October 12, 2007 by Catholic San Francisco

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

Abu Ghraib’s investigator slams handling of scandal The Abu Ghraib prison abuse was actually more severe than reported in mainstream media outlets and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was less than honest in his knowledge of the notorious scandal, charges the retired Army major general who headed the investigation of the abuse. In an Oct. 4 appearance at the University of San Francisco’s Center for the Pacific Rim, retired Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba accused Rumsfeld of being untruthful with him and also misleading Congress when the former Secretary of Defense claimed he had not read the Army official’s report.

“I would find it rather disturbing if no one had forwarded the report to the secretary of defense,” said Taguba. “I do not believe he had not seen the report.” In 2004, amidst allegations of abuse in its military prisons in Iraq, the Army ordered Taguba to conduct an investigation at Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad. Although by order of his commanding officers his investigation was limited in scope to the military police at Abu Ghraib, Taguba was nevertheless critical of military intelligence, the CIA and private contractors for their roles in abuse at the prison. Accompanying the report were more ABU GHRAIB, page 8

By Michael Vick

St. Vincent ruling due Oct. 16 Marin County Supervisors are expected to make a final decision on land use issues related to St. Vincent School for Boys at a Civic Center meeting in San Rafael Oct. 16. Officials are finalizing an update to the Countywide Plan, which is Marin’s guide for land use and future growth. At an earlier public hearing Sept. 25, three of the five county Supervisors indicated tentative agreement with a St. Vincent plan to create a “Community of Care” that would include senior and caregiver housing on a small portion of the school’s property north of San Rafael, with 85 percent of the school’s 770 acres of land dedicated to open space. With the future of St. Vincent’s residential care facility for at-risk boys at stake, pastors of parishes in Marin are urging parishioners and others to attend the 1:30 p.m. Supervisors’ meeting Oct. 16 to once again demonstrate community support for St. Vincent’s plan.

Ava Alexandra Ragasa, 6, admires the floral display submitted to the Cathedral Festival of Flowers from Good Shepherd Parish, Pacifica. A student at St. Thomas More School, Ava is the daughter of Norman and Mariluz Ragasa. See festival winners on Page 3.

‘Your mother’s a nun?’ ‘Sister Moms’ respond to call to religious life By Liz Dossa “Your mother’s a nun?” Sister Pat Galli’s son, Mark, receives amazed looks when he tells friends about his mom. She’s “Grammy” to his kids, “Sister Pat” to parishioners of Most Holy Trinity in San Jose where she ministers, and simply “Pat” to the rest of the Burlingame Sisters of Mercy community. She is not alone. A U.S. group of women religious who are mothers, called Sister Moms, includes about 100 members. Almost all widows or divorced women with annulments, they share the experience of entering religious life in mid-life when their children are independent. Mark, for example, was in college when his mother told him of her decision to enter the Sisters of Mercy 18 years ago. “These days there are more stages to life,” said Sister Cindy Kaye, vocation director for the Burlingame Mercy

Mercy Sister Pat Galli is “Grammy” to her grandsons Colin Lola and Declan Galli.

Sisters. “Women in this age group are definitely seeking religious community. For mothers, spirituality was never put first. Now, if they have time and energy, they can focus on the spiritual life.” Sister Elaine Stahl’s five children have also accepted her transformation from a deeply prayerful hospice nurse to a member of the Mercy community. She will take perpetual vows in January in Auburn, Calif. Sister Nancy Uhl is a widow and affiliate (postulant) of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur whose adult daughter, Sarah, said “Go for it, Mom!” when she heard about her mother’s growing sense that the Sisters of Notre Dame are where she belonged. Sister Pat’s children, in a sense, prompted her discernment process. When she brought them for religious education classes at Daly City’s St. Andrew Parish in the early 1970s, the person registering them asked, “Which CCD class would SISTER MOMS, page 12

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Archbishop statement. . . . . . 5 ‘The War’ reviewed . . . . . . . . 9 Vocations . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13 Scripture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Bioethicists see threats to dignity of human life

Assumpta and Patron Awards announced

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October 12, 2007

Holy Spirit meet photos tell Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 story of intense prayer Classified ads . . . . . . . . 22-23 ~ Page 21 ~ www.catholic-sf.org

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS

VOLUME 9

•

No. 30

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

On The

Enjoying John Johnson’s birthday party were, back from left: Paul, Michael and Mark Johnson; Ted, Hannah and Teresa Mumm; Mary and John Johnson; Kathy, Jim and Mary Phillips; Blake Dournaee, and front from left: Toni Johnson; Meagan and Kristine Phillips; Katie and Mark Lieberman.

Where You Live by Tom Burke I just heard Wesla Whitfield sing and if you haven’t already, you gotta’ get this woman into your life. The occasion was Wesla in concert – though more truthfully it was more like Wesla among us – at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. The ballroom of the school’s Ralston Hall Mansion had a kind of supper club feel with cozy lighting, chatter among the audience and a piano and bass at the wait. The singer owned the room from her first entrance. She jokes and reminisces and trades barbs with her husband and accompanist, Mike Greensill, but more than anything she makes music. Her closing number was “Make Someone Happy.” She did. Students in Notre Dame’s music program also performed. They entertained the crowd of about 125 with songs from shows including “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Les Miserables” and “Nine.” You’ll be hearing from them all: Laurie Nellesen, Kristopher Hauck, Kelly Jean Hammond, Alexis Flores and Michael Reed. Their accompanist was John Florencio. Wesla Whitfield, several of the students, and more than a dozen additional performers bring “Follies” in-concert to Ralston

Mansion Oct. 26 and 28. This Stephen Sondheim score ranks high with me. Wesla will sing the role of Sally, originated on Broadway by Dorothy Collins - for those of us old enough to remember television’s “Hit Parade” - and entrusted with what has become through the years, the show’s big number, “Losing My Mind.” My faves have always been “I’m Still Here” and “Too Many Mornings.” Proceeds benefit music scholarships at the school. See Datebook for curtain times and ticket information…. Helping guide the way at St. Charles Borromeo Elementary are student council members Jaime Bonifacio, Angela Telles, Shanika Arboleda, Julio Morales, Alexis Gania and Majah Bautista. Dominican Sister Georgina Delgado is beginning her second year as principal at the San Francisco school. “The children are very good,” Sister

Among those pitching in on St. Peter Elementary’s recent Dimes from Heaven were student council members Ashley Montoya (front left), Melissa Anguiano, Carissa Gomez, Jahzel Castillo, Karla Torres and Grecia Torres with faculty moderators Sandra Jimenez, left, Charles Sabatini, Katie Caspersen.

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Georgina said, telling me before St. Charles she had served for 19 years at a school in Maui, Hawaii with only 84 students. “Now I have 200 more,” she said laughing…. Students at St. Peter Elementary “dropped the dime” on disaster with a “Dimes for Heaven” campaign that raised more than $1,900 for causes including victims of the earthquakes in Peru. “Dimes truly fell from heaven,” the school said in a note telling us about the noble effort. Hats off to all who made it work, including principal. Victoria Butler and Mercy Sister Marian Rose Power, assistant principal …. Happy Birthday to John Johnson, a longtime parishioner of St. Charles in San Carlos, and 90 years old June 20. At his side, of course, was his wife, Mary – they’ve been married 63 years – their children and another 150 family members and friends including three of John’s siblings, Dorothy Zipperle and Betty Wild from Kentucky and Tom Johnson in from Ohio. A slide show chronicled John’s nine decades and a “personalized music medley” by Kris Sachs also marked the occasion…. Happy Birthday to Paulist Father Jim Donovan who was 66 years old Aug. 29. Father Jim, a Rhode Island native, currently ministers at Chinatown’s Holy Family Mission where he also served in the 70s and 80s. The same good wishes, please, to Paulist Father Phil Cunningham who turned 85 May 23. Father Phil now lives at Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland. “My priesthood has been very good and very rewarding,” he told me. Also celebrating a birthday – 42 years old Aug. 9 – is Paulist Father Ricky Manalo known for his musical works including “Many and Great” and now working toward a post graduate degree in liturgy and culture at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Father Ricky’s newest CD is “This Holy Light” and is available from www.ocp.org. “My priesthood has been wonderful,” he let me know….This is an empty space without ya’! The e-mail address for Street is burket@sfarchdiocese.org. Mailed items should be sent to “Street,” One Peter Yorke Way, SF 94109. Pix should be hard copy or electronic jpeg at 300 dpi. Don’t forget to include a follow-up phone number. Call me at (415) 614-5634 and I’ll walk you through it.

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October 12, 2007

Catholic San Francisco

CCCYO lawsuit makes headway for crime victims Immigrants who help police and prosecutors put away criminals will be able to apply for special visas beginning later this month. Peter Schey, an attorney representing Catholic Charities CYO of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and other groups in a lawsuit demanding the federal government implement the long-overdue visa program, said forms for the new Uvisa will be available starting Oct. 17. The move comes two months after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff approved the final regulations and application form for the program. Lawyers representing Chertoff announced the decision in August during a court hearing in Catholic Charities’ suit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can grant up to 10,000 U-visas each year. The visas authorize the holder to remain in the United States for up to four years. About 7,000 people have sought U-visa status and 5,800 have been approved on an interim basis. The local archdiocesan CCCYO’s Refugee and Immigrant Services Program has a caseload of about 150 people who officials feel qualify for U-visas. “In short, immigrants who have been the victims of violent crimes and have cooperated with law-enforcement agencies or prosecutors will be eligible to obtain U-visas, which is in essence a three-year visa accompanied by employment authorization,” said Schey of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law in Los Angeles. After three years, holders of U-visas are eligible to apply for green cards, he said. Congress created the U classification in 2000 with passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act, a law that includes the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act. The law was intended to give law-enforcement agencies more power to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking in aliens and other crimes while offering protection for the victims. To be eligible, an applicant must have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of certain qualifying crimes violating U.S. laws. The applicant must help in the investigation or prosecution. Qualifying crimes include murder, rape, torture, sexual exploitation, extortion, witness tampering, obstruction of justice and false imprisonment. They also include crimes

By Rick DelVecchio

Judged “Best in Show” at the first annual Cathedral Festival of Flowers at St. Mary’s Cathedral Oct. 4-7 was a submission from Old Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish. Pictured with the arrangement are, from left: Marilyn Knight, coordinator, Little Flower Festival; Archbishop George H. Niederauer; Timothy Keller and Leighton Louie. Keller and Louie, who oversee art and environment at Old St. Mary’s, designed and implemented the piece.

targeting immigrants, such as domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual abuse. Filed in March, the lawsuit led by Catholic Charities charged that the government had failed to implement the program despite repeated urgings by advocates for immigrants and crime victims. The delay discouraged victims from reporting crimes and allowed criminals to get away, according to the suit. The suit remains active as advocates ask the court to clear additional hurdles to implementing the program as Congress intended. A key issue yet to be resolved is a requirement that visa requests be signed by the chief of the law-enforcement agency assisted by the applicant. Schey termed the rule “an insurmountable obstacle to applicants.” “The heads of these agencies are too busy to get involved in signing certifications regarding cases they may not know anything about,” he said.

ST. JUDE NOVENA October 20-28, 2007 Masses: M-F: 8:00 am & 5:30 pm Sat: 8:00 am Sun: 9:30 & 11:30 am Preacher of the Novena will be Fr. Carl Schlichte, O.P. Pilgrimage Processional: Sat. Oct. 27th from St. Ignatius Church, (Parker & Fulton Sts.) to St. Dominic’s, 10:15 am—11:20 am.

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Catholic San Francisco

NEWS

October 12, 2007

in brief

California priest brigadier general SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (CNS) — Father Jack K. Sewell, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church in San Clemente, has been promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Father Sewell was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Orange in 1978 and commissioned in the Air Force Reserve in 1981. As a brigadier general, Father Sewell serves as the mobilization assistant to the Air Force chief of chaplains, with headquarters at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington. He will advise the chief of chaplains on issues related to the training, readiness and utilization of the 560 Air Reserve Chaplain Service personnel.More than 2,200 Air Force chaplains serve alongside the more than 400,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces stationed in the U.S. and overseas.

Urged to aid K-12 schools PALO ALTO, Calif. (CNS) — Catholic colleges and universities must team up with foundations to help strengthen Catholic elementary and high schools, especially by identifying trends and helping schools respond to them, a leading foundation official said. Francis J. Butler, president of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, spoke Sept. 28 in Palo Alto at a conference on “The Revitalization of American Catholic Education.” “More than ever before, the Church has the benefit of active and informed major donors deeply interested and involved in Catholic schools,” he said. “But this new activism is also a formidable challenge for the schools,” Butler added. “For institutions unaccustomed to the culture of business, the language and practice of social investing, partnerships and quality control is a tall order. Add to this the intricacies of having to qualify for public funding through federal and state initiatives, and one can easily appreciate how much the schools must rely on outside assistance.”

Historian heads Vatican paper VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has chosen an Italian church historian, Giovanni Maria Vian, as the new director of the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. Vian, 55, has taught patristic philology at the Rome

university La Sapienza and has been a longtime contributor to the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire. He has specialized in studies on early Christianity and Judaism and on the contemporary papacy. He replaces Mario Agnes, who directed the newspaper for 23 years. The Vatican also announced appointment of a new vice director, Carlo Di Cicco, 63, director of the Italian Catholic news agency ASCA. Accredited as a journalist at the Vatican since 1973, he is considered one of the most knowledgeable reporters on the Vatican beat. In addition to its main daily edition in Italian, L’Osservatore Romano publishes weekly editions in six other languages, including English.

ly broke down after six hours of depositions to attorneys for the victims. Callahan said in the Oct. 5 statement the diocese would continue to fight the “unwarranted” attack on the characters of Bishop Brown and Msgr. Urell.

Jewish leaders meet with pope VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the new leaders of the World Jewish Congress to the Vatican. Ronald S. Lauder, elected president of the congress in June, said his talks at the Vatican Oct. 8 focused on interreligious dialogue and on anti-Semitism in a number of European countries. While the congress issued a press release after the meeting, the Vatican simply announced the pope had met the officers of the congress, which represents Jewish communities in more than 80 countries. Lauder “called on the pontiff to take action against those in the church who wanted to do damage to the close and positive relationship between Christians and Jews,” the congress press statement said.

(CNS PHOTO/GREG TARCZYNSKI)

Orange to pay $7 million ORANGE, Calif. (CNS) — Bishop Tod D. Brown of Orange has agreed to settle four sexual abuse cases involving lay employees of the Church and female high-school students for nearly $7 million. The settlement, announced Oct. 2, was in addition to a $100 million settlement in 2005 involving 90 claimants alleging sexual abuse by clergy of the Orange Diocese. “The settlement of these civil cases represents the moral obligation of the Church for such behavior by adults in positions of responsibility,” Bishop Brown said in a statement. “By settling these cases I sincerely hope that it will enable the women who brought these actions to begin the process of healing and reconciliation.” One of the cases, Jane C.R. Doe v. Andrade, Mater Dei High School and the Diocese of Orange, had been scheduled to go to trial the week of Oct. 8. The other cases involved a teacher at Santa Margarita Catholic High School and a choir director at two parishes. Still pending is a contempt-of-court motion filed against Bishop Brown by attorneys for the abuse victims. The motion alleges the bishop sent Msgr. John Urell, pastor of St. Norbert Parish in Orange and former vicar general, to a residential treatment facility in Canada as a tactic to keep him from testifying. “The recommendation to place Msgr. Urell in a residential treatment facility was made by Msgr. Urell himself, his doctors, his family, close friends and the diocesan vicar for priests,” the diocese said in a Sept. 14 statement. No allegations have been made against Msgr. Urell, who reported-

Elizabeth Ezekwem of St. Michael Parish in Livermore, carries an image of Mary and the Christ Child as she marches with a Nigerian group at the beginning of the 15th annual Chautauqua at St. Stephen Parish in Walnut Creek, Oct. 6. The Chautauqua, a Native American word meaning a gathering of peoples, celebrates the diversity of the Oakland Diocese.

Vatican urges nuke treaty VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican called on the United States, North Korea, China, India, Pakistan and other nations to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. “The climate of terrorism caused by criminal organizations is not eliminated by the fear which is linked to the threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction by states,” said Msgr. Michael W. Banach, a Vatican diplomat. Both terrorism and the threat of using nuclear weapons “are an offense to the human family,” he said. Msgr. Banach led the Vatican delegation to the late September Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.

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Catholic san Francisco Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

Most Reverend George H. Niederauer, publisher Maurice E. Healy, associate publisher & executive editor Editorial Staff: Dan Morris-Young, editor; Tom Burke, “On the Street” and Datebook; Rick DelVecchio, assistant editor; Michael Vick, reporter

Advertising: Joseph Pena, director; Mary Podesta, account representative Sandy Finnegan, advertising and promotion services Production: Karessa McCartney, manager Business Office: Marta Rebagliati, assistant business manager; Judy Morris, circulation and subscriber services Advisory Board: Jeffrey Burns, Ph.D., James Clifford, Fr. Thomas Daly, James Kelly, Deacon William Mitchell, Kevin Starr, Ph.D.

Catholic San Francisco editorial offices are located at One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109. Tel: (415) 614-5640;Circulation: 1-800-563-0008 or (415) 614-5638; News fax: (415) 614-5633; Advertising: (415) 614-5642; Advertising fax: (415) 614-5641; Advertising E-mail: penaj@sfarchdiocese.org Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published weekly (four times per month) September through May, except in the week following Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, and twice a month in June, July and August by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, CA. Annual subscription price: $27 within California, $36 outside the state. Postmaster: Send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014 If there is an error in the mailing label affixed to this newspaper, call 1-800-563-0008. It is helpful to refer to the current mailing label.

October 12, 2007

Catholic San Francisco

St. Lorenzo novena culminates at Cathedral

Archbishop George H. Niederauer (center) was principal celebrant of a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Mary’s Cathedral Sept. 28 at the completion of a nine-day novena staged at nine different parishes in the Archdiocese commemorating the 20th anniversary of St. Lorenzo Ruiz’s canonization. A native of Manila, the Filipino saint was martyred in the 17th century. Pictured at the altar are, from left: Deacon Pete Pelimiano, visiting Bishop Patrick Buzon, SDB, Deacon Ricardo Viray, Archbishop Niederauer, and Msgr. Floro Arcamo, vicar to the Filipino Community. Above right is a statue of the saint from St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Francisco.

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Archbishop Niederauer issues comment on pastoral visit In response to an inquiry from LifeSite News about his Oct. 7 pastoral visit to Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco during which he presided and preached at the 10 a.m. Mass, Archbishop George H. Niederauer issued the following comment Oct. 9: In the past when the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or other groups have ridiculed the Church I have denounced their actions. Only a week ago, Catholic San Francisco carried my remarks condemning the derisive use of the Last Supper on a poster printed by some other local group.

On Sunday I noticed no protest, no demonstration, no disruption of the Sunday Eucharist. The congregation was devout and the liturgy was celebrated with reverence. Toward the end of the Communion line two strangely dressed persons came to receive Communion. I did not see any mock religious garb. As I recall, one of them wore a large flowered hat or garland. After Mass, and during the reception in the parish hall, I met a number of religious Sisters who live and work in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and who had attended the Mass. None of them commented or complained about anyone in the congregation.

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SCRIPTURE SEARCH By Patricia Kasten

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THROUGH SAYING HE SAID HEALED FEET THE OTHER FOREIGNER

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Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

Bioethicists warn of threats to dignity of human life Market-driven medical technology applied at the beginning and end of life is a growing threat to human dignity, speakers for the National Catholic Bioethics Center told a conference in San Francisco Oct. 3. Catholics must counter with an uncompromising defense of Christian ethics that also encourages lawful innovation to nurture and sustain life, the speakers said. The speakers made the case that Catholic teaching provides the most reasonable possible framework for decisions about human life in any clinical or research setting. “I always encourage people that if you’re ever confronted with a teaching of the Church you don’t understand and that at first looks problematic, stop and ask yourself what dimension of human dignity the church sees being threatened in this procedure that we won’t allow,” said John Haas, Ph.D., the bioethics center’s president. The Philadelphia-based center is a scholarly institution that advises the Vatican and the nation’s bishops. The conference was a rare opportunity for rank-and-file Catholics to learn from experts who can articulate church teaching in light of fast-changing events in the field. “In-vitro fertilization, embryonic stem-cell research and end-of-life issues – those are the principal things that I see when we find ourselves at odds with a lot of the trends in our culture,” Diocese of Oakland Bishop Allen Vigneron, a member of the center’s governing board, told Catholic San Francisco. Valerie Schmalz, a member of the Respect Life Team at St. Gabriel Parish in San Francisco, summed up the issue after the conference. “Everybody wants to do what is good,” she said, “but under no circumstances should we sacrifice a human life for any other perceived good.” Attracting 200 Catholic educators and

(PHOTOS BY RICK DELVECCHIO)

By Rick DelVecchio

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, education director of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, speaks with participants in an Oct. 3 day-long conference on bioethical issues at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco.

health-care workers from throughout the Bay Area, the conference took place in the city that hosts California’s $3 billion stem-cell research institute and is at the center of a region that leads the world in biotech innovation. Conference speaker Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, a neurologist and medical ethicist, expressed alarm about research involving human embryonic stem cells and cloning. He said ethical concerns are being overshadowed by the potential economic benefits from the patenting of new technologies that involve creation, manipulation and destruction of embryos. Twelve other states are following California’s lead in supporting cloning and embryonic stem-cell research, Fortanasce said, arguing that the trend is driven by economics. “Scientists are no longer pure scientists,” he said. “What they are is entrepreneurs.” Stem cells hold great promise because they can potentially cure chronic diseases by differentiating into the cells of any damaged

organ. But Fortanasce maintained that no one has been cured by a product of human embryonic stem-cell research and speculated that the research is a bridge to human cloning. “Not only are we in charge of life,” he said, “but we’re the creators.” Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D., the bioethics center’s education director, said advocates for embryonic stem cells maintain that 100 million people could benefit in the United States alone. The claim is overstated, he said. “There’s a good deal of overselling, overbilling, over-promising and outright hyping that is occurring and has been occurring for so long that it is conditioning all of us whether we realize it or not,” he said. “We need to distinguish the truthful claims from the incredible hype that is going on all around us.” Father Pacholczyk said it is a myth that Catholic teaching warns against stem-cell research. The Church opposes research involving human embryonic stem cells but is not against using stem cells from adults, from umbilical cord blood and other sources. “Of the different forms of stem-cell research, the Church could support nine out of 10 under the right circumstances,” Father Pacholczyk said.

Catholic teaching upholds the dignity of life as the greatest good. It rises above alternate standards that weigh means against ends to obtain a net material gain, the speakers said. They deemed human embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning and in-vitro fertilization as unethical under any circumstances and argued that market demand driving such technologies does not justify their use. They extended the reasoning to end-of-life issues such as caring for patients who are in a vegetative state and obtaining organs for transplant. Decisions in all cases should be made conservatively, knowing that a human life begins with fertilization and does not expire until brain death occurs, the speakers said. The speakers referred to the 1968 papal encyclical Humanae Vitae and the 1987 pastoral instruction Donum Vitae. More than rules issued by the Holy See, these documents frame the natural law that has guided the highest ethical thinking throughout history regardless of any distinction between the sacred and secular, they said. Natural law requires health care practitioners to do nothing that is injurious to the body, said conference speaker Thompson Faller, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy and health care ethics at the University of Portland in Oregon. “Every moment of life is bound by it and there is never any dispensation from its authority,” he said. “We look to the true source of morality, which is contained in our very human nature so we can look at what is required for us to flourish,” center president Haas said. “God is offended by us only when we act against our own good,” he said, citing St. Thomas Aquinas. “God only wants our own good, our own happiness. If a Catholic can grasp that insight, it transforms his or her whole approach to the moral life and allows an easier acceptance of some of the teachings of the Church that may seem difficult to embrace.” The latest advances in science make an appeal to natural law more urgent than ever, the speakers said, pointing out that at the beginning of life cell differentiation starts immediately with the union of egg and BIOETHICS, page 7

World Keynote presenters at a national bioethics conference Oct. 3 in San Francisco included, from left, John Haas, Ph.D., president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) in Philadelphia; Thompson Haller, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy and health care ethics at the University of Portland in Oregon; and Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D., NCBC education director.

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October 12, 2007

Bioethics . . .

Blessing in conjunction with glove of St. Padre Pio scheduled Oct. 20

■ Continued from page 6

A blessing in conjunction with the presence of a glove that once covered the stigmata of St. Padre Pio will be offered persons attending a 10 a.m. Mass on Saturday, Oct. 20, at St. Veronica Parish, 434 Alida Way, South San Francisco, according to a parish announcement. Franciscan Father Ermelindo di Capua, a Capuchin friar who lived with St. Padre Pio the last three years of his life until his death in 1968, will be bringing the first class relic. A request for support of completion of the Home of the Needy Priest, a rest home for disabled and elderly Capuchins in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, will be made. St. Padre Pio A 10 a.m. Mass will be preceded by a 9:30 a.m. prayer rite that will include recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as revealed to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish Sister of Our Lady of Mercy who died in 1938.

St. Jude Novena set Oct. 20-28 Supporters of the Shrine of St. Jude at St. Dominic Church, 2390 Bush St. at Steiner in San Francisco, and officials at St. Ignatius Parish, 650 Parker Ave., San Francisco have announced a St. Jude Thaddeus Novena Pilgrimage for Saturday, Oct. 27, beginning at 10:15 a.m. at St. Ignatius and ending at St. Dominic for the 11:30 a.m. Mass. The fourth such pilgrimage in recent years, the event will be held in conjunction with an Oct. 20 – 28 novena for St. Jude at St. Dominic. Dominican Father Carl Schlichte will preach. The novena Mass times are: weekdays, 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. and Sunday 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. There will be confessions before each Mass. For novena information, contact the Shrine office at (415) 931-5919 or visit www.stjude-shrine.org. For procession information, call Rosa or Jaime Pinto at (415) 333-8730. Special guests announced for the Oct. 27 pilgrimage include Dominican Fathers Emmerich Vogt, Dominican provincial; Xavier Lavagetto, St. Dominic pastor; Martin Walsh, St. Jude Shrine director; Francis Goode, prior; Felix Cassidy, Anselm Ramelow, Anthony Rosevear; and Deacon Chuck McNeil.

Pacifica carnival set this weekend St Peter Parish, 700 Oddstad Blvd., Pacifica, will hold its annual Autumn Family Carnival with an Oktoberfest theme tomorrow and Sunday, Oct. 14-15. Saturday will feature a German-style dinner at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $12 for adults, $6 for children,$30 for a family of four. On Sunday, there will be a family Mass at 11 a.m. The carnival begins at noon and runs to 5 p.m. Carnival tickets $20 for 45, or 50 cents each.

Catholic San Francisco

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

sperm, and that at its end brain function may continue after a patient has no outward signs of life. The speakers acknowledged that doing the right thing can be complicated for researchers and health-care workers and urged them not to bargain with those who apply a situational or utilitarian standard. “The one that’s most commonly used in health care is the utilitarian approach – the greatest good for the greatest number, whatever maximizes pleasure and minimizes pain,” Haas said. “This is the argument used regarding using frozen embryos for stem-cell research. Embryos are trash and if we dismember them we can bring about cures. It’s basically a hedonistic approach to morality. It’s also an approach to moral life which places the weak and vulnerable in great jeopardy.”

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

scandal. The Army formally cleared her of all charges. Taguba told Father Vitale that he and Father Kelly should be remembered as heroes for their actions. ■ Continued from cover “It was so worth it to be in the presence of someone trying to find the truth,” said Father Kelly. than 100 photographs recovered during the investigaFather Vitale echoed his fellow priest. tion, some of which were later leaked to CBS and “Gen. Taguba really is a very honest man,” he said. aired on “60 Minutes.” Taguba called the photos of “He has given us a very credible eye into what was abuse shown in the media mild in comparison to othgoing on and continues to go on in the military.” ers that have not been made public. USF student Sebastian Crawford said Taguba’s “Not everyone saw what I saw,” Taguba said. speech gave him both hope for the future and a winThe unreleased images, he said, include an American dow into the present. soldier sodomizing a female Iraqi detainee. The soldier “There are still men and women who do the right could be seen videotaping while engaged in the act, while things for the right reasons,” said Crawford, 22. “The another soldier also videotaped it in the background, he said. fact that he was forced to retire shows the very dark Taguba cautioned that releasing the photos in their times our nation is going through.” totality would, in his opinion, “irrevocably harm” the Taguba said Abu Ghraib was a lesson in what demoreputation of the United States and lead to further bloodcratic governments must never do, namely sink to the level shed. He said that to his knowledge, only his commandof those they are fighting against. He said the ultimate cost ing officers, members of the Bush administration and for doing so will be paid by troops on the battlefield. select members of Congress have seen all the photos. “Abu Ghraib was an incendiary that protracted the Taguba said he even initially kept the photos from his war in Iraq,” Taguba said. own investigators, not wanting to prejudice their work. Following his presentation Oct. 4 at the University of San Taguba lamented that in spite of his report and others “The report was classified, but not because we Francisco, retired Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba visits with critical of those in command of the troops, no one higher were trying to keep it from the American public,” Francisco Father Louis Vitale. Taguba led the investigation of than the rank of sergeant has been prosecuted for the abuse. Taguba said. “It’s not my place to release it.” Abu Ghraib prison abuse in 2004. Father Vitale and Jesuit Father “I have yet to see a see senior policy maker, someTaguba went through official channels with the Steve Kelly are on trial for trespassing at a military base while one in government, a contractor, or a CIA operative go report, giving it only to his superiors. However, he said attempting to deliver a letter protesting U.S. interrogation policies. to jail,” said Taguba. “We prosecuted only those whoever leaked the report and photos was acting withdirectly involved to ‘save the bigger picture.’ What in the First Amendment. “If it weren’t for CBS, nobody would know about this,” Taguba said his abrupt retirement came in the wake of his about our policy of advancing democracy? That’s the bigsaid Taguba. report, and his dismissal was likely the result of his outspoken ger picture.” After his report was finalized and delivered to his supe- criticism of the policies that led to the abuse at Abu Ghraib. riors, Taguba himself became a target, he said. Gen. John In January of 2006, Taguba was instructed by Gen. Abizaid, then commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, told him Richard A. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, to retire by “you and your report will be investigated.” January of 2007. Reportedly no explanation was given. The Taguba recalled his surprise at being the subject of retirement ended a 34-year military career. scrutiny.“All of a sudden, I became the problem,” he said. “I offered to stay on as a one-star general, but that was “I was the man everybody ostracized. I am now part of the refused,” Taguba said. Mafia. I’m now a suspect.” Taguba spoke before a large crowd at USF, with some Taguba said his immediate superiors saw the photos and the sitting on the floor. Taguba’s USF appearance was his first report, but that Abizaid refused to look at the photos. Taguba said free public event since his retirement. He took a handful of he offered to give them to the general’s aide and to his lawyer, questions after his presentation, and stayed an additional 15 and also offered to leave a copy with him in the event he might minutes to visit with audience members. wish to review them later, all requests Abizaid reportedly denied. Among those who stayed to speak with the general was Ordered back to the Pentagon in May 2004, Taguba Franciscan Father Louis Vitale, who along with Jesuit Father briefed senior White House and military officials, includ- Steve Kelly, faces trial Oct. 17 for federal trespass at Fort ing Rumsfeld; then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Huachuca in Arizona in connection with a protest against Gen. Richard Meyers, and then Deputy Secretary of torture. The priests were attempting to deliver a letter last Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Taguba told the USF audience November to then head of Fort Huachuca, Maj. Gen. that the meeting was unproductive and brief. Barbara Fast, who had been implicated in the Abu Ghraib It was during this meeting, Taguba said, that Rumsfeld first told him that he had not read the report nor seen the photos. In June, Taguba told The New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh The Learning Place that when Rumsfeld repeated this claim in congressional testimony, the general found it hard to believe the secretary. Reading Writing Math Taguba told Hersh that one possible explanation for Mandarin Spanish Rumsfeld not seeing the report and photos could have been Test Prep that his aides and military officials did not want to deliver bad news to the secretary, who many privately acknowledge had a bad temper. In the end, Taguba dismissed this possibility. Back-to-School Special “Rumsfeld is very perceptive and has a mind like a steel Enroll 3 months and receive1 month free. trap,” Taguba told Hersh. “He’s trying to acquit himself, Offer valid until 9/30/07 and a lot of people are lying to protect themselves.” 43 3 9 Balboa Street and 45th Ave nue 415-387-2457 Calls to the Department of Defense and to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where Secretary Rumsfeld recently received a year-long fellowship, had not been returned by press deadline Tuesday. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL VICK/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Abu Ghraib . . .

E D U C A T I O N

October 12, 2007

Music

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Books RADIO Film

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‘The War’ tells gritty story of soldiers in the trenches By Father Basil De Pinto Homer wrote about gods and heroes. Ken Burns, in his epic about the Second World War, tells the story of grunts, the little guys in the trenches. Although people like Roosevelt, Churchill and Eisenhower appear briefly, they are background to the long tale of suffering and endurance of the men who fought and died in what is thus far the most terrible conflict in history. The 15- hour film first appeared on PBS and is now available on DVD. Burns was criticized for neglecting the contributions of Hispanic and Native Americans, and he made some additions to remedy that. But this great artist should be judged on his achievement as it stands. “The War” is not about glory and patriotism but about the human cost of conflict. The premise is that war may be necessary; it is never good. Burns powerfully reminds us of that basic moral distinction. The film can be seen as a visual analogue to the work of Wilfred Owen, the British bard of the First World War. In the preface to his collected poems Owen declares, “This book is not about heroes or glory or honour or power. My subject is War and the pity of War.” And indeed, Burns has shown us the pity of war in the most heart-rending way. It is also extremely graphic – the film is definitely not for children – but that is secondary to his sensitive exploration of the cost of war in the lives of those who had to fight in it. The main protagonists are four soldiers from disparate towns in the US: Waterbury, Conn.; Mobile, Ala.; Luverne, Minn.; and Sacramento. Others appear along the way and they all have their stories; these few stand for the rest. Through Burns’ superb technical expertise we get glimpses

“The sheer physical demands along with the traumatic factors of constant fear and anxiety constitute the daily bread of the average soldier” in Ken Burns’ epic film, “The War,” writes Father Basil De Pinto. Photo is taken from the 15-hour production.

of the towns as they were in the early 1940s and some sense of social and family life. We learn something of the men’s

Big Mac recipe better known than 10 Commandments By Mark Pattison

Author to speak Gail Tsukiyama, author of “The Street of a Thousand Blossoms” (St. Martin’s Press, 2007), will speak and sign copies of her book on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 5:45 p.m. in Fromm Hall, 2467 Golden Gate Ave., on the University of San Francisco campus. Hosted by the USF Gail Tsukiyama Center for the Pacific Rim, the event is free. Seating can be reserved by calling (415) 422-6828. “Tsukiyama is a storyteller who focuses on family, tradition, and the solace of nature. Of both Chinese and Japanese descent, she has explored the history and culture of both lands in her previous novels. In the new “The Street of a Thousand Blossoms,” she tells the story of two orphaned boys raised by their loving grandparents on pre-war Tokyo’s Street of a Thousand Blossoms,” stated a USF press release.

origins, and at the end we see what became of them. In the main body of the film these men are set into the large framework of the war and the toll it takes on them. The sheer physical demands along with the traumatic factors of constant fear and anxiety constitute the daily bread of the average soldier. The specter of imminent death and its actuality all around them is, as they constantly affirm, something that no one can understand who has not actually lived it. But Burns’ genius is to give us some faint inkling and that is terrifying enough. There is also a Tolstoyan aspect to the reporting: the sheer confusion of battle and, behind the scenes, the ignorance, bluster and downright stupidity of the commanders. Prime example: on the Pacific island of Peleliu the Japanese had an airstrip that was once of vital importance to them, but which, unknown to the Americans, had subsequently been replaced by another venue. Our forces bore in with tremendous firepower and awful loss of life. In the end it had been all for naught. There were not many other such blunders, but that meant nothing to those who died there. With his enormous and dedicated talent Burns has shown that those who make wars love them; those who fight want nothing more than to do their duty and go home. But the sorrow and the pity of war never leaves them. It is eloquently summed up in one soldier’s words: “Something in me died at Peleliu…I lost faith that politicians in high places who do not have to endure the war’s savagery will ever stop blundering and sending others to endure it.”

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Quick. Name each of the Ten Commandments. OK. Now name the ingredients in a Big Mac hamburger. According to a new survey, the Big Mac wins the memory contest. Big Mac has advantages. There are only seven ingredients, and they have a catchy jingle. McDonald’s Corp. has poured enough money into commercials that the decades-old jingle remains familiar. The survey of 1,000 Americans, by Kelton Research, was undertaken to promote the new animated movie “The Ten Commandments,” which will open on 700 screens nationwide Oct. 19. Voice talents featured include Ben Kingsley as the narrator, Christian Slater as Moses, Alfred Molina as Ramses and Elliott Gould as the voice of God. The vast majority of those surveyed could easily name the primary ingredients in a Big Mac: two all-beef patties (80 percent), lettuce (76 percent), sesame-seed bun (75 percent), special sauce (66 percent), pickles (62 percent) and cheese (60 percent). “You shall not kill” was known to fewer than six in 10 respondents. Less than half (45 percent) could recall the com-

mandment to “Honor your father and mother.” Even those who said they go to church at least once a week had trouble naming all of the commandments. Seventy percent recalled “You shall not kill” and 69 percent remembered “You shall not steal” but the Big Mac’s all-beef patties and lettuce got more recognition (79 and 76 percent, respectively). Here are a quick review of the Ten Commandments, as found in Chapter 20 of Exodus in the 1970 edition of the New American Bible: 1) “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me”; 2) “You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain”; 3) “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day”; 4) “Honor your father and your mother”; 5) “You shall not kill”; 6) “You shall not commit adultery”; 7) “You shall not steal”; 8) “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”; 9) “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house”; 10) “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, or anything else that belongs to him.” The screenwriter of the “Ten Commandments” film, Ed Naha, a Catholic whose previous credits include “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” said he hopes the movie “will appeal to people who don’t know the Bible.”

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

Annual Assumpta Award Dinner

(PHOTOS BY MICHAEL MUSTACCHI)

Honorees ‘exemplify all that is finest in our local Church’

Father Michael Healy

Anne Dito

Brian F. Cahill

Americans and made himself available to marry, baptize and provide counsel whenever asked. In 2003 Father Healy Archbishop George H. Niederauer was principal prewas appointed chaplain to the San Francisco Police senter of the annual Assumpta Award and Patrons’ Awards Department, a uniform he wears with pride and dignity. in ceremonies at St. Mary’s Cathedral Oct. 4. The recogniAnne De Vencenzi Dito was born to a family in the agrition is bestowed by the Cathedral’s Board of Regents “on culture business in Stockton, graduated from Dominican individuals who have made some significant contribution University and did graduate work at Stanford University. to the life of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.” When she married Arnold Dito 46 years ago, she began her A record number of more than 400 guests attended the 13th long residency in San Francisco where the couple has Assumpta Award Dinner. The evening recognized raised two children and now are the grandparents Mission San Jose Dominican Sister John Martin Fixa, of two. Anne Dito is the ultimate volunteer, most Brian F. Cahill, Anne Dito, and Father Michael Healy. recently devoting her time to the Youth Guidance An added highlight of the evening was the Center and the Cathedral Docent Program. She guests’ opportunity to view the Cathedral’s first served as the inaugural director of the Docent annual Festival of Flowers that filled the church School Tours Program and is responsible for with arrangements by some of the Bay Area’s developing and nurturing the program to its curfinest florists. rent level. She is a Dame of Malta and is active in “St. Mary’s Cathedral stands in the middle of the Order’s Parish Nurse program at Holy Name San Francisco as a visible sign of the presence of of Jesus Parish in San Francisco. the Catholic community,” Archbishop Niederauer Sister John Martin captivated the room with a said in a letter carried in the evening’s program. tender reflection on the importance of the “But the real Church is made up of `living stones,’ Cathedral in her family’s life and in the life of the and the recipients of the Assumpta and Patrons’ local Church. She spoke passionately about her awards exemplify all that is finest in our local Dominican community’s commitment to Catholic Church. They truly embody the spirit of St. education and particularly to providing a path out Francis, and it is providential that we gather on of poverty for underserved children. his feast to honor them.” Cahill spoke of the hope that works of justice “While it certainly includes arts and the and charity bring to the world. He described the Catholic expression of what is truly most beautiongoing collaboration of Catholic Charities and ful and noble, the fullest sense of the humanities, the Cathedral in providing education and services `Cathedral Culture’ defines a Catholic consciousto the community. ness by which every individual and every ministry Sister John Martin Fixa, OP and Father John Talesfore, Cathedral rector Father Healy said he accepted the honor in can draw a direct line to the ministry of the bishop, cenBrian F. Cahill, also a San Francisco native, is executive union with all those who make up the “two pillars” on tered in and symbolized by the Cathedral,” Father John director of Catholic Charities CYO of the Archdiocese. In which he stands: the priests of the Archdiocese and the San Talesfore, Cathedral pastor, told those assembled. that capacity the resident of St. Emydius Parish oversees a Francisco Police Department. “Certainly Sister John Martin’s work represents this in the $40 million budget and more than 750 employees. Cahill has Dito spoke of the great personal fulfillment she has field of education, as an expression of the teaching ministry devoted the last 40 years to work in social services. After received as a founder of the Docent School Program, which of the bishop. In the same way we honor tonight three such serving as director of San Francisco’s Department of Social has welcomed more than 24,000 Catholic school children individuals, whose ministries are connected to the Services under Mayor Frank Jordan, Cahill joined Catholic to the Cathedral to better understand its role and the faith Cathedral life and which represent the fullest meaning of Charities/CYO where CCCYO provides a wide range of life it represents. Cathedral Culture.” The Assumpta Award bears the Latin title of the services to seniors, families, immigrants, HIV/AIDS victims Sister John Martin Fixa, a native San Franciscan, present- as well as programs for children and youth. Cathedral patron, St. Mary of the Assumption. The Patrons’ ly serves as executive director of the Dominican Sisters’ Father Michael Healy, a product of Cork, Ireland, has Award is named for the three patrons included in the great Vision of Hope Project, a program established to ensure served in the Archdiocese of San Francisco since ordination Patrons’ statue ensemble, once standing in the Cathedral ongoing financial support for inner city schools staffed by the in Ireland in 1970. Not only has Father Healy served as pas- proper and now in its Patrons’ Hall. The statue includes St. Dominican Sisters. In her role as teacher, role model and prin- tor at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in San Francisco, St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church; St. Francis of Assisi, cipal of Immaculate Conception Academy, Sister John Peter Parish in Pacifica and now St. Bartholomew Parish in principal patron of San Francisco and the Archdiocese of Martin is remembered by hundreds of San Francisco women. San Mateo, he has always been faithful to his fellow Irish- San Francisco, and St. Patrick, co-patron of the Archdiocese. A consummate educator, expert in marketing and fundraising, Sister John Martin wanted those in her Dominican community to know the Assumpta Award honors the work of all Dominican Sisters. In light of that, 52 Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose joined her in accepting the award. A highlight of the evening was her introduction of four Sisters who taught her, including her kindergarten teacher, a grammar school teacher, high school instructor and college professor.

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October 12, 2007

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Catholic San Francisco

VOCATIONS

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3 BVMs celebrate 75-year jubilees Annual Mass and barbecue honor seminarians and families

Sister Cleonica Meier

Sister Teresa Mary Murphy Sister Marie Lucette Sterk

Sister Teresa Mary Murphy (Felicita) taught at St. Philip, 1943-46. Her other educational missions have been in Montana, Washington and Oregon. Sister Marie Lucette Sterk taught at St. Brigid, 1935-38, and St. Paul, 193839. She also taught in other California schools and in the Midwest. (PHOTO COURTESY OF DE LA SALLE INSTITUTE)

Three Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary who are former educators in the Archdiocese of San Francisco celebrate 75 years in religious life this fall. Sister Cleonica Meier taught at St. Paul School, 1953-55. She also has been an educator and parish minister in Western and Midwestern states.

(PHOTOS BY KEVIN BOND)

The annual Mass and picnic honoring seminarians and their families at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park was spearheaded Sept. 8 by the Serra Club of San Francisco. Celebrants of the Mass, below, were Msgr. Edward McTaggart (left), San Francisco club chaplain, and Sulpician Father Gerald Brown, seminary president and rector. Serra club members work to foster vocations to the religious life – priests, Brothers and Sisters. The Serra clubs in the Archdiocese are headed by Joan C. Higgins, San Francisco; Dr. Jack Bennett, Marin County; and Michael Felix, San Mateo County.

On Sept. 2, the chapel at Mont La Salle in Napa was the site for celebrating the beginning of a novitiate year for three De La Salle Christian Brothers, from left: John Luczkowski of Philadelphia; Christopher Patiño of Los Angeles and Peter Nguyen of Baltimore. Brother Luczkowski, 26, holds degrees from La Salle University in Philadelphia and taught at two Lasallian schools there. Brother Nguyen, 29, earned degrees from the University of Maryland and La Salle University in Philadelphia, and has taught at La Salle High there and Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City, N.J. Brother Patiño, 23, graduated from Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, then from the University of Arizona; during college and after graduation he worked on the staff of San Miguel High School in Tucson, Ariz.

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October 12, 2007

VOCATIONS

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A Mass of Thanksgiving and a reception were held Aug. 12 for a dozen Notre Dame de Namur jubilarians at the chapel of Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont. Seated at center are, from left, 70-year celebrants Sisters Anne Christine Barry, Marie Elise McCormick, and Alberta Marie Karp. Pictured behind them are, from left, 50-year jubilarians Sisters Carol Kenning, Jeanette Braun (sitting on bench arm), Giovannina Fazio, Barbara Thiella, Claudia McTaggart, and Marie Annette Burkart, and 60-year jubilarians Sisters Elizabeth Hagmaier(sitting on bench arm) and Barbara Kavanaugh. Sister Jeanne Sullivan (50 years) is missing from the photo.

Sister Moms . . . ■ Continued from cover you like to teach?” Pat was surprised and slightly appalled. She thought of herself as only a mom with four kids who knew little about theology and less about teaching. Thirty-some years later, Sister Pat’s blue eyes are alive with energy and intelligence. Arriving for an interview, she has calendar and cell phone in hand. Her day is full as she balances ministry, family and religious community. The current of her life brought her to rocky places, “gifts” as she calls them now. Her daughter’s leukemia was one of them. Seven-year-old Susan was diagnosed in 1973. “At that point,” said Sister Pat, “there were no cures. The percentage of recovery was nil. St. Andrew Parish held me together. Food appeared on my doorstep. A telephone chain connected people about what we needed. It was awesome. The parish was the best of the 1970s spirituality.” Susan’s recovery was nothing less than a miracle, reflects Sister Pat, but that joy was muted by a sudden divorce in 1979 — a not uncommon occurrence in families with severely ill children. “Divorce brought me to my knees,” she said. As a single mother, she worked as a nurse and raising her children, but her life was at a low point. In counseling she began to see that “I should not use any mind-altering substances in my life,” as she puts it. “Then I took this leap. My way of looking at the world totally changed. My life became hopeful.” She met Sister Jane Kelly, a Holy Names Sister —- who had six children. “’Imagine that,’ I said to myself,” Sister Pat remembers. She became involved with the North American Conference of Separated and Divorced Catholics. She led retreats, helped direct conferences, and began to think about an annulment. “I began to have an awareness, not at a specific moment, but a growing sense that I wanted to do something more or different with my life,” said Sister Pat. “I wanted to work in wellness, health and healing rather than working with the sick, which I had done for 25 years. Spiritual direction was part of this process.” With the urging of her spiritual director, she contacted one of her former teachers at the University of San Francisco, Mercy Sister Mary Brian Kelber. A year later, in

September 1989, Sister Pat moved into the Mercy Motherhouse as a candidate. For Sister Nancy an experience of prayer with a friend escaping from an abusive marriage led her to a new, vital relationship with the Holy Spirit and Mary. When she felt the call to the vowed life, “I thought I had lost my mind,” Sister Nancy said. “I went for professional help.” The counselor and her pastor, who became her spiritual director, helped her move through her grief over her husband’s death into an exploration of religious community. When she spiritually “met” Sister Julie Billiart, founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and read about Sister Julie’s purpose “to make known God’s goodness, especially among the poorest and most abandoned people in the world,” she knew she had found her path. Now as an affiliate, Sister Nancy is working at the Hollywood Free Clinic where she had worked for the last few years before her husband’s death. “There are such benefits to religious life,” said Sister Nancy. “It needs to be in your discernment as a young person. And we have so much fun in our community home.” Today with master’s degrees in counseling and theology, and training as a spiritual director, Sister Pat is pastoral

SERRA CLUB A Catholic Lay Organization

associate in faith formation at Most Holy Trinity Church in San Jose. Sister Elaine Stahl is a nurse working with the elderly at Mercy Terrace in Sacramento. Ministry is central to these women as part of their experience of God’s call. Why not just do ministry? “When you are living a secular life without vows, you try to fit the prayer in,” said Sister Elaine. “The center of our lives as consecrated religious is prayer and service. Everything else fits around that. We live in community, pray together. There is a supportiveness and a centeredness in God that we maintain. That core of belonging to God really shows.” These Sister Moms have close relationships with their families. They baby-sit grandchildren, talk on the phone with them and are present as often as possible. Mark has a good answer for his friends’ questions. “”When people are surprised, I just tell them, ‘God is my step dad.’”

Serving the Archdiocese of San Francisco Since 1854 For information, please contact:

Sister Gloria Loya, PBVM E-mail: gloya@pbvmsf.org 281 Masonic Ave. San Francisco, CA 94118

In living your life, have only one desire, to be and become the person God wills... JEAN PIERRE MEDAILLE, SJ

What is God’s desire for you?

FOSTERING VOCATIONS PRIESTHOOD RELIGIOUS LIFE

to the AND

San Mateo 650.349.2489

San Francisco_ Marin 415.333.2422 707-252-4329

415.422.5001

TALK WITH A SISTER OF ST. JOSEPH OF ORANGE 480 S. Batavia Street, Orange, CA 92868 vocationcsj@csjorange.org (714) 633-8121 ext. 7108 www.sistersofstjosephorange.org

October 12, 2007

Catholic San Francisco

PRIESTS FOR THE FUTURE You haven’t chosen me. I have chosen you.” “Tu no me has elegido. Yo te he elegido a ti.”

PRIESTS FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE

SAN FRANCISCO

John 15:16

God, our Father, In Your love and providence, You call each of us to a more holy and abundant life. We pray for our young people in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Open their hearts and minds to know the vocation You have planned for them from all eternity. If they are being invited to follow You as a Priest, Brother, or Sister, give them a generous heart to respond to Your challenging call and the strength to follow wherever You lead them. May families desire to please You by encouraging and supporting vocations within their homes. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Amen

Archdiocese of San Francisco Seminarians Manolito S. Jaldon, Jr. Tony Vallecillo Jeff Garcia Andrew Spyrow Armando J. Guttierrez

Felix Lim John Chung Jerome M. Murphy Dat Nguyen Hansel P. Tomaneng

Juan R. Alejo Wade E. Bjerke David Schunk William Thornton Michael F. Quinn

Juan M. Lopez Ghislain Cheret Bazikila Joseph Previtali Jesus Salvador Lopez

“Please pray for our seminarians, those currently in discernment, and our two transitional deacons who will be ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary’s Cathedral on June 7th, 2008.”

Please complete this form and mail to the Vocation Office ❑ I will pray for vocations daily. ❑ I would like information on studying for the priesthood would make a great priest(s). Parish ❑ I believe that ❑ I wish to make a gift to ensure priests for the future. ❑ I have or would like to remember the education of future priests in my will. ❑ I would like information about joining a parish vocation committee. Name

Phone Number

Address City

State

Zip

Please return to: Father Thomas A. Daly, Office of Vocations Archdiocese of San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 614-5683 e-mail: dalyt@sfarchdiocese.org

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

World Mission Sunday 2007: a letter from the Archbishop My Dear Friends in Christ, At baptism, each of us is given the responsibility to be missionary, to share our faith and to be active participants in the Church’s mission to all peoples. Celebrated this year on Oct. 21, World Mission Sunday gives us the opportunity to reach out in faith to more than two-thirds of the world’s people who have yet to hear the “Good News” of Jesus Christ, their Savior, or to experience through the word and witness of missionaries his abiding love. On World Mission Sunday, within the context of the Eucharist, we can offer our prayers and support, through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, for the mission of making Jesus known “to the ends of the earth.” World Mission Sunday is truly a universal celebration, a worldwide recommitment to the Church’s evangelizing mission, taking place in parishes throughout the missions as well. Therefore, on Oct. 21, united with Catholics throughout the world, let us pray for the Church’s missionary work and offer our personal sacrifices, our own sufferings, cares and concerns in union with the sufferings of Christ on the Cross for the salvation of the world. We also should offer financial help through the Propagation of the Faith for the Church’s work in more than 1,150 dioceses throughout Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America. The missionary work of the Church depends on each one of us. Please be as generous as your means will allow and continue to pray that all of us in the Archdiocese of San Francisco may be eager and effective witnesses of Jesus in our world so in need of his love and peace. Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend George Niederauer Archbishop of San Francisco

‘Steeped in its burning layers’ By Father John Catoir The universe cries out to us all the time, telling us about the supreme intelligence behind it. Did you know that the umbrella bamboo flowers on the same day once every 100 years? This happens all over the world, be it in a field in China or in a greenhouse in Chicago. Doesn’t that amaze you? A hidden intelligence does exist and is responsible for the entire universe. Why do some people deny the idea of a divine ceator? Albert Einstein, arguably the greatest scientist who ever lived, readily conceded the necessity of an intelligent design behind the visible universe. He said that when he looked at the sky at night he felt like a little boy in a huge library. He knew instinctively that the wonders of the sky didn’t simply appear out of nowhere. If you said that the Library of Congress had no cause, it just appeared one day after a huge windstorm, could anyone take you seriously? The problem with non-believers is that they are in denial about a matter that is vitally important to their own future. Everything we see in nature screams out that there is a divine being behind it. Teilhard de Chardin put it poetically: “By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, molds us. We imagine the divine as distant, inaccessible, whereas in fact we live steeped in its burning layers.” The poet Catherine de Vinck wrote about all the umbrella bamboo trees that bud on the same day once every 100 years. “How do they count the years? Do the buried roots know the code; do they telegraph the exact date through what layers of earth, what conduits of stone? Something soft, flexible, a gauzy net flung over the world, or is it a strict mathematician mapping diagrams, the line drawn straight toward infinity. ... “Something else is at work, something beyond definitions, beyond visibility, something outside of cold calculations. ... No way to cross over, says the clock, but on the other side of probability the bamboo pushes through centuries of sleep the cathedral of its flowers.” People of faith know something doesn’t come from nothing. Whereas, those who have no faith feebly protest: “Why do we need a first cause? If the universe always was, and there is support for the theory that the universe had no beginning, then why do we need to believe there is intelligent design behind everything?” How facile. Their “deliberate inadvertence” blinds them. They are predisposed to say, “I will not believe,” no matter what! Deliberate inadvertence is the sin by which the angels fell. They knew God created them and still they remained hell-bent on saying, “I will not serve.” Life is short; eternity is forever. Don’t imitate the fallen angels. Father John Catoir, former director of The Christophers, is a columnist for Catholic News Service.

Naïve reasoning I found the letter “Inappropriate censure” in the Sept. 28 issue of Catholic San Francisco to be interesting, albeit naive reasoning. While the primary consideration of the recent Motu Proprio may allege to be pastoral, it effectively resuscitates an understanding of Church that the Vatican II conciliar bishops were overwhelmingly convinced had outlived its usefulness. Thirty years ago and more, one could hear criticism that the Church moved “too fast” in hanging the liturgy. Although I cannot say for sure, I suspect this complaint was raised by Catholics opposed to any change in the Mass. Lately, we have been hearing that the old liturgy (the “extraordinary form”) might inspire improvements in the current “ordinary form.” There are basically two views of change management: implement change through a gradual step-by-step process to promote “buy in,” or implement change quickly to eliminate/minimize the possibility of resistance. Forty years ago, the world’s bishops were looking at the “big picture” and were persuaded by experts in theology, biblical studies and other fields for the need of change. Vatican II, in this regard, has been referred to as a “pastoral council.” If there has been any failure over the years, I think it has been more a matter of the laity and bishops at large failing to hold the Vatican accountable for continuing post-conciliar renewal than of the so-called failure of catechesis that we hear so often by the conservative few. I see the latter criticism as largely a straw figure. Why? Because there are folks adamantly opposed to change, especially change in the religious sphere. No amount of catechesis could ever be expected to convince them otherwise. The conciliar fathers from around the world spoke 40-plus yeas ago, and now we have one man — a young peritus at the time — who believes he knows better and has used his papal position to undercut the rightful authority of bishops to manage the internal affairs of their respective (arch)dioceses. Jim McCrea Piedmont

The last two decades I have seen a big change in the city with hatred being the prominent emotion. Hatred for the military, hatred for religions (especially Catholics), hatred for the police, hatred for big business, hatred for Republicans and especially a great hatred for the president of the United States. Then the real shocker came when I was handed my bulletin after Mass. Under “Justice Notes” we are being led to hate President Bush, once again, for promising to veto the SCHIP program and that his veto might cause the death of a three-year-old asthmatic boy in Missouri. Nowhere in this article does it mention that this is an entirely new SCHIP program. The original SCHIP program would not be vetoed. Is it any wonder our president is hated in this city when even our parish bulletin fails to tell the whole truth. Shame! I think it is irresponsible to ask for donations from parishioners without an explanation to them about who or what this PICO organization really is. John “Scotty” Thomas San Francisco (Ed. note: The website for PICO — People Improving Communities through Organizing – is www.piconetwork.org.)

L E T T E R S

City has changed More than 50 years ago, when I first arrived in this city, I was warmly welcomed even though I was a foreigner in the uniform of the United States Air Force. At that time that was the way everyone who came to this city was treated. It truly was a city of brotherly love.

Letters welcome Catholic San Francisco welcomes letters from its readers. Please:

➣ Include your name, address and daytime phone number. ➣ Sign your letter. ➣ Limit submissions to 250 words. ➣ Note that the newspaper reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. Send your letters to: Catholic San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Fax: (415) 614-5641 E-mail: morrisyoungd@sfarchdiocese.org

This is no ‘dream’

On Sept. 20 the bishops in the United States, via Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Fl., urged the passage of the DREAM amendment attached to a Defense Bill which will have very serious effects on the citizens of this country. It is not their purview to meddle in the complicated and intricate affairs of a country whose basis is capitalism, not socialism, as these men would have.They are stepping beyond their scope when they want all citizens whose right it is to maintain what they have earned, and give it to those who have not earned this. The implications of this bill’s passage are stupendous. And, of course, they are not the wage earners who will pay for all the freebies given to illegal aliens or their children. The bishops’ attitude does not sit well with rightful and legal citizens. In fact, it has helped alienate from the Church those who see this injustice. They fall back on the issue of social justice and morality. I see none here, but rather class warfare dividing those who have earned their salaries and retirements and those who would use the law to erase this way of life for a utopian society. You call that justice? I call it utter stupidity, unfairness, and short-sightedness. Whatever happened to obedience for the law? How can they undercut them and call it morality? No, they cannot drop that on us who will end up paying for these illegals. I wish I knew how to contact in an open letter these bishops who claim they work for the poor. This whole nation will become poor and a third world country because their ideas are unsustainable. I hope and pray they will reconsider what they are proposing and think this through, though I doubt it. They are much too entrenched in their unjust idea of social justice. Sounds more like social communism to me where all become poor. Justine Nunan San Bruno

Life finds a way Kudos to Catholic San Francisco for a truly superlative Oct. 5 issue. My appreciation for so many well written, informative and faithfully pointed articles, letters, commentaries that I simply LETTERS, page 17

October 12, 2007

Catholic San Francisco

Spirituality for Life

Remember that ‘lost is a place, too’ Several years ago, I met a young man who was working through a very difficult time in his life. He had graduated with a degree in business 10 years earlier, worked successfully in a job for awhile, but then decided the corporate world was not for him. He quit his job a bit naively without a definite plan for his future, lived on his savings until they were gone, and then went into a painful free-fall. He found himself living out of his car, in friends’ houses, or at the mercy and good-will of whoever would take him in. The few dollars he now earned from dish-washing were spent on tuition, for courses in literature and theology. But his free-fall wasn’t just economic. It was emotional as well. His self-image, his confidence, and his relationships all took a massive beating. Family and friends were less than sympathetic and understanding. Their eyes, if not their words, spoke of their disappointment in him — the once handsome, successful, young man, now going nowhere. He told me one day: “The hardest thing has been dealing with my own father, who had always been so proud of me. Now there is disappointment in him every time he looks at me. Recently he told me, ‘You look shabby!’ He didn’t have to add: ‘I’m ashamed of you!’ and I didn’t have to say: ‘I feel shabby!’” But right after saying this with real sadness in his voice, his voice suddenly became stronger and he added: “As painful as this, I have one consolation: I’m growing up! I was a spoiled, rich kid, with no tools to handle frustration. This pain is eventually going to turn me into something else. I would have had to fall apart this way sometime anyway to ever grow up; so, better it happen now when I’m still young. I look at my friends who aren’t going through any of this, and I don’t envy them. They will

eventually have to go through something like this too!” I had a sense of what he meant because something very similar happened in my own life, except I did envy friends who weren’t as depressed as I was. During the summer when I was 14, my inner world collapsed. It began with the suicide of a neighbor. A young man whose health and body I envied went out one night and hung himself. Then another young man from our small farming community was killed in an industrial accident, and the summer ended with a classmate, a close friend, dying in a horse-back riding accident. I served as an altar-server at each of their funerals. My outside world stayed the same, but inside, not unlike the young man whose story I’ve shared, things were dark, spinning, scary. I was in a free-fall. The specter of death suddenly colored my whole world and, even though I was only 14, I was an old man inside. A certain youthfulness and joie de vivre slipped away from me for good. It truly was a summer of my discontent. I envied everyone who wasn’t as depressed as I was. I felt myself the saddest 14 year-old in the world. But, as all that pain, disillusionment, and loss of selfconfidence was seeping into my life, something else was seeping in too, a deeper faith, a deeper vision of things, an acceptance of my vulnerability and mortality, and a sense of my vocation. I’m a priest today because of that summer. It remains still the most painful, insecure, depressed period of my life. But it remains too the time of deepest growth. Purgatory on earth, I had it when I was 14. Many of us associate Christina Crawford with the famous biography, “Mommy Dearest,” a book within which she shares what it was like to be the adopted and emotion-

ally abused daughter of Joan Crawford. It’s worth reading and I heartily recommend her follow-up book, a further biographical work, “Survivor.” In it she chronicles her journey out of Hollywood and Father into spirituality and reliRon Rolheiser gion. And that journey, like the one of the young man I’ve shared, involved deep pain and soul-shattering disillusionment. Her story tells us what a dark night of the soul can look like. At one point, when things were at their darkest, she states that she was “completely lost,” but adds: “Lost is a place, too!” She’s right. Lost is a place, too! And a very important one, humanly and spiritually. Sometimes when the world is falling apart and we are haunted by the question: What is wrong? The real answer is that there is nothing wrong. The necessary storm has finally arrived and it is a good thing too because our falling apart is the only thing that can break down and transform that spoiled, rich, self-centered kid inside us all. Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher, and award-winning author, is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. His website is www.ronrolheiser.com.

Family Life

Move playtime higher on your to-do list “I could never do that,” my Grandma said while admiring her neighbor’s newly installed cupboards. Her neighbor’s 4-year-old, Olivia, who visits Grandma often, responded matter-of-factly. “That’s because you’re old,” she said. “But you know how to play,” she added, “and you’ll never forget that.” In her youthful candor, Olivia delivered a profound compliment. To know how to play is to know how to be fully human, which is as physical as it is spiritual. Preserving that muscle memory in contemporary culture is a rare and sacred feat. The value of our lives – professional and personal – is measured by productivity. Do you have a stuffed inbox? A long to-do list? A packed schedule? The goal is to answer in the affirmative. If you run into someone who asks how you’ve been, the proper answer is, “Busy!” It excuses the lack of contact while conveying an important degree of activity. Somewhere along the assembly line of pagers and smartphones, being busy became vogue — always in motion, having just completed one duty, heading to another. It’s the concept that life should be a continuous string of tasks, lined up with no breathing room between them. But there’s a difference between constant motion and meaningful productivity – a distinction often lost today.

Setting aside playtime actually boosts the kind of productivity that is satisfying and valuable. Just ask Dr. Stuart Brown, the founder and president of the National Institute for Play. A recovered workaholic, Dr. Brown has become an advocate of “pleasurable, apparently purposeless activity.” That notion, the late author Brenda Ueland once wrote, “makes us busy, efficient” Americans “with our accomplishment-mania feel uneasy and guilty.” But guilt will dissolve once you hear Dr. Brown’s wide-ranging list of the benefits of play. An actively playful life develops a sense of self, energizes the body, accelerates learning, prevents violence, upholds trust, reduces stress and improves problem solving. And get this, young adults: play directs us to develop lives in accord with intrinsic talents. (So cancel that appointment with the career counselor and go shoot hoops!) Of course, Dr. Brown is not the first advocate of play. More than seven centuries ago, St. Thomas Aquinas preached that play is medicine for the soul. “It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind,” he wrote, “that we make use of playful deeds and jokes.” A dozen centuries before that Jesus proclaimed, “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

To be childlike, Jesus suggested, is to leapfrog many barriers to a free-flowing well of faith. As young adults, we are instructed to depart from youth immediately, entirely. Christina We must assume firm Capecchi handshakes and long hours. It’s fine to demonstrate professionalism with a blazer and briefcase, but if those props lead to taking yourself too seriously, your spirit will suffer. This October, as companies turn their focus to fourthquarter earnings, make time for play. Jump in a pile of leaves. Experiment on a pumpkin’s face. Step into a zany Halloween costume. “Apparently purposeless activity” serves a holy purpose. Christina Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights, Minn. E-mail her at christinacap@gmail.com.

The Catholic Difference

Be delighted, refreshed and fed My first adventures in the culinary arts took place in Toronto when I was doing graduate work in theology. The technical conditions were not optimal: the ancient electric stove in my third-floor garret apartment had two heat levels — hot and Gehenna — so that “simmering” meant standing beside the stove, turning a burner on-and-off, over and over again. Yet somehow the fun of cooking stuck (not unlike a sauce or two best left forgotten). At the same time, I discovered the romance of cooking — the theological romance, that is. Here, my mentor was Anglican priest and author Robert Farrar Capon, whose book, “The Supper of the Lamb” (Modern Library) was aptly described by New York Times food maven Craig Claiborne as “one of the funniest, wisest, and most unorthodox cookbooks ever written.” As both Christian and cook, Capon takes Genesis 1 — “God saw that it was good” — with utmost seriousness. And to a nation that, despite chronic obesity, retains deep puritanical

instincts about the good things of life, he says, in effect, “Get a life.” Or, as he puts it in “The Supper of the Lamb” (and with considerable theological insight): “Food and cooking...are not low subjects. In fact there are no low subjects anywhere in the physical universe. Every real thing is a joy, if only you have the eyes and ears to relish it, a nose and tongue to taste it. But more than that, food and cooking are among the richest subjects in the world. Every day of our lives, they preoccupy, delight, and refresh us. Food is not just some fuel we need to get us going toward higher things. Cooking is not a drudgery we put up with in order to get the fuel delivered. Rather, each is a heart’s astonishment. Both stop us dead in our tracks with wonder. Even more, they sit us down, evening after evening, and in the company that forms around our dinner tables, they actually create our humanity.” American cooking has improved vastly since “The

Supper of the Lamb” first appeared in 1967. But reminding ourselves that the “eternal banquet” is one of the principal images of heaven and that our quotidian meals (simple or grand, ferial or fesGeorge Weigel tal) ought to reflect that remains a spiritual imperative. If you know a young person getting started in the kitchen, get him or her a copy of “The Supper of the Lamb.” Get one yourself if you’re reaching into the freezer for frozen pizza more than once a month. Two people who don’t need Capon’s book are Robert Radzimski and Adam Chrzastowski, owner and chief chef of “Ancora,” a spectacular new restaurant in Cracow. They WEIGEL , page 17

Catholic San Francisco

St. Mary’s Cathedral The following events are taking place at or are coordinated by the cathedral of the Archdiocese located at Gough and Geary St. in San Francisco. Call (415) 567-2020 for more information. Oct 14 at 7 p.m.: A special performance of St. Mary’s Cathedral Adult Choir and the Choir of Boys and Girls in a farewell performance before their pilgrimage to Italy. The choirs are offering a preview of the concert they will be performing at St. Ignatius Church in Rome. Parking is free in Cathedral lot. A free-will donation will be requested to support the choirs’ performances in Italy. Contact Chris Tietze at (415) 567-2020, ext.213. Oct. 20: Handicapables gather for Mass and lunch at noon. Volunteer drivers always needed. Call (415) 751-8531. Oct 20: Cathedral’s annual Jazz/Gospel Mass and Prayer for World Peace at 5:30 p.m. Hear “Jubilee Singers” of Sacred Heart/Cathedral Prep High School, “Touch of Class” from Sala Burton High School, and St. Paul of the Shipwreck’s “Inspirational Voices of Shipwreck.” Contact Doug Benbow at (415) 567-2020, ext. 220. Oct. 27: Point 7Now! Action Conference, a continuing effort against poverty. Invited speakers include U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer as well as U.S. Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Tom Lantos, Anna Eshoo and Lynn Woolsey. Sponsors include the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Catholic Relief Services, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Seton Institute. Tickets are $20. For information or to register, call (415) 614-5567 or publicpolicy@sfarchdiocese.org.

Taize/Chanted Prayer Tuesdays at 6 p.m.: Notre Dame Des Victoires Church, 566 Bush at Stockton, San Francisco with Rob Grant. Call (415) 397-0113. 2nd Friday at 8 p.m.: Our Lady of the Pillar, 400 Church St. in Half Moon Bay. Call Cheryl Fuller at (650) 726-2249. Sundays: Gregorian Chant at the National Shrine of Saint Francis, 610 Vallejo St., San Francisco, 12:15 p.m. Mass. For more information, call (415) 983-0405.

Food & Fun Oct. 13: Star of the Sea Festival and Touch-aTruck event, 8th Ave. and Geary Blvd. in San Francisco. Festival hours 10 a.m. — 9:30 p.m.; Touch-a-Truck event 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Italian Dinner 5:30 –7 p.m. Admission to the festival is free. Touch-a-Truck admission is $5. Carnival game tickets sold separately. Oct. 13: Monte Carlo Night benefiting Good Shepherd Parish in the multi-purpose hall, 901 Oceana Blvd. in Pacifica. Evening features games of chance, food, music and dancing. Tickets, $20 in advance/$25 at the door, include food, tokens and more. Adults only. Call Donna at (650) 355-2593. Oct. 24: Good Shepherd Octoberfest luncheon and bingo, at Basque Cultural Center, 500 Railroad Ave. in South San Francisco with social at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $40. Call Judith Terracina at (415) 753-2081. Oct. 27: St. Thomas More School Halloween Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Raffle, carnival, games, prizes and more. Foods include BBQ TriTip & Chicken; at 50 Thomas More Way at Brotherhood Way. Conact STMParentsClub@hotmail.com or (415) 9054660, ext. 20#. Oct. 27: Casino Royale 2007, annual silent and live auction benefiting Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Elementary School in Redwood City. The evening includes dinner, live entertainment and lively bidding. Visit www.mountcarmel.org for more information and to purchase tickets online. Oct. 29: 15th Annual Capuchin Seminarian Golf Tournament, Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto with a shot-gun start at noon. Check-in and lunch at 10 a.m. Dinner at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Angels Church Hall in Burlingame. Tickets at $300 include Golf, cart, lunch, beverages, cocktails, dinner and prizes. Tickets available to dinner only for $50. Call Mike Stecher at (650) 3424680 or Anne Hahn at (650) 692-5044. Nov. 10: Notre Dame des Victoires’ 57th Annual Bal de Paris “Une Soirée en Ville”! The gala will be held at Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St., San Francisco. Cocktails/silent auction at 6 p.m. dinner, dancing at 7.30 p.m. Black tie optional. Tickets $125 each or become a Bal Patron and receive tickets based on donation level. Fundraiser supports school/parish. Call (415) 421-0069 for information. 3rd Wednesdays: The fun continues at Immaculate Conception Chapel where a spaghetti and meatball lunch is served for a modest $8 each third Wednesday of the month. The feast begins at noon. The family-style lunches consist of salad, bread, pasta and homemade meatballs. Beverages are available for purchase. The meal is served in the church hall beneath the chapel, 3255 Fulton St., San Francisco. Call (415) 824-1762.

Arts & Entertainment Oct. 18 – Nov. 3: “Malcolm and Teresa,” a play about an interview with Mother Teresa and BBC television’s Malcolm Muggeridge at Quo Vadis Theater, 1635 Park Ave. in San Jose. Tickets are $15/$12 students and seniors. For curtain times, call (408) 252-3530. Oct. 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 28 at 2 p.m.: Notre Dame de Namur University pres-

October 12, 2007

Datebook

Trappist Father Thomas Keating, the internationall y - k n o w n Cistercian monk famed for his teaching and promulgation of contemplative prayer in everyday life, has scheduled two appearances in the Archdiocese in November. He will speak on “Healing the World One Person at a Time” on Nov. 3 during a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. event at St. Hilary Church, 761 Hilary Dr., Tiburon. He will take part in “An Invitation to Interspiritual Dialogue and Healing of the Human Family” on Nov. 4 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Mercy High School auditorium, 3250 19th Ave., San Francisco. Pre-registration is “highly recommended” by the sponsoring organization, Contemplative Outreach of San Francisco and Marin Counties. Cost for the Nov. 3 event is $35 in advance, $40 at door and includes lunch. Cost for Nov. 4 is $25in advance, $30 at door. Visit www. contemplativeoutreach.org or e-mail mary.wyman@yahoo.com.

Single, Divorced, Separated St. Cecilia Festival, Oct. 12, 13, 14, Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday 12 – 4 p.m./ 6 –10 p.m. and Sunday noon –6 p.m., www.scfestival.com, cash prizes, silent auction, gourmet snack bar, prize booths, indoor/outdoor games, bingo, adult bar, Nintendo Wii raffle, digital photo booth. Face painting this year, too! The fun of last year’s festival is all over the faces of Julia Bonacini, left, Viviane Nguyen, and Claudia Fong, now all sixth graders at St. Cecilia Elementary. ents “You Can’t Take It With You,” a comedy of the 1930s said to be the model for the modern-day situation comedy, at NDNU Theater, 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont. Tickets are $20 adults/$15 seniors and students. Call (650) 5083456 or visit boxoffice@ndnu.edu. Oct. 21 at 3 p.m.: San Domenico School presents the 30th annual “Vivaldi at San Domenico” benefit concert, showcasing their award-winning orchestra, 1500 Butterfield Rd. in San Anselmo. Tickets $50. To attend, call 415-258-1921, or visit www.sandomenico.org. Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. and 28 at 7 p.m.: Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” in concert and starring Wesla Whitfield at Notre Dame de Namur University’s Ralston Hall Mansion, Belmont. Tickets are $42. Call (650) 508-3429 or concerts@ndnu.edu. Oct. 25: Husband and wife poets, Robin and Keith Ekiss, will read from their published work, discuss work in progress and answer questions from the audience at Notre Dame de Namur University at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Wiegand Gallery on campus at 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont. Call (650) 508-3730.

Bay. Contact Annette Lacrouts Lee at (650) 7550473 or jdmpro@aol.com or Liz Baiocchi Parodi at (650) 574-1980 or eparodi@cooley.com. Oct. 27, 7 p.m.: Class of ‘92, St. Anne Elementary School at Poleng Lounge Restaurant, 1751 Fulton St., San Francisco. Please RSVP with Theresa Flynn Houghton at tcaflynn@yahoo.com, Sawson Zarour at sawsonz@gmail.com, or Cassidy Raher at cassidyraher@hotmail.com. Go Stars! Nov. 2: “Alumni Back to School Day” at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. Continental breakfast and registration at 9 a.m. at the Herbst Library and Information Center, 6th Floor, La Salle Campus, 1055 Ellis St., San Francisco; $10 per person. Visit www.shcp.edu or contact Director of Alumni Relations John Brown at john.brown@shcp.edu Nov. 3: Classes of ’62, ’67, ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97: Alumni Mass 5 p.m. Victor Barulich ’39 Memorial Chapel, 6th Floor, La Salle Campus, 1055 Ellis St. Dinner-dance from 6 p.m. to midnight in Sister Teresa Piro, DC, Student Life Center. Tickets are $75 or $60 per person for the Class of ’96. Price includes hosted bar and appetizers from 6 – 7:30 p.m., and dinner with wine. Register online at www.shcp.edu or contact Director of Alumni Relations John Brown at john.brown@shcp.edu Nov. 3: Class of ’82 from Presentation High School, San Francisco at Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco. Contact kathycooney@hotmail.com or LucyMulkerrins@sbcglobal.net.

Prayer/Lectures/Trainings Robin and Keith Ekiss

Social Justice/ Family Life Oct. 22, 7:30 – 9 p.m.: “Welcoming the Stranger: Church’s Perspective on Immigration,” St. Bartholomew Parish Media Center, 600 Columba Dr. at Alameda de las Pulgas in San Mateo, with representatives from groups including Catholic Charities CYO and Archdiocese of San Francisco. For more information, call (650) 347-0701, ext. 17.

TV/Radio Sunday, 6 a.m., WB Channel 20/Cable 13 and KTSF Channel 26/Cable 8: TV Mass with Msgr. Harry Schlitt presiding. 1st Sunday, 5 a.m., CBS Channel 5: “Mosaic,” featuring conversations on current Catholic issues. 3rd Sunday, 5:30 a.m., KRON Channel 4: “For Heaven’s Sake,” featuring conversations about Catholic spirituality.

Reunions Oct. 20: Mercy High School, San Francisco, class of ‘82, 4 – 9 p.m. at the school, 3250 19th Ave. in San Francisco. Family BBQ will be held Sunday (Oct. 21) also at Mercy High School. For information/reservations: http://mercyhighschool1982.blogspot.com. Oct. 27: Class of ’52 from St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco. Contact Dick Wall at (415) 434-3323 or owwm@pacbell.net or Jack Mona at (415) 564-4492 or jemona@sbcglobal.net. Oct. 27: Immaculate Conception Academy, class of ‘67, at Dominic’s Restaurant at Oyster

Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m.: “Theology By The Glass” at the Savvy Cellar, 2048 Broadway in Redwood City. Father David Pettingill speaks on “What Makes Catholicism Different?” Sponsored by St. Pius Parish. For information, contact Kevin Staszkow at kevin@pius.org or (650)365-0140. Oct. 19: Mass of Thanksgiving for breast cancer survivors and those lost to the disease at St. Dominic Church, Bush and Steiner St. in San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. Liturgy will also pray for increased breast cancer awareness. Call Marti Dinan at (415) 929-9242. Oct. 20: Annual St. Luke’s Mass and Banquet sponsored by San Francisco Guild of Catholic Medical Association, 5 p.m. at St. Cecilia Church, 17th Ave. at Vicente St. in San Francisco with banquet to follow. Dr. Colman Ryan, founder of the San Francisco Heart and Vascular Institute at Seton Medical Center, will speak. Tickets are $70/$35 for clergy, religious, students. Call Dr. George Maloof at (415) 219-8719 or gmaloof2003@yahoo.com. Oct. 20 – 28: Annual St. Jude Novena at St. Dominic Church, Bush at Steiner St. in San Francisco, home of the St. Jude Shrine. Dominican Father Carl Schlichte will preach. Weekday Novena Masses: 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. and Sunday 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Confessions before each Mass. For more information, contact the Shrine office at (415) 9315919. Oct. 23: Cardinal Godfried Danneels, archbishop of Brussels-Mechelen, will speak on “Catholic Evangelization and Populorum Progressio” at 5:30 p.m. at St. Rita Parish, 100 Marinda Dr., Fairfax. For information, e-mail nkostelic@sbcglobal.net. Oct. 27: A Novena procession from St. Ignatius Church, Fulton and Parker St. in San Francisco, begins at 10:15 a.m. arriving at St. Dominic for the 11:30 Mass. For more information, call Rosa or Jaime Pinto at (415) 333-8730.

Information about Bay Area single, divorced and separated programs are available from Jesuit Father Al Grosskopf at (415) 422-6698. Separated and divorced support groups: 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Stephen Parish Center, San Francisco; call Gail at (650) 591-8452 or Vonnie at (650) 873-4236. 1st and 3rd Thursday at St. Peter Parish Religious Education Building, 700 Oddstad Blvd., Pacifica. Call Diana Patrito or Joe Brunato at (650) 3596313. 2nd and 4th Wednesday in Spanish at St. Anthony Church, 3500 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park at 7:30 p.m. Call Toni Martinez at (650) 776-3795. Catholic Adult Singles Association of Marin meets for support and activities. Call Bob at (415) 897-0639 for information. Oct. 27-29: Beginning Experience, a peer ministry for widowed, separated and divorced men and women, announces a weekend retreat at Vallombrosa Retreat Center in Menlo Park. Those who come should be beyond initial feelings of anger and despair and ready to seek a new beginning. For more information, call Donna (650) 961-1172, LaVerne (650) 355-3978 or Helen (415) 388-9651; or email sanjosebe@comcast.net. Visit our international the website: www.beginningexperience.org. Nov. 9 – 11: A Lifeline for Marriage – Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long i) helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. Designed to provide the tools to help get your marriage on track, it offers an opportunity to rediscover yourselves and examine your lives together in a new and positive way. For confidential information about, or to register for the next program call (415) 893-1005 or email: SF@Retrouvaille.org or visit www.Retrouvaille.org.

Consolation Ministry Grief support groups meet at the following parishes. San Mateo County: St. Catherine of Sienna, Burlingame; call Debbie Simmons at (650) 5581015. St. Dunstan, Millbrae; call Barbara Cappel at (650) 692-7543. Good Shepherd, Pacifica; call Sister Carol Fleitz at (650) 355-2593. Our Lady of Mercy, Daly City; call Barbara Cantwell at (650) 755-0478. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Redwood City; call parish at (650) 366-3802. St. Robert, San Bruno; call Sister Patricia at (650) 589-2800. Marin County: St. Anselm, San Anselmo; call Brenda MacLean at (415) 454-7650. St. Isabella, San Rafael; call Pat Sack at (415) 472-5732. Our Lady of Loretto, Novato; call Sister Jeanette at (415) 897-2171. San Francisco: St. Dominic; call Deacon Chuck McNeil at (415) 567-7824; St. Finn Barr (bilingual); call Carmen Solis at (415) 584-0823. St. Gabriel; call Elaine Khalaf at (415) 564-7882. Young Widow/Widower Group: St. Gregory, San Mateo; call Barbara Elordi at (415) 6145506. Ministry to Parents: Our Lady of Angels, Burlingame; call Ina Potter at (650) 347-6971 or Barbara Arena at (650) 344-3579. Children’s Grief Group: St. Catherine, Burlingame; call Debbie Simmons at (650) 5581015. Information regarding grief ministry in general: call Barbara Elordi at (415) 614-5506.

Datebook is a free listing for parishes, schools and non-profit groups. Please include event name, time, date, place, address and an information phone number. Listing must reach Catholic San Francisco at least two weeks before the Friday publication date desired. Mail your notice to: Datebook, Catholic San Francisco, One Peter Yorke Way, S.F. 94109, or fax it to (415) 614-5633.

October 12, 2007

Catholic San Francisco

Red Mass Oct. 18 Local St. Thomas More Society marking its 70th anniversary By Tom Burke

St. Thomas More

scholarship contest challenging our parochial school students to apply lessons from their Christian formation to timely topics.” Among other activities, the organization members have contributed funds to Hurricane Katrina relief in New Orleans, host an annual pastors’ lunch, sponsor an annual essay contest, and take part in non-profit or pro bono legal work. A practicing attorney since 1976, Hugh Donohoe is the current president of the local St. Thomas More Society. A “lifelong parishioner” of St. Cecilia Parish in San Francisco, he and his wife, Eileen, a kindergarten teacher at St. Cecilia School, have been married 32 years. “The Society invited me to attend the Red Mass and monthly programs upon my admission to practice,” he recalled. “Participation in the Society has provided a solid basis of professional, Catholic, moral, ethical and social information as well as support and community throughout my practice. In 2000, I was honored to be nominated to serve on the board and have enjoyed the

Letters . . .

Weigel . . .

■ Continued from page 14

■ Continued from page 15

could not do justice to them all in one letter. Let me offer particular praise for the guest editorial by Denver’s Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., “Our Faith and the Common Good.” He cuts right to the core of human rights and true freedom: “The path to interfaith peace and religious understanding demands that we live our faith more deeply and authentically, not less.” And to Father Gerald Coleman’s wise words of warning in “Assisted suicide making subtle comeback” exposing the End of Life Consultation Services which sounds chillingly similar to Planned Parenthood or abortion at both ends of life. To correct Father Coleman’s otherwise fine commentary, he described ELCS as originating “in the defeat last June of AB 374, the ‘Compassionate Choices Act’ which would have legalized physician-assisted suicide.” Let me note that AB 374 was not defeated but rather shelved when it became clear its authors could not garner enough support for a simple majority vote. The bill was turned into a two-year bill allowing it to be revived this coming January. In the meantime you can bet that its proponents in the Assembly and Senate are busy as you read this weaving more wool to pull over more eyes. Beware and be warned! Mary McCurry Pacifica

may seem, at first blush, an odd pair of restaurateurs. One spent four years testing a Dominican vocation. The other wrote an academic thesis comparing the social teaching of John Paul II to “conservative liberal” thought in the United States. Their bond is a commitment to great food, great wine, and great service, at affordable prices. Poland is, as historian Norman Davies put it, the “heart of Europe.” Adam Chrzastowski’s brilliant cooking reflects that, and more. When I asked him to describe his cuisine, he said, “Well, it’s Polish, because I think in Polish, but I want to use ingredients and techniques from all over the world.” His black tagliolini with spinach, scallions, ginger, coriander, sun-dried tomatoes, chili paste, and smoked salmon testifies to his success in doing just that. But so do simple dishes like his steak tartare (ignore the cholesterol police for once). Like Robert Farrar Capon, Adam Chrzastowski thinks and cooks vocationally. And so he knows that the goods of cooking and eating come in both simple and complex forms, like “weekdays in ordinary time” and “solemnities.” To enjoy both is to meet God’s astonishing prodigality in creating and sustaining the world. “Ancora” is across the street from Cracow’s Dominican basilica, to which thousands of young people flock every Sunday night. Go see them and be assured that, with Benedict XVI, “the Church is young.” Then go to “Ancora” and get a foretaste of the Supper of the Lamb. George Weigel is a senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

Young adults promote religion and radio

(PHOTO BY EUGENE CHUNG)

Perhaps best known to Catholics and others for its annual Red Mass, the St. Thomas More Society has a long history – dating to the era of its founder and namesake, the legendary lawyer saint – that will add a significant local date Oct. 18 when San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer will be principal celebrant of the 2007 Red Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Church on Washington Square. “The St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco is a fellowship of judges, lawyers, paralegals, law students, public servants, and officials of all faiths,” said Stacy Stecher, a San Francisco attorney and St. Thomas More Society member. In practice since 1998, Stecher has been a parishioner of Our Lady of Angels in Burlingame for 30 years. Now in its 70th year, the society has a local membership of some 90 active members representing “the entire gamut of legal professionals in the Bay Area,” Stecher said. “It is a wonderful source of professional enhancement and collegial fervor for anyone and everyone connected to the legal profession to come together, socialize and discourse over legal and spiritual issues, topics and ideas,” she noted. “Our driving purpose or mission, I guess you could say, is to try to be true witnesses to our faith and to put the tenets of our patron St. Thomas More into practice in our daily lives and legal professions.” “The St. Thomas More Society is an organization that has made remarkable contributions to the rich history of the Church and legal traditions of the Bay Area,” Stecher added. “Today the Society is an indispensable voice in the Bay Area legal community and beyond, an invaluable social network of Catholic lawyers and members of the legal profession.”. The Society sponsors monthly luncheons at which speakers inform and guide members on legal, ethical and moral issues. The group also sponsors seasonal after-work gatherings, including outings to Giants games, happy hours, and cultural events that have included a spiritual walking tour of San Francisco and a tour of Mission Dolores. “The Society is dedicated to advancing the principles of our faith within the practice of our profession,” Stecher said, “and every year we sponsor an essay

opportunity to serve as president during our 70th anniversary year.” According to Donohoe, the Society has increased membership and attendance steadily and enjoys a growing participation and affiliation with young lawyers and law students. “I am most grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to carry on a tradition and commitment to Catholic action and service to the communities of San Francisco,” he said. Dennis McQuaid of St. Leo Parish in the Santa Rosa Diocese expresses similar thoughts. “I joined the St. Thomas More Society when I moved my practice to San Francisco from Novato in the late ‘80s to have an opportunity to share values and concerns with other Catholic attorneys and to hear the speakers the Society brings in,” he said. McQuaid has served several terms on the group’s executive committee. Practicing law since 1970, he is also a former member of the Finance Council of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He and his wife, Susan, are parents of four grown children. The Society will honor federal Judge Carlos Bea with its annual St. Thomas More Award at the Red Mass Oct. 18. A 1958 graduate of Stanford Law School, Judge Bea’s service on the bench began in 1990 after a 32-year career in private practice. He was a San Francisco Superior Court judge for13 years joining the Court of Appeals in 2003. “We bestow our annual award and highest honor on Judge Bea for his faith and integrity, as well as his contributions to the legal and Catholic intellectual traditions in San Francisco spanning over several decades,” a St. Thomas More Society statement reads. Judge Bea is a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in San Francisco. “I was happy to learn from Judge Bea that he is being honored by the St. Thomas More Society,” said Father John K. Ring, St. Vincent de Paul pastor. “He is well known in the judicial world. He and his wife, Louise, and their four sons have also been well known for their involvement in the work and worship of our parish.” Last year’s St. Thomas More Award recipient was Franciscan Father Louis Vitale, former pastor of St. Boniface Parish, San Francisco, and former provincial of the Santa Barbara and California Franciscan provinces. A former U.S. Air Force pilot who served in the Korean War, Father Vitale is currently on trial in Arizona for charges stemming from a protest last November of U.S. interrogation practices.

Chinese young adult Catholics of the Archdiocese staffed a booth at the Singtao Expo at the end of August in San Mateo. More than 800 participants visited the display area which featured information on the Catholic faith as well as Cross Radio of Spiritual Services (CROSS). Managed by young adults under the umbrella of the archdiocesan Chinese Minstry, CROSS oversees a weekly one-hour 4 p.m. Chinese-language radio broadcast on Saturdays over the Singtao radio station. Visitors to the booth included San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang.

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 18:1-8 A READING FROM THE BOOK OF KINGS 2 KGS 5:14-17 Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean of his leprosy. Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.” Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives whom I serve, I will not take it;” and despite Naaman’s urging, he still refused. Naaman said: “If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.” RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands: break into song; sing praise.

R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. A READING FROM THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY 2 TM 2:8-13 Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. A READING FROM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE LK 17:11-19 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, e traveled through Samaria and Galilee. s he was entering a village, 10 lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

Scripture reflection FATHER JOSEPH PELLEGRINO

How often is ‘luck’ invoked and gratitude to God missed? The readings today talk about gratitude, the gratitude that Naaman the Syrian showed the prophet Elisha and the gratitude that one of the 10 healed lepers showed the Lord. These were miraculous events. In both cases, lepers were cured and saved from a life of suffering and scorn. God’s hand was experienced in tremendous, awe-inspiring ways. Gratitude should be given to God for his powerful intervention. Gratitude should also be given to God for the simple events of life. We should have gratitude to God for the people who love us and whom we love, for the happiness we receive from others and are able to bring to others, for the joy of laughing over the antics of a child. We should thank God for his daily intervention in our lives. I want to share with you a beautiful piece of wisdom that an elderly parishioner once shared with me. He said, “When I was young, and I drove somewhere and had to slam on my breaks to avoid an accident I would say, ‘I was lucky that I wasn’t killed.’ Now that I am older I say, ‘I am blessed that I was not killed.’” That is the wisdom of a person who recognizes the hand of God. Sometimes when we want something, and we pray to God for it, and our prayer is answered, we say, “I sure was lucky.” For example, a young man may pray that he

meet a person to marry. He is invited to a party, but decides not to go. At the last moment he changes his mind and goes to that party. And Sally Special is there. Then the young man says to himself, “I sure was lucky that I decided to come to this party.” Luck had nothing to do with it. God did. Or a person might pray to God to help with a sickness of unknown cause. But when a visiting physician at a hospital suggests a diagnosis that is successful, the response is: “I sure was lucky that the visiting physician passed through this hospital.” Again, luck has nothing to do with it. God does answer prayers. We need to thank God for his presence in our lives just as Naaman needed to thank him, just as all 10 lepers should have thanked him. At Mass we may receive the Eucharist. The word Eucharist means “to give thanks”. We thank God for all he has done and is doing for us. We thank God for the prayers that have been answered the way we wish they would be answered, and for the prayers that have been answered in ways different than we have asked. Perhaps it would be good for all of us to reflect today on the blessings we have received in our lives, and thank God for each of them. Father Joseph Pellegrino is pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, Tarpon Springs, Fla.

St. Thérèse: ‘Perfection consists in doing his will…’ (Following is excerpted from a reflection by Father Charles Puthota, parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish, San Francisco.)

By Father Charles Puthota Be a child before God. Do well the little things for God. This would be the summary of the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, known also as the Little Flower or St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. She was 15 when she entered the cloistered Carmelite convent in France. In 1897, at 24 , she died of tuberculosis. St. Thérèse, who lived a hidden life and didn’t achieve anything earthshaking, has inspired millions around the globe. She tugs at our heartstrings and throws light on the mystery of our life as we struggle for meaning, search for God, and strive for holiness. No one can read St. Thérèse’s spiritual classic and autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” and remain untouched, uninspired. She didn’t want to tell her story: she was too humble and simple for that, but was ordered to write it by her own sister who happened to be her religious superior. There are two insights in Thérèse’s life that appeal to us enormously. First, she knew she was called to be always little, childlike, and innocent. Second, she was convinced, living in the cloistered environment, that she was not expected to move heaven and earth, but to do simple things for God with plenty of love. This pathway to God is called “the little way” of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. There is a tendency among us that we

must be sophisticated and erudite. But God wants the opposite. People, too, enjoy relating to non-complicated persons. We like to deal with “what you see is what you get” people. God doesn’t want our innocence and simplicity to be lost. Sophistication and guile as we relate to God can only steer us away from our authenticity and charm. It’s true that because life brings enormous burdens and responsibilities as well as joys and heartaches. We have to grow up to be mature and make good choices. However, maturity doesn’t mean losing childlikeness. Some TV sitcoms, with shockingly high ratings, glorify childishness — characters who are egoistic, sarcastic, negative, showy, self-absorbed, obsessed and loaded with shallow values. Childlikeness is the opposite of childishness. The former leads one to a sense of wonder and innocence. Childishness, however, in an adult exhibits resistance to making enlightened decisions and taking responsibility. But childlikeness is one of the most charming qualities a human being can possess, a virtue dear to God. This is also a divine quality, capable of spreading God’s presence and love all around as a sweet fragrance no one can resist. St. Thérèse’s insights on being childlike and little are based entirely on the vision of Jesus. When the disciples of Jesus forbade children from being brought to him, he insisted on being with children, saying: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom

The Little Flower’s ‘Little Way’: We [my father and I] went on walking for a long time; my heart grew light again, and father dried his tears, talking to me just like a saint. Going to a low stone wall, he showed me some little white flowers like very small lilies; then he picked one of them, and gave it to me, explaining how carefully God had brought it to blossom, and preserved it till that day. So striking was the resemblance between the little flower and little Thérèse that it seemed as if I was listening to the story of my own life….. Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers he has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteThérèse of Lisieux is ness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet the patron saint of AIDS or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all sufferers, aviators, flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime florists, illness and beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little missions. Her feast day wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. is celebrated Oct. 1. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but he has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when he looks down at his feet. Perfection consists in doing his will, in being what he wills us to be….. Your arms, my Jesus, are the lift which will take me up to heaven. There is no need for me to grow up; on the contrary, I must stay little, and become more and more so….. Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, from “The Story of a Soul”

of God as a little child will never enter it” (Lk. 18: 16-17; Mk. 10: 14-16). To the question as to who the greatest in heaven is, Jesus calls a child, whom he puts among his disciples, and says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt. 18: 3-5). Again, Jesus prays to his Father: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX, page 22

October 12, 2007

Contemplative life trumped music career for Carmelite U.S. Senator Hall S. Lusk and Catherine E. Lusk. An accomplished pianist, she studied at New York City’s Julliard School of Music but before graduation gave up a promising career to enter contemplative religious life. “It was as if she heard Jesus saying to her, ‘Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come!’” said Carmelite Father Donald Kinney in his funeral Mass homily.

Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity, ODC

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Sister Elizabeth had a great love for the contemplative life and was a beloved member of her community. She had a deep compassion for all of humanity, especially the incarcerated. She strongly opposed the death penalty. For many years she kept up correspondence with prisoners. Sister Elizabeth is survived by siblings Margaret L. Framm of San Anselmo, Mary Meade of El Cerrito, Jeanne Fox of Georgia and the Carmelite Sisters of Santa Clara. Remembrances may be made to Carmelite Sisters of the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Clara, 1000 Lincoln St., Santa Clara 95050.

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($2,799 after Sept. 18, 2007)

Fr. Richard Cash, Spiritual Director

Saint Peter of Gallicantu

Visit: Tel Aviv, Netanya, Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, Tiberias, Upper Galilee, Jerusalem, Masada

IRELAND June 30 – July 9, 2008 Departs San Francisco 10-Day Pilgrimage

only

2,999

Open Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm Sat. 10 am-2 pm Sun. by appointment

($3,099 after March 14, 2008)

Fr. John Moriarty, Spiritual Director Visit: Shannon, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Knock, St. Mary’s Cathedral Croagh Patrick, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, Bunratty Folk Park, Ennis, Adare, Slea Head, Gallarus Oratory, Dingle, Killarney, Gougane Barra Park, Blarney Castle, Cork, Waterford, Rock of Cashel, Holy Cross Abbey, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Glendalough, Dublin

For a FREE brochure on these pilgrimages contact: Catholic San Francisco

(415) 614-5640 Please leave your name, mailing address and your phone number California Registered Seller of Travel Registration Number CST-2037190-40 (Registration as a Seller of Travel does not constitute approval by the State of California)

The University of San Francisco recently announced the creation of The University of San Francisco’s California Prize for Service and the Common Good. Nominations are now being accepted for the first-of-its-kind statewide medal and prize (a $10,000 purse), which will be awarded to an individual who models selfless service in pursuit of the common good — efforts that primarily benefit Californians, especially the poor and marginalized. Application deadline is Oct. 26. Application information can be found at www.usfca.edu/mccarthycenter/californiaprize.

D IRECTORY ✈

Catholic San Francisco WORLD invites you TRAVEL to join in the following pilgrimages AGENCY SOUTHERN ITALY only

USF establishes humanitarian prize

obituary

A funeral Mass for Carmelite Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity was celebrated Sept. 13 in the Chapel of the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Clara where she had lived and served for the last 67 years. Sister Elizabeth died Sept. 9. She was 90 years old. Interment was in the Sisters’ Cemetery at the monastery. Born in Portland, Ore., Sister Elizabeth was the daughter of longtime Oregon jurist and former

Catholic San Francisco

510-236-1081 www.worldtravelagency.com email

worldtravelagency@aol.com

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Se Habla Español

GLORY TOURS invites you to join us on pilgrimages. We are a wholesale pilgrimage tour company serving group leaders, organizations, churches leaders and travel agents on wholesale basis. We are dedicated to serving pilgrims, giving the best experience possible on their journeys. Once you taste our loving service, you’ll never think of going on pilgrimages without Glory Tours. So come and join us, with your family, friends and relatives. GLORY TOURS runs and operates the tour and offer one free travel for every ten paying pilgrims. We will meet or beat every legitimate offer in the market. Please feel free to contact by phone 1-866-352-5952 or e-mail: ruby@glory-tours.com or check www.glory-tours.com. Glory Tours will be happy to serve you For individuals you may join the ff. public tours: GREECE, GREEK ISLANDS AEGEAN CRUISE & TURKEY (MOTHER MARY’S HOUSE IN EPHESUS & much more), November 6 – 18, 2007 $2,695. From SFO + port charges & tax THE HOLY LAND, EGYPT & PARIS February 28 – March 11, 2008 $2,690 From SFO + Air Taxes POLAND-CHEZCH REPUBLICAUSTRIA & HUNGARY May 10 – 23, 2008 $2,990 From SFO + Air Taxes

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

U N S D A N Y O I S S I M WORALSPDECIAL DAY FOR ALL OF US IS OCTOBER 21, 2007 “All the Churches for all the world.” E-MAIL

SPOF@SFARCHDIOCESE.ORG

World Mission Sunday 2007 Dear Friends of the Missions, October 21st – World Mission Sunday – is a special day for all of us who are called, by Baptism, to be involved in the missionary work of the Church.

Because you care enough to S hare Y our L ove with the missions.

On that Sunday, every nation, even the poorest in the Developing World, contributes to the mission needs of the Church worldwide. World Mission Sunday truly belongs to the world. It is celebrated in every country, in every diocese and in every parish — in a remote chapel far out in the African bush, in a predominantly Muslim or Hindu area in Asia, in a poor village in Latin America. We are citizens of the world, members of the one Body of Christ, and are at our best when we act lovingly and generously to our brothers and sisters in the Missions. So this year remember that on October 21st, World Mission Sunday, the family of the Church celebrates that we are “one family in mission.” Please pray for the people of the Missions and for missionaries. I ask also for your most generous help to make Christ known. The collection gathered for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith on that Sunday — the offerings of Catholics worldwide — is vitally needed for the pastoral and evangelizing work of more than 1,150 dioceses throughout Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and remote regions of Latin America. Asking the Lord to bless you for your generous missionary spirit, I am Sincerely, Most Reverend Ignatius C. Wang Auxuliary Bishop Archdiocesan Mission Director

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BROTHER DAMIEN LUNDERS, SVD

PLEASE USE THE COUPON BELOW

Yes, I want to support the Mission Church. Enclosed is my contribution of: [ ] $10

[ ] $25

[ ] $50

[ ] $100 [ ] $500

[ ]$1,000 [ ] Other $

[ ] I would like to become a mission benefactor. While I can, I will support a missionary by my monthly sacrifice of $

Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Parish: Please make checks payable to Society for the Propagation of the Faith. One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109-6602 On behalf of our Lay missionaries, Brothers, Sisters and Priests, thank you for your support. Please remember The Society for the Propagation of the Faith when writing or changing your Will.

THANK YOU . . .

October 12, 2007

Catholic San Francisco

‘Come to the Waters’ theme for Holy Spirit Conference

The El Shaddai Music Ministry group from San Francisco’s Star of the Sea Parish lead singing during parts of the Holy Spirit Conference.

Nearly 500 persons attended the Sept. 28-30 Holy Spirit Conference staged at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. The multi-language annual event featured a youth track, English track and Spanish track. Presenters included internationally known persons in the Catholic Charismatic movement such as Linda Schubert of San Jose, Father Bill Halbing of New Jersey and Father Peter Sanders, provost of the Congregation of the Oratory in Monterey.

Father Raymund Reyes, pastor of St. Anne of the Sunset, San Francisco, both preached and led song.

The Ministeria Danza troupe based at Mt. Carmel Parish in Redwood City performs prayerful movement.

Father Daniel Nascimento, parochial vicar of St. Anne of the Sunset Parish, San Francisco, took part in the conference.

Father James Tarantino, archdiocesan liaison to the charismatic community, speaks to conference participants as Flor Guevara translates his words into Spanish.

Father Peter Sanders preached at the Spanish-language track of the charismatic conference.

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

Students and parents take part in clean-up effort

St. Thérèse of Lisieux . . . ■ Continued from page 18 you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Mt. 11: 25-26). Reflecting the mind of Jesus, St. Thérèse says she doesn’t want to be a big flower like the rose or lily. She is content to be a “little” flower like a violet or daisy, giving joy to God while God glances at her as he looks about his feet. In her littleness, she is happy to find her perfection, fulfillment and contentment. Because St. Thérèse delights in her littleness, her actions and deeds too are to be little ones. Her way to God, therefore, has to be the “little way.” God doesn’t expect from her to complete huge projects or achieve stunning success. All God wants her to do is to take daily relationships, tasks and situations one at a time and do them with as much love as possible. This will involve self-sacrifice because when we want to do small things with love, there is often the interference of our own desires, passions and pleasures. By saying no to these, we will succeed in doing the little things for God and others with love and joy. God is enchanted when we can do the everyday, humdrum things with wonder, newness, love and cheerfulness. Ordinary things of life are invested with the extraordinary power of the presence of God.

The fog lifted and the sun shone on kids and parents from San Francisco’s St. Stephen School who participated in California’s Coastal Cleanup Day at Ocean Beach on Sept. 15. Led by its student council organization, some 60 school volunteers combed the beach along with hundreds of other concerned citizens to pick up trash and recyclables.

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Home Healthcare Agency Specializing in home health aides, attendants and companions. Serving San Francisco, Marin & the Peninsula.

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COUNSELING Do you want to be more fulfilled in love and work – but find things keep getting in the way? Unhealed wounds can hold you back - even if they are not the “logical” cause of your problems today. You can be the person God intended.

John Holtz Ca. Lic 391053 General Contractor Since 1980

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Painting & Remodeling •Interiors •Exteriors •Kitchens •Baths Contractor inspection reports and pre-purchase consulting

Handyman Painting, roof repair, fence (repair/ build) demolition, carpenter, gutter (clean/ repair), skylight repairs, landscaping, gardening, hauling, moving, janitorial. All purpose.

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COUNSELING When Life Hurts It Helps To Talk • Family • Work • Depression • Anxiety

• Relationships • Addictions

Dr. Daniel J. Kugler Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Over 25 years experience

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Construction MORROW CONTRUCTION Specializing In Wood Fences

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Licensed contractors are required by law to list their license numbers in advertisments. The law also state that contractors performing work totaling $500 or more must be state-licensed. Advertisments appearing in this newspaper without a license number indicate that the contractor is not licensed. For more information, contact: Contractors State License Board 800-321-2752

October 12, 2007

PUBLISH A NOVENA Pre-payment required Mastercard or Visa accepted

Cost $25

If you wish to publish a Novena in the Catholic San Francisco You may use the form below or call 415-614-5640 Your prayer will be published in our newspaper

❑ Prayer to the Blessed Virgin ❑ Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Please return form with check or money order for $25 Payable to: Catholic San Francisco Advertising Dept., Catholic San Francisco 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109

Piano Lessons

Elderly Care

PIANO LESSONS by university professor. (415) 587-8165

Personal care companion, Help with daily activities; driving, shopping, appointments. 27 years experience, references, bonded. (415) 713-1366

PIANO LESSONS BY

CAROL FERRANDO. Conservatory training, masters degree, all levels of students. CALL (415) 921-8337.

Organist ORGANIST WEDDINGS • FUNERALS

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Worship Services, Catholic Experience Marie DuMabeiller 415-441-3069, Page: 823-3664 VISA, MASTERCARD Accepted Please confirm your event before contracting music!

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Help Wanted THE CATHEDRAL OF S T. MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION is looking for a part-time Gift Shop Customer Service Clerk, two full days a week (9:30am4:30pm, TBA between Monday and Thursdays). Total hours per week 14.50. Cash register operation, customer service and store inventory organization. Knowledge of Catholicrelated items and previous cash handling experience preferred.

Please contact Eugene at giftshop@stmarycathedralsf.org or call 415-567-4040.

Housekeeper Needed Full time Live-in Housekeeper for couple with small dog in San Francisco

415-673-4538

H e l p W a n t e d

Marian Convent is a person-centered independent living and assisted living community of the Sisters of Mercy Burlingame. It has immediate openings for the following positions: MANAGER Responsible for, and primary implementor of, a person-centered care program development and maintenance, collaborative leadership and financial stewardship and leads a team of professionals and volunteers to achieve the mission of Marian Convent. Minimum of 5 years experience working with the elderly in a person-centered environment, religious community or organization. Minimum of 2 years supervisory experience. Bachelor’s degree in administrative or management field required; Master’s degree preferred. The person must demonstrate a pastoral presence in ministry and interpersonal sensitivity to matters of faith and cultural differences, has collaborative style of decision-making, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, self starter, can work independently, maintain confidentiality, prioritize and multi-task.

HEALTH CARE COORDINATOR Responsible for providing care coordination services to members of the Sisters of Mercy to ensure that appropriate health and psychosocial services are made available to, and utilized by, them. Minimum of 4-year degree in social work, nursing or related field required. Three years work experience in geriatric care management or similar role, preferably in a religious community or organization; practical knowledge of aging issues, dementia care services, and long-term care models. Must possess personal integrity and leadership qualities, excellent communication skills, flexible, can work well with others, tactful, make independent decisions, and knowledgeable in basic medical practices/procedures.

LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSE / MEDICAL TECHNICIAN Provides for the administration of medications and basic healthcare monitoring and preventative healthcare programs for residents. Must possess a LVN Nursing degree from an accredited vocational college or university, a CA LVN license and currently CPR certified. Must have one year recent experience in an assisted living facility, skilled nursing or acute care facility, gerontology experience preferred. Must demonstrate personal integrity and commitment to ethical principles, tact, flexibility, leadership qualities, ability to work well with others, make independent decisions, knowledgeable in nursing and medical practices and procedures, maintain confidentiality.

SISTERS ASSISTANTS I AND II Provides personalized care and support to Sister-residents together with person-centered care teams to ensure Sisters’ continuing independence and quality of life. High School diploma or GED required. Minimum of two years work experience, preferably in elder or healthcare facilities, or comparable education/training or a combination of both. Must enjoy working with the elderly, is caring and compassionate, flexible, with good communication and interpersonal skills, can understand and follow individualized care plans, multi-task and prioritize and work with evolving systems and structures.

Qualified applicants may send their cover letters and resumes to: Sisters of Mercy – Attn: HR 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010 e-mail: cricafrente@mercyburl.org Fax: (650) 373-4509

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heaven can’t wait Serra for Priestly Vocations Please Call Archdiocese of San Francisco Fr. Tom Daly 415-614-5683

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Call 1-800-675-5051, Fax resume: 925-926-0799

FULL TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ST. TIMOTHY’S PARISH OFFICE

St. Timothy Catholic Church in San Mateo is looking for an enthusiastic, detail oriented person with office administrations skills. St. Timothy’s is a dynamic and diverse parish located in the North Shoreview area. Job duties include: Management of facilities, accounts payable and receivable. Excellent communication skills, general computer knowledge and the ability to multi-task a must. Spanish speaking a plus. Familiarity with the Catholic Church highly desirable. ** Comprehensive benefits package offered. Please send resumes to: jobs@sainttimothychurch.com

We are looking for full or part time

RNs, LVNs, CNAs, Caregivers In-home care in San Francisco, Marin County, peninsula Nursing care for children in San Francisco schools If you are generous, honest, compassionate, respectful, and want to make a difference, send us your resume: Jeannie McCullough Stiles, RN Fax: 415-435-0421 Email: info@snsllc.com Voice: 415-435-1262

ADVANCEMENT / DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Alliance of Mission District Catholic Schools creates a unique partnership of collaboration in every dimension of school life among the Catholic elementary schools of San Francisco, CA, Mission District. The AMDCS Advancement / Development Director will work with the Executive Director in this new model creating comprehensive start-up functions for the Advancement / Development program. The Advancement / Development Director will generate and oversee those funding and related marketing activities that address the goals of the AMDCS: current and future viability of the schools through innovative strategies for tuition endowment, capital renovation and improvement, and curriculum enhancement.

Full Time Position SALARY: Competitive and negotiable. Job Description available. CONTACT: Sr. Maureen Hilliard, AMDCS Executive Director alliance@sfarchdiocese.org schmidtp@sfarchdiocese.org

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICES Notre Dame High School, a Catholic independent school sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and serving 650 students, is seeking a Director of Finance and Business Services. Reporting to the President, the Director of Finance and Business Services has responsibility for all financial aspects of the school’s operations including budgeting, financial reporting, and physical plant management. The successful candidate must have the ability to provide leadership in financial long-range planning, strategic problem solving, and development of institutional policies and procedures. Additional responsibilities and oversight include human resources, food services, maintenance, security, contract services, project management, and local, state, and federal compliance. The Director of Finance and Business Services also serves as administrative liaison to and support for several Committees of the Board of Directors including the Finance Committee, the Development Committee, the Audit Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Building and Grounds Committee. The ideal candidate will have a CPA or an MBA with demonstrated skills and experience in the management of an organization’s fiscal and operational functions and staff, preparing and managing operating and capital budgets, accounting for not-for-profit organizations, issuing financial statements, managing an investment portfolio, managing computer network systems, identifying and managing risk, and writing financial and personnel policies and procedures. Experience with Blackbaud’s Financial Edge and Raiser’s Edge products is desirable.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES SHOULD SEND A COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO: Ms. Rita Gleason, President / Principal Notre Dame High School, 1540 Ralston Ave., Belmont, CA 94002 Fax: 650-593-9330 Email: rgleason@ndhsb.org

Catholic San Francisco

October 12, 2007

Please Join Us to Share ALL SAINTS DAY MASS Todos Los Santos Celebration Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma Saturday, October 27, 2007 11:00 a.m. in ALL SAINTS MAUSOLEUM CHAPEL Most Rev. Ignatius C. Wang Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco, Principal Celebrant Refreshments in the Courtyard Following Mass

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery The Catholic Cemeteries | Archdiocese of San Francisco Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery Santa Cruz Ave. @ Avy Ave., Menlo Park CA 650-323-6375

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 1500 Mission Road, Colma CA 650-756-2060

Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery 270 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael CA 415-479-9020

www.holycrosscemeteries.com

A Tradition of Faith Throughout Our Lives.