People of God, September 2019

September 2019 Vol. 37, No. 8

Serving the multicultural people of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe www.archdiosf.org

Hope and Healing Among Peoples I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal. – Jeremiah 30:17 Most Reverend John C. Wester Archbishop of Santa Fe

Read Archbishop John C. Wester’s Pastoral Letter pages 4 - 5

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PEOPLE of GOD

september 2019

Immigration: AN ISSUE OF CONSCIENCE.

History was made recently as close to 400 Franciscan friars gathered in Denver for the first-ever US-6 Chapter of Mats including friars representing our local Lady of Guadalupe Province. The purpose of the gathering was getting to know each other as the process of the order’s six provinces become one. The Ministers Provincial of the six US Provinces also joined together to issue a letter regarding their stance on the treatment of immigrants. The gathering took place July 29-Aug. 2. (CNS photo/Octavio Duran) See page 15.

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Prayer Intentions SEPTEMBER/ SEPTIEMBRE The Protection of the Oceans That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world’s seas and oceans.

La protección de los océanos Para que los políticos, los científicos y los economistas trabajen juntos por la protección de los mares y los océanos.

Pope Francis uses incense as he celebrates Mass at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, March 31, 2019. In purple is Cardinaldesignate Cristobal Lopez Romero of Rabat, who was one of 13 new cardinals named by Pope Francis Sept. 1.

(CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Together We Can Reach Our Goal!

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Your donation will remain confidential, and is protected within the Annual Catholic Appeal Foundation of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, a New Mexico Non-Profit Corporation, as a separate organization. Your donation does not fund legal claims. Visit our new ACA Website at: www.acaarchdiosf.org to donate to ACA 2019, watch Archbishop Wester’s ACA video, and much more!

Annual Catholic Appeal Recipient Spotlight YOUTH, YOUNG ADULT AND CAMPUS MINISTRY The Youth and Young Adults Office has many events continuously occurring to allow for mature faith development. It is their goal to keep the Spirit of Christ alive in our youth and young adults.

They strive to offer ministry opportunities that will enlighten and expand the minds, hearts, and souls of all. They especially seek to empower and to encourage our youth, young adults and youth ministers.

To learn more, visit our website at: http://www.acaarchdiosf.org Click on ‘Ministries and Programs We Support’ in the left navigation menu, then select ‘Pastoral Ministries Division’. Scroll down to ‘Youth and Young Adults’, or select one of the links at the bottom of the page to hear how your ACA donations have helped our ministries.

DID YOU KNOW?

ACA contributions help the YOUTH, YOUNG ADULT AND CAMPUS MINISTRY

Our newest section, ACA Recipient Spotlight, will regularly highlight ministries and organizations supported by donations to the ACA.

Donations to the ACA Foundation remain a major funding source to our ministries and services during and beyond the Archdiocesan Chapter 11 Reorganization. ACA is not part of the bankruptcy filing. All donations remain confidential and do not fund legal claims.

Las donaciones a la Fundación ACA siguen siendo una fuente importante de financiamiento para nuestros ministerios y servicios durante este tiempo y más allá de la reorganización del Capítulo 11 de la Arquidiócesis. ACA no es parte de la declaración de bancarrota. Las donaciones recibidas por ACA son confidenciales y no financian demandas legales.

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Inside This Month’s Issue 2

Immigration: An Issue of Conscience

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Archbishop Wester’s Pastoral Letter: Hope & Healing Among Peoples

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Archbishop’s Letter: The Healing Gift of Wonder

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“Healing from Abuse” Mass

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Very Rev. Michael Demkovich, O.P.: The Sign of the Cross

12 Vocations 18

Respect Life Reflection: Christ Our Hope in Every Season of Life

21 12th Annual Blue Mass 22

Catholic Education

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Catholic Charities

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World News

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Catholic Extension: A Broken Immigration System…

But the Church Offers Hope

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Bioethics: Contradictory Suicide Messaging

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Archbishop Wester’s Calendar

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Family Strong Conference

36 50th Annual Rosary Rally: Increase Our Faith

People of God

Official Magazine of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe

Publisher: Most Rev. John C. Wester Editor/Photography/Design: Celine Baca Radigan cradigan@archdiosf.org

Assistant Editor/Photojournalist: Leslie M. Radigan lradigan@archdiosf.org

Production: Christine Carter

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.

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Hope and Healing Among Peoples I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal. – Jeremiah 30:17

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Pastoral Letter by Archbishop John C. Wester September 3, 2019

y dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the words of the prophet Jeremiah are certainly timely. Almost daily we read of the increasing violence in our streets, escalating enmity in our political life, mounting alienation among families and growing discouragement among religions. Examples abound: bullying on the internet, personal ad hominem attacks by politicians, shaming on social media, hundreds of killings each year, racial hatred and violence, technology breaking down the bonds that unite us, addictions that isolate and fragment families, mental illness born of poverty and addiction, nationalism, as well as egoism. This crisis of compassion requires that all men and women of faith strive to make real in our world and in our lives, the Lord’s great command – Love one another (John 13:34). Our love for one another is a testimony to our faith and it is made real in our daily acts of kindness. Consequently, it is critical for each one of us to be schooled, time and time again, in the lessons of love. Simple acts of love are “that good seed” manifesting “the kingdom of God” (Matthew 13:24). But even Jesus acknowledged that our good seed is sown amid the weeds of evil that grow in this life (Matthew 13:30). We, who seek to know the Lord’s love, must live lives that discover the good, promote the good and always strive to grow in the good.

Here in New Mexico, we have been blessed with a rich heritage of faith in our land, our people and our cultures.

Over many generations, countless pilgrims have walked the roads of this enchanted land seeking the presence of God; seeking both forgiveness and God’s favor. My dear friends, we are at a moment where we must turn to God in a more pronounced manner. Many young have lost sight of the sacred, many old have forgotten to behold the holy. Now, more than ever, we must seek the hand of God who heals all our wounds -- in our Sincerely yours in the Risen Lord,

Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe

homes, in our society and in our Church. This is why I am declaring a special time of hope and healing throughout the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. I invite all people of good will to join with us as pilgrims in seeking healing among peoples. I have designated our two great places of pilgrimage, where many before us have sought to draw close to God’s aid, as destinations for this “Pilgrimage for the Healing Among Peoples”. In the southern part of the archdiocese, the place of pilgrimage will be El Cerro de Tomé (Tomé Hill), and in the north, El Santuario de Chimayo. I declare that from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14, 2019) to Good Friday (April 10, 2020), will be a time of pilgrimage. Many parishes next week will celebrate a “Mass for Healing from Abuse”, what a marvelous first step in this larger call to conversion. I invite all, as individuals or groups, to undertake this pilgrimage of conversion, to pray for healing among people, for our greater love for one another and for reconciliation of those who are alienated from one another. St. John tells us, “No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12).

May almighty God bless us in this time of healing among peoples. May we find reconciliation, peace and good will. May the bond of charity unite us, and may the love of God grow ever stronger in our hearts, in our lives, and in our world.

For more about the Pilgrimage for Healing Among Peoples, please visit www.archdiosf.org/ healingpilgrimage. Information includes how to prepare for a pilgrimage, prayer suggestions, how to share your prayers, the pilgrimage sites and more.

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Esperanza y sanación entre la gente Te devolveré la salud, y sanaré tus la heridas.

Te devolveré salud, y- sanaré tus heridas. - Jeremías 30:17 Jeremías 30:17

Mis queridos hermanos y hermanas is queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, que debemos dirigirnos a Dios de una manera más en Cristo, estas palabras estas palabras del profeta Jeremías son pronunciada. Son muchos los jóvenes que no saben ciertamente oportunas en este tiempo. lo que es sagrado, y los mayores que han olvidado del profeta Jeremías son Prácticamente a diario nos enteramos de contemplar lo sagrado. Ahora, más que nunca, debemos ciertamente oportunas la creciente violencia en nuestras calles, así como la buscar la mano de Dios que sana todas nuestras heridas, ennuestra este tiempo. creciente enemistad en vida política, la creciente en nuestros hogares, en nuestra sociedad y en nuestra distancia entre las familias y el creciente Iglesia. Es por eso que estoy declarando un tiempo Prácticamente a desánimo diario entre religiones. Abundan los ejemplos: el acoso en Internet, los especial de esperanza y sanación en toda la Arquidiócesis nos enteramos de la ataques personales ad hominem por parte de los políticos, de Santa Fe. Invito a toda persona de buena voluntad creciente violencia la vergüenza en los medios sociales, cientos en de asesinatos a unirse a nosotros como peregrinos en la búsqueda cada año, el odio racial y la violencia, la tecnología de sanación entre la gente. He designado nuestros dos nuestras calles, así comoque rompe los lazos que nos unen, las adicciones que aíslan grandes sitios de peregrinación, donde muchos antes la creciente enemistad en y fragmentan a las familias, las enfermedades mentales que nosotros han buscado acercarse a Dios en busca de vida elpolítica, la así nacidas de la pobrezanuestra y la adicción, nacionalismo, Su ayuda, como destinos de esta “Peregrinación por la como el egoísmo. Esta crisis de compasión sanación de la gente”. En la parte sur de la arquidiócesis, el creciente distanciarequiere entre que todo hombre y mujer de fe nos esforcemos por hacer lugar de peregrinación será el Cerro de Tomé, y en la parte las familias y el creciente realidad en nuestro mundo y en nuestras vidas el gran norte, el Santuario de Chimayó. Declaro que a partir de la desánimo religiones. mandamiento del Señor – Ámenseentre los unos a los otros fiesta de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz (14 de septiembre (Juan 13:34). El amor Abundan que nos tenemos unos a otros de 2019), hasta el Viernes Santo (10 de abril de 2020), los ejemplos: es un testimonio de nuestra fe y se hace realidad en será un tiempo de peregrinación. Muchas parroquias el acoso en Internet, los nuestros actos diarios de bondad. Consecuentemente, es celebrarán esta próxima semana una “Misa de Sanación ataques personales ad fundamental que cada uno de nosotros sea educado, una por quienes han sido víctimas de cualquier tipo de abuso”, y otra vez, en las lecciones de amor. actos que es un maravilloso primer paso en este gran llamado a hominem porLos parte desencillos los de amor son “esa buena semilla” que manifiesta “el reino la conversión. Invito a todos, ya sean individuos o grupos, políticos, la vergüenza de Dios” (Mateo 13:24). Pero incluso Jesús reconoció que a emprender esta peregrinación de conversión, a orar por los nuestra buena semillaen cae enmedios medio desociales, la cizaña del mal la sanación entre la gente, por un mayor amor mutuo y que crece en esta vida (Mateo de 13:30).

Quienes buscamos por la reconciliación de los que están alejados los unos de cientos asesinatos conocer el amor del Señor, debemos vivir vidas que los otros. San Juan nos dice: “A Dios no lo ha visto nadie cada año, el odio descubran y promuevan la bondad, y siempre esforzarnos jamás; pero si nos amamos unos a otros, Dios está entre racial y la violencia, la por crecer en esa bondad. nosotros y su amor da todos sus frutos entre nosotros.” (1 Aquí en Nuevo México, hemos sido Juan 4, 12). tecnología quebendecidos rompe loscon una rica herencia de fe en nuestra tierra, nuestra gente Que Dios todopoderoso nos bendiga en este tiempo lazos que nos unen, las y nuestras culturas. A lo largo de muchas generaciones, de sanación entre la gente para que encontremos la adicciones que los aíslan y innumerables peregrinos han recorrido caminos reconciliación, la paz y la buena voluntad. Que el vínculo de esta tierra encantada buscando la presencia de de la caridad nos una, y que el amor de Dios crezca cada fragmentan a las familias, Dios, buscando tanto el perdón como el favor de Dios. vez más en nuestros corazones, en nuestras vidas y en las enfermedades Mis queridos amigos, estamos en un momento en el nuestro mundo. mentales nacidas de la pobrezasuyo y laen adicción, Sinceramento el Señor,el nacionalismo, así como el egoísmo. Esta crisis de compasión requiere Arzobispo John C. Wester que todo hombre y mujer de fe nos esforcemos por hacer realidad

Esperanza y sanación entre la gente

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The Healing Gift of Wonder see that Jesus Christ is working in our lives right now, even in the midst of woundedness, scandal and disappointment.

All great religions struggle in a special way with the fundamental questions of “Where do we come from?” and “Where do we go?”

When you think about it, these questions really do require our religious engagement. Philosophy and science surely shed n this issue of People light on humanity’s origins, of God, I would like but only religion enters to initiate a reflection these puzzling questions with all Catholics with wonder. What came throughout the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, as before we each began to well as all women and men be? What comes after we have drawn our last breath? of faith. I do so, aware of the challenges confronting These are moments where any public discourse today. we encounter mystery. Life itself, from its very first How easy it is to close moment to its very last, our ears to hearing one invites us to wonderment. another. So, all I can ask is A child intuitively knows that you read and reflect the mystery of wonder and upon these ideas. The as we draw near death we theme of this series is this, learn the lessons of a life so “Mystery and the Moral Life”. I know it is broad and full of awe, and wonder and meaning. We must recall challenging, but I believe the mysteries of life are with all my being that in laden with wonder. And it order to grow positively is a dangerous thing when through our present crisis society loses its sense of in the Church we must wonder! recapture our sense of This is where we seem to wonder and mystery about be today. We have forgotten life, about God, about how how to wonder. Again, if we live, and about why you watch a young child we live. In short, we must

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and reflect upon all their “firsts” you quickly realize their joy at discovery.

Has our current social climate become so dead to wonder that we have lost our joy? Here in New Mexico, we deal constantly with poverty, addiction and violent crime. Yet, despite these very real problems, we must not allow them to blind us to the beauty of the land we inhabit, the richness of our cultural heritages and the awe inspiring sunsets that enchant us. It is so clear that as a society we need to re-discover wonder.

Jesus, as we see in the Gospels, was a “wonder worker” (Matthew 8:27, 9:33, 15:31; Mark 1:22, 2:12, 5:20, 6:51, 10:24; Luke 2:47, 4:22, 4:36, 8:56, 11:14; and John 5:28, 7:21). I believe that Jesus still is the best guide to our wonderment, but we have forgotten the novelty and extraordinary newness that Jesus brings time and time again. For example, in the busyness of Christmas do we forget to wonder in front of the manger that the very Son of God would be born for us in a lowly stable? Can we grasp the wonderment of the crowds when Jesus preached the coming of a kingdom where the

last would be first, the downtrodden would be freed and the sick and lame would be cured? Do we fail to be amazed that the Good News would be preached not to the rich and powerful but rather to outcasts, prostitutes and tax collectors? Can we ever stop marveling that Jesus summed up all the commandments by calling us to love God and neighbor with all our being because after all else, God is love? Is it ever possible to lose our sense of awe and wonder that the ignominy of the cross could give way to eternal life? Truly, we must learn to wonder, to be made aware of the awe and beauty of all aspects of life. The mystery of life is a mix of many things and the greatest wonder is found in Jesus Christ, who out of love suffered and died that we might have life.

Soon we will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14th. I have asked every parish to enter into the wonder of Christ’s suffering and the healing of all who have suffered from the scandal of those who betrayed their sacred trust. That weekend as a people of faith we will

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together offer a Mass of Healing. The lesson of the cross teaches us that in the Crucified Christ we find redemption and God’s generous mercy. The harsh wood of the cross, as we see every Good Friday, is our means of entering into the Passion of the Lord, His suffering, wherein He has lovingly taken upon Himself all our suffering.

The cross is a sign of restitution and reparation.

The Roman means of capital punishment, of legal execution, has been transformed, in Christ, to the source of our redemption. The cross teaches us that our suffering is not without wonder, for in the cross we encounter God’s healing presence in the world. All of our suffering brothers and sisters know a mystery that is unique to each person.

The wounds of so many cry out to God for His healing.

The Exaltation of the Cross is a feast of God’s promise and pledge to heal a broken world. It is a transformation from a time of suffering into a time of joy. One of the solemn prayers on Good Friday reads: “Almighty, ever-living God, comfort of mourners, strength of all who toil, may the prayers of those who cry out in any tribulation come before You, that all may rejoice, because in their hour of need Your mercy was at hand.” The cross is for us a sign of faith that just as Christ has healed us so we as Church must always strive to be mercy in the

PEOPLE of GOD midst of human suffering, and when we fail to do so, we must make amends. We must reach out to those so deeply wounded and we must prudently reform ourselves in the mystery and wonder of Christ crucified. For we know that the cross is also our means to salvation. As we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross, it teaches us to become God’s compassion and mercy, to suffer with those in need. Faith calls us into the wonder of Christ’s cross and God’s promise.

We trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us on this way of the cross, as we walk the rough and uneasy roads of life.

The mystery of this life lies beyond our sight, on that far horizon beyond our control. I wish to conclude with a passage from “A Prayer for Our Church” that will be part of the “Healing Mass” which reads: “We place our Church into Your hands, for without You, we can do nothing. May Jesus, our High Priest and true compass, continue to lead her in every thought and action – to be an instrument of justice, a source of consolation, a sacrament of unity, and a manifestation of Your faithful covenant.

Amen.”

Sincerely yours in the Risen Lord,

Archbishop John C. Wester

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El sentido de asombro es un don sanador

Arzobispo John C. Wester

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n esta edición del Pueblo de Dios, me gustaría que todos los católicos de la Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe, así como todas las mujeres y todos los hombres de fe, empezáramos a reflexionar sobre ciertos temas importantes. Doy inicio a esa reflexión consciente de los retos a los que en la actualidad se enfrenta cualquier discurso público.

Qué fácil sería taparnos los oídos para no oírnos los unos a los otros. Por lo tanto, todo lo que puedo pedirles es que lean y reflexionen sobre estas ideas. El tema de esta serie es: “El misterio y la vida moral”. Sé que es amplio y que presenta incentivos para reflexionar, pero siento profunda y sinceramente que, para crecer positivamente a lo largo de la crisis que actualmente enfrentamos en la Iglesia, debemos recapturar nuestro sentido de asombro y misterio acerca

de la vida, acerca de Dios, acerca de cómo vivimos, y acerca de por qué vivimos. En pocas palabras, debemos darnos cuenta de que Jesucristo está obrando en nuestra vida ahora mismo, aún en medio de heridas, escándalos y desilusiones.

Todas las grandes religiones luchan de manera especial contra las preguntas fundamentales: “¿De dónde venimos?” y “¿A dónde vamos?”. Pensándolo bien, dichas preguntas realmente requieren un compromiso religioso de parte nuestra. La filosofía y la ciencia sin duda aportan luz al tema de los orígenes de la humanidad, pero sólo la religión se adentra con asombro en el significado que tienen esas complicadas preguntas. ¿Qué vino antes de que cada uno de nosotros comenzara a existir? ¿Qué viene después de que hayamos exhalado nuestro último suspiro?

Es en estos momentos cuando experimentamos la sensación de misterio. La vida misma, desde el primer momento hasta el último, nos presenta oportunidades de sentir asombro. Un niño conoce intuitivamente el misterio del asombro y a medida que nos acercamos a la muerte aprendemos las lecciones de una vida tan llena de maravilla, asombro y significado. Debemos recordar que los misterios de la vida están cargados de maravillas que nos asombran.

Y, por cierto, ¡es peligroso

que la sociedad pierda su sentido de asombro!

Aparentemente, es precisamente en ese punto donde hoy nos encontramos. Hemos olvidado cómo preguntarnos ciertas cosas. Asimismo, cuando observamos todas las “primicias” de un niño pequeño, sin demora podemos percibir la alegría que seguramente sintió cada vez que descubrió algo. ¿Se ha vuelto tan insensible nuestro entorno social actual que nos preguntamos si hemos perdido nuestra alegría?

Aquí en Nuevo México, de manera constante lidiamos con la pobreza, la adicción y los delitos violentos. Sin embargo, a pesar de que esos problemas son muy reales, no debemos permitir que ellos nos cieguen ante la belleza de la tierra donde habitamos, la riqueza de nuestro patrimonio cultural y las impresionantes puestas de sol que nos encantan. Es evidente que, como sociedad, necesitamos redescubrir las maravillas que nos rodean.

Tal cual se manifiesta en los Evangelios, Jesús era un “obrero asombroso” (Mateo 8, 27; 9, 33; 15, 31. Marcos 1, 22; 2, 12; 5, 20; 6, 51; 10, 24. Lucas 2, 47; 4, 22; 4, 36; 8, 56; 11, 14 y Juan 5, 28; 7, 21). Considero que Jesús sigue siendo la mejor guía hacia nuestro asombro, pero hemos olvidado el sentido de novedad, así como la novedad extraordinaria que Jesús hace posible una y otra vez. Por ejemplo, en medio

del ajetreo de la Navidad, ¿nos hemos olvidado de maravillarnos delante del pesebre de que el mismo Hijo de Dios nació por nosotros en un humilde establo? ¿Podemos captar el asombro de las multitudes cuando Jesús predicaba la venida de un reino donde los últimos serían los primeros, los oprimidos serían liberados y los enfermos y cojos serían curados? ¿No nos sorprende que la Buena Nueva no se predicara a los ricos y poderosos, sino a los parias, prostitutas y recaudadores de impuestos? ¿Podemos dejar de maravillarnos de que Jesús resumió todos los mandamientos cuando nos llamó a amar a Dios y al prójimo con todo nuestro ser porque, después de todo, Dios es amor? ¿Será posible que hayamos perdido nuestro sentido de admiración y asombro y nos preguntemos si la infamia de la cruz podría dar paso a la vida eterna? Ciertamente, debemos aprender a cultivar nuestro sentido de asombro, a tomar conciencia de lo maravillosos y bellos que son todos los aspectos de la vida. El misterio de la vida constituye una mezcla de muchos elementos y la mayor maravilla se encuentra en Jesucristo, quien por amor sufrió y murió para que nosotros pudiéramos tener vida.

Próximamente, el 14 de septiembre, celebraremos la fiesta de la Exaltación de la Cruz. He pedido que en todas las parroquias los

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fieles entren de lleno en lo asombroso del sufrimiento de Cristo y en la curación de todos los que han sufrido por el escándalo ocasionado por los que han traicionado su sagrada confianza. Ese fin de semana, como pueblo de fe, ofreceremos unánimemente una Misa de Sanación. La lección que recibimos de la cruz es que en Cristo crucificado encontramos la redención y la misericordia generosa de Dios. La madera maciza de la cruz, como se hace evidente cada Viernes Santo, es nuestro medio para adentrarnos en la Pasión del Señor —Su aflicción— en la que Él ha asumido amorosamente todo nuestro sufrimiento. La cruz es un signo de restitución y de reparación. La pena capital —el medio que utilizaban los romanos para ejecutar legalmente a las personas— ha sido transformada, en Cristo, para ser la fuente de nuestra redención. La cruz nos enseña que nuestro sufrimiento no está exento de asombro, porque en la cruz encontramos la presencia sanadora de Dios en el mundo. Todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas que sufren conocen un misterio que es exclusivo para cada persona. Las heridas de tantos claman a Dios para que las sane. La Exaltación de la Cruz es la fiesta en torno a la promesa y al compromiso de Dios de sanar a un mundo quebrantado. Representa la transformación de un tiempo de sufrimiento en un tiempo de regocijo. Una de las oraciones solemnes del Viernes Santo reza: “Dios todopoderoso y eterno, consuelo de los afligidos y fortaleza de los que sufren, escucha a los que te invocan en su tribulación para que todos experimenten en sus necesidades la alegría de tu misericordia.” La cruz es

PEOPLE of GOD para nosotros un signo de que tenemos fe en que, así como Cristo nos ha sanado, así también nosotros, como Iglesia, debemos esforzarnos siempre por ser misericordiosos en medio del sufrimiento humano, y cuando no lo hagamos, debemos procurar enmendarnos.

Tenemos que tenderles la mano a aquellos que están tan profundamente heridos y reformarnos prudentemente en el misterio y la maravilla de Cristo crucificado. Porque sabemos que la cruz es también nuestro medio de salvación. La celebración de la Exaltación de la Cruz, nos enseña a asumir la compasión y la misericordia de Dios y a sufrir con los necesitados. La fe nos llama a incorporarnos a la maravilla de la cruz de Cristo y de la promesa de Dios. Confiamos en el Espíritu Santo para que nos guíe en nuestro trayecto hacia la cruz, mientras caminamos por las sendas escabrosas y difíciles de la vida.

El misterio de esta vida sobrepasa nuestra visión — está en ese horizonte lejano fuera de nuestro control.

Deseo concluir con un pasaje de: “Una oración por nuestra Iglesia” que será parte de la “Misa de Sanación” y reza: “Ponemos nuestra Iglesia en Tus manos, porque sin Ti, no podemos hacer nada.

Que Jesús, nuestro Sumo Sacerdote y auténtico orientador, continúe guiándola en cada pensamiento y acción, para que sea instrumento de justicia, fuente de consuelo, sacramento de unidad y manifestación de Tu alianza fiel. Amén.”

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Sinceramento suyo en el Señor,

Arzobispo John C. Wester Traducción por Rocío González

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By Very Reverend Michael Demkovich, OP, Episcopal Vicar for Doctrine & Life

Why do Catholics and some others make the sign of the cross? It is strange how often this takes place.

We bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, a priest bestows a blessing in the form of the cross, at the Gospel we trace the sign of the cross on our forehead, lips and heart. At baptism, the parents and godparents trace the sign of the cross on the infant’s forehead; as we near death, our heads and hands are anointed with the cross; and in our final hour, the cross is again traced on our forehead. But why is this cross so important?

[Warning: if you are squeamish you may want to skip this next paragraph.]

The obvious answer is that for Christians, the cross was the means for our salvation and our forgiveness of sins. However, crucifixion was a barbaric means of execution. Evidence for its use dates to the 5th century B.C. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) executed thousands of his enemies by crucifixion. Rome began to us crucifixion about the first century B.C. to execute enemies, rebels

PEOPLE of GOD

The Sign of the Cross and criminals. It was a gruesome torture. It was meant to humiliate all those connected with the one crucified, who was stripped naked and publicly tortured to death. Mass crucifixions of slaves, both men and women, took place for seemingly minor reasons.

What the Scriptures recounts of Jesus’ Passion was the standard procedure employed (see John 19). A person was stripped naked,

scourged, and forced to carry the beam.

A sign was attached, containing the person’s name and their crime.

At the place of execution, the person was first nailed through the wrist to the cross beam.

Then, they were hoisted up, their ankles and feet were then nailed to the upright beam.

Death would come in a few days or it was hastened by breaking the person’s bones, or as with Jesus, a spear thrust into

the person.

Now, you may all be disgusted and wonder why I bothered to recount all these gruesome details which, by the way, we read every Good Friday. But I think it is important if we wish to understand the cross of Christ. Crucifixion was meant to reduce the accused to a subhuman state. It was this, that God in His infinitely merciful plan, sought to transform and

forever shape our way of thinking. This vile means of public execution was transformed through the sacrifice made by Christ. The first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great, abolished crucifixion throughout the empire. The tree in the Garden of Eden, which was the downfall of humanity, is now redeemed by the wood of the cross on which our Savior died. Tradition holds that it was Saint Helena, the mother of emperor Constantine, who found the true cross. Christians have venerated the cross not for itself, but for the one who died upon it for us. That is why the sign of the cross is so dear to us and why we so frequently remind ourselves of its power.

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Even so, the cross is also our commitment “to do the will of the Father” as did our Lord. We live in a culture that shuns any inconvenience, any discomfort, any demands.

But faith shows us that there is such a thing as redemptive suffering, an openness to undergo hardships for a hope beyond our sight. Commitment to marriage, being good parents, striving to live virtuously, and enduring the rough realities of life are all difficult undertakings but they share in the redeeming act of the Lord’s passion.

The sign of the cross is a reminder that life itself has its passion and purpose.

Each one of us is called to “take up our daily cross and follow Christ” (Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27).

The only thing that makes our burdens bearable, our sufferings to find meaning, is in our call to follow Christ.

The sign of the cross is the emblem of our being Christians. It is the promise that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). So when you next make the sign of the cross, remember it is no meaningless gesture but a reminder of a reality – God’s incarnate mystery. “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

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september 2019

Patricio Chacón, O. Praem.

Patricio Chacón, O. Praem., professed first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the Norbertine Community of Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey on the feast of St. Augustine, August 28, 2019. Born in Albuquerque, Patricio graduated from Coronado High School in Galina, New Mexico. He received an associate of arts degree in liberal arts from Central New Mexico Community College in 2017 and is presently in his senior year at the University of New Mexico, majoring in philosophy.

In high school, Patricio became involved in youth ministry and youth retreats. In college, he ministered to people who are homebound for Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community. His ministries at the abbey include serving as master of ceremonies for special feasts.

Patricio has three brothers, two sisters, two nieces, and one nephew; he is the son of Amadeo and Adela Chacón, who live in Capulin, located in northeastern New Mexico.

Alexis Longoria Alexis Longoria was initiated as a novice into the Norbertine Community of Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey in Albuquerque on the Feast of St. Augustine, August 28, 2019. Alexis was born in El Paso, Texas and is a graduate of Clovis High School.

He spent his first year in college at Eastern New Mexico University before transferring to St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. As a pre-postulant of the Franciscan community, he was involved in a number of outreach ministries. After graduation and making several retreats at Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey over the last several years, Longoria became a postulant with the Norbertines.

Alexis is the son of Jesus and Blanca Torres of Albuquerque; he has one brother and two sisters.

Effective Thursday, August 15, 2019 – Deacon Charles Schwenn, previously assigned at San Clemente, has been appointed to diaconal ministry at St. Alice in Mountainair and its missions, under the guidance of the pastor, Reverend Malachy Obiejesi.

Effective Wednesday, September 25, 2019 – Reverend Tai Pham, currently parochial vicar of Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, has been appointed as pastor at Saint John XXIII Catholic Community in Albuquerque.

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 the month of August 2019.

Excess Mass stipends are from multiple Mass intentions celebrated at parishes. The archdiocesan policy is for excess Mass stipends to be used for seminarian education.

Parish Name/City Amount Received Anonymous........................................................................................................................60.00 Immaculate Conception – Albuquerque.......................................................... 755.00 Immaculate Heart of Mary – Los Alamos...................................................... 1,618.00 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Albuquerque................................... 500.00 Our Lady of the Annunciation – Albuquerque..............................................222.50 San Clemente – Los Lunas................................................................................10,000.00 Shrine of St. Bernadette – Albuquerque....................................................... 9,728.03 St. Joseph on the Rio Grande – Albuquerque............................................... 420.00 St. Patrick – St. Joseph – Raton............................................................................ 535.00 Total $ 23,838.53

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Two Young Women Profess Final Vows to the Felician Sisters in Rio Rancho

By Deena Swank, Director of External Communication, Felician Sisters of North America In August, the chapel at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Rio Rancho was packed to the brim with joyful witnesses to the public profession of perpetual vows of Sisters Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay and Maria Louise Edwards.

Father Scott Mansfield, pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Rio Rancho, was the principal celebrant, assisted by Father Ben Onwumelu, Father Michael Greb, OFM, Cap., and Father John Trambley.

During his homily, Fr. Onwumelu spoke of the hope embodied in Srs. Desire and Maria Louise, comparing their their answer to God’s call to that of the Blessed Mother. “Today you are like the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he said, “who said yes. . .Lord is the One who is choosing you.”

After professing their vows into the hands of Sr. Danat Marie Brysch, Minister General of the Felician Sisters, Srs. Desiré and Maria Louise accepted the symbols of profession: a simple ring with the inscription “My God and My All,” a sign of their betrothal to their eternal King, and a candle, a symbol of their total commitment to Christ and to being a witness to others.

Sr. Desiré is a native of New Mexico, having been born and raised in Albuquerque. It was while she was a student at the University of New Mexico that she first encountered the Felician Sisters. Knowing that Desiré had a background in ballet and was dancing for a semi-professional basketball team, the Sisters asked her to do a prayerful dance for a jubilee celebration.

“What I didn’t know,” said Sr. Desiré, “was that this dance would set the course for my future. Dance had always been a performance to me, or something to do for fun. When I danced at the jubilee celebration, I realized for the first time that dance could be prayer.”

After graduating with a degree in secondary education, Sr. Desiré entered into a time of discernment with the Felician Sisters and began working as a Spanish teacher at Pomona Catholic School in California. She entered the

From Left to Right: Fr. Michael Greb, OFM, Cap., Sr. Maria Louise Edwards, Fr. Scott Mansfield, Sr. Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay, Fr. John Trambley, Fr. Ben Onwume Felician community in 2010. For the past two years, she has been based in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, where she works as the Vocation Outreach Minister for the Felician Sisters.

As she prepared to take her final vows, Sr. Desiré said, “I feel honored that our loving God would invite me to such a place of growth and beauty. I could have gone anywhere or done anything, but the Lord knew my heart and knew this would allow me to flourish in exciting and unexpected ways.”

Vowed religious life was also not part of the plan for Sr. Maria Louise. A native of New Jersey, she graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and dreams of an acting career. She seemed to be “on the right track” as she began taking roles in the theater, commercials, and films, but she found herself feeling unfulfilled. “I was following the world’s advice on how to find happiness,” she said, “and I was still empty inside. I began searching for deeper answers and longing for deeper meaning

in my life.”

In a move she describes as going “from Broadway to God’s way,” Sr. Maria Louise entered the Felician Sisters in 2011 and served as mission coordinator at Holy Name of Mary College School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. For the past three years, she has been ministering at the Blessed Mary Angela Spirituality Center in Pomona, California, providing a ministry of presence to the homeless population and those living in poverty. She is also part of a prostitution diversion program that reaches out to women on the streets and victims of human trafficking and is very active in the Águilas del Desierto group.

As she professed her vows, Sr. Maria Louise was moved to tears of joy. “The greatest gift I’ve received as I’ve journeyed with the Lord is tremendous freedom,” she said, “Life changing inner freedom, from blame, guilt, judgmentalism and shame. His love has freed me to love others and freed me to live my vows as a sister with great joy. I am so blessed to be a Felician.”

St. Thomas Aquinas Students Visit Villa Walsh to Support Sr. Luciana as She Makes Her First Profession

By Kari Jenkins, STAS On August 24, 2019 STAS’ beloved Sr. Luciana D’Cruze took her first vows as a Religious Teacher Filiippini at Villa Walsh In Morristown, New Jersey. Sr. Luciana spent several months here in New Mexico and became wonderful addition to our school. She started a girls group called Daughters of the King. She spent time with our students on the playground and helped in the classrooms.

We are so very happy for Sr. Luciana and will continue to pray for her as she pursues her vocation.

Mrs. Haddad and Mrs. Canfield took their daughters, Kaylah and Isabelle to Morristown to support Sr. Luciana as she took her vows. Kaylah and Isabelle are members of Daughters of the King. Such a blessing for them all.

a

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Stewardship Cor�er

What does Stewardship Mean to You? Celine Baca Radigan

Director, Communications and Social Media Editor, People of God

I am constantly humbled by the number of gifts of time, talent and treasures I received from so many stewards.

My formative stewards (my

parents, grandparents,extended fa mily) taught me

early in life that each gift rec eived had a responsibility attached to it. Whether it was a toy, a book, a meal, or an act of kindness, it was to be shared. This is who we were, this is who, as a child of God, I was taught to be. As I reflect on the many roads I've traveled, I find the struggles as well as the gifts have resulted in blessings. In experiencing the art and science of stewardship, I have learned that one mere soul can truly make a difference.

How? I found my answer by reflecting on the following poem attributed to St. Teresa of Ávila: Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the earth, yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.

Sometimes I think, why me, Lord? But I trust in Him. He knows. He created each one of us with unique gifts for a purpose. Listen to Him, P(r)ay it forward.

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

Office of Stewardship 505-831-8173 www.stewardshiparchdiosf.org

september 2019

Golfing with a Padre October 21, 2019 Once again, we are gearing up for our bi-annual event to honor and treat our Priests to a day of fun!

This year, we will meet at Tanoan Country Club.

We sincerely thank our Premier Sponsor, Daniels Family Funeral Services for their support. We also thank our Silver Sponsors, Baca’s Trees and New Mexico Bank and Trust for their continued support.

The day includes a round of golf (all fees and cart included), box lunch and BBQ dinner. There will be opportunity to purchase raffle and 50/50 tickets for a chance to win some great prizes! We are looking for additional Silver Sponsors, Parish Sponsors, Drink and Hole Sponsors, Priest Sponsors and Players. The Players cost is $125 and you may sign up as a single, or two, three or foursome. We will try to assign a Padre to teams with less than four players, while they are available.

All funds raised at this event will go to benefit Seminarian education. For additional information and to sign up, please go to our website: www.CatholicClubReligiousVocations. org. There are instructions to pay by credit card or check. We hope you will join us for this fun day that is always appreciated by our Padres!

september 2019

PEOPLE of GOD

Immigration: AN ISSUE OF CONSCIENCE. one family of sisters and brothers. Some of us are called to prophetic actions; all of us are called to prayer and service. We must seek ways to help all of us to better Dear Brothers of Our Provinces, understand the forces which are leading many some of our sisters and brothers to the desperation leads them May we see the Light and hear the Voice of God! to flee their homes and others to the desperation which causes them to react in such strident ways to that flight.

Over the past several weeks and months, we, like We must recognize the right of all nations to maintain so many others, have been horrified by the treatment the security of their citizens and borders, so that they received by immigrant men, women, and children, both may live in peace without fear, and recognize as well on the border between the United States and Mexico, but that the right to life for all human beings must always also elsewhere throughout our nation. This treatment be respected. We want to be bridge builders for those becomes all the more an issue of conscience for us as who cry for walls and those who decry walls. We want people of Faith. We recall that the ancestors of the vast to be peacemakers for those who feel threatened by the majority of citizens of the United States, including many actions and attitudes of those on every side of these of our own ancestors, once came to these shores as issues. We want to recognize and immigrants seeking to escape respect the reality that legitimate economic hardship, political Francis of Assisi inspired the disagreements about how to upheaval, social turmoil, violence, people of his time with the accomplish equitable solutions to and religious persecution. For idea that all human beings, human problems will always be part us to now turn our backs on the of the human condition until the final plight of those coming here to and indeed all creation is one coming of the Reign of God. seek safety and the opportunity family of sisters and brothers. to better their lives and the lives Now is our time to pray, reflect, of their families would be to and act, without expectation that deny not only our history as a any solution will be easily or quickly achieved. We are nation, but the mandates of our Faith to welcome the today reaping the results of decades of social sin. We stranger and care for the suffering. Refusing entry for call upon you, our brothers, to join us in the long and asylum seekers, the separation of children from their ultimately blessed way of Franciscan penance. We know families, the delay of the right to seek asylum, and the that penance is not a punishment or payment for past deliberate intimidation, in the name of law and order, of sins, but a promise to try to do something to make our those fleeing violence and oppression are all in and of future lives with God and with each other better. True themselves acts of injustice unworthy of our basic ideals penance looks honestly at the past and realistically at the as people of compassion. present in order to look hopefully to the future.

Asylum and migration are global issues which Asking God’s blessings for all of us and all those require global action. But global action starts with local around us, we are fraternally, your brothers and Ministers, participation. We as Christians must seek to help create the space for knowledgeable dialogue between any David Gaa, OFM, Minister Provincial and all parties who are ready to put aside partisan gain St. Barbara Province and easy short-term solutions for the greater and longTom Nairn, OFM, Minister Provincial lasting good of all concerned. The space for dialogue Sacred Heart Province can only emerge when we recognize that as people of Jim Gannon, OFM, Minister Provincial our common home, we are one human family, facing the Assumption Province same challenges of ecological devastation, economic Kevin Mullen, OFM, Minister Provincial upheaval, and the destruction created by selfish desires Holy Name Province to hoard, rather than share God’s bounty, wherever and Mark Soehner, OFM, Minister Provincial whoever we are.

St. John the Baptist Province The Feast of the Transfiguration, 2019

Francis of Assisi inspired the people of his time with the idea that all human beings, and indeed all creation is

Jack Clark Robinson, OFM, Minister Provincial Our Lady of Guadalupe Province

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Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is coming to St. Jude Thaddeus Parish. If you have money problems, here is hope!

Beginning September 19th at 6:30 p.m. in room four of the parish hall, for 10 weeks, you can learn how to spend money, talk with your spouse, and live and give like no one else! Over two million families have changed their lives with FPU. Your life will change.

Call Andrew Hadcock at 505.250.0150 for more information or register at: https://fpu.com/1096833 today!

Nurture Your Love Would you like to tweak your communication skills and discover ways to resolve conflict in a healthy way? Dating, engaged and married couples are invited to have six date nights with the “Nurture Your Love” program. Topics included are: Effective Communication Skills, Conflict Resolution Strategies, Healthy Intimacy, Spirituality, and Managing Finances. The interactive program will be six consecutive Wednesdays October 16 through November 20, 2019 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Catholic Center. The cost for the entire program is $30.00 per couple. To register, contact Yvette at yduran@archdiosf.org or 505.831.8117. The facilitator is Mary Pepper, MA, Family Studies.

Sponsored by the ASF Family Life Office.

NFP Promoters Needed for an October training. If you are interested in raising awareness of the benefits of NFP, please contact the Family Life Office at yduran@archdiosf.org or by phone at 505.831.8117.

Support Groups for the Bereaved Seasons of Hope Bereavement Support Group-Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. A Christ-centered support group for those grieving the death of a loved one. October 9—November 20, 2019 (no meeting October 30) from noon to 2 pm and October 10—November 21, 2019 (no meeting October 31) from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. To reserve your place or for more information contact Barbara@holyrosaryabq.org or 505.836.5011 ext 227.

Together with God, a suicide bereaved support group We are looking for additional adults interested in becoming a facilitator for Together with God, an eight-week adult suicide grief support group sponsored by the archdiocese. Those interested must have experienced the suicide loss of a family member and we recommend at least two years have passed since the loss.

Training in facilitation will occur after attending a condensed version of the group as a participant in late September 2019.

This will ensure familiarity with the materials and an opportunity

september 2019

to develop a network of peer support, something needed for facilitating this kind of group. Facilitators will work in pairs. Call Kay Hockey 505.353.2466 for more information.

Prayer Support Group for those who have a loved one suffering an addiction.

Do you worry about a relative or friend suffering an addiction?

Then this support group is for you. We offer prayerful support, education about addiction, and practice in setting boundaries and in communication skills proven to encourage recovery. For upcoming support group meetings, go to the events calendar at www.familylifenm.org. If you are interested in becoming a support group facilitator, call the Family Life Office.

NFP Promoters Training – We are looking for couples interested in promoting Natural Family Planning for couples about to enter the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. A training will be offered in early October. Those interested should call the Family Life Office at 505.831.8117.

Assessing Family Ministry through the Lens of Amoris Laetitia The business of ministry is alive and well. The barrage of new programming and online marketing attest to this. Now the challenge is: “How do we choose?” This workshop will offer a bird’s eye view of family ministry programming, explore two of the most common methodologies used, and examine the pros and cons of each. It will conclude with an overview of a diocesan sacramental preparation framework and programs that combine the best of both methods in response to Pope Francis’ vision for family ministry.

BE YOU TEA FUL!, a mother-daughter tea celebrating the beauty and vocation of women for pre-teen girls, ages 10 – 12.

The program equips Mothers to share the gift of femininity with their daughters and teaches girls what true beauty is and ways to channel the grace to be the beautiful persons God created them to be. Materials and training for hosting the tea are available through the Family Life Office, upon request. Hosting a tea requires a team of five to sixwomen and a minimum of four months’ advance preparation.

Marriage Preparation MENTOR COUPLE TRAINING

is available upon request for parishes interested in mentoring couples into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Training will equip mentor couples to integrate FOCCUS inventory results with the ASF mentor couple program, Called by Love.

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Garcia, Archuleta

Garcia, Padilla

Mr. John Archuleta and Miss Elvira Garcia were joined in holy matrimony on September 5, 1969 at Sacred Heart Church in Española, NM. John was ordained into the deaconate on July 10, 1993 and remains a permanent deacon to the parish Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Valle de Pojoaque.

Elvira devotes her time to caring for her extended family, serving through the Catholic Daughters and supporting her parish through many means. Deacon John and Elvira’s love for one another gifted them with five children: Theresa, Robert, Carmelina, Elias and Celso; 13 grandchildren: Jerome, Charles, Brianna, Mariah, Victoria, Mikko, Mary, Mikalynn, Adriana, Max, Diego, Maddox, and Francisco; and one great-grandchild, Ædyn. A marriage blessing was held on September 5, 2019, celebrated by Msgr. Jerome Martinez y Alire followed with a dinner with family and friends. The Archuletas will continue the celebration later in the year with an Alaskan cruise gifted to them by their children.

Mr. Aris B. Padilla and Miss Ruby R. Garcia were joined in holy matrimony on August 27, 1949 at San Jose Parish in Albuquerque.

Aris is originally from Lemitar, NM and Ruby is an Albuquerque native. They are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Albuquerque. They have been blessed with four children: Iris (husband Bob), Barbara (husband Guy), Ruben (wife Debbie), Margaret (husband, Deacon Robert), eight grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. They give thanks to our dear Lord for the blessings, family and friends.

Quintana, Padilla Mr. Robert Padilla and Miss Rose Quintana were joined in holy matrimony on September 26, 1959 at Our Lady of Sorrows in Las Vegas, NM and are currently parishioners at San Ysidro Parish in Corrales, NM. They were blessed with three children, 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. They are members of the Spanish choir at San Ysidro. Rose sings and plays the mandolin, and Robert plays the guitar. They enjoy camping, fishing and hunting with family. They celebrated their anniversary with a cruise to Alaska and with a reception with family and friends.

With this ring…

Did you hear wedding bells in 1959/1969?

Celebrate your golden or diamond anniversary with the People of God. You are invited to include the information below and have it published in one of our issues: Groom’s name Bride’s Maiden name Date you received the Sacrament of Matrimony Parish Town/City Parish to which you presently belong 100 words about your family or a brief reflection of life Your phone number & email address Mail to: People of God 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120 or email lradigan@archdiosf.org and attach a hi-res jpg Photo & story must be received by the 10th of the month. If you’d like your photo returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

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september 2019

Respect Life Reflection Christ Our Hope: IN EVERY SEASON OF

F

rom the time we are knit together in our mothers’ wombs until we take our final breaths, each moment of our lives is a gift from God. While every season of life brings its own challenges and trials, each season also gives us new opportunities to grow in our relationship with God. Today the gift of life is threatened in countless ways. Those who are most vulnerable, rather than receiving the protection they deserve, are all too often seen as a burden and as expendable. As new attacks on human life continue to emerge, we can be tempted to despair, but Christ instead offers us unfailing hope.

Hope is not false optimism or empty positivity. Christian hope is something much more profound and goes to the very depths of our identity as followers of Christ.

Hope is the virtue “by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1817).

Like us, Christ entered the world through the womb of a woman. He willingly experienced the fullness of human suffering.

He breathed his last on the Cross at Calvary in order that He might save us. Therefore, “God is the foundation of hope: not any god, but the God who has a human face and who has loved us to the end” (Spe salvi 31).

Christians know “they have a future: it is not that they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness” (SS 2).

For this reason, a woman experiencing a difficult pregnancy can find the strength to welcome her precious child into the world. A man facing a

terminal diagnosis can see that the end of his earthly life is only the beginning of eternal life with Christ.

The Church teaches us that “the one who has hope lives differently” (SS 2). Christ’s promise of salvation does not mean that we will be spared from suffering. Rather, the promise of salvation ensures that even in

the darkest moments of our lives, we will be given the strength to persevere. By virtue of this Christian hope, we can face any challenge or trial. When the seas of life swell and we are battered by the waves, hope allows us to remain anchored in the heart of God. May we hold fast to Christ our hope, from the beginning of life to its very end.

Life

“Hold fast to the hope that lies before us.

This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm.”

Hebrews 6:18-19

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You Can Be Part of the Church’s Social Mission!

By Cynthia Roberson, CCHD Intern

“Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17) As Catholics, we are called to help our brothers and sisters in need. As the current 2019 Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) intern, my mission is to provide Catholics with an understanding about the principles of Catholic social teaching (CST) and how they correspond to the social mission of the Church. The CCHD internship arose in 1999 to develop Catholic leaders through the understanding of Catholic social teaching. My objective as a CCHD intern is to understand and inform Catholics how CCHD’s mission to help alleviate poverty is connected to social justice issues locally and nationally. I am coming to understand the critical combination of charity, education, and advocacy for justice.

The Church is being called to rediscover its purpose as the mystical body of Christ. Poverty and social injustices are pervasive in our times, and require our attention. My orientation as a CCHD intern has equipped me with a thorough understanding of poverty and the social mission of the Church. The Church is to manifest the Kingdom of God on earth. Thus, the Church’s love for the poor is a necessity and, in these tumultuous times, the calling to be agents of peace and justice is urgent! CCHD breaks the cycles of poverty by helping low-income individuals make critical decisions for the betterment of their families and communities through community development and economic development grants.

During my orientation in May 2019, I learned how CCHD’s mission helps to fulfill the social mission of the church by requiring Catholics to put biblical teachings into action, and to address critical discussions about poverty and social issues in our neighborhoods and nation.

I met 30 CCHD interns around the nation who, like me, have responded to their baptismal vocation to encounter, learn and act to become advocates for peace and justice in our communities. During this year, we will deepen our understanding of the root causes of poverty and of how we can work to alleviate suffering and injustice in our local communities.

I am available to set up an interactive presentation for your youth, young adult, or adult formation groups (in English or Spanish) about the reality of poverty in the United States and around the world and about our call to transform the world through acts of love and justice.

Help us fight against poverty! Please contact me at: 505.831.8232 and/or croberson@archdiosf.org

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september 2019

Congratulations to Our 2019 Lambert Scholars!

By Veronica Lewis, AACC Publicity Chairperson The Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community awarded seven scholarships to students at archdiocese Catholic elementary schools at Mass on August 25, 2019. Pictured are L-R Dr. Geraldine Harge, Chair of the Scholarship Committee; scholars Sophia Arrenius, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rio Rancho; Landon Baca-Lee, St. Mary’s, Belen; Asante and Daisia Cole, Santa Niño CS, Santa Fe; Moses Sena, Our Lady of the Assumption, Albuquerque; Mya Tirone-Jones, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rio Rancho; Brenda Dabney, Coordinator of the AACC. Not present was scholar Ezeriyah Smith, St. Therese, Albuquerque. Fr. Gene Gries, O. Praem awarded

the scholarships. Fr. Gene also awarded scholarships to our first Lambert Scholars, George and Patience Kennedy in 2009.

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Fr. Rollins Lambert Scholarship Award Program. Thanks to the late Fr. Rollins Lambert who provided seed money to establish this scholarship, the National Black and Indian Missions Office,

local private donations and fundraisers 70 scholars have been helped with awards totaling $117,000.00.

Applications for the 2020-2021 school year will be available in the principal’s office of all archdiocesan elementary schools in January 2020.

Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Social Justice and Respect Life and the AACC.

Save the Date: The Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community Mass Sunday, October 27, 12 noon

Please join the Archdiocese of Santa Fe African American Catholic Community for Mass on Sunday, Oct 27, 12 noon at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Catholic Church, 5901 St. Joseph’s Dr. NW, Albuquerque. For more information please call 505.836.3627 or the office 505.831.8205.

Feast of St. Francis 2019: “We Are All Connected: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor” Every October 4th, we mark the Feast of St. Francis. Inspired by his life, Catholic Climate Covenant, in partnership with USCCB produces a free educational program to help your faith community explore how it can better care for creation and the poor. This year’s Feast of St. Francis theme, “We Are All Connected: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor” complements and accompanies the Vatican’s Synod, “Amazonia: New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology”. The Amazonian Synod will be held October 6-27, 2109 and the Feast of St. Francis (October 4th) presents a wonderful opportunity for Catholics to explore the issues of integral ecology, environmental and climate justice, and the rights of indigenous communities. The program is now available and may be used by your community in October or any time that is convenient for you. To receive the free 90-minute catechetical/educational program which includes readings, prayers, a video, and suggested group activities, just sign up at the Catholic Climate Covenant web site http://www. catholicclimatecovenant.org/FOSF. Register now!

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2019 Abuse Awareness Training for Adults Creating a Safe Environment for Our Children - Sponsored by the ASF Attendance at the workshop is MANDATORY for all clergy, employees, and volunteers in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Pre-registration is necessary - contact: Annette, Victim Assistance Coordinator or Rose Garcia at 505.831.8144 for trainings that are hosted at the Catholic Center or contact the parish that is hosting the training (see below schedule).Note: Please do not bring children - no one under the age of 18 is allowed in the training. If you are late you will not be allowed to enter and interrupt the training. Please contact Annette, Victim Assistance Coordinator 505.831.8144 to report any abuse that has occurred by Clergy, Employee or Volunteer in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.IN THE EVENT OF BAD WEATHER – CALL 505.831.8144 FOR A RECORDING ADVISING IF THE TRAINING IS CANCELLED. September 14, 2019 9:00 a.m. – Noon.

December 5, 2019 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Center Saturday 2621 Vermont Street, NE Thursday 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW

Albuquerque, 87110 – call

Albuquerque, 87120 – call to

Melanie to register 298.7553 register 831.8144

Albuquerque, 87110 – call

Melanie to register 298.7553 September 14, 2019 9:00 a.m. – Noon.

Our Lady of the Annunciation October 17, 2019 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Saturday 2621 Vermont Street, NE Risen Savior

Albuquerque, 87110 – call Thursday 7701 Wyoming Blvd., NE

Melanie to register 298.7553

Albuquerque, 87109 – call to register 821.1571 October 17, 2019 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Risen Savior November 14, 2019 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Thursday 7701 Wyoming Blvd., NE Catholic Center

Albuquerque, 87109 – call to Thursday 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Albuquerque, 87120 register 821.1571

December 5, 2019 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

November 14, 2019 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Catholic Center Catholic Center Thursday 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW Thursday 4000 St. Joseph’s Pl. NW

Albuquerque, 87120 – call to Albuquerque, 87120 register 831.8144

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Faith-Filled Education

Fostering Uniqueness

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Preparing Leaders

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Faith-Filled Education

Fostering Uniqueness

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Preparing Leaders

36th Annual Archbishop's School Fund Dinner

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Faith-Filled Education

Fostering Uniqueness

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Preparing Leaders

St. Pius Raffle Offers $20,000 Grand Prize

By Melissa W. Sais, Editor, St. Pius X Connections The Annual St. Pius X High School Student Raffle promises a $20,000 grand prize to the lucky winner drawn on Nov. 1 after the St. Pius X school Mass. Second, third and fourth prizes of $1,000 also will be awarded.

“These raffle ticket sales are vital to the vibrance of our school activities, sports and clubs,” says St. Pius X Director of Advancement Bobby Wallace. “We count on them to help provide the faith-filled experience our students and families are seeking in our well-rounded education.”

Sale of the $5 tickets raises much needed funds for clubs, activities, sports, and tuition assistance at St. Pius X, Albuquerque’s only Catholic high school. The raffle is important because it is the only fundraiser held for all student activities at the school each year.

Look for your favorite Sartans selling raffle tickets or visit the St. Pius X High School Advancement and Alumni Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to purchase yours.

The Catholic Committee on Scouting Announces Annual Retreat for Scouting

By Bridget O’Rourke

The Catholic Committee on Scouting for Archdiocese of Santa Fe (CCOS) is pleased to announce their annual retreat for scouting. Scouts will spend the day learning more about their Catholic faith tailored for their respective scouting program. They will grow in our Catholic beliefs by listening, sharing, praying, singing, and playing. The activities are designed to jump-start a scout’s endeavors in working toward the religious award for their rank.

They will also complete the Pray the Rosary and the St. Mother Teresa Patch. Older Scouts not working on emblems can attend a Chaplain’s Aid Session.

This year, CCOS is offering a session for the retreat in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque session will be held on October 12, 2019 at Nativity of the Blessed

For more information and to register online or download the forms see our website at: http:// catholicscoutsnm.org/retreats. html. You may also contact Bridget O’Rourke at bco67@ yahoo.com or 505.504.6492.

Virgin Mary Catholic Church starting at 8:30 a.m. The Santa Fe session will be scheduled later in October at Santa Maria de la Paz in Santa Fe. A $10.00 fee is requested for each youth, and $3.00 for each parent who attends the retreat.

Feel free to attend all or part of the day, however, the registration fees are the same for a whole or partial day.

Boy Scouts will work with counselors. Parents will be working with American Heritage Girls, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts throughout their award program. These parents are strongly encouraged to stay for the retreat. Lunch will be provided.

Registered youth will receive a retreat patch. Books for each award will be available for purchase at the retreat, preordering is recommended to insure that there are enough books.

Please note - Child of God and Ave Maria books are available to download from the CCOS Website http://www. catholicscoutsnm.org/links.html

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Catholic Charities thanks all who supported the Second Annual Collection to benefit our programs and services in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe We are grateful to the archdiocese for allowing us to hold our second annual collection, to the parishes within the archdiocese for continued support, and especially to parishioners and donors.

Without your support and belief in the work we do, we would not be able to help over 17,000 individuals and families each year in our communities.

Golf with Archbishop Wester, anyone?

In the last issue of People of God, Rio Grande Credit Union announced their 7th Annual Golf Classic, which will benefit the programs and services of Catholic Charities. We are excited that our archbishop will be part of a foursome…could it be yours? For more details, contact Dolores Nunez at 505.724.4693 or nunezd@ccasfnm.org. To register for the tournament, go to RioGrandeCU.org/golf.

CCUSA Annual Gathering is coming to ABQ this month!

During the week of September 24th, around 500 professionals, volunteers and partners from Catholic Charities agencies around the country will be in Albuquerque for the CCUSA Annual Gathering. This gathering allows us to advance our work, strategize about poverty reduction, and celebrate our shared identity. As the host diocesan Catholic Charities, we are organizing volunteers, assisting in the coordination of Mass on the evening of September 26 celebrated by Archbishop John C. Wester, and hosting an appreciation celebration at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to showcase our city’s unique culture to our national guests. This event is a great opportunity to not only work towards our shared goal of helping those in need, but also to spotlight New Mexico’s unique history, culture and diversity.

There is still time to sponsor or volunteer to help with this effort! To volunteer, please contact Cathy AragonMarquez at 505.724.4634 or marquezc@ccasfnm.org. If you would like to sponsor the appreciation event or to learn more, please contact Dolores Nunez at nunezd@ccasfnm.org or 505.724.4693.

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Catholic Charities Visits Asylee Shelters in El Paso and Juarez Many individuals have contacted us regarding how to continue to help those seeking refuge from countries across the border. Catholic Charities staff, Celia Yapita (CPO) and Carolina Romero (Programmatic Outreach Liaison) visited El Paso and Juarez on August 9 and 10. In El Paso. They met with Ruben Garcia, Director of Annunciation House, who currently oversees 4 different shelters serving asylee seekers in El Paso. Celia and Carolina visited the Casa de Refugiado, which has the capacity to house 1500, although currently had only 120. Their objective was to find out how Catholic Charities and the many generous volunteers and donors can help with the families at the border. They then met with Hope Border Institute, who’s main focus is documentation of what is happening in the shelters and in the courts in order to provide information to the community for the purposes of transparency and advocacy. On the advice of Ruben and others, the next morning Celia and Carolina visited two of the largest shelters in Juarez – Casa del Migrante and Pan de Vida, bringing clothing donations. Casa del Migrante has the capacity to serve about 600 asylee seekers, and is currently Celia Yapita (CPO) and Carolina Romero serving 400. After a tour of the facility, the staff provided a (Programmatic Outreach Liaison) with Catholic list of medicines needed. Celia and Carolina purchased over Charities visit the Casa Del Migrante in Juarez.) the counter medicines – most were cold/flu medicines for infants and children. They then visited Pan de Vida, which has the capacity to serve about 350 or so, and currently had about 150. Unlike Casa del Migrante, Pan de Vida did not have a regular, large staff or regular volunteers – it is mostly run by one family who lives there and serves the asylee seekers. The director accompanied Celia and Carolina to a nearby supermarket, where they purchased basic food needs (eggs, cereal, sugar, medicine). Catholic Charities will post on our website www.ccasfnm.org the contact information and details of how people in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and beyond can provide support to these organizations in El Paso/Juarez. Please check frequently for updates. Thank you.

Mark your calendar for the 2019 Saint Nicholas Ball Have you purchased your table or tickets for the 16th annual Saint Nicholas Ball? We are lining up a lovely evening of charity, dining and dancing! Proceeds from the event, including exciting live and silent auction items will benefit the programs and services of Catholic Charities.

The event will be on November 23, 2019 at 6pm at a new venue, Sandia Resort and Conference Center. To purchase table sponsorships or tickets, donate auction items, or to volunteer, please contact Catholic Charities at 505.724.4637 or development@ccasfnm.org, or visit www.ccasfnm.org/ snb.

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Honoring 20 Years of Service in the Community Please join us in recognizing two employees celebrating milestone anniversaries with the agency. Andy Najar, Case Manager in our Center for Self-Sufficiency and Housing Assistance, and Rose Pace, Human Resources Director, were both honored this year for 20 years of service with Catholic Charities. We are grateful for their commitment to serving the community and living our mission: to put faith in action to improve the lives of those in need.

Summer Fun with Refugee Youth Refugee youth in Albuquerque had a chance to engage in summer camps with Catholic Charities this July. About 25 refugee high school students participated in our second Life and Education Success Week focusing on college and career readiness. These young adults got a chance to see the day-to-day activities of several work places, visit UNM and CNM, and work on hands-on learning activities. The students particularly enjoyed their visit to Narvaez Law Firm with attorney Henry Narvaez. Elementary and middle school youth also got their chance to join in on some summer fun. Thanks to a collaboration with the Albuquerque Museum, these children enjoyed day-camp over two Saturdays focusing on artistic expression.

This would not have been possible without many amazing volunteers, speakers and community partners. We’d also like to thank Chick-Fil-A on Gibson, Shamrock Foods, Dion’s Pizza, and Rebel Donut for their generous donations of snacks and meals for the students.

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WORLD NEWS Ground broken for new St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in New Mexico diocese

L-R: Bill McCarthy, director of the Southwest Indian Foundation (SWIF); Pernell Halona, Navajo Nation Council Delegate; Gertrude Lee, SWIF Board of Directors; Father Henry Sands, director of the National Black and Indian Mission Office and member of the Ojibway, Ottawa and Potawatomi Tribes; Bishop James Wall, Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup; Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; Victoria Begay, SWIF Board of Directors. Red with turquoise necklace: Florence Sousea of Laguna Pueblo. Lady on the right with white hair is Lily Etsitty, president of the Tohatchi Kateri Circle, and the lady in the denim is Kathy Bowman, president of the Ft. Defiance Kateri Circle. All the way to the right is Angela Riley of Laguna Pueblo. Photo courtesy Diocese of Gallup

By Catholic News Service GALLUP, N.M. (CNS) -- The rosary walk at a new shrine to be built in the Gallup Diocese to honor St. Kateri Tekakwitha “will imitate” the life and example of the Native American saint, popularly known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” said Gallup Bishop James S. Wall.

“We will take advantage of the natural beauty that God offers to us, as the rosary will wind its way through the beautiful landscape that he has already given to us,” he added in remarks during the Aug. 11 groundbreaking for the shrine.

“We will rely on the intercession of Our Lady, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who we know first appeared to an indigenous person, that being St. Juan Diego. And so this shrine will be a special place for everyone, but especially to the indigenous people of this land, the Native American peoples of this land.”

The shrine is being built through a new partnership of the diocese, the Knights of Columbus and the Southwest Indian Foundation.

The Knights announced its participation in the initiative during its Supreme Convention in Minneapolis in early August.

The groundbreaking event featured drumming as well as the Butterfly and Eagle dances from members of the Laguna tribe. Besides Bishop Wall, others who spoke were Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, and Father Henry Sands, director of the Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington.

“Today in the United States, as many as one in four Native Americans are Catholic. And yet, in many ways, these brothers and sisters in the faith have been forgotten,” said Anderson. “It is our hope that in the years to come, this St. Kateri Shrine will become a national spiritual home for Native Americans and for all Catholics.”

“This shrine is particularly meaningful for Native American Catholics because it’s dedicated to St. Kateri Tekakwitha,” said Father

Sands, a priest of the Detroit Archdiocese, who is a member of the Ojibwe, Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes.

“It’s an acknowledgement of the role that she plays in the Catholic Church, not just as an example for Native Americans, but for all Catholics. It’s also a recognition of Native people,” he said in his remarks.

“To recognize a saint who is Native American and to have it located in this diocese, which has the highest percentage of Native American Catholics in the United States, is very significant.”

Construction on the new shrine began Aug. 12; the tentative date for its completion is August 2021. We anticipate the shrine will attract pilgrims and tourists from across North America and throughout the world to Gallup each year.

The shrine will include a chapel, museum, and 30 outdoor rosary stations. Each station will be marked by a niche, and each niche will be designed by a Catholic artist from a distinct Native American tribe.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was canonized as a saint in 2012 and is the first Native American Catholic saint. She is the patron saint of Native American, First Nations and indigenous peoples.

New cardinals: Pope’s choices stress dialogue, care for poor

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After the consistory to create new cardinals in early October, Pope Francis will have chosen more than half of the men who will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect his successor.

And despite what critics of Pope Francis filled social media with Sept. 1 about him setting up the college to elect a successor just like him, it should be remembered that then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio was created a cardinal by St. John Paul. And he was elected pope in 2013 in a conclave where 42 percent of the cardinal electors were created cardinals by St. John Paul and the remaining 58 percent of the voters were named by Pope Benedict.

Personal opinions about the needs of the church at any given moment and about who would be the best person to lead obviously are at play in a conclave. But the cardinals also invoke the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and make a very solemn oath in casting their ballots: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.”

After arriving late for the midday recitation of the Angelus prayer Sept. 1 because he was stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes, Pope Francis announced he would create 13 new cardinals Oct. 5.

Ten of the prelates he chose are under the age of 80 and, therefore, would be eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a pope. A cardinal who has turned 80 before the papacy is vacant participates in pre-conclave meetings to discuss the needs of the church but does not process into the Sistine Chapel and does not cast ballots for a new pope.

Barring any deaths or resignations, once the new cardinals receive their red hats in early October, the College of Cardinals will have 128 members eligible to vote in a conclave. Within 10 days of the consistory, four cardinals will celebrate their 80th birthdays, leaving 124 electors.

Of those 124, Pope Francis will have made 66 of them cardinals, which is 53 percent of the electors. The other electors will include 16 cardinals created by St. John Paul II and 42 made cardinals by

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WORLD NEWS now-retired Pope Benedict XVI. While a majority in the next conclave will have Pope Francis to thank for their red hats and new responsibilities, to be elected pope a candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes.

Announcing the new cardinals, Pope Francis said they illustrate “the missionary vocation of the church that continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all men and women of the earth.”

A commitment to the poor, to caring for migrants and refugees and to engaging in dialogue with all people are characteristics many in the group of 13 share.

Among the over-80 cardinals is Lithuanian Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius, who, a year ago, joined Pope Francis on a prayerful tour of the former KGB headquarters in Vilnius.

The archbishop had been imprisoned from 1983 to 1988 for “anti-Soviet propaganda.” As a Jesuit priest, in 1972 he began publishing the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, an underground newsletter documenting communist repression of the church.

Despite repeated questioning by the KGB, he managed to publish and distribute the chronicle for more than 10 years and, once he was arrested, others continued his work.

One of the new cardinal electors will be Guatemalan Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini Imeri of Huehuetenango, a human rights defender whose support for environmental activists has earned him death threats.

Two Roman Curia officials tapped to become cardinals hold positions that would have been considered automatic red-hat posts before Pope Francis came on the scene: Spanish Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, 67, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; and Portuguese Archbishop Jose Tolentino Calaca de Mendonca, 53, Vatican archivist and librarian.

The surprising Curia pick was Jesuit Father Michael Czerny, one of two undersecretaries for migrants and refugees in the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Cardinal-designate Czerny, who was born in 1949 in what was Czechoslovakia and who migrated with his family to Canada when he was 2, worked in a variety of social justice ministries in Canada, Central America and Africa before coming to the Vatican.

According to canon law, he will need to be ordained a bishop before receiving his red hat Oct. 5, although he could request a dispensation. He did not respond Sept. 1 to a question about his possible ordination.

Pope Francis’ choices continue to pay little attention to the large archdioceses traditionally led by cardinals, such as Milan and Venice.

But he will give a red hat to Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, where all but one of the archbishops in the last 400 years had been a cardinal. The only exception was Archbishop Enrico Manfredini, who led the archdiocese for only eight months in 1983 before he died at the age of 61.

In selecting cardinals, Pope Francis has made it a point to increase the geographical profile of the College of Cardinals. The conclave that elected him included participants from 48 nations; the 128 electors in the expanded college will include prelates from 68 countries.

Bishop in Amazon says Brazilian government should not fear October synod SAO PAULO (CNS) -- With a month to go before the start of the Synod of Bishops for Amazon, retired Bishop Erwin Krautler of Xingu

said the Brazilian government should not fear the discussions to be held in Rome. “The synod is for and by the bishops. Discussions will involve church issues, not sovereign state issues,” Bishop Krautler said in a national radio interview Sept. 4. Since mid-August, Brazil has been embroiled in a crisis due to the widespread burning of the Amazon forest this year. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has insinuated that nongovernmental organizations, many international, were responsible for the increased burnings. He also has hinted that extensive media exposure is the work of “foreign powers” wanting to internationalize the forest. Bishop Krautler said if government officials read Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” “the text explains how the church views the environment situation.” He said the Brazilian government’s concern about losing sovereignty over the Amazon region is exaggerated.

“The Amazon is of global interest,” he said, but added, “but it is not a question of sovereignty (rights). No one thinks the Amazon should be internationalized. That is absurd. I don’t know where they (government officials) got that idea from.”

Carnegie Hall musicians help moms write lullabies for their babies NEW YORK (CNS) -- Lullabies have been sung by parents to their children for time immemorial. At Siena House, a temporary residence for families in the Bronx, parents are continuing the tradition by crafting their own memorable lullabies that are emerging from personal experience and deeply held emotions. With the help of artists from Carnegie Hall, the Lullaby Project is helping parents who are experiencing significant life crises -- homelessness or domestic Continued on page 30

Cardinals attend a consistory led by Pope Francis to create new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in this June 28, 2018, file photo.

The pope announced Sept. 1 that he will create 13 new cardinals at an Oct. 5 consistory. CNS photo/Paul Haring

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WORLD NEWS violence -- bond with their children through the creation of personal lullabies. Composer and music educator Thomas Cabaniss and other Carnegie Hall artists developed the project in 2011. “The project was structured over the course of a month,” said Tiffany Ortiz, assistant director of early childhood programs at Carnegie Hall. “Eight to 10 women and seven Carnegie Hall artists spent an hour together, to establish a level of trust. The mothers wrote letters to their babies, including nicknames, hopes, dreams and wishes for their child. They distilled those key phrases and put hearts around the words they wanted in the lyrics to their lullabies. Then they worked on the music side.” The result was so positive that, in 2013, officials at the New York City Department of Homeless Services recommended Siena House be one of the first places for the Lullaby Project to expand. “At first, there was some hesitancy from the mothers,” said Dominican Sister Mary Doris, Siena House director. “They were not sure they would ever be able to compose a lullaby for their babies.”

Marking start of WWII, Polish, German bishops urge new peace efforts WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Catholic bishops from Poland and Germany have warned that peace and unity are still needed in Europe, 80 years after the start of World War II. “Poland was the first victim, suffering six years’ occupation, accompanied by untold cruelty and a destructive policy for exterminating the Polish nation, especially its Jewish population,” said the joint statement, signed by Polish Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki and German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the two bishops’ conference presidents. “Eighty years after the war’s outbreak, today’s generations in Poland, Germany and Europe are experiencing many changes for the better. But the fruits of reconciliation must be handled responsibly and not superficially imperiled for political interests,” they said. The statement was published as state and government leaders gathered Sept. 1 to commemorate the Nazi attack on Poland, which was followed by a Soviet invasion from the east Sept. 17 under a secret pact between dictators Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin. The bishops said the pain of the war, which left 6 million Poles dead, was still felt today, together with damage and suffering inflicted by the subsequent mass deportation of Poles and Germans. Archbishop Gadecki told a Sept. 1 Mass in Poznan, Poland, that wartime Germany’s plans to reduce the Polish population by 80 percent had accustomed people to “hitherto unknown levels of contempt for humanity and the violation of rights.”

Catholic leaders respond with ‘heavy hearts’ to Texas shooting WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholic leaders across the United States reacted with sorrow and “heavy hearts” to a mass shooting in west Texas Aug. 31 that authorities said claimed seven lives and wounded 25 others. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement Sept. 1 that he was “deeply saddened to witness yet again scenes of violence and contempt for human life being repeated in our nation’s streets.” He said Catholics attending Sunday Mass Sept. 1 “do so with heavy hearts” thinking of these victims and victims of recent “gun

violence in California, Texas and Ohio.” He said the Aug. 31 shooting, which occurred as the gunman sped along highways in Odessa and Midland, Texas, “demonstrates unequivocally the undeniable existence of evil in our society.” Cardinal DiNardo also called on “people of goodwill,” including Catholic leaders and the faithful, “to work tirelessly to root out the causes of such crimes. As people of faith, we must continue to pray for all victims, and for healing in all these shattered communities that now extend across the length and breadth of our land,” he added.

Synods are not for deal-making, but for listening to Spirit, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Before a synod, bishops must learn what their people want and think and need, not so they can change church teaching, but so they can preach the Gospel more effectively, Pope Francis told the bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Forty-seven bishops from Ukrainian dioceses in Ukraine and 10 other nations, including the United States, Canada and Australia, met the pope Sept. 2 during their synod in Rome. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, told Pope Francis that “every bishop and representative of our local communities has made his journey to Rome carrying with him the sufferings and hopes of the people of God entrusted to our pastoral care.” The bishops, he said, want to be synodal -walking together with their people -- “not only during our sessions but also when we return to our communities. Because, in fact, one cannot walk while seated!” Speaking to the bishops, Pope Francis focused on Archbishop Shevchuk’s remarks and on how the Eastern Catholic churches, like the Orthodox churches, have a longer and uninterrupted history of decisions flowing from bishops’ synods.

“There is a danger,” the pope said, which is “thinking today that making a synodal journey or having an attitude of ‘synodality’ means investigating opinions -- what does this one and that one think -and then having a meeting to make an agreement. No! The synod is not a parliament!”

On September 29, the Vatican Marks 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees The Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees since 1914. It is always an occasion to express concern for many different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for the challenges and increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers. For 2019, Pope Francis has chosen the theme “It is not just about migrants” to show up our blind-spots and make sure no one remains excluded from society, whether a long-time resident or someone newly-arrived. Download the resource kit materials to use and share in your parish and ministries… to help overcome fear with hope! https://migrants-refugees.va/resource-center/world-dayof-migrants-refugees-2019/ You can read more about Pope Francis’ 2019 statement here: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/ messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20190527_worldmigrants-day-2019.html

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A broken immigration system decimates families, communities, and local economies.

But the Church offers hope.

Dr. Tim Muldoon

In a trailer park outside Canton, Mississippi, a 12-year-old boy named Ezequiel hops on his bike. His face is resolute and even stern. His pregnant mother, Alma, is wearing an exhausted and worried expression, and asks him where his going. “To find work,” Ezequiel says. His father has been taken away, and at this tender age he realizes that he is now the man of the house.

Alma is one of many whose husbands were rounded up when federal agents raided the chicken processing plant where they had been working for over a decade. Her friend Elena recounts the story during a Catholic Extension visit to Sacred Heart Church, one of several churches in the region that Catholic Extension has supported in recent years. Elena is currently caring for two other children whose parents have both been detained in the raid, and who were too terrified to tell agents that they had children at home alone.

Blanca, who works at the church, has invited Elena and another woman, Luz, to tell us their stories. She describes the pain she felt for Alma and Ezequiel, and how she told the boy to come to the church after school the next day to fill out a work application. She hastily put together something officiallooking, had the boy fill it out, and told him he was hired. “He needed to feel he was helping to support his mom,” she laments.

Blanca estimates that some 100 families from the parish have been impacted by the raids. Many do not know whom they can trust, but she assures Elena and Luz that they can tell their stories.

Luz, who to this point has not made eye contact, begins to open up. She is wearing an ankle bracelet that was given to her by the agents to track her movements while her immigration case is pending.

She recalls the change of shift, when she was leaving work and her husband was starting his shift, when 900 agents came, many with dogs. She immediately thought of her 7-year-old son who was beginning the first day of school. Later, when she told agents that he would be home alone, they released her.

Blanca says that Luz was one of many parishioners whose children were initially left without a parent to meet them after school. She immediately reached out to the pastor, Fr. Michael O’Brien, and they coordinated meeting the children, many of whom were crying. The Irish-born Fr. Michael expressed his gratitude that Catholic Extension was the first organization to send funds to address immediate needs. “This is the Katrina of our time,” he said, referring to the catastrophic disaster of 2005 that required faith communities in Mississippi to care for the sudden throngs of homeless and jobless people.

One high school student later described the scene: some of the kids at the school were mocking them because their parents were being detained. Many were too traumatized to return to school.

When Luz returned to the plant, desperate to hold onto her job now that

her husband was in detention, she was told that anyone with an ankle bracelet had to be let go. She was suddenly without an income, and without a husband.

She plunged into depression and could not leave the house for days.

A friend told her to seek out Sacred Heart, where the parish had set up a food pantry and an emergency legal clinic.

The union representing workers at the plants impacted came by with supplies, knowing that even while the people in detention were not union members, they still were important parts of the community.

According to the Center for Migration Studies, some 60% of undocumented migrants in the state of Mississippi have lived in the US for 15 years or more, meaning that they have become integral parts of local economies.

An American Immigration Council report on a similar 2006 raid in Iowa showed that it caused a localized economic recession for six months to a year, including foreclosures, which rose by 50%. Local businesses lost their customers.

The raids have been especially hard on children, American citizens who went to the first day of school and later learned that one or in some cases both parents had been arrested.

The Guadalupan Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit who serve at three churches in the region point to post-traumatic stresses affecting many. There is a desperate need for bilingual mental health counselors, a need which local public schools are unable to accommodate. Thankfully, some great organizations have stepped to help to provide counseling services. Meanwhile, Catholic Extension is planning to support counseling services to address this ongoing need in the months ahead. This will be particularly important if there are new causes of trauma for families, such as an adverse court decision that results in deportation of a family member.

It is a frightening time for many families, some of whom have lived, worked, and paid taxes in the United States for two decades.

In response to the desperate needs many immigrant families face every day, Catholic Extension established the Holy Family Fund to assist low-income families in the U.S. who are financially dependent on a parent that has been detained or deported for immigration reasons.

The program, carefully developed over a two-year period, provides funds and supportive services to U.S.-dwelling children and spouses who experience extreme economic insecurity and profound trauma in the wake of these abrupt family separations.

In times of crisis, families are turning to the Church, hoping that it will be a place that offers comfort and hope. You can help families in crisis across the country, including those in Mississippi, by supporting the Holy Family Fund at: www.catholicextension.org/holyfamilyfund

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september 2019

Contradictory Suicide Messaging In July 2014, police found the body of 18-year-old Conrad Roy inside his truck in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, having died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

As the case unfolded, it became apparent that a friend of his, 17-year-old Michelle Carter, had encouraged him toward suicide.

In a series of texts, she repeatedly pressured him to go through with it by sending messages like, “You keep pushing it off and say you’ll do it but u never do. It’s always gonna be that way if u don’t take action.”

As he sat in a remote spot in the Kmart parking lot, the truck’s cab filling up with fumes, he got cold feet and stepped out of his makeshift death chamber, seemingly conflicted about what he was doing. He then spoke with Michelle by phone, who coaxed him to continue the suicide. The call was not recorded, but months after his death, she texted another friend and recounted how Conrad had grown scared at the last moment, climbing out of the truck, and that she had told him to get back in.

She then listened over the phone as he succumbed to the fumes 47

minutes later.

Following a high profile trial that received extensive media coverage, Michelle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 2 1/2-years behind bars, of which she has to serve a minimum of 15 months. Prosecutors claimed that her motive may have been to gain attention and sympathy as the “grieving girlfriend.”

The case drew intense national and international attention, partly because it involved a relationship that had played out mostly through texts and Facebook messages.

Even though Michelle and Conrad lived less than an hour apart, they rarely met in person.

As Michelle was led away from the trial in handcuffs, the court of public opinion was virtually unanimous in condemning her actions as reprehensible. Her actions and the trial proceedings, however, also opened up broader questions about provocation toward suicide in a society like ours that increasingly devalues human life. In fact, the public reaction to Michelle’s behavior reveals

a striking irony at the heart of Conrad’s suicide.

The irony involves the moral outrage that surfaced regarding Michelle’s text messages. Similar indignation about encouraging someone to commit suicide is, paradoxically, almost entirely absent when it comes to “physician-assisted” suicide.

Michelle’s text messages embraced the same key ideas that lawmakers in nine states have now enacted through legislation, namely, that it’s sometimes allowable to encourage and participate in suicide. Most legislation, however, only permits those in the medical field, those dressed in white lab coats, as it were, to be involved.

This requirement seems quite arbitrary, of course, if the real goal is to alleviate suffering by eliminating the sufferer. After all, Michelle was convinced she was acting compassionately by assisting Conrad to escape from what she claimed was his misery, depression and intense emotional and psychological suffering. Who is to say that Michelle was wrong if the white lab coats are right? If it

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were deplorable for Michelle Carter to facilitate Conrad Roy’s suicide, how can it be good for physicians and other health care workers to facilitate the suicides of their ailing patients who are at least as fragile and vulnerable as Conrad was?

This remarkable moral schizophrenia may soon be enshrined in a new piece of legislation that claims to outlaw participation in a person’s suicide.

Massachusetts state lawmakers and Conrad’s family gathered in July 2019 at the Statehouse to introduce Conrad’s Law, a bill making it a crime to encourage or assist a person in taking his or her life. On the face of it, the law obviously seems like a sensible piece of legislation, but even as lawmakers were trying to stop people from assisting at suicides like Conrad Roy’s, they were simultaneously seeking to protect medical personnel who might assist at the suicides of their patients. The double standard was impossible to miss, with Conrad’s Law including an explicit subsection exempting those involved in physicianassisted suicide from prosecution.

Even though physician-assisted suicide is not yet legal in the Massachusetts Commonwealth, another bill promoting it is under active consideration by the legislature.

Society really can’t have it both ways, glamorizing the act of suicide in some cases and demonizing it in others. By yielding to the proposition that suicide is not an evil to be repudiated, but a form of “relief” to be conferred on those who suffer, we effectively abandon our neighbors, the Conrads and countless others, in their moment of greatest need.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

See www.ncbcenter.org

PEOPLE of GOD

september 2019

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Rest in Peace Deacon Phillip Salazar, III Deacon Phillip Salazar, III, passed on July 31, 2019 at the age of 60. He was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in July 2003 and assigned to the Church of Incarnation in Rio Rancho. In 2005, he moved to California and begin serving outside the archdiocese, most recently at St. Joseph’s Parish in Cotati, California.

Deacon Phillip was born in Albuquerque on January 27, 1959, to Felipe Jr. and Celina Salazar (nee Mueller) the youngest son in a family of six children.

Phillip is survived by his wife Starr and children Natasha and Kevin Clarke, Lauren and Steve Motzenbecker, and Christopher and Juliana Salazar; seven grandchildren Sophia, Agnes, Alathea, Georgia, Benjamin, Liam, and Joseph, his mother Celina and five siblings and by his large, loving extended family of aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Felipe Jr.

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PEOPLE of GOD

TV Mass Schedule The Catholic Center St. Joseph/St. Francis ChapelOver the air television Sunday at 6:30 a.m. on KRQE TV-13-2, KBIM TV-10-2, KREZ TV-6-2 and KASY-My50TVCable or satellite providers on KRQE TV-13, KBIM TV-10, KREZ TV-6, FOX 2 American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretedTV 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 87120Check out Sunday and daily readings at www.usccb.org

Archbishop’s Schedule

SEPTEMBER 17 Tue 10:00am Presbyteral Council, Madonna Center, Alb

2:00pm Personnel Board, Madonna Center, Alb 19 Thu 12:00pm Rio Grande Credit Union Golf Tournament-Catholic Charities, Sandia Golf Course 20 Fri 11:30am Keynote Catholic Foundation Awards Luncheon, Sandia Resort, Alb 21 Sat 9:00am LDS Interfaith Strengthening the Family Event, Continuing Education Conference Center 24 Tue 12:00pm Blue Mass, Albuquerque St. Jude Thaddeus, Alb 25 Wed 8:30am Mass for CCUSA, Albuquerque Conference Center 26 Thu 2:00pm Executive Finance Committee, TBD 5:30pm Catholic Charities USA Mass, Immaculate Conception, Alb 27 Fri 6:00pm Archbishop School Fund Dinner, Sandia Resort, Alb 28 Sat 1:00pm Spanish Listening Session, Clovis OCTOBER 3 Thu 7:00pm Come to Christ Gathering, TBD 5 Sat 10:00am Cursillo Mass, Santa Fe 6 Sun 2:00pm Annual Rosary Rally 50th Anniversary, Isotopes Stadium, Alb 8 Tue 1:00pm Executive Presbyteral, Catholic Center, Albuquerque

2:00pm Curia, Catholic Center, Alb 9-10 ==== Province Meeting, Tucson, AZ 14-18 ==== Priest Convocation, Taos

september 2019

Basic Theology Course Schedule Introduction to Scripture: Saturdays, September 14, 21 & 28 and October 12 & 19.

Time: 10:00 am to Noon • Instructor: Mary Reinhardt Location: Lourdes Hall, ABQ. Note that this course will be video streamed to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Clovis with Dcn. Bob Pullings facilitating discussion.

Introduction to Church History: Mondays, September 30 – October 28 Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm • Instructor: Joel Hopko Location: San Isidro Parish, Santa Fe

Advanced Theology Course The Catholic Epistles – James 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude: Saturdays, September 28 & October 26 Time: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm • Instructor: Dr. Jason Rodarte Location: St. Anne’s Parish, ABQ In The Footsteps of Francis – The Call of St. Francis of Assisi: Mondays, Sept 23, 30 & October 7 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm • Instructor: Sr. Paula Gallagher Location: San Isidro Parish, Santa Fe Mary, Woman of Light: Mondays, October 14, 21 & 28 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm • Instructor: Sr. Paula Gallagher Location: San Isidro Parish, Santa Fe Matthew – Scribe of Things Old and New: Mondays, January 23 & 30, February 6 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm • Instructor: Sr. Paula Gallagher Location: San Isidro Parish, Santa Fe

september 2019

PEOPLE of GOD

FREE FAMILY STRONG CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 21, AIMS TO EMPOWER AND INSPIRE NEW MEXICO FAMILIES

By Erica Asmus-Otero

In Philippians 2:4, we are called to help each other, “Let each of you look not only on his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” We all need a helping hand every now and then, especially when it comes to parenting. No one needs to struggle in silence with issues that are often very common within our families.

If you desire to become a better parent, better communicator or better person in general, the first ever Family Strong Conference in New Mexico may be a good first step. This free event is open to families of all (and no) faith backgrounds.

The conference is relevant for anyone who has a family - singles, married couples, parents, and grandparents. Nearly a dozen speakers will lead breakout sessions, which allow participants to choose the topics that pertain to them.

For example, a parent whose child is hooked on video gaming, for example, will benefit from two breakout sessions: “When Screentime Becomes a Wall Between Us” and “Net Safety: Protecting our Children from the Dark Side of the Internet”. Likewise, families who struggle with keeping their emotions in check especially during a disagreement or when a child refuses to obey, would benefit from breakout sessions such as, “Taking the Stress out of Relationships” or “Are Your Emotions in the Driver’s Seat?”.

The conference will open with remarks by organizers Archbishop John C. Wester and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Elder Maxsimo Torres, followed by a special performance by special needs dance group, Sunshine Ambassadors.

Keynote speaker and best-selling author Dr. Foster Cline will begin the conference at 9:30 a.m., with a fascinating look at how to raise responsible children with “grit and coping skills.” Dr. Cline will close the conference at 2 p.m. with a no nonsense approach to de-stressing our relationships.

Throughout the event, on-site childcare for children ages 3-11 years old is available at no charge to parents. Parents must register in advance on the Family Strong Conference website in order to utilize the childcare. Parents will also be able to break away with their children and explore art as an emotional connection. Lunch is free as well.

The Family Strong Conference will take place at the University of New Mexico’s Continuing Education Conference Center at 1634 University Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, from 8:30 a.m. To 3 p.m. The conference is a collaboration between the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

A full schedule of breakout sessions is available at www.familystrongnm.org/ agenda. Updates can be found at the Family Strong Conference of New Mexico Facebook page as well. To register, visit www.familystrongnm.org.

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