante la primera semana de enero, los obispos de la Región XIII nos reunimos en la casa de retiros redentorista cerca de Tucson, AZ para vivir nuestro retiro anual. La casa de retiros se encuentra en la parte norte del desierto de Sonora, cerca de las famosas Picture Rocks, llamadas así por los antiguos jeroglíficos encontrados en ellas. Cada día del retiro, a mí me gusta dar un paseo por el desierto que es a la vez hermoso y siniestro. El cactus saguaro abunda allí junto con muchas otras especies de flora y fauna del desierto. ¡Casi espero ver al hermano de Snoopy, Spike, apoyado contra uno de los cactus tomando una siesta! Pero el desierto no es algo para bromear. Puede ser un lugar muy peligroso. Aunque estando en el la supervivencia sea prioridad, nos presenta una oportunidad para disfrutar de su belleza. Una de las bellezas del desierto es ver cómo demuestra la tenacidad de la vida, cómo la vida brota a través del suelo agrietado y seco. En mis caminatas diarias, vi brotar la vida de muchas maneras. Vi un cactus crecer en las rocas, mostrando cómo la vida es tan tenaz, incluso en medio de un ambiente hostil. Entonces me di cuenta de que nuestra Iglesia es también así de tenaz en la defensa y protección del precioso don de la vida humana en todas sus etapas. El difunto cardenal Joseph Bernadin escribió elocuentemente sobre este tema, refiriéndose a la posición de la Iglesia como un compromiso para mantener como sagrada la “prenda sin costuras” que es la vida, desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural. Este enfoque subraya la belleza de la vida, lo sagrado de la misma y la singularidad de cada vida humana irrepetible. La Cuaresma es ciertamente un tiempo para profundizar nuestro aprecio por el regalo de la vida. Al despojarme de todo lo que no es esencial -la superficialidad, el brillo y el glamour- me doy cuenta de lo que realmente cuenta: el don sagrado de la vida que Dios me ha dado y mi relación con el Dios de amor que me creó a su imagen y semejanza. A través de mis oraciones, me relaciono más profundamente con Dios, lo que me ayuda a darme cuenta de lo que realmente
vale la pena... el don de la vida. No es el dinero, ni las posesiones, ni el poder, sino el grande y precioso regalo de la vida y mi relación con el Autor de la vida. Quizás esta es la razón por la cual Jesús fue al desierto para comenzar su ministerio público. Él sabía que allí podía despojarse de todo lo que no era esencial y profundizar su aprecio por el regalo de su vida, Dios hecho hombre, viviendo en la presencia del Padre. En el desierto, Jesús estaría solo, verdaderamente solo y podría escuchar más claramente la voz de su Padre llamándolo a hacer su voluntad. En el desierto, Jesús confirmó su decisión de hacer la voluntad de su Padre cuando comenzó un ministerio que eventualmente lo conduciría a su muerte, resurrección y a nuestra redención. El desierto le proporcionó a Jesús el lugar que necesitaba para asegurarse de que estaba en el camino correcto, incluso si se trataba de un camino lleno de peligros y sufrimiento. Por supuesto, este camino no termina con la cruz sino con la resurrección: sin cruz, no hay resurrección. Fue en el desierto donde Jesús reunió la fuerza y la gracia que necesitaba para avanzar en el cumplimiento de la voluntad de su Padre, para él y para todos nosotros. Durante esos 40 días y noches, Jesús se vació a sí mismo para poder experimentar nuevamente el amor de su Padre, el único regalo que realmente lo saciaría. No es de extrañar, entonces, que la iglesia nos llame a ti y a mí a entrar en el desierto de la Cuaresma para que también podamos confirmar nuestro deseo de hacer la voluntad de Dios en nuestras vidas y profundizar en nuestro aprecio por el don de la vida. Es en el desierto cuaresmal que podemos despojarnos de lo superfluo, lo innecesario y luchar contra la tentación de convertirnos en el centro del universo en lugar de Dios, restableciendo así nuestro compromiso de seguir a Cristo, sin importar el costo. Es en el desierto que seguiremos el camino que conduce a los misterios de la Pascua en la cual celebraremos la resurrección de Cristo y su triunfo sobre el pecado y la muerte. ¿Cómo es el desierto de la Cuaresma? Nuestro desierto cuaresmal se compone de tres elementos: ayuno, limosna y oración. Al ayunar, se nos recuerda
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que estamos hambrientos de Dios. Al dar limosnas, se nos recuerda que el cuerpo de Cristo, la Iglesia, está hambrienta de Dios. Al orar, se nos recuerda que estamos hambrientos de una vida eterna con Dios. Estas prácticas de la Cuaresma me ponen en contacto con mi pobreza existencial y mi jornada en el desierto me recuerda volverme a Dios, no al mundo, si es que deseo experimentar la plenitud de la vida. En esta Cuaresma, la Iglesia nos invita a entrar en el desierto mientras confiamos en el amor de Dios, conscientes del profundo deseo de Dios de satisfacer los anhelos de nuestros corazones y almas. El desierto ciertamente puede ser difícil: nunca es fácil estar solo en presencia de un Dios omnisciente y todopoderoso. Pero Cristo nos recuerda que también estamos en presencia de un Dios que todo lo ama y que quiere nada menos que colmarnos de su amor eterno. Entramos en el desierto de la Cuaresma para convertirnos en pobres para que Dios pueda hacernos ricos en su amor y gracia. Animo a todos a ofrecer más tiempo en nuestros días a la oración, reflexionando sobre la pasión y muerte para estar preparados para celebrar su victoria sobre la tumba. También los animo a conectar nuestro ayuno con nuestra limosna. El ayuno es mucho más eficaz si sirve como un recordatorio para llegar a otros que lo necesitan, no por caridad, sino porque yo, que soy pobre y tengo hambre, le doy a mi hermano o hermana que es pobre. Tal “caridad” me recuerda que hay muchas maneras de ser pobre y que en la presencia de Dios, todos somos pobres de una u otra manera, necesitando su amor y misericordia. También nos recuerda que la mayor pobreza de todas es no respetar la santidad de la vida humana dada por Dios a cada ser humano irrepetible para que podamos ser uno con Él para siempre en el cielo. Mientras nos preparamos para nuestra jornada Cuaresmal, nuestro retiro de Cuaresma en el desierto, recuerden las palabras de Oseas Capítulo 2: “Por eso ahora la voy a conquistar, la llevaré al desierto y allí le hablaré a su corazón.” Cristo te está esperando en el desierto, que tengas una jornada cuaresmal muy bendecida. Sinceramente suyo en el Señor,
Reverendísimo John C. Wester Arzobispo de Santa Fe
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February 2018
February 2018
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February 2018
Ken Snow
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In preparation for ordination to the transitional diaconate, seminarians in their third year of graduate study at the Pontifical College Josephinum made the Profession of Faith and took the Oath of Fidelity in the presence of Rev. Msgr. Christopher J. Schreck, rector, and the seminary community on January 25, 2018. Pictured here is Paul Chavez during the third-year Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity. Candidates for ordination pledge to remain faithful to the teachings of the Church and swear to be faithful teachers of the Gospel.
No Love Without Sacrifice
By Rev. Michael Niemczak, Associate Vocation Director
An interesting thing happens this year: Ash Wednesday falls on St. Valentine’s Day. The great season of sacrifice that we call Lent begins on the day we typically celebrate romantic love. This is interesting, but not unfitting, because love and sacrifice are in fact intimately tied. There is no true love without sacrifice, without putting oneself second to the good of the beloved; conversely, sacrifice without love is meaningless. Why is this in the vocations office column? Because
Save the Date
every vocation is a call to love, and so every vocation is a call to sacrifice. Far too many people fear that the celibacy required of priests means a loveless existence, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth! Celibacy is a huge sacrifice, but when undertaken at the invitation of the God of love, lived out in love for Him and His people, it becomes nothing less than the adventure of plugging into the greatest romance the world has ever seen: Christ the Bridegroom redeeming His Bride, the Church, from the clutches of the ancient enemy. And we get to be the instruments through which it happens. What a life!
Priest Appreciation Dinner Monday, June 18, 2018
Sandia Golf Club Event Center Honored Guest: Archbishop John C. Wester Keynote Speaker: Daniel DiSilva 505.710.5050 for more information
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Prayer for Consecrated Persons God our Father, we thank You for calling men and women to serve in Your Son’s Kingdom as sisters, brothers, religious priests, consecrated virgins, and hermits, as well as members of Secular Institutes. Renew their knowledge and love of You, and send Your Holy Spirit to help them respond generously and courageously to Your will. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Presentation at the Temple WORLD DAY FOR CONSECRATED LIFE
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February 2018
Leslie Radigan/ASF
New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops
M
embers of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops are pictured above in front of the State of New Mexico’s Capitol on January 17, 2018 following the Sanctity of Life Awareness and Unity Day Mass, procession and rally. They are (l to r): Bishop James S. Wall, Diocese of Gallup; Archbishop John C. Wester, Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Allen Sánchez, NMCCB Executive Director; Very Reverend Richard Catanach, Vicar General of the Diocese of Las Cruces. representing Bishop Oscar Cantú, Diocese of Las Cruces; and, Deacon Steve Rangel, NMCCB Associate Director. (Bishop Cantú was traveling with a group of bishops who are part of the Holy Land Coordination, in which bishops from North America, Europe and South Africa meet with Israeli and Palestinian groups to promote dialogue and peace. This year the focus is on education and young people, and the importance of education for building peace in the region.) The New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops (NMCCB) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of New Mexico. It is the association of the State of New Mexico’s three Catholic dioceses. The purpose of the Conference is to promote the
greater good of humankind by addressing issues of moral concern and social justice as seen through the eyes of the Catholic faith. The Conference informs and educates its members and the public about those issues and encourages all to advocate for those issues and the betterment of humankind. One of the major functions of the NMCCB is to review, discuss, and make recommendations concerning legislative bills that are presented and considered during the legislative sessions held every year in Santa Fe. The NMCCB invites you to join them as Catholic citizens to become informed about the issues and to make “our voices” heard. “Faithful citizenship calls Catholics to see civic and political responsibilities through the eyes of faith and to bring our moral convictions to public life.” (Faithful Citizenship, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)
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Leslie Radigan/ASF
February 2018
New Mexico’s faithful march in prayer procession to New Mexico’s State Capitol for Sanctity of Life Rally
Sanctity of Life & Unity Day January 17, 2018
We must continue to speak up for truth and God’s gift of life. I remember visiting the refugee camps in Southern Asia, and one of the refugees said to me “Are you going to speak for us when you get back the United States?” A little baby in the womb can’t ask that question. We have to speak up about truth and the gift of life at whatever opportunity we have because if we don’t, we are complicit with the lies and allow them to take over. We must speak out whether we are at our parishes, at home at our family gatherings, around the watercooler at work and schools, at recess. Every voice is important, no voice is insignificant. We don’t know what heart we are going to touch. What encourages me so much is that we are all here today shivering in the cold: speaking for truth, speaking for life, speaking for those who cannot speak. Most Reverend John C. Wester Archbishop of Santa Fe It’s great that we are all out here standing for life even though we are suffering a bit in this cold weather. Offer it up for all those children who are in the womb and especially for the mothers who perhaps feel that they have nowhere else to go so that they can bring their child to birth—giving their child the same gift of life that all of us were given. Many of us (over 25 years of age) have been at this for a while, planting the seeds for the Pro Life Movement. But it is the generation over 25 that will put an end to abortion. Unfortunately, in our State of New Mexico the culture of death is everywhere. We are one of the few states that allows late-term abortion and we don’t have parental notification. We can change this culture through our prayers and our own witness—we stand for life… and who unites us today is Jesus Christ who always stood for life. Most Reverend James S. Wall Bishop of Gallup For more information, we invite you to view our video at https://youtu.be/8iqIjJATq0s.
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Make Disciples of All Nations By Deacon Robert Vigil, Director, Pastoral Outreach, Catholic Relief Services Global Fellow Mary and Joseph traveled through Egypt on their journey to Bethlehem. This January, a delegation of two priests, six deacons (including myself) and two Catholic Relief Services (CRS) administrators traveled to Egypt to visit and give witness to the great programs managed by local CRS teams. Our delegation was able to visit an actual inn Mary and Joseph stayed at during their journey, a Catholic Coptic church named appropriately The Church of Virgin Mary. Matthew 28:19-20 tells all disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”. CRS helps us to fulfill this Gospel message by assisting people of all nations struggling with poverty and crisis. We visited education programming in which CRS helps address both financial needs and the challenges posed by the poor quality of education. CRS gives educational grants to Sudanese, Somali, Iraqi, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Yemeni, and other non-Syrian refugees serving around 12,000 beneficiaries. These are 3-20 year olds seeking basic education. A grant is
roughly £10,000 which is equal to $565 U.S. and the family’s out of pocket expense is around £3000 (equal to $169). This will provide yearly education and transportation. CRS also helps support the educational needs of Syrian children through the provision of educational grants given to students attending public and refugee community schools. CRS provides additional support to vulnerable cases and children with special needs. There are roughly around 21,912 beneficiaries currently served. Students are coming from certain conditions with lots of heartache, and refugees are in dire need of a good, solid base. The community school we visited offers K-6 education and serves about 500 students with morning and afternoon classes united in prayer. The director stated while 30% of the students might be non-Christian, they sing and pray together. He was grateful for the funding provided by CRS and thanked us all for taking time to visit the program. CRS helps provide dignity to all immigrants with their programming. Our delegation met with Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak who was ordained as patriarch in 2013, and also serves as Bishop of Alexandria, which is the superior of all Coptic Catholic dioceses. Within the Coptic Catholic Church, there are seven dioceses
Great pyramids with City of Cairo in background
Visit with PTA mothers & father as they were working on policies & procedures for community schools
Sphinx entrance to the pyramids
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in the country and there are an estimated 175,000 Coptic Catholics in Egypt. Patriarch Ibrahim stated, “The real issues that people face are within themselves. By human nature people tend to take the low hanging fruits.” He thanked everyone personally from CRS for continued help with education, training programming and stated they will continue to build relationships with CRS. Our delegation also met with Bishop Emmanuel Bishay of the Luxor Diocese, a newly ordained bishop with a Catholic congregation of about 20,000. He continually thanked CRS, especially for the focus on faith peacebuilding work. He commented, “Quality vs. quantity with Catholic education on the forefront.” We met with several partners including Caritas Egypt as well as local CRS staff all working together with one focus: solidarity. People often mentioned the “three b’s” of solidarity: binding, bonding and bridging. Another program we visited is Livelihoods Services Initiative for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (LSI). LSI and CRS work to empower refugees in the long term improving the skills and abilities of working-age entrepreneurs in Egypt, helping equip them with resources they need to pursue small business opportunities while also reducing the number of refugees who are in need of cash assistance. The visit that hit home for me was to the home of a Syrian
CRS delegation meeting with Bishop Emmanuel Bishay of the Luxor Diocese
woman by the name of Samah, a 38-year-old widow with two young children who lost her husband two years ago. She used to work with her husband making soaps and detergents. When her husband died, she knew about the grant opportunity with CRS and decided to improve her knowledge through attending an advanced course about making soap and detergent in order to run her own business. In February of 2017, she successfully submitted her business plan to start her own business. She received £10,500 (which equates to $592). She is doing well running her business and has a wide network of clients in the community. She plans to market her products at open space fairs and eventually wants to add candles to her product line. When we first met Samah, it was obvious she was afraid and nervous, yet she still welcomed us. As she shared her story, her fear turned to joy, and as she shared her products, her joy turned to hope. It was obvious Samah had a heavy heart because at the end of the day, she would still be a refugee without her husband, but it was also obvious love was present in the household – the love of God. She mentioned her children were also participating in the CRS educational assistance project. This made me proud to be a part of CRS and helped me realize when we pray together, we are rich. The love of God has no borders and mother church is a universal language of solidarity. In solidarity! Shokran! (“Thank you” in Arabic)
Courtesy of Deacon Robert Vigil
February 2018
Church of Mary, Catholic Coptic church
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February 2018
Lent is a favorable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ. Pope Francis The 2018 Lenten Season Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018 with Easter Sunday on April 1, 2018
During Lent, we are asked to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, to service by giving alms, and to sacrifice self-control through fasting. Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God’s gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: “Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).
2018 Lenten Services for A, B, C Deaneries Parish
Annunciation Annunciation Aquinas Newman Center Church of the Ascension Holy Child Holy Ghost Holy Ghost Holy Ghost Holy Ghost Holy Ghost Incarnation-Rio Rancho John XXIII Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of La Vang Our Lady of the Sandias OL Mt. Carmel-Estancia OL Mt. Carmel-Estancia Nativity Nativity-St. Anne Chapel Prince of Peace Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven Risen Savior Risen Savior San Felipe San Ignacio St. Anne St. Anne St. Augustine St. Bernadette St. Bernadette St. Charles Borromeo St. Edwin St. Francis Xavier St. Jude Thaddeus
Event
Date(s) Time(s)
Penance Service (School) March 7 9:30 AM Penance Service March 21 10:00 AM Stations of the Cross Fridays 6:00 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 5:00 PM Mass/Stations Fridays 5:30 PM Stations/Soup Supper Fridays 5:30 PM; 6:00 PM Stations (Spanish) Fridays 7:00 PM Adoration Fridays 7:30 PM Penance Service (Spanish) March 20 6:00 PM Penance Service (English) March 21 10:00 AM Stations/Mass Fridays 8:00 AM; 5:30PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 12:00 PM; 7:00 PM Confessions/Stations Fridays 6:30 PM; 7:00 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 6:30 PM Stations/Soup Supper Fridays 5:30 PM Benediction/Stations Fridays 7:00 PM Communion/Penance February 21 5:30 PM; 7:00 PM Stations/Supper Fridays Exposition Thursdays Penance Service March 5 7:00 PM Stations/Potluck Fridays 5:30 PM Confessions Saturdays 2:30 – 4:00 PM Confessions Sundays 4:30 – 5:30 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 3:00 PM Penance Service March 13 6:30 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 6:00 PM Adoration/Benediction/Stations Fridays 6:00 PM Parish Retreat February 26-28 6:00 PM Reconciliation Service March 1 7:00 PM Stations/Confessions Fridays 6:00 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 2:00 PM; 7:00 PM Mission/Mass March 12-15 6:00 – 8:00 PM Stations/Soup Supper Feb 23-March23 6:00 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays (beginning Feb 23) 7:00 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 6:00 PM Stations of the Cross Fridays 11:30 AM; 6:30 PM
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February 2018
St. Jude Thaddeus St. Therese St. Thomas Aquinas
Northeast Deanery
Immaculate Conception-LV Immaculate Conception-LV Our Lady of Sorrows-LV
Confessions Stations of the Cross Stations of the Cross
Fridays Fridays Fridays
6:30 PM 6:30 PM 3:00 PM; 7:00 PM
Stations of the Cross Day of Prayer Stations of the Cross (Spanish)
Fridays (After each Mass) February 10 Fridays
12:00 PM; 6:30 PM 8:30 AM-3:30 PM 1:00 PM
Northwest Deanery
Holy Trinity-Arroyo Seco Stations of the Cross (Eng/Sp) Fridays 12:00 PM; 6:00 PM St. Patrick-Chama Stations of the Cross Fridays 6:00 PM S.Jose/St. Patrick/S.Niño-TA Stations (by the Hermanos) Fridays 7:00 PM
Southwest Deanery
OLO Belen OLO Sorrows-La Joya San Clemente San Clemente
Santa Fe Deanery
Cathedral Basilica Cristo Rey Santa Maria de la Paz Santa Maria de la Paz Santa Maria de la Paz Shrine of OLO Guadalupe Shrine of OLO Guadalupe St. Anne St. Anne
Mass/Stations/Soup Supper Stations of the Cross Stations/Confession Adoration
Fridays Fridays (all mission churches) Fridays Fridays
5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 AM – 5:45 PM
Reconciliation Service Stations of the Cross Stations (English)/Mass Stations (Spanish)/Mass Daily Mass Stations of the Cross Reconciliation Service Stations of the Cross Mass
March 23 Fridays (After Mass) Fridays Mondays Tuesday & Thursday Fridays February 17 Fridays Monday – Friday
6:30 PM 12:10 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 12:15 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 AM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM
Schedule provided by the ASF Office of Religious Education. For information for other parishes, please contact them directly.
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February 2018
Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion By Fabian Yanez, Director Office of Worship This year on Sunday, February 18 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis, on Tuesday, February 20 at Sacred Heart Church in Clovis and on Thursday, February 22 at Saint Joseph on the Rio Grande Church in Albuquerque, Archbishop John Wester will exercise his pastoral care in a special way. In the Rite of Election he will receive catechumens, that is, unbaptized believers for baptism, confirmation and holy Eucharist. The catechumens will be recognized as the “elect” or “chosen” for the reception of the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. They will have signed their names into their parish Book of the Elect in the Rite of Sending at their parishes. This symbolizes the Scriptural enrollment of those chosen by Christ. Archbishop Wester will greet them, personally sign each parish Book and admit them into the Elect. He will then receive candidates, that is, baptized believers who have come to us from other Christian traditions and who desire to make their full profession of faith in the Catholic
Church. He will also receive Catholics who were baptized but never catechized. In the Call to Continuing Conversion, he will invite them to grow further in their Christian journey. The candidates will complete their Christian initiation at the Easter Vigil or on another Sunday. These days of the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion are full of the promise of the evangelizing mission of the Church and her future in the swelling of the ranks of the faithful. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are familiar penitential practices of the Church during the season of Lent. These practices are rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures and the early Fathers of the Church. The newly Elect and the candidates will participate in these practices in an intensely spiritual time of purification and enlightenment. Let us remember these wonderful people in our prayer and fasting, knowing that they will soon be joined with us in communion. May our Lenten journey be one that brings us all into a more intimate union with Christ and his Church.
Rite of Conversion Sunday, 2:30 p.m. February 18 Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Santa Fe, NM Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. February 20 Sacred Heart Church Clovis, NM Thursday, 7:00 p.m. February 22 St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Albuquerque, NM
The Challenges of Christianity in the Modern World By Deacon Michael A. Illerbrun, Director, Faith Formation, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Our faith faces all kinds of challenges in this technological world in which we live. Families rarely eat dinner together anymore. Parents both work to keep a roof over their family’s head. Kids have the normal workload of homework and sports. But in addition to these traditional challenges, we now face the onslaught of computers, television and social media that seem to dominate our everyday lives. More and more people turn to the government to solve their problems instead of God. Churches are being shuttered all across Europe and now we are seeing the same thing on our east coast. We can see the results of these challenges here in New Mexico in the dwindling numbers of people attending Mass on a regular basis. All of these challenges are certainly taking their toll on our faith communities, but there is still hope! Technology is cold and impersonal. Humans need love and understanding that technology simply cannot provide. We need to reconnect with God. He is a loving God who looks to us to love and worship Him. Our challenge is to establish or re-establish our personal relationship with Jesus. When we consider Him to be our friend, we can follow His teachings that lead us to the Father. How can we get back to
that loving relationship with our Lord? Join Us! Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish invites you to join us for a Lenten Journey with Jesus. This is a new program for the renewal of faith among the faithful and parish communities. This six-week program called “The Journey” allows Catholics and other Christians to develop or intensify their personal relationship with Jesus. If you would like to enhance your relationship with our Lord, bring your family, friends and neighbors to the Nativity Pastoral Center every Monday night of Lent at 6 pm, beginning February 19. If you can no longer drive at night, join us on Thursday mornings at 10am, beginning on February 22. If you are still in high school, we have a group for you, too. They will meet every Sunday at 9 am, beginning February 18. Together, we will travel through the weeks with videos to connect the Gospel to our everyday lives, discussions to help us realize we are not alone on the journey, silent prayer to deepen our personal connection to God and shared prayer to connect with fellow Christians all around us. Join us for the best 90 minutes we could spend in preparing ourselves for the coming of Our Lord at Easter. If you would like to see what active ministry is like, call Francesca at 505.898.5253 x 2 to sign-up.
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Our Lenten season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving is almost upon us.
We hope that you have taken a moment to explore all the wonderful faith formation resources available for your community to walk together this Lenten season as companions on the journey, encountering our brothers and sisters most in need through CRS Rice Bowl. If you haven’t done so already, take time to explore the CRS Rice Bowl website or follow these links for finalizing your plans on how to distribute CRS Rice Bowls, communicate about the program to your community during Lent and reflect with the faith formation materials.
• Use these tips to plan a meaningful beginning and close of the Lenten season • Communicate about who we will be praying for this Lenten season with CRS Rice Bowl bulletin or newsletter announcements and prayer intentions • Pray as a community with CRS Rice Bowl’s Stations of the Cross or other spiritual resources • Encounter our neighbors from around the world with videos from the 2018 CRS Rice Bowl YouTube playlist For questions about your CRS Rice Bowl order, call 800-222-0025.
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PEOPLE of GOD
February 2018
Catholic Social Teaching Reflection: Life and Dignity of the Human Person Catholic social teaching inspires and guides how we are to live and work in the world. In this principle, Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Jesus reminds us that we are all made in God’s
image and likeness. That means that every human being has a special value and a purpose. We need to care for each other so we can be the people God calls us to be.
Encounter Majd Eight-year-old Majd thought his family was going on a picnic. His mother, Lamya,said they would be back home in a week. But when ISIS attacked their home in northern Iraq, the family fled for good. “What worried me the most were the kids,” Lamya says. “Our life was stable and we were doing well; we had a very big house. Our children had everything they needed. But when we fled, I was not able to bring anything for them—not even food.” Fortunately, the family found an apartment to rent with other displaced families. It is much smaller than the home they had, but it’s safer. The children enrolled in a CRS-sponsored school, where the routine
provides hope, stability and a sense of belonging. “Education is very important,” says Lamya, especially in Iraqi culture. Lamya received training from CRS and became a teacher at the school. Now she has hope for the future. “I really love children, so when I go to class I feel like I am with my family,” she says. Her son, Majd, also loves going to school. “Majd is so motivated to go to school. He just wants it to be morning so he can go,” Lamya says. “He is relaxed, having fun and more confident.” For Majd, school means a normal life—now and in the future. For more info, go to www.crsricebowl.org
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2017 CRS Diocesan Partners award for the Southwest Region presented to Ms. Rocío González Rocío González, through her work as Hispanic Ministry Director, has been a constant collaborator with and for Catholic Relief Services, promoting the mission of CRS throughout the Archdiocese by encouraging support for this global organization among the local Hispanic Catholic community. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States and works to alleviate poverty in many countries throughout the world. Each Lent, Catholics are encouraged to participate in CRS Rice Bowl, with 75% of all funds collected helping with the global relief effort and 25% of the funds benefiting local organizations within the Diocese. Because of her work in supporting CRS, Rocío has been named the 2017 recipient of the CRS Diocesan Partners award for the Southwest Region. Over the past years, Rocío has promoted CRS as a guest on the Archbishop’s Hour on Catholic Radio, through the Spanish Language newsletter published through her ministry office, Mi Casa es Su Casa, which reaches over 3,000 households in print and on-line, as well as among leaders and parish groups of Archdiocese of Santa Fe. This important work has also been carried out in collaboration with other diocesan directors, Hispanic parish ministries and leaders of ecclesial movements. As the Chair of the Region XIII team for the V Encuentro, her promotion of CRS has gone beyond the Archdiocese, specifically to the diocesan directors of Hispanic ministry within the Episcopal region who have access to leaders in nine other dioceses. Last September 2017, Rocío was named as part of a delegation of Catholic Hispanic Leaders from throughout the United States who visited with dioceses, parishes and organizations, who benefit directly from the work of CRS in Tanzania, Africa. This experience provided Rocío with valuable firsthand knowledge of the work and impact of CRS, and especially CRS Rice Bowl, in this developing country. Catholic Relief Services sincerely thanks Rocío for everything she does every day in the name of their mission and on behalf of our brothers and sisters from all over the world! (Adapted from a Spanish language article written by Norma Valdez, CRS Relationship Manager)
Michelle Montez/ASF
By Michelle Montez, Executive Director, Pastoral Ministries Division
Pictured with Rocío González, center, are Norma Valdez, CRS Relationship Manager and Archbishop John C. Wester
Help Stop Human Trafficking USCCB Migration and Refugee Services helps Catholic faith communities assist victims of trafficking through its anti-trafficking programs. You can also work to fight conditions that lead to the enslavement of human beings by purchasing a fair trade Prosperity Candle and by taking action with Catholics Confront Global Poverty to Turn on the Light in support of stronger antitrafficking legislation
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African American Catholic Community Anniversary Mass and Scholarship Awards April 22 The Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community will celebrate their 26th Anniversary Mass on Sunday, April 22, 2018, 12 noon at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Catholic Church, 5901 St. Joseph’s Dr. NW, Albuquerque. The Fr. Rollins Lambert Scholarships will be awarded at the Mass. For more information, please call 505.836.3627 or 505.831.8167.
Paid CCHD Internship Available! Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s (CCHD) Archdiocesan office in Albuquerque is looking for Catholics who have a passion for service and justice, to apply for a paid position, approx.18-20 hours/week, $12/hr for Fall 2018 and Spring 2019. The internship is a great opportunity to learn more about social justice education, poverty relief, community development, economic development and Catholic social teaching. Job skills needed include bilingual, English/Spanish, good organizational skills, leadership experience, community service experience and effective writing and communication skills and computer skills. CCHD has a particular interest in helping low-income Catholics to participate in a practical learning experience that ordinarily would be out of their reach due to financial limitations. Applications can be requested by e-mail at justice@archdiosf. org . Contact Anne Avellone in the Office of Social Justice and Respect Life for more information. Applications must be received by March 2, 2018. Don’t pass up this wonderful opportunity!
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February 2018
A Shepherd Among the Poor By Manuel Casias, Vice President of Development, St. Felix Pantry Archbishop John C. Wester hit the front lines at St. Felix Pantry reaching out to people in need. It was his first visit to the pantry giving him a real chance to meet pantry guests, volunteers, staff, and board members. Archbishop Wester wasted no time showing his concern for those in need. Immediately upon his arrival, he started reaching out to pantry guests as they stood in the cold waiting their turn to enter the pantry for food. He handed out food, hugs and blessings to many low income New Mexicans. “This is where the church is really alive among the poor,” said Dave Akerson, Chairman of the board for the pantry. The archbishop distributed the food with long-time pantry volunteers. Sr. Mary Angela Parkins, Pantry President said, “Archbishop Wester’s help today was a blessing from above. It is like having a part of the good Lord come down. All you have to do is watch people as he’s hugging and blessing them to know what it means,” said Sr. Mary Angela. Many of those who received food today were in awe over the archbishop’s presence at the pantry. They said they believe he’s a man committed to helping the people and doing God’s work. “It’s a privilege to be here in his presence. I’m very glad I came today,” said Gina Trujillo, pantry volunteer. “As you know, we are seniors. We’re trying to survive and it’s very, very hard,” Archbishop John Wester and Sr. Mary said food recipient Joe Angela Parkins Puleo.
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February 2018
BRUGES, BELGIUM
67th Annual
Brother Mathias Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
Pilgrimage to the Cathedrals & Shrines of
To benefit the Good shepherd Center
Belgium, Lisieux &
Saturday, March 17, 2018 4:00pm-8:00pm St. Pius X High School
Paris
5301 St. Joseph Dr. NW
September 4- 13, 2018
Albuquerque
Ticket prices
$15 Adults $5 Children 12 & Under GROTE MARKT OF LEUVEN
Live Music, Drawing, Games & Good Ole’ Irish Fun
SACRÉ-COEUR, PARIS
BASILICA OF ST. THÉRÈSE, LISIEUX
WITH FR. VINCENT CHAVEZ
Inclusions: •
Round trip scheduled commercial air from Albuquerque, NM to Brussels, Belgium and returning from Paris, France to Albuquerque, NM (including fuel surcharges and government imposed fees of $300 as of 03/28/17; final amount subject to change)
•
Tickets available at the door or online at
www.goodshepherdcenternm.org
Garson’s: 2415 San Pedro NE; Good Shepherd Center: 218 Iron SW; Faith Works: 3301 Menaul NE #31; Holy family Religious Supplies: 9469 Coors Blvd NW #1; Immaculate Conception Church: 224 7th St; San Felipe de Neri Church: 2005 North Plaza: St Pius X High School
•
8 nights’ accommodations •
2 nights in Bruges
•
2 nights in Leuven
•
1 night in Lisieux
•
3 nights in Paris
Tour escort while in Europe
Sponsored by the good Shepherd Center Auxiliary in Appreciation of the good works started by Brother Mathias Barrett
•
Daily continental breakfast, one lunch & three dinners, including a Welcome and Farewell Dinner
•
Luxury motor coach for airport transfers in Europe and specified sightseeing
•
Local guides according to the itinerary
•
Sightseeing and entrance fees according to the itinerary
•
Daily Mass in unique and historical churches (all locations are tentative and subject to confirmation)
•
Hotel & city taxes and porterage for 1 piece of luggage
23420 Ford Rd., Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 313-565-8888 x 150 or 121 | F: 313-565-3621 | ctscentral.net
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
To advertise in People of God, THE MAGAZINE contact Leslie M. Radigan at 505-831-8162 or email lradigan@ archdiosf.org
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Brittany Chacon Mary Jo Dawson
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INSURANCE
Sherry Anderson Linda Atkinson Jeannie Boyd Ryan Brennan Kaelan Brennan Sophia Diaz John Hansen Rhonda Hill Frank Melendez Pam Muzzi Ryan Myers Carolyn Nasi
Brian O’Malley Carol Pinnell Melissa A. Portillo Angela Romero Dee Silva Ann Skelley, CISR Barbara Steirwalt Debra Stiles Tracy Thompson Jessica Vargas Kathy Yeager Keith Yeager
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February 2018
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul By Eva Pereira, Board President St. Vincent de Paul in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Our Mission
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul mission is very simple: Grow our members spirituality and faith through personal contact and service to our brothers and sisters in need. This Vincentian ethic of faith-in-action forms the helping hand that puts a meal on a family’s table and ensures the lights and heat stay on. Our faith in action sees to it that men, women, and children are clothed, have a bed or needed furniture, or even just a safe place to sleep. It’s reaching out to those in need and giving them the gift of Hope. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international Catholic lay organization that provides individual help to those in need and seeks to address the causes of poverty and injustice. To achieve this, our members are nourished by prayer, reflections, and supportive gatherings. They strive to walk in the footsteps of Jesus who comforted the sick, embraced lepers, and washed the feet of strangers. Although a Catholic organization, we offer person-to-person help for those in need without regard to religious affiliation. We see the face of God in all humans – of every persuasion and from all walks of life - who may benefit from our aid.
History of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
In 1833, Frederic Ozanam was a young law student at Sorbonne in France. Challenged during a debate to demonstrate what Catholic students were personally doing to help the poor in their Parish, Ozanam – only 20 years of age – took immediate action. He and six fellow students established a group which they named The Conference of Charity and financed its charitable works out of their own pockets. Guided by the highly regarded Sister Rosalie Rendue of the Daughters of Charity, Ozanam pioneered an enduring process of service for the poor. In 1833 Ozanam placed the Conference under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul, who had earlier served the poor of 16th Century France. In 1845, the Society crossed the Atlantic and established a United States foothold in St. Louis, Missouri. Some 80 years later it arrived in Santa Fe when the first conference was established at St. Francis Cathedral in 1925. New conferences throughout the Archdiocese of Santa Fe soon followed. Today, St. Vincent de Paul of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is forty-eight conferences strong and continues to grow. We are a network of 501(c)(3) approved non-profit conferences, stores, and pantries, and donations are tax deductible. Last year, St. Vincent de Paul of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe was able to serve some 170,000 people in need. This was achieved through the combined efforts of our 48 conferences, 23 food pantries, and seven thrift stores.
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These organizations mutually support the St. Vincent de Paul mission through differing methods and means, and their collective contribution is vital. This month, we’ll highlight our thrift stores. Our seven non-profit thrift stores are key enablers of our service. Operated by lay employees and volunteers dedicated to serving the needy, they generate funds to support our charitable works and further provide a firstline of engagement with the community and those we serve. A highlight this past year was the exemplary work of our Albuquerque store. In operation for over 50 years, it’s been serving the Albuquerque area retailing low cost goods for the general public and providing goods vouchers for people in need. During 2016-17, the store dispersed $98,000 of in-kind assistance and financial assistance to many disadvantaged people in Albuquerque. This laudable performance reflects the staff’s professional and spiritual commitment, the former strongly evidenced by their embrace of non-profit business best-practices. The value of incorporating best-practices is clear to Albuquerque Thrift Store manager, Carlos Rodriguez, who includes it in his store’s mission statement. He implemented a series of efforts to improve the material condition, operating efficiency, and quality of service at his location, reporting “The Thrift Store has gone through upgrades to improve our facility’s integrity and appearance. Our focus has gone to inspecting plumbing, gas, electrical systems, and roofing to provide our staff and clients with reliable equipment”. Beyond structural issues, Rodriguez also strove to improve store performance. “Our staff has gone through training to provide better customer service and quality production, and to better utilize each individual’s ability and knowledge”. Observing the diversity of his staff’s ages and backgrounds, he sees the advantage. This, he notes, It makes it easier for customers and his staff to relate to each other, enabling them to “find familiarity and a sense of hospitality when visiting our store.” Looking ahead, Rodriguez continued “Our goal for 2018 is to improve the details of our facility, such as converting to LED lighting to conserve energy (reducing operating costs) and replacing our old carpet with tile flooring, which will improve customer experience. And we’ll continue improving our production and functionality.” All of these measures are sought with the ultimate objective of generating the means to better support Albuquerque’s many people in need.
The Albuquerque Thrift Store’s upward momentum is an outcome made possible by the guidance and support of the Thrift Store Committee. Chaired by Mr. Timm Stubbs, the committee steers the operations of the Albuquerque St. Vincent de Paul of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe thrift store by functioning as an advisory group to the Thrift Store Operation Manager and performing the critical task of helping prepare the annual Thrift Store budget. Together, the Thrift Store Committee and Operations Manager work to ensure the efficient and profitable operation of the thrift stores, which in turn ensures the provision of Clearing – house funds and clothing/furniture vouchers. The Committee also reviews store practices and monitors their effectiveness, and strives to engender and ensure a work environment reflecting Vincentian values of respect and concern for all. In 2017, the committee concentrated its energies on reviewing and updating the Thrift Store Operations Manual, Employee Handbook, and Financial Policies. These provide a sound framework for our current and future operations. The committee also addressed employee and customer safety by inviting a safety expert from Christian Brothers (our insurance carrier) to inspect our entire facility and make recommendations for improvement. Our Thrift Stores’ contribution to the needy is produced by the dedicated efforts and voices of many Vincentians working at every level, but perhaps their ethos is best summed in the words of Brenda Chavez, Albuquerque Thrift Store Warehouse Manager: “For me, it is a great blessing to belong to the team of St Vincent de Paul. This is not just simply a job; it also gives me the opportunity to help the many families that suffer from low resources. I see every day as a challenge where the work has to be more productive in order to help our community.”
Whether you are shopping or donating, you are giving. Store Hours: Monday thru Friday 9am to 7 pm Saturday-9am to 5pm Donations are taken: Monday thru Friday 9am to 7pm Saturday- 9am to 5pm
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PEOPLE of GOD
By Elizabeth Dominick, Director, Stewardship The Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic Schools joined schools across the nation to celebrate Catholic School’s Week, January 28 – February 3, 2018. During this week of celebration, about 1,000 students, teachers, parents, and alumni attended the Annual All School’s Mass celebrated by Archbishop John C. Wester at St. Joseph’s on the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. This Mass celebrates the value of Catholic education to our church and community. Speaking to students, teachers, staff, pastors, alumni, and family, Archbishop Wester explained the relationships we build within our
February 2018
Catholic Schools create the atmosphere and teach students the importance of love. “Jesus nourishes us with His life-giving graces, with His love and His mercy. He calls us to go forth and to really live what it means to be part of a Catholic school.” It is with this message we deepen our faith with Christ and share the joy of a quality Catholic education with our community. At the conclusion of Mass, Aaron Nieto, from Mayor Tim Keller’s office, read and presented the proclamation declaring January 30, 2018 Catholic Schools’ Day in Albuquerque. Aaron is an alumni from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Belen and St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque.
Archbishop Wester’s Homily
Responsorial Psalm, Students from Queen of Heaven & St. Pius X High School
Procession, Archbishop Wester & Deacon Kevin Barkocy
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St. Thomas Aquinas (St. Mary’s ABQ behind in blue)
Students from St. Mary’s Belen
Presentation of the gifts (St. Charles, Holy Cross & St. Therese)
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PEOPLE of GOD
D+E+I Lenten Mission
In The Tender Mercy of Our God
February 2018
By Ian Wood, D+E+I Chief Administrator Something special is approaching the Archdiocese of Santa Fe this Lenten season. D+E+I, in collaboration with Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, presents “In the Tender Mercy of Our God”, a Lenten Mission focused on the incredible mercy of God. Join us, March 3-6, as we enthusiastically welcome our prior provincial, Fr. James V. Marchionda, OP and Sr. Ann Willits, OP to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community. This Lenten season share a journey with us, for four days or 40. You are invited, and all are welcomed. Come, hear, feel, and believe In the Tender Mercy of Our God. For more information please contact D+E+I at 505.831.8212 or Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary at 505.836.5011.
Weekend Liturgies Sat, March 3 5, 7 PM Sun, March 4 7, 8:30, 10:15 AM; 12:15, 5 PM Mission: Scripture, Story, Sacred Song Sun, March 4 7 - 8:30 PM Mon, March 5 7 - 8:30 PM Tue, March 6 7 – 8:30 PM with reception Mini-Mission Mon, March 5 10 - 11 AM Tue, March 6 10 - 11 AM Sacrament of Reconciliation Mon, March 5 11 - 11:30 AM Tue, March 6 11 - 11:30 AM
February 2018
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W O R L D A N D N AT I O N A L N E W S Archbishop John C. Wester Congratulates New President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson The news that Senior Apostle Russell M. Nelson, Sr., has been sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is a cause for great joy not only for those within his Church but for so many of us who have had the honor and privilege of working with the leadership of the LDS Church over the years. I will be always grateful to President Nelson for his kindness to me during my time in Salt Lake City. His warmth and goodness were readily evident as he Archbishop John C. Wester brought his healing skills from the Congratulates New President medical profession into his service of the Church of Jesus Christ as an Apostle. As I congratulate of Latter-day Saints, Russell President Nelson I also offer my M. Nelson prayers and best wishes as he assumes his new responsibilities. May God bless him with continued good health so that he may follow his call with a generous spirit and a joyful heart.
Pope and Erdogan discussJerusalem, Mideast peace VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Vatican Feb. 5 for a private discussion that included the status of Jerusalem and the need to achieve peace in the Middle East through dialogue and respect for human rights. During a 50-minute meeting, the two leaders discussed the current situation in Turkey, “the condition of the Catholic community, efforts in the reception of the many refugees and the challenges linked to this,” the Vatican said in a statement. Aided by interpreters, Pope Francis and Erdogan also focused on “the situation in the Middle East, with particular reference to the status of Jerusalem, highlighting the need to promote peace and stability in the region through dialogue and negotiation, with respect for human rights and international law.” The same topics were brought up during Erdogan’s separate meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister. Erdogan arrived in Rome amid heavy security measures for a two-day
visit that was to include meetings with Italian authorities and business leaders. More than 3,000 police officers had been deployed for the visit, according to Agence France-Presse, and demonstrations had been banned in Rome’s center for 24 hours.
Pro-life leaders decry Senate failure to pass 20-week abortion ban By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York decried the Senate’s failure to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks of gestation, and called on senators to “rethink” their stance on late-term abortions. The cardinal, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called the vote “appalling” in a statement released late Jan. 29. “The Senate’s rejection of this common-sense legislation is radically out of step with most Americans,” the statement added. Although the bill received 51 votes, under Senate rules it needed 60 votes to end debate and move to a final vote. Three Democrats joined 48 Republicans in supporting the measure. The final vote was 51-46. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Joe Donnelly of Indiana supported the bill, while Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine voted against it. Several senators who opposed the bill said it was unconstitutional during debate on the floor before the vote. The House of Representatives passed the same bill Oct. 3. President Donald Trump said he would have signed the measure if it had passed both houses of Congress. The legislation would have punished doctors who perform an abortion after 20 weeks, except in cases of rape, incest or if the life of the mother is threatened. Physicians could face up to five years in prison. Women seeking abortions would not be penalized under the bill. The bill is based on the finding that an unborn child can feel pain at 20 weeks of development. Similar laws are on the books in 17 states and three more states ban abortion after 20 weeks for other reasons. Polling has found that a majority of Americans, including Democrats, supported such legislation. Cardinal Dolan expressed concern that abortions carried out in the second half of pregnancy usually involve dismemberment of the unborn child and pose dangers to the mother. “Furthermore, the United States is currently one of only seven countries that allows abortions beyond 20 weeks,” See NEWS Continued on page 30
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he said, naming Canada, China, Netherlands, North Korea, Singapore and Vietnam as the other six. Pro-life advocates echoed the cardinal’s disappointment in the vote. “Americans should be outraged that pro-abortion Senate Democrats refuse to protect unborn babies who can feel pain,” Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said in a statement. “We will keep coming back to the Senate again and again until it passes
this bill,” she said. Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, criticized senators who voted against the bill for “believing the excruciating killings should continue.” He said in a statement that senators “voted against the wishes of the American public, against science, and most importantly, against the human rights of innocent babies. Every senator who voted to defeat this human rights legislation deserves to feel the pain of
February 2018
defeat at the ballot box,” he said. Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, called it “a disgrace that our Senate has once again failed to pass a bill that reflects the hearts and minds of the national pro-life consensus.” Trump said in a statement late Jan. 29 that “it is disappointing” that the bill failed. “We must defend those who cannot defend themselves,” the statement continued. “I urge the Senate to reconsider its decision and pass legislation that will celebrate, cherish, and protect life.”
Encuentro delegates urged to bring others to ‘new encounter’ with Christ
Price for land only $1,800.00 per person double occupancy
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez urged the crowd at the archdiocesan “V Encuentro”Jan. 27 to bring “the people of our times to a new encounter with Jesus Christ and the mercy and love of God.” He addressed more than 1,000 Catholic lay leaders, clergy and religious from 52 parishes in all regions of the tri-county Archdiocese of Los Angeles gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center. Diocesan-level encuentros and regional encuentros are taking place around the country as part of a process of reflection and action leading up to the U.S. Catholic Church’s Fifth National Encuentro, or “V Encuentro,” to be held Sept. 20-23 in Grapevine, Texas. “Let us walk behind Jesus and take up our cross -- following him and to bringing the people of our times to a new encounter with Jesus Christ and the mercy and love of God,” Archbishop Gomez told the crowd at the convention center.
Price includes round trip airfare from all the major US cities, transportation, tours, hotels and two meals daily. Deadline for deposit of $200 is due by May 11, 2018. Make check payable to Poland-Medjugorje Pilgrimage and mail to Poland-Medjugorje Pilgrimage, P.O. Box 281059, East Hartford, CT 06128. Balance due by June 8, 2018. For more details see our website www.polandmej.com or call Scott Scaria at 860-289-2606 or 860-841-1192. We will have a spiritual director and daily Mass.
Mexican bishops: Most churches damaged in September quakes were historic
Pilgrimage to North American Shrines October 8, to October 16, 2018 Also, Conference on Healing the Family Tree and Healing Mass on October 9, 2018 Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Stockbridge, MA St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec, Canada Our Lady of the Cape Saint Joseph Oratory and Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal
View the spectacular New England foliage We will stay in Niagara Falls the last two nights On Monday evening we will have dinner in the famous revolving dining room at the Skylon Tower where you can view the illuminated falls. Price $2,200.00 per person double occupancy including airfare and all taxes
Other pilgrimages in 2018: October 30 to November 14, 2018 Medjugorje, Poland, Infant of Prague, Vienna and Shrines of Germany with Father Ken Sales. $4,900.00 per person double occupancy December 3 to December 13, 2018 Holy Land $3,200.00 per person double occupancy Awarded Best Travel Company for 2016 and 2017 by the East Hartford Award Program
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- A report from the Mexican bishops’ conference has catalogued 1,850 damaged churches -- including 17 cathedrals -- due to the twin earthquakes that shook the
See NEWS Continued on page 34
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Faith and Superstition By Ron Rolheiser, OMI The power of a subordinate clause, one nuance within a sentence and everything takes on a different meaning. That’s the case in a recent brilliant, but provocative, novel, The Ninth Hour, by Nina McDermott. She tells a story which, among other things, focuses on a group of nuns in Brooklyn who work with the poor. Times are hard, people are needy, and the nuns, who work mostly in home care for the poor, appear utterly selfless in their dedication. Nothing, it seems, can deflect them from their mission to give their all, their every of ounce of energy, to help the poor. And on this score, McDermott gives them their due. As well, for anyone familiar with what goes on inside of a religious community, McDermott’s portrayal of these nuns is both nuanced and accurate. Nuns aren’t all of a kind. Each has her own unique history, temperament, and personality. Some are wonderfully warm and gracious, others nurse their own wounds and aren’t always evident paradigms of God’s love and mercy. And that’s case with the nuns that McDermott describes here. But, quirks of individual personality aside, as a community, the nuns she describes serve the poor and their overall witness is beyond reproach. But then, after telling this story of faith and dedication and reflecting on how today there are few groups of nuns who still live so radical a commitment, McDermott, through the voice her narrator, introduces the subversive subordinate clause: “The holy nuns who sailed through the house when we were young were a dying breed even then. … The call to sanctity and self-sacrifice, the delusion and superstition it required, faded from the world even then.” Wow! The delusion and the superstition it required. As if this kind of radical self-sacrifice can only be the product of false fear. As if whole generations of Christian self-sacrifice, vowed celibacy, and single-minded dedication can be dismissed, post-factum, as ultimately predicated on delusion and superstition. How true is that? I grew up in the world McDermott is describing, where nuns were like that, and where a powerful Catholic ethos supported them and declared what they were doing was anything but delusion and superstition. Admittedly that was another time and much of that ethos has not stood the test of time and has, indeed, to a large part succumbed to the raw power of secularity. And so McDermott is right, partially. Some of that selflessness was based upon an unhealthy fear of hell fire and God’s anger. To an extent too it was based on a notion of faith that believed that God does not really want us to flourish much here on earth but that our lives are meant to be mostly a somber preparation for the next world. Perhaps this isn’t exactly delusion and superstition, but it is bad theology and it did help underwrite some of the religious life in the world McDermott describes and in the Catholic world of my youth. But there was also something else undergirding this ethos, and I inhaled it deeply in my youth and in a way that branded my soul for good, like nothing else I have ever breathed in in this world. Notwithstanding some false fears, there was inside of that a biblical faith, a raw mandate, that taught that your own comfort, your own desires, and even your own legitimate longings for human flourishing, sexuality, marriage, children, freedom, and
having what everyone else has, are subject to a higher purpose, and you may be asked to sacrifice them all, your legitimate longings, to serve God and others. It was a faith that believed you were born with a God-given vocation and that your life was not your own. I saw this first in my own parents who believed that faith made those demands upon them, who accepted that, and who consequently had the moral authority to ask this of others. I saw it too in the Ursuline Nuns who taught me in school, women with full red blood flowing through their veins but who sacrificed these longings to come into the public schools in our remote rural areas and teach us. I saw it too in the little prairie community that nurtured me in my youth, a whole community who, by and large, lived out this selflessness. Today I live in a world that prizes sophistication above all else, but where as a whole society we’re no longer sure what’s “fake news” as opposed to what we can believe in and trust. In this unsteady world the faith of my youth, of my parents, of the nuns who sacrificed their dreams to teach me, and of the nuns whom Nina McDermott describes in The Ninth Hour, can look very much like delusion and superstition. Sometimes it is delusion, admittedly; but sometimes it isn’t, and in my case the faith my parents gave me, with its belief that your life and your sexuality are not your own, is, I believe, the truest, most non-superstitious thing of all.
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Easing Burdens in the Virgin Islands Tim Muldoon
Last month I made a visit to the U.S. Virgin Islands still in the midst of recovery from hurricanes Irma and Maria. The visit was strangely disquieting: I was in a place of great natural beauty, hoping to serve people in their rebuilding efforts, and yet I found that the experience highlighted the profound historic and social challenges that are unique to this place. Bishop Herbert Bevard describes his diocese as “a very poor part of the richest country in the world.” In a press conference hosted by Catholic Extension last November, he pointed to the double difficulty of people first having lived through two Category 5 hurricanes, and second having to respond to the loss of income resulting from the absence of tourism—the industry that touches nearly everyone on the islands and which is their economic base. In my visit to Frederiksted on the island of St. Croix, I saw something of the challenges facing the U.S. Virgin Islands. There was a massive cruise ship docked at the pier. This is a normal and frequent occurrence there, but during my visit, the ship was the temporary home to many relief workers trying to rebuild basic infrastructure. Just a couple of blocks away stands St. Patrick Church, a historic building badly damaged by the storms. Another two blocks away I visited a former convent that serves as a retreat center. The bishop dreams of turning it into a homeless shelter, but the hurricanes left it badly damaged. Hurricanes are a regular feature of life in the islands. Many years earlier, in the wake of a hurricane that had devastated St. Croix, a 17-year-old young man described “the prodigious glare of almost perpetual lightning, the crash of the falling houses, and the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed.” The year was 1772, and the young man was Alexander Hamilton. While in St. Croix, he worked for a merchant and dealt directly with slaves arriving from West Africa, helping prepare them for sale. At the time, there were 22,000 African slaves living on the island and only 2,000 members of the European merchant class. Today the population of the U.S. Virgin Islands is still to a great extent descended from slaves. The 2010 census shows a population that is nearly 80 percent black or African American and only 15 percent white—a ratio not very different from Hamilton’s time. A third of the 105,000 residents live below the poverty line, with per capita annual income of just above $13,000, around 35 percent below that of Mississippi, the poorest state in the continental U.S.
For centuries, there have been two sides to the reality of these islands: one, that of a wealthy island paradise; the other, that of a place where local residents eke out a living, often in poverty. Hurricanes Irma and Maria tore down some of the distinctions between these two realities, in the middle of which stand many of the Church’s ministries. I visited Sts. Joachim and Ann Church in Barrenspot, St. Croix, where a chapel built in 1823 stands next to the old sugar plantation’s slave quarters. I also saw Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, just down the road from the very marketplace where slaves were bought and sold on the island of St. Thomas. I visited schools, too, such as St. Joseph High School on St. Croix, where the seniors were all dressed up for picture day, and Sts. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas, which had just gotten a fresh paint job from Catholic teen volunteers a few months earlier. It was at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, next to the school, that we celebrated the Mass of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The students sang a beautiful closing Marian hymn, the refrain of which is written on the wall below the choir loft. Its French recalls the Belgian Redemptorists who ministered to the poor French-speaking residents for generations. The hymn is an expression of transcendent hope, to see the Mother of God in heaven: Au ciel, au ciel, au ciel, j’irai la voir un jour. In heaven, in heaven, I will see her there one day. Many residents of the Virgin Islands have carried heavy burdens over generations, compounded by the regularity of devastating storms such as those that hit a few months ago. The hymn is a reminder that one day they will be able to lay their burdens down and enter into the embrace of a loving Mother in heaven. In the meantime, though, it is up to us to help ease their burdens. Tim Muldoon, Ph.D., is the author of a number of books and serves as director of mission education for Catholic Extension.
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Sanchez, Salas
Trujillo, Montoya
Mr. Julio C. Montoya and Miss Mary A. Trujillo celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on February 7, 2018. They were married in Texas in 1953. They were blessed with five daughters, Lorraine Otero and husband Max; Mary Ann Prieto and husband Manuel; JoAnn Montoya (deceased); Emma Lovato and husband Ruben; and Liz Baca and husband Joe. Julio and Mary have 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Their family is proud to recognize this wonderful commitment to their marriage and their demonstrated love, faith, and devotion to each other and their family. Julio and Mary are active members of Saint John Vianney Catholic Church in Rio Rancho, NM. Julio is retired from the government after 34 years of service and Mary retired after 20 years with the Albuquerque Public Schools.
Mr. Arthur Salas and Miss Linda Sanchez were united in holy matrimony on February 24, 1968 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Albuquerque. Their current parish is St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, also in Albuquerque. Arthur retired from the NMANG after 41 years of service, in 2004, as a Chief Master Sergeant. He served his duty in Vietnam from 196869. Linda worked for New Mexico Products and was a stay at home mom. They have two children, Lisa Steward and Art Salas Jr., five grandchildren, Shileen, Justin, Brendon, Mackenzie, and Seth. They also have three great-grandchildren, Noah, Maleyah and Abgiael, and seven Godchildren, Terry, LeeAnne, Sonia, Edward, Sandra, Justin, and Abigael. They are very active with the church and with the Legion of Mary. They had a celebration held at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church.
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During the months of January, February and March, the Catholic Cemetery Association is offering a 15% discount on all Pre-need purchases. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts and does not apply to previous purchases. Purchases of new burial spaces or mausoleum spaces is limited to certain areas and some restrictions apply. Please contact the cemetery of your choice for availability.
For more information contact any of the cemetery locations.
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February 2018
GoodShepherdCenterNM.org
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 FEBRUARY 16 Fri 11:00am 17 Sat 8:30am 18 Sun 9:00am 2:30pm 20 Tue 7:00pm 21 Wed 5:00pm 22 Thu 7:00pm 23-25 Fri-Sun 27 Tue 4:00pm MARCH 17 Sat 4:00 – 8:00pm
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country in September. The report, released Jan. 29, found that 1,603 of damaged churches were cataloged as “historic” buildings. Some 220 churches remain closed, while 38 places of worship collapsed. Churches in at least 26 of Mexico’s dioceses suffered some sort of structural damage. The Sept. 7 earthquake measured magnitude 8.1 and caused widespread in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca state and in neighboring Chiapas state. The temblor claimed nearly 100 lives, and the region is still badly damaged and rebuilding. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Mexico City and some central states such as Puebla and Morelos Sept. 19, claiming 370 lives. The Diocese of Cuernavaca, which serves Morelos, just to the south of Mexico City, reported damage to almost of all its churches. In Puebla, 11 worshippers were killed in a collapsing church during the earthquake.
Scholar urges Chinese to learn to defend against new religion regulations
HONG KONG (CNS) -- New stricter religious affairs regulations in China should prompt believers to become more aware of how to defend their rights, said Ying Fuk-tsang,
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director of the divinity school at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Ucanews.com reported that the regulations, which take effect Feb. 1, were first released in draft form in 2014 before a fuller version was made public in 2017. Critics maintained that concerns expressed about an eroding of religious freedom were largely ignored, ucanews.com reported. Among stricter provisions are those covering official registration of places used for religious purposes, but there is some confusion about criteria to be applied. Ying told ucanews.com that much would depend on how lower- and higher-level communist officials implement the details of the amended Regulations for Religious Affairs. This would apply to open, officially recognized religious groupings as well as to socalled underground or house practitioners, he added.
To advertise in People of God, THE MAGAZINE contact Leslie M. Radigan at 505-831-8162 or email lradigan@archdiosf.org
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Loyola Chicago Med School DACA Recipient Attending State of the Union Medical Student Grew Up in New Mexico; Receives Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees from New Mexico State University Reprinted with permission, Ignatian Solidarity Network January 30, 2018 Cesar Montelongo, a medical student at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine who has temporary protected status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, will attend President Trump’s State of the Union Address to Congress tonight at the U.S. Capitol as a guest of Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). According to a list published by CNN, Cesar will be one of at least 22 DACA recipients invited by members of the U.S. House and Senate to hear President Trump’s speech in-person. Cesar was ten years old when his family came to the United States from Mexico and he grew up in New Mexico. Cesar graduated from high school with a GPA above 4.0 and was ranked third in his class. He came to Loyola Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine after earning undergraduate degrees with honors in biology, microbiology, and Spanish with minors in chemistry and biochemistry, as well as a graduate degree in biology — all from the New Mexico State University. He is entering his third year of medical school and upon completion he will receive a medical degree and a doctorate degree in science. In November 2017, Senator Durbin shared Cesar’s story during debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate. In 2014, Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine became the first medical school in the country to publicly accept undocumented medical students. Citing their Jesuit mission regarding their acceptance of DACA students, the school notes it is the dignity or worth of persons calls the school to “steward the talents of qualified applicants rather than reject their contributions for arbitrary and arcane reasons,” and that social justice requires that school “foster the conditions for full participation in the community by all members of our community.” In July 2017, Senator Durbin co-introduced the Dream Act of 2017 with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), bipartisan legislation that would allow immigrant students who grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. The Dream Act includes a number of qualifications to obtain access
to this path including: that they came to the U.S. as children, graduate from high school or obtain a GED, pursue higher education and work lawfully for at least three years or serve in the military, pass security and law enforcement background checks and pay an application fee, demonstrate proficiency in English language and knowledge of U.S. history, and have not committed a felony or other serious crime or pose a security threat to the United States. The Dream Act legislation would impact over 1 million people, including the estimated 800,000 DACA recipients who are living in limbo after the September 2017 decision by the Trump administration to terminate the DACA program on March 5, 2018. Since December 5, over 120 DACA recipients have lost their temporary status as it expired with no option to renew as the program is scaled down. During tonight’s address, it is expected that President Trump will speak about the White House immigration proposal released last week. The proposal came on the heels of a brief government shutdown earlier this month as members of Congress debated whether to address the situation of DACA recipients. While the President’s proposal includes a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 1.8 million young people, including DACA recipients and others who were eligible for DACA but did not apply, it also calls for $25 billion in border wall funding, the termination or serious restriction of legal immigration programs currently in place, including the family reunification program established by Congress in the 1960’s, and significant increases in border and enforcement officials that would allow the government to increase the detention and deportation in immigrant communities across the country. Catholic leaders have been critical of the administration’s proposal thus far. Bill Canny, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Services Offices, told Catholic News Agency, “We don’t believe it’s the right time to take
Cesar Montelongo, a third year medical student at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine [Loyola University Chicago]
up all of these issues. Stay focused on the Dreamers – we know border security is an issue.” “The White House proposal decimates the family immigration system and removes protections from asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children, among other harsh provisions,” said Kevin Appleby, Senior Director of the Catholic-based International Migration Policy Center for Migration Studies, in a recent article published by Catholic News Service. “The bishops and the Catholic community should be alarmed with the proposal, as it undermines core Catholic values of family unity and the protection of persons from persecution.” Faith-based organizations, including the Ignatian Solidarity Network, continue to invite their networks to call for the passage of the Dream Act of 2017, because it does not pit one group of immigrants against another, recognizing that DACA recipients and other young people in similar situations are a unique population that should be addressed individually because they were brought to the U.S. as children.
Additional Directives Regarding Liturgical Practices During the 2018 Flu Season February 2, 2018
This year, influenza (flu) is widespread in 46 states in the United States. New Mexico is one of the states listed by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as having widespread flu outbreaks. In a recent report, the CDC reports this is the first year the entire continental U.S. is at the same level of flu activity at the same time. This year there has been a 5.8% increase in laboratory-confirmed cases over last year. On January 16, 2018, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe published directives regarding liturgical practices to be followed due to the severity of the 2017-2018 Flu Season. Please note the reason for this update and all the recently published directives is to limit the spread of influenza and to save lives. Due to the severity of the flu season, the archdiocese will be taking the following steps in regards to the celebration of Mass: • During the Sign of Peace, instead of shaking hands or hugging, as is practiced in some parishes, it would be best to simply nod your head and avoid bodily contact. • When praying the Our Father, please do not hold hands. Simply extend your hands toward Heaven or fold your hands. • Holy Communion will not be received under both species, just the Consecrated Host and not the Chalice. • Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
should wash their hands just prior to distribution Holy Communion and should wash them immediately after distribution. If it is easier, an antibacterial gel can be used. • If you are sick, sneezing or coughing, it would be best for you to stay home. You are welcome to take advantage of the Sunday TV Masses which are available in English and Spanish. It is not a sin to miss Mass on Sundays if you are ill. • Effective Friday, February 2, 2018: Archbishop John C. Wester has asked that one more item be added to the list of cautionary steps we are taking regarding the Celebration of Mass. The celebrant of any Mass in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is to encourage the reception of the Consecrated Host in the hands. Please note, many liturgists believe the reception of the Consecrated Host in the hands is considered more appropriate liturgically than receiving the Consecrated Host on the tongue. This directive is aimed at limiting contact with saliva, thus limiting the spread of the flu virus. Please pray for all who have lost their lives as a result of the flu and may we do our part to prevent its spread. All priests, deacons, and parish staff are greatly appreciated for all they have done in implementing the 2017-2018 Flu Season Directives. This and all directives related to the 2017- 2018 Flu Season will be revoked when the situation improves. For more information, please contact Very Reverend John C. Daniel, V.G., Vicar for Clergy, Moderator of the Curia at 505.831.8158