October 15, 2004 by Catholic San Francisco

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

(CNS PHOTO FROM REUTERS)

(CNS PHOTO BY STEPHEN STEELE)

An aerial view shows the Bredjing refugee camp for the Sudanese in eastern Chad. Millions of Sudanese have been driven from their homes by violence in western Sudan’s Darfur region. Inset, a Sudanese refugee and her child. Sudanese refugees have fled west into Chad to escape attacks by Arab militias and Sudanese government forces.

Refugee camps becoming permanent homes, Vatican official tells UNHCR By Sarah Delaney Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Refugee camps are increasingly becoming permanent homes for people fleeing war, extreme poverty or persecution, and wealthier nations must make a greater commitment to helping refugees return to their own countries, a Vatican official said. Some seven out of 12 million refugees worldwide have been kept from their homes for more than 10 years, a situation that leaves “masses of people without hope” and spawns “generations of children becoming adults with a lost childhood,” said Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, a Vatican representative to U.N. and humanitarian organizations based in Geneva.

Archbishop Tomasi told the executive committee of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva that the rights that are supposed to be accorded to refugees “too often remain mere words.” A text of his remarks was released at the Vatican Oct. 9. Millions of people are denied the right to work, are dependent on food rations and often are allowed to move only within the strict confines of their camps, Archbishop Tomasi said. With many camps located in remote, poor regions, “refugees and local people are forced to compete for scarce resources,” a situation that can spur further conflict, he said. “The institutional capacity of the international community seems insufficient,” he said, adding that not only are greater economic resources needed, but also “political will” if the refugee population is to be helped. REFUGEE CAMPS, page 3

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Faith Formation Conference. 3 News-in-brief . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Princess at Notre Dame des Victoires ~ Page 9 ~

October 15, 2004

Peace Prize winner . . . . . . . 6 East Palo Alto Boys’ Club. . 7 Scripture and reflection . . . 14 ‘Therese’ opens . . . . . . . . . 17

‘Year of the Eucharist’

Faithful Citizenship

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No. 33

Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

On The Where You Live by Tom Burke Football’s Tom Brady has completed one more pass but this time the connection is more down-home than downfield. The famed New England Patriots quarterback has contributed his 2003 Super Bowl MVP Cadillac to be raffled for the benefit of Junipero Serra High School where he graduated in 1995. Mike Peterson, who was Serra’s principal when Tom was a student there and today serves as Director of Institutional Development, said the gift has been the talk of towns across the country with mentions in Sports Illustrated and major dailies including the Boston Globe. “So far people have bought tickets from as far away as Maine, Florida Georgia and New Hampshire,” Mike said. “Tom and I had lunch in July and he suggested the car for the raffle. We’re hop-

Looking forward to their ordination to the permanent diaconate in 2005 are, front from left, Chris Sandoval, Brian Bromberger, Bob Shauger, Khaled Shaer, Gene Smith. Middle, from left, Chuck Cancilla, Jim Shea, Beni Koloamatangi, Chito Zamora. Back from left, Bruce Pagacz, John Meyer, Mike Ghiorso, Steve Fox. The picture was taken May 28th at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Daly City, when all but Bruce, who is studying for the Byzantine Rite, were installed as Acolytes. Bishop John C. Wester presided.

ing to raise at least $150,000 from that item alone.” The school’s Patrick Walsh and Moya Goddard have talked up the raffle as guests on out of state radio shows and media are continuing to show up at the door, Mike said. The car, a 2004 Caddy XLR, is valued at $76,000 and not many more than 3,000 of them have been produced. The raffle takes place

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Most Reverend William J. Levada, publisher Maurice E. Healy, associate publisher & editor Editorial Staff: Jack Smith, assistant editor; Evelyn Zappia, feature editor; Tom Burke, “On the Street” and Datebook; Patrick Joyce, contributing editor/senior writer; Sharon Abercrombie and Jayme George, reporters Advertising: Joseph Pena, director; Mary Podesta, account representative Production: Karessa McCartney, manager; Tiffany Doesken Business Office: Marta Rebagliati, assistant business manager; Virginia Marshall, advertising and promotion services; Judy Morris, circulation and subscriber services Advisory Board: Jeffrey Burns, Ph.D., Noemi Castillo, James Clifford, Fr. Thomas Daly, Joan Frawley Desmond, James Kelly, Deacon William Mitchell, Kevin Starr, Ph.D., Sr. Christine Wilcox, OP. 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 Advertising: (415) 614-5642 News fax: (415) 614-5633; Advertising fax: (415) 614-5641 Adv. E-mail: jpena@catholic-sf.org Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published weekly except the Fridays after Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas and the first Friday in January, twice a month during summer by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014. Annual subscription rates are $10 within the Archdiocese of San Francisco and $22.50 elsewhere in the United States. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, California. 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.

Michael Peterson, Marcus Collazo, a Serra senior, and Tom Brady

November 13th at Serra’s Club 451, an annual evening-out Much ado at St. Paul of the Shipwreck where it’s “thank benefiting school programs. The gala is set “in the Supper Club you” to parishioner Welton Flynn “for his generous donation scene of the 1940s,” said co-chairs Gloria Chirichillo and of carpeting” for the library, and “Congrats” to pastor, Millie Rogers. (See Datebook)….St. Brendan Conventual Franciscan Father John Heinz, Parish bids a happy 50 years married to Barbara ordained 11 years ago June 26th, and former and Len Wolowic who renewed their vows at the pastor, Franciscan Father Efrem Trettel, 60 San Francisco church August 28th….It’s 60 years a priest June 29th….Thanked at St. years since the day of their vows for Lena and Kevin Parish for their hard work of “stripping Paul Michelotti, longtime parishioners of St. and waxing the floors in the Old Hall” were Dunstan’s in Millbrae. Helping them celebrate Erick Diaz, Eduardo Soriano, Lauro Bernal, and sending their love on the October 11th Jesus Martinez, Juan Jesus Martinez and anniversary date were daughter, Barbara Forner, Javier Parrales….Thanks to St. Mary Star of with her husband, Ed; son, Larry Michelotti Missed already at Church Sea in Sausalito and St. Benedict Parish for the with his wife, Joan, and grandchildren, Matt, of the Epiphany Parish is Deaf in San Francisco for these tidbits. One of Sarah, Laura, and Lisa…Holy Name of Jesus the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out longtime member Nell Parish thanks Jeanine Corr-Cotter, Greg Merz who has moved to of stumbling blocks, and, The most important Martinez, Joe D’Angelo, Helen Dudum and things in your home are the people ….It only Morgan Hill and her Ramona and Joward Pascual for their “generostakes a moment to let us know about a birthday, daughter, Antoinette ity in donating new vestments.”…Sts. Peter and McIntyre and son-in-law, anniversary, special achievement, or special Paul Parish says “Mille Grazie” to Theresa Terry. Nell has been part of happening in your life. Just jot down the basics Avansino, Bea Bedoni, Lena Carrabino, the picture at Epiphany for and send with a follow-up phone number to Barbara de Luca, Elsa de Marchi, Marie 54 years and a faithful vol- On the Street Where You Live, One Peter Yorke Harrington, Aurora Piazza, Lola Simi, Melba unteer. Nell was even busy Way, SF 94109. You can also fax to Strazulo, Ed Tardelli, Frances Traverso, Flora at her farewell party hand- (415) 614-5633 or e-mail, do not send attachVetari. “The “hard work of these volunteers” ing party favors to guests ments, to tburke@catholic-sf.org. You can reach ensured the festival mailing was out on time…. including Claudia Lippi. Tom Burke at (415) 614-5634.

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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS 415-614-5506 This number is answered by Barbara Elordi, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Barbara Elordi. 415-614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this nunmber. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.

SAINT VERONICA CATHOLIC PARISH Cordially invites you to a

ROSARY RALLY IN ST. VERONICA CHURCH To Pray the Four Mysteries of the Holy Rosary in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Let us ask God for and end to Abortion in our country and the world to Reaffirm the value and Respect for Life. There is no better spiritual weapon than the Holy Rosary. Date: October 31, 2004 (Sunday) Place: Saint Veronica’s Church 434 Alida Way, South San Francisco Time: 3:00 p.m.

This Rosary Rally in St. Veronica Curch will be followed by a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Solemn Benediction.

October 15, 2004

Catholic San Francisco

Faith Formation Conference set for Oct. 29-30 in San Francisco Hundreds of people — including many involved in teaching the Catholic faith to children, youth and adults — will take advantage of a “Faith Formation Conference” scheduled for Oct. 29-30 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. The annual conference is sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Religious Education and Youth Ministry and the Archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools, in collaboration with the Diocese of San Jose’s Department of Pastoral Ministry. The theme of this year’s conference is “Proclaiming Christ, Doing Justice—Proclamando a Cristo, Haciendo Justicia.” Presenting the keynote address on Saturday morning will be Father Ron Rolheiser, a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and a widely respected teacher and writer whose column on spirituality regularly appears in Catholic San Francisco. Celina Rodriguez from Telemundo NBC Northern California will be the keynote speaker in Spanish. “Everyone who lives the Catholic faith is encouraged to

‘For Heaven’s Sake’ program airs Sunday, Oct. 17 on KRON-4 Father Gerry O’Rourke talks with host Maury Healy about the Eucharist on this month’s “For Heaven’s Sake” television program airing Sunday, Oct. 17 at 5:30 a.m. on KRON-Channel 4. For Heaven’s Sake looks at contemporary spirituality and airs the third Sunday of each month on KRON4, northern California’s all-news television station. Father Gerry O’Rourke The program is a production of the Office of Communications of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and is supported by contributions to the Catholic Communications Campaign.

attend the conference,” said Social Services Sister Celeste Arbuckle of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The half-day, afternoon session on Friday, Oct. 29 has been designated for professionals who would like a more in depth presentation of the topics of Justice, Community and Catechesis. Speakers include Father Ron Rolheiser, Msgr. Ray East of the Archdiocese of Washington, and Maureen Kelly with Harcourt Religious Publishing. The three also will present workshops on the following day of the conference. The full-day session of the Faith Formation Conference on Saturday, Oct. 30 will feature a wide range of workshops – 36 in English, 14 in Spanish, and 2 in Vietnamese. Among the workshop presenters are Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Solis, Jesuit Father Stephen Privett, president

of the University of San Francisco, and Ned Dolesji, executive director of the California Catholic Conference. On a more down-to-earth level, the Oct. 30 conference session includes many practical and useful “how-to” workshops for people working with children and teens. Other workshops are focused on aspects of the Catholic faith. The Faith Formation Conference will conclude on Saturday afternoon with a Mass concelebrated by San Francisco Archbishop William J. Levada and Bishop Patrick McGrath of the Diocese of San Jose. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is located at 99 Grove St. in San Francisco. Pre-registration for each day is $25; on-site registration is $30. For more information, call (415) 614-5650.

Refugee camps . . .

but the logistics are difficult, and it might be a few months before troops are in place to protect the population. Refugee camps, he told CNS, “are supposed to be for emergencies, but protracted refugee situations are becoming almost the norm.” The best solution for bringing refugees back to their countries of origin is voluntary repatriation, which “does not mean just going back,” Archbishop Tomasi said in his address. There must be conditions of safety and dignity, he said, and the international community must follow up to ensure such conditions even after the emergency situation has subsided. “Otherwise there is the risk that people are moved from one difficult situation to a life of misery in their own country,” he said. Follow-up measures include removal of land mines, educating youngsters born in camps to adapt to life outside, setting up micro-credit programs and settling property and land rights. Greater political will and international cooperation are urgently needed, he said, or the solution will become the “warehousing of millions of people in camps in subhuman conditions, without a future.”

■ Continued from cover Developed countries “have a moral obligation to do something to prevent so much suffering,” Archbishop Tomasi told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview. That includes urgent action on behalf of the thousands of refugees in the Darfur region of western Sudan, where he said 6,000 to 10,000 refugees are dying each month because of violence, lack of food and shortage of medicines. The international community has condemned violence against the black African population by Arab militias that many say are at least partially backed by the Sudanese government; the United States has called the violence genocide. “But the talk has not been followed by strong determination,” Archbishop Tomasi said, adding that negotiations among contributing nations concerning financial resources to commit to the situation “are slow and difficult.” Many countries favor a plan to deploy some 3,500 African Union troops backed by Western countries, he said,

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Catholic San Francisco

NEWS

October 15, 2004

in brief

Supreme Court docket includes death penalty, immigration cases

Separating faith, public life denies U.S. identity, archbishop says DENVER — To attempt to separate faith from public life is to deny American history and our national identity, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver said Oct. 7 at a workshop on church-state issues. “When the ‘separation of church and state’ begins to mean separating religious faith from public life, we begin to separate government from morality and citizens from their consciences,” Archbishop Chaput said in his Oct. 7 keynote talk at Religious Institutions Law Day. “And that leads to politics without character, which is now a national disease.” The daylong workshop was sponsored by a Denver law firm and two Colorado chapters of the National Association of Church Business Administration. “For Catholics, all of our actions and all of our choices should be rooted in our Catholic identity and in our relationship with God,” the archbishop said. “That means our choices at work; at play; within our families; and also the choices we make in living out our citizenship.”

Dominican nun receives honors NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee awarded Dominican Sister Rose Thering its Jan Karski Moral Courage Award for her lifelong commitment to ChristianJewish relations, her support for Israel and her opposition to anti-Semitism. “Sister Rose has remained a vigorous champion of these causes through the years, and has been a remarkable inspiration, an authentic role model for thousands of Christians and Jews,” said Rabbi James Rudin, the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser. In the 1960s, Sister Thering conducted a groundbreaking study of textbooks used in Catholic schools, which resulted in significant changes in material about Jews, Judaism and the Holocaust. Sister

(CNS PHOTO FROM REUTERS)

WASHINGTON — The second week of the Supreme Court’s 2004 term brings cases on immigration and the juvenile death penalty that attorneys for Catholic organizations are watching closely. Also likely to be considered this term are challenges to a religious rights law. The court was to hear oral arguments Oct. 13 in Roper vs. Simmons, challenging laws allowing death sentences for crimes committed by juveniles. In that case, the Missouri attorney general seeks to reverse the state Supreme Court’s decision to reduce Christopher Simmons’ death sentence. The court had said Missouri’s juvenile death penalty runs counter to evolving standards of decency and violates the Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Simmons was convicted of murdering Shirley Crook in the course of robbing her home in 1993. He was 17 at the time of the crime. Shortly before his scheduled execution in 2002, the Missouri court put his execution on hold pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in a case over the execution of people who are mentally retarded.

Afghan election workers carry ballot boxes to a counting center in Kabul Oct. 10. Afghans voted in the country's first direct presidential election, which will also be a major test of U.S.-led nation-building efforts under way since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban.

Thering taught at the Institute for Judeo-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University for more than 30 years. The award is named after a Polish Catholic diplomat who worked with the anti-Nazi underground during World War II and risked his life to tell world leaders about the extermination of the Jews.

Priest talks of efforts at U.N. to ban reproductive cloning WASHINGTON — The Vatican mission to the United Nations is working with dozens of nations on an international convention that would ban reproductive human cloning worldwide, according to a Jesuit priest involved in the effort. Jesuit Father Robert J. Araujo, a member of the permanent delegation of the Holy See to the United Nations, said there is “a strong consensus against reproductive human cloning on the international scene.” The priest spoke Oct. 4 at a two-day conference in Washington on the embryonic stem-cell debate in the United States and Germany. The conference was sponsored by The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Father Araujo, a law professor at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., said debate was to resume in the third week of October on a resolution, sponsored by 57 nations, that calls for drafting the international convention. The resolution calls human cloning “unethical, morally reproachable and contrary to due respect for the human person.”

Head of Black Americans for Life hopes to change minds, statistics WASHINGTON — Day Gardner, director of Black Americans for Life, is out to change some perceptions and some facts. Although blacks and whites alike have taken part in

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many pro-life marches and rallies, the pro-life movement has not been especially well-known or well-received in the wider black community. She notes that African-American women, who make up 13.7 percent of the U.S. population of women of child-bearing age, have an abortion rate three times higher than that of white women, and approximately 35 percent of all abortions in the United States are performed on African-American women. Gardner said these statistics are no accident because “more than 70 percent of all abortion providers are in minority communities.” She added, “After all that we as black Americans have endured and achieved, by the end of this day nearly 1,200 black babies will be killed by abortion.”

Vatican says family based on traditional marriage key to society VATICAN CITY — The family based on marriage between a man and a woman is the cornerstone of a healthy society and should be protected because it is in the public interest to do so, a Vatican official told an international assembly dedicated to civil legislation. Msgr. Vito Rallo, the Vatican official, said that the traditional family is a fundamental part of “the patrimony of humanity, the basis of a healthy social fabric that allows for the human development of peoples.” Msgr. Rallo represented the Vatican in a speech to the International Commission on Civil Status, which met in Edinburgh, Scotland last month. His speech was published in the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, Oct. 3. Msgr. Rallo’s remarks came at a moment when the controversial issue of marriage between homosexuals is on the legislative dockets of some Western countries. In the United States, following the passage of a law legalizing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, President George W. Bush has promoted a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

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October 15, 2004

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Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

By Catholic News Service ATCHISON, Kan. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize says a small Catholic college in Kansas was instrumental in making her â&#x20AC;&#x153;who I am and may ever become,â&#x20AC;? according to correspondence released by the school. Wangari Muta Maathai, a native of Kenya who now serves as assistant minister of environment and natural resources in her homeland, graduated from Mount St. Scholastica College, now Benedictine College in Atchison, with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in biology in 1964. In a recent letter to the Benedictine Sisters who serve at the college, Maathai said they â&#x20AC;&#x153;became more than my teachers: They became my friends, mothers and sisters.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;They touched my life so profoundly and made it so much better then ... and now,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They made the Mount my home and gave me the most wonderful four years which have partly made me who I am and may ever become.â&#x20AC;? Maathai, the first black African woman to win a Nobel prize in any field, went on to earn a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The women at Mount St. Scholastica â&#x20AC;&#x153;did everything to help me, educate me and enrich my life,â&#x20AC;? said Maathai, one of the first two women from Africa to attend the Kansas college. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had already benefited from a full scholarship, yet I continued to receive so much more,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think this is partly where I got my deep sense of service and my detachment from things material. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On a daily basis, I saw women working hard for higher goals and inner goals,â&#x20AC;? Maathai said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This must have impacted my own conscience and values as I matured.â&#x20AC;? The 64-year-old founder of Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community-based Green Belt Movement â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which was established in 1977 to

improve the environment, empower women and fight corruption in Africa â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was honored in the Nobel citation as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a strong voice speaking for the best forces in Africa to promote peace and good living conditions on that continent.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maathai stands at the front of the fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic and cultural developments in Kenya and in Africa,â&#x20AC;? the Nobel committee added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She has taken a holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights in particular.â&#x20AC;? The peace prize and a $1.3 million cash award are to be presented to Maathai on Dec. 10 in Oslo, Norway. At an Oct. 10 ceremony in Nairobi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister of the environment and natural resources, called the Nobel Peace Prize a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pedestalâ&#x20AC;? from which Maathai can now make â&#x20AC;&#x153;authoritative statements,â&#x20AC;? not only on the environment but on democracy and other topics. But gaining a voice â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and even a job â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was not easy when Maathai returned to Kenya in the late 1960s. At a job interview, according to a September 1996 Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Digest profile, she was told, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Surely a pretty young thing like you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in science. These arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t real degrees, are they?â&#x20AC;? After earning her doctorate, she became the first woman professor at the University of Nairobi. Her work with the National Council of Women in Kenya led her to start organizing women to plant trees as a way of combating the increasing deforestation and cash-crop farming she was witnessing all around her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As I did that, I got to understand more and more about linkages between the environment and women, women and energy, women and food, women and poverty, women and water â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it gave me a view of how central to our life the environment is,â&#x20AC;? said Maathai in a January 2003 interview. Since the Green Belt Movement began

in 1977, its members have planted more than 25 million trees in farms, public lands and forests around Kenya. Maathai married in 1969 but divorced in the 1980s after her husband, a parliamentarian, accused her of being â&#x20AC;&#x153;too educated, too strong, too successful, too stubborn and too hard to control.â&#x20AC;? The couple has three grown children. Following an unsuccessful bid for the Kenyan presidency in 1997, Maathai won a seat in parliament in the December 2002 elections. She was appointed assistant environment minister the next month. Benedictine Sister Thomasita Homan, a Benedictine College English professor and longtime friend of Maathai and her family, called the Nobel Peace Prize winner â&#x20AC;&#x153;a woman faithful to her dream, faithful to her environment, faithful to her people and her many friends and faithful to her country and the world at large.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environment and peace have been the pattern of her life since her college days at Mount St. Scholastica,â&#x20AC;? she added.

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Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai talks on the phone in Nyeri, Kenya, shortly after she was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Oct. 8.

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Catholic San Francisco

East Palo Alto parish gets help to start Boys Club Are you homebound or ill? Watch the TV Mass each Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. with Msgr. Harry Schlitt. The TV Mass airs on WB-Channel 20 (cable viewers Channel 13) and Channel 26 (cable viewers Channel 8).

Father Larry Goode, pastor, with Parish Council member, Alfredo Montoya and, East Palo Alto City Council member, Pat Foster on the steps of the new facility.

By Tom Burke St. Francis of Assisi Parish is stretching its sanctuary beyond the church. The East Palo Alto faith community is set to open a new Boys Club for neighborhood pre-teen youth before the end of the year. Father Lawrence Goode, who became pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in the summer of 2003, said in his first six months at the parish, more than 50 shootings took place on the streets of East Palo Alto. “From this we decided that churches needed to open their doors to children after school,” Father Goode said. “There was danger out there. Shootings were happening in broad daylight. We want children in the neighborhood to have a safe and supervised place to go.” Clubs for youth already exist across town from the parish and in neighboring Menlo Park, Father Goode said. There is also a Girls Club not far from the parish that serves as many as 200 girls especially in the summer months. The large neighborhood surrounding the parish, however, is without a facility for boys. Father Goode put the number of youth in East Palo Alto at “in the thousands.” The parish Religious Education program has a student body of 600. “We expect that the club will open with 40 to 50 children to begin with,” Father Goode said. Ultimately, he expects to be able to serve more than 200 youth. The new Boys Club will be situated in two portable classrooms recently donated to St. Francis of Assisi by St. Hilary

Parish in Tiburon. The buildings have been valued at $20,000 and are already in use for Religious Education classes, meetings and other parish activities. “We didn’t have room here for meetings and catechism,” Father Goode said. “The Real Estate Office of the Archdiocese put St. Hilary’s and us in touch and we are grateful for their generosity.” The good news didn’t stop there. The $20,000 expense to move the buildings was absorbed by a gift to the parish by St. Matthew parishioner, Carmen Morris in memory of her late husband, Bill. Outfitting the buildings was also accomplished without expense, Father Goode said, through the generosity of businesses including Rudolph and Sletten and Cupertino Electric. Dick Blach of St. Raymond Parish put the project and the companies together. Father Goode put the value of gifts, including the buildings and Morris family grant, at more than $60,000. Parish expense has so far been limited to $13,000, the cost of grading and preparing the site for the new buildings. “Our hope now is to get computers and similar equipment donated,” Father Goode said. A search for a director continues as well as a fundraising campaign for the club’s operational expenses expected to top $40,000 per year. “It’ll be mostly salaries,” Father Goode said. “We’re pretty sure that we can get sports equipment and things from companies that have in the past already been generous to Boys and Girls Clubs.” He also pointed out that the new club would be involved in at least some cooperative programs with East Palo Alto’s already existing youth organizations.

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Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

Parishes sign up Catholic voters By Sharon Abercrombie Churchgoers from all over San Francisco County are expected to gather on the front steps of City Hall Oct. 24 for a brief rally and then begin casting their votes nine days ahead of the upcoming General Election on Nov. 2. The event, scheduled between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., will be a “communal action” for the good of people’s futures, as individuals choose a U.S. President and make their voices heard on state and local ballot initiatives, said Adam Kruggel with the San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP). SFOP is co-sponsoring the ecumenical event in conjunction with the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns as a part of the California Faithful Citizenship Campaign. The California Faithful Citizenship Campaign is a response to the U.S. bishops’ call for Catholics to participate more fully in the political process. The U.S. Bishops’ document, “Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility,” offers guidelines for voting decisions based on core themes of Catholic social teaching: protecting human life, promoting family life, pursuing social justice, and practicing global solidarity. The Archdiocese is one of eight Catholic dioceses involving 89 parishes state-wide participating in a massive non-partisan voter registration campaign aimed at low income communities with significant immigrant populations and low voter turnout. Twenty Bay Area Catholic parishes are involved, said Kruggel, along with 20 additional churches representing other denominations as well. The Faithful Citizenship Campaign is using a voter registration program developed by the Portuguese American Citizenship Project, a non-profit organization working with Portuguese Catholic churches on the East Coast and areas of California. The program has significantly increased voter participation over the past five years. Jim Keddy, director of the Pacific Institute for Community Organization PICO), said the program “is a systematic way to improve voting in local parishes where you can actually measure change. . . It’s one thing to have voter registration going on the steps of the church after Mass and another to be able to say we went from 50 percent of our parishioners registered to vote to 85 percent.” SFOP is a PICO affiliate. “The participating parishes have large immigrant populations, which continue to live largely in poverty,” he said.

“How they merge into the mainstream culture and economy directly has an impact on what happens to the Church as an institution,” he explained. Sarah Silva, parish outreach coordinator for the Office of Public Policy and an organizer for the Archdiocesan Faithful Citizenship Campaign gave a nuts and bolts example. “If a parish wants a cross walk put out in front of the church, the local Supervisor is going to pay more attention to the request if he or she has a large number of voting constituents in that parish,” she said. Increased voter registration is a key to leveraging citizen power, Silva added. Old Saint Mary’s Parish is a case in point. Over 50 percent of its 309 parishioners are regular voters. The parish discovered its 56.3 percent voting record earlier this fall, when Michael Adams, a staff member, went to a PICO meeting and found out that the Portuguese American Citizenship Project’s had a system for tracking voter registration. Adams provided the group with a parish list of names. At first Adams wasn’t particularly impressed with a finding that 56.3 percent of Old St. Mary’s parishioners vote, until he discovered that only 42 percent of City’s general population votes. Since getting this good news, Adams has installed a large poster on a voter registration table in the church vestibule with the 56.3 percent reminder on it. Potential voters also have bulletin reminders from their pastor, Paulist Father Charles Kullman about the importance of registering and voting. At Masses last Sunday, Father Kullman reminded his flock that “we need to approach this election and vote, not on the basis of our fears, but on our belief about what is best and truest about our nation. We need to vote, not negatively, out of fear, but positively out of a desire to move forward, with realistic hope that America can provide greater justice, prosperity and peace to all its citizens at home and to greater numbers of people around the world. Do not be afraid. Vote!” Father Kullman added, “for Christians in particular, voting is part of the responsibility they have to help build up the Kingdom of God by working for justice and for peace.” Sarah Silva said that parishes would be pushing especially hard this upcoming weekend of Oct. 16-17 to register even more voters, before the California registration deadline of Oct. 18. Silva added that many churches, as well as the San Francisco Organizing Project would be providing vans and cars to help people get to the City Hall event on Oct. 24. For further information, call (415) 614-5570 or (415) 452-3700.

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NEW YORK (CNS) — Failure by nuclear and non-nuclear states to adhere to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty increases the possibility that terrorists will acquire such weapons, said the Vatican representative to the United Nations. The 1968 treaty is in a “fragile state” because the “original bargain” of “no proliferation in exchange for nuclear disarmament” is not being observed, said Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s permanent observer at the United Nations in New York. Instead, there has been an “ongoing struggle” between the non-nuclear countries to obtain weapons and the nuclear nations to further modernize their weapons, he said Oct. 7 at a meeting of the General Assembly’s First Committee, a subcommittee that deals with disarmament and international security. “Proliferation of these weapons greatly increases the likelihood of terrorist acquisition,” he said. An overall rise in global military spending also makes it easier for terrorists to get conventional weapons, he added. Worldwide military spending this year is expected to top $1 trillion and “will soon surpass even the Cold War peaks,” said the archbishop. He noted that global military spending in 2003 was $965 billion, a jump of 11 percent from 2002. Conventional weapons “are being produced and sold internationally, on black markets as well as by state sponsors,” he said. Tighter export controls and greater monitoring of weapons stockpiles are needed, he added. “Increased reliance on guns — large and small — is leading the world away from, not toward, security.” Disarmament efforts must include stopping the spread of conventional weapons in Africa and other regions facing conflict, he said. Earlier this year, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said as terrorist threats persist and intensify, the Catholic Church must reassert a commitment to nuclear disarmament and to using war as a last resort.

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Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

A Bioethics Film Festival will be held Oct. 21-23 at the Lark Theater in Larkspur. For three nights, films will be screened as a springboard for audience discussion and reflection on current bioethical issues of cloning, genetic engineering, human experimentation and exploitation. The festival is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns and the Center for Bioethics and Culture. The schedule of films is as follows: In After the Truth (1999), attorney Peter Rohm is unwittingly enticed to defend Josef Mengele, the death camp doctor of Nazi Germany called the “Angel of Death of Auschwitz.” After being long presumed dead, Mengele wants to return home and hires Rohm to represent him in the trial of the century. While Mengele’s crimes are horrible, his justifications will sound convincing in the current bioethical climate. (Oct. 21, 7:30 P.M.) Gattaca (1997) is a cautionary tale about human genetic engineering in the not too distant future. The film is written and directed by Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show), and stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Portions were shot on location at the Marin County Civic Center. Gattaca focuses on future class conflicts between the preferred “Valids,” humans created by genetic engineering, and the inferior “In-Valids,” those born through traditional means. (Oct. 22, 8:00 P.M.) The Sixth Day (2000) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger concerns a future where cloning is possible, but restricted by “Sixth Day Laws” – for the day God made man. Citizens can create exact replicas of their pets and even purchase artificial friends. While the film doesn’t settle on many answers, Catholic film reviewer, Steve Greydanus, said the film asks many questions pertinent to emerging technologies, “When does technology amount to playing God? Is it moral to clone human body parts? To clone human beings? Does a clone have rights? Does it have a soul?” (Oct. 23, 8:00 P.M.) Cost is $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors. A ticket for all three screenings and discussions is $25. For more information or tickets email jennifer.lahl@thecbc.org or call 415-945-0180.

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Princess Michael of Kent visited with Students at Notre Dames des Victoires school in San Francisco Oct. 4. In addition to being wife to Prince Michael, first cousin of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Michael is a well respected historian. She is in the U.S. on a book tour of her new book, “The Serpent and the Moon,” a true love story of King Henri II of France, his wife Catherine de’ Medici, and his mistress Diane de Poitiers. Princess Michael, who is a descendant of both King Henri’s wife and mistress, gave a toned-down version for the appreciative students at NDV during a morning assembly. She also signed copies of her book and visited with students in most of the classrooms. The princess came to NDV at the invitation of Jean Rowclisse, mother of eighth grade student James Kessler. Rowclisse served for eight years as nanny to the Princess’ children and remains a good friend. Princess Michael was born Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz in Bohemia. In 1978, she married Prince Michael of Kent, cousin to both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. At the time of his marriage to the Catholic Marie-Christine, Prince Michael was eighth in line of succession to the English throne. However, since the Act of Settlement (1701) prohibits any person who marries a Catholic from becoming King, he lost this right.

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An Elder Care Alliance Community Elder Care Alliance is cosponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Regional Community of Burlingame and the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

“Year of the Eucharist” International Eucharistic Congress opens ‘Year of the Eucharist’ By Jason Lange Catholic News Service

(CNS PHOTO BY DAVID MAUNG)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Tens of thousands of people flocked to Guadalajara’s Jalisco Stadium to attend a Mass opening the 48th International Eucharistic Congress. For many, Pope John Paul II’s envoy, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, crystallized the congress’ main focus as he led the Oct. 10 opening Mass, urging people to “ask who the Eucharist is, not what the Eucharist is.” “That was an amazing phrase. I think everybody will remember it,” said Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. Zurek of San Antonio, Texas, as fireworks lit up the stadium at the close of the Mass. Cardinal Tomko, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, said devotion to the Eucharist is Cardinal Jozef Tomko gives Communion during needed in a world “shaken by the dark shadows of wars both known and Mass for the opening of the Eucharistic Congress. forgotten ... (and by) the ideological attacks on marriage, the family and on human life from its conception.” The scale of the event — and attend the congress because it was the fervor of those who attended — being held in Mexico. surprised many of the participants. “We have a small, but growing “I’ve never seen anything like Hispanic community in our parish,” this,” said Father Michael E. O’Mara said Father Michael Basque of St. of St. Mary Church, Indianapolis. “It Stephen’s Parish in Cayuga, Ontario. gives you a sense of the universality “Some of them are political refugees of our church.” and some are migrant workers — An estimated 65,000 people and we are being called on to serve packed the stadium to near capacity them. So we have to understand them and periodically broke into thunderand know where they’re coming from, ous chants of “You can see him, you and that’s what we’re trying to do.” can feel him, Jesus is here.” Father O’Mara said he was in Each time Cardinal Tomko Mexico for a week before the congress referred to the pope, the crowd burst opened, meeting with Mexican church into applause, at times chanting “John leaders to strengthen the growing bonds Paul II, the whole world loves you.” between U.S. and Mexican dioceses. During the Mass, selections of The Mexican community in centhe Scripture were read in a host of tral Indiana is growing rapidly, languages, including Spanish, Father O’Mara said, and most of the English, German, Portuguese and immigrants come from the French, among others. Guadalajara area or from the state of Thirty-five cardinals and some Mexico, which surrounds Mexico City. 250 bishops attended the event, along Father O’Hara said he has been with hundreds of priests from six coming to Guadalajara for three years continents. San Francisco and has helped develop seminarian Archbishop William J. Levada was exchanges between Guadalajara and among several California bishops Indianapolis with the hope that the attending the opening of the exchanges will encourage more Eucharistic Congress. Hispanic priests to minister in Indiana. Beyond their desire to share This was the first time Bishop devotion to the Eucharist, many Zurek has attended an About 65, 000 people from 80 countries packed American and Canadian participants International Eucharistic Congress, said they had an extra incentive to Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara for the opening Mass. and he said a chief reason for his visit was that, as a member of the clergy in San Antonio, “We’re like brothers with the Mexican bishops.” “We have a saying on the border: ‘una sola familia, una sola iglesia,’” said Bishop Zurek. “That is, ‘one family, one church.’” Many Guadalajara residents expressed pride that their city — known in Mexico for its Catholic traditions — was chosen to host the congress. “It’s a great privilege,” said Jose Gabriel Jimenez, 64, president of one the city’s many Catholic societies dedicated to periodic sessions of all-night adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Many of the groups, known as “adoradores,” will be praying roundthe-clock at Guadalajara parishes throughout the entire week. The congress brings together bishops, priests and lay people from 80 countries for a full week of prayer and discussion aimed at bolstering devotion to the Eucharist worldwide. The congress includes special eucharistic processions as well as visits to the sick and imprisoned. The congress will close Oct. 17 with another Jalisco Stadium Mass that People pray and others take pictures as the Eucharist is will feature a message by the pope broadcast from the Vatican. The Oct. 17 taken from Jalisco Stadium following the opening Mass. Mass, and one at the same time at the Vatican, will inaugurate a special eucharistic year that will run until Oct. 29, 2005.

Catholic San Francisco

Pope says eucharistic year should be time of mission for church By John Thavis Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The upcoming eucharistic year should be a time of mission for the church, as Catholics are inspired to imitate the life of Christ, Pope John Paul II said. The pope made the remarks in a meeting Oct. 9 with several thousand young people from the Diocese of Rome. The youths, many involved in eucharistic adoration groups, had participated in a weeklong evangelization campaign in the city’s churches, schools, hospitals and streets. “I hope this beautiful experience, an authentic school of communion and new evangelization, can continue and grow,” the pope told the young people. He said the Year of the Eucharist, which begins Oct. 17, would mark a time of special grace and energy for the church. Its effect should not be limited to eucharistic celebrations, but spread into every area of life, he said. “The Eucharist and mission are two inseparable realities,” the pope said. He noted that the Eucharist is the way Catholics experience Christ’s saving sacrifice. “This mystery asks each of us to give thanks with Christ to the Father, not so much with words as with our very lives united with his,” he said. “There is, therefore, no authentic celebration or adoration of the Eucharist that does not lead to mission,” he said. Addressing pilgrims from his apartment window at a noon blessing the next day, the pope said Catholics should show special attention to works of charity during the eucharistic year. Later that day, the International Eucharistic Congress opened in Guadalajara, Mexico. The pope said he was united in spirit with the assembly. He had wanted to travel to Mexico to close the eucharistic con-

(CNS PHOTO BY ALESSIA GIULIANI, CATHOLIC PRESS PHOTO)

Pope John Paul II blesses a girl at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. gress Oct. 17, but his frail health made that impossible. Instead, the pope will celebrate Mass at the Vatican and address the participants at the congress’ closing Mass via satellite. Pope John Paul II announced in June plans for a special year dedicated to the Eucharist, saying the church needs to highlight its

importance for spiritual life and missionary tasks of the 21st century. The eucharistic year will begin with the International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico Oct. 10-17, and will end with the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist in Rome Oct. 2-29, 2005.

Pope calls for more intense witness of faith through the Eucharist By John Thavis Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Offering spiritual guidelines for the upcoming “Year of the Eucharist,” Pope John Paul II called upon Catholics worldwide to have a more intense public witness of the faith. As the center of the Christian experience, the Eucharist should have a transforming power that carries beyond Sunday Mass and into daily life, he said. The 31-page apostolic letter, released in Italian at the Vatican Oct. 8, was written to launch the eucharistic year that will run from Oct. 17 to October 2005. Titled, “Stay With Us, Lord,” from the words of the apostles to the risen Christ, it urged local churches to promote respectful liturgies, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and a better understanding of Christ’s “real presence” in the Eucharist. The pope did not call for specific celebrations or programs, and at one point he said he would be happy if the year served only to revive interest in Sunday Mass and eucharistic adoration outside of Mass. The Eucharist, the pope said, furnishes Christians with spiritual energy and a plan for living. It is the ideal way for the faithful to identify with Christ’s message and his saving sacrifice, which should in turn have an impact on peace and justice issues in the wider society, he said. Pope John Paul II said greater Christian devotion to the Eucharist can help heal a world torn by terrorism and racked by poverty. “The lacerated image of this world, which has begun the new millennium with the specter of terrorism and the tragedy of war, calls on Christians more than ever to live the Eucharist as a great school of peace,” he said. This will help form men and women as architects of dialogue and communion, at every level of social and political life, he said. The Eucharist should also bring Catholics closer to the world’s poor because it manifests Christ’s “extreme form of love” — one that replaced domination with service as the governing principle in human affairs, he said.

The pope urged local communities to adopt concrete expressions of solidarity and charity for the poor during the eucharistic year. “I am thinking of the drama of hunger that torments hundreds of millions of human beings, of the diseases that afflict developing countries, of the loneliness of the elderly, the needs of the unemployed and the misfortunes of immigrants,” he said. He told Catholics that the authenticity of eucharistic celebrations will be demonstrated largely by the love shown to others and by the care given to the needy. The pope touched briefly on many points he developed in greater detail in his encyclical on the Eucharist last year, including the need to understand the Eucharist not simply as a shared meal or a symbol, but as a real encounter with Christ. He urged obedience of liturgical norms, including those on reception of Communion, and suggested that every local parish use the eucharistic year to study in depth the church’s rules on proper liturgy. The respect shown the Eucharist as the real presence of Christ should be evidenced in such things as tone of voice, gestures and moments of silence during the Mass or eucharistic adoration, he said. The pope urged Christians to publicly witness the faith and the presence of God during the eucharistic year — for example, in eucharistic processions. “We are not afraid to speak of God and to hold high the signs of the faith,” he said. Those who think public professions of faith represent an intrusion on civil society or encourage intolerance are wrong, he said. At a Vatican press conference to present the papal letter, Cardinal

Francis Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, said the pope’s words did not mean that every church must have a eucharistic procession this year. In places where Christians are a small minority, prudence may dictate that there be no processions, he said, adding that the decision had to be made by local bishops and pastors. “What we cannot accept is being unable to practice our faith,” the cardinal said. “This is not a concession made by governments or by other religions. “Our faith is not a contraband article. It is good news, joyful news, that we want to announce at midday. We have nothing to hide, and we aren’t hiding our identity,” he said. The pope officially will open the eucharistic year with a Mass at the Vatican Oct. 17. The same day he will greet via satellite the closing session of the International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. The eucharistic year will close Oct. 29, 2005, at the end of a monthlong Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. Vatican officials said the pope would not be celebrating a series of special liturgies, but likely would be speaking a lot about the meaning of the Eucharist throughout the coming year. In recent liturgies, the pope, who suffers from a nervous system disorder, has appeared tired and has spoken with great difficulty. In April 2003, the Pope issued an encyclical on the Eucharist entitled Ecclesia de Eucharistia. The full text of that encyclical is accessible at www.vatican.va. The Vatican’s website also can be accessed through www.sfarchdiocese.org, the website of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

Waking up to Prop 71 Perhaps a surprise to some, embryonic stem cell research has become a hotly contested issue in California in the form of Proposition 71, which appears on the Nov. 2 ballot. On the national level, the same issue has been raised in presidential debates –revealing a sharp difference between President George Bush and Senator John Kerry. Backed by an array of foundations, numerous scientists, researchers and politicians, the enthusiasm for Proposition 71 got off to a heady start. The initiative proposes a $3 billion state bond (costing taxpayers $6 billion with interest) to fund “embryonic” stem cell research. Prop 71 proponents held out the promise that the research would lead to curing virtually every disease known to humankind. This hype, although superficial, fooled a lot of people and early polls showed public approval of more than 70 percent. But to the chagrin of venture capital firms that have lent strong financial support to the campaign in favor of Prop 71, the people of California have had some time to examine the initiative. What more and more Californians see is a proposition that is objectionable on many fronts. A Field Poll released Oct. 12, showed that support for Prop 71 had fallen to 46 percent of likely voters, while opposition had risen to 39 percent. This closing gap of opinion has occurred despite the expenditure of more than $21 million by Prop 71 proponents. Among those bringing a clear picture of Prop 71 to voters is The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (www.thecbc.org). It says we need to be told the truth about the initiative, which purports to be focused on the need for “stem-cell research” to be legal and funded in California. But stem-cell research is already legal and funded in California. That is true of adult stem-cell research, which raises no ethical problems and has already led to cures for what had been incurable diseases. It is true of embryonic stem-cell research, which raises ethical problems for many people (prochoice as well as anti-abortion) because it involves destroying human embryos. The California Nurses Association (CNA) opposes Prop 71 because of its concerns about adequate safeguards and the likely use of public funds to further enrich pharmaceutical and biotech corporations. “Stem cell research is a valuable tool in developing treatments for a wide variety of medical conditions, and to help reduce health disparities that disproportionately affect seniors, the indigent, and some ethnic groups,” said Deborah Burger, RN, President of the 58,000-member California Nurses Association. “But Prop. 71 is fraught with substantial loopholes that could aggravate those disparities, fails to guarantee protections for women who participate in the research, and could permit wealthy corporate giants to hijack the benefits of the publicly-funded research,” she said. “The bottom line is that Prop. 71 facilitates private profit at public expense with gaping holes in the safeguards the research needs.” CNA notes that Prop. 71 allocates up to $6 billion in state money to fund stem cell research under the management of a newly created, unelected committee that would have broad discretion over the project, what is disclosed to the public, and who, ultimately, would end up with the potentially lucrative profits from the research. Dr. Rex Greene, M.D., director of the Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center in San Mateo, notes that much of our genetic code is dedicated to embryonic development and shuts down once a fetus has formed. The reactivation of these genes in the wrong time and place can be disastrous. Mutations in a single cell, allowing such reactivation, can result in malignancies. He argues it is nothing short of hubris to believe that we can rip embryonic cells out of their normal context in the embryo, inject them into a “host” body, and expect them to perform perfectly every time. So why engage in this Faustian bargain of destroying human life for the benefit of others? Dr. Greene says the truth is that biotech entrepreneurs and ambitious scientists hope to profit from mass-produced cellular therapies at taxpayers’ expense. To bolster their feeble theory they make vastly exaggerated claims and cite heart-rending testimonials in lieu of scientific proof. Sadly, all this is unnecessary. Adult stem cells (including cord blood) already are a 30-year success story. They’ve gone through natural embryonic development in the patient’s own body, and have preserved the ability to selfrenew and proliferate as needed. Dr. Greene reports that recent experiments have even shown that transplanted adult bone marrow stem cells integrate quite nicely into other organs and tissues (heart and brain, for example). They are simply “switching jobs.” Embryonic cells are likely to perform their natural role only in the context of the intact, developing embryo, not as so many harvested crops, notes Dr. Greene. We agree with the growing list of individuals and institutions who – along with the Catholic Bishops of California – oppose Prop 71. California’s public resources should be directed towards the development of therapies that have a chance to succeed and carry no moral baggage – adult and cord-blood stem cells. MEH

Listen to Rome Three weeks before our ill-advised rush to war, Pope John Paul II had sent Cardinal Pio Laghi, who has served for ten years in Washington as Papal Nuncio to the USA, to plead with President Bush and his aides to refrain from what would certainly be a regrettable and terribly costly mistake. All of Laghi’s dire predictions at that meeting are sadly becoming true: “I had the impression that they had already made their decision,” Laghi said in a speech at Camaldoli (Arezzo), Italy on October 4 last year. The cardinal spoke at length with the president about the terrible consequences of a war quickly won: “Do you realize, Mr. President,” he said, “what you will unleash inside Iraq by occupying it? Do you realize the difficulty of the language, the disorder, the conflicts between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds?” America’s formidable war machine would make quick work of Hussein’s inferior defenses, but unmanageable human problems would quickly follow. President Bush had been offered the best Iraq intelligence available: all the Catholic bishops in Iraq are constantly in touch with the Apostolic Nuncio in Baghdad, and he with the Vatican; they all speak the people’s language and have their hand on the pulse of the nation; their knowledge of Iraq is more reliable than that of our highly paid intelligence agencies who cost us billions but whose information has been repeatedly proven embarrassingly wrong and misleading. That is what President Ronald Reagan understood so well twenty years ago, when he appointed the first US Ambassador to the Vatican. It was Reagan who in 1984 had urged the U.S. Senate to confirm William A. Wilson, since 1981 his personal “envoy” to the pope, as the first US Ambassador to the Holy See. Reagan’s reason was his oft repeated conviction that “the Vatican is the world’s greatest listening post.” Cardinal Laghi recalls his sense of failure when President Bush tried to end the meeting on a positive note: although they disagreed about many points, at least they held common positions on the defense of human life and opposition to human cloning. The cardinal replied that those issues were not the purpose of his mission to Washington. Fr. Larry Lorenzoni, S.D.B. San Francisco

the atmosphere of a church hall (with lots of socializing and important discussion) rather than having the atmosphere of reverence for the Holy Presence in the Tabernacle. One cannot judge people’s hearts; do Catholics simply need to be reminded of the Presence of Christ in Church? Or maybe, would it be more reverent to follow the current trend and remove Tabernacles altogether so as not to offend God or His people? I don’t pretend to present the correct solution. I would only hope that one is presented soon. Mimi Ahern San Carlos

National interests I just finished reading the article by Jerry Filteau regarding his perception of President Bush’s tendency toward unilateralism while Senator Kerry seeks a more multilateral approach . . . according the “experts.” Your experts seem either a bit uninformed or perhaps a tad duplicitous. Father Christiansen states that the Bush administration would have the exact opposite position as the Catholic view, i.e., he states “multilateralism is rejected by the Bush administration for muscular and aggressive unilateralism, saying no one else will determine what our interests are, not even our closest allies...” This statement needs some clarification as it is extremely misleading and reeks of liberal partisanship. Firstly; President Bush attempted to get assistance from our “allies”, specifically France and Germany - who were not named in this article. What your “experts” fail to mention is that these countries were against this war due to their own national needs and interests - namely oil. France and Germany rely heavily upon Iraqi and Iranian oil. In addition, many of the weapons being used by terrorist insurgents in Iraq today have been supplied by our “allies” in Germany and France. Much of the technology, equipment and planning for their WMD projects (even nuclear) came from our “allies,” France and Germany. In addition, it is widely known that both of these “allies,” as well as Russia are extremely worried about the huge Islamic populations living in their countries and the terrorist threat they may pose. France and Germany saw to their national interests. Is the implication that we should allow the U.N. to decide our fate? The author makes a statement, “The U.N. is far from perfect,” - the understatement of the year - a statement that should not be so tritely mentioned, then dismissed. Most of us realize, that the U.N. is impotent at best. At this moment U.N. troops (French and Polish) stand by and watch as Christians are slaughtered in Serbia/Croatia. Churches are burned and looted. The U.N. stands by and watches as Christians in Africa are literally and figuratively crucified for their faith by Muslims. The U.N.’s top officials are caught red-handed in the middle of Saddam Hussein’s food for money scandal. It is likely Kofi Anan’s own son could be implicated. What U.N.? Not the U.N. of my father’s generation. Perhaps the U.N. should step in to protect Jews being attacked and their temples burned by anti-semites in France? Not likely. Frankly, Father Christiansen and his fellow peace scholars could better serve the church than enmeshing themselves in misguided liberal politics under the guise of spirituality. Sean J. Walsh Novato

L E T T E R S

Not a hall I was wondering how widespread a certain phenomenon is in our diocese. It is the phenomenon of churches having

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October 15, 2004

Catholic San Francisco

Spirituality

Jesus’ sensitivity Michael Buckley, the American Jesuit, once did a fascinating study of Jesus and Socrates, comparing them in terms of human excellence. The result? In many aspects, Jesus appears to be the weaker of the two men. This, of course, must be properly understood. Weakness here does not refer to moral weakness, but to something else. What? Here are Buckley’s words: “There is a classic comparison running through contemporary philosophy between Socrates and Jesus, a judgement between them in human excellence. Socrates went to his death with calmness and poise. He accepted the judgement of the court, discoursed on the alternatives suggested by death and the dialectical indications of immortality, found no cause for fear, drank the poison and died. Jesus - how much to the contrary. Jesus was almost hysterical with terror and fear, ‘with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death.’ He looked repeatedly to his friends for comfort and prayed for an escape from death, and he found neither. Finally he established control over himself and moved into his death in silence and lonely isolation, even into the terrible interior suffering of the hidden divinity, the absence of God.” I once thought that this was because Socrates and Jesus suffered different deaths, the one so much more terrible than the other; the pain and agony of the cross so overshadowing the release of the hemlock. But now I think that this explanation, though correct as far as it runs, is superficial and secondary. Now I believe that Jesus was a more profoundly weak man than Socrates, more liable to physical pain and weariness, more sensitive to human rejection and contempt, more affected by love and hate. Socrates never wept over Athens.

Socrates never expressed sorrow and pain over the betrayal of friends. He was possessed and integral, never overextended, convinced that the just person could never suffer genuine hurt. And for this reason, Socrates - one of the greatest and most heroic people who has ever existed, a paradigm of what humanity can achieve within the individual - was a philosopher. And for the same reason, Jesus of Nazareth was a priest - ambiguous, suffering, mysterious, and salvific. In what way precisely was Jesus a weaker man than Socrates? In his incapacity to protect himself against pain, in his vulnerability, and in the interior anguish and exterior humiliation that this congenital, moral trait inevitably produces. In contemporary language, Socrates was simply set together better as a human being than Jesus was, at least in terms of how we normally judge this. In Socrates there was, certainly in the face of opposition and death, a poise, an ease, an interior peace, and an attractive calm that was absent in Jesus. Socrates was “cool” in a way that Jesus wasn’t. Socrates always looked attractive. Jesus didn’t. Jesus sweated blood (no glamour there), shed tears that he was unable to hide, and was stripped naked and humiliated in front of his loved ones. You don’t look attractive when that happens and you can’t hide the pain of that from others. And yet, that’s exactly what we most want to do. In our world there’s a powerful, omnipresent pressure to protect ourselves against pain and humiliation, to never, never be vulnerable enough so as to risk falling flat on our faces. At all cost, no matter what other kinds of pain we must endure, we don’t want to be caught needy, being the one who has to ask, the one who has to beg, the one who’s

embarrassed, the one who doesn’t look good. And so we try to arrange ourselves, our lives, and our relationships in such a way so as not to be too affected by things. The attractive persona (“cool”) of Socrates Father more than the humble, allRon Rolheiser too human, tears of Jesus is our ideal. But, and this is the point, by protecting ourselves in this way we don’t ever become vulnerable enough to enter into an intimacy with others and the world that is salvific and priestly. We never save anyone, even though we look good. What’s meant by that? To love is to care. But as soon as we begin to do that, we open yourself to weakness, sensitivity, and humiliation. Why? Because to be sensitive is to know that it’s better to be sad than bitter, better to be hurting than hard, better to shed tears than be indifferent, better to taste death than never risk living, better to feel rejection than never to have loved, better to groan in interior anguish than to prematurely resolve tension, and better, for the sake of love, family, faith, and commitment, to sometimes look the fool, the needy one, the simpleton, than to always successfully hide what’s most true inside us so as to be the one who never has a hair, a feeling, or an opinion that’s out of place. Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author.

Guest Commentary

Some issues should be more important Are some issues in the upcoming election more important than others? Absolutely. I say that as a long-time advocate of what’s called a Consistent Life Ethic. My thinking has always been that the alternative to a Consistent Life Ethic is an Inconsistent Life Ethic, which doesn’t make sense. Prolife Catholics have really no choice but to be consistently prolife— that is, to defend human life against all attacks and to support whatever fosters respect for human life, including insofar as possible the conditions under which human life is actually lived. Some prolife activists have been wary of, if not outright hostile to, the Consistent Life Ethic. This is because some people mistakenly claim that prolifers must view all issues touching on human life as equally important. Such a view is sometimes called the Seamless Garment approach to life issues, although not all proponents of the Seamless Garment approach think all life issues equally important. How can someone consistently prolife hold some life issues to be more important than others? The answer is simple. Some threats to human life are more immediate, more far-reaching, and graver than other threats. Consider the issues of abortion and the Iraq war. Let’s assume something for the sake of argument that is by no means self-evident—that the war in Iraq is unjust. Legalized abortion is without question unjust because it amounts to state-approved killing of millions of innocent, helpless babies. How do these two things compare with each other? Often it’s difficult and at times inappropriate to compare this injustice with that injustice. But when it comes to comparing the evils of the Iraq war—assuming as we have that it’s unjust—there is no comparison. American forces in Iraq are not deliberately and directly killing millions of innocent, helpless human beings. You might argue that the number of civilian casualties in Iraq is too high to justify the war. You might make the case that abuses of civilians are far greater than the Bush administration admits. But it would be absurd to argue that 1, 300,000 people were being killed as a result of American policy in Iraq. Not so with abortion. Last year, abortion destroyed 1,300,000 human lives. And not in the way, say, thousands of people died as a result of criminal assault—through illegal activity—but as the result of government-approved killing. Legalized abortion is not the consequence of an abuse of policy but the consequence of an abusive policy, one that allows certain human beings to kill other human beings, with the killers’ actions backed up by the police power of the state. Where government should uphold the right to life of unborn babies, it intentionally allows over a million of them to be killed each year through abortion. There simply is, then, no legitimate comparison between the evil of abortion and the war in Iraq, even on the assumption that the war is unjust. What about another “life issue,” capital punishment? Again, let’s assume for the sake of argument that capital punishment, as it is practiced in the U.S., is unjust. I add

the qualification “as it is practiced in the U.S.” to help specify things because not all uses of capital punishment are wrong, as far as Catholicism goes. The Catholic Church recognizes the right of the state, under certain circumstances, to use the death penalty (CCC 2267). Whether those circumstances presently exist in the U.S. is an interesting question to debate. For the argument here, though, let’s assume that such justifying circumstances don’t exist. Where does that leave us with respect to capital punishment and the issue of abortion? According to one antideath penalty advocacy group, there were 65 executions in 2003. I would say, “Compare that to 1.3 million abortions in 2003,” but of course once again there’s no comparison. Over a million innocent human beings were killed in 2003 through abortion, while less than a hundred human beings, at least some of whom are arguably not innocent, were killed through capital punishment. That isn’t an argument to ignore capital punishment—assuming it’s unjustly applied in the U.S.—but it is an argument against lumping them to get as if they were on more or less the same level. Some people object to prolife advocates’ emphasis on life issues on the grounds that the conditions of one’s life are important, too, not simply the fact one is alive. Of course it isn’t enough that prolife people support the right to life. The principle that upholds the right to life—the dignity of the human person—tells us we should be concerned with the conditions under which life is lived. Nevertheless, as a matter of sheer commonsense, protecting the right to life has a practical priority over the right to a certain condition or standard of life, even though the latter is also important. Why? Because unless you’re alive, we can’t talk meaningfully about the conditions of your life. Unless you have the right to life, it’s nonsense to talk about having other rights. Pope John Paul II put it this way: The common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights—for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture—is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination (Christifideles Laici, no. 38). Yes, issues such as health care, unemployment, homelessness, education, and poverty are significant ones. Someone genuinely committed to the dignity of the human person and for that reason genuinely committed to the right to life should, as we have said, also support efforts to ensure that people have access to health care, jobs, homes, education, and sufficient wealth to live a decent human life. That is the sense in which prolife people must have a Consistent Life Ethic. But those without health care, job opportunities, homes, schooling and economic means include 1.3 million babies who were killed last year through abortion. When they were deprived of their lives, they were deprived of the opportunity for health care, of a chance to begin a life leading to work, of having a home, of eventually attending school, and of attaining any eco-

nomic means whatsoever. The logical priority of the right to life is unavoidable. Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell experimentation, human cloning, and same-sex marriage have been Mark Brumley called non-negotiable issues in certain Catholic circles. Why? Because they involve intrinsic evils that government can never legitimately authorize. They involve issues on which all Catholics are obliged, as Catholics, to agree. Most other concerns—even very important ones such as capital punishment or the Iraq war—are subjects about which Catholics can legitimately disagree. Not so with the five non-negotiable issues. On these issues there is such a thing as the Catholic position, whether or not certain Catholics choose to embrace that position. Cardinal Ratzinger made this point recently in connection with abortion and euthanasia on the one hand and capital punishment and war on the other. In his letter, “Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion,” he set out general principles regarding reception of the Eucharist by those who support abortion rights and euthanasia. Ratzinger wrote, “Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage way, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.” Given the nature of embryonic stem cell research and human cloning, the same absolute prohibition that applies to abortion and euthanasia applies to these things. Likewise, Catholic teaching requires an absolute opposition to same-sex marriage. Catholics have an obligation to form their consciences according to the teaching of the Church. That teaching allows a wide range of conscientious judgments on a number of important, political issues. Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell experimentation, human cloning, and same-sex marriage are not among those issues. On these subjects there is but a single legitimate “Catholic position.” When it comes to legal support for these issues, one can be Catholic or “prochoice,” but not Catholic and “prochoice.” Mark Brumley is President of Ignatius Press in San Francisco.

Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Scripture

Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; 2 Timothy 3:14, 4:2; Luke 18:1-8 A READING FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (EX 17:8-13) In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. RESPONSORIAL PSALM (PS 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. May he not suffer your foot to slip; may he slumber not who guards you: indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps, the guardian of Israel. R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade; he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord will guard you from all evil; he will guard your life. The Lord will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever. R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

A READING FROM THE SECOND LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO TIMOTHY (2 TM 3:14—4:2) Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE (LK 18:1-8) Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

FR. MUNACHI EZEOGU, C.S.SP.

Pray and don’t lose heart How many of you have seen this painting of an old burnt-down mountain shack? All that remains is the chimney - the charred debris of what was that family’s sole possession. In front of the destroyed home stands an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his dressinggown with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. The child is crying. Beneath the picture are written the words which the old man is speaking to the boy. They are simple words, yet they represent a profound sense of faith and hope. The words are, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!” The man or woman of faith knows that there are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about their situations. Today’s gospel presents us with another example, that of a woman of faith, a widow, and urges us never to grow hopeless about any situation in which we find ourselves, no matter how hopeless it may seem. In ancient Jewish society a woman depended on her husband for sustenance and social status. To lose a husband meant to be poor and defenseless, especially where the widow had no grownup son. That was as close to a hopeless situation as one could ever get. The greatness of the widow in the parable lies in her refusal to accept the oppressive and abusive situation in which she found herself in the pretext that “That’s the way things are.” Some other less courageous, pious woman would even have told her to submit to the oppression as being God’s will. But she knew better. She kept her hope in final justice alive and did everything in her power to right the wrongs inflicted on her by her oppressive neighbors. Finally her dogged determination paid off and she was vindicated. There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about their situations. Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl; The one was wise, and a cheery soul. The other one took a gloomy view And bade his friend a sad adieu. Said the other frog with a merry grin, “I can’t get out, but I won’t give in; I’ll swim around till my strength is spent, Then I will die the more content.”

History’s method of keeping track of the years Q. How did we determine to use the initials B.C. and A.D. for before Christ and after (Christ’s) death? This couldn’t have been the way people determined dates before Jesus was born. How did they keep track of years in those days? (Florida) A. You have a good question. Keeping track of times and dates in ancient history is more complicated than most people might suppose if they thought about it. In Old Testament times and before that, the Jews, as most other cultures, usually based their calendars on a particular ruler or king (“in the 11th year of the reign of King Darius”) or major events such as the Babylonian exile in the sixth century B.C. (Before Christ, in English). The religious calendar in use by Jews today, supposedly based on the time from the creation of the world, began to be used only about 1,000 years ago. The “date” of creation was computed by adding up all the references to years and ages in the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament), especially the book of Genesis. Early Christians employed a variety of methods to record history. Some used local Greek calendars. Others followed the most common Roman method of dating events from the foundation of the city of Rome about 735 B.C. Some Christians counted years from the supposed date of the birth of Abraham and still others from a pro-

gram of taxation under Emperor Diocletian in the third century. Our method of dating events from before or after the birth of our Lord came as a byproduct of attempts to settle the bitter controversy between the Eastern and Western Churches over the date of Easter. A Roman monk called Dionysius the Little invented this way of dating in the sixth century, using the designations B.C. and A.D. (Anno Domini, the year of the Lord) Unfortunately many historical sources available to us today were unknown in his time. Using only the information at hand, he set the beginning of the Christian era, the birth of Christ, six or eight years later than it should have been. Thus, the birth of Christ took place, according to our calendar, about the year 7 B.C. Only centuries later was this new way of numbering years adopted even in the Christian world. The fact that it took hold at all is greatly due to the eighth-century English Benedictine monk and historian, St. Bede, who used this method of dating in his monumental “History of the English People” and other historical writings. Q. What is the purpose of altars on the sides of some, usually older, churches? Would Mass ever be said at them? (Wisconsin)

And as he swam, though ever it seemed, His struggling began to churn the cream Until on top of pure butter he stopped, And out of the bowl he quickly hopped. The early Christians found themselves in such an apparently hopeless predicament. Soon after Jesus left them they found themselves persecuted and oppressed by the Jewish religious hierarchy. What encouraged them to endure the persecution was their belief that the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus was soon to take place. They believed it would coincide with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. But when in AD 70 Jerusalem fell and the Temple was destroyed yet Jesus was nowhere to be seen, the Christians found themselves in a big crisis of faith. Have they hoped in vain? Will the Lord ever come back to reestablish justice, to vindicate the innocent and put their enemies to shame? Should they continue hoping and resisting the injustice of their oppressors or should they just join them since they can’t beat them? In other words, the early Christians found themselves in the situation of this widow who, without her husband or Lord, had to wage a campaign of passive resistance against injustice and oppression without knowing when it might come to an end. That is why the parable ends with the words of reassurance and a probing question: And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth? (LK 18:7-8) The practical implication of the parable for daily Christian living is given, namely that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (v. 1). Prayer expresses our hope and nourishes our faith. Let us ask God today to make us strong in our faith, unwavering in our hope, and persistent in our prayer. Fr. Munachi Ezeogu is a Nigerian priest in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (Spiritan). Visit his website at www.munachi.com.

QUESTION C ORNER Father John Dietzen A. When many older churches were built , if priests were gathered (at a retreat, for example) they quite often offered Mass individually at the same time, using the side altars. Monasteries customarily had “Mass chapels,” with a dozen or more altars at which monks offered Mass “privately” after the community Mass, which only one of them celebrated. Today, if several priests wish to offer Mass they normally have a concelebrated Mass, with one of the priests, or the bishop, as main celebrant and the others as concelebrants. Theologically, each priest still offers Mass, even though all do it together and at the same altar. According to the church’s liturgical norms, a concelebrated Mass “appropriately expresses the unity of the priesthood, of the sacrifice and also of the whole people of God” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 199). Concelebrations are particularly recommended for certain special occasions, such as meetings of priests.

October 15, 2004

Catholic San Francisco

The challenge of faithful citizenship A Summary of the Statement by the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Elections are a time for debate and decisions. Our nation has been attacked and has gone to war. We have moved from sharing budget surpluses to allocating the burdens of deficits. Our world faces fundamental questions of life and death, war and peace, who moves ahead and who is left behind. Our community of faith is working to heal wounds and rebuild trust, but we cannot abandon the duty to act on our faith in political life. Politics should be about an old idea with new power—the common good. The question should not be, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” It should be, “How can ‘we’—all of us, especially the weak and vulnerable—be better off in the years ahead?” In this election year, we ask who has a place at the table of life in our nation and around the world. Where is the place at the table for children destroyed before they are born; for the hungry and those who lack health care; for families who need decent work, wages, education, and hope for the future? How can the poor and vulnerable have a real place at the table where policies and priorities are set? For Catholics, a special table—an altar— is where we find the direction to use our voices and votes to defend life, advance justice, pursue peace, and find a place at the table for all God’s children. We need a new kind of politics—focused on moral principles, not on polls; on the needs of the vulnerable, not the contributions of the powerful; and on the pursuit of the common good, not the demands of special interests. Some Catholics may feel politically homeless, sensing that no political party and too few candidates share a consistent concern for human life and dignity. However, this is no time for retreat or discouragement. We need more, not less engagement in political life. A Call to Faithful Citizenship In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation. Believers are called to become informed, active, and responsible participants in the political process. Even those who are not citizens are called to participate. Catholics who seek political office have a particular responsibility to bring together their faith, moral convictions, and public responsibilities. This is about more than one election. It requires ongoing participation in the political process. The Constitution protects our right to speak without governmental favoritism or discrimination. Our nation

is enriched, not threatened, when religious groups join public debate. A Catholic moral framework is often not “politically correct;” it does not fit the rigid ideologies of “right” or “left,” or the platform of any party. Believers are called to be a community of conscience within the larger society, testing every candidate and party for how they affect human life and dignity, and how they pursue justice and peace.

The Role of the Church The Church is called to share our social teaching, to highlight the moral dimensions of issues, to participate in debate on public policy, and to witness to the Gospel. Our community of faith brings several assets to these challenges: A consistent moral framework anchored in the Scriptures and expressed in the teaching of the Church; every-day experience in educating the young, caring for the sick, sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, welcoming refugees, and speaking for those who have no voice; and a large and diverse community—Republican, Democrat, and Independent—all called to provide a moral leaven for our democracy and to be the “salt of the earth.” We urge our fellow citizens to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or self-interest. As bishops, we do not wish to instruct persons on how they should vote by endorsing or opposing candidates. We hope that voters will examine candidates on the full range of issues and on their personal integrity, philosophy, and performance. A consistent ethic of life should be the moral framework to address issues in the political arena.

For Catholics, the defense of human life and dignity is not a narrow cause, but a way of life. A recent Vatican statement reminds us that a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit voting for a political program or law that contradicts fundamental principles of our faith. It also reminds us that we should not isolate a particular element of Catholic doctrine. A political commitment to a single isolated aspect of the Church’s social doctrine does not exhaust our responsibility towards the common good. Moral Priorities for Public Life Many political issues have important moral dimensions that must be considered. Over the years, we have issued statements applying Catholic social teaching to the public concerns of our day. In Faithful Citizenship, we offer a brief summary of our positions on issues. “Protecting Human Life” begins with our opposition to abortion and euthanasia, which are pre-eminent threats to human life and dignity, and extends to our opposition to cloning, assisted suicide, and the death penalty, and our efforts to promote peace. “Promoting Family Life” focuses on promotion of marriage, parental choice in education, responsible communications, and moral and economic supports for families. “Pursuing Social Justice” requires working for a more just economic life with decent jobs and just wages, providing adequate assistance to poor families, overcoming a culture of violence, combating discrimination, and defending the right to quality health care, housing, and food. “Practicing Global Solidarity” addresses overcoming hunger and global poverty, reducing debt and promoting development, responding to the needs of immigrants and refugees, pursuing peace, and working to reduce regional conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world. This brief description only begins to explain how Catholic teaching has been applied to these issues. We hope Catholics and others will read our complete statement on Faithful Citizenship, as well as other documents that address key issues for the campaign and for the years to come. Conclusion The dual calling of faith and citizenship is at the heart of what it means to be a Catholic in the United States at this time. We urge Catholics to register, vote, and become more involved in public life, to protect human life and dignity and to advance the common good. Faithful citizenship challenges us to seek a place at the table of life for all God’s children in the elections of 2004 and beyond.

Themes of Catholic Social Teaching economic initiative, and to ownership and private propFollowing is an excerpt from Faithful Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities exploring the major themes of Catholic Social Every person has a fundamental right to life—the erty. These rights must be exercised in ways that Teaching. right that makes all other rights possible. Each person advance the common good. The Catholic approach to faithful citizenship begins also has a right to the conditions for living a decent Solidarity with moral principles, not party platforms. The direc- life—faith and family life, food and shelter, education We are one human family. We are our brothers’ and tions for our public witness are found in Scripture and and employment, health care and housing. We also have sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Pope John Paul Catholic social teaching. Here are some key themes at a duty to secure and respect these rights not only for our- II insists, “We are all really responsible for all”. the heart of our Catholic social tradition. selves, but for others, and to fulfill our responsibilities to Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinkour families, to each other, and to the larger society. ing world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the Life and Dignity of the Human Person pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI Every human person is created in the taught that “if you want peace, work for jusimage and likeness of God. Therefore, each tice.” The Gospel calls us to be “peacemakperson’s life and dignity must be respected, . . . we cannot accept an understanding of ers.” Our love for all our sisters and brothers whether that person is an innocent unborn demands that we be “sentinels of peace” in a child in a mother’s womb, whether that person pluralism and tolerance that suggests every world wounded by violence and conflict. worked in the World Trade Center or a market in Baghdad, or even whether that person is a Caring for God’s Creation convicted criminal on death row. We believe possible outlook on life is of equal value. The world that God created has been that every human life is sacred from concepentrusted to us. Our use of it must be directed tion to natural death, that people are more by God’s plan for creation, not simply for our important than things, and that the measure of every Option for the Poor and Vulnerable own benefit. Our stewardship of the Earth is a form of institution is whether it protects and respects the life Scripture teaches that God has a special concern for participation in God’s act of creating and sustaining and dignity of the human person. As the recent Vatican the poor and vulnerable. The prophets denounced the world. In our use of creation, we must be guided by statement points out, “The Church recognizes that injustice toward the poor as a lack of fidelity to the a concern for generations to come. We show our while democracy is the best expression of the direct God of Israel. Jesus, who identified himself with “the respect for the Creator by our care for creation. participation of citizens in political choices, it suc- least of these,” came to preach “good news to the poor, These themes anchor our community’s role in pubceeds only to the extent that it is based on a correct liberty to captives . . . and to set the downtrodden free.” lic life. They help us to resist excessive self-interest, understanding of the human person. Catholic involve- The Church calls on all of us to embrace this preferen- blind partisanship, and ideological agendas. They also ment in political life cannot compromise on this prin- tial option for the poor and vulnerable, to embody it in help us avoid extreme distortions of pluralism and tolciple.” our lives, and to work to have it shape public policies erance that deny any fundamental values and dismiss and priorities. A fundamental measure of our society is the contributions and convictions of believers. As the Call to Family, Community, and Participation The human person is not only sacred, but social. The how we care for and stand with the poor and vulnera- Vatican’s statement on public life explains, we cannot accept an understanding of pluralism and tolerance that God-given institutions of marriage—a lifelong commit- ble. suggests “every possible outlook on life [is] of equal ment between a man and a woman—and family are cen- Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers tral and serve as the foundations for social life. The economy must serve people, not the other way value.” However, this insistence that there are fundaMarriage and family should be supported and strength- around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is mental moral values “has nothing to do with the legitened, not undermined. Every person has a right to par- a form of continuing participation in God’s act of cre- imate freedom of Catholic citizens to choose among ticipate in social, economic, and political life and a cor- ation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the the various political opinions that are compatible with responding duty to work for the advancement of the basic rights of workers, owners, and others must be faith and the natural moral law, and to select, accordcommon good and the well-being of all, especially the respected—the right to productive work, to decent and ing to their own criteria, what best corresponds to the poor and weak. fair wages, to organize and choose to join a union, to needs of the common good.”

Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

Music TV

Books RADIO Film

Stage

‘Ladder 49’ honors virtue NEW YORK — The opening scenes of “Ladder 49” (Touchstone) have all the hallmarks of a routine action drama — a spectacular skyscraper fire traps the film’s hero, Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix), when he falls through the 12th floor to a level below. But after the noisy and intense opening sequence, the film settles into a thoughtful portrait of firehouse life in Baltimore, with as much attention given to Jack’s domestic life and travails as to the “Towering Inferno”-type thrills. Not surprisingly, the opening sequence bears an unavoidable resemblance to the tumultuous events of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. On a technical level, the jerky and tightly shot cinematography bodes ill for a cheap-looking B-level movie. (Surprisingly, this is not a widescreen film.) As Jack lies almost unconscious in the midst of the inferno, waiting to be rescued, the film flashes back to his first day as a rookie, when he’s welcomed into his new environment with bonhomie and practical jokes. Fire Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) pretends to be drunk, and emerges from behind his desk in his boxer shorts. Then Jack is told that most of the firemen are Catholic and that it’s customary to go to confession when starting there. One of the men tells him, “When you put out enough fires, you find God.” Jack tells his sins to what he presumes is

S E R V I C E

(CNS PHOTO FROM TOUCHSTONE)

a priest behind a drawn curtain, but it turns out to be the men pulling a prank, and they all emerge with hearty laughter. (Apart from this initiation sequence, the portrayal of the Catholic Church is quite respectful, and there are baptismal, funeral and Mass scenes that Catholic viewers will find quite gratifying.) Jack soon meets Linda (Jacinda Barrett), a nice girl who shows she’s a good sport by throwing back some drinks with Jack and his cronies at the local pub. Soon, they marry, and as the years pass, they have two children, and a loving relationship, strained only by her worries about his job and the stress he increasingly brings home with him. Throughout this period, there are several firefighting sequences, in buildings large and small, but all of them fairly horrific in one way or another. The best sequence involves Jack rescuing a man on the ledge of a tall office building. Jack is lowered from the roof, but the petrified man panics, causing the two to dangle in midair. A different kind of horror involves Jack and his men running up the stairs of a burning brownstone, while rats run down from above. Otherwise, the fire sequences are fairly routine and not always involving, as well as being photographed in a dark and confusing way. Eventually, one of Jack’s buddies is killed in the line of duty, which makes Linda worry all the more, and gives Jack second thoughts about his dangerous profession. Throughout the film, Phoenix proves

By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service

John Travolta stars in a scene from the movie "Ladder 49."

tremendously appealing as a likable normal guy, and projects genuine decency. In a more “artistic” film, he might even be Oscar-worthy. Director Jay Russell is to be commended for keeping the middle-class ambience so convincing, as well as his depiction of life in the firehouse, with its excitement but also its anxieties. Lewis Colick’s script doesn’t entirely avoid the level of prosaic TV drama, but his tear-jerker story is undeniably affecting. Travolta’s part is relatively small, but he fits in well with the overall ensemble. Barrett, and the rest of the cast — Morris Chestnut, Robert Patrick, Balthazar Getty, Jay Hernandez, Billy Burke — pitch their performances at an unshowy, low-key level.

Without being maudlin, “Ladder 49” puts an admirable face on family values, friendship, loss, sacrifice and all those virtues. Though the film is an unabashed paean to firemen, you can’t help but leave the movie with a renewed respect for the dangerous job they do. Because of a couple of instances of crude language, an implication of premarital sex and some intense firefighting scenes, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13. Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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October 15, 2004

‘Therese’ enjoys successful opening; wider distribution sought While the movie “Therese” opened to large audiences Oct. 1 at AMC and Regal theaters in 18 U.S. cities, Catholics in the San Francisco and the Peninsula will have to speak up and build support for local distribution of the film directed by Leonardo Defilippis. Therese is a dramatization of the life of St. Therese of Lisieux, known more affectionately as the “Little Flower.” The film is based on Therese’s posthumously published autobiography, “The Story of a Soul.” The movie opened at two Sacramento theaters last week. In the Bay Area, Therese will open Oct. 15 at the AMC Bay Street 16 in Emeryville. Defilippis, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area is encouraging local Catholics to build a groundswell of support so that the AMC and Regal theaters will be encouraged to authorize wider release of the film.

An independent filmmaker, who hopes to build on the tremendous success earlier this year of Mel Gibson’s file “The Passion,” Defilippis is asking people to contact AMC and Regal and voice their support for distribution in their areas. AMC’s toll-free number is 888262-1180 and its website is www.amctheatres.com Regal Cinema, which includes United Artists, Edwards and Regal movie theaters, can be reached by calling the company’s corporate headquarters at (877) 835-5735 or 865-9221123. Regal’s website is www.regalcinemas.com. More information about the film is available at website www.theresemovie.com. At this website, an email form is available to lend support for the film. The movie was inspired by Pope John Paul’s call to evangelize through the media.

Catholic San Francisco

Catholic Radio Hour Week of October 18-22 Weeknights at 7:30 p.m. – KVTO 1400 AM Radio Pray the Rosary – hosted by Fr. Tom Daly One half-hour of prayers, reflections and music Monday:

Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary; Exploring our Faith; Thomas Merton; Sunday Soundbite; Saint of the Day: Sr. Faustina Kowalska.

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Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary; Fact of Faith: Blessing our animals.

Wednesday: Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary; Catholic Treasures: Doctors of the Church. Thursday: Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary; Devotions; Ask a Franciscan; Minute Meditation. Friday:

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BIOETHICS FILM FESTIVALS

OCTOBER 21 – 23, 2004

Sponsored by the Center for Bioethics and Culture Lark Theatre ● 549 Magnolia Ave. ● Larkspur ● Thurs. 7:30 pm ● Fri. 8 pm ● Sat. 8 pm Dr. M———, I presume. by Steven Kasch My elderly neighbor asked to be driven to the bookstore last year. He’s a very private man. I attributed this to a horribly botched plastic surgery job he had received. (Think Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers.) As a lawyer, I felt obliged to advise him that he had a good case. “In California, if you hurt somebody, you gotta pay,” I kept saying. My legal entreaties fell on deaf ears. ‘Maybe he’s deaf,’ I thought, and so began to speak louder. “I do not want lawyer! I just want book,” exploded Josef. He bought many copies of this book: For the Destruction of Unworthy Lives by Karl Binding and Alfred Hoche. Goose Step press was re-issuing this classic in gold leaf and handsome hard cover to commemorate its seventy-fifth anniversary. Back in the car, Josef clutched the book to his chest. “I see that means a lot to you,” I said. “I am doctor, he screamed. “You Americans are rude, like little children.” I kicked myself for being too familiar. His imperious manner and exotic German-South American accented English should have tipped me off he was of extraordinary breeding. I feared our conversation was over, but after riding for a few minutes more he opened up. “My teacher and mentor, Dr. von Verschuer, give me book in 1937. It change my life.” Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes. I wanted to hug him, but reminded myself certain things are verboten in other cultures. I didn’t see him after that and often wondered whether he might have passed away. Last week, he knocked on my door. “NOW, I want lawyer. I want American defense,” he said. Josef laid out his story and it wasn’t pretty. He must have sensed my concerns because he began pressing large amounts of cash into my hand while explaining, “How you say, there’s plenty more where that came from. How you say, ‘filthy-rich powerful, special interests?’ They say, ‘come forward and say story.’ I feared which unnamed powerful people he might have behind him and thus, to my everlasting shame, I accepted the case. “Okay, Doctor,” I said, after reviewing the file, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as your lawyer, it’s my duty to advise that I see some major hurdles in your case.” He looked confused, so I grabbed his file, laid it on the couch and repeatedly pretended to stumble while trying to hurdle over it. “Ich bin ein hurdle?” he asked, or something that sounded like that. “Well for starters, there are witness statements that say you sewed the backs and wrists of two hunchbacks together and that you injected fourteen sets of twins with chloroform for the purpose of performing autopsies.” “Yes, yes, I did all that.” It wasn’t just the heinous nature of his crimes or the cavalier tone of his admission that doubled me over in shock. Josef spoke perfect English! What kind of monster was I dealing with? “My naïve little American, I assure you, I am no Nazi,” he said smiling and helping me stand straight. “I hired you to prepare a legal defense, not dispute facts.” “What kind of defense could there possibly …?” “I am a doctor. A little medical history is in order. Remember our trip to the bookstore?” It turns out that For the Destruction of Unworthy Lives was standard Third Reich issue for doctors. “When I was assigned to Auschwitz in May 1943, I knew full well it was a death camp designed to exterminate unworthy lives. They were all gassed, all of them, sooner or later. Have you ever seen someone gassed?” “Uh, no,” I said, not sure where this was headed. “It is very efficient for killing large numbers of people. Unfortunately, it is a bit on the ghastly side. People do not die very easily. It is amazing how hard people will fight and pile on top of each other to breathe that last cubic centimeter of oxygen.” “And your point is?” “My behavior was simply a matter of coming to terms with what I was presented with.” “Which was?”

“Vast amounts of human material, the likes of which the medical community had never encountered before. It would have been a tragic waste of humanity not to experiment.” I sat back in my chair. He could see I wasn’t quite tracking with him. “The S.S. rounded up and unloaded from cattle cars those deemed unworthy. I merely picked the scientifically valuable. Many people I chose survived Auschwitz because, and only because, I picked them for experimentation. It is a fact. Look it up if you like.” “So, you were a humanist, a regular Albert Schweitzer?” I said, hoping Josef would hear the sarcasm in my voice. He did not. “Yes, yes.” He was smiling and thinking that I had finally gotten it. “Well, were there?” “Were there what…” “… Scientific benefits from your experiments?” “Uh, I am not sure, perhaps,” he said, folding his arms behind his back to ponder the question. “It all depends upon whether you’re applying rigorous scientific standards.” “And if you were…?” “Uh, then no, probably not.” Josef seemed glum. “It isn’t fair,” he continued. “We weren’t given enough time. We could have revolutionized medicine. There is a huge payout to human experimentation. I know there is.” “The Allies weren’t patient. You ran out of time and money!” I said. “That’s our defense. People will buy that. I can get any number of former dot-commers to testify on your behalf.” Josef nodded. Our defense was taking shape, but before proceeding I needed to indulge my own curiosity. “Why are you coming forward now, after all these years?” “The time is right. People are progressive here in California. They are finally catching up to me,” Josef said. “Come again?” “Proposition 71: the human cloning and embryo harvesting act.” “Eh?” “It contemplates the cloning of human embryos for the sole purpose of experimentation and destruction. I do not necessarily agree with it, but I am not about to step on the toes of the S.S. Their ideology is their own business. I am a doctor, remember?” “So, you’ve said…” “But if someone is going to create all this human material, then we simply must experiment. I know it will payout. My redemption is at hand. Besides, the created embryos, the ones we do not experiment on, are going to die anyway, all of them, sooner or later.” “Just like Auschwitz.” I was at last catching on. “It may make people uncomfortable for a time, but eventually they will become accustomed to it. I see not only an acquittal verdict in my future, but also a statement by the jury foreman praising me as visionary and prophet.” “If we can just get a jury of your peers,” I said, nodding and stroking my chin. I was beginning to like our chances. It made me think about an experiment I’d read in the file that should resonate powerfully with jurors who back Proposition 71. It was the experiment where Dr. M. chiseled into the thigh bone of a child, rammed in a pipe and drew out the bone marrow. “Yes, yes,” said Dr. M., “the bone marrow—-that is where the juicy stem cells that your scientists crave are located. Nobody knew there was such a thing as stem cells when I practiced medicine. How I suffered for their backward ways. Now do you see how I am a prophet?” After the Truth, depicting the fictional trial of Dr. Josef Mengele, will be shown at the Lark Theatre in downtown Larkspur during the Center for Bioethics and Culture Film Symposium, October 21-23, 2004. Presented in cooperation with the San Francisco Archdiocesan Office of Public Policy & Social Concerns/Respect Life Program.

Catholic San Francisco

At St. Mary’s Cathedral Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament every First Friday after the 8:00 a.m. Mass Friday and continuing throughout the day and night until 7:45 a.m. Saturday with Morning Prayer and Benediction. (Exposition is suspended during scheduled Masses at 12:10 noon, 7:00 p.m. and 6:45 a.m. according to liturgical norms.) Join us as we pray for world peace, a culture of life, priests and the special intentions commended to our prayers. For more information or to volunteer please call (415) 567-2020 x224. Oct. 23: A chant conference, entitled “Singing Chant in the Twenty-First Century,” from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Topics will encompass the use of Latin chant in today’s liturgy, function and form in Gregorian Chant, a session on the proper texts and their performance, as well as a chant practicum. The day will culminate in a novus ordo Latin Mass at 5:30 pm, with Archbishop William Levada, presiding and music by the Cathedral Choir and the St. Anne’s Chapel Choir. The conference is co-sponsored by the Music Commission of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The cost for the conference is $25.00. For more information, or to pre-register, please call the Cathedral Music Office at (415) 567-2020 ext 213, or email ctietze@stmarycathedralsf.org. Sundays: Concerts at 3:30 p.m. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213. Open to the public. Admission free. Oct. 17: Richard Riley, tenor. The Cathedral Autumn Group welcomes men and women 55 years and older. Call Mercy Sister Esther McEgan at (415) 567-2020, ext. 218. Reservations required for all events. Oct. 21: Half Moon Bay by Coach; Nov. 18: Pre-Advent/Thanksgiving Reflection with Father Larry Finegan; Dec. 16: Christmas Luncheon at Seasons Restaurant.

Food & Fun Oct. 15, 16, 17: All Souls Parish Halloween Festival with games, music, food and more. Come join the fun. Fri. 6 – 10 p.m.; Sat. noon – 10 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. 315 Walnut Ave., South San Francisco. Call (650) 871-8944. Oct. 15, 16, 17: Fall Festival benefiting Star of the Sea Parish, SF on 8th Ave. between Geary and Clement. Prizes, games, bingo, raffles, Karoake and more. Kiddie Carnival 1 – 4 p.m. Chinese and Italian dinners. Fri. 7 – 11 p.m.; Sat. 1 – 11 p.m.; Sun. 1 – 9 p.m. Call (415) 7510450. Oct. 15, 16, 17: Feelin’ Groovy, St. Cecilia Parish Festival, 17th Ave. at Vicente, F. Food, games, raffle, silent auction, and fun for all ages. Fri: 6 – 10 p.m.; Sat: noon – 4 p.m./6 10 p.m.; Sun. noon – 6 p.m. Call (415) 664-8481. Oct. 16: St. Thomas More School Fall Festival at 50 Thomas More Way off Brotherhood Way, SF from 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Theme booths, games, inflatables, food, and fun for the entire family. Call (650) 756-9525 or (650) 755-1297. Oct. 16: New York! New York! An annual Women’s Auxiliary fundraiser benefiting St. Vincent’s School for Boys.Takes place at Peacock Gap Country Club, San Rafael. No host bar at 11:30 a.m. followed by linch raffle and fashion show. Tickets $40 per person. Call Carol Brenk at (415) 897-8584. Oct. 16: Our Next Century, a 101st Anniversary BBQ Bash Extravaganza of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Bedford Hall of St. Gabriel Parish, 40th Ave. at Ulloa, SF. Fun, food, door prizes and more begin after 5 p.m. Mass. Tickets $10 adults/ $25 family/ under 10 free with adults. Call (Ed McEntee at (650) 343-5212 or Kathleen Manning at (415) 664-0828.

Are you in a troubled marriage? Retrouvaille, a program for couples with serious marital problems, is holding a weekend Nov.5, 6, and 7. For information, call Tony and Pat Fernandez at (415) 893-1005.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur offer Saturday Morning Prayer 9:30 – 11:30 at their Province Center, 1520 Ralston Ave. across from Ralston Hall on their university campus in Belmont. Call (650) 593-2045, ext. 350. This year’s theme is the Beatitudes: Becoming Beatitude People. October’s focus is Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. Speaker October 16th is Larry Purcell, founder Catholic Worker House, Redwood City.

October 15, 2004

Datebook

Reunions SF/East Bay Chapter of Kappa Gamma Pi is seeking members with whom it’s lost touch. Call Betty at (925) 284-2028. Nov. 20: “Calling all alumni of St. Monica Elementary School, San Francisco,’ says principal, Bret Allen. The 2nd Annual Alumni Reunion begins with Mass at 10: 30 a.m. followed by a reception and school tours. Tickets $25 per person. Contact Bret at (415) 751-9564 or allen@stmonicasf.org.

Prayer Opportunities/Lectures Oct. 29, 30: Proclaiming Christ, Doing Justice, an annual Faith Formation Conference takes place at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St., SF. Sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of San Jose, keynote speakers include Catholic San Francisco columnist Oblate Father Richard Rolheiser. In a letter promoting the event, Archbishop William J. Levada said workshops will be “engaging, informative and practical for those in catechetical ministry.” San Jose Bishop Patrick J. McGrath said “the theme merges the call to share our faith in Christ with our responsibility to pursue justice in our world and local communities.”Tickets are $25 per day. Call the Office of Religious Education and Youth Ministry at (415) 614-5650.

Young Adults Frank Rollo, a 1958 graduate of Sacred Heart High School, has been named by his alma mater – Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory since 1987 - to receive its 2004 Lasallian/Vincentian Award. Also being honored is Joan Langston-Nelson, a 1948 graduate of St. Vincent High School later to become Cathedral High School and in 1987 SHCP. The awards will be presented at the school’s Alumni Mass and Brunch October 31st. The liturgy closes a weekend of events for SHCP alums and friends that add up to Reunion Weekend 2004. Call Rosie Lawlor Horan at (415) 775-6626, ext. 681 or Gregg Franceschi at ext. 636. You may also contact rose.horan@shcp.edu or gregg.franceschi@shcp.edu. Oct. 21: Fundraising Dinner for La Madre de los Pobres, another of the charitable works established by Franciscan Father Alfred Boeddeker. $100 per person/$150 per couple/$750 for table of 10. Guest speaker is Franciscan Father John Vaughn former Minister General of Franciscan Friars worldwide. Call (925) 8467031. Oct. 23: St. Luke Mass and Banquet for members of the medical profession. Bishop Ignatius Wang presides at 5 p.m. Mass in St. Cecilia Church, 17th and Vicente, SF with dinner in parish Collins Center. Honorees are past president, Dr. Gerald Murphy and former chaplain, Father Frank Murray. Tickets $60 per person. Call (415) 219-8719. Oct. 24, 30: Good times abound at St. Finn Barr Parish with an International Food Fair Oct. 24 and Halloween Dinner Dance Oct. 30. Foods from around the world served 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. plus games and entertainment. Los Ramblers play for the Halloween event taking place 7 – midnight. Call (415) 333-3627. Oct. 27: Octoberfest Luncheon and Bingo benefiting Sisters of the Good Shepherd and Gracenter at Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave., South San Francisco. Social hour at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at 12:30 p.m. Tickets $45 per person. Call Elizabeth Pinelli at (415) 585-1766. Oct. 29: Award winning composer, John Michael Talbot, performs at 7 p.m. at St. Raphael Church in San Rafael.The singer “blends music, Christian witness, and teaching to minister to audiences in a special way,” the parish said. $20 is suggested donation for tickets. Call (415) 454-8141, ext. 42. Oct. 30: Crab Bash benefiting St. AnthonyImmaculate Conception School. Tickets are now on sale! “It’s an evening of delightful food and fun,” the school said. Call (415) 648-2008. Nov. 13: Club 451, annual evening-out benefiting Junipero Serra High School. The gala is set “in the Supper Club scene of the 1940s.” Tickets for the benefit are $75 per person. Top raffle prize is 2004 Cadillac XLR given to quarterback Tom Brady for his MVP performance in 2003 Super Bowl and valued at $76,000. Raffle tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Call (650) 573-9935. Nov. 7: St. Stephen concert series featuring soprano Liz Eshelmann at 4 p.m.

Sundays: Concerts at 4 p. m. at National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, Vallejo and Columbus, SF. Call (415) 983-0405 or www.shrinesf.org. Open to the public. Admission free. 3rd Wed.: All you can eat Spaghetti Luncheon at Immaculate Conception cafeteria, 1550 Treat St., SF. $7 per person includes salad and French bread. All you can eat from noon on! Reservations not required. Call (415) 824-1762. Proceeds benefit St. AnthonyImmaculate Conception School. 3rd Sat.: Handicapables gather for Mass and lunch at St. Mary Cathedral, Gough and Geary St., SF, at noon. Volunteer drivers always needed. Call (415) 584-5823. 4th Sat.: Handicapables of Marin meet at noon in the recreation room of the Maria B. Freitas Senior Community adjacent to St. Isabella Church, Terra Linda, for Mass, lunch and entertainment. Call (415) 457-7859. California Handicapables needs volunteers including drivers, servers, donors, and recruiters of those who might benefit from the experience. Call Jane Cunningham at (415) 585-9085.

Respect Life/ Family Life Oct. 21-23: Bio-ethics Film Festival sponsored by Marin County Respect Life Program at the Lark Theater in Larkspur. See a movie each evening and dialogue later about threats today to ethical science. Tickets $25 for series or $10 adults/$6 students and seniors. Group rates available. Call Vicki Evans at (415) 945-0180 or contact www.thecbc.org.

TV/Radio Mon – Fri., KVTO 1400 AM, 7:30 p.m.: Catholic Radio Hour features rosary, music and commentary with Father Tom Daly. Sunday 6 a.m., WB Channel 20/Cable 13 and KTSF Channel 26/Cable 8: TV Mass with Msgr. Harry Schlitt presiding. 1st Sun, 5 a.m., CBS Channel 5: Mosaic, featuring conversations on current Catholic issues. 3rd Sun, 5:30 a.m., KRON Channel 4: For Heaven’s Sake, featuring conversations about Catholic spirituality.

Office of Young Adult Ministry: Connecting late teens, 20s and 30s, single and married to the Catholic Church. Contact Mary Jansen, 415-6145596, jansenm@sfarchdiocese.org. Check out our website www.sfyam.org for a list of events around the Bay Area. 2nd and 4th Mon.: St. Vincent de Paul Young Adult Group meets. “Just show up and be part of our community.” Meetings take place at SVDP, Steiner and Green, SF at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17: Wine and Cheese Information Social; Oct. 25: Archbishop William J. Levada on Our Responsibility at Election Time. Thurs. at 7:30 p.m.: St. Dominic Adult Formation Series in the parish hall 2390 Bush St. at Steiner, SF. Explore the skills needed to understand the bible and help it inform daily life. Join at any time. Contact Scott Moyer at scott@stdominics.org.

Retreats —— VALLOMBROSA CENTER —— 250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park. For fees, times and details about these and other offerings call (650) 325-5614. Presentation Sister Rosina Conrotto, Program Director. Oct. 23: Feminine Friendship: Reflections of the Divine, a day to celebrate, remember and reflect on the unique and powerful connections between women as family and friends. Suzanne Young facilitates.

Single, Divorced, Separated Oct. 16: Halloween Party and Monthly Potluck at St. Mary Cathedral Conference Center, Gough and Geary, SF, 6:30 p.m. $3 donation waived if you wear a costume. Call Vonnie at (650) 873-4236. Nov. 20: Annual Mass of Thanksgiving at Xavier Chapel at USF at 4 p.m. Reception follows. Call Susan at (415) 752-1308. Separated and Divorced support groups meet 3rd Sat. at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, call Pat at (415) 492-3331; and 1st and 3rd Wed. at 7:30 p.m. at St. Stephen Parish Center, SF, call Gail at (650) 591-8452. Catholic Adult Singles Assoc. of Marin meets for support and activities. Call Bob at (415) 897-0639 for information.

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.

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October 15, 2004

Catholic San Francisco

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Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail. Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assist me in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. S.M.C.

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Oh, Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near Kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make you be invoked. Say three our Fathers, three Hail Marys and Glorias. St. Jude pray for us all who invoke your aid. Amen. This Novena has never been known to fail. This Novena must be said 9 consecutive days. Thanks. E.D.

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Catholic San Francisco

October 15, 2004

OCTOBER 24, 2004

IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR ALL OF US

“SO THAT ALL THE NATIONS MIGHT HEAR THE GOSPEL” E-MAIL

SPOF@SFARCHDIOCESE.ORG

World Mission Sunday 2004 Dear Friends of the Missions,

Thailand: Thank you for supporting us

October 24th is a special day for all of us who are called, by Baptism, to be involved in the missionary work of the Church: It is World Mission Sunday. Pope John Paul II describes World Mission Sunday as an occasion to heighten awareness of the missionary work of the Church and to gather financial help. Our generousity is greatly needed for the Church and for those who share the “Good News” of Jesus Christ and His love with our brothers and sisters in more than 1,100 mission dioceses throughout the world. Help is gathered in parishes here in our own country, as well as in countries throughtout the world, including in the Missions. Ten years ago this year, when Rwanda had endured much suffering and thousands died as a result of tribal conflict there, the people in one parish in that African nation offered $81.00 for the Church’s evangelization mission. On this day of such importance to our mission family and to our own growth in faith, I ask your most generous gift of prayer and the offering of your personal sacrifices, in union with the sufferings of Christ on the Cross for the redemption of the world. I ask also for your financial help for the work of the Church among two-thirds of our human family.

They suffer less who know the healing touch of gentle hands and caring smile. Sprague/Cambodia

As our Holy Father notes in his message for this year’s celebration of World Misison Sunday, “The social and religious challenges facing humanity in our day call believers to renew their missionary fervor. Yes! It is necessary to re-launch mission ad gentes with courage, starting with the proclamation of Christ, Redeemer of every human person.” The Holy father added, “The Pontifical Mission Societies are very dear to my heart and I ask you to support them spiritually and materially so that through their contribution, the proclamatioon of the gospel may reach all the peoples of the earth.” Thanking you for your commitment to the Church for this most important work, I am Sincerely,

Most Reverend Ignatius C. Wang Auxiliary Bishop / Archdiocesan Director

Children of Todos Santos, Guatemala

Please remember The Society for the Propagation of the Faith when writing or changing your Will.

. . . all of us committed to the worldwide Mission of Jesus

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SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH ONE PETER YORKE WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109 (415) 614-5670 FAX (415) 614-5671 e-mail: SPOF@SFARCHDIOCESE.ORG