Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
“Survivors often believe that it’s their fault, that it’s something they did.”
Domestic violence New lay effort seeks to provide help at parishes By Michael Vick
T
he Ministers of Light, an emerging group organized by lay Catholics in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, aims to shine a torch in a very dark place – the lives of those suffering from the effects of domestic violence.
The group looks to fill a gap in the pastoral care available for fellow survivors and to raise awareness of domestic violence in local parishes, Marisela Sookraj, founder of the group and a survivor of domestic violence, told Catholic San Francisco. Sookraj said that while faith communities are often the first place a survivor will turn to when looking for services
and counseling, many churches are ill equipped to handle the situation. Her goal is to train and install lay ministers to serve as in-house resources and advocates for survivors of domestic violence in each of the archdiocese’s 89 parishes. Lay ministers will receive eight to 12 hours of training over a two-day period, Sookraj said. Areas covered will DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, page 6
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI has named Auxiliary Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Diego to head the Diocese of Oakland, which encompasses Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The appointment was announced in Washington March 23 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Cordileone, 52, succeeds Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, who had led the Oakland Diocese since 2003 until his appointment as Detroit archbishop in January. Bishop Cordileone will be installed May 5 at Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light. He was named auxiliary bishop of San Diego in July 5, 2002, after having served as an official of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature in Rome since 1995. As a bishop he has served on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance and on the USCCB’s Task Force on Cultural Diversity. James A Donahue, president and professor of eth-
ics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, described the newly appointed Oakland bishop as a theological traditionalist with a pastoral reputation for embracing diversity in the Catholic community. That combination should serve him well in his new assignment in a highly varied diocese, Donahue said. “My sense is he’s a traditional theologian but within that there’s a lot of room for inclusion,” Donahue said. “He’s in the mainstream in the universal Church but my sense is he’s going to make use of the rich resources of the Catholic social tradition.” The Diocese of Oakland’s new bishop was born in San Diego in 1956. Following elementary and secondary school, he began his formation for the priesthood in San Diego at St. Francis Seminary and then went to Rome to study at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest for the San Diego Diocese July 9, 1982. After ordination he was associate pastor DIOCESE OF OAKLAND, page 3
(CNS PHOTO/GREG TARCZYNSKI)
Pope names new bishop for Diocese of Oakland
Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone speaks to media at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland March 23.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Archbishop’s journal . . . . . . . 5 Seminary leadership . . . . . . . 7 Health guide . . . . . . . . . . 9-12 End of life issues. . . . . . . . . 10 Letters, columnists . . . . . . . 15
Pope Benedict’s visit to Africa ~ Page 3 ~ March 27, 2009
Scripture readings and reflection ~ Page 13 ~
‘Timely, sophisticated romantic caper’ ~ Page 16 ~
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Datebook of events . . . . . . . 17 Find it here . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 11
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No. 12