August 8, 2008 by Catholic San Francisco

Catholic san Francisco Serving San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula

SF resolution criticized as hostile, unconstitutional

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By Rick DelVecchio

Pope sends best wishes to Olympics Michael Phelps of the U.S. swims during practice at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing Aug. 4. Pope Benedict sent best wishes to China and international athletes for a successful Olympic Games which officially opened Aug. 8 in Beijing. Shannon Rowbury, a graduate of San Francisco’s Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, is scheduled to compete in the Olympics 1500-meter women’s track competition beginning Aug. 19.

A San Francisco Board of Supervisors resolution harshly critical of official Catholic teaching on adoption by same-sex couples crosses the constitutional line between church and state and should be thrown out as unlawful, an attorney for the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights has argued before a federal appeals court panel. The resolution, adopted March 21, 2006 by an 11-to-0 vote of the city and county governing body, not only condemns Catholic beliefs but urges Church subordinates to defy Vatican authority, attorney Robert Muise said during the July 16 hearing in San Francisco. “It’s remarkable,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Letting the resolution stand “would establish a double standard that has no place in our history,” Muise told a threejudge Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel that is weighing the Catholic League’s appeal of a lower court ruling upholding the resolution. One of the judges, Marsha S. Berzon, posed questions similar to those raised by Muise during the hearing and in court papers. “This is clearly calling Catholic teaching ignorant,” she said. “It seems gratuitous for one thing, and it seems to have no stopping point.” Berzon called the resolution “quite extraordinary.” “It has two features: one is a direct attack on the doctrine and another is

a direct attack on the hierarchy of the Church,” she said. Deputy City Attorney Vince Cchabria defended the measure, saying the court should view it in a San Francisco context. “The purpose is not to condemn the Catholic religion but to condemn the discrimination against gays and lesbians,” he said, adding that the tone of the resolution should not be an issue in deciding its constitutionality under the Establishment Clause. The resolution was directed at Cardinal William Levada in his capacity as head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It demanded that he “withdraw his discriminatory and defamatory directive that Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco stop placing children in need of adoption with homosexual households.” The resolution goes on to label the Vatican as a “foreign country” meddling in what it calls the city’s customs and traditions on same-sex couples’ right to adopt and care for children. It demanded that Archbishop George Niederauer and Catholic Charities “defy all discriminatory directives of Cardinal Levada.” It closes by stating that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was “formerly known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition.” A second member of the three-judge panel also aimed questions at the resolution, noting that it appears to go beyond making a point about adoption by sameSF RESOLUTION, page S8

No on Prop 8 campaign donations surpass Yes on 8 By Rick DelVecchio Mega-donations from rich donors in California and a handful of other states have ballooned the campaign fund for the effort to stop Proposition 8, with more than $3 million pledged since July. No on 8 consultant Steve Smith predicted in a press statement that the campaign will “more than match” the $10 million to $15 million that the Yes on 8 effort intends to raise. The No on 8 campaign also claimed the support of labor unions, PG&E and small individual donors from California and other states. Contributions to No on 8 were on average larger than those in support of the marriage amendment,

and a larger share of the total came from donors outside California, an analysis of campaign finance records up to June 30 shows. An Aug. 2 dinner in Beverly Hills sponsored by Equality California raised more than $1 million for No on 8, much of it from businesses and unions, the San Francisco-based organization reported. The previous week, the Washington, D.C.based Human Rights Campaign gave more than $1 million to the No on 8 effort after a fundraising dinner in San Francisco. “This is what we can expect,” said Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage California, a supporter of the Protect Marriage coalition sponsoring Prop 8.

“Everything is going to be coming from all around the country into the fight.” Yes on 8 spokeswoman Jennifer Kerns did not respond to requests for comment. The surge in funding to fight Prop 8 comes at a time when the Catholic bishops of California are strongly encouraging Catholics to support the measure financially and through volunteer work. (See statement, page 3.) The Yes on 8 campaign maintains that it is in a strong position to win in November, noting that the latest Field Poll showed a gain in support and a drop in opposition to the measure. Prop 8 asks voters to overturn the California Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 deci-

sion in May giving same-sex couples the right to designate their unions as marriage. Supporters maintain that a majority of Californians opposes such a right and that the public will should prevail over a judicial interpretation. The court struck down Proposition 22, which 61 percent of California voters passed in 2000. The latest supporters of the No on 8 effort include Word Perfect software inventor Bruce Bastian of Orem, Utah, who has pledged $1 million. Cleveland businessman David Maltz made two contributions in July totaling $750,000, and Beverly Hills tech mogul David Bohnett made three totaling $700,000. NO ON PROP 8, page 3

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Fair trade encouraged . . . . . . 7 World Youth Day . . . . . . . 8-9 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

New play memorializes Star of the Sea Academy ~ Page 16 ~ August 8, 2008

Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

~ Senior Living ~ Special section inside

Notre Dame, Mercy Sisters mark jubilees Classified ads . . . . . . . . 18-19 ~ Pages 13 & S11 ~ NEXT ISSUE AUGUST 22

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS

VOLUME 10

•

No. 23

Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

On The

Priscilla Denterlein with her dad Tom, aunt Geri Denterlein, and brother Tim, at her May 17 graduation from the Jesuit’s Fordham University in New York. Her proud mom, Arti, is taking the photo just a few steps away.

Where You Live by Tom Burke

Gloria De Leon was one of many parishioners of Our Lady of Loretto in Novato congratulating Father Jess Labor on his 25th anniversary as a priest in June. Rites included a Mass of Thanksgiving with pastor, Father William McCain, and parochial vicar, Father William Nicholas, concelebrating. The friends and supporters also bid adieu to the priest who is now a parochial vicar at St. Gregory Parish in San Mateo.

Nice way to start the day with a happy birthday to Msgr. Edgar McCarren, 90 years old July 29. Msgr. McCarren, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Center in New York, has been living in retirement since 2003 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in East Palo Alto where Father Larry Goode is pastor….Out of breath from qualifying as well as the excitement of being in the running for an on-site fitness center valued at $100,000 in the Governor’s Challenge Competition is Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School in Belmont. “The entire student body is ecstatic,” said principal, Sandra Larragoiti, noting that everyone including faculty took part in the contest. Heading up the regimen was Greg Carbullido. “The reason I promoted the Governor’s Challenge was to engage all of our students to become fit and active,” Greg said. “We have many children who par-

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ticipate in sports at the school but what about the rest of of St. Robert Parish in San Bruno on their 50th wedthem?” Contest rules included having students active 30 to ding anniversary. Msgr. Edward McTaggart, now60 minutes a day, three days a week, for a month. “With retired pastor of St. Brendan Parish in San Francisco and Pat’s cousin, presided the grand prize we would at the couple’s wedding like to start an after-school a half-a-century ago…. program called Cougar Celebrating 60 years of Fitness Academy,” Greg marriage and also with said. Greg and his wife, our congrats are Sophie Mary, are the proud parand Ed O’Connor. The ents of IHM third grader, couple took their vows at Brendon, and first grader, Church of the Epiphany Ryan. IHM is one of in San Francisco and are nine schools from the today parishioners of St. Bay Area region and 75 Bartholomew Parish in schools statewide that San Mateo. “A celebration have made it to the finals. was held at a garden party Winners will be announced in Hillsborough attended in mid-September…. by our four children and Congratulations to Dina and Benny Menconi who Enjoying a night out for a good cause were Jesuit Father their spouses, seven grandrecently celebrated their Stephen Privett, president, University of San Francisco, children and one great 50th wedding anniversary and Sandra and Paul Otellini, longtime benefactors of grandson plus family and and renewed their vows at USF and parishioners of St. Ignatius Parish on the USF friends,” Sophie said…. This is an empty space Immaculate Conception campus. Paul’s brother is Msgr. Steven Otellini, pasChapel in San Francisco tor of Church of the Nativity Parish in Menlo Park. The without you. Send items and pictures via e-mail with beloved Franciscan evening honored Lynn C. Fritz with the USF award for to burket@sfarchdiocese. and friend of the couple, Father William Lauriola, Service and the Common Good with proceeds benefiting org. Mailed items should the school’s scholarship and academic programs. be sent to “Street,” One presiding. “I was baptized Peter Yorke Way, SF at Immaculate Conception,” Dina told me. Dina and Benny were married at St. Paul’s 94109. Pix should be hard copy or electronic jpeg at 300 in Noe Valley and have lived in Epiphany Parish for 49 dpi. Don’t forget to include a follow-up phone number. years…. Congratulations to Judy and Patrick Bowler Call me at (415) 614-5634 and I’ll walk you through it.

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August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

Statement of the Catholic Bishops of California in support of Proposition 8: A constitutional amendment to restore the definition of marriage (The following statement was released to Catholic media outlets July 29 by the California Catholic Conference in Sacramento.) “Only the rock of complete and irrevocable love between man and woman is capable of acting as a foundation for a society that can be home to all human beings.” — Pope Benedict XVI, addressing the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, May 11, 2006 The issue before us with Proposition 8 is “marriage”— an ancient, yet modern, human institution which pre-exists both Church and government. Marriage, history shows us, is intrinsic to stable, flourishing and hospitable societies. Although cultural differences have occurred, what has never changed is that marriage is the ideal relationship between a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and the continuation of the human race. On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the current law defining marriage as between a man and a woman is unconstitutional. This radical change in public policy will have many profound effects on our society, because it • Discounts the biological and organic reality of marriage—and how deeply embedded it is in our culture, our language and our laws and ignores the common understanding of the word marriage; and because it • Diminishes the word “marriage” to mean only a “partnership”—a purely adult contractual arrangement for individuals over the age of 18. Children—if there are any—are no longer a primary societal

Prop 8 title reworded; sponsors sue A rewording of Proposition 8 by California Attorney General Jerry Brown has prompted a lawsuit by supporters of the measure and a pledge to defend the change in court by opponents. The original language by the measure’s sponsors read: “Amends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The new ballot title reads: “Proposition 8: Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry. Initiative constitutional amendment.” The summary reads: “Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The measure also includes a fiscal impact statement, which states: “Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact to state and local governments.” The changes in the title and summary are “inherently argumentative” and could tilt NEW TITLE, page S8

rationale for the institution. As teachers of the faith, we invite our faithful Catholics to carefully form their consciences. We do that by drawing on the revelation of Scripture, the wisdom of Tradition, the experience and insights of holy men and women as well as on what can be known by reason alone. Crystallizing the teaching on marriage, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1603, 1604) proclaims: God himself is the author of marriage. The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures and spiritual attitudes. The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life. With all this in mind, we, as bishops, offer counsel to our Catholic people in California in their response to this radical change in California’s public policy regarding marriage. First, same-sex unions are not the same as opposite-sex unions. The marriage of a man and a woman embraces not only their sexual complementarity as designed by nature but includes their ability to procreate. The ideal for the well being of children is to be born into a traditional marriage and to be raised by both a mother and a father. We recognize that there are parents who are single and we laud them for the great sacrifices they make in raising their children.

No on Prop 8 . . . ■ Continued from cover Contributions to committees that oppose the amendment seeking to ban same-sex marriage as unconstitutional have come from nine states and the District of Columbia. The No on 8 campaign has committees raising money in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Top contributors to the Yes on 8 campaign include two evangelical Christian organizations from outside California: the American Family

Second, we need to recall that marriage mirrors God’s relationship with us—and that marriage completes, enriches and perpetuates humanity. When men and women consummate their marriage, they offer themselves to God as co-creators of a new human being. Any other pairing— while possibly offering security and companionship to the individuals involved—is not marriage. We must support traditional marriage as the source of our civilization, the foundation for a society that can be home to all human beings, and the reflection of our relationship with God. Third, we need to remember that we are all children of God possessed of human dignity and that each of us is created in God’s image. Protecting the traditional understanding of marriage should not in any way disparage our brothers and sisters—even if they disagree with us. Fourth, we must pray and work for a just resolution of this issue which is so important to the well being of the human family. Fifth, as citizens of California, we need to avail ourselves of the opportunity to overturn this ruling by the California Supreme Court. On the November general election ballot, there will be Proposition 8 which reads: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” That language simply affirms the historic, logical and reasonable definition of marriage—and does not remove any benefits from other contractual arrangements. And finally, we strongly encourage Catholics to provide both the financial support and the volunteer efforts needed for the passage of Proposition 8. And—please exercise your citizenship and vote in November.

Association of Tupelo, Miss. ($500,000) and Focus on the Family of Colorado Springs (more than $400,000). Previously the national and state organizations of the Knights of Columbus contributed $275,000 to help the campaign gather enough names to qualify the measure for the ballot. A number of wealthy California organizations and individuals, largely from Orange and San Diego counties, have contributed as well: Fieldstead and Co. of Irvine ($400,000), family members associated with Caster Family Enterprises of El Cajon (more than $200,000), Manchester Financial Group of San Diego ($125,000) and William

Bolthouse of Avila Beach ($100,000). Protect Marriage listed $2.6 million in contributions in 2008 through June 30, with another $700,000 in July. The donations have come California and more than 30 other states. Brown said he expects the No on 8 campaign to spend its money on television ads. He said theYes on 8 campaign plans to meet the challenge with a united front among faith groups. “I think you are going to see a unity you might not have seen before with Catholics, Mormons, evangelicals, people of all faiths getting materials in their churches and being active,” he said.

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SCRIPTURE SEARCH By Patricia Kasten

Gospel for August 10, 2008 Matthew 14:22-33 Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A: the story of walking on the Sea of Galilee. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle. MOUNTAIN THE WIND SAW HIM IN FEAR COMMAND FRIGHTENED CAUGHT

TO PRAY WALKING TERRIFIED AFRAID WATER LORD SAVE ME FAITH

WAVES ON THE SEA A GHOST PETER STRONG IMMEDIATELY DOUBT

LORD, SAVE ME C

D E

I R

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Catholic San Francisco

NEWS

August 8, 2008 carry the Olympic torch on its way to Beijing. Coadjutor Bishop Peter Fang Jianping of Tangshan, 45, represented the Catholic Church in Tangshan during the July 31 torch relay in Tangshan, a city about 110 miles east of Beijing. Bishop Fang said he was invited to run because the Chinese government has made progress in carrying out its religious policies and in expressing concerns over religious issues to religious leaders.

in brief

Vote: end China rights violations Offers best wishes to Olympics BRESSANONE, Italy (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI offered his best wishes to China, the International Olympic Committee and the athletes who will participate in the Aug. 8-24 games in Beijing. “I am happy to send the host country, the organizers and participants – especially the athletes – my cordial greeting with the hope that each one can give the best of his- or herself in the genuine Olympic spirit,” the pope said Aug. 3. Beijing invited two Catholic bishops from outside the mainland – Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong and Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau – to the opening ceremony Aug. 8 but did not invite an official Holy See representative. The pope said he would be following the Olympic Games.

Iraqi prime minister, pope talk CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit Iraq as a way to help support peacemaking efforts in the conflict-torn nation. He said Pope Benedict “welcomed the invitation. And we hope that he will be making the visit as soon as he can.” After taking part in a 20-minute, closed-door meeting with the pope at the papal summer residence south of Rome July 25, al-Maliki told reporters the pope’s “visit would represent support for the efforts of love and peace in Iraq.” Before meeting with the pope, al-Maliki also attended a 45minute closed-door meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican’s chief foreign affairs official.

Chinese bishop bears torch TANGSHAN, China (CNS) – A Chinese Catholic bishop said the local Church’s engagement in society enabled him to Edward E. “Ned” Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, has been elected president of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors (NASCCD). He will serve a two-year term. Dolejsi previously served as vice president of the organization.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Nine days before the opening of the Olympics in Beijing, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for an end to human rights violations in China. The resolution, passed July 30, urged the Chinese government to “cease repression of Tibetan and Uighur citizens” and called on the Chinese government to enter into discussions with the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader. The resolution included two amendments proposed by Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., regarding the release of political prisoners and forced abortions for the purpose of population control.

Host desecration decried ST. CLOUD, Minn. (CNS) – The pastor of the Catholic parish in Morris and a spokeswoman for the Diocese of St. Cloud have urged Catholics to contact the University of Minnesota-Morris to express anger about a professor who desecrated a host reported to be consecrated. They also asked Catholics to pray for Paul Z. Myers, the professor, and for others who share his views. Myers, in a blog posting in early July, vowed to desecrate a consecrated host and asked readers to send him “some consecrated Communion wafers.” On July 24 he posted a photo showing he had put a nail through a host he said he had received in response to his request. Catholics should “share their outrage that the school continues to employ someone who so blatantly attacks the Catholic Church’s beliefs and what she holds to be most holy,” said Rebecca Kurowski, director of communications for the St. Cloud Diocese.

Catholic Reflections on the Anglican Communion,” the cardinal told the bishops he spoke “as a friend” representing a church committed to dialogue with Anglicans and praying that the Anglican Communion does not split as a result of differences over ordaining women and over homosexuality.

Vatican studying unity request OTTAWA (CNS) – The Vatican has assured a group of traditionalist Anglicans it is studying their request for full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal William J. Levada, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, also linked the issue of corporate unity for the Traditional Anglican Communion to larger issues within the Anglican Communion. “The situation within the Anglican Communion in general has become markedly more complex,” Cardinal Levada said in a letter to Archbishop John Hepworth of Blackwood, Australia, primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion. “As soon as the congregation is in a position to respond more definitely concerning the proposals you have sent, we will inform you.” Last October, Traditional Anglican Communion bishops from around the world met in plenary session in Portsmouth, England, and signed a letter “seeking full, corporate, sacramental union” with the Holy See. The Traditional Anglican Communion, formed in 1990 as a worldwide body, represents Anglicans who left the Canterbury-led Anglican Communion over the ordination of women.

Laicizes Paraguayan bishop

(CNS PHOTO)

Liberia honors slain U.S. nuns ROME (CNS) – During ceremonies marking Liberia’s Independence Day, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf honored five U.S. members of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ murdered in 1992 during the country’s civil war. The five nuns, all Illinois natives, were named grand commanders in the Order of the Star of Africa for their sacrifice for Liberia and for their “invaluable services to education” in the country before the war began. The awards ceremony took place July 24 in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.

Cardinal addresses Anglicans VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Anglican Communion needs to find a way to affirm the dignity of all people and encourage the active role of women while remaining faithful to Christian tradition and Scriptures, said Cardinal Walter Kasper. The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity spoke July 30 at a session for bishops attending the Anglican Communion’s Lambeth Conference, which is held once every 10 years, in England. Offering “Roman

Paraguay’s President-elect Fernando Lugo, left, meets with Archbishop Orlando Antonini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Paraguay, July 30 in Asuncion.

ASUNCION, Paraguay (CNS) – The Vatican has laicized a bishop elected Paraguayan president, allowing him to take office in August without violating Church law, said the papal nuncio to Paraguay. “The pope has granted him the loss of his clerical status ... he’s a layman now,” said Archbishop Orlando Antonini, the papal nuncio, at a press conference July 30. Fernando Lugo, who became known as “the bishop of the poor,” was elected president of Paraguay April 20 after campaigning against corruption and for greater equality for the country’s indigenous people and poor peasant farmers. When Lugo takes office Aug. 15, he will end the more than 60-year rule of the Colorado Party.

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Friday, August 1 & Saturday, August 2 – Coffee House, Doors open at 7 p.m./Show starts at 7:30 p.m., Parish Hall. Tickets cost $20 in advance; $25 at the door Sunday, August 3 – Solemnity of the Dedication of St. Dominic’s Church, All Masses Sunday, August 10 – Solemnity of Holy Father Dominic, All Masses Friday, August 15 – Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary (Holy Day of Obligation) Vigil Mass on Thursday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Masses at 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 5:30 p.m.; & 7:30 p.m. Mass with Solemn Mass Choir; concert to follow Tuesday, August 19 – Annual Lecture: “The Gothic Enterprise” by Robert Scott, author of The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral 7:30 p.m., Church nave, reception and book signing in Parish Hall to follow

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August 8, 2008

Hispanic Charismatic Catholic Congress at Mercy High School Archdiocese of San Francisco (CNS PHOTO/COURTESY FATHER CALLAHAN)

RYE, N.Y. (CNS) – Atonement Father Dan Callahan evangelizes underwater. And on a bike. And while he’s running. All on the same day. And he helps recovering alcoholics and substance abusers at the same time. Father Callahan, 57, is known as the “Iron Friar” for successfully completing 12 daylong triathlons since 1997. Most recently, he finished the Ford Iron Man USA competition July 20 at Lake Placid in 14 hours and 43 minutes. Three inches of rain fell while he swam 2.4 miles in Mirror Lake, biked 112 miles through the Adirondack Mountains and ran a 26.4mile road marathon. In a telephone interview from Toronto, where he is associate pastor at St. Joan of Arc Parish, Father Callahan told Catholic News Service that his goal in competing is “always to finish, enjoy the pizza, be healthy and go to work the next day.” Father Callahan uses the Atonement Father Dan Callahan, assoannual race at Lake Placid as an opportu- ciate pastor at St. Joan of Arc Parish nity to evangelize and to raise funds for St. in Toronto, participates in the July 20 Joseph’s Rehabilitation Center in Saranac Ford Iron Man USA competition in Lake, where he once served as a pastoral Lake Placid, N.Y. counselor and spiritual director.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – A health care workers union and its allies picketed a California order of women religious historically known for its support of labor causes, protesting what the union claims are harassment and intimidation tactics to keep a union from forming in several of the hospitals run by the sisters. The picketing came as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange gathered for prayer, planning and a conference during their annual community days at their motherhouse in Orange, July 20-26. Protesters from United Healthcare Workers, employees from the St. Joseph Health System, high-profile political activists and politicians called on the nuns to allow their employees to vote if they want to form a union without coercion from their supervisors. A spokeswoman from the St. Joseph Health System told Catholic News Service the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange are not anti-union, but will not enter into a mass organizing agreement until the union can demonstrate at least

(This is the same Congress that used to be done in the Cathedral)

‘Iron Friar’ evangelizes

Union pickets California order

Catholic San Francisco

“It is I. Do not be afraid.” Matt 14:27 Speakers: Rev. Mons. Rafael Urrutia, El Salvador Rev. Elías Arámbula, Sonora, México Rev. Edgar Larrea, Zelaya, México Rev. José M. Corral, San Francisco, CA Roberto Ramirez, New York (from school of Father Tardiff)

35 percent of employees want the union, a requirement set by the National Labor Relations Board.

Music: Miguel Ochoa, Asuza, CA and San Francisco Archdiocese Choir

Water crisis faces Palestinians

There will be a congress for children, 4-11 years old Thank you for your donation of $5.00 per child for food each day

JERUSALEM (CNS) – The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has warned of a grave water shortage in the West Bank and said average water consumption in Israel is 3.5 times that in the West Bank. In a report released in early July, B’Tselem said the chronic water shortage is due in large part to Israel’s “discriminatory policy” in distributing the joint water resources in the West Bank and the limits it places on the Palestinian Authority’s ability to drill new wells. Israel provides 80 percent of Palestinian water. According to figures reported by B’Tselem from the Palestinian Water Authority, 52 million-90 million cubic yards are needed to meet the needs of West Bank Palestinians each year. Per capita consumption of water in the West Bank stands at 17 gallons a day, about twothirds of the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum amount.

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From San Rafael, Novato, Santa Rosa and other cities north of San Francisco – Take 101 South, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take 19th Avenue exit until you reach Mercy High School which is on the left side (Stonestown is on the right.)

From Sacramento, Richmond, Oakland, Hayward and other cities east of San Francisco – Take 80 South or 880 West crossing the Bay Bridge. Take 101 South to 280 South (Daly City) until Geneva/Ocean exit. Continue on Ocean until 19th Avenue. Turn right and you are 100 yards from Mercy High School.

From San Jose, Redwood City, San Mateo and other Peninsula cities south of San Francisco – Take 280 North until split into San Francisco. Take 19th Avenue, Mercy High School is less than hald a mile away.

From Half Moon Bay, Pacifica and other cities of the Peninsula south and west of San Francisco – Take Highway 1 north until the freeway split. Take 19th Avenue (left lanes). Continue on 19th Avenue, Mercy High School is less than hald a mile away. NOTE: The final congress this year will be September 13 & 14, 2008 at St. Peter’s Church, 1200 Florida Street (at 24th Street), San Francisco.

Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Daughters of Charity install new western provincial

First vows professed Marianist novices Thomas O’Neill Farnsworth, left, and Luis Gamboa professed first vows during a Mass at Queen of Apostles Chapel May 17 at Mount St. John in Dayton, Ohio. Assistant Provincial, Marianist Father Jim Fitz, presided at the Mass and blesses the pair above. Brother Farnsworth, 42, is from the San Francisco Bay Area. A graduate of Holy Names University in Oakland, he attended St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and was a counselor at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. He currently teaches psychology at the Marianists’ University of Dayton, works in the counseling center as a psychology resident, and serves as a consultant on the campus Alcohol and Drug Prevention Team. Brother Gamboa, 34, was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and grew up in San Jose. He has a master’s degree in Spanish literature from Loyola University of Chicago. The Marianist novitiate program is two years. The first includes academic and spiritual formation and discernment. The second is spent preparing for ministry, academic preparation and a final discernment. After novitiate, a Brother professes first vows.

E D U C A T I O N

Daughter of Charity Marjory Ann Baez was installed as visitatrix (provincial) of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Province of the West, on July 27. Vincentian Father Andrew Bellisario, provincial of his order’s Province of the West, presided at the installation Mass at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of Seton Sister Marjory Ann Baez, DC Provincialate in Los Altos Hills. More than 80 Daughters of Charity attended. “I am looking forward to working with all of the Sisters of our province and those who collaborate with us in continuing to love and serve the poor in our health, education and social service

ministries,” Sister Baez commented. “Our recent Provincial Assembly deepened our convictions about being innovative in our service, as well as being committed to quality life in community and being supported by a rich life of prayer.” She succeeds Sister Margaret Keaveney, visitatrix for the past nine years. Most recently, Sister Baez served as vice president of Mission Integration for the Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS). Raised in San Francisco, Sister Baez entered the Daughters DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY, page 9

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August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

Fair trade aims at fair deal for poor farmers Two local Catholics have been appointed by Catholic Relief Services to be fair trade ambassadors for the organization’s initiative to promote sustainable, financially beneficial markets for poor farmers. The two are Patricia Ribeiro of the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns and Mick Smith of St. Patrick Parish in Larkspur. Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to address poverty in the developing world. Through fair trade, marginalized and impoverished laborers, particularly those involved in agriculture or crafts, sell directly to markets in developed countries at a fair price. The CRS program focuses on coffee, chocolate and handcrafts. CRS is the international relief agency of the United States bishops. Ribeiro told Catholic San Francisco she and Smith will try to get the word out about using fair trade products both at the Pastoral Center and in parishes. Right now the local program is focusing on coffee, but Ribeiro looks to expand to other areas. The initial effort will be to persuade the Pastoral Center to switch to fair trade coffee. Ribeiro plans a coffee tasting for the second week of September to showcase the product. Later, she will reach out to parish social justice groups to promote the use of fair trade products. Ribeiro said the effort is important for struggling farmers. “A lot of farmers who are certified as fair trade can’t sell their goods because the market for fair trade isn’t big enough,” she said, adding that the CRS effort aims to change that.

(PHOTO BY MICHAEL VICK/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

By Michael Vick

Patricia Ribeiro plans to showcase fair trade coffee at a tasting event at the Archdiocese’s Pastoral Center in San Francisco next month.

Smith said fair trade is a matter of economic justice. “Half the world lives on under $2 per day,” Smith said. “Half of that number lives on under

$1 per day. Many don’t even live in proper houses. Fair trade means they can send their children to school, and they can have food.” Smith, who is in his first year of a diaconate

program, said his faith is the major driving force behind his desire to promote fair trade. “Either you choose to step in or you choose to step away,” he said. “We really need to affect the people who need Mick Smith the help.” One local parish has already jumped on the fair trade bandwagon. Father Ken Weare of St. Rita Parish in Fairfax said the church has been promoting fair trade coffee for seven years, longer than he has been with the parish. St. Rita’s offers three kinds of fair trade coffee: a dark roast whole bean, a regular roast whole bean and ground coffee. All come in special bags that Father Weare said are gifts in themselves. The coffee comes from Mayan farmers in Western Guatemala, near San Lucas Tolimán. Father Weare said the parish became involved with fair trade through the mission projects St. Rita’s has in the country. The priest said the coffee, which the parish also uses in its rectory, for meetings and for school functions, has a two-fold benefit. “The simple peasant people growing coffee can financially benefit, so there is a specific financial contribution to the people of Guatemala,” the priest said. “People in the United States become conscious of the plight of the farmers. So there is a financial advantage for the poor of Guatemala and an educational advantage for Americans.” For more information, visit www.crsfairtrade.org.

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

World Youth Day Pilgrims’ renewal and enthusiasm will spread Gospel call (Director of Campus Ministry and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Mary Jansen reflects here on World Youth Day held in Sydney, Australia, July 15-20.)

By Mary Jansen “Allow yourself to be surprised by God.” This was the instruction from Father Brian Atienza at our Saturday retreat in Sacramento a few weeks before traveling to New Zealand and Australia for our World Youth Day pilgrimage from Northern California and Reno, Nev. Between the (arch)dioceses of Oakland, Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco, we had 50 pilgrims for our journey. As one of three group leaders, I found it difficult to be surprised. In fact, it was my job not to be surprised. Organizing prayer and reflection, planning escape routes when roads were blocked and public transportation failed (which thankful, this World Youth Day, it didn’t), as well as making sure everyone left on time and enjoyed their experience as a pilgrim was my main responsibility at World Youth Day. Always thinking the what-ifs, how and when allowed little time to be surprised by God. Because our pilgrims were all over 18, this allowed our leaders more freedom as the days of World Youth Day progressed and everyone became familiar with the different venue locations and how to travel to and from our hotel. So, on our fifth day in Sydney, a Friday, instead of joining the main group for our assigned location in Barangaroo where the final Stations of the Cross would be held, I joined a smaller

Pictured at the Randwick horse racing course in Sydney, Australia where they would be among thousands of pilgrims from around the world taking part in a July 19 vigil service with Pope Benedict XVI, are, from left: Mary Jansen, director of Campus Ministry and Young Adult Ministry, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Edmond Le Grelle, World Youth Day coordinator for New Zealands’s Christchurch Diocese; and Father Brian Atienza, WYD leader from the Sacramento Diocese.

group going to the Sydney Opera House for a tour of the famous entertainment venue. As we were waiting for our tour time outside the Opera House, I spied a young man in white habit, a Dominican priest. I have long known Father Steve

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Maekawa from St. Dominic’s Parish in San Francisco and it was quite a surprise to see him in Sydney. I hadn’t known he would be attending World Youth Day with his former campus ministry program from an Oregon university. I see him rarely now, but he was one of many religious

who ministered to me on my spiritual journey. I was overjoyed to see him. We couldn’t visit long because of our tour time, but the chance meeting set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. After our tour, we arrived outside the WORLD YOUTH DAY, page 13

August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

Vatican Letter Pope: respect ‘delicate complexity of God’s world’ VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Visiting Australia in July gave Pope Benedict XVI an opportunity to develop further his creation morality, which he first explained in the Italian Alps a year ago. While Pope John Paul II was the outdoorsman, Pope Benedict’s three-year pontificate already is seen as the “green papacy.” Accepting donations of solar panels and a reforestation project to offset the Vatican’s carbon footprint, the 81-year-old pope has shown his concern for the environment is solid. But his July 12-21 trip to Australia also gave him an opportunity to demonstrate that his concern is theologically based, part of a broad moral code and is perhaps the best way to convince young people there is such a thing as natural law – that some actions are naturally always right or wrong. Meeting priests in the Alps last year, the pope suggested that affirming young people’s sensitivity to environmental concerns was the first step in showing them that they really believe God created all things and that God’s plan for creation must be respected. The next step, he said last year, was to explain that “we must not only care for the earth, but we must respect one another.” “Only with absolute respect for this creature of God, this image of God which is man, only with respect for living together on this earth can we move forward,” the pope told the priests. For Pope Benedict, the obligation to safeguard the environment flows from recognizing God has a plan for creation as a whole and for all its components: air, water, mountains, forests, flora, fauna and – especially – human beings.

Daughters of Charity . . .

(CNS PHOTO/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO, CPP)

By Cindy Wooden

Pope Benedict XVI and two priests look out over a pond on the grounds of Kenthurst Study Centre in Kenthurst, Australia, in mid-July. He told young people at World Youth Day that concern for sustainable development, justice and peace, and care of the environment are of “vital importance for humanity.”

■ Continued from page 6 of Charity after graduating from high school. She earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Marillac College in St. Louis, Mo., and later an elementary teaching credential from the University of San Francisco. At Seton Provincialate, she served as assistant directress and directress of the formation program for seven years, and also as a provincial councilor in social ministry and formation for nine years. She then served at Seton Medical Center, Daly City, as director of Mission Services and Community Outreach until 2003 when she became vice president of Mission Services at St. Francis Medical Center, Lynwood, Calif. The Western Province includes Alaska, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington and Interprovincial Ministries in Kenya, the Pacific Islands and Siberia.

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In Sydney for World Youth Day, the pope had an opportunity to explain to Catholic young people how it all fits together. “God’s creation is good and it is one,” he said at the July 17 welcoming ceremony. “The concerns for nonviolence, sustainable development, justice and peace and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity,” he said. “They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself.” The earth and all it holds was created to sustain human life, he said, but neglect, greed and shortsightedness have led to the poisoning of air, water and soil and the destruction of forests. In a similar way, the pope said, people were created in God’s image and likeness and destined to seek truth, beauty and goodness. But in the human environment, as in the rest of nature, there exists “a poison which threatens to corrode what is good, reshape who we are and distort the purpose for which we have been created,” he said. Alcohol and drug abuse, violence, sexual degradation, abortion and other attacks on human life are all signs of how people ignore their own dignity or the dignity of others as the crown of God’s creation, the pope said. And, he told the young people, relativism – thinking that there do not exist any absolute truths – is one of the clearest signs of a waning recognition that God is the creator of all things and all people. Under the guise of being “neutral, impartial and inclusive of everyone,” relativism takes the place of God and denies there is a natural order, natural purpose and natural goodness, he said. The world is fragile, the pope told them, and harm done in one area affects another. “We have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world,” he said.

Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Archbishop Niederauer Jesus: living his life is worth whatever we have to sacrifice (Following is the text of the homily delivered July 27 by and those you love; you could share it with others who are Archbishop George H. Niederauer at the 11 a.m. Mass at St. in need; you could hide the gift away in a closet and ignore Mary’s Cathedral. The readings for that Sunday were First it, until you eventually forget about it and it has no real influence on your life; you could waste the gift or throw it away; Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52.) Like many great teachers, Jesus explained unfamiliar you could treat it carelessly until you finally ruin it. Those are all options you and I have in responding to things to the people in terms of other things that were familiar to them. Most often, he talked to the crowds about the life of the kingdom which Jesus Christ gives us in his the kingdom of God, and he used parables – comparisons to Catholic Church through baptism, confirmation, this enorsituations they knew well. He had to do that, because what mous gift and treasure of Eucharist (his Son’s Body and Jesus meant by the kingdom of God was a totally new reality Blood), the forgiveness of sins in confession, the ways of for his listeners. “Kingdom of God” in the Gospels refers to Christian life in marriage and holy orders, the words of life a new way of understanding and living life in relationship to in the Bible, the guidance in Christian living in the teaching God, and Jesus came to establish this new way through his of the Church, the companionship of one another on the life and death and resurrection, through his teaching, and way of salvation, as we share our life and faith together. Jesus tells us that living his life is worth whatever through the Church which he established to carry on his we have to sacrifice to do so. The proclaiming and his ministry. kingdom makes coming to this Mass In the deepest sense, the kingdom of God is a given. It finds us; we don’t ‘Salvation is a gift, not and receiving Jesus worth giving up anything else: playing golf, washing find it or make it. To be sure, God the car, reading the Sunday paper, offers us the opportunity, the grace, to going fishing, or whatever. say “yes” to this life in the kingdom a retirement account Returning the love of Jesus by and to make the choices that will help sharing it with others is worth more us to keep choosing that life and living we keep adding to.’ than joining in the gossip at the it. But it is like that treasure in the field office; the life of the kingdom is found by the man in today’s Gospel story: he didn’t make the treasure or put it there, but he gave worth more than making fun of others at school; worth up all that he had to buy that field that held the treasure. The more than beating up someone who loves you because you second example Jesus gives in the story is the pearl merchant. feel like it; worth more than getting even with someone He is actually on the lookout for his kind of treasure, very you resent because it makes you feel so very satisfied. precious pearls. But he too doesn’t manufacture the price- Now most people may not agree with that, but most people less gem. Instead, he discovers it and sells all that he has in Jesus’ time didn’t agree with him either. We choose how we’ll respond to God’s gift of the life to possess it. The teaching of Jesus is clear: you cannot go out and create the life of the kingdom of God for yourself, of his kingdom. And God does demand that we choose. but when God reveals and offers it to you, it is worth the We cannot have it both ways. We can’t say we love Jesus and the life of the kingdom while we habitually choose to sacrifice of any alternative treasures to possess it. And that’s what St. Paul is saying in that second reading behave selfishly and unlovingly toward others. We can’t from his letter to the Romans. The Apostle tells us that salva- say our faith in Christ is the most important thing in life to tion, life in God through Christ Jesus now and in eternity, us, if we continue to tear ourselves up with greed and envy is the gift and the deed of God. It is not our achievement or because others have more worldly success than we do. In that first reading we hear that God asked King accomplishment. We receive the life-giving story of Jesus; we don’t make it up for ourselves. We don’t even accumu- Solomon to choose the gift he wanted. Solomon was a late salvation by performing lots of good works. Salvation young, inexperienced ruler, who had just succeeded his father David. But he did not choose predictable things – a is a gift, not a retirement account we keep adding to. Does that mean we are merely passive in the kingdom long life, great riches, military victories. Instead, he asked life? Not at all! Think of any precious gift you might receive. for an understanding heart, the wisdom to know the difThere are a number of different things you could do with that ference between right and wrong, and to choose the right. gift: you could use the gift to make a better life for yourself God tells Solomon he has chosen the right gift.

Catholic san Francisco Serving San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula

Power of celibacy It seems to me more people than not see the priestly celibacy issue only as it relates to sexual activity and the mandatory denial of that activity. This world is so focused on sex, and Catholics as well, it seems, that it thinks no one can live without it! We are not solely made up of our sexual organs. If one could but open the eyes of the mind and soul and truly see the awesome beauty and wonder of a celibate priest (or nun) who has given himself (or herself) totally and with undivided attention to God, his purpose, his Church, his kingdom and his people, these ideas would be seen as unthinkable; certainly by Catholics at least.

Letters welcome Catholic San Francisco welcomes letters from its readers. Please send your letters to: Catholic San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Fax: (415) 614-5641 E-mail: morrisyoungd@sfarchdiocese.org

The gift of priestly celibacy is that- a gift a man gives to God in answer to his call to serve. The gift of a man to his wife and family is total. How can the gift of a married man to God as a priest also be total? Something will lose out, possibly all–the man, the family and God. When a man’s heart and soul belong entirely to God, as a priest’s heart should, he serves God’s people with such a generous loving and giving of self that the miracle of it could move one to tears – if one’s eyes were only open. Diane Dawes San Francisco

Reawaken conscience I’m writing to compliment Vivienne Beasley on her letter of July 11 regarding the need for more meaningful homilies at Mass. Bishops and priests need to expound more powerfully on the current moral issues of the day. The congregation looks to the priest to forcefully address present, urgent moral problems which confront us every day. We need to reawaken our Catholic conscience. Walter Englert San Carlos

God, who calls us down the path of following Jesus and his way, will bring us home to him, through whatever struggles and trials we meet. St. Paul says: “…all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” That does not mean only good things happen. It certainly can’t be said of Jesus that only good things happened to him, but it can be said that the Father raised him up in glory and gave his work on earth enduring fruitfulness. The teaching of Jesus is powerful here: do whatever you have to, give up whatever you have to, to choose and follow Jesus Christ in your life. There are treasures, gifts, skills, talents - hidden, perhaps buried – in each of us, and they are meant to be used for living the life of the kingdom, for strengthening the life of the kingdom, for ourselves and others. “Go for it” is not just something to shout at contestants on TV game shows. It’s very good advice in living the life of a Catholic Christian. And one last word, about that other odd little story Jesus tells in the Gospel today. He said the kingdom is like a large net thrown in the sea and then pulled into shore. Afterward the good and the bad has to be sorted out. How is the Church, which is the kingdom of God on earth, like that net? Well, some people would like the Church to be very exclusive, and to include only other people who pass inspection with them. So we say: “if there are priests like that, I don’t want any part of it.” Or, “if that kind of person is in our parish, you can count me out.” But Jesus teaches us: leave the judging to God, who will do it later. The Church, like the world, is going to be a mixture of good and bad. True, the Church must address the presence of the bad whenever it threatens our life in Christ together. But we will always be a Church of imperfect sinners, striving to follow Christ together. Focus on what’s important: knowing what Jesus wants us to do to follow him and doing whatever we must to choose his way.

Ideals collide The July 25 article by George Wesolek of the Archdiocese’s Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns was a timely reminder for consistent Catholic expression during this election year. The author’s desire for a unified Catholic voice of the pro-life and the peace and social justice appeals is not realistic. Right to life is a clear and easily understood message, but the concepts of peace and social justice are murky and open to wide personal interpretation. They would not be antagonistic except that particular ideas have been overtaken by political associations with a desire for present success that reduce traditions of compromise and civil discourse. Both branches share the belief in the dignity of all life as promoted by many religious traditions, but the peace and social justice segment of Catholic thought has often been misdirected by its political allies. Both aspects of the Catholic social doctrine are eager for effect and the result is tension and a collision of ideals. Ron Gillis Larkspur

It is, indeed, unfortunate that the questions of abortion and social justice have somehow become separate, disputed issues, because there is need more than ever for what Wesolek sees as a seamless and consistent social doctrine. Mr. And Mrs. William R. O’Neill San Francisco

L E T T E R S

Wesolek correct We want to thank and congratulate Catholic San Francisco for the excellent July 25 article by George Wesolek about the current structural polarization of Catholic social teaching.

Lourdes changed us

Friends from Novato forwarded us the July 25 Catholic San Francisco article on Lourdes. The article was very dear to our hearts. You see, we have just returned from Lourdes. We go every summer, and we help out. We are third-year stagiere. My husband, Lee, helps out with crowd control at the baths, the train and airport. I do my work at St. Frei doing dishes with Soeur Marie Andre on the Fourth Floor, and I love it. We connected with Lourdes through North American Volunteers of Lourdes. The woman who started it, Marlene Walkings, recruits folks from the U.S. and Canada to serve in Lourdes. Pere Regis-Marie de La Teyssonniere is our representative in Lourdes and our friend. Our priest from Santa Rosa, Father Alvin Villaruel, goes with us as our spiritual leader. Yes, Lourdes has impacted all of us who have had the gift of serving. Our lives have never been the same. For my husband and me, two special LETTERS, page 14

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

America’s oldest man reflects on longevity, George Francis remembers the sinking of the Titanic. “It was terrible. Hundreds of people died,” he recalls, his expression turning grave as he described seeing pictures of the Titanic in his hometown newspaper and reading the accounts. He was 16 years old at the time. Francis, a Sacramento resident and parishioner of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, has lived through a lot of American history. At 112 years old, he is the oldest man in the United States, as verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Francis remembers trying to join the Army during World War I, but he was rejected because he only weighed 99 pounds — “too slight to carry the 50-pound backpack into battle,” explained his son, Tony Francis, in the family’s recent interview. George Francis was born in New Orleans on June 6, 1896. Growing up in the city’s famous Seventh Ward, he listened to his neighbor Louis Armstrong play the trumpet in the Mardi Gras parade and remembers Booker T. Washington, the author of “Up From Slavery,” speaking to his grammar school class when he was seven years old. Born more than 60 years before the civil rights movement, Francis has witnessed technological and social changes in his lifetime, not only in the country at large, but also in the Catholic Church. He was 20 when Corpus Christi Catholic Church opened in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward in 1916. He became Catholic at Corpus Christi in order to marry Josephine Johnson, the young Catholic woman he was courting. George and Josephine Francis had four children who survived to adulthood: Anthony, Lelia, Shirley and Althea. In a time when it was common for babies to die at birth or during infancy, George and Josephine lost six babies before Tony was born. While Francis was a parishioner at Corpus Christi, it was the largest black Catholic parish in the United States, with between 12,000 and 14,000 members. It was eventually broken up into smaller parishes, but until New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, Corpus Christi was law offices of

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(PHOTO BY CATHY JOYCE/THE CATHOLIC HERALD)

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George Francis

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“There were black churches and whites churches then,” explained Francis’s daughter, Lelia LaRue. “But it wasn’t like it is now. There was no different music or anything like that at the black churches. The Masses were exactly the same.” “You have to understand the place and the time,” LaRue said. “New Orleans was a Catholic city, and a

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August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

Creole city. Everybody was Creole, and everybody was Catholic.” Francis’ children recall that their father emphasized the importance of education. At a time when a high school education was not widely available to black Americans, Francis completed the sixth grade. All of his children graduated from high school and continued their educations. Shirley retired as executive secretary to the director of the California State Office of Administrative Hearings. Althea became a Head Start teacher. Lelia worked for the California Department of Social Services. Tony holds a master’s degree in public administration and retired as a civil servant. “The most wonderful thing about my father is that he took care of his family,” said Francis’s daughter Shirley Wade. “He was a barber, a mechanic, and a chauffeur. He drove a truck and did general hauling. During the Depression he did manual labor for the WPA (Work Projects Administration).” Francis said that his favorite work was being a barber. When the family moved to Sacramento in the 1940s, settling in Oak Park and becoming members of Immaculate Conception Parish, he opened a barbershop. “He had an outgoing personality and a sense of humor about things,” Tony Francis said, “and he loved to be independent, so he did very well as a barber.” Francis has become hard of hearing, so his children fill in the conversational gaps with stories and explanations, but Francis himself is completely alert, sense of humor intact. When asked what he wanted for his birthday, he replied, “Money!” and laughed. Francis said that he’d have liked to make more money, but that he got by with what he did make. “We didn’t have a lot of money,” he said, “but we had a lot of happiness. We never had a lot of grumbling or fighting. I said, ‘You live in this house together, you live peacefully — no fighting. You’re in this house together.’” His children nodded, listening. “We didn’t fight,’ Wade said. “We were brought up to be peaceful. And we lived in a cheerful house.” The children remember their father always singing or whistling, generally in a cheerful mood. It’s their father’s personality to be outgoing and positive, they said.

(PHOTO BY CATHY JOYCE/THE CATHOLIC HERALD)

family life

Surrounding their father, George Francis, are, from left: Veronica Francis, Tony Francis and Shirley Francis.

Francis’s longevity defies a few modern ideas about cholesterol and pulmonary health. He smoked cigars until he was 75, and since childhood has dined on eggs, fried foods, spicy foods, milk and cream, and salt-pork sandwiches. He loved to cook the meals he grew up with: spaghetti and meatballs, gumbo, Louisiana Hot Links. On the other hand, he has always stayed active. He loved to dance. When the children were small, Francis and his wife took the kids dancing with them. Francis and his wife continued to go out dancing until Josephine died in 1963. Francis also bicycled, played baseball and loved to swim. He prays the Lord’s Prayer every day, he said. His mother taught it to him, along with “Now I Lay Me

‘‘We choose peace of mind.”

Down to Sleep.” He taught those same prayers to his children. When asked the secret of his longevity, Francis answers “Mother Nature.” With his children around him, all past retirement age, yet seeming a couple of decades younger, his answer seems accurate. Then Francis adds another item to his longevity secret: “Honor your father and mother,” he said, “and your life will be lengthened.” His children learned that lesson, too. Denise MacLachlan writes for The Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Sacramento Diocese. Article reprinted with permission.

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Spirituality for Life

Making space for Sabbath in our lives A recent article in Maclean’s magazine reported on and, finally, work for a lifetime and have an eternity of a study on longevity. What is the secret for a long life? sabbatical, an eternity of resting in God. Former generations, I believe, took this more seriThe article summarizes the results of years of scientific research on this question and ends with nine hints for a ously than we do today. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Until recently it was more clear that this longer, healthier life. What should we be doing to live longer and health- is a commandment, not simply a lifestyle suggestion. Sabbath, until recent generations, was a day when ier? The study suggests the following: 1. Add simple activities to your day like walking ordinary life and ordinary activity were supplanted by farther than you need to, doing gardening or home repairs different sense of time and activity. What is Sabbath meant to be? yourself, or running around with your children or pets. For an observant Jew, Sabbath means the normal 2. Try eating off smaller plates to decrease your workday is suspended and replaced by a special time portion sizes and reduce calories. 3. Limit the number of servings of meat you eat in of prayer, family, celebration, leisure and enjoyment. In the Jewish spirituality, Sabbath is honored by lighting a week. candles, gathering in wor4. Drink a glass or two ship and prayer, blessing of red wine most evenings. children, singing songs, 5. Know your passions ‘Remember to keep holy the keeping silence, walking, in life and take time to enjoy reading Scripture, making them most days. Sabbath day. Until recently it love and sharing a meal. 6. Take quiet time to The recipe for Sabbath relieve stress. was more clear that this is a observance is essentially the 7. Belong to a spiritual same for Christians. Many community and gather with commandment, not simply a of us remember the Sunday them regularly. customs of our childhood 8. Make your family and how, on Sunday, everyand your loved ones a prilifestyle suggestion.’ one would dress up (in their ority. Express that through Sunday best), go to church your actions. to worship, come home and 9. Surround yourself with friends who have healthy habits and support you eat the best meal of the week (their Sunday dinner) and then spend the rest of the day with the family, usually in your goals. What’s interesting about this list is that it expresses in various kinds of leisure activities. Today we are considerably more casual and careless many of the challenges contained in the notion of the Sabbath. Scripture opens with the story of creation. God, about observing the Sabbath and we are poorer, both we are told, made the world in six days, rested on the religiously and humanly, because of this. Much of our seventh, the Sabbath, and declared this day to be forever tiredness and sense of being over-burdened comes from not having a regular Sabbath in our lives. a day of rest. With this in mind, allow me to offer my own hints There is a spirituality of time, work and rest contained in that. According to the theology of the Sabbath, for longevity, hints based largely upon a theology of there is to be a fixed rhythm for our days. We are meant observing the Sabbath: 1. Keep Sabbath with the discipline demanded of a to work for six days and then have a one-day sabbatical; work for six years and then have a one-year sabbatical; commandment.

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2. Sabbath need not be just one day a week. Sabbath can be an hour, a walk, a meal, a drink, a chat with a friend. Plan at least one Sabbathmoment every day. 3. Every day, Father even if for just a Ron Rolheiser few minutes, go to some place where you can’t be reached. Cell-phones, e-mail and electronic communications have made us the most efficient and connected people in history, but they are also making the observance of Sabbath all but impossible. Go regularly to a place where you can’t be reached. 4. Honor the wisdom of dormancy; know that when you aren’t doing something that is productive you are giving your soul the time and space it needs to quietly take in the nutrients it requires to remain productive. Buy a rocking chair and sit in it regularly, not thinking, not praying, not talking to a friend, just sitting, your soul a fallow field that is quietly waiting. 5. Spend time in quiet and prayer regularly. 6, Be attentive to little children, old people, family, food, wine and the weather. All of these are non-pragmatic and Sabbath-invoking. 7. Live by the axiom: If not now, when? If not here, where? If not with these people, with whom? If not for God, why? 8. Stay in touch with and listen to your body. It will tell you when you need Sabbath. 9. Drink a glass or two of red wine most days, preferably with others. 10. Don’t nurse grudges and obsessions. They, more than anything else, will keep you tired and tense. Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser an be contacted through his website: www.ronrolheiser.com.

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August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

Senior center sees need increase, funds decrease Seniors feeling the pinch of the economic downturn are turning increasingly to charitable services to make ends meet. One such group, Catholic Charities CYO, offers food and other services for low-income seniors at the OMI Senior Center near San Franciscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ingleside Terraces. A truck with food items like potatoes and cabbage arrives around 7 a.m., but some seniors arrive as early as 6 a.m. to secure a place in line. The earlier they arrive, the more access they have to more popular items that can run out after the morning rush. The center typically serves as many as 200 people per week, but has recently seen a noticeable increase. The help with much-needed groceries frees up money for rent, utilities and medical expenses. Maude Jordan, who has been participating in the program for 15 years, said the service is a lifesaver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The program means a whole lot, because I only get Social Security,â&#x20AC;? Jordan told Catholic San Francisco. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also have a neighbor with five children, and I share my goodies with her.â&#x20AC;? Jordan said the program has helped her pay for her medication, her mortgage and her PG&E bill, the latter with which many seniors in the program struggle. Case manager Christian Irizarry said because of poor circulation, many seniors prefer to keep their homes warm. This leads to higher utility bills. Many seniors come in with cutoff notices and ask for help, she said. The center puts them in touch with PG&E, which has special services for seniors including discounts and payment plans. Many seniors have been in their apartments for a long time, and have relatively low rent thanks to rent control. As a result, Irizarry said, some seniors face pressure from landlords looking for an excuse to evict them. Irizarry said without rent control many would be homeless. Quality housing can be difficult to find, especially in San Francisco. Irizarry said many live in buildings without elevators, which becomes increasingly difficult to man-

(PHOTO BY MICHAEL VICK/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

By Michael Vick

age as they age. Seniors who own their homes often cannot afford maintenance costs. With the cost of assisted living rising dramatically, this leaves some in a no-win situation. The center provides for the seniors by lessening the financial burdens they face. The center also offers a substantial daily meal, sponsored by the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Aging and Adult Services, priced at only $1.50. Irizarry said this meal is often the heartiest the seniors will have all day. Rounding out the centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food offerings is a once-a-month food box, provided in partnership with the On Lok Foundation, filled with non-perishable items. The seniors in the program typically live on fixed incomes of around $900 per month, mostly from pensions, Social Security or a combination of the two. With rising utility and medication prices, many face dire financial straits. They are not alone. The senior center itself must contend with lowered shipments from their food provider, the San Francisco Food Bank. That, coupled with budget cuts, means the center must do more with less. The center combats overhead costs by using mostly volunteer labor. Program direc-

tor Patty Clement said the center logs around 500 hours of volunteer time every month. Clement explained that many area Catholics wonder why the center would face budget woes, mistakenly assuming CCCYO receives its budget directly from the Church. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our only funding from the Archdiocese comes from the annual Catholic Charities Appeal,â&#x20AC;? Clement said, explaining this is a relatively small portion of its operating budget. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There have been cuts across the board. We end up cutting services, or the number of clients. As the need increases, the funds decrease.â&#x20AC;? For many seniors, the program makes all the difference. Flora Dillon, who has been coming to the center for 12 years, called the program â&#x20AC;&#x153;really important.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have nowhere else to go,â&#x20AC;? said Dillon, who usually shows up later in the

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Seniors gather at the OMI Senior Center in San Francisco for the weekly food bank offerings. To qualify, seniors must meet income limits set by the federal government.

morning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They treat you really nice.â&#x20AC;? Dillon rides a motorized scooter because she says she cannot walk long distances. For her, the program is more than charity. It is also a social occasion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I come in here to see a few old friends,â&#x20AC;? Dillon said. Aurelia Compoverde, a volunteer with the program for 11 years who first learned of the program when she took her own mother to secure food, said she has noticed the sizeable increase in seniors coming to the program. She said a few days prior there were 300 people at the center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The people keep coming, and they leave happy,â&#x20AC;? Compoverde said. OMI stands for Oceanview, Merced, Ingleside, the three San Francisco neighborhoods served by the center.

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Senior Services In some parts of St. Mary’s Medical Center, you’re more likely to hear the voice of Meryl Streep or Russell Crowe than beeping machinery or beds being wheeled from room to room. Every first and third Tuesday of the month a growing group of seniors meets to watch a new film in the Center’s Morrissey Auditorium. As Senior Services manager Katy Giomi explains, it’s part of keeping seniors connected to the wider community. “One of the biggest obstacles for a lot of seniors is socialization,” says Giomi. “While there are obvious emotional and psychological benefits to keeping social, it is also very important for one’s physical well-being. The more isolated you are, the less likely you are to eat well, take the correct medication, make it to doctor’s appointments or have someone looking out for you when you need them to.” Over the past few years, programs for seniors have expanded to include everything from free health lectures and screenings to T’ai Chi classes, driving lessons and tax preparation. “Part of the mission and philosophy of our hospital,” says Franciscan Brother George Cherrie, vice president for Mission and Ancillary Services, “is to advocate and care for all members of the community. The goal of Senior Services is to enrich the lives of seniors and to help them feel safe, cared for and connected.” “Mall Walkers” is another program that pays off for participants in more ways than one. The seniors who meet every Thursday morning at Stonestown Mall for the walking session (which includes

(PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. MARY’S MEDICAL CENTER)

Movies, mall walking, T’ai Chi, meals: try St. Mary’s Medical Center

Ellen Smith staffs the Senior Services table at one of St. Mary’s Medical Center’s frequent health fairs.

warm-up, cool-down and stretching exercises) have not only become more fit — they have become a close social group. “If someone doesn’t show up for whatever reason, their phone will start ringing,” says Giomi, “because they’ve exchanged phone numbers and everyone’s checking in on each other. This strong

social network also gives people a reason to get up, get dressed and get out of the house.” The hospital provides an important educational role through its quarterly health talks conducted by physicians such as Dr. Remo Morelli, one of St. Mary’s’ leading cardiologists. Each talk

is usually followed by a screening. Of the 79 seniors who attended the recent Peripheral Arterial Disease talk and screening, 12 were identified as needing to follow up their results with their own doctor. Individuals without a primary care physician are connected to one through the Guaranteed Physician Access program. According to Giomi, many seniors start off attending the talks and screenings only to discover how much else St. Mary’s has to offer. “At our diabetes screening last year, we had one lady whose blood pressure was through the roof. So we brought her over to the emergency room, and she spent a couple of days in the hospital under the care of one our physicians. Now she’s a regular here. She’s found a safe haven; a place where she can come and have a meal with friends, see a movie that she probably couldn’t afford otherwise, and get all the medical care that she needs. She’s 97.” A community service funded solely by St. Mary’s Medical Center, Senior Services last year served almost 12,000 meals, and had 2,787 participants in its Mall Walkers program alone. “We have individuals, we have couples and we have sons and daughters coming here with their parents,” says Giomi. “The most rewarding thing about doing this job is knowing that people don’t just have one ‘Lifeline’— the one that they wear around their neck for when something goes wrong — they have a variety of lifelines helping them to take better care of themselves and to be better taken care of.” For information about all of the Senior Services at St. Mary’s Medical Center, including movies, Mall Walkers, T’ai Chi, meals and more, call (415) 750-5800.

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Catholic San Francisco

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August 8, 2008

Review Young@Heart’ – funny and, ultimately, moving NEW YORK (CNS) – A senior citizens’ chorus with an unusual repertoire is profiled in the often funny, ultimately moving documentary “Young@Heart” (Fox Searchlight). The titular Northampton, Mass., singing group, led by their demanding director, Bob Cilman, eschews easy listening in favor of rock, R&B and even punk selections from stars such as Prince, James Brown, Talking Heads and Sonic Youth. The opening scene, for instance, features 92-year-old war bride Eileen Hall giving an energetic rendition of The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” With less than two months left before an important hometown concert, Cilman encourages, cajoles and sometimes scolds his singers as they grapple with the dissonant Sonic Youth number “Schizophrenia” and with the tonguetwisting lyrics of Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can.” Chorus members also confront the challenges of old age, as one much-loved veteran dies early on in the filming and others cope with health challenges. Director-narrator Stephen Walker’s film, originally made for Channel Four in the United Kingdom, quickly engages viewers by introducing a winning array of real-life characters and charting their struggles to master the music and carry on with the show. One especially poignant scene has them singing Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” for the inmates of a local jail minutes after receiving the news of their friend’s death. In addition to rehearsals, one-on-one interviews and the rousing climactic performance, “Young@Heart” also includes a series of music videos with ironically significant titles like “Stayin’ Alive” from the Bee Gees and David Bowie’s “Golden Years.” These convey a sense of cleareyed realism about death, but also a jaunty determination to persevere and remain active. Apparently in an effort to explode myths about aging and sexuality, Walker presents some exchanges that, together with a small amount of crass language, make “Young@Heart” unsuitable for young viewers.

SF resolution . . .

(CNS PHOTO/FOX SEARCHLIGHT)

By John Mulderig

Dora Morrow, center, sings with chorus members in a scene from the documentary motion picture “Young @ Heart.”

The film contains frank sexual discussion, innuendo and occasional crass language; it’s possibly acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

“There really is a double standard,” Muise said in an interview with Catholic San Francisco. “Quite frankly, if they don’t reverse then there’s absolutely no doubt there isn’t an even-handed applica-

John Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.

religion rather than protecting religion.” Muise, who works for the Thomas More Law Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., ■ Continued from cover a public-interest law firm that defends sex couples. The judge also said he was Christian religious beliefs, said he expects bothered by the closing reference the appeals court to rule within to the Inquisition, calling it “quite a year. He said that if the court prejudicial.” upholds the resolution, the ques‘Among certain groups not Cchabria conceded that the tion of modern-day attacks on reference was not necessary but Catholicism is likely to go to the only is it considered politically defended it as “an effort to say U.S. Supreme Court. this (treatment of homosexuals) is “Among certain groups not the same type of thing happening only is it considered politically correct and respectable to again under a different name.” correct and respectable to attack Muise maintains that the the Catholic Church, but fashionattack the Catholic Church, language is critical because it is able,” he said. “This is the prime indicative of anti-Catholic bigexhibit.” but fashionable.’ otry. It is permissible for a private The Catholic League for citizen to express such views, but Religious and Civil Rights, the – Robert Muise, attorney when a government unit condemns nation’s largest Catholic civilreligious belief it violates the rights organization, is pursuing official neutrality toward religion the appeal with co-plaintiffs Dr. built into the U.S. Constitution under the tion, and the Establishment Clause is only Richard Sonnenshein and Valerie Meehan Establishment Clause, he argues. being used as a blunt instrument to restrict of San Francisco.

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New title . . . ■ Continued from page 3 voters against the measure, Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman for the Protect Marriage coalition, told The Los Angeles Times. Opponents said the change is appropriate because the measure seeks to overturn a right that the state Supreme Court established in June. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said his office will defend the change. “The legal standard of review for summaries of measures submitted to voters – which applies to local as well as state initiatives – requires that the measure be described in an accurate and impartial manner,” he said in a news release. “Only if the legal challenge proves by clear and convincing evidence that the title and summary are false, misleading or otherwise unlawful will a court reject the Attorney General’s language.”

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August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE – With Americans living longer, what was once deemed the “Golden Years” has evolved into just another stage in life. For many Americans this is a time when they may choose how to spend their time. More and more are choosing to volunteer. In fact, the rate of volunteering among Americans over 65 is 64 percent higher today than it was in 1974. That’s a good thing for Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC), a national service organization for retired men and women that recently commissioned a study to look at how their program impacts volunteers. Headquartered in Baltimore with 12 regional offices, IVC wanted to examine how well they are meeting their mission by measuring the effect the program has on volunteers. “The Impact of Service on Spirituality: A Survey of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps,” conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, consisted of three surveys mailed to IVC volunteers, their spouses and IVC reflectors who offer one-on-one spiritual companionship to volunteers. According to the study, “each group affirms the value of the IVC program in helping participants feel as though they are spending retirement in a fulfilling way, deepening their spirituality, and increasing their social awareness.”

Findings include: • 93 percent feel they are spending their retirement in a fulfilling way; • 89 percent feel they are making a difference in peoples’ lives; • 86 percent are using skills they had before volunteering; • 85 percent are learning about problems of poverty and other social problems; • 82 percent recognize social injustice; • 79 percent have come to know individuals on a personal basis who are economically challenged. The study comes at a time when IVC is growing and re-branding with a new logo to reflect its relevance. “Our new logo and tagline ‘Experience. Service. Reflection.’ describes who we are and what we do. The CARA study clearly shows that these program components ring true for our volunteers also,” said Suzanne Geaney, IVC executive director. IVC has regional offices in Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia. To receive a CARA report summary, call Tamara Zavislan at (888) 831-4686 or visit www.IVCUSA.org.

(PHOTO BY DICK BOWLING)

Increased spirituality, social awareness reported by Ignatian Volunteer Corps

Miguel Quintos, an Ignatian Volunteer Corps member, works with youths on computer skills in Washington, D.C.

New NDNU master’s degree program focuses on age research Dominican University of California in San Rafael has partnered with the Buck Institute for Age Research to launch the country’s first master’s program in biological sciences focused on age research. The program, which will be administered by Dominican, debuts in fall 2008 and is designed to prepare students for careers as researchers in labs focused on understanding the aging process as well as detecting, preventing, and treating age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, cancer, stroke and arthritis, a university press release stated. The new Master of Science program in Biological Sciences will incorporate the Buck Institute’s expertise in age research and age-associated disease with Dominican’s expertise in science education and training. “The emphasis on age research due to this institutional collaboration will attract both national and international students,” said Joseph R. Fink, Dominican president. “The program not only enhances independent inquiry-based learning, but also addresses some of the most important issues facing our society.” “Participating in this graduate program is an important milestone for the Buck Institute,” said James Kovach, president and COO of the Buck Institute. “We are committed to training the

next generation of scientists who will focus on the intersection of aging and chronic disease, and this program will be an essential part of that effort.” While existing graduate level programs in aging are gerontology-based and focus on various aspects of social sciences including psychology, the Dominican/Buck master of science program is unique in emphasizing scientific research on aging and age-associated diseases in the areas of chemical and biological sciences, said Sibdas Ghosh, chair of Dominican’s Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Twenty-four of the research-based program’s 36 units will involve lab work. Students will work in Dominican’s new $20 million Science Center as well as at the Buck’s newly opened Larry L. Hillblom Center for the Integrative Studies of Aging. Buck Institute faculty members participating in the program will

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Do you suffer from dizziness or poor balance? By Steven Kmucha, M.D. While most of us wrestle with balancing work and zfamily life, eating a balanced diet or balancing our checkbooks, some people struggle to maintain balance itself. Have you ever had trouble descending stairs without becoming wobbly? Does vertigo occur as you reach toward a grocery shelf? Have you become dizzy when you back up your car? Have you recently experienced or suffered from a fall? As we age, our body’s systems become less effective in maintaining body balance. Couple this natural process with diminishing vision, arthritic joints, weakening muscles, heart disease, blood vessel disease, nerve problems, diabetes, or dizzy spells from medication side effects, and it’s easy to understand why you might struggle to maintain your balance. Balance problems are becoming a bigger medical issue and aren’t always easy to diagnose or treat. When you seek help, it can be a frustrating cycle. It may be difficult for a doctor to accurately evaluate all the body systems that play a role in maintaining balance. The result is that you may require specialized testing and consultations with a number of different specialists at various locations. If you struggle with dizziness or poor balance, Seton

Balance and mobility quiz • Do you have trouble walking or need to use a walker or wheelchair assistance to get around? • Do quick or sudden movements, such as bending down, make you feel dizzy or unsteady? • Do you feel as if the room is spinning or feel the sensation that you are spinning? • Do you have numbness or loss of sensation in your legs or feet? • Do you have light-headedness, migraines, black-outs or seizures? • Have you fallen in the past six months? • Do you take more than four medications regularly? • Do you have problems with your vision? • Have you experienced any neurological (stroke) or orthopedic problems that are affecting your balance? • Do you have difficulty rising from a chair or from your bed? If you checked any of the above boxes, talk to you physician. Information on the Seton Medical Center Balance and Mobility Center may be found at www. setonmedicalcenter.org; click on Patient Services; scroll to All Medical Specialties; select Balance and Mobility Center.

Medical Center offers a specialized hospital-based center, The Balance and Mobility Center, dedicated to treating balance disorders. The Center’s primary advantage is an ability to diagnose the frequently complex causes of balance problems. An audiologist administers advanced computerized tests that determine how well your brain, eyes, ears, neck, back and joints are working to maintain balance. Based upon these findings, therapists specializing in balance and vestibular rehabilitation develop a customized treatment plan based on specific areas of impairment and functional limitations. Utilizing the latest technology and a team approach, the Center can help patients improve overall function and quality of life. If you suffer from dizziness or poor balance, I encourage you to seek the proper diagnosis and treatment so you can enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Steven Kmucha, M.D. is an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) affiliated with Seton Medical Center, Daly City.

93-year-old priest’s work inspires ecological commitment By Sharon Abercrombie OAKLAND, Calif. (CNS) – Passionist Father Thomas Berry – regarded as the dean of those working to relate ecology to spirituality – has inspired conferences, books, poetry and music, and courses in “earth justice” through his teaching and his writings. He has influenced communities of women religious in transforming their motherhouses into ecologically sustainable retreat centers. These are some of the ways that followers of Father Berry are getting the word out about what the priest says is the clarion call of the 21st century – to move from being a disrupting force on the earth to being a benign presence. Some of those followers came together July 17-20 at the Sophia Center at Holy Names University in Oakland to celebrate the lifelong work of the 93-year-old priest, author and cultural historian. Father Berry, who resides in a retirement home in North Carolina, was unable to attend the conference, which drew about 200 people. Among the speakers were Passionist Sisters Bernadette Bostwick and Gail Worcelo, who were inspired by Father Berry to co-found the Green Mountain Monastery in Vermont. They went to Vermont from St. Gabriel’s Passionist Monastery in Clarks Summit, Pa. Green Mountain is an “ecozoic” monastery, promoting the well-being of the entire earth community. This “ecozoic” concept is what Father Berry calls “the great work” that “everyone is involved in and no one is exempt from,” no matter what his or her particular work or occupation. So far the monastery has one large building; a hermitage constructed of straw bales; and a yurt, or a circular tent. Three women are currently in the discernment process to become members, said Sister Bernadette, and “we have 120 companion members” who help with the organic garden and summer retreat programs.

Passionist Father Thomas Berry was honored during a July 17 conference on earth spirituality at Holy Names University in Oakland.

To help raise funds, the monastery sells a little blue and white clay earth rosary that Sister Gail has created. The two sisters also give workshops around the country

during the summer to help support the monastery’s work. Sister Bernadette is an artist and vegetarian cookbook creator. An icon she created titled “Mary of the Cosmos” was featured in a 2005 earth calendar published by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Ogden, Ill., and in a 2004 book titled “Missing Mary: The Queen of Heaven and Her Re-emergence in the Modern Church,” by Charlene Spretnak. Sisters Bernadette and Gail are both women who are active in the Vermont chapter of Interfaith Power and Light, which promotes energy conservation. Also on the program were Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, who both teach Yale University on religion and environment. They were doctoral students of Father Berry when he taught at Jesuit-run Fordham University many years ago. Tucker and Grim are coordinators of the Forum on Religion and Ecology, which recognizes that religions need to be in dialogue with other disciplines – such as science, ethics, economics, education and public policy – to seek comprehensive solutions to global and local environmental problems. They travel all over the world to environmental conferences. Another speaker was Drew Dellinger, a poet, teacher and cultural activist who lives in California. He discovered Father Berry when he was a teenager in Chapel Hill, N.C., and was close to dropping out of high school from boredom. He eventually went on to teach classes about the priest’s work at Prescott College in Arizona. He is the author of “Love Letter to the Milky Way,” a collection of his poems, and he teaches at area universities. During an afternoon session July 19 at the Sophia Center, Dellinger reminded his audience that “the universe tells its own story in myriad ways.” Every leaf tells its story through photosynthesis, for example, he said, and people need to develop the sensitivity to read this story “in every leaf, in every snowflake.”

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August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

S11

Mass to thank 7 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur jubilarians By Tom Burke Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur celebrating jubilees will be honored at a Mass of Thanksgiving Aug. 17 at 2 p.m. at Cunningham Memorial Chapel on the campus of the congregation’s Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. Sister Catherine Arnoldy is celebrating 80 years as a religious. After graduating from Notre Dame Academy in Marysville in 1927, Sister Catherine entered the Notre Dame Novitiate. “I am grateful for 98 years of life and 80 years as a Sister of Notre Dame,” she said, noting she has “been happy in all the places I’ve served.” Sister is a former member of the faculty at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Elementary School in Redwood City and has taught additionally at schools throughout California and Oregon. Today she lives in retirement in Los Gatos. Sister Marie Barbara Buckley is celebrating 70 years as a religious. Sister Buckley has dedicated 40 years to teaching history and social studies with energy and enthusiasm. She is a former member of the faculty at the congregation’s Notre Dame High School in Belmont and the now-closed Notre Dame High School in San Francisco. She resides at Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland. Sister Paula Catherine Dolores Butier is celebrating 60 years as a religious. “My strong attraction to religious life came from a rootedness in family, Church and Notre Dame schools,” she said. Sister Butier, a singer with a degree in music, has served at the congregation’s schools in San Jose and San Francisco and for 25 years as teacher and principal at Notre Dame High School in Belmont. Today she lives at the Sisters’ Province Center on their Belmont property. Sister Ann (Francis Ann) Stubbe is celebrating 60 years as a religious. “Young children are so life-giving,” she said, recalling her years teaching elementary school, establishing day-care centers and as a Head Start supervisor in a West Virginia mining community. Sister Stubbe now resides in the congregation’s Province Center in Belmont. Sister Christina Marie (Eloise) Trudeau is celebrating 60 years as a religious. Born in Los Angeles, Sister Trudeau knew from her earliest years she wanted to be a Sister but says she “ didn’t let it show.” Sister Trudeau was a founder of the Notre

Sister Catherine Arnoldy

Sister Christina Marie (Eloise) Trudeau

Sister Marie Barbara Buckley

Sister Paula Catherine Dolores Butier

Sister Joan (Marie Angele) Panella

Dame Early Learning Center and the Early Childhood and Montessori Teacher Training programs at the congregation’s Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. Today, she lives and serves the farming community of Pajaro teaching parents how to help their children improve their reading. Sister Joan (Marie Angele) Panella is celebrating 50 years

History of Archdiocese to air August 17 on KRON

Sister Ann (Francis Ann) Stubbe

Sister Kathryn Keenan

as a religious. Sister Panella met the Sisters of Notre Dame at their high school in Belmont and was attracted to what she learned of their commitment to education and the poor. She has taught at schools in Salinas, Alameda and San Jose and served as campus minister at San Jose State University and was part of the Diocese of San Jose’s “groundbreaking outreach to gay and lesbian Catholics.” Sister Panella serves today as residence coordinator at the Sisters’ Province Center in Belmont. Sister Kathryn Keenan is celebrating 25 years as a religious. A graduate of Notre Dame High School in Belmont, Sister Keenan joined the congregation after graduating college. She is a former kindergarten teacher at San Francisco’s Mission Dolores Elementary School, and has served in Peru and Nigeria. Sister Keenan holds a graduate degree in counseling and has also worked for Catholic Charities in that capacity. Currently, she serves in leadership of the Sisters’ California Province.

The 150-year history of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Franciscan Father Floyd Lotito, Msgr. Eugene Boyle, former head in its journey from the Gold Rush to today will be presented of the Archdiocesan Social Justice Commission and now a retired Aug. 17 at 5:30 a.m. on KRON Channel 4. The half-hour pastor of the Diocese of San Jose, and Noemi Castillo, former television documentary, “Proclaiming the Gospel: A History of director of the Office of Ethnic Ministries of the Archdiocese. the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” will be broadcast without Well-known character actor, Joseph Campanella, provides commercial interruption. the narration. Michael O’Leary, now director of the Office of The documentary was one of several major events in Stewardship of the Archdiocese, served as producer. 2003 marking the sesquicentennial of the Archdiocese of San O’Leary also was sucFrancisco, which was established in 1853. cessful in seeking grant Material for the video was drawn largely from the “History funds. of the Archdiocese of San Francisco” authored by histoLEARN ROSARY MAKING rian Jeffrey Burns, Ph.D. The A Catholic Tradition television script for the docuContact us for a catalog and introductory offer! mentary was written by Christa LEWIS & COMPANY Resing, who directed the video, Dedicated to Rosary Making! Maurice Healy, director of (800) 342 - 2400 rosaryparts.com Communications and Outreach for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, who served as NOTICING CHANGES? ARE YOU WORRIED? senior producer, and Burns. Dr. Shapira, MA, MHA The history video contains I can help you by: Clinical Gerontologist many photographs and archival • supporting your life while helping your parents AN IDENTITY IS STOLEN motion pictures, some of which • making sure everyone gets what they need were made available for the • assessing physical, emotional, environmental status production by KRON-Channel • assessing memory loss 4. Contact with KRON Senior Producer James Swanson was • helping make the right decisions with care ARE YOU PROTECTED? options through counseling and family mediation facilitated by Msgr. Harry Schlitt, archdiocesan vicar for Aging Mentor Services Inc. I’m Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock and 457-55-5462 is my real Social Security number.* administration. 650-728-5827 http://agingmentorservices.com your information. And remember, what we don’t I give it out just to prove how safe your identity Photographs and live footstop, we’ll fix at our expense, up to $1,000,000. is with LifeLock. age capture highlights of I’m so confident in LifeLock’s ability to protect my the history of the Church in identity I publish my Social Security number. To LifeLock, the industry leader in identity theft northern California during the give you that same level of confidence and peace protection, takes proactive steps to help reduce A Referral Agency of mind, I’d like to give you LifeLock for 30 days, the risk of identity thieves destroying your credit past 150 years, from the arrival absolutely free. and ruining your good name – even if they get Elderly Care/Housekeeping QUALITY HOME CARE REFERRAL of the first Archbishop of AND PAYROLL SERVICE San Francisco, Joseph Sadoc Here’s what you’re getting with LifeLock: SERVING THE BAY AREA SINCE 1996 Alemany, to contemporary + Proactive Identity Theft Protection + WalletLock™ – Help replacing the contents of events including the papal visit We provide: + Reduced Junk Mail and Credit Card Offers a lost wallet** of 1987 and the Jubilee Mass • Attendants • Companions + Request Free Annual Credit Reports + $1 Million Total Service Guarantee in 2000. • Hospice/Respite Care Kevin Starr, Ph.D., noted historian, author and California DAYS FREE Competitive Rates. State librarian, is the primary All Service Providers carefully screened CALL 800-891-3198 on-camera commentator in the We are insured and bonded documentary. Additional perspectives are given by Burns, For more information: Presentation Sister Stephanie Tel: (415) 759-0520 Fax: (415) 759-8924 Still, Mercy Sister Marilyn 2021 Taraval Street, STE. 2 • E-Mail: IrishHlp@aol.com * Never share your Social Security number unnecessarily. * * WalletLock excludes pictures, cash and other monies. Gouailhardou, Holy Family Website: www.irishhelpathome.com No payment, no obligation for 30 days. After 30 days your credit card will automatically be billed. You can cancel at any time without penalty. Sister Michaela O’Connor,

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

My Will I have a will. Two months ago I couldn’t say that. It took the death of a close friend to wake me up. Now I’m wondering why I procrastinated so long. Let me tell you about my will. My will reflects my wishes. Instead of the courts

I can change or amend my will. It is not set in

appointing an executor (personal representative), my son will handle this, and without bond.

concrete. I can change it easily, whether adding a codicil or by simply having it redrafted. The important thing is that I have a workable will in place-right now.

My will makes provision for family members in a way state laws would not do. My will lets me give money to my children and grandchildren in an orderly manner after I pass on. My will identifies my parish and the Archdiocese to receive special bequests. In short, my will allocates my assets according to my desires.

My will is safely stored. I have a copy of my will in my files at home, but I keep the original in a safety deposit box. I don’t want to lose this important document through fire or theft. I also made sure my personal representative, my son, knows how to find my will.

My will is legally valid. I went to an attorney who

My will provides peace of mind. For years, I lived

specializes in estate planning. She knew the right questions to ask and the best way to accomplish my goals. I was tempted to take a short cut and use one of those will documents I saw at the stationary store. I even thought of just sitting down and writing out my will on a piece of paper, a sort of do-ityourself project. I’m sure glad I didn’t fall into that trap. After all, why do a will and then spend the rest of your life or the last moments of life wondering whether it is truly valid?

with a nagging apprehension about what would happen if I died without a will. Those feelings are gone. I now have a sense of peace about these matters. It took a little time and effort and it cost a few dollars, but it was well worth it all.

My will is up-to-date. This is because I only

If you do not have a current, valid will or comprehensive living trust, we at the Archdiocese of San Francisco urge you to care for this very important matter. Not only will such planning benefit your loved ones, we believe that you will want to remember the Archdiocese as well.

recently created it and it reflects my current situation. But life never stays the same. Within a few years, new laws may arise. Family members may have different needs. My estate may change. As my attorney says, “An out-of-date will could be as harmful as having no will at all.”

We can assist you by providing information about wills and charitable bequests. Feel free to call (415) 614-5580, email development@sfarchdiocese.org, or use the handy response coupon below.

____________ Please send me free literature about making a will. ____________ I have already provided a bequest for the Archiocese of San Francisco in my will. ____________ Please invite me to the next Planned Giving Seminar. Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

Phone:

Mail this form to: Archdiocese of San Francisco, Office of Development One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone (415) 614-5582 ● Fax (415) 614-5580 ● Email: development@sfarchdiocese.org

August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

The Catholic Difference

Humanae Vitae – the hearing it deserves It’s hard to imagine a less auspicious time for the reception of a papal encyclical reaffirming the Church’s classic teaching on the morally appropriate means of family planning than the summer of 1968. Now, 40 years after it was issued, Pope Paul VI’s letter, Humanae Vitae, may finally be getting the hearing it deserves. Why? Because the developed world is in demographic crisis from decades of plummeting birth rates. Because younger women have figured out a truth that eluded their mothers in the Sixties: the sexual revolution – made possible in part by easily available contraception – is great for predatory men, and not-so-great for women. And because John Paul II’s “theology of the body” has set the Church’s teaching in an engaging, humanistic framework. The Catholic Lite Brigade will doubtless make this anniversary year the occasion to celebrate two generations of theological dissent. Wiser souls will ponder the wreckage caused by the sexual revolution, especially to women, and think again. There still remains a lot of confusion about the Church’s teaching on marital chastity, in part because most of the Church’s ordained leadership has done a poor job of explaining it. Leadership on this front has come primarily from lay scholars and activists – the formidable Janet Smith, prima inter pares; Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; now a successor generation, including Christopher West, Helen Alvare, Colleen Carroll Campbell, and Pia de Solenni. Thanks to these brave souls, and many others in the natural family planning and new Catholic

feminist movements, what Paul VI was trying to say has a chance of being heard – in part, because it’s being said in a vocabulary familiar to 21st century young adults. It bears repeating yet again, because the mainstream media consistently get it wrong: the Catholic Church does not teach an ideology of fertility-at-all-costs. To the contrary: the Catholic Church teaches that every couple has a moral responsibility to welcome new life as a gift from God, to consider the number of children they can rear and educate, and to order marital life in concert with those two responsibilities. Where the Church is boldly countercultural is in teaching that the morally appropriate means to regulate fertility is through biology rather than technology. Natural family planning according to the rhythms of biology, the Church proposes, honors the integrity of women and the special nature of the marital bond; natural family planning honors, if you will, the iconography of marital sexual love and its dual nature as both love-sharing and life-giving. Technological means of family planning impede that. No one imagines that this is easy. But then no one should imagine that marriage is easy, either. The testimony of Catholics who faithfully live the truth about marital love and responsibility is that the rhythms of sexual love and sexual abstinence involved in natural family planning enhance relationships, deepen conversations, and enrich marriages humanly and spiritually. The contempt in which Humanae Vitae and natural family planning are held in some quarters may have less to

do with a serious moral appraisal of different methods of family planning than it does with different appraisals of the sexual revolution itself. “Natural,” after all, is one of the sacred words George Weigel of the secular world. So why the tsunami of vitriol thrown at Paul VI and his proposal that natural family planning is the more humane and humanistic approach? I think it has something to do with the fact that Humanae Vitae laid down a cultural marker. The Catholic Church was not going to cave to the spirit of the age as so many other religious bodies had done. The Catholic Church was not going to declare that sex is just another contact sport: not because the Church is prudish or repressed or misogynist, but because the Church takes men and women seriously, and because the Church imagines the love of Christ for the Church as spousal love. It’s a pleasure to discover how many young women get this, today. Maybe men – and the theological establishment – will catch up in due course. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

Potpourri

Right to life, right to bear arms? Discussions at our after-Mass coffee klatches cover a wide range of subjects, the timeliest being the pros and cons of gun control. Opinions on the subject run the gamut from approval to uncertainty to disapproval. Just as it seemed our group had reached an impasse, someone challenged, “Would you purposely shoot Jesus?” Gasp! The debate resumed, this time more heated as the majority seized on the religious angle tossed into the fray. Several pointed out the hierarchal support of banning gun ownership for self-defense voiced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and individual clergy as well. Buoyed by this surge of support, the “shoot Jesus” challenger proceeded to expound on her notion that our constitutional right to bear arms might imitate the sin of deicide. She reasoned that because an intruder entering your home to steal your possessions and/or do violence to your family is “made in the image and likeness of God,” he should not be deliberately killed. This is not only illogical, it smacks of the heresy of Patripassianism – that God died on the cross. We’re all made in the “image and likeness,’’ but the intruder breaking into our home is not emulating the goodness of God, but has made a choice to do evil. It’s doubtful that the Jesus who nearly vaporized the crooked money

changers in the temple with his explosive voltage, would fault us for reacting similarly when a different type of thief invades our own temple to take our lives or possessions. Still, most in the group felt Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is the villain, not the interloper. A conservative Catholic, Scalia is a proponent of originalism which is based on the principle of the Court interpreting the Constitution to mean as precisely as possible what its original audience would have understood it to mean. Therefore, he concludes that constitutional law ensures our right to have a gun and to use it in self-defense. The assumption that the possession of handguns will promote violence and should be banned for the common good is contrary to the belief of most that the personal liberty of self-defense is a right. St. Gabriel Possenti agreed. In l860, while still a seminarian, the intrepid saint used handguns to rescue Italian villagers in Sola del Gran from a terrorizing gang of marauders. There is an international movement requesting the Vatican designate him as Patron of Handgunners. Owning a gun does not come with a guarantee that one will use it to kill. Justice Scalia reminded the Court that the handgun is Americans’ preferred weapon of self-defense in part because “it can be pointed at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the police.”

Justice Scalia’s reining in of the judicial activism of judges, who too often coddle the criminal and go beyond their constitutional duties of qualifying existing legislation to fit their personal Jane L. Sears conception of societal needs, has been long overdue. Hopefully, the American bishops will start listening to these Catholic justices who do not make their decisions arbitrarily. Those bishops, and all Catholics, who try to make the case that gun ownership contradicts the “right to life,” might consider the suggestion of St. Gabriel Possenti Society founder, John M. Snyder, that “the right to life does not end with birth but continues throughout natural life and includes the right to self-defense and the right to arms for self-defense.” Certainly, the valorous St. Possenti would agree. Jane L. Sears is a freelance writer and member of Our Lady of Angels Parish, Burlingame.

Making a Difference

Gun control: a matter of common sense Tony Magliano After the deadly shootings at Colorado’s Columbine High School, it should have happened. After the fatal shootings in a small Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania, it should have happened. And after the worst single mass shooting in U.S. history at Virginia Tech, it should happen. But what should have happened and still probably won’t happen is the passage of strong, comprehensive federal, state and local gun control laws. Critics of gun control like to say, “Guns don’t kill, people kill.” But easy access to guns makes killing human beings far simpler and more deadly. With the purchase of a Glock semiautomatic weapon, Seung-Hui Cho was able to kill 32 students and faculty and wound many more at Virginia Tech. Why are average citizens -- yet alone mentally disturbed people like Cho -- allowed to obtain automatic or even semiautomatic weapons? Furthermore, the reportedly large ammunition clip that Cho used was previously outlawed by the federal assault weapons ban of 1994. Foolishly, Congress allowed that law to expire. With more bullets in each clip the assailant was able

to fire more quickly, thus killing more innocent people. The United States has increasingly become a violent society. Factors like materialism, secularism, relativism, nationalism, careless parenting, unmonitored teenagers, peer pressure, selfishness, indifference, crudeness, rudeness and the mindlessly violent media have all contributed to America’s rising violence. All these factors need to be seriously addressed. But the dangerous role that guns play in our culture is undeniable. America leads the world in firearm violence. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (www. bradycampaign.org), in 2004 firearms were used in the murders of 11,624 people in the United States. During that same year in England and Wales -- which have tougher gun control laws -- firearms were used to murder 73 people. According to the Brady Campaign, the number of people killed at Virginia Tech is the same number of persons murdered on average every day in the U.S. by firearms. In 2004, approximately eight children and teenagers were killed every day with guns in the United States. Furthermore, solid data show that a gun kept in the home is 22 times more likely to be used in an unintentional shooting, criminal

assault or homicide or in an attempted or completed suicide than it would be used in an act of self-defense. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence states that “elected officials continue to ignore our gun violence epidemic.” The campaign is asking us to urge our government officials to strengthen laws that address corrupt gun dealers and to pass legislation banning gun trafficking. Since mandated background checks only apply to gun sales by licensed gun dealers, four out of every 10 gun purchases are completed without any check. Therefore, it is imperative that legislation be passed to extend mandated background checks on all gun sales and under all circumstances. States and Congress are being urged to stop traffickers from buying unlimited numbers of guns that are later sold illegally. The Brady Campaign points out that “a person who buys a dozen guns at a time is not using them for hunting but for resale to criminals on the streets.” Our nation desperately needs these and other strong, comprehensive gun control measures passed into law. It is a matter of common sense and good moral judgment. Tony Magliano is a Catholic News Service columnist.

Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture reflection

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a; Psalm 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33 A READING FROM THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 1 KGS 19:9A, 11-13A At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the Lord said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord — but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. I will hear what God proclaims; the Lord — for he proclaims peace. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land. R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. The Lord himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps. R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS ROM 9:1-5 Brothers and sisters: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

DEACON JOHN DUPRE

‘It is I who comforts you’

A READING FROM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW MT 14:22-33 After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Praise the Eternal One to whom all praise is due! We thank almighty God from whom all blessings flow, this 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, as we proclaim that our God is worthy of perpetual praise even in today’s weary land. We will bless the Lord at all times, and his praise shall ever be on our lips. Pray with me from the 14th Chapter of the Good News according to the evangelist, Matthew, the 22nd through the 33rd verses on the theme, “Tossed about and turned to doubts.” The setting is plainly at the Sea of Galilee, where the 12 Apostles had been made to precede ahead of Jesus in a boat to the other side of the sea. Recall with me last Sunday’s Gospel story, and Jesus miraculously feeding 5,000 people, not counting women and children, with a mere two fishes and five loaves of bread. Now evening drew near and Jesus remained to give a benediction to the crowd. Then, Jesus alone to himself climbed a mountain that evening solely to pray. Jesus looked up to his heavenly father and raised his voice with praise and thanksgiving for another day of his father’s many blessings. Indeed, Jesus prayed alone throughout the evening, and then late into the night. Meanwhile, his disciples, many of whom were former fishermen before their calling by Jesus, were only a few miles offshore tossed about by waves and turned about by winds against them. Suddenly, they saw someone walking on the waters, and they were simply terrified. Indeed, they thought they had seen a ghost, and they cried out loudly with fear. Jesus coming close to their boat said in substance, “Take courage, show heart, ...it is I; do not be afraid and have faith in me and have faith in God.” Yes, Church, our apostles had been tossed about, and they turned to doubt. As many of us embarked upon the symbolic boat, called mother Church, the Ship of Zion, we have been tossed about by the trials and tribulations, controversy and conflict. Yes, Church, it is these times when we also are vulnerable to the unpleasant experiences of fears and doubts. Yes, Jesus cried out for recognition from his apostolic witnesses recalling the messianic, prophetic words from Isaiah 51:12 which proclaims, “I, it is I, who comforts you. Can you then fear mortal man, who is human only, to be looked upon as grass?” Jesus also recalls Isaiah 43:10, “You are my witnesses, says the Lord, my servants, whom I have chosen to know and believe in me and understand that it is I. Before me no God was formed, and after me there shall be none.”

Then, Peter moved eagerly and impulsively in a moment of recognition and love, asked Jesus to command him to come to the savior on the water. He cried out to the Lord, who opens up a way in the sea and a path on the mighty, raging waters. We recall the words of Job, who said, “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads the sea.” Peter began to walk over these troubled waters and experienced the bridge of God’s saving grace. He, too walked the waters, but when the winds came against him, it frightened him and he began to doubt. Indeed, he had been tossed about and began to doubt. Yes, Peter was sinking into the deep abyss of the sea. Not having time for a long prayer, Peter uttered three words, no doubt one of the shortest prayers ever prayed, “Lord, save me!” Then, Jesus caught Peter and queried him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And why did Peter doubt? Tossed by waves and turned by winds, why do we doubt and turn from the master’s comfort? God is calling us today to walk the waters with him, but first we must recognize him on the troubled sea of these restless, violent times. But yet as Charles Tidley said, “We cannot understand all the ways that God leads us to his blessed, promised land, but he leads us by his eye and we’ll follow ‘til we die, and we’ll understand it better, by and by.” The hymnist said, “We are often tossed and driven on the sea of restless time, somber and howling tempest often succeed a bright sunshine. In the land of perfect day, when the mists have rolled away, we will understand it better by and by.” Yes, Church, by and by, when the saints of heaven have gathered home, we will tell the story how we’ve overcome this tossing by waves and turning by winds of these times, and we’ll understand it better. Though we are tossed by waves and turned by doubts, God is calling us to walk and talk that closer faith relationship with Jesus. This is our faith as witnesses and disciples of Christ. We are proud to profess our faith and glad that Christ gives us faith to possess. We must utilize it to do God’s service toward building up his kingdom of heaven for the glory of God. Alleluia. Alleluia. Amen. Deacon John Dupre has served at St. Anne of the Sunset Parish, San Francisco, since 1993. His ministries include baptism formation, baptisms, preaching and social justice ministry.

Feast of Assumption

Finding renewal in veneration of Mary One of the marvelous treasures Catholics possess is their understanding of and devotion to Mary, mother of the Lord. This is something upon which we might ponder and pray as the Church approaches the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15. While many other Christians also claim and share this treasure, how unfortunate that some God-fearing people do not cherish and value the magnificent gift of Mary in their lives. To know and love the Blessed Virgin Mary and to give her prominence in our faith life is a special gift of God. Jesus Christ himself has given us the example of how to cherish this gift of his mother and ours. He invites our cooperation with her to present him, our Redeemer, to all people. We should be reaching out to her to help put us in closer touch with her Son. All Christians, not only Catholics, know and revere the Virgin Mary in the New Testament. How can she be

overlooked in Scripture? Here we encounter the appearance of an angel to tell her she is to be the mother of Jesus, the savior; the birth of Jesus in a stable; the fretful mother looking for her child during a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem; her intervention at the wedding feast at Cana; her deep sorrow at the foot of the cross; her calming presence waiting Pentecost. Theologian Lawrence Cunningham has observed: “The New Testament portrait of Mary is, like everything in the biblical text, artlessly simple, tantalizingly enigmatic, and religiously inexhaustible.” To appreciate how inexhaustible the New Testament verbal portrait is, simply trace the development of Marian theology and devotion. From Christianity’s origin, both its leaders and followers have engaged in frequent, passionate, and thoughtful consideration of Mary’s role in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. Professor Cunningham reminds us that the pursuit of deeper and more complete

understanding of Mary “helps to explode the oft-repeated charge that Mariological beliefs are late accretions to Christianity.” The universal acclaim of Mary throughout history is Brother John nothing short of pheSamaha nomenal. The greatest painters, sculptors, composers, poets, authors and scholars repeatedly paid tribute to her, and did so rhapsodically. To name but a few, consider the inspiring poetry of Dante, the stirring music of Bach and Schubert, and the soulful art of Fra Angelico, Giotto, Murillo, SAMAHA, page 18

August 8, 2008

Catholic San Francisco

Thirteen Sisters of Mercy mark 2008 jubilees

Sister M. Joanne De Vincenti, RSM

Sister Rosemary Sullivan, RSM

Sister Kathleen Marie Kinney, RSM

Sister M. Cecile Ley, RSM

Sister Jane Meuse, RSM

Sister M. Rachel Torrez, RSM

Sister Patricia Williams, RSM

Sister JoCeal Young, RSM

Sister Judith Carle, RSM

Sister Kathleen Connolly, RSM

Sister Mary Brian Kelber, RSM

Sister M. Lorita Moffatt, RSM

(Thirteen members of the West Midwest Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas are celebrating jubilees of religious life during 2008. The jubilarians are from what was formerly the Burlingame Regional Community in California and Arizona.)

60 YEARS Sister M. Joanne De Vincenti entered the Sisters of Mercy in Burlingame after her training at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Phoenix, Ariz., professing her vows in 1948.She holds a graduate degree from St. Louis University in healthcare administration. Sister De Vincenti is a former administrator of St. Mary’s Medical Center and serves there today as coordinator of guest relations. Sister Rosemary Sullivan entered the Sisters of Mercy after graduating from St. Peter’s Academy in San Francisco, professing vows in 1948. She holds a doctoral degree in microbiology from the University of Notre Dame. Sister Sullivan is a former superior general of her congregation’s Burlingame Community and for the last 15 years has served at their Mercy High School there.

50 YEARS (profession Jan. 25, 1958) Sister Kathleen Marie Kinney first met the Sisters of Mercy when she was a student at Bishop Conaty High School in Los Angeles. She returned to Conaty in 1984 as a religion teacher following more than 25 years at schools throughout the West. It is her intent to teach young women to think, pray and walk with justice. Sister M. Cecile Ley showed tremendous musical talent as a young woman in San Diego, which she developed in the Mercy community, and later shared as part of the Mercy School of Music in Burlingame. She also taught in elementary schools for 25 years and was in parish ministry for four years. Presently she is using music therapy with behavioral health patients at Scripps Mercy Hospital and Scripps Mercy Chula Vista.

World Youth Day . . . ■ Continued from page 8 Opera House for the stations. This was another surprise because we were told only pilgrims assigned to this area could witness the stations. I was amazed by the sobering silence from the crowd of on-lookers. We were full participants in these stations – the sentencing by Pilate, the scourging and crowning of thorns and the carrying of the cross. We were also witness to Jesus boarding a small vessel to be carried across the Sydney Harbor to Barangaroo, an old shipping yard on the bay of Darling Harbor transformed for World Youth Day for the opening

Sister Jane Meuse has taught for 49 years at schools including Our Lady of Angels in Burlingame and currently St. Anne Elementary School in San Francisco. Perhaps the insight that her students are also her teachers has kept alive her passion, creativity, and kind but firm discipline. She is as fresh and current today in her approach to teaching as she was nearly 50 years ago. Sister M. Rachel Torrez is a nurse with degrees from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix and Arizona State University and a record of substantial posts in the field including director of nursing at Sonoma Valley Hospital. Since 1997 she has served with the Arizona State Board of Nursing as a nurse practice consultant. Sister Patricia Williams (formerly Sister Raphael Marie) spent a year after her graduation from Bishop Conaty High School in the business world but soon felt the call of religious vocation. After her profession, Sister spent 17 years teaching at St. Anthony and Our Lady of Guadalupe schools and briefly at St. Gabriel and Holy Name. She has also served in parish work at St. Peter Parish in the Mission District. Sister Williams returned to Burlingame in 1989, taking on a variety of ministries, especially acupressure, which she hopes to continue into her retirement years. Sister JoCeal Young has taught and served as principal at schools throughout California and is a former associate superintendent of schools for the Diocese of San Jose. She has also served in health ministry. One of her most rewarding experiences continues to be her work with a volunteer medical group that travels to various parts of central Mexico to perform free surgeries for children with cleft lips, cleft palates and crossed eyes. Mass, welcoming Pope Benedict and the Stations of the Cross. I had wondered how the actor portraying Jesus would carry the heavy cross across Sydney to the final site for the Stations of the Cross, and the water image was a fitting reminder of our baptism and our continual renewal of those promises when we bless ourselves with water. Our small group wanted to attend the

50 YEARS from entrance Sister Judith Carle was a Mercy woman from the beginning, born in San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Hospital and educated by the Sisters of Mercy at Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School in the Sunset District and then Mercy High School. She is a former regional community president and vice president with long service at both her alma mater – where she teaches today - and Mercy High School in Burlingame Sister Kathleen Connolly comes from a family proud of its many Sisters and priests, some who have served as missionaries in Africa. Father Ben Cummins and retired Oakland Bishop John Cummins are her cousins. She attended Mercy High School, Burlingame, and was attracted by the Sisters’ love of community there, later teaching for 22 years, mostly seventh and eighth grades, in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Bakersfield. She then moved to Pocahontas, Va., as part of the Mercy Federation’s New Foundation’s project. She loved working with the people of Appalachia. Currently she is as a social worker with Catholic Charities Refugee Fostercare Program in San Jose. Most of the children in her caseload are from refugee camps in Africa. Sister Mary Brian Kelber has served as a nurse and academic since her first days as a student at the University of San Francisco’s School of Nursing. She is a former head nurse in pediatrics at St. Mary’s Hospital and supervisor at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix and a member of the USF nursing faculty since 1976. She is well known for Fully Alive, a health program for women emphasizing exercise and healthy attitudes. For her jubilee, Sister Kelber wrote: “Those of us in nursing and nursing education share a common ministry with one another on

behalf of the sick we care for and on behalf of our entire world. Ever giving to another in healing or walking in company with a dying person are ways of sharing Christ’s life and love with those whose lives we touch.” Sister M. Lorita Moffatt knew as early as fourth grade at St. Gabriel Elementary School in San Francisco that she would become a Sister of Mercy. So it was no surprise when she entered the community following her graduation from Mercy High School, San Francisco, in 1958. She is a former member of the faculty at her high school alma mater and a founder of the Sisters’ House of Prayer in Chatsworth. Since 1992, she has served on the program staff at Mercy Center in Burlingame giving spiritual direction, retreats and spiritual formation. Sister Joyce Turnbull is a former member of the nursing faculty at the University of San Francisco and San Jose State University and ministered for 15 years in home health and hospice. Sister Turnbull resumed her ministry in nursing education when she began a nursing education program in the Mission District of San Francisco. She is now teaching nursing at the City College of San Francisco.

Vocations Expo held near Darling Harbor, so we boarded a ferry. To our surprise, we were also able to witness the Stations of the Cross at Barangaroo as we passed in our ferry. The sight of the three crosses set against the background of the cliffs aglow with colored lights with a full moon rising was mesmerizing. We fell silent as we remembered the gift of our Lord of his life. My camera battery had gone dead earlier in

the day and so I enjoyed this sight and blessing without interference and restriction through a camera lens. The ritual of remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion and death allowed the space and time for reflection on the beauty and joy that is World Youth Day – the coming together of the young Catholic Church in fellowship and celebration. These tens of thousands of pilgrims will bring this renewal of Spirit back to their faith and social communities around the world. Thank you, God, for surprising me; for allowing me to appreciate your gift of this great celebration of life. (Website for Campus Ministry and Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese is www.sfyam.org.)

Sister Joyce Turnbull, RSM

Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Letters . . . ■ Continued from page 10 gifts were given to us: we renewed our marriage vows twice – the first time in The Cachot and this year in Neveres in the church with St. Bernadette by our side.Our family has become closer since we started to serve. The photos you printed are wonderful. They made me want to return right away. Nora Ward Santa Rosa

Evil of abortion Why is it some Catholics do not fully understand the evil of abortion - the killing of our most vulnerable citizens? Judging from readers’ responses, some people do not comprehend it is the killing of innocent human life. Opposing abortion is not a political opinion. It is a sin against the Fifth Commandment. We need to hear this from our bishops and priests so the faithful completely understand the evils of this heinous act. It is a spiritual work of Mercy to instruct the ignorant. How can anyone who condones the killing of innocent babies approach the priest for holy Communion with a clear conscience? Denying the Body of Christ to those who support abortion is not a political tool. When the priest says “The Body of Christ,” we reply “Amen.” We are publicly saying, “Yes, we do believe this is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

The Eucharist is not a symbol. It is truly Jesus Christ who died for us at Calvary. If we do not believe this doctrine, we as Catholics should not be receiving the holy Eucharist. Maureen Daley Sonoma

Not personal opinion A July 11 letter writer accused Catholic bishops of withholding “the holy Eucharist from any Catholic whose political opinions vary from their own.” Continuing, she finds it “completely objectionable and unconscionable to use Communion as a political tool to force devout Catholics to vote for a particular candidate, and do not see any theological or moral justification for it, either as a ‘guideline’ or as an official policy mandate.” Such accusations belie a dearth of understanding of Catholic moral teaching as well as the role of the bishops and Catholic laity in the social arena. The bishops are charged with promulgating, defending and safeguarding the basic teachings of Christ’s Church with the Real Presence in the consecrated host being first and foremost. The distribution of Communion to persons properly disposed to receive it requires by definition that the participant be “in communion” with the Church - the mystical body of Christ. When Catholics publicly and consistently defy basic, non-negotiable tenets of Church teaching on issues such as abortion, contraception, infanticide, euthanasia/ assisted suicide and marriage as other than

one man and one woman they effectively removed themselves from communion with the Church; it is not done to them. When Catholics support these stands we put our souls in grave danger of mortal sin. This is not my nor the bishops’ personal opinions. It is the teachings of Holy Mother Church. There is no political leader, candidate or party who fully represents Catholic social/moral teaching. It is our task to choose those who come the closest, giving proportionate weight where Church teaching is clear. The Church is not a political body. It is the Body of Christ. Pray hard. Mary McCurry Pacifica

Why title change? California Attorney General Jerry Brown has changed the title of Prop 8 from “To provide that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California” to “Changes the California constitution to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry.” This implies that at present the California Constitution gives that right. As we know, that so-called right was put upon us not by the Constitution but by a 4-3 vote of our state Supreme Court. The strategy of those who are in favor of same-sex marriages has been to get as many “married” as possible so that we are “taking away rights that already exist.” Technically, the right does not exist as the California legislature did not amend the statutes that define marriage. However, our attorney general and those in charge

Funeral Services Directory

of our county court houses have rushed to give this “right” to those who wish to make a mockery of marriage. Steven J. Catalano Manteca

Rosaries needed Catholic San Francisco has run some impressive articles about our Blessed Mother Mary and various devotions honoring her. I’d like to recommend a means of fostering the Marian mission. The need for rosaries is increasing in the missions and in poor countries around the world, as well as here at home. There is a large need for more rosary makers. One lady took it upon herself to enlist new rosary makers and direct them to Our Lady’s Rosary Makers (OLRM) in Louisville, Ky. She pursued this ministry by placing announcements in parish church bulletins across the U.S. The results were very good. She is no longer able to do this. Will your readers help to continue this good work? OLRM has a “Holy Rosary Apostolate Kit” available free. The kit explains how you can place free announcements in parish Sunday bulletins. The process is simple. If you can help, please contact the office of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers: (502) 968-1434. E-mail: info@olrm.org Web: www.olrm.org. Write: Our Lady’s Rosary Makers, P.O. Box 37080, Louisville, KY 40233-7080. George Murad San Francisco

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Catholic San Francisco

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SPAIN AND FATIMA

New team to lead congregation Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur delegates from 14 countries elected a new team to lead their international congregation for the next six years at their July 10-31 General Chapter held at Notre Dame de Namur University and Notre Dame High School in Belmont. The leaders are, front: Sisters Teresita Weind (general moderator),left, and Nancy O’Shea; back, from left: Sisters Jeanne MacDonald, Liliane Sweko and Maria Delaney. The gathered delegates recommitted the order to “education in all ministries; actions for impoverished, exploited and abused women and children; and efforts to address environmental abuses,” a news release stated. The leadership team will assume office in Rome in December.

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

Music TV

Books RADIO Film stage

Play memorializes 1960s at Star of the Sea Academy “The nun in our show, Sister St. Peter, taught us just for senior year,” ColmanPatty Colman-Lawler, Judi Albi Rechsteiner Lawler told Catholic San Francisco. “She and Kay Alimisis Ellis, all 1965 graduates of exposed us to journal writing. We feasted on San Francisco’s Star of the Sea Academy, the sonnets and Hamlet, novels and classics wondered like many teens of that era just both and all at the same time. She believed what their futures would bring. Spurred by our lives important. Sister St. Peter represents memories and nostalgia evoked by a class the fine and courageous women of the Sisters reunion 40 years later, the trio have written of St. Joseph of Carondelet and honors the “The Lower Gym,” a musical recapping their education many of them imparted to us. She anticipation. The production plays Aug. 21, died young – a published poet, beloved by 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. at many, especially her religious community of Notre Dame de Namur University Theater, women who cared for until her death. She is 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont. a model of compassion.” The three young women and others like The principal at the time was Sister them were “conflicted about joining the Aileen Francis who is now deceased. “She turbulent and uncertain world of the 1960s,” was a sweet and gentle woman,” Colmansaid information circulated by Notre Dame de Lawler said, “and we did not make life Namur University promoting the show, whose easy for her. She was always good to us, plot begins on “the last day of finals and the loved the theater and produced our senior night of the prom with graduation only a few musical in which Kay, Judy and I happily Stephanie Lundin, left, and Rebecca Fazio rehearse for “The Lower Gym,” days away.” participated.” a new musical opening at Notre Dame de Namur University Theater Aug. 21. “It is an ensemble piece of song and dance Judi Albi Rechsteiner and Colmanwith the only spoken dialogue being a smatLawler’s daughter, Ann Lawler, direct tering of soliloquies and announcements from the P.A world of girls schools with a juke box and Coke machine the show. Producers are Dutch Fritz, Mary Hill and where we were left to sing and dance.” system,” said Colman-Lawler. Michael Elkins, whose Ebenezer Scrooge is known to The show pays tribute to the school’s uniqueness, tens of thousands of Peninsulans by way of the annual “Star of the Sea Academy, home to the lower gym, was a remarkable place for many reasons during our stay,” she Colman-Lawler said, as well as homage to the Sisters “Christmas Carol,” now in its third decade at Notre continued. “We were located in the heart of the City – the of St. Joseph of Carondelet, under whose tutelage the Dame. Richmond, of course – and we were a singular bunch in the school existed. Star of the Sea Academy closed in 1986. Celebrity graduates include late actress and comedienne, Gracie Allen. Star of the Sea Elementary School celebrates it 100th year in 2009. Tickets are $10. “The Lower Gym” is part of Notre Dame’s “Twelfth Annual Labor Day Festival.” Sharing Eternal Word Television Network, the 24-hour Catholic Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., and Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. the marquis Sept. 3, 4, 5, 6 at 7:30 p.m. is the school’s network, will broadcast a number of special programs “To the Parents of Teens: What You Need to Know” “Short Play Series.” Call (650) 508-3456 or e-mail boxin August including the Mass of the Assumption of the in two episodes seeks to help guide parents guide teens office@ndnu.edu. Blessed Virgin Mary on Aug. 15 at 5 a.m., 9 a.m., 4 p.m. toward healthy and holy lives; the segments will air Aug. and 9 p.m. from the monastery chapel of the Franciscan 26 and 27 at 12 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Missionaries of the Eternal Word. All times are Pacific Time. EWTN is carried on Comcast “What Every Catholic Needs to Know About Hell” Channel 229, Astound Channel 80, San Bruno Cable will feature well-known Catholic clergy, apologists and Channel 143, DISH Satellite Channel 261 and Direct TV theologians offering perspectives on Church doctrine Channel 370. Visit www.ewtn.com for more information. about hell on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m., Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. and Aug. 22 at 1 a.m. AUG. 21 SUMMER EVENING SERIES “The Nun” will provide an inside look at a religious 7-9 pm Visual Journaling vocation taking shape in the environment of European Chiara’s Lantern Catholic family life, according to ETWN. The documenAUG. 22-24 YOUNG ADULTS RETREAT tary focuses on a Swedish family and daughter Marta who Awaken To The Sacred has decided to become a Carmelite nun; air times are 300 Manresa Way, Los Altos, CA 94022-4659 Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, OFM

By Tom Burke

Assumption, vocations and hell among ETWN topics

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Paula Jenkins AUG. 23

VALLOMBROSA CENTER Summer Retreats & Spirituality Programs

SEPT. 12-14

MARRIED COUPLES Awaken To The Sacred Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, OFM Michael John & Mary Poirier

2008 THEME:

Conferences and Meetings

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ST. CLARE’S RETREAT

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“OUR CONNECTIONS IN THIS WORLD” Sept. 5-7, 2008 Ursula Caspary Frankel, MS

“MEMOIR WRITING – BEYOND LESSON ONE” Sept. 5, 2008 Ursula Caspary Frankel, MS 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

“SACRED HEALING” Sept. 17, 2008

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•

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2381 LAUREL GLEN ROAD SOQUEL CA 95073 E-mail stclares@sbcglobal.net Web site: www.nonprofitpages/stclaresretreat Reservations for weekends must be made by mail and accompanied by a $10 non-refundable deposit per person. Suggested retreat donation $115.00 private room, $105.00 per person double room.

Aug. 15 Aug. 17

The Saints of Summer A Silent Retreat for Men Fr. Gerald F. Hudson, S.J. Saint Thomas More (June 22); Saints Peter and Paul (June 29); Saint Thomas the Apostle (July 3); Saint Benedict (July 11); Saint Ignatius of Loyola (July 31). Though based in past circumstances seemingly different from today’s, these saints’ struggles, triumphs, and service can speak to us and teach us as we learn from their lives. Aug. 22 Aug. 24

Friendship With Your Higher Power A Non-Silent Recovery Retreat for Women Fr. Tom Moran We will discuss how to grow spiritually in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous -- in times of complacency and in times of difficulty. Our focus will be on the 3rd, 10th, and 11th steps. Sept. 12 Sept. 14

“Try to Remember . . .” A Silent Retreat for Men & Women Sr. Patricia Galli, R.S.M. Memories, pleasant and unpleasant, can powerfully influence our lives. In this retreat we will examine, through the lens of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, how remembering times when we have experienced God’s love in our lives has formed us and continues to do so.

AUGUST 15-17 21-24 29-31

Retrouvaille: Alumni Only Digging Deeper Long Retreat: Fr. Vito Perrone “Contemplation with St. Joseph II” Portuguese Retreat

SEPTEMBER 5-7 12-14 19-21 26-28

WOMEN: Fr. Serge Propst, OP “The Stages of Prayer” WOMEN: Fr. Serge Propst, OP “The Stages of Prayer” WOMEN: Fr. Serge Propst, OP “The Stages of Prayer” WOMEN: Fr. Serge Propst, OP “The Stages of Prayer”

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Sept. 26 Sept. 28

The Vision of Ellacuría and Teilhard A Non-Silent Retreat for Men, including the Men of Los Altos Fr. Dave Ayotte, S.J Through this meditation from the Second Week of the Exercises, retreatants will be invited to greater detachment in order to develop a global vision on behalf of the poor. We will look at two figures who lead the way: Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., and Fr. Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J.

For more information and to make reservations, kindly call 650-948-4491 Email: retreat@jrclosaltos.org Web: www.jrclosaltos.org

August 8, 2008

Respect Life Events

Vallombrosa Retreat Center Aug. 9, 7 p.m.: New Yam Festival Dinner at St. Catherine of Siena School auditorium, 1310 Bayswater in Burlingame. Proceeds help provide free health care for people of Afikpo, Nigeria, the home of Father Edward Inyanwachi, administrator of St. Catherine Parish. Last year’s free medical appointments served more than 7,000 people as the line in this photo attests. Evening features foods and music of Nigeria. No reservations or tickets are necessary. Call (415) 336-7857. Donations may also be sent to Afikpo Organization Inc., P.O. Box 1521, Bettendorf, IA 52722.

Summer to-dos Aug 9 -17: When visiting the San Mateo County Fair drop by the Legion of Mary of South San Mateo County who will have a booth in the Fiesta Hall. Catholic literature and religious articles will be available. More at www.sanmateocountyfair.com. Aug. 10, 17, 10:45 a.m.: Jesuit Father Tom Reese, a former editor of his order’s America magazine, speaks on politics, liturgy and justice at Fromm Hall behind St. Ignatius Church on the campus of USF. Aug. 10: “Symbolic Gestures and the Liturgy,” Aug. 17: “Justice and the Eucharist.” Contact Greg Fox at gfox@bfesf.com or Don Faloon at (415) 422-2195. Aug. 15, 8 p.m.: Refresh your soul … with a moment of peace and quiet … away from the busyness of life … listen to beautiful music … join others in prayer and song around the cross … offer your restlessness and worries to Jesus, the One who understands … let the longing in our world and yours meet in Jesus the One who heals. Location: Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, Motherhouse Chapel, 43326 Mission Blvd. Fremont. For further information, contact Maria Shao, (408) 839-2068 or maria49830@aol.com. Aug. 15-17: “The Saints of Summer – a Silent Retreat for Men” directed by Jesuit Father Gerald F. Hudson at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos. The saints of summer include St. Thomas More (June 22); Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29); St. Thomas the Apostle (July 3); St. Benedict (July 11); and St. Ignatius of Loyola (July 31). These saints’ struggles, triumphs and service can speak to us today. Father Hudson is a former member of the faculty at St. Ignatius College Prep and joined the staff of the JRC in 2006. Call (650) 948-4491 or visit www.jrclosaltos. org for more information and to register. Aug. 16, noon to 5: Annual picnic for separated and divorced Catholics and their families at San Bruno City Park, Site #9, Crystal Springs and Oak Avenues, San Bruno. Bring your family and a favorite picnic dish or snack to share. Tickets are $5/person, or $10/ family. Grilled hot dogs, sausages, condiments, plates, napkins and utensils will be provided. Share food, socializing, fun and games. Those wishing to carpool from San Francisco will meet at the parking lot at St. Stephen’s near Stonestown at 11:30 a.m. For directions contact Vonnie at (650) 873-4236 or Gail at (650) 591-8452.

heaven can’t wait Serra for Priestly Vocations Please call Archdiocese of San Francisco

Aug. 19, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.: St. Emydius Parish, Ashton and DeMontfort St. in San Francisco, hosts a talk by Franciscan Sister Sheral Marshall on “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” Contact Joe and Peggy Koman at emjkoman@att. net or (415) 585-8260. Aug. 21, 22, 23, 7:30 p.m.; Aug 24, 2 p.m.: “The Lower Gym,” a “think tank” where Star of the Sea Academy seniors Judy Albi Rechsteiner, Patty Colman Lawler and Kay Alimisis pondered their upcoming entry into the uncertain world of the 1960s. The musical review written by the trio is part of this year’s Fall Festival of Plays at Notre Dame de Namur University at the school theater at 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont. Tickets are $10. Call (650) 508-3456 or e-mail boxoffice@ndnu.edu. Aug. 23, 2 p.m.: A concert benefiting Saint Patrick’s Seminary and University featuring Catholic music artist, John Angotti, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough St. and Geary Blvd. in San Francisco. Angotti is an award-winning composer and recording artist recently featured at the United States papal visit. He also performed at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. Also appearing will be choirs from St. Francis High School in Mountain View and Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park under the direction of Margaret Durando and Gabriel Lucas. General admission tickets are $75; $25 for students. For more information, visit www.stpatricksseminary.org or call (650) 325-5621. Aug. 24, 12:30 p.m.: Organ concert by Father Paul Perry, St. Sebastian Church, Bon Air Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Greenbrae. Enjoy works of Bach, Vierne, Langlais, Aylward, Mulet, Franck and others. One hour with commentary. No admission charge. Aug. 28, noon: Regular meeting of the Serra Club of San Francisco at the Italian American Social Club, 25 Russia St. off Mission Street in San Francisco. Jesuit Father Mario Prietto, rector of the University of San Francisco Jesuit community and former president at St. Ignatius College Prep is guest speaker. Cost: $15 for lunch. Non-members welcome. Contact Paul Crudo at (415) 566-8224 or pecrudodds@aol.com. Sept. 5 and subsequent first

Sept. 7, Mass at 11 a.m. with picnic from noon – 4 p.m.: CYO Family Day at St. Ignatius College Prep, 37th Ave. at Sunset Blvd. in San Francisco. It’s an afternoon of CYO fun with family and friends featuring a picnic, all-day swimming with licensed lifeguards on duty and a festival to celebrate the

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St. Mary’s Cathedral Gough and Geary St. in San Francisco – (415) 567-2020. Ample parking is available free of charge in the Cathedral lot for most events. Aug. 12, 7:15 p.m., Cathedral Event Center, Hall C: “St. Clare: The Hidden Evangelizer.” Free of charge, all are welcome to take part in this lecture which focuses on this lifelong friend and spiritual sister to St. Francis, principal patron of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Talk is followed by a reception with light refreshments. Presented by Stephen C. Cordova of the St. Anthony of Padua Institute. For more information, contact stephencordova@yahoo.com. Second and Fourth Fridays through September at 7:30 p.m. in Cathedral Event Center, Monsignor Bowe Room: Discussions of Plato’s Works, a series on the philosophical works of Plato, with the goal of recapturing the wisdom of the ancient authors on perennial and Catholic questions. The series is offered free of charge. For a complete list of dates and reading materials visit: http://www.stanthonypaduainstitute.org/phisem_ flier.pdf. Presented by Reynaldo Miranda of the St. Anthony of Padua Institute. For more information, call (888) 619-7882, or e-mail MagisterTextus@ StAnthonyPaduaInstitute.org.

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, or e-mail burket@sfarchdiocese.org.

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Fridays of the month: Catholic Marin Breakfast Club meets at St. Sebastian Church, Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Bon Air Rd. in Greenbrae for Mass at 7 a.m. with breakfast and talk following. San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William J, Justice is guest speaker Sept. 5. Archbishop George H. Niederauer will speak Dec. 5. Presentation Oct. 3 will address upcoming elections and Nov. 7 gathering offers opportunity to learn more about the Knights and Dames of Malta. Members’ breakfast $7/visitors $10. Call (415) 4610704 weekdays or e-mail sugaremy@aol.com. Sept. 6, 1 p.m.: Third Order Mass to welcome Bishop William Justice as new auxiliary bishop, St. Thomas More Church, 1300 Junipero Serra Blvd. San Francisco followed by reception. All Lay/Secular Orders and those interested in knowing more about the lay vocation are welcome. Call (408) 730-5385 or e-mail mary_munden@hotmail.com. Sept. 6, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Second Annual Northern California Lay Convocation at University of San Francisco’s McLaren Center, 2130 Fulton St. in San Francisco. Visit www.NorCalLayConvocation. org for details.

350 Oak Grove Ave. in Menlo Park - Call (650) 325-5614 or visit www.vallombrosa.org. Aug. 29-31: A Retreat for Families and Friends of Alcoholics: Alcoholism is a family disease and takes a long and deep toll on those who love alcoholics, work with alcoholics, are related to alcoholics and who have been on an emotional roller coaster with them.Whether the alcoholic is a parents, a spouse or a child, support and refreshment are needed. This weekend will look at the tools and treasures of AlAnon. There will be conversation, prayer, quiet and time to rest and share experiences, strengths and hope. Retreat director Jesuit Father Tom Weston has been an active member of the recovery community since 1976.

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kickoff of CYO Athletics’ Fall Season. Enjoy games and activities plus hot dogs with all the trimmings. Tickets are $10 per person for events and $5 per person for picnic lunch. Call (415) 972-1233 or visit www.cccyo.org. Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m.: Concert by Jesse Manibusan at St. Raphael Church, 1104 Fifth Ave. in San Rafael. Jesse has the special gift of being able to engage and reach out to any individual -- either one on one at a confirmation retreat, or within a large group of teens at a youth rally, or with a crowd of 500,000 people at World Youth Day. “This dynamic performer will touch your soul and have you praising God with him,” say planners. Suggested donation of $5 for individuals or $30 for parish youth groups. Reception afterward. Contact Chris Lorentz at (415) 454-8141, ext. 28 or e-mail clorentz@saintraphael.com. Sept. 19, 6 p.m.: The Four Pillars gala at St. Mary’s Cathedral will honor Archbishop George H. Niederauer with proceeds benefiting St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park in its mission of “the initial and ongoing formation of priests” for service in a “contemporary and multicultural world.” The evening will feature entertainment by Diana Stork of Festival of Harps as well as an exclusive wine auction. The event takes its name from the four pillars of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. Tickets are $150. Call the seminary at (650) 325-5621 or visit www.stpatricksseminary.org.

Datebook

Aug. 17, 5:30 p.m.: “Pasta Per Vita,” a spaghetti dinner benefiting the Respect Life Program of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, at Knights of Columbus Hall, 167 Tunstead, San Anselmo. Evening includes entertainment by pianist Patrick Blake and a talk by Bill May of Catholics for the Common Good. Tickets are $15/adults, $5 children/ 6 – 12, under five free. Call Peggy Bartley at (415) 457-6386. Sponsored by St. Anselm Reverence for Life Prayer Group and Knights of Columbus. Please buy tickets by Aug. 10. Aug. 23, following 5 p.m. Mass: Bioethics Barbecue and Potluck dinner at St. Sebastian Church, Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Bon Air Rd. in Greenbrae. Legionaries of Christ Father Joseph Tham, a physician, ethicist and member of the faculty at Rome’s Pontifical University, will speak on the challenges faced by Catholics today in the area of bioethics. Sponsored by the Respect Life Program of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Contact Vicki Evans at (415) 945 – 0180. Sept. 13, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.: “End of Life Issues Conference,” sponsored by the Respect Life Program, Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns of the Archdiocese of San Francisco at St. Mary Cathedral Rooms A/B/C. Continuing education credit of 5 hours is available for nurses at a cost of $50. General admission is $35 (scholarships available), which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Speakers include Nancy Valko, RN, president of Missouri Nurses for Life; Carol Hogan, California Catholic Conference; Mary Male Schembri, Catholic Charities CYO. They will speak on contemporary end-of-life topics including definition of death, organ transplant issues, palliative vs. terminal sedation, assisted nutrition and hydration, hospice care, advance medical directives, California assisted-suicide legislation and conscience clauses. For information and registration, contact Vicki Evans (415) 614-5533 or vevans1438@aol.com.

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Raphael and Michelangelo. They and others have consistently sung Mary’s praises in the media of their expertise. Historically we may cite two reactions that adversely affected our appreciation of and devotion to Mary. The Protestant Reformation is the first. In the words of Lawrence Cunningham, “Despite a lingering devotionalism in the writings of Martin Luther, veneration of the Blessed Virgin was swept away with the same vigor and finality as monastic institutions, a celibate clergy, the Mass in Latin, and devotion to other saints. For the Reformation, devotion to Mary derogated from the worship of Christ.” The Catholic Counter-Reformation was the second reaction, and also proved unfortunate by swinging to the opposite extreme. In the effort to combat the Protestant errors, it “protesteth too much.” Some made Marian devotion a litmus test of Catholic orthodoxy. They pushed devotion to Mary to the limit, almost seating her on

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a throne next to God, or promoting bizarre devotional practices. The consequent reaction was damaging. Some devout Catholics who mistook the extremism as authentic were turned off and turned away from the genuine devotion that is part and parcel of the glory and beauty of Catholicism. Paradoxically some of the extremists were theologically well educated. The Second Vatican Council restored balance and set Marian devotion in proper order. The Council fathers exhorted “theologians and preachers of the divine word to abstain from all gross exaggerations as well as petty narrow-mindedness in considering the singular dignity of the Mother of God.” After rejecting “sterile or transitory affection,” and “a certain vain credulity,” Vatican II situated Mary and Marian devotion firmly in the total context of Catholic faith. Christian life without Mary is inconceivable!

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Catholic San Francisco

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NOVENAS Retreat PUBLISH A NOVENA Pre-payment required Mastercard or Visa accepted

Cost $26

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

Name Adress Phone MC/VISA # Exp. Select One Prayer: ❑ St. Jude Novena to SH ❑ Prayer to St. Jude

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

Please return form with check or money order for $26 Payable to: Catholic San Francisco Advertising Dept., Catholic San Francisco 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail.

Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assistme in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. M.A.B.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail.

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. M.A.B.

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

St. Jude Novena May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless pray for us. Say prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. Thank You St. Jude. Never known to fail. You may publish.

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

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DIRECTOR OF ADULT FAITH FORMATION

Devises, supervises, implements, and administers Archdiocesan adult faith formation programs aimed at fostering the theological education, spiritual formation, and ecclesial understanding of adults. Delivers program in accordance with the guidelines established by Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord and in conformity with the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers. The Position requires a Master’s degree in Theology and a minimum of 8 years’ experience in a diocese working with Adult Faith Formation; or any equivalent combination of education and experience which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions. Practicing Catholic, valid driver’s license and bilingual in Spanish with an understanding of bicultural sensitivity required. The successful candidate will be a member the Department of Evangelization serving the 125 parishes in Western Oregon. Religious or clergy interested in applying must have consent of their diocese or superior prior to submitting their application.

Please send your resume or curriculum vitae to mworkinger@archdpdx.org.

YOUTH MINISTER NEEDED ST. DUNSTAN PARISH, MILLBRAE, has an immediate opening for a part-time Youth Minister. The ideal candidate will have experience in Jr. High/High School Youth Ministry, Confirmation, liturgy planning and program development as well as strong interpersonal skills. We are looking for an enthusiastic team player who can help us build a strong Youth Ministry program at St. Dunstan Parish.

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Catholic San Francisco

August 8, 2008

New Yam Festival to aid health care

Father Edward Inyanwachi pictured at St. Gabriel Church in Afikpo, Nigeria.

By Tom Burke A chance to help young and old thousands of miles away will be available Aug. 9 at St. Catherine of Siena School auditorium in Burlingame. Supporters and others of good heart will gather for a New Yam Festival Dinner with proceeds going to provide health care to the people of Afikpo, Nigeria. The town is the birthplace of Father Edward Inyanwachi, who has recently completed doctoral studies in education – his parents are both teachers – at the University of San Francisco while serving at parishes here including Holy Name of Jesus in San Francisco and St. Catherine’s. The dinner will fund a two-week marathon of care at the diocese-owned Mother of Mercy Hospital in Afikpo. More than 7,000 people were seen and treated at last year’s appointments. The hospital, where Father Inyanwachi was treated as an infant, was founded in 1947 but in recent years has fallen into disrepair and suffers from outdated equipment and limited staff. Treatments are as simple as a sore throat and elaborate as what are now called procedures. “We do eye surgeries, appendix, and treat people for all kinds of conditions,” Father Inyanwachi said, recalling his mother telling him that she got in line at 5 a.m. on

More than 7,000 people were seen at no cost during last year’s “marathon of care” at Mother of Mercy Hospital in Afikpo, Nigeria.

the first day of treatment but was not seen until 3 p.m. Because health care in Nigeria must be paid for at time of service, many people cannot obtain it. “You pay when you go to the hospital whatever the hospital charges,” Father Inyanwachi said. “We don’t have a system with insurance and co-pays. The facilities are there, but the charges are high.” Treating physicians, who donate their expertise and cover their own transportation costs, come from the hospital, Afikpo and

the United States. Additional supplies and medications are purchased with money raised at the dinner here and, in previous years, at dinners held in other venues throughout the United States. A long-term plan to raise funds to renovate and upgrade the hospital is in the works, Father Inyanwachi said. The twoweeks of care takes place in December. Ordained in 1994, Father Inyanwachi is a priest of the Diocese of Abakaliki in Eastern Nigeria. Though the lure of the United States is strong, Father Inyanwachi’s heart and mis-

sion remains with his homeland. “I like it here and am happy for what I’ve learned, but I want to go back home,” Father Inyanwachi said in the parlor of St. Catherine’s rectory where he is serving as administrator. “I have family there and want to take what I’ve learned here and put it into practice there.” Afikpo is one of the major towns of Ebonyi State located in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. It has an approximate population of 175,000, according to the 2005-2006 Nigerian census. It is an ancient town known for its varied cultural dances and agricultural products including yams, rice, peanuts and corn. The 7 p.m. dinner featuring Nigerian recipes and entertainment is free with the hope those attending will be touched by the cause and make a donation. Father Inyanwachi said he hopes to raise $30,000 from the event. Call (415) 336-7857. Donations may be also be sent to Afikpo Organization Inc., P.O. Box 1521, Bettendorf, IA 52722.

NATIONAL ROSARY CRUSADE If My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 It is certain that America is at the most crucial moment of her history. At this time we would do well to keep in mind the power of the Rosary and the message of Fatima. The Rosary is not merely a devotion, it is a weapon. Never has this weapon been more needed than it is today. The Rosary has proven itself as a weapon of protection. Some of the battles in which victory was attributed to the Rosary are: The battle of Lepanto in 1571, which the Church commemorates on October 7th as the feast of the Holy Rosary; the battle of Vienna in 1683 and the battle of Belgrade in 1716. These battles were won against all odds by the power of the Rosary. In each instance Europe was saved from the forces of Mohammed. In the 20th century we have witnessed many examples of Rosary victories. After WWII, the Allies partitioned Austria into four zones. The Russians were in control of the most important section; Moscow, interested in maintaining its control in Austria, garrisoned a very large number of troops there. It was then that a Franciscan priest, Fr. Petrus Pavlicek, began a Rosary Crusade to save Austria. The Communists tried many times to take complete control but were not successful. In the meantime Fr. Petrus continued recruiting more members for the crusade. By April 1955 the crusade had 500,000 members. The Chancellor of Austria was summoned to Moscow, and was received on May 13th. He wrote: Today, a day of Fatima, the Russians are still hardened. Pray to the Mother of God that she aid the Austrian people. It seemed all was lost, but it was at this moment that God intervened. In May 1955 there was a miracle. The Russians suddenly granted independence to Austria. During the thanksgiving ceremony in Vienna all of the speeches attributed the victory to the Virgin of the Rosary. In 1964 Brazil came under Communist control and it was quite probable that all of South America would fall. Fr. Patrick Peyton had been organizing the Family Rosary Crusade in Brazil and during that time more than 5.5 million people attended. Once again the Rosary was victorious. The civil and military chiefs of the liberators were almost unanimous in attributing the victory to Our Lady of the Rosary. On April 25, 1974 the Communists came to power in Portugal. Four teachers launched a National Rosary Crusade and obtained pledges of a million Rosaries. In November of 1975, without bloodshed, the Communists relinquished their power. Those four teachers founded a new religious order known as Alianca de Santa Maria (the Alliance of Holy Mary), which continues to promote the Rosary in Portugal and abroad. In 1952 Bishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote “The World’s First Love”, a beautiful book about Our Lady. It includes a prophetic chapter titled “Mary and the Muslims”. Bishop Sheen makes it very clear that it is no mere accident that the Blessed Mother, in the 20th century, should have revealed herself in the little village of Fatima, so that to all future generations she would be known as Our Lady of Fatima. Fatima was the name of Mohammed’s daughter. Bishop Sheen believed that Our Lady of Fatima would convert the Muslims. We believe she is our only hope for the United States and the world. The culture of death has gained signiﬁcant control in our political affairs in recent years. It is obvious that we cannot overcome this evil on our own. Politically speaking, we are in the minority. That should not discourage us because God always works with minorities. When victory comes, there will be no doubt that it is the result of the power of God, not the actions of men. We are now engaged in a war against worldwide terrorism perpetrated by those who profess to be Muslims - disciples of Mohammed. The fact that our culture has surrendered so many of its core Christian values to the Culture of Death fuels their determination to convert or destroy us. For that reason, we must take up our most powerful weapon: the Rosary. It has saved us in the past and it can save us now. We must ask Mary for the grace to convert our enemies and ourselves. Our prayers and the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary will help to establish the reign of Christ the King.

To read the entire chapter by Bishop Sheen about “Mary and the Muslims” you may gobyto:Bishop Sheen To read the entire chapter about “Mary and the Muslims” www.nationalrosarycrusade.com may go towrite our web site:at: Oryou you may to us www.nationalrosarycrusade.com National RosaryCrusade, 1370 Trancas St., BoxOr355, Napa, CA 94558-2912 you may write to us at: You mayCrusade, also order theTrancas book Street National Rosary 1370 Box 355, Napa, CA 94558-2912 “The World’s First Love” by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen which includes Youchapter may also on order the book “The First the “Mary and theWorld’s Muslims” Love” by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen which includes from: the chapter on “Mary and the Muslims” from: Ignatius Press, P.O. Box 1339 Ignatius Press, P.O. Box 1339 Ft.Ft.Collins, CO 80522 Collins, CO 80522 1-800-651-1531 • www.ignatius.com

On November 9, 1976, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) said: “We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the Anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel”. It is time to launch a National Rosary Crusade to save America and the world. If you are moved to pledge one Rosary a day, for the conversion of America and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, please ﬁll out the form below and mail it to us. That way we can keep track of the number of people making pledges. Also, please feel free to make copies of these materials and pass them on to your family and friends. If you have a computer you can check out the web site: www.nationalrosarycrusade.com. Please direct questions to the P.O. Box below or our email address at: questions@nationalrosarycrusade.com. With Our Lady’s help we can bring about another great Rosary victory! Amar A Dios, Carole Duncan and Jeannine Eason National Rosary Crusade, 1370 Trancas Street, Box 355, Napa, CA 94558-2912

NATIONAL ROSARY CRUSADE PLEDGE On this day I pledge to join the National Rosary Crusade by praying ﬁve decades of the Rosary every day to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparation for my sins and the sins of America. If you are already praying a rosary a day, just add the intentions of the National Rosary Crusade to that rosary. Signature________________________________ Print Signature________________________________ Date_____________ T Individual

T Family: Number of Members_____

Mail to: National Rosary Crusade, 1370 Trancas St., Box 355, Napa, CA 94558-2912