December 1, 2006

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

Pope says dialogue can help end terrorism, war, religious strife

By John Thavis

(CNS PHOTO/REUTERS)

ANKARA, Turkey (CNS) – Setting the tone and theme of his trip to the predominantly Muslim nation of Turkey, Pope Benedict XVI, in an address to international diplomats on the first day of his four-day visit, said respectful dialogue must be the basis for ending terrorism, wars and religious differences in the world.

Religions have a key role in this dialogue, but on the condition that they “utterly refuse to sanction recourse to violence as a legitimate expression of religion,” the pope told a gathering of about 90 ambassadors in the Turkish capital of Ankara Nov. 28.

The pope made a point of expressing his “great esteem” for Muslims.

He also cited Turkey’s constitutional protection of religious freedom, and said every democratic state was duty-bound to guarantee those rights.

The papal speech came at the end of a long day of activities in Turkey, where the pontiff was making a difficult four-day pilgrimage aimed at building ecumenical and interreligious bridges. He met the diplomats in a small auditorium at the apostolic nunciature.

He began his wide-ranging talk by saying he had come to Turkey “as a friend and as an apostle of dialogue and peace.”

Then the pope turned a critical eye to the international scene, saying economic imbalances and political disturbances need stronger international intervention as well as authentic dialogue between the parties directly involved.

“I am thinking most especially of the disturbing conflict in the Middle Local people watch as Pope Benedict XVI's motorcade drives past a mosque East, which shows no sign of abating and weighs heavily on the whole of HELP, page 5

on the way from the airport to the city center of Ankara, Turkey, Nov. 28.

African bishops call for more holistic look at causes of AIDS crisis

By Catholic News Service ACCRA, Ghana — Catholic bishops from Africa called for a deeper look at the causes of the AIDS pandemic and called for a more holistic approach to the problem.

“As the church’s mission is to address the whole person in all dimensions of life, we feel the special responsibility to revitalize the strong moral values in our societies.

That is what will lead to a true, sustainable solution to AIDS in Africa,” said the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

The symposium, representing nearly 50 national bishops’ conferences, issued the statement to mark World AIDS Day Dec. 1.

The theme of the 2006 World AIDS Day is “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise.”

The bishops said it is not enough for

people to be offered “only knowledge, ability, technical competence and tools.”

Despite education, the bishops said, “many people remain ignorant about AIDS or still deny it.”

And more people are dying despite a greater availability of treatment, they added.

According to a 2006 report from UNAIDS, 24.5 million people out of 774 million in sub-Saharan Africa are living with HIV/AIDS; nearly all the countries have a rate of infection well above 1 percent, the epidemic threshold.

The bishops urged the international community to continue its commitment in offering resources to fight AIDS and pledged to “continue to offer care which is competent, loving and holistic.”

“We will continue to challenge our fel-

low Africans of every age and condition to exercise personal and communal responsibility,” they said, noting that they felt a “special responsibility to revitalize the strong moral values in our societies.”

Pope Benedict XVI called on the international community to increase efforts to find a cure for HIV/AIDS and to protect people infected by the virus from discrimination. The pope made the appeal at the end

of his Nov. 26 Angelus in St. Peter's Square.

Nearly 40 million adults and children are living with HIV, and new infections are on the rise in many countries, according to a recent report by the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS and the World Health Organization. This year 4.3 million people have contracted the virus and 2.9 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses, the report said.

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Bishops meeting roundup. . . 3

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

News-in-Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Archbishop’s homily . . . . . . . 6 Christmas ‘Wish Lists’. . . . 8-9 Teacher and students . . . . . 11 Commentary and letters . 12-15

DECEMBER 3 December 1, 2006

St. Paul School celebrates

Parish marks 125 years

Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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www.catholic-sf.org

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS

VOLUME 8

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No. 35

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

On The

Class of ’51, San Francisco College for Women returned to their former campus for a 55th reunion. Happy to be there were Anne Kirkbride, front left, Barbara McTighe, Lorraine Urban, Rosemary Farbstein, Eve Erikson, Presentation Sister Marie Sandstrom, and Claire O’Sullivan with Marie Owen, back left, Anne Dresler, Teresita Stark, Toni Buckley, Anstell Ricossa, Elizabeth DeLong. Unavailable for the photo was Holy Names Sister Jane Kearney.

Where You Live

by Tom Burke

St. Francis of Assisi smiled on thousands of animals blessed at Catholic elementary schools on his feast day October 4th. At St. Raymond’s in Menlo Park, pastor, Father Patrick Michaels, prays over Little Betsy, pet of 7th grader, Katie Blankenberg.

Following up on our recent “Welcome home” to Jesuit Father Robert Walsh, let us add a “Congratulations” to the 1968 St. Ignatius College Preparatory alum who was installed as the school’s 26th President October 14th. The mantle was placed at SI’s annual President’s Cabinet Mass and Dinner attended by more than 700 friends and supporters of the school. Not to be missed were Father Walsh’s folks Maryjane and Jim, founding members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Daly City – where their son attended grade school - and today parishioners of St. Leo the Great in Sonoma…. Teeing off for a good cause October 14th were 80 well-intended golfers, whose greens fees and such raised $11,000 for Immaculate Heart of Mary School. “Margaret Purcell-Brisken, principal, extends her appreciation, on the

LIVING TRUSTS WILLS ●

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part of school, faculty, staff and parents for the hard work that Sharing the group’s leadership responsibilities are Anita went into the event,” Golf Committee member, Tim Provost, Josephine Longhitano, Diana Heafey, and Connolly, told me. “Thanks” are in order to all who helped, Marilyn Panelli…. Happy 55th wedding anniversary Tim said, with special October 20th to Mary grats to Ingrid and and Gordon O’Keefe, Larry Firpo, Jamil longtime members of Haddad, Rebecca and St. Veronica Parish, Bill Marty and Tom who took their vows in Runkel. Congrats to 1951 at St. Paul Tim and his wife, Church in San Lynda, who celebrate Francisco. Their son, their 15th wedding Kevin, lives in Gilroy. anniversary in May. Their daughter, Diane, All added up over the her husband, Kip, and three-or-so years it’s their daughter, Siena, been in action, the tourare currently living ney-of-fun has raised Italy on a grant from $26K for IHM…. New the National Science officers of the San Foundation….

Francisco Council of Remember this is an Catholic Women for empty space without 2007-07 were installed ya’!! The email at Noe Valley’s St. address for Street is Philip Church in Archbishop George H. Niederauer was welcomed at St. Dunstan burket@sfarchdiocese.org.

Mailed September. The rite Parish in Millbrae during Stewardship Weekend in October. items should be sent took place in the conAmong those enjoying the interaction were Carol Hensley, left, to “Street,” One text of Mass with Lavinia Zanassi, Archbishop Niederauer, Holy Ghost Father Joe Peter Yorke Way, Council Moderator Glynn, pastor, Pat Realini, Barbara Penner, and Sheree Leone.

SF 94109. Pix should Msgr. Floro Arcamo, who also serves as pastor of the Richmond District’s Star of be hard copy or electronic jpeg at 300 dpi. Don’t forget Sea Parish, presiding. Outgoing president, Mary Ann to include a follow-up phone number. Call me at (415) Bertken, passed the post to new prez, Margaret McAuliffe. 614-5634 and I’ll walk you through it.

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December 1, 2006

Catholic San Francisco

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Bishops OK restructuring, sex abuse study funding, new statements

By Catholic News Service BALTIMORE – U.S. Bishops at their fall general meeting in Baltimore in midNovember approved several new statements and a restructuring and downsizing of their national conference. They also allocated money for a further study of the context and causes of clergy sexual abuse.

Among the texts they approved were: a new statement outlining the preparation needed to receive Communion worthily that says serious sin is a bar to receiving the Eucharist; a document calling married couples to understand and live church teaching on artificial contraception; and a statement on Iraq.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) also approved a series of guidelines for the pastoral care of persons with a homosexual inclination, gave their OK to creating a “Directory for Music and the Liturgy” for use in U.S. dioceses, and authorized a revision of the Lectionary for Mass for selected days in Advent by a 205-13 vote with two abstentions.

The Communion statement, “‘Happy Are Those Who Are called to His Supper’: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist,” was approved 201-24 with two abstentions. The document calls on those in a state of serious sin to refrain from receiving Communion. The bishops emphasized they were addressing all Catholics, and not just politicians or any other group.

The contraception document, “Married Love and the Gift of Life,” passed 220-11 with one abstention. It strongly supports natural family planning, saying it “enables couples to cooperate with the body as God designed it,” adding that contraception introduces “a false note” that disturbs marital intimacy and contributes to a decline in society’s respect for marriage and for life.

The document says that a Catholic who “knowingly and obstinately” rejects “the

defined doctrines of the church” or repudiates “her definitive teaching on moral issues” would not be in communion with the church and therefore should not receive Communion.

The Iraq statement, which passed on a unanimous voice vote, said: “We hope our nation has moved beyond the divisive rhetoric of the recent campaign and the shrill and shallow debate that distorts reality and reduces the options to ‘cut and run’ versus ‘stay the course.’” It stated that “The (Bush) administration and the new Congress need to engage in a collaborative dialogue that honestly assesses the situation in Iraq, acknowledges past difficulties and miscalculations, recognizes and builds on positive advances (e.g., broad participation in elections), and reaches agreement on concrete steps to address the serious challenges that lie ahead,” it said.

The statement on pastoral care of homosexually inclined persons reiterates church teaching that all homosexual acts are morally wrong but affirms the dignity of those with homosexual inclinations and says that experiencing such an inclination is not in itself sinful. Bishops approved the statement 19437 with one abstention, after turning back a motion to send it back to their Committee on Doctrine, which drafted the document, for more consultation and revision.

The hymn directory, approved 195-21 with five abstentions, is intended to ensure that hymns used at Mass are doctrinally correct and based on Scripture and liturgical texts. The document also includes norms saying that each diocesan bishop is responsible for approving liturgical songs in his diocese. The directory and norms now go to the Vatican for its assent.

The bishops voted 213-19 for a four-year strategic plan for 2008-2011 despite strenuous objections by some bishops over some of the planned staff cuts. More than 60 jobs will be eliminated in the restructuring.

Heads of dioceses then, in a 158-6 vote,

adopted a proposal to cut diocesan funding of the USCCB in 2008 by 16 percent.

Diocesan assessments — which will cover nearly $11.9 million of the USCCB’s $139.5 million budget in 2007 approved by the bishops — will shrink in 2008 to just under $10 million. Only bishops who head dioceses were allowed to vote on questions directly affecting the finances of their dioceses.

On the clergy sexual abuse study, Patricia O’Donnell Ewers, chairwoman of the National Review Board overseeing the bishops’ compliance with their child protection charter, told the bishops, “I can’t emphasize enough how important this

study is for society as a whole” as well as for the church.

The first study, conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, was considered a landmark in its field, and the new study is expected to be similarly groundbreaking.

The board commissioned the college to do the follow-up on causes and context, expected to cost around $3 million, in November 2005, after the bishops the previous June committed $1 million from their reserve funds to help pay for the study. The college expects to obtain outside funding for the more expensive last three phases of the new study.

Pope cites importance of diocesan newspapers

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Diocesan newspapers are important because they strengthen local communities and give them a voice they will not find in national publications, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Meeting Nov. 25 with the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies, the pope said the papers underline “facts and realities where the Gospel is lived, where good and truth triumph” and where individuals commit their time and creativity to building real communities.

The primary task of a diocesan newspaper, he said, is to “serve the truth with courage, helping the public see, understand and live reality with the eyes of God.” The challenges of modern life and the diversity of people within a diocese also must find a reflection in the diocesan paper, he said.

“Continue to be ‘newspapers of the people and among the people,’ stages for a loyal exchange and debate among diverse opinions in order to promote an authentic dialogue, which is indispensable for the growth of the civic and church communities,” he urged.

While holding firm to the truths taught by the church, the pope said Catholic newspapers “can represent significant places of encounter and attentive discernment for lay faithful involved in the social and political arena so that they can dialogue and find convergences and objectives for joint action in the service of the Gospel and the common good.”

Father Giorgio Zucchelli, president of the federation, announced that over the coming months 76 new diocesan newspapers would be launched. Currently, he said, 150 Italian dioceses sponsor 161 newspapers with a combined circulation of about 1 million. The new newspapers will ensure that each of Italy’s 226 dioceses has at least one publication of its own, Father Zucchelli said.

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Catholic San Francisco

NEWS

December 1, 2006

in brief

WASHINGTON — Universities have long offered courses in comparative religions, but the demand for classes specifically on Islam has increased in recent years. Catholic colleges are keeping pace by offering individual courses and seminars on Islam, advanced degree programs in Islamic studies and campus centers aimed to promote Muslim-Christian understanding.

For Amir Hussain, a Muslim professor in theological studies who teaches Islamic courses at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, the experience has been a rewarding one. He said the classes are particularly beneficial to Catholic students, who make up about half the student population. “To be Catholic is to be informed by other religions” he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview, adding that amid the diversity of Los Angeles students “need to be aware of other traditions.”

In his classes he is able to point out some of the connections between Catholic and Islamic traditions.

Vatican laments failure to restrict cluster bombs ROME — The Vatican lamented the failure of parties to a U.N. treaty to agree on restricting the use of cluster bombs.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican’s representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva, said, “The failure to achieve such an agreement has left a real disappointment in the expectations of many people who see that it could have provided a good and adequate response to the humanitarian concerns posed by these weapons.” The archbishop spoke Nov. 17 during at the end of a 10-day meeting in Geneva on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The Vatican has long supported negotiations that would lead to a ban on cluster munitions and, in the meantime, has called for a moratorium on their use. Cluster bombs open in midair and scatter dozens or hundreds of submunitions over a wide area. The majority of people killed or maimed by cluster munitions are civilians, according to a recent report by the Britain-based Handicap International. Children are especially vulnerable because they are easily attracted to the bomblets’ bright, colorful casings, mistaking the volatile explosives for toys.

Pro-life groups, lawmakers urge Amnesty to keep neutrality WASHINGTON — Dozens of members of Congress joined several pro-life organizations Nov. 20 in urging Amnesty

(CNS PHOTO/MOHAMED AZAKIR, REUTERS)

Islamic studies find niche on Catholic college campuses

Mourners carry the coffin of Lebanon's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel in his hometown of Bikfaya Nov. 22. Gemayel, a Maronite Catholic and outspoken critic of Syria, was killed while driving through Beirut's Christian neighborhood of Jdeideh Nov. 21.

International not to embrace policies on abortion that they described as “antithetical to ... our shared duty to protect.” The international human rights organization is consulting its 2 million members in 74 countries over whether it should “expand its policy on sexual and reproductive rights,” according to a Nov. 20 Amnesty statement. The release said that under discussion is whether to develop policies on access to health care related to complications from abortion; access to abortion in cases of rape, incest, sexual assault or risk to the woman’s health; and removal of criminal penalties for abortion providers and those who seek abortions. A Nov. 15 letter signed by more than 70 members of the House said “it is not possible for Amnesty to justify any position that condones abortion based on international human rights law while at the same time objectively adhering to legal instruments and processes. No United Nations human rights treaty or convention recognizes a so-called right to — or even addresses the issue of — abortion.”

Israeli Catholic scientist wins grant for devices to find cancer JERUSALEM (CNS) — Four months after completing his postdoctoral research in chemistry and chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, Hossam Haick had just gotten used to the idea of heading his own little lab when he became the recipient of the largest European Union grant given to an Israeli scientist. Haick, a 31-year-old Catholic resident of Haifa who grew up in Nazareth, was given the grant of $2.26 million to develop nanometric devices to sniff out

cancer like an “electric nose.” The devices will be about 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a hair, he said.

Haick is a researcher and senior lecturer in the chemical engineering department and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, both at the Israel Institute of Technology, or Technion, in Haifa. With the EU grant, Haick hopes to create nanometric devices sensitive enough to sniff out people with cancer as well as detect the stages and location of about 90 percent of cancerous diseases by smelling people’s breath.

Pope, Anglican leader pledge friendship, recognize differences VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The “journey of friendship” between Roman Catholics and Anglicans will continue even though the path toward full unity seems to be blocked, said Pope Benedict XVI and Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury. The two leaders spent 25 minutes speaking privately Nov. 23 at the Vatican before giving speeches that candidly recognized the divisions within the Anglican Communion and between Roman Catholics and Anglicans over the ordination of women and over homosexuality. After their private meeting, the pope and the Anglican leader processed side by side into the Vatican’s Redemptoris Mater Chapel for midday prayer before eating lunch together.

Archbishop Williams’ visit marked the 40th anniversary of the visit made by a predecessor, Archbishop Michael Ramsey, to Pope Paul VI. The 1966 meeting marked the launch of the official Anglican-Roman Catholic theological dialogue.

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

Help . . . international life; I am thinking of the risk of peripheral conflicts multiplying and terrorist actions spreading,” he said.

He said that true peace needs justice, to correct the economic imbalances and political disturbances that generate tensions and conflict. That presupposes authentic dialogue and debate, in order to arrive at acceptable political solutions, he said.

The pope then spoke about the role of religions in the promotion of global peace and security.

He began by describing Turkey as a historic bridge between East and West, and as a crossroads of cultures and religions. As a modern state, he said, Turkey distinguishes clearly between civil society and religion.

Although Turkey’s population is almost entirely Muslim, he said, its Constitution recognizes every citizen’s right to freedom of worship and freedom of conscience.

In what appeared to be a gentle reminder to Turkish authorities to live up to those principles, the pope added: “Naturally it is my hope that believers, whichever religious community they belong to, will continue to benefit from these rights.”

The Christian minorities in Turkey have pressed for better recognition of their religious rights in the areas of legal status, property and education.

The pope went on to say that religion’s role in society is an enrichment for all.

“This assumes, of course, that religions do not seek to exercise direct political power, as that is not their province, and it also assumes that they utterly refuse to sanction recourse to violence as a legitimate expression of religion,” he said.

The issue of religion and violence was considered a

(CNS PHOTO/ANATOLIAN, POOL VIA REUTERS)

■ Continued from cover

Pope Benedict XVI shakes hands with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in front of a portrait of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, upon his arrival at Esemboga International Airport in Ankara Nov. 28.

potential flash point during the papal visit, largely because of a speech the pope gave in September that, in the eyes of Muslims, appeared to link Islam with recourse to violence.

In his talk to the diplomats, however, the pope avoided specific comments on Islam, except to urge cooperative Christian-Muslim dialogue.

He said such dialogue is essential today “in order to know one another better and to respect one another, in order to work for the fulfillment of man’s noblest aspirations, in search of God and in search of happiness.”

“I wish to reiterate my great esteem for Muslims,

Following review, priest to return to parish ministry In a Nov. 28 memorandum sent to parishes and addressed to all priests, deacons, religious and faithful of the Archdiocese, San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop John C. Wester announced that Father John Schwartz is returning to St. Anselm Parish in Ross for the Advent and Christmas seasons, and will be given a new assignment in January.

In October 2005, Father Schwartz began a voluntary leave of absence while the Archdiocese investigated the circumstances surrounding a lawsuit brought by an anonymous claimant alleging improper behavior by Father Schwartz with a minor at an Oregon Jesuit high school in 1986/1987. No allegations of this nature had previously been made against Father Schwartz.

Bishop Wester said “In accordance with the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People the Archdiocese retained the services of two professional investigators who made contact with, or attempted to make contact

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with, potential witnesses in three states. The allegant in the lawsuit chose not to participate in the Archdiocesan process. After reviewing all available evidence, the Archdiocesan Independent Review Board determined that the allegations were not sustainable and recommended to the Archbishop that Father Schwartz be returned to ministry.”

The Archdiocesan Independent Review Board includes a retired judge, a retired policewoman, a religious sister who is a practicing lawyer, a clinical psychologist, a pediatrics physician and a pastor.

Bishop Wester, who made the announcement on behalf of Archbishop George H. Niederauer, said that because Father Joseph Eagan, S.J., is now in residence at St. Anselm, Father Schwartz will take up a new assignment after the first of the year.

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encouraging them to continue to work together, in mutual respect, to promote the dignity of every human being and the growth of a society where personal freedom and care for others provide peace and serenity for all,” he said.

The pope told the diplomats that honest dialogue will help religions play a positive role in the fabric of society, protecting the value of human dignity in a time of rapid technological change.

“It is necessary to reposition modern progress within the continuity of our human history and thus to guide it according to the plan written into our nature for the growth of humanity,” he said, citing the injunction in the Book of Genesis: “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.”

The pope also said that in view of globalization the church would like the international community to give a “clearer lead” by establishing rules for better control of economic development, regulating markets, and fostering regional accords between countries.

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

‘Your life is not about you!’

By Archbishop George H. Niederauer

(PHOTO BY MIKE O’LEARY)

San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer gave the following homily at the closing Mass of the Archdiocesan-wide Eucharistic Retreat held Nov. 18 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. About 500 people attended the retreat conducted by Michael McDevitt and Robert Bussell of “The Mystical Humanity of Christ,” a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the devotion of the living Jesus dwelling within each person.

“Your life is not about you!”

That’s what Father Bob Barron, a Chicago priest, says is the good news of the kingdom Jesus Christ proclaimed.

Now, it is good news, even though it contradicts almost everything the world around us tells us: TV, radio, advertising, movies, other entertainment, all tell you that you are No.1, and only you and what you want matter.

Fr. Barron — and Jesus — are not putting you down or saying that you don’t matter. After all, Jesus died on the cross so that we could be free, forgiven, and live with him forever. He would have done this for even one of us. So,

yes, you matter to God, and you matter a lot. It would be bad news if all we had here on earth was seven billion egos, battling it out, side by side. The good news we hear in the gospel reading today is that Jesus has come to tell us of the Father’s love for us, to show us, and be for us, the Father’s love, and to call us to love him and one another in return.

In being a follower of Jesus Christ, it is love that matters most of all. Jesus tells us that loving him means keeping his word, that is, living the life he has called us to live, a life of loving God, and our sisters and brothers. At the Last Supper he even told the Twelve to rejoice - to be glad because he was leaving them and going to his Father. Why be glad? Because Jesus would return to stay with his followers in a whole new way, in the gift of the Holy Spirit of his life and love, to be in the Church with us for all times.

Jesus made us more important than himself; he sacrificed himself for us. To be his followers you and I need to make others more important than ourselves, because that’s what genuine love does. That’s what parents do all the time – put their children first. And that kind of genuine love

At St. Mary’s Cathedral Nov. 18, Michael McDevitt, retreat director, and Archbishop George H. Niederauer join in applause following recognition of Presentation Sister Antonio Heaphy, former director of Pastoral Ministries of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The award was presented at the Archdiocesan-wide Eucharistic Retreat.

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brings peace, as St. Paul tells us in that first reading from his Letter to the Philippians. That’s the peace that Jesus gives us, that is different from the peace the world gives, which is usually more like an occasional ceasefire.

The peace that the love of Christ brings us is — as St. Paul says — being of the same mind and same love, being one in heart, thinking one thing. It’s the opposite of selfishness, of showing off, of competing and trying to show up and shut up the others. It is not the constant focus on the self (“My life is about me”); instead, it is a focusing on Christ, a being centered in him.

We have a choice to make: we can go our own way, focusing only on ourselves, or we can obey Jesus Christ’s commandments of love. Jesus tells us in this morning’s gospel reading that obeying him is the only proof of our love for him. If we answer his call, he will lead us to life now and forever.

Jesus calls us to seek the good of others first because that is what he did for us. It is also what fulfills us more than all the selfishness we can come up with. Someone has said that the smallest package in the world is a human being wrapped up in himself or herself. No one likes a selfish person, but sometimes it seems that so many people choose to be one anyway!

Our ambition, our pride can get the best of us, and we make bad choices. That’s why Jesus has left this gift of Eucharist, the Mass, as the center of our lives, the heartbeat of our life of Catholic faith. Why did the Second Vatican Council call the Eucharist “the summit and the fountain of the Christian life”? It is the summit because everything else in our lives as followers of Jesus leads up to the Mass, the highest experience of Jesus, in which we become what we receive.

Remember what St. Augustine taught: when you eat earthly bread, it is changed into you, but when you eat the Bread from Heaven, you become what you receive, you are joined more closely with Jesus the Savior. Eucharist is the fountain because from it flow all the graces (the strength from God) that we need to live as Catholic Christians, day in and day out. The Mass makes us “who” we are — even as it reminds us “whose” we are.

VALLOMBROSA CENTER Conferences and Meetings Retreats and Spirituality Programs Please note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Father Ronald Rolheiser will not be at Vallombrosa this December. We apologize for the inconvenience.

DECEMBER 3 – ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MASS AND BENEFIT LUNCHEON Please call (650) 325-5614 for further information.

DECEMBER 8-10 – “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD” As Christmas approaches we find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying gifts and preparing for the holidays. We tend to forget that we’re in the season of Advent, a time of silent waiting for the birth of Jesus. During these days we will explore and experience a variety of prayer forms. Led

by Carol Fowler and Sister Rosina Conrotto, PBVM. DECEMBER 9 – “THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT” Advent is an invitation to walk in new ways, to new places, and to experience the call of God in new ways. It’s an invitation to see things, people, life itself, and even Jesus with new eyes. To prepare for this day, please read over the Mass readings for the first Saturday in Advent. We will celebrate the Eucharist together to nourish us for the journey. This day will be led by Sister Toni Longo, ASC. DECEMBER 31-JAN 1 – “WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR” Join us for the New Year’s Eve retreat led by Fathers Tim Meir and David Robinson, SJ. Take this opportunity to reflect on the blessings of the past year and on hopes for the New Year. The retreat will begin with dinner on December 31 and conclude with brunch on January 1, 2007. The fee for this retreat is $100 per person.

VALLOMBROSA CENTER 250 Oak Grove Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 E-mail: host@vallombrosa.org

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

7

St. Paul Elementary School in San Francisco marks 90th anniversary

Marilyn Highlander-Pool, left, Sister Ann Cronin, BVM, Arleen Guaraglia, Sue Price.

By Tom Burke St. Paul Elementary School marked its 90th anniversary with prayer, nostalgia and fun October 22. Archbishop George H. Niederauer presided at a Mass of Thanksgiving that opened the day.

Joining him on the altar were St. Paul pastor, Father Mario Farana, former pastor, Father Kevin Gaffey, former associate pastor, Father Bill Justice, school alumnus, Jesuit Father Mike Kotlanger and Father Mamerto Sigaran, current parochial vicar at St. Paul’s.

Sister Ann Marie McKenna, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a 1961 alumna of the school, was organist for the liturgy.

“I thought it was wonderful gathering of people,” Father Farana said. “It was spirit filled with a real sense of the tradition and legacy of the school and parish. People were enthusiastic about being here and about hav-

Cindy Mallet, 8th grade teacher at St. Paul’s and Father Mario Farana, pastor.

ing been part of the school. The people that were here got a strong sense of what a school can do and the role of the school in the parish.”

Highlights of the day included the ability of the 1,300 alumni in attendance to gather with classmates from similar eras of the school, Father Farana said. “The classrooms let people gather by decade. Classes from different decades went to the classrooms to meet people they were with at the school.”

“Almost every class was represented,” said former principal Sister Ann Cronin, a Sister of Charity of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Generations of families were represented.”

Generations of school leadership were also present. Assisting in the Presentation of the Gifts at Mass were present principal, Arleen Guaraglia as well as Sister Ann Cronin, with former principals, Bruce Colville and Joseph Elsbernd.

More than 300 Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary have served at the school during the past 90 years. At the height of school enrollment more than 40 members of the congregation are said to have resided in the school convent at the same time.

Father Farana said more than 180 women and men have gone on to religious life or priesthood from the school. Graduates of St. Paul elementary number more than 4,000

with some 3,800 now on current alumni lists.

The oldest graduate in attendance was Gerry Gallagher, 93 years old, who started at the school in 1920.

Members of the Celebration Steering Committee included Marilyn HighlanderPool, Dan Cronin, Monica Farrell Curran, Larry Gutierrez, Virginia Farrell McMurtry, Katy O’Shea, Ann Brady Powell, Suzanne Lonero Price, and Joan Strachan.

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Sister Mary Lou Warner Sacred Heart Sister Mary Lou Warner died November 17 in Atherton at her community’s retirement facility, Oakwood Convent. She was 90 years old and had been a religious for 39 years.

Sister Mary Lou’s story was not the average tale. A widow and convert to Catholicism, she raised three sons before entering religious life at age 49. She subsequently began a 30-year teaching career at schools including Stuart Hall and Convent of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco and St. Joseph Elementary School in Atherton.

Sister Mary Lou developed many hobbies, becoming an award winning profession-

St. Paul Alumnae Georgine Lonero Bocci and Virginia McMurtry.

al wedding cake decorator and quilt maker.

All of her work was lovingly done to perfection. Even in retirement she made quilts, as well as taught students how to crochet.

Sister Mary Lou is survived by a sister, Katherine Stafford of Minnesota, sons, Howard and Robert, 17 grandchildren and 17 greatgrandchildren. Her son James is deceased.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated December 9 at 9 a.m. Oakwood, 140 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton. Former San Francisco Archbishop John Quinn will preside. Memorial contributions may be made to the Society of the Sacred Heart, 4389 West Pine Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63108.

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

Christmas ‘Wish Lists’ of local charities Catholic Charities CYO

(415) 972.1200

Catholic Charities CYO is the social service arm of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Its mission is to serve and advocate for the poor, the sick, the distressed, children, youth, families, immigrants and seniors, regardless of their faith. All money contributed to Catholic Charities CYO directly supports our programs in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties.

In San Francisco, gifts may be dropped off at Catholic Charities CYO, 180 Howard Street, Suite 100 during regular business hours. Info: (415) 972.1200 In Marin County, gifts may be dropped off at St. Vincent’s School for Boys, 1 St. Vincent Drive in San Rafael during regular business hours. Info: (415) 507.2000 Gifts may also be dropped off at one of our program locations. Info: http://www.cccyo.org/3rdlevel/wishlist.php or (415) 972.1200.

WISH LIST Newborn to six months baby clothing/supplies (diapers, clothing, toys, accessories) Winter coats, rain gear and warm scarves – any amount Socks (women/kids) Pants, shorts, shirts for male child (size 3T) – any amount Pajamas / sleepwear (women / kids L) Sweaters (women L) Zip Sweatshirts (women / kids L) Art supplies (pencils, paper, crayons, markers, craft supplies) Backpacks and school supplies Basketballs (orange) Volleyballs (white, regulation & volleyball lites) Whistles (Fox 40’s) Board games Kids toys and books Commercial grade laminator with laminating film (for children’s art) Large aquariums for plants and animals (20+ gallons, for classrooms) Microwaves Kitchen items (pots, pans, utensils, dishes) Towel sets Bedding Computers/Printers TV (any size) TV (52 inch) VCR– 1 DVD player Fax machine Bath & Body gift baskets, lotions, etc.

Toiletries Plastic storage bins Crossword puzzle / trivia books Food gift baskets Gift Cards Safeway and/or Albertsons ($10 or $20 increments) Ross, Target, Mervyns, Old Navy, Macy’s ($10, $25 or $50 increments) Pre-paid phone cards (between $5 and $20)

Good Shepherd Sisters, San Francisco Good Shepherd San Francisco provides residential treatment for young women ages 18 to 35, struggling with addiction. The six-month treatment program does not operate under a city contract or receive any government funding. Almost all of our clients have little ability to pay for their treatment, since their addiction issues have separated them from their families, placed them in precarious living situations, kept them unemployed and placed them in conflict with the law. Thanks to our donors, our success rate is nearly double the national average.

Gifts may be brought or sent directly to Executive Director, Good Shepherd San Francisco, 1310 Bacon Street, San Francisco, CA 94134 or donors may call (415) 337-1938 for additional information WISH LIST New twin sheets and pillowcases; New blankets; New bath/hand towels/washcloths; New kitchen towels

Mt. St. Joseph – St. Elizabeth Founded in 1852 by the Daughters of Charity, Mount St. Joseph - St. Elizabeth is a notfor-profit organization serving San Francisco women, children and families. The mission of the agency since its founding has been to seek out the most vulnerable and underserved in San Francisco and to provide quality services to meet their needs.

Gifts may be dropped off at 100 Masonic Ave, San Francisco M –F from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Call Patsy Vincent (415) 351-4055, if you have any questions.

WISH LIST Age appropriate, non-violent toys for ages 0-3 years; Craft Kits for adults; Clothing and shoes for infants and toddlers up to size 4 T; Children’s books for up to 3 years; Gift cards for Ross or Target in any amount. These are for our clients to use in order to shop for others during the holiday; Women’s sweat suits sizes 1X-3X and large; Bath setslotions, powder etc…; Backpacks or messenger bags

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County is a faith-based organization. Vincentians go to people’s homes to provide help and assistance. If they have no home to visit, the Society offers a Homeless Help Desk, which provides similar assistance. St. Vincent de Paul also operates a Free Dining Room in downtown San Rafael, which feeds people from all over the county. It opens at 6:00 a.m. for breakfast and closes at 1:30 after serving a hot lunch. If an evening diner is needed, to-go trays and sandwiches are provided.

Send donations to SVdP Marin, P.O. Box 150527, San Rafael, CA 94915 Drop off at our Free Dining Room, 820 B Street, San Rafael, CA 94901, Call 415-454-3303 WISH LIST Gift Cards for Target, Mervyns, Sears, Costco, Albertsons, Safeway; Turkeys & hams; Men’s warm coats; New men’s tube socks (white); New men’s and women’s underwear; Ponchos and rain gear WISH LISTS, page 9

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December 1, 2006

Wish Lists . . .

■ Continued from page 8

St. Vincent De Paul Society of San Mateo County The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s mission is to provide “person to person services of time, talent and resources to help our neighbors in need.” In San Mateo County, Vincentians help with emergency food and shelter assistance for families and individuals.

SVdP also runs three Homeless Help Centers to assist the homeless with basic necessities.

The Society serves regardless of religion, race, age, or any criteria other than verified need.

When personal and public resources are exhausted, SVdP represents a lifeline for people struggling to survive. Last Christmas more than 8.400 San Mateo County residents were helped with food and toys were given to nearly 4,000 children.

Donations may be dropped off at or mailed to: St. Vincent de Paul District Office, 50 No. B St., San Mateo, 94401 Donations can be made on-line at www.svdp-sanmateoco.org Contact: Margaret Jung, Director of Development, (650) 373-0622 WISH LIST Donations of money to help clients with rent and utility assistance; Grocery gift cards; Sleeping bags

Holy Family Day Home Holy Family Day Home Dolores Street Site (Preschool and Kindergarten) Holy Family Day Home, a non-profit corporation, founded in 1900 by the Sisters of the Holy Family, provides nationally accredited early childhood education. The Day Home is mid-way through a $7 million capital campaign to rebuild the demolished school that was rendered unsafe after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Naming opportunities still are available for donors to the construction of our new building at the historic corner of 16th and Dolores Streets in the Mission District.

For more information regarding our program or to make arrangements to drop off your donations during our regular operating hours between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. please contact the specific Site Supervisor listed below. Please visit our website at www.holyfamilydayhome.org Holy Family Day Home Minna Street Site (Infant/Toddler Program), 675 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 487-3314, Contact: Vivian Alipio, Site Supervisor 299 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 861-5361, Contact: Andrea Robb, Site Supervisor MINNA STREET WISH LIST Dish Set (plates, mugs, etc.)

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Catholic San Francisco

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2 New Computers (for teachers use) Muni Bus Tokens Computer Printer Ink - HP #94 or #96 (black) and #97 (colored) Cordless Phone for the Classrooms (Specifications: Vtech mi6725 (5.8 GHZ Cordless Phone, Single Line Operation, Caller ID/Call Waiting, Speakerphone, no answering machine needed, Color: Silver/Black) Clothing and Food Bins for Donations Water Filter/Dispenser Durable Outside Storage (for classroom materials) Infant/Toddler Age-Appropriate Outdoor Play Structure (Including installation services and removal/disposal of the old one) Volunteer handyman Food Vouchers from Safeway for Christmas Dinner ($50 each) Toilet Training Chairs (5) Educational Toys for Newborns through 3 yrs old Diapers (sizes 4, 5 and 6) & Pull ups (2T and 3T); Baby Wipes New Children’s Clothing such as sweaters, pants and jackets (sizes 12 months, 18 months, 2T& 3T) Kids Shoes (sizes 5 thru 9) Books in English and Spanish for infants and up to 3 years of age Canned Goods Child Sized Blankets Pans, pots, plates and cups Strollers DOLORES STREET WISH LIST Child Sized Blankets in Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple for nap time (total of 25 per color) New Child Size Clothing [3T to X-Small (4-6)]: Socks, Underwear, Sweatpants, Sweatshirts, T-Shirts, Tennis Shoes Portable Automatic/ Electric Ice Maker 2007 Hanging Calendars For families in need: Safeway or Trader Joe’s Food Vouchers (in $20 or more increments) For families in need: Gift Cards (in $20 or more increments: Target, Mervyn’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and any other S.F. household items vendor) A Volunteer Coordinator and a volunteer gardener (more details upon request) Craftsman Tool Box and Tool Set HP Printer/Scanner/Fax Machine and Ink Cartridges Emergency First-Aid Kits Automatic Digital Ear Thermometers Automatic Computerized Timeclock Brita Water Filters

10

Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

Marin parish celebrates rich legacy of ‘living the faith’ for 125 years

By Tom Burke St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Sausalito, founded in 1881, is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2006.

Commemorative events through the year have included a Mass of Thanksgiving in February to mark the church’s founding anniversary as well as an outdoor Mass and picnic in June. A presentation on the parish history by Jeffrey Burns, Archivist for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, took place in September. In October, the parish held a gala celebration. A special closing Mass is scheduled for early next year.

“We’ve been reaching back and looking ahead,” said Christine Reich, pastoral associate at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea. “This parish is the third established in Marin County after Mission San Rafael and the Church of the Assumption of Mary in Tomales. We’ve had some outstanding and totally dedicated leadership.”

St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish was founded in 1881.

St. Raphael Parish was named a mission in 1817 and a parish in 1861. Assumption was founded in 1860. Today, Marin County boasts 13 parishes, three mission churches and historic Mission San Rafael.

Mrs. Reich said attendance at the various celebration events at St. Mary Star of the Sea has been very good given that parish membership includes only about 450 families. “We are one of the smallest parishes in Marin,” Reich said. “Our people are very loyal and interested. I’ll bet everybody in the parish participated in some event.”

She added, “This has been a very wonderful time for the parish.”

Helping to celebrate the anniversary year were former pastors at the Sausalito parish including Father John Shanahan (1971-83), retired pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Larkspur; Pastor Emeritus, Father Eugene Duggan (1983-94); Father Paul Rossi (1994-97), now pastor of St. Raphael Parish in San Rafael; retired pastor Father Richard Deitch (1997-2004); Father Edward Phelan, pastor of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea since 2004.

Father Edward Phelan agrees. “It took us near onto a year to put this together,” the pastor said. “Memories are made of this. We have been reliving tremendous memories but not so much of a time when — but a people who: Faith-filled, generous, hospitable and loving people who have taken on the Credo of our faith by living it in their daily lives. From these 125 years there comes a rich legacy and we, the beneficiaries, are grateful.”

Coordinating the 125th Anniversary Gala were, from left, Ginny Hofmann, Willie Victor, Cheryl Popp and Debbie Dewey. Not available for the picture was chef, parishioner and former Sausalito Mayor Lucy Alderman.

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Shown with Father Edward Phelan (center) current pastor at St. Mary Star of the Sea in Sausalito are Father Paul Rossi, former pastor and now pastor of St. Raphael Parish in San Rafael, and Pastor Emeritus, Father Eugene Duggan.

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December 1, 2006

Catholic San Francisco

11

High school teacher provides special learning experience for students

By Evelyn Zappia When John Ahlbach became Director of Christian Community Service at San Francisco’s Archbishop Riordan High School in 2001, he wanted to establish an immersion program that would bring teachers and students together, working side-by-side in a variety of service programs.

After three years of seeking financial support, Ahlbach’s department received a grant from the Marianist (Society of Mary) Sharing Fund, and also from the school’s recycling fund. Although the financial support was small, it was enough to inspire the veteran teacher of 28 years to make his vision a reality, with the students paying a majority of their expenses.

For the past two summers Ahlbach has taken Riordan students to Birmingham, Alabama where he and “the kids” rolled up their sleeves and worked for the needy.

“Birmingham had everything I wanted for us,” he said. “It had a job site, direct work with the needy in an unfamiliar part of the country, and a moving and dramatic historical context the kids could study.”

Outreach, Inc., a non-profit organization that builds affordable housing and repairs old homes for the needy, hosted the volunteers.

At a construction site, the San Francisco crew was put to work quickly. “We did a lot of the grunt work,” said Ahlbach. “We landscaped, moved bricks, moved dirt, and hauled garbage to the debris box.

On a few occasions the kids walked down a couple of blocks from the site and ate their lunch at “the oldest surviving baseball stadium in America,” Birmingham’s Rickwood Field, where Satchel Paige and Willie Mays played professional baseball for the Birmingham Black Barons.

Once the construction site work was finished the group moved on to working directly with the needy at a soup kitchen.

The “Old Firehouse” in downtown Birmingham, a homeless shelter that also provides warm meals and drug treatment programs, proved to be an experience that moved everyone, including Ahlbach.

John Ahlbach with students left: Arlen McGinty, Nick Mann, John Espinueva, Matt Scharding, Henry Lee, and Ryan Holmes.

Doug, the head cook at the “Old Firehouse,” made such an impression on Ahlbach that today he keeps a photograph of him on his desk at Riordan. “When things seem rough during my day at school, I look at his picture to keep my spirits up, where they should be,” he said.

Doug, a Vietnam Veteran and former semi-pro football player founded the first Hospice prison program in the South – after witnessing first-hand, the needs of dying inmates being ignored.

In his eighth year of a 25-to-life sentence in Alabama’s state penitentiary, he no longer could quietly accept that the needs of the dying inmates were being ignored, and how quickly the inmates were forgotten in death.

During the next five years, Doug managed to keep the inequities suffered by the dying inmates in the Alabama newspapers.

The attention brought success.

He was able to see that the needs of more than 350 inmates were taken care of in their final days at the prisons. He also had a “Tree of Life” memorial created listing the names of the prisoners who died in Alabama prisons.

Another man at the “Old Firehouse” caught Ahlbach’s attention. Although his encounter with him was brief, he could not forget “Reginald.”

He was a young, homeless man reading a book of devotions. Ahlbach asked him about the church he attends. Reginald told him that he did not worship at any particular church - but he always gave 10 percent of what he was able to earn that week to whatever church he happened to be worshipping in on any Sunday.

During the evening, the group helped Doug prepare dinner and then served it.

They also visited with the guests, and

played cards and chess with them until “lights out.”

At 4 a.m., the kids and teacher jumped out of their cots to make breakfast and serve it to the shelter’s guests.

Henry Lee, one of the Riordan students who accompanied Ahlbach to Alabama, said in his 2006 valedictorian speech “The rainy evening we hosted a full house at the Old Fire House in Birmingham, Alabama was one of the most meaningful experiences I had in my four years at Riordan.”

Also during the summer trips, Ahlbach was able to immerse the students in the history of the South, especially the Civil Rights Movement.

He took the students to Atlanta, a threehour drive, to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Museum, the Center for Nonviolence, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church where King’s father, and he preached.

Ahlbach said a highlight of the trip was meeting 80-year-old “Mr. Henry Alexander,” whose children were the first to integrate the schools of Birmingham, Alabama in 1964.

Every Sunday, “Mr. Alexander” gives an oral history at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute while standing next to the exhibit created in his honor.

Ahlbach and the Riordan students visited the 16th Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham where Alexander explained that four young American girls were killed when a bomb went off in the basement, Sept. 15, 1964. He called it a racist act opposing integration.

The Riordan visitors attended Sunday Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Bessemer, 20 miles from Birmingham.

Franciscans established the community soon after World War II to minister to African Americans. This was at a time that life discrimination was a daily fact of life in the decades preceding the Civil Rights Movement.

Ahlbach explained the importance for all of them to witness the best and the worst about the past in the South. “We left knowing we did our best to create something better,” he said.

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

Guest Commentary Millennium Development Goals

By Fredi D’Alessio The Millennium Campaign (MC), an initiative of the United Nations, “inspires and encourages people’s involvement and action for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”

On its website, the MC claims that improving the sexual and reproductive health of men, women and young people is essential for achieving all of the MDGs and that governments should “ensure universal access to reproductive health by 2015,” as a target to measure progress towards achieving the MDGs at the national level, as well as in international and regional forums.

The MC further suggests that non-government organizations (NGOs) working in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, environmental sustainability, gender equality, development and other issues related to the MDGs, should develop a common strategy to ensure that sexual and reproductive health is integrated into community, regional, and national-level campaigns and initiatives so as to achieve the MDGs. But what exactly is meant by “sexual and reproductive health” when used in this context at the United Nations? John Mallon, contributing editor for “Inside the Vatican” magazine, sums it up this way. “The first thing that strikes an objective reader is the presupposition that ‘sexual and reproductive health’ is a good thing. Normally, any kind of health is self-evidently a good thing but, as defined by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), ‘sexual and reproductive health’ consists of pouring huge quantities of contraceptive chemicals and devices into the world along with so-called ‘safe’ abortion. ‘Health’ in this sense, consists in disabling the reproductive system rendering it, in fact, unhealthy. This is frequently done in opposition to the cultural, moral and religious values of the peoples concerned, rendering these programs not only imperialistic but in some cases tyrannical.”

The Millennium Project (MP), which was commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General and is headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, stresses that expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and services is a “quick win,” a cost-effective action that can put countries on the road towards achieving the MDGs. The MP recommends that universal access to reproductive health services be added as one of the targets of the MDGs under Goal 5, so-called “To improve maternal health”.

At the request of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN Millennium Project identified practical strategies, which it describes in Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This document underscores the importance of sexual and reproductive health for the attainment of the Millennium Goals.

In his February 2006 foreword to Public Choices, Private Decisions: Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals, Jeffery Sachs says the document takes these arguments further and presents the evidence of the relationship between sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and each of the Millennium Goals. And that “it underscores the urgent need to increase investments in improving the access to SRH information and services, particularly for the poor. Otherwise, the MDGs cannot be met.” Mr. Sachs closes with: “I am grateful for their important work and recommend this report to all who are interested in improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes that will make it possible to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.”

More evidence that Jeffery Sachs is committed to expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and services is contained in a paper commissioned by the Population Program of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in 2004 titled Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals: The Missing Link: Allan Rosenfield, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University said that he would not have joined the project under any other circumstances. “When Kofi Annan asked Jeff Sachs to put together a team project, and asked me and a couple of people here to co-chair the maternal and child health task force, we immediately said, The only condition [under which] we’ll do it is if we build reproductive health back into it,” Rosenfield said. “Jeff said, Yes, I have a commitment from the SG that we can do that.”

So what should the critical next step be for the Catholic Church? I would suggest that the Catholic Church demand the exact opposite commitment from Jeffery Sachs, the UN and all of its associated campaigns, projects and initiatives before engaging any further in a relationship with these parties.

The international arm of SIECUS (the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States) has a paper on its website titled The Underlying Millennium Development Goal: Universal Access to Reproductive Health Service.

This paper reports that 110 international NGOs, in an effort to explicitly incorporate SHR in official MDG processes, urged the UN Secretary-General to include specific language on the importance of SHR to the achievement of the MDGs. Again, the Church must demand the exact opposite. She must insist that specific language be included in all documents pertaining to the achievement of the MDGs stating that there is not to be any degree of support for expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, including family planning and contraceptive information and services, as an MDG goal or target, either directly or indirectly.

The Church must state her position clearly and emphatically. She must be faithful to her mandate to represent the Way, the Truth and the Life, her very Lord and Master, Christ Jesus. It is through Him that She must find ways to share the goods of creation, which He destined for the whole human race.

Living the Gospel I have the opportunity to look through several Catholic newspapers in the United States as I work for a Catholic newspaper. I was looking at the Nov. 10 issue of Catholic San Francisco and saw the article about the Friar’s tribute to his brother. I thought it was very interesting and moving that Franciscan Friar Richard Purcell took what God had given him, his faith, a place to live, to share with his dying brother and then reaching out to others with AIDS. This is the gospel. Thank you.

Nancy Loberg Spokane, WA

Many treasures Thank you so much for publishing Father Ron Rolheiser’s column. His writing is deeply spiritual and powerfully relevant to my daily life. He addresses issues that challenge me as a Christian and as a human being. I don’t always get everything he is saying on my first reading, but it always is worth re-reading, reflection and prayer. Catholic San Francisco has many treasures each week and Father Rolheiser is one of them.

J. Harwood San Francisco

Stepping up to help

conference holds two social events to raise money to give both to the Dining Room in San Rafael, and the people within our parish.

Cecile Johnson Novato

Justice and peace

L E T T E R S

I so enjoyed reading an article about St. Vincent de Paul written by Annette Bosco (CSF-Nov. 10). I passed it around at the last meeting of our St. Vincent de Paul Auxiliary at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Novato.

I thought you would like to know that we are a small group of women who are trying so hard to serve the needy in our neighborhood of South Novato. There are more and more indigent people arriving here and it is difficult to serve them all but the effort is there. Our

For years my Palestinian hairdresser has educated me about injustices Palestinians have suffered at the hands of Israel. Thank you for publishing the story by Paul Jeffrey (Nov. 10) about Jerusalem. Mr. Jeffrey stated that Israeli tanks and bulldozers were uprooting trees. Many of those trees are olive trees, which are a very symbolic part of the Muslim religion in that area. The article did not state that Palestinian children are not attending school at the present time because teachers work for the government, and Israel is not passing along the tax revenue at the present time because of the presence of Hamas.

May all Catholics continue to pray for peace in the Middle East and to especially remember the children in their prayers. Our children are the future.

Will they be able to forget what they have experienced today in the Middle East and work for peace in the future?

Lucille Hernandez So. San Francisco

Another faithful Rolheiser fan

I read Catholic San Francisco every week. When I get the paper, I first turn to Father Ron Rolheiser’s column. He is very good and you have my thanks for your good work.

Jim Casey Santa Rosa

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

➣ Include your name, address and daytime phone number. ➣ Sign your letter. ➣ Limit submissions to 250 words. ➣ Note that the newspaper reserves the right to edit for clarity and length.

Send your letters to: Catholic San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Fax: (415) 614-5641 E-mail: healym@sfarchdiocese.org

I am writing this letter in the hope that Catholic San Francisco will consider publishing an article on how Catholics can lodge protests to TV stations, producers and writers when we see programs that are extremely anti-Catholic. In the space of just a few days, I watched three programs, including "Law and Order" and "CSI, that involved murders.

In the stories, two priests and one nun were suspects. Only one of the three was innocent.

While I realize that priests and nuns are not "saints," I feel this type of program would not be shown involving clergy or ministers of another religion. Please consider my suggestion, and I do look forward to reading Catholic San Francisco every week.

Barbara Graham San Francisco Ed. Note: We appreciate all comments from readers and we’ll take your suggestion to heart, Mrs. Graham. Thanks for writing.

John of Damascus c. 657-749 feast – December 4 Born in Damascus, John received classical Christian training, then served the caliph’s court in a hereditary position. When a new caliph became hostile to Christians, he left and joined the monastery of St. Saba in the Holy Land. Following his ordination, he taught at the monastery, preached in Jerusalem and wrote treatises and hymns. When the Iconoclasts began burning books and smashing images, he opposed them, defending the veneration of images with sound theology. He was declared a doctor of the church in 1890.

Saints for Today

© 2006 2005 CNS

December 1, 2006

Catholic San Francisco

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The Catholic Difference During the year I spent at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, I enjoyed getting to know Peter Braestrup, who had been Saigon bureau chief of the Washington Post and was the living embodiment of that pulp fiction staple, the crusty reporter with a heart of gold.

While Peter made the Wilson Quarterly an important journal of ideas, his greatest contribution to American life was “Big Story,” a two-volume study of the 1968 Tet offensive, the political turning point of the Vietnam War. Alas, only two-thirds of the lessons Braestrup drew from that debacle have been learned.

“Big Story” demonstrated three things: 1) that the Tet offensive was a major defeat for North Vietnam and the Viet Cong; 2) that the world press badly missed the Tet story; 3) that the American people and their political leaders thought of Tet as a defeat for the U.S. and South Vietnam. Braestrup, who died in 1997, lived to see his first and third conclusions accepted. His second conclusion – the media botch – has not been widely grasped, yet it’s the crucial link between Conclusion One (Tet was a serious military defeat for the communists) and Conclusion Three (Tet was nevertheless a huge political victory for the military losers).

In remembering my old friend Braestrup, however, the point is to look ahead, not back. For unless the American media and the American people take the second conclusion of Peter’s masterpiece seriously, we may find ourselves in the morally dubious position of turning vic-

tory into defeat time and again in the war against jihadist terrorism.

Iraq is the obvious and immediate case in point.

Jihadists around the world talk about the mantaq alMadrid, the “Madrid effect,” referring to the terrorist bombings of Madrid train stations that cowed Spanish voters into deposing a government that had been a U.S. ally in Iraq. An American equivalent of the “Madrid effect” is the goal of the Saddamists and jihadists who continue to fight in Iraq, even though they know they can’t possibly win – they fight in order to degrade the political will of the American people, who are fed a steady and (rightly) disturbing diet of Iraqi chaos and mayhem by a press corps which is repeating the same mistakes in its war-reporting that Braestrup (an old-fashioned liberal) identified in his painstaking study of coverage of the Tet offensive.

As Amir Taheri has pointed out, the allied coalition that invaded Iraq had multiple goals: to depose a murderous regime, thereby ridding the world of a serious threat to international security; to empower the people of Iraq through a democratic political process; and to create a new political model for the Arab-Islamic world. The first goal was achieved, rather easily; the second goal has been largely achieved, with a constitution written, free elections held, and a legitimate government formed; and there are signs that all of this has had a leavening effect on Middle Eastern politics. The jihadists and Saddamists who are causing mayhem (and fostering sectarian vio-

lence) in Iraq know this; their purpose is to dismantle the success that the allied coalition and the Iraqi people have, in fact, achieved.

Reasonable people could, and did, differ George Weigel about the prudence of the March 2003 invasion.

My considered judgment remains that the allied action satisfied the criteria of a just war. But whatever one’s position on decisions made in early 2003, surely people committed to the just war way of thinking can agree that the moral obligation to secure the peace after major combat ends – the ius ad pacem or ius post bellum – will not be met if the “Madrid effect” kicks in and the U.S. and its allies abandon Iraq. That emphatically does not mean continuing failed policies. It does mean keeping focused on the legitimate, indeed noble, goal of supporting the development of a decent, self-governing society in an Iraq that could augur a better future for the Middle East.

A Tet-like victory for the jihadists will not lead to a just peace, in Iraq or anywhere else.

whose husband, a National Guardsman, was sent to war at the ripe age of 49.

All the women told stories of the support they’d received from their churches: care packages for the men, invitations to Sunday-morning brunch, prayers offered at Mass.

Yet, there remains a bleak loneliness inherent in being the husband or wife of a person serving in this war. One woman told me of opening her morning newspaper a week after her husband’s deployment and seeing a front-page story about what happens to a soldier’s material remains — complete with a picture of a pair of empty boots.

The paper was trying to educate the public and bring the war home to readers. But to a young wife who had just said her painful goodbyes, it was a gut-wrenching betrayal of the families of soldiers who are responding to their country’s call.

“Didn’t the paper know how that story would make us feel?” she asked.

Americans as old as I am can remember the waning days of the war in Vietnam. As the war became increasingly unpopular, the returning troops were treated very poorly, as if somehow they were responsible for failed policies they didn’t make.

I think our collective memory is trying to do penance for that with the many “Support our troops” car magnets and bumper stickers we see around us.

But let’s face it; most Americans are very removed from the war in Iraq. Without a draft to impact every family, many of us see the war as only a headline we can turn from or a television show we can turn off.

Effie Caldarola Even if we never approved of this war, as one of the three wives admitted she did not, could we find a way at Christmas to extend our support to a family living through it, not in the headlines but in the heart?

Service personnel pay for their own phone calls home.

Maybe a parish drive for phone cards for parishioners overseas would be a good way to say, “We support you for what you are going through in the name of all of us.”

Phone cards vary in how far the minutes will stretch from overseas. Check with someone in the military to find out which cards are the best buy for calls from Iraq or Afghanistan.

George Weigel is a senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

For the Journey

Serving in Iraq The young soldier was patrolling the streets of Baghdad with his men.

Stealthily at first, a pack of dogs began forming behind him and his troops. As the men moved along, the animals began to seem threatening.

Packs of loose, stray dogs are not an uncommon sight in Baghdad now. With society unraveling, Iraqis dying or fleeing the country if they can, abandoned animals are just more collateral damage.

When the pack appeared to be increasing in menace, the soldiers decided to do what they didn’t really want to. They shot the lead dog.

What happened next wasn’t quite what he expected, one soldier told his bride back in Alaska. Instead of the pack dispersing, breaking up with their lead dog dead, the wild dogs turned on their fallen leader and began to savagely devour its body.

The soldiers, no strangers to brutal sights, were stunned.

Just when I think I’ve heard all the gasp-inducing tales from Iraq, one more, like this story relayed to me by the soldier’s mother-in-law, ratchets up the horror.

I recently did a story for our local Catholic paper about three wives left at home while their soldier husbands were in Iraq. Two of them are very young brides, one is an older woman

Effie Caldarola writes from Anchorage, Alaska.

Spirituality for Life

Steadying ourselves in the storm The early years of my adulthood and priesthood were spent teaching theology at a College in Edmonton, Canada.

They were exciting years: I was young, full of energy, loved teaching, and was discovering the joys of ministry. These were good years, everything that young adulthood should be.

But they weren’t always easy years. My congenital restlessness, the demands of ministry, the tensions of community, the obsessions I’m forever prone to, the not-infrequent departure of cherished friends from the priesthood, and the constant movement of people through my life, occasionally left me in emotional chaos, gasping for oxygen, too restless to sleep, wondering who I was, saying to myself, like Janis Joplin in her moments of desperation: “Where is everybody going?”

But I had a little formula to help handle this. Whenever the chaos got really bad, I would get into my car and drive four hours to our family farm just across the border in Saskatchewan. My family still lived in the house I’d grown up in, ate at the same table I’d eaten at as a child, slept in the same beds we had as children, and walked the same ground I’d walked as a child. Usually it didn’t take long for home to do its work. I’d only need to be there for a meal or overnight and the chaos and heartache would subside, I’d begin to feel steady and to know again who I was.

Coming home didn’t cure the heartache but gave the

heart the care it needed. Somehow home always works.

Today the same kind of emotional chaos and heartache can still unsettle me on occasion and leave me unsure of who I am, of the choices I’ve made in life, and of whom and what to trust. But I can’t often drive to my childhood home anymore and so I have had to find the steadying that going home once gave me in new a way. And, even amidst a good community, loving friends, and a wonderful job, that isn’t always easy to find. Home can be elusive on a restless night. What steadies the heart when it’s restless isn’t so easy to access. Once you’ve left home, you sometimes can’t get back there again.

So what do I do now when I need to go home and retouch my roots to steady myself? Sometimes a trusted friend is the answer; sometimes a family that has become family to me can provide that special place, sometimes I can find that place in prayer or in nature, but sometimes I can’t find it at all and I have to live with the chaos until, like a bad storm, it blows over.

But through the years, I’ve also discovered that sometimes a special book that can take me home in the same way as driving there once did. One of the books that does this for me, almost without fail, is “The Story of a Soul” by Therese of Lisieux. Not surprising, it’s the story of a recessive journey, the story of Therese’s own effort at recapturing what her house, home, and family once gave her.

But the recessive journey in itself is not what gives this book (which I highly recommend for anyone who’s heart is aching in way that unsettles the soul) such a special power. Many autobiographies unsettle Father more than they settle.

Ron Rolheiser Remembering alone doesn’t necessarily care for the heart and sometimes our memories of home and childhood carry a lot of pathology and pain. Not everyone’s home was safe and nurturing.

What “The Story of a Soul” does is what a good home does; it names and claims for us what’s deepest and most precious inside of the human person. That’s what gives the soul the steadying it needs.

What is that place? Home is where we can shut the door on the outside world, where a warm fire is burning, where we can eat familiar foods, where we don’t have to be on guard when we speak, where we can be sick and somebody takes ROLHEISER, page 15

JOHN EARLE PHOTO

Baghdad 2006 = Tet 1968?

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 A READING FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH JER 33:14-16 The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The Lord our justice.”

RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and for you I wait all the day.

R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way.

He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way.

R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

All the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction.

R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1 THES 3:12-4:2 Brothers and sisters: May the Lord

make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God — and as you are conducting yourselves — you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE LK 21:25-28, 34-36 Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Why a catechism for adults now?

By Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl The story of the new United States Catholic Catechism for Adults begins with the publication in 1992 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Earlier during the 1985 world Synod of Bishops, it was proposed that a compendium of the Catholic faith — a catechism for the whole church — be prepared and published with the authority of the pope.

The purpose of such a catechism, among other things, was to provide both a touchstone for authenticating what was being taught in the name of the church and a norm for the production of catechisms by bishops’ conferences around the world. These so-called national catechisms would apply the teaching of the church to the local situation, attempting to engage readers who could then refer to the universal catechism if they intended a deeper study of the faith.

The circumstances that led to the request for a universal catechism have been experienced by so many of us catechists, lay or ordained. We recognize that we live in a culture that is secular in its pretensions, materialistic in its orientation and almost entirely focused on the here and now. Societal structures that support what the church in her perennial teaching proclaims increasingly are challenged. Family, marriage, accepted norms of conduct — all were once an intrinsic part of our society. Today these values themselves are diminished by many.

Coupled with this cultural phenomenon is the experience of the undercatechized who often are referred to as a “lost generation.”

These, who received only partial formation in the faith, comprise a significant portion of the faithful whom we seek to teach, including many who still come with some regularity to Sunday liturgy.

With the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops established a committee to oversee its use. This resulted in an invitation to the publishers of catechetical texts to have their materials reviewed for conformity with the catechism. The outcome was positive and led to the redoing of a great number of catechetical texts. Today most publishing houses have joined in the review process and can boast of materials judged to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The bishops determined that one area still required attention.

There was a noticeable absence of appropriate catechetical materials for many young adults, participants in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and those in parish and diocesan adult faithformation programs. Thus, the bishops set out to produce a catechism that would be inviting, engaging and instructive.

The goal was to have a catechism for adults that would be complete but not necessarily encyclopedic, authentic in its content and, at the

Scripture FATHER GERARD O’ROURKE

Themes of Advent We have completed our liturgical year and ordinary time for 2006. We now begin our new liturgical year with the first Sunday of Advent, which is the preparation season for Christmas. Most religions make a big deal about their new year when it occurs. We Catholic Christians seem to take it for granted.

We slide into it pretty silently with no apparent fanfare! So at the very least we should notice it and acknowledge it.

You and I may take it in our stride as no big deal. But not so the world around us. The world around us and especially the advertising world of Madison Avenue and the business world take it very seriously. They really make a very big deal of Christmas, even it they now speak of it as “the holiday season.” Of course you and I know that it is all about Christmas and its powerful pull and appeal, which has now become a worldwide phenomenon.

I do not dismiss the phenomenon of the pulling and seducing appeal of the presentation of the “holiday season.” It does arouse in many of us the urge to look beyond ourselves and to be generous, and that is precisely the reason that we Christians need the Advent Season.

Let us then get into a spiritual preparation mode for the Christmas Season through the themes of the Advent Season. A number of the themes show up for us in the liturgical readings for the first Sunday of Advent and continue right through the Advent Season.

Firstly there is the “promise” and the promise of its fulfillment. In the first reading for the first Sunday of Advent the Prophet Jeremiah refers to the promise. The promise was “made to the house of Israel and Judah.”

God will raise up a descendent of King David to bring justice and security to the land and to the people.

These words of hope and comfort were spoken by Jeremiah in a time of horror for the people. It was just before the terror of the Babylonian Captivity. As Christians we believe that this promise was fulfilled in the Coming of Jesus. Advent is the season when we are reminded of that great promise lest we ever forget it in the midst of all the noise and distraction of the “holiday season.”

In the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians another theme shows up.

It is to prepare ourselves spiritually for the fulfillment of the promise which calls for love

and justice. St. Paul stresses the theme of “love for one another and for all.” As always love is the indispensable way to fulfill our side of the promise. Love also opens the way to justice, which is always central to the promise of God to us.

There never has been a time when justice is so needed in our world. Everywhere we look there are millions of hungry, homeless, and dispossessed people. We even have people who are literally condemned to live in slavery; a condition that we sometimes thought had been eradicated from our world! Truly we need the miracle of “justice for all” to be at the top of our agendas.

As we turn to the Gospel Reading we notice that we have switched from the Gospel of Mark to the Gospel of Luke, which often is known for its concern for mercy. However, in the segment for the first Sunday of Advent the themes of warning, awakening and real concern are prevalent.

It is not easy reading. It is not easy to listen to as it goes on with a relentless list of things that are full of “dismay,” “fright,” “perplexed,” “shaken,” “death.” All in all it is a pretty terrifying description of the last things, the end time.

It is, of course, a deliberate effect on Luke’s part to wake us up from becoming “drowsy,” from “drunken carousing,” and from the “anxieties of life! And of course in the middle of this tough language is the promise of seeing the “Son of Man” coming in power and glory.

So once again we have the Advent theme of preparation even if it comes to us in stark, apocalyptically poetic language. It might even be useful language for us all, especially if we get unduly distracted by the allures or the razzledazzle of the “holiday season.” It might indeed be useful for us in those moments of excess or frenzy, which we could easily succumb to!

All in all, Advent is a great time to calm down, even “to chill out,” so that we can renew our spiritual commitments. It’s a wonderful season to stay centered and focused so that Christmas, the birthday of our Savior, will be a true time of blessing for all of us.

same time, presented in a format that would appeal to young-adult readers and learners.

The result of this effort is the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. It is the first catechetical text produced by the bishops themselves since the catechism of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884. Last November, the Holy See approved the catechism presented by the U.S. bishops, and at the end of July it was published and made available.

Among the best qualities of the new catechism is its readability.

Each chapter begins with a story based on a figure from sacred Scripture or, for the most part, from the history of the Church in the United States. We then are led into a reflection on some relevant element of the creed, the celebration of the liturgy, the life of a Christian or prayer.

The new catechism does more, however,

than just present the faith. It strives to invite the reader into the particular element of faith treated in each specific chapter and assist in the reader’s faith journey with appropriate reflections, prayer and an application of the faith to some special aspect of our culture that today challenges what we believe.

The layout of the book not only is inviting but is a useful tool for helping the learner experience a living faith — the church’s faith.

From time to time in this column, I intend to go through, somewhat systematically, the new adult catechism, highlighting specific areas that I hope the reader might find helpful. My hope is that these articles might lead the reader to undertake a more extensive review of the faith and use the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults and also eventually the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Father Gerard O’Rourke is Director Emeritus of the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

December 1, 2006

Catholic San Francisco

15

Guest Commentary

By Tony Magliano During Advent our thoughts begin to turn toward Bethlehem. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, our hearts are warmed in the knowledge that God’s love for us is so great that he took on our nature and dwelt among us.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory ... full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:1,14).

But many turned away from the truth; many still do. Even among believers it is common to ignore or water down the more difficult elements of the truth.

Didn’t Jesus instruct us to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us?

Didn’t he warn that those who take up the sword would perish by the sword?

It is no accident that Jesus starts this challenging discourse on nonviolence with the words, “But I say to you who are listening ...” In such difficult matters, genuine progress is impossible without attentively listening to God’s word. Yet so many remain deaf to God’s word.

Amid the evident horrors of war, so much of humanity continues to take up the sword. Nowhere is this tragic state of affairs more ironic than in the Holy Land.

Israel’s determination to crush Palestinian militants with American-made weapons is causing tremendous suffering for a great many others throughout the West Bank. Mill Hill Father Guido Gockel, former director of the Jerusalem office of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, told me that Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank continues to cause many hardships for Palestinians. For instance, Palestinians in Bethlehem cannot go to Jerusalem to worship or work.

Father Gockel said that “there are cer-

Rolheiser . . .

■ Continued from page 13

2007

official directory

ORDER FORM Name City Credit Card #: Signature:

Today, among other places, I find it when I read “The Story of a Soul.”

There are headaches and heartaches for which there is no cure. But the soul doesn’t need to be cured, only to be properly cared for. Our task is go home, to find those people, places, prayers, and books that truly care for our souls at those times when our world is falling apart.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher, and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.

Israeli soldiers prohibit Palestinian citizens from entering the city at a checkpoint in Jerusalem Nov. 10. Israel stepped up security at checkpoints like this after Hamas promised to avenge the Nov. 8 killing of 19 people from one family during an Israeli artillery assault in the Gaza Strip.

The Catholic Professional and Business Club (Catholics at Work)

Christianity in the Middle East WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13, 2006 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Mass at 6:30 a.m.

CAPURRO’S RESTURANT 498 Jefferson Street at Hyde, SF

“CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?”

John McGuckin, Jr. Today, Christians are less than 2% of the population of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

Under pressure from the Israelis and the Moslems, can the Christian Community survive in the land where Jesus lived and taught?

As Lieutenant of the USA Northwestern Lieutenancy of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, John McGuckin's knowledge of the Catholic Church in the Middle East is extensive.

The Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a unique and ancient organization of Catholic men and women, cleric and lay with a given apostolate to support the Christian Community in the Holy Land by prayer, donations and pilgrimages.

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, John H. McGuckin, Jr. joined The Bank of California as its chief trust counsel in 1981. He became General Counsel and Secretary of The Bank of California in 1984 and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1996. He became Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Union Bank of California in April, 1996, and Executive Vice President and General Counsel of UnionBanCal Corporation in January, 1998. He was appointed Corporate Secretary of both companies in September 2000.

Mr. McGuckin is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College and received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

To become a member, or make a reservation for the upcoming meeting, please call (415) 614-5579.

ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO 2007 DELUXE DIRECTORY

of

Archdiocese San Francisco

care of us, where we can sleep in our own beds, where a trusted hand steadies the world, where we can be weak, and where we can shut the door and lock out every kind of storm and restlessness. Home is where we are safe.

It’s also the place where, one way or the other, we learned about God. (And it’s this that is so tragically and irrevocably destroyed in sexual abuse.) I used to drive four hours, just for a meal or a night’s sleep, in order to find that.

tainly radical Islamic Palestinians attacking Israelis, but the overwhelming majority of Palestinians — Muslims and Christians — are strongly opposed to violence.”

The Latin-rite Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, has written that Palestinians “have the fundamental human right to be free and independent on their own land. As for terrorism, which we all condemn and rebuke whether it comes from the Israelis or the Palestinians, it should be known that it is military occupation that generates it.

Occupation is the fertile soil for terrorism.”

Father Gockel said that Palestinians are subjected to many Israeli checkpoints that often turn short trips into humiliatingly long, hot ordeals. Furthermore, the Israeli wall/fence, built mostly on Palestinian territory, cuts through peoples’ land, forcing them to spend hours at checkpoints in order merely to go from their homes to family farms.

These many problems have led to a steep drop in tourism and pilgrimages, resulting in a crushing unemployment rate of more than 50 percent in Bethlehem.

By paying workers to repair playgrounds, senior centers, roads and schools, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association is helping some unemployed residents of Bethlehem earn their daily bread.

You can help employ more Bethlehem workers by sending a Christmas gift to: Catholic Near East Welfare Association, 1011 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022.

Kindly earmark your check “Bethlehem labor intensive project.”

And please urge President Bush (The White House: 202-456-1111) and your congressional delegation (U.S. Capitol: 202-224-3121) to put the creation of a viable, independent Palestinian nation on their political front burner. It is absolutely essential for peace, not only in Bethlehem but throughout the entire Middle East.

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL JEFFREY)

Waiting for peace in Bethlehem

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16

Catholic San Francisco

Advent Opportunities Dec 1 – 3: St. Bartholomew Parish’s Annual Follow the Star Creche Display. More than 150 Nativity scenes from around the world on view from 1 – 7 p.m. all days. Free Admission. All takes place in St. Bart’s Parish Auditorium, 600 Columbia Dr. off Alameda de las Pulgas in San Mateo. Call (650) 347-0701.

Dec. 2: Docent-led Angel Tour at St. Dominic Church, Bush and Steiner in San Francisco at 10 a.m. Meet in the Main Vestibule. A chance to get acquainted with a few of the more unusual angels of the 500 plus winged-creatures portrayed in the stained glass windows, altars and walls of this Gothic church. Aquinas’ hierarchy of angels and the portrayal of angels in art through the centuries are also explored. Contact Hennie at hennie@planeteria.net.

Dec. 3: Festivals of Light, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory Christmas Concert at Mission Dolores Basilica, 16th and Dolores St. in San Francisco at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 adults/$5 students and seniors.

Selections include Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, and Ave Maria.Directed by Christian Bohm, Director of Music at SHCP.Tickets may be purchased at the SHCP Theatre Box Office at 415.775.6626, ext.715. www.shcp.edu Dec. 3: A dramatic performance of the Christmas Narratives at Most Holy Redeemer Church, 100 Diamond St. in San Francisco at 2 p.m. Directed by Patrick Lane, the presentation features the talents of Michael Reardon who performs throughout the world. This is a contemporary translation of Scripture. The production is complete with music, lighting and costumes. Admission is free. Free will offerings accepted. Call (415) 863-6259.

Dec. 9: I Have Called You by Name, a Morning of Reconciliation, organized by parishes of Deanery 2 of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, 1122 Jamestown Ave. at 3rd St. at 9:30 a.m. Franciscan Father Charles Talley will facilitate. Call the parish office at (415) 468-3434.

Dec. 9: Christmas Remembrance Service at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma at 11 a.m. Call (650) 7562060.

Dec.10, 12, 14: Choir featuring voices of almost 50 priests serving in the Archdiocese of San Francisco perform songs of the season Dec. 12 at St. Andrew Church, 1271 Southgate Ave. in Daly City, (650) 7563223; Dec. 12th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 60 Wellington Ave., Daly city, (650) 7559786; and Dec, 14 at St. Anne of the Sunset Church, 850 Judah St. at Funston in San Francisco, (415) 665-1600, ext. 22. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. Free will offerings will benefit Priests’ Retirement Fund.

Dec. 14: The Choral Scholars of Notre Dame des Victoires present a solo recital of modern American art songs and a preview of Christmas choral selections performed by the Choeur Paroissial with Steven Olbash, organ, and Skye Atman, piano at 8:00 p.m; 566 Bush Street (at Grant). Suggested donation $15 at the door. For more information call (415) 397-0113.”

Dec. 16 – 24: Simbang Gabi, a spiritual preparation for Christmas at 6 a.m. at St. Stephen Church, 601 Eucalyptus Drive in San Francisco. Breakfast follows. Contact Nellie Hizon at (415) 699-7927.

Sponsored by St. Stephen, St. Cecilia, St. Emydius, St. Finn Barr and St. Gabriel parishes.

Sundays: Gregorian Chant at the National Shrine of Saint Francis at 12:15 p.m. Mass. Visitors and locals alike are welcome to come and worship at this intimate historical treasure in the heart of North Beach 610 Vallejo Street at Columbus Avenue. For more information, please telephone (415) 983-0405.

1st and 3rd Tues.: Noontime Concerts – 12:30 p.m.

- at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, 660 California St. at Dec. 13: Monthly Breakfast of Catholic and Professional Business Club at Capurro’s Resturant, 498 Jefferson Street at Hyde, San Francisco at 7 a.m. John McGuckin, Jr., an executive officer with the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, will speak on Christians in the Holy Land: An Endangered Species. Tickets $20 members/$27 non-members. Annual membership is $45. Call (415_ 614-5579 or visit www.cpbc.-sf.org

December 1, 2006 of the month are commemorated with rosary and Mass at selected churches throughout the Archdiocese usually beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, contact John Murphy at exmorte@aol.com.

Dec. 1: First Friday Mass at St. Veronica Church in South San Francisco, at 7:30 PM. Rosary at 7:00 PM.

Datebook

Prayer/Lectures/Trainings Dec. 2: 1st Saturday Mass at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma in All Saints Mausoleum at 11 a.m. Call (650) 756-2060.

Consolation Ministry

Dec.10, 12, 14: Choir featuring voices of priests serving in the Archdiocese of San Francisco perform songs of the season Dec. 10 at St. Andrew Church, 1271 Southgate Ave. in Daly City, (650) 756-3223; Dec. 12th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 60 Wellington Ave., Daly city, (650) 755-9786; and Dec, 14 at St. Anne of the Sunset Church, 850 Judah St. at Funston in San Francisco, (415) 665-1600, ext. 22. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. Free will offerings will benefit Priests’ Retirement Fund. Father Arnold Zamora, former member of the renowned University of the Philippines’ Madrigal Singers and now parochial vicar at Star of the Sea Church, directs. For more information, call Father Ray Reyes at (415) 412-1358.

Grant, SF. $5 donation requested. Call (415) 288-3800.

Sundays: Concerts at 3:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough and Geary Blvd. in San Francisco. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213. Open to the public. Admission free. Dec. 10: Organist, Vytenis vasyliunas; Dec. 17: Organist, Mark Bruce; Dec. 24: Organist, Christoph Tietze with music of the season.

Come pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Scriptural Rosary, and special intentions before the Blessed Sacrament at the beautiful Monastery of Perpetual Adoration. Saturdays 10:00 to 11:15 am, 771 Ashbury Street at Waller in San Francisco. Some parking available adjacent to the monastery.

Contact Steve at (415) 290-5598.

Interested in St. Vincent de Paul? Tour our facilities in San Francisco, where we serve 1000 of the city’s most needy every day. Tours are scheduled the first Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. and second Saturday at 11 a.m. every month. Phone (415) 927-1270 x3003 to reserve a spot.

Do you have a few hours each week to spare? St. Anthony Foundation can use your help. For more than 55 years, St. Anthony Foundation has worked to provide for the physical and emotional needs of the poor and homeless. A staple of its12 programs is the support of more than 500 volunteers. If you are interested in sharing the gift of time with St. Anthony Foundation in its free Dining Room or other programs, please call (415) 241- 2600 for more information. Weekday volunteers are especially needed – www.stanthonysf.org.

Taize Prayer 3rd Wed. at 7:30 p.m.: Sisters of Notre Dame Province Center, 1520 Ralston Ave, Belmont. Call (650) 593-2045 ext. 277 or visit www.SistersofNotreDameCa.org.

1st Fri. at 8 p.m.: Mercy Center, 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame with Mercy Sister Suzanne Toolan. Call (650) 340-7452; Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park at 7:30 p.m. Call Deacon Dominic Peloso at (650) 322-3013.

Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.: Notre Dame Des

Business Card Directory For Advertising Information Please Call 415-614-5642

Real Estate Sales RICHARD J. HUNT, G.R.I.

Victoires Church, 566 Bush at Stockton, SF, with Rob Grant. Call (415) 397-0113.

2nd Fri. at 8 p.m.: Our Lady of the Pillar, 400 Church St. in Half Moon Bay. Call Cheryl Fuller at (650) 726-2249.

Dec. 15 at 8 p.m.: St. Joseph’sBasilica, 1109 Chestnut Street, Alameda. Forfurther information, you may call Gail Crichton (510) 337-1722.

Food & Fun Dec. 2, 3: St. Pius Women’s Club Holiday Boutique Sat. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Gifts for the family, home with entertainment, food and Santa on Sat. from 2 – 3 p.m. Call (650) 364-5204.

Dec. 2, 3: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, a holiday boutique benefiting St. Brendan Elementary School, Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in parish hall, Laguna Honda Blvd. at Ulloa St. in San Francisco.

Raffles, food court and great gifts. Call (415) 731-2665.

Dec. 3: Open House and Craft Bazaar benefiting Hanna Boys Center, committed helping at-risk youth since 1949. All takes place on campus at 17000 Arnold Drive in Sonoma from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Call (707) 933-2504.

Dec. 5: St. Stephen Women’s Guild invites you to its Christmas boutique where you can purchase unique holiday gifts hand-crafted by artists within the St. Stephen community in Donworth Hall from 2:30-8:30 p.m. Shop for one-of-a-kind items including jewelry, hand-knit items, paintings, original photographs and artwork, and much more. Participating artists will donate 15% of their sales back to the school. Refreshments are available and admission is free. For more info, contact Laura Parnell (415/587-8756 or laurasparnell @aol.com) or Deirdre Kelly (415/664-8439).

Catholic Charismatic Renewal The Catholic Charismatic Renewal plans events throughout the year. Information about the group’s activities can usually be found here in Datebook and always at their Web site www.sfspirit.com. First Fridays

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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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Programs for Catholics interested in returning to the Church, have been established at the following parishes: Marin County: St. Hilary, Tiburon, Mary Musalo, (415) 435-2775; St. Anselm, Ross, call (415) 4532342; St. Sebastian, Greenbrae, Jean Mariani at (415) 461-7060; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Mill Valley, Rick Dullea at (415) 388-4190; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Sausalito, Lloyd Dulbecco at (415) 331-7949.

San Francisco: Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, Michael Adams at (415) 695-2707; St. Philip the Apostle. Call (415) 282-0141; St. Dominic, Lee Gallery at (415) 221-1288; Holy Name of Jesus, (415) 664-8590.

San Mateo County: San Mateo - St. Bartholomew, Dan Stensen at (650) 344-5665; St. Matthew, Deacon Jim Shea at (650) 344-7622. Burlingame - St. Catherine of Siena, Silvia Chiesa at (650) 685-8336; Our Lady of Angels, Holy Names Sister Pat Hunter at (650) 3758023. Millbrae - St. Dunstan, Dianne Johnston at (650) 697-0952. Pacifica - St. Peter, Sylvia Miles at (650) 3556650, Jerry Trecroci at (650) 355-1799, Frank Erbacher at (650) 355-4355. Half Moon Bay - Our Lady of the Pillar, Meghan at (650) 726-4337.

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Grief Groups meet at the following parishes.

Please call numbers shown for more information.

San Mateo County: St. Catherine of Sienna, Burlingame. Call Debbie Simmons at 650-558-1015; St. Dunstan, Millbrae. Call Barbara Cappel at 650-6927543;. Good Shepherd, Pacifica. Call Sister Carol Fleitz at 650-355-2593; Our Lady of Mercy, Daly City. Call Barbara Cantwell at 650-755-0478; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Redwood City. Call Parish at 650-366-3802; St. Robert, San Bruno. Call Sister Patricia at 650-589-2800.

Marin County: St. Anselm, San Anselmo. Call Brenda MacLean at 415-454-7650; St. Isabella, San Rafael. Call Pat Sack at 415-472-5732; Our Lady of Loretto, Novato. Call Sister Jeanette at 415-897-2171.

San Francisco: St. Dominic. Call Sister Anne at 415-567-7824; St. Finn Barr (Bilingual). Call Carmen Solis at 415-584-0823; St. Gabriel. Call Elaine Khalaf at 415-564-7882.

Young Widow/Widower Group: St. Gregory, San Mateo. Call Barbara Elordi at 415-614-5506.

Ministry to Parents: Our Lady of Angels, Burlingame. Call Ina Potter at (650) 347-6971 or Barbara Arena at (650) 344-3579.

Children’s Grief Group: St. Catherine, Burlingame. Call Debbie Simmons at 650-558-1015.

Information regarding grief ministry in general call Barbara Elordi at 415-614-5506.

P.O. Box 690 ● Daly City, CA 94017 Tel: (650) 994-7000 ● Fax: (650) 994-7001

Serving the needs of the San Francisco Archdiocese Since 1969

650-588-3893

December 1, 2006

Catholic San Francisco

17

(CNS PHOTO/NEW LINE)

Vatican officials praise ‘The Nativity Story’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Vatican officials have given the latest Hollywood re-enactment of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth a thumbs up after hosting the film’s world premiere Nov. 26.

Praise for “The Nativity Story,” due out in U.S. theaters Dec. 1, came from the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano; the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone; and the head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley.

“It’s well done,” Cardinal Bertone told journalists after seeing the film in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall together with more than 7,000 other invited guests. Pope Benedict XVI, who was due to fly to Turkey less than 40 hours later, did not attend the evening event.

“It retells this event which changed history with realism but also with a sense of great respect of the mystery of the Nativity,” said Cardinal Bertone, adding that he found it to be “a good cinematic” feature.

In his opening remarks before the nearly full audience Vacation Rental Condo in South Lake Tahoe.

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hall, Archbishop Foley said it was “nice to be able to have something religious for Christmas.”

The film, which revives the true meaning of the season, comes at a time when “people are afraid of saying ‘Merry Christmas’” and makes people “proud to say ‘Merry Christmas,’” he said.

The archbishop told Catholic News Service he found the film to be “very moving” and thought “the part of Joseph was sensitively scripted and played.”

Cardinal Bertone also praised the way the scriptwriter, Mike Rich, crafted “very beautiful dialogue” between the characters, especially in fleshing out Joseph and Mary’s relationship and how “they together accepted the mystery of God’s plan for them.”

“In particular, Joseph is the example of how an honest and righteous man, who undergoes a humanly upsetting experience” — finding out his betrothed is pregnant — can still “abandon himself completely to God’s plan.”

L’Osservatore Romano called the feature film “graceful and unpretentious,” praising it for being a light, happy and imaginative retelling of the story of Joseph, Mary and Christ’s birth.

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Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Name Adress Phone MC/VISA # Exp.

Holy Spirit, you who make me see everything and who shows me the way to reach my ideal.

You who give me the divine gift of forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank you for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. Amen. You may publish this as soon as your favor is granted. S.M.S.

Select One Prayer: ❑ St. Jude Novena to SH ❑ Prayer to St. Jude

CALL 415-485-4090

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

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

SERVICE DIRECTORY For Advertising Information Call 415-614-5642 E-mail: penaj@sfarchdiocese.org

REAL ESTATE

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Gydesen Const., Inc. General Contractor ● ●

MICHAEL A. GYDESEN

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

(650) 355-8858

Call (650) 757-1946 Cell (415) 517-5977

Featuring Pressure Washing ● Repairs ● Safety Grab Bars ● Lic. # 778332

SPECIALIZING IN SAN MATEO COUNTY REAL ESTATE If I can be of service to you, or if you know of anyone who is interested in buying or selling a home, please do not hesitate to call me . . .

Today

PARTY RENTALS FINE SERVICE, BETTER EVENTS.

SM

SPIRITUAL HEALING

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

• Relationships • Addictions

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

TABLES SEATING LINENS SETTINGS SERVEWARE STAGING

ABBEY party rents sf

1- 800-717-PARTY 411 ALLAN STREET DALY CITY, CA 94014 FAX 415-715-6914 TEL 415-715-6900

WWW.ABBEYRENTSSF.COM

GARAGE DOOR REPAIR Discount

Garage Door

Repair Lic #376353

Broken Spring/Cable?

Operator Problems?

Lifetime Warranty All New Doors/Motors

One Price 24 /7

415-931-1540 0% Financing Available

ART AND FRAMING WESTLAKE ART & FRAMING CENTER 23 years in Westlake Center

Jesuit Volunteer Corps: Southwest seeks a dynamic, creative Program Coordinator to manage the programmatic aspects of JVC:SW as related to 80 full-time young adult volunteers each year. The Program Coordinator oversees the formation of the volunteers in a faith that does justice; planning and implementation of retreat program and field support; recruiting, screening and placement of volunteers; placement development; and supervision of four Area Directors. Must be available to travel and have supervisory experience, strong foundation in Roman Catholic faith, and understanding of Ignatian spirituality and Catholic Social Teaching.

Master’s degree or equiv. in theology, ministry or related field required. Salary range $37-43K + benefits. Send resume and cover letter to Yvonne Prowse, Executive Director, JVC: Southwest, P.O. Box 40039, San Francisco CA 94140 or yvonnerp@JesuitVolunteers.org.

Job summary available by email or (415) 522-1599.

HANDY MAN

ONE STOP MAINTENANCE AND HANDYMAN ●

CALL MITCH AT (650) 557-9106 ● Cell (650) 784-6544 LIC.

Confidential • Compassionate • Practical (415) 921-1619 1537 Franklin Street • San Francisco, CA 94109

Do you want to be more fulfilled in love and work – but find things keep getting in the way?

Unhealed wounds can hold you back - even if they are not the “logical” cause of your problems today. You can be the person God intended.

Inner Child Healing Offers a deep spiritual and psychological approach to counseling: ❖ 30 years experience with individuals, couples and groups ❖ Directed, effective and results-oriented ❖ Compassionate and Intuitive ❖ Supports 12-step ❖ Enneagram Personality Transformation

Lila Caffery, MA, CCHT San Francisco: 415.337.9474 Belmont: 650.888.2873 Complimentary phone consultation www.InnerChildHealing.com

John Holtz Ca. Lic 391053 General Contractor Since 1980

(650) 355-4926

CASH FOR CARS & TRUCKS AS IS – NO SMOG OK FRIENDLY & HASSLE FREE We Come to You! CALL VIC TODAY 415-759-7782

PLUMBING

HOLLAND Plumbing Works San Francisco ALL PLUMBING WORK PAT HOLLAND BONDED & INSURED

415-205-1235 Plumbing • Fire Protection • Certified Backflow

Need A Change?

John Bianchi Phone: 415.468.1877 Fax: 415.468.1875

You Change Your Ad As Often As You Like! Your Message Mailed To 85,000 Households

100 North Hill Drive, Unit 18 • Brisbane, CA 94005 Lic. No. 390254

PLEASE CALL

Expert Plumbing Repairs ●

General Repairs Clean Drains & Sewers Water Heaters ●

●

SANTI PLUMBING & HEATING

650-244-9255 Spells Wally 650-740-7505 Cell Phone

LOVING CARE HOME ASSISTANCE

Auto Broker

P.O. Box 214 San Bruno, CA 94066

SELL YOUR CAR TODAY!

CA LIC #817607

Home Care

St. Robert’s Parish San Bruno

AUTOS WANTED

Contractor inspection reports and pre-purchase consulting

Wally Mooney

38A PARK PLAZA, DALY CITY 94015 650-992-7219

Phone (415) 724-5645 Fax (415) 952-4272

FERGUS

•Interiors •Exteriors •Kitchens •Baths

AUTO SALES

All Mfg. Warranty: Rebates and Special Dealer Finacing goes to Registered Owner/s

Calif. Lic. No 549434

Painting & Remodeling

415-614-5642

Best picture framing prices as surveyed by Bay Area Consumers’ Checkbook Magazine (27 stores)

NEEDHAM ELECTRIC, INC

Contractors State License Board 800-321-2752

Painting & Remodeling

# 687359

ELECTRIC

NOTICE TO READERS Licensed contractors are required by law to list their license numbers in advertisments.

The law also state that contractors performing work totaling $500 or more must be statelicensed. Advertisments appearing in this newspaper without a license number indicate that the contractor is not licensed.

For more information, contact:

Tile ● Painting ● Carpet Bathrooms ● Kitchens ● Electrical ● Plumbing ● Fences ● Decks

●

NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR

* Parishioner of St. Gregory’s Church, San Mateo

MIKE TEIJEIRO Realtor (650) 523-5815 m.teijeiro@remax.net

Handyman

Program Coordinator

We provide live-in & hrly home assistance.

Ph: 650.834.4307

Lovingcarehomeassistance.com

FAMILY OWNED

415-661-3707

Lic. # 663641

24 HR

BEST PLUMBING, INC. Your Payless Plumbing

Lic. # 872560

➤ Drain-Sewer Cleaning Service ➤ Water Heaters ➤ Gas Pipes ➤ Toilets ➤ Faucets ➤ Garbage Disposals ➤ Copper Repiping ➤ Sewer Replacement ➤ Video Camera & Line locate PROMPT AND UNPARALLELED SERVICE

(650) 557-1263 EMAIL:

bestplumbinginc@comcast.net Member: Better Business Bureau

December 1, 2006

H E L P W A N T E D Piano Lessons PIANO LESSONS BY

CAROL FERRANDO. Conservatory training, masters degree, all levels of students.

CALL (415) 921-8337.

Voice / Piano Lessons Voice/piano lessons by former university professor.

(415) 587-8165

Caregiver F/t; P/t; On-call; 24 hr. live in. Affordable caregiver with A+ ref. 10+ yrs.

Exp. Duty Included. Lt. Housekeeping; bathing; hygiene; monitoring of meds; meal prep; personal errands. Specializing in all aspects of in-home care and support.

Call Esther: (510) 372-7237.

Construction M & J Construction Commercial/Residential Licensed; bonded; insured.

New Construction/Remodeling.

All types concrete;driveway; patio; sidewalks; walkways; brick work; retaining/rock walls; flagstone; asphalt; footing; foundation; decking; roofing; all types of landscaping; new lawn; waterfalls; sprinkler systems; hauling; fences; tree service. Free estimate.

Reasonable price.

Call: (510) 672-6265 LIC #850644

RNs and LVNs: we want you.

Provide nursing care for children in San Francisco schools.

Full or part time.

Generous benefit package.

Send your resume to: Email: Fax: Mail:

Jeannie McCullough Stiles, RN, PHN RNTiburon@msn.com 415-435-0421 Special Needs Nursing, Inc. 98 Main Street #427 Tiburon, CA 94920

Special Needs Nursing, Inc.

Special Needs Companion Services We are looking for you.

• Honest • Generous • Compassionate • Make a Difference • Respectful

Work Full or Part-time in San Francisco – Marin County • Provide non medical elder care in the home • Generous benefit package Fax your resume to: Jeannie McCullough Stiles, RN 415-435-0421 Send your resume: Jeannie McCullough Stiles, RN Special Needs Nursing, Inc. 98 Main Street, #427 Tiburon, Ca 94920

DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT ST. IGNATIUS CHURCH ● SAN FRANCISCO, CA St. Ignatius Church is a Catholic parish with over 1,500 members, located on the University of San Francisco campus. Under the direction of the Pastor, the Director of Stewardship & Development is responsible for managing the parish’s stewardship program and fund raising efforts for the parish. Primary responsibilities include managing the Annual Commitment Campaign, Archbishop’s Annual Appeal Campaign, and overseeing donor relations and gift tracking. The director also works closely with the Stewardship Committee to encourage parish members’ active participation in the life of the parish.

Qualified candidates will have excellent writing and communication skills, strong organizational skills, and be able to work collaboratively with the Pastor, staff, and volunteers. Candidate must be well versed in computers – including database management (FileMakerPro), desktop publishing (InDesign), and word processing (Microsoft Word).

This is a 30-hour per week position with a generous benefit package.

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

A complete position description can be found on the parish website at www.stignatiussf.org. To apply for this position, please mail resume and cover letter to: Stewardship & Development Director Search ● St. Ignatius Church ● 650 Parker Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118.

Resumes must be received by December 15, 2006.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

IMMEDIATE JOB OPENING EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT The Sisters of Mercy Burlingame Regional Community needs a parttime, non-benefited Executive Assistant with regularly scheduled work on Thursday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with possibility of extra hours on other days. S/he reports to the President and works with the members of the leadership team. AA degree or equivalent certification from technical school in office or business management required.

Bachelor’s degree preferred. Minimum of 5 yrs administrative assistant experience with at least 3 yrs of executive experience reporting to senior executive preferred. Must be able to demonstrate a commitment to the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy. Must possess the following abilities/qualities: ability to make day to day decisions in absence of Leadership Team; strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with many people with different work styles; ability to maintain confidentiality of employee and Sisters of Mercy records and information; excellent problem-solving/organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously; ability to work independently and be part of a team; ability to draft and edit written material; excellent written (correct grammar, punctuation, spelling) and oral communications skills, and computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Interested and qualified applicants may send their resumes to:

Sisters of Mercy, Attn: HR Department 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010 Email: cricafrente@mercyburl.org or fax (650) 373-4509

Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in

Catholic San Francisco

Catholic San Francisco

19

ADVERTISING SALES For The Largest Publisher of Catholic Church Bulletins

This is a Career Opportunity!

• Generous Commissions • Minimal Travel • Excellent Benefit Package • Stong Office Support • Work in Your Community. E.O.E.

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

IMMEDIATE JOB OPENING ASSISTANTS TO THE CAMPUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - NIGHTS The Sisters of Mercy, Burlingame Regional Community has created two new night shift positions reporting directly to the Campus Executive Director: a full time benefited position for Monday to Friday and the other a part-time, non-benefited position working for 16 hours on Saturday and Sunday but with occasional additional hours as needed. The work schedule for both positions is 9:45 p.m. to 6:15 a.m. The persons shall serve as the centralized communications, safety and security, and hospitality coordinator for the campus during the night hours. High School diploma required, some college and/or technical training preferred. Minimum of 2 yrs. experience in a campus or multi-building environment. Duties include guest relations, giving orientation, providing support to Sisters and guests, research work and projects, overseeing the night security guards, answering phones and responsible for phone and other office equipment, campus emergency coordinator during the evening hours.

Must be able to demonstrate a commitment to the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy. Must possess the following abilities/qualities: good independent judgment; strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with many people with different work styles; work with evolving systems and structures; excellent problemsolving/organizational skills; manage multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously; be a good team player; draft and edit written material; excellent written (correct grammar, punctuation, spelling) and oral communications skills, and computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications plus night shift differential. Interested and qualified applicants may send their resumes to:

Sisters of Mercy, Attn: HR Department 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010 Email: cricafrente@mercyburl.org or fax (650) 373-4509

ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Looking to make a difference? We, the Catholic Church of San Francisco, pledge ourselves to be a dynamic and collaborative community of faith known for its quality of leadership; richness of diversity of culture and peoples; and united in faith, hope and love.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco is seeking a qualified Assistant Superintendent for Planning and Finance for the Department of Catholic Schools. This is a regular, full-time exempt position. Competitive compensation with a very substantial benefits package including employer-funded Pension Plan, 403(b) and Flexible Spending Account, generous holiday schedule and free, gated parking.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION: To offer support and professional consultation to parishes/schools, Archdiocesan high schools, Department of Catholic chools, and to other Archdiocesan organizations on financial development for schools, formal long-range planning, and fiscal management.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: (For complete details, see the full description at: http://www.sfcatholicschools.org ) 1) Develops resources and provides technical assistance to parish elementary schools and Archdiocesan high schools regarding financial management: 2) Organizes and maintains Archdiocesan tuition assistance programs: Elementary Family Grants Program, Catholic High School Scholarship Program and Special Inner City Scholarship Program.

3) Represents the Roman Catholic Welfare Corporation in all matters concerning the Archdiocesan Federation of Teachers, Local 2240 (Archdiocesan high school teachers’ union).

4) Collaborates with the Archdiocesan Office of Stewardship and Development to establish a development program for the benefit of elementary and high schools.

QUALIFICATIONS: CPA certification and 10 years of financial experience in educational environment preferred Bachelors Degree required; Accounting or Business Major - preferred Personable with ability to coach and mentor Principals in areas of budget and finance A Catholic in good standing

PLEASE SUBMIT RESUME AND COVER LETTER: Attn: Maureen Huntington, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Archdiocese of San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way , San Francisco, CA 94109-6602 E-mail: huntingtonm@sfarchdiocese.org

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Catholic San Francisco

December 1, 2006