Catholic san Francisco
(CNS PHOTO FROM REUTERS)
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Haitians attempting to flee floodwaters on Haiti’s National Highway climb off the back of a truck that overturned near Gonaives. Many residents of the island nation were caught off guard by flooding from Tropical Storm Jeanne. Reports put the number of dead at more than 660.
Caribbean and southeastern U.S. receive help from Catholic agencies By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — As the Caribbean and southeastern United States endured one of the worst hurricane seasons in memory, parts of Haiti was devastated by floods and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne before it headed out to sea. Jeanne, which at times reached hurricane levels, struck just days after Hurricane Ivan swept through the Caribbean and southern United States. Catholic relief agencies were providing emergency aid to some of the areas hardest hit by the storms and planned to donate significant funds to long-term recovery efforts. The Associated Press reported this week that floods in Haiti had killed more than 600 people and officials expected the death toll to rise higher. At least 500 people were killed in the northern city of Gonaives and hundreds more were left homeless. Half the city was still under water. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, at least 70 people died and in the United States 52 died. In the United States, Ivan battered the Gulf Coast, causing an estimated $3 billion to $6 billion in insured losses in Pensacola and other parts of Florida’s panhandle as well as in a significant portion of Alabama and areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. The effects of the deadliest U.S. storm since 1999 reached nine states, leaving more than 1.8 million people without power and causing flooding from northern Alabama to Virginia.
To help those on the already devastated island of Haiti, Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. church’s overseas aid and development agency, reallocated $25,000 from existing projects in the country to help storm victims. Meanwhile, those living on the Caribbean islands and in Florida continued to recover from the massive damage caused by Hurricane Charley in mid-August and Hurricane Frances just three weeks later. Catholic Charities USA has sent $25,000 in emergency relief grants to three local Catholic Charities agencies in Florida to support their recovery efforts in the wake of recent hurricanes. This initial help will be expanded to supporting long-term recovery efforts, bolstered by contributions of nearly $1 million to the charity for hurricane victims. Catholic Charities of Venice, Florida said it was already helping more than 20,000 hurricane victims daily after Charley, and Frances took an additional toll on the residents of several counties in the diocese. At least 50 church-owned properties in the Orlando Diocese reported some hurricane damage, ranging from minor leaks to flooding and damaged roofs. Catholic Relief Services sent $10,000 each to Grenada and the Bahamas for immediate emergency relief and $30,000 to Jamaica. It also sent $70,000 to the Cuban Catholic charitable agency, Caritas Cubana, in August after Charley ripped through the Havana and Pinar del Rio provinces. According to CRS, in Cuba alone, damage from Hurricanes Charley and Ivan was estimated at $1 billion.
In Grenada, Hurricane Ivan left 60,000 people homeless, representing two-thirds of the country’s entire population. The succession of storms in the Caribbean has “left people scrambling, especially those already vulnerable due to poverty,” said Jed Hoffman, CRS regional director for Latin America. “The challenge in the coming days and months is not just meeting immediate needs but also working with local communities as they begin the process of rebuilding.” Catholic Charities USA was continuing to channel hurricane relief donations through local Catholic agencies in U.S. states affected by hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan. Catholic Relief Services was doing the same in affected nations in the Caribbean. Contributions to Catholic Charities USA can be made by telephone at: (800) 919-9338; online at: www.catholiccharitiesinfo.org; or by mail to: Catholic Charities USA, 2004 Hurricanes Fund, P.O. Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788. Checks should carry a notation on the memo line “2004 hurricanes fund” or name a specific hurricane if desired. Donations to Catholic Relief Services can by made by telephone at: (877) HELPCRS (435-7277); online at: www.crs.org/make_a_gift/individual/index.cfm; or by mail to: Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. Checks should carry a notation on the memo line “hurricanes/Caribbean region relief” or name a specific hurricane if desired.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Sacred Heart parish . . . . . . . 5 Support for Prop A. . . . . . . . 6 This Catholic Life . . . . . . . . 7 Returning Catholics . . . . . . . 8 Commentary and letters . 12-13
Young Adults’ Fall Fest
National American Indian Museum
Movie review
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September 24, 2004
FIFTY CENTS
Scripture and reflection . . . 14 Nun receives award . . . . . . 18
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 6
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No. 30
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
On The Where You Live by Tom Burke Congrats to Liz and Kevin Hurley on the birth of their son Brendan Patrick July 7th. Liz grew up in St. Francis of Assisi Parish in East Palo Alto. Kevin grew up in the Sunset District’s Holy Name of Jesus Parish. They celebrated their first wedding Dr. Josie Maxwell and anniversary May Dr. Dorothy McCrea 31st….Prayers please for 4-year old Remy Zerber who is recovering from a brain aneurysm at Children’s Hospital in Oakland. Remy’s folks are Jamie and Kevin, and her little brother is 2-year old Tristan. By their side with meals and strength are their fellow parishioners at St. Matthias Parish in Redwood City. Remember that the annual Harvest Fest benefiting St. Matthias Preschool is October 2nd and not October 3rd as previously listed in Datebook where vital and correct info will fill you in on the fun day….Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! That was my response to the early ads I caught on the tube for The Nutcracker Suite, a forever beautiful staple of the Christmas season. As a one-time Santa at the hallowed Macy’s on New York’s Herald Square – the employee lunch room at the store is the one actually used in Miracle on 34th Street – I have great understanding of the need to ramp up to the holiday. But we haven’t yet even shopped for the Thanksgiving bird or Snickered our way through Halloween…. Next Saturday memories of all sorts will be rung in at an evening commemorating the Sisters of Mercy’s 150 years in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Scheduled to take place at the congregation’s Mercy High School, San Francisco, the gala will also celebrate Mercy Sisters who are alumnae of Mercy SF. Among the almost three dozen graduates are Sister Rosann Fraher, former principal Mercy High School, Burlingame; Sister Judith Carle and Sister Maureen Hally, who now both help staff their alma mater; Sister Sandy Flaherty, Religious Education Director at Epiphany Parish; Sister Linda Laine, faculty, St. Matthew Elementary, San Mateo; Sister Katie O’Hanlon, faculty, St. Anne of the Sunset Elementary; and Sister Eileen
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Most Reverend William J. Levada, publisher Maurice E. Healy, associate publisher & editor Editorial Staff: Jack Smith, assistant editor; Evelyn Zappia, feature editor; Tom Burke, “On the Street” and Datebook; Patrick Joyce, contributing editor/senior writer; Sharon Abercrombie and Jayme George, reporters Advertising: Joseph Pena, director; Mary Podesta, account representative Production: Karessa McCartney, manager; Tiffany Doesken Business Office: Marta Rebagliati, assistant business manager; Virginia Marshall, advertising and promotion services; Judy Morris, circulation and subscriber services Advisory Board: Jeffrey Burns, Ph.D., Noemi Castillo, James Clifford, Fr. Thomas Daly, Joan Frawley Desmond, James Kelly, Deacon William Mitchell, Kevin Starr, Ph.D., Sr. Christine Wilcox, OP. Catholic San Francisco editorial offices are located at One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109. Tel: (415) 614-5640 Circulation: 1-800-563-0008 or (415) 614-5638 Advertising: (415) 614-5642 News fax: (415) 614-5633; Advertising fax: (415) 614-5641 Adv. E-mail: jpena@catholic-sf.org Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published weekly except the Fridays after Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas and the first Friday in January, twice a month during summer by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014. Annual subscription rates are $10 within the Archdiocese of San Francisco and $22.50 elsewhere in the United States. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, California. Postmaster: Send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014 If there is an error in the mailing label affixed to this newspaper, call 1-800-563-0008. It is helpful to refer to the current mailing label.
Marianist Fathers and Brothers gathered for a Jubilee Mass at Archbishop Riordan High School, September 4th. Honored for their combined 270 years as members of the order were from left, Brother William Bolts, 50 years, Father Timothy Dwyer, 50 years, Brother James Leahy, 60 years, Father Steven Tutas, 60 years, Brother Patrick McMahon, 50 years.
Pazmino, secretary, Our Lady of Mercy Elementary. Helping Nancy and Ed, with his wife Brenda,” said Mary Donohue, put on the good time were school parents Maryann and Jeffrey Mary’s proud mom. Mary and Philip took their vows August Milla, whose daughter, Taylor is a junior; Anne and Rick 29, 1964 at Church of the Epiphany….Happy 40 years marRiley folks of Allison, class of ’04; Santos Ramirez-Soto ried August 1st to Kathie and Gene Semenza, long and active whose daughter, Karina is a junior; Rima and Louie Totah, parishioners of St. Robert’s in San Bruno. A fest at Caesar’s parents of Maryanne, class of ’04; Susie Flanigan whose Restaurant - the site of their rehearsal dinner – was enjoyed by daughter, Danielle, is a senior; and Nina and John Ward, more than 50 friends and relatives. Not to be missed were the whose daughter Anne is a junior. See Datebook. Also at couple’s children, Gene with his wife, Christine and their son, Mercy, SF it’s congrats to Gino; Susan Morrison, with principal, Dorothy McCrea, her husband, John, and their and fellow post-grad, Josie sons, Alex and Mitchell; and Maxwell, who both completed Richard, with his wife, doctorate degrees at USF’s Stephanie. Also attending was Institute for Educational Salesian Father Armand Leadership. Thanks to school Oliveri who witnessed the PR person, Roger Richter for nuptials at Sts. Peter and Paul fillin’ us in…. Happy Church four decades ago…. anniversary to longtime St. It only takes a moment to let Veronica Parishioners Helga us know about a birthday, and Uwe Zinck who are celeanniversary, special achievebrating their 25 years as husment, or special happening in band and wife with a cruise your life. Just jot down the through the Panama Canal. The class of ’44 from the City’s St. John Elementary School basics and send with a followThey took their vows at St. up phone number to On the recently gathered to talk about times old and new. Front Thomas More Street Where You Live, One from left: Nancy Nerney Kryst, Anita O’Connor Holborn, Church….Happy 40 years Ann Slattery. Middle from left: Connie Milazzo Skiner, Lois Peter Yorke Way, SF 94109. married to Mary and Philip Lotz Max, John Foran, Evelyn Lotz Luft, Joan Carey Ergas. You can also fax to Dowd of All Souls Parish. “A (415) 614-5633 or e-mail, do Back from left: Betty Murphy Johnston, Jackie Laine gala party was given in their Kriletich, Walt Johnson. The class offers a hats off to Walt not send attachments, honor by their children Paul, “who has organized our reunions and done a great job.” to tburke@catholic-sf.org.
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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS 415-614-5506 This number is answered by Barbara Elordi, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Barbara Elordi. 415-614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this nunmber. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
3
Young adults explore question: ‘Choices: What’s God have to do with it?’ Nearly 200 people attended the Annual Fall Fest for young adults in their 20s and 30s Sept. 18 sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office of Young Adult Ministry. The all-day event which included Mass, seminars, prayer, faith sharing, exhibitors, dinner and dancing was held at the University of San Francisco and St. Ignatius Church. This year’s theme, “Choices: What’s God have to do with it?” was incorporated throughout the program and was thoroughly explored by Orange County Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto in his keynote address, “Following the desire of your heart.” Bishop Soto, who also serves on the U.S. Bishops committee on Youth and Young Adults opened saying, “We live in a restless age . . . because there are endless alternatives and countless choices.” Bishop Soto listed the litany of choices available to young adult Americans, in clothing, food, career, consumer products, relationships, and said that the very multiplicity of choices can be an impediment to actually making decisions. Americans can feel that “if you choose you lose,” but that no one has “enough time or energy to choose all of the above.” Despite this paralyzing effect, “society prizes the choices we have . . . because choices mean freedom,” he said. Freedom is at the core of what it means to be human, and the Founding Fathers believed liberty to be a birthright endowed to us by our creator, Bishop Soto said. The present generation, however, “doesn’t understand the origins or the purpose of this God-given liberty,” he said. “Liberty has come to mean an unfettered pursuit of our own ambitions and pleasure . . . void of any responsibility . . . so freedom becomes an end in itself.” With this false understanding, “freedom becomes the enemy of choice . . . We decide not to
(PHOTO BY JACK SMITH)
By Jack Smith
Bishop Jaime Soto enjoys a break with Fall Fest staff.
decide so we can be unencumbered by our choices,” he said. This freedom as an end in itself leads to a paralysis and restlessness “because we still have not answered the question: Freedom for what? Freedom from what? Freedom for whom?” Bishop Soto said, “Our mind is confused, our conscience uncertain, and our heart is lonely because it desires to choose, but does not know how to choose.” As an antidote to this restlessness, Bishop Soto recommended the example of Saint Augustine, the 3rd century saint who also suffered a restless heart; pursuing his pleasure and finding no peace. Bishop Soto quoted Augustine, “O, Lord you made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Soto said, “the restless heart of Augustine found its true destiny in the embrace of God’s love.” The restlessness and choice of Augustine can help modern people understand their own restlessness and choice, Soto said. “Our hearts will only be free when they choose their true desire,” he said. This prescription seems not to make sense “because God is
Proclaiming Christ, Doing Justice Proclamando a Cristo, Haciendo Justicia Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco October 30th, 2004 Keynote Address: Proclaiming Christ, Doing Justice
Workshop: Carrying and Transforming Tension as Helping Bring About a More Just World
Come Hear the best spiritual writer for Catholic San Francisco
Rev. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI
For registration information call 415-614-5650 or www.sforeym.org Some of the other speakers are: Eleanor Ann Brownell Msgr. Ray East Catherine Murphy Rev. Steven Prevett, SJ Rev. David Pettingill Bishop Oscar Solis
Faith Formation: Faith & Believing: A Conversation R U Saved? Encountering Christ in Our Daily Life Saints Alive, There Are Saints Among Us Jesus: Real to Reel Sharing the Light of Faith “Doing Justice, Yes: but Receiving Justice First” Eucharist: A Call to the Table of Unity & Justice
In Español – Conferencia Principal Celina Rodriguez
La Justica Como Parte de Nuestra Vida
portrayed as the enemy of freedom” in the modern world. But Soto argued “because there is a God, we can be free . . . we can have a choice that will satisfy the hungry heart.” God is so “eager to satisfy” that he sent His Son so “we could find our hearts desire . . . to see and to choose our hearts desire.” Soto urged his audience to be disciples and followers of Christ “so we can choose to love as He loved us,” which is the true meaning and purpose of freedom. “We will be who we are meant to be when we choose Jesus,” he said. In response to a world which sees God as an enemy of freedom, Soto said “we are not defined by what we are against, but by the positive choices we make . . . to respect life, to give life, to share life.” Being a disciple and knowing Jesus requires a relationship with Christ, Bishop Soto Said. That relationship is based upon praying with and as Jesus did, living with Jesus in community, and “working with Jesus to announce, in both word and deed, the kingdom of God to others.” Bishop Soto again urged the audience “to leap in the waters of faith like Peter . . . embrace the Lord like Mary Magdalene.” Bishop Soto then explained in detail the
importance of prayer, community, and working with Jesus in building a relationship with Him and knowing Him. The fruit of this will reveal true freedom. “It is not a question of what I want,” Bishop Soto said, “but what the Lord wants of me . . . He has already placed that desire in our heart . . . Lord, what is your hearts desire?” The theme of God’s role in choices, community and vocation was continued through more than twenty seminars on offer throughout the day. Seminar topics included politics, spirituality, peace and war, parenthood, marriage and formation of conscience. This year also included a Spanish language seminar track for the first time. While presenters included scholars and professionals in ministry, young adults themselves also served as seminar presenters. Employment law attorney Michael Nader of Mountain View gave a lighthearted and humor laden survey of the seemingly dour subject of “The Theology of Work,” weaving together such disparate sources as Married With Children’s Al Bundy and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. St. Dominic parishioner Hans Ma Gonzalez gave a lecture on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas; the Divine aspects of Truth, Goodness and Beauty; and the meaning of the Incarnation. All of these were tied to the meaning of dance by the championship Ballroom Dancer who then led his class in a Waltz lesson. Mary Jansen is the Director of Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and has helped run Fall Fest for all of its eight years. She said the ability of the event to reconnect young adults to parishes is the truest measure of its success. Every year about fifty percent of Fall Fest participants are new, she said. “The idea of young adult ministry is not to take young adults out of parishes,” she said. The purpose is to reacquaint young adults with the Church and “get them connected to the wider parish and wider Church,” where they will then find a spiritual home, she said.
Catholic San Francisco
NEWS
September 24, 2004 Department’s sixth International Religious Freedom Report, issued Sept. 15. Under the International Religious Freedom Act, a “country of particular concern” designation can lead potentially to sanctions or other penalties. “Millions of people around the world live under totalitarian regimes where religious belief and practice are tightly controlled,” the report said. It said states use varying methods of restricting religious freedom, from enforcing discriminatory laws and policies or by forcing religious adherents to join “state-approved” churches. The report said that Saudi Arabia denies religious freedom “to all but those who adhere to the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam.”
in brief
Diocesan programs for abuse victims learning by experience
Tucson Diocese seeks bankruptcy protection
WASHINGTON — In 1996 when Michael Bland started organizing informal meetings of U.S. diocesan officials involved in outreach programs to clergy sex abuse victims, eight people showed up. At the 2004 meeting, 125 people attended, which reflects the growth in outreach programs since the U.S. bishops approved the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” Despite the growth, outreach programs are still a work in progress as such programs are new to most dioceses and the needs of victims are as varied as the personalities of those affected. “There is no fixed format for helping victims. You need to enter the process where they’re at,” said Bland, a victim of clergy sex abuse who has come full circle. Bland, a clinical therapist, is an ex-Servite priest who is now treating victims. He is also a member of the bishops’ National Review Board, which monitors church compliance with child sex abuse policies.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Facing 33 plaintiffs in 22 pending clergy sex abuse lawsuits, the Tucson Diocese Sept. 20 filed for federal bankruptcy protection. Tucson is the second diocese in the nation to seek court-supervised reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to resolve multimillion-dollar claims against it by alleged victims of childhood molestation by priests. In July the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., became the first major church body in history to make a Chapter 11 filing. In a letter to his people Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas said he believed “that this represents the best opportunity for healing and for the just and fair compensation of those who suffered sexual abuse by workers for the church in our diocese — those who are currently known and those who have not yet made the decision to come forward.” In a separate letter addressed “to all those who have been sexually abused by a worker for the church,” the bishop said that in meeting such victims he has listened to “your anger, your hurt and your sense of betrayal” from the abuse. “This has touched my heart and left me struggling to know how best to help you heal,” he wrote.
Abstinence programs run by Catholic groups get HHS grants
U.S. State Department issues report on religious freedom
(CNS PHOTO COURTESY UNITED NATIONS)
WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Eritrea were among the countries singled out for the first time by a U.S. State Department report for severe abuses of religious freedom. Myanmar, China, Iran, North Korea and Sudan again were designated as “countries of particular concern” in the State
Cardinal Angelo Sodano speaks during a world leaders summit on hunger and poverty at U.N.headquarters in New York Sept. 20. He said more funding is needed to fight hunger and poverty.
(CNS PHOTO BY ALESSIA GIULIANI, CATHOLIC PRESS PHOTO)
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WASHINGTON — Abstinence education programs run by Catholic Charities of Buffalo, N.Y., and the Diocese of Orlando, Fla., recently received grants totaling $3.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The ProjecTruth abstinence-until-marriage education initiative established by Catholic Charities of Buffalo in 2001 recently received a threeyear grant of $2.4 million. A one-year grant of $800,000 to promote abstinence education in Florida was presented Sept. 15 to Coadjutor Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando and Deborah Stafford-Shearer of the diocese’s Respect Life office by Wade F. Horn, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. ProjecTruth currently provides character-based, abstinenceuntil-marriage education to adolescents in more than three dozen public and private schools in western New York. More than 15,000 youths have experienced the program since it started. Orlando’s “Think Smart” program, run by the diocesan Respect Life office, aims to give young people between 12 and 18 years old an understanding of the social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining from premarital sexual activity.
Italian cardinal says world has lost faith in life after death ROME, Italy — Faith in God’s promise of everlasting life after death has been lost in today’s high-tech culture and violent world, said Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini. “Any reference to the hope of a life beyond death has been weakened or is altogether absent” in today’s culture, even in the words of someone who has just lost a loved one, he said. Cardinal Ruini, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, made his remarks Sept. 20 in his opening address to the Italian bishops’ permanent council meeting in Rome. “The reality of unexpected death” seems omnipresent in today’s violent world, especially in light of
– Notice of Non Discriminatory Policy as to Students – The All Souls School, So. San Francisco; Archbishop Riordan High School, San Francisco; Convent of the Sacred Heart Elementary School, San Francisco; Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco; Corpus Christi School, San Francisco; De Marillac Middle School, San Francisco; Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco; Good Shepherd School, Pacifica; Holy Angels School, Colma; Holy Name School, San Francisco; Immaculate Conception Academy, San Francisco; Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Belmont; Junipero Serra High School, San Mateo; Marin Catholic High School, Kentfield; Mater Dolorosa School, So. San Francisco; Mercy High School, San Francisco; Mercy High School, Burlingame; Mission Dolores School, San Francisco; Nativity School, Menlo Park; Notre Dame Elementary, Belmont; Notre Dame High School, Belmont; Our Lady of Angels School, Burlingame; Our Lady of Loretto School, Novato; Our Lady of Mercy School, Daly City; Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Redwood City; Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Daly City; Our Lady of the Visitacion School, San Francisco; Sacred Heart / St. Dominic School, San Francisco; Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco; Sacred Heart Preparatory, Atherton; Saint Anne School, San Francisco; Saint Anselm School, San Anselmo; Saint Anthony-IC School, San Francisco; Saint Brendan School, San Francisco; Saint Brigid School, San Francisco; Saint Catherine of Sienna School, Burlingame; Saint Cecilia School, San Francisco; Saint Charles Borromeo School, San Francisco; Saint Charles School, San Carlos; Saint Dunstan School, Millbrae; Saint Elizabeth School, San Francisco; Saint Finn Barr School, San Francisco; Saint Gabriel School, San Francisco; Saint Gregory School, San Mateo; Saint Hilary School, Tiburon; Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco; Saint Isabella School, San Rafael; Saint James School, San Francisco; Saint John School, San Francisco; Saint Joseph School, Atherton; Saint Mary Chinese Day School, San Francisco; Saint Matthew School, San Mateo; Saint Monica School, San Francisco; Saint Patrick School, Larkspur; Saint Paul School, San Francisco; Saint Peter School, San Francisco; Saint Phillip School, San Francisco; Saint Pius School, Redwood City; Saint Raphael School, San Rafael; Saint Raymond School, Menlo Park; Saint Rita School, Fairfax; Saint Robert School, San Bruno; Saint Stephen School, San Francisco; Saint Thomas More School, San Francisco; Saint Thomas the Apostle School, San Francisco; Saint Timothy School, San Mateo; Saint Veronica School, So. San Francisco; Saint Vincent de Paul School, San Francisco; Saints Peter & Paul School, San Francisco; San Domenico Middle, San Anselmo; San Domenico Priary, San Anselmo; San Domenico Upper School, San Anselmo; School of the Epiphany, San Francisco; Star of the Sea School, San Francisco; Stuart Hall for Boys, San Francisco; Stuart Hall High School, San Francisco; Woodside Priory High School, Portola Valley; Woodside Priory Middle School, Portola Valley; admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color or national origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administrated programs.
Pope John Paul II speaks during his Sunday Angelus at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sept. 19. The pope told pilgrims that the alarming escalation of terrorism in the world has marred the start of the new millennium and is troubling to the conscience of believers everywhere.
increasing terrorist attacks across the globe, he said. However, the way in which death is portrayed in the mass media and by film and television has trivialized the meaning of death, he added. Despite mankind’s attempts “to outrun” death or “exclude it from one’s thoughts,” the loss of a loved one hits the tragedy of the experience home for many people. But today’s culture has found no “compensation and substitute” to fill the void left by the current lack of “faith in the salvation that comes from God, his redemption and grace,” Cardinal Ruini said. Christ’s resurrection and God’s promise of everlasting life give deeper meaning to the unsettling experience of death, he said. The Christian meaning of death does not eradicate the fear or suffering which may arise from it, but it does make people closer to Jesus. One’s own death represents “taking part in the resurrection of Christ, our sharing in his divine life, just as he shared with us our human condition to the very end,” said Cardinal Ruini.
Commission warns of threats to human biological integrity VATICAN CITY — In a new document on the created world, the International Theological Commission warned that science and technology today offer the dangerous ability to “alter man himself” and destroy the biological integrity of human beings. The document said the biblical call to “stewardship” over the natural environment extends in a special way to safeguarding human life, which is created in God’s image. This understanding clearly rules out human cloning, destruction of embryos, genetic enhancement, abortion or euthanasia, it said. The 46-page document, titled “Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God,” was obtained by Catholic News Service in mid-September. The International Theological Commission is headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official. In discussing people’s relationship with creation, the document emphasized Christian teachings against unrestrained economic development and environmental damage. It also addressed evolution, saying evolutionary explanations of biological development were acceptable as long as they did not exclude God as a transcendent cause or exclude the universe as a setting for “a radically personal drama” involving God and man.
Author and Family Life Counselor
ROBERT FABING, S.J. will do a booksigning The event is for his most recent work
“The Spiritual Life – Recognizing the Holy.” PAULIST PRESS – $14.95 “If Christianity does not live out of its mystical core, it is not Christianity at all. This excellent book shows us how to live in the union we have been promised.” – Richard Rohr, OFM
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
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Sacred Heart parish to close; retrofit cost and demographics cited The idea of building lowincome housing on the site with a space for the Sacred Heart After a decade of seeking a Parish community to worship different solution, the fell victim to cutbacks in federal Archdiocese of San Francisco assistance for such construction. announced last week that Sacred Meanwhile, the Archdiocese Heart parish in San Francisco, of San Francisco requested and home to a church needing seismic received two extensions to try retrofitting estimated at $8 miland meet the UMB requirelion, would close by the end of ments of the City of San the year. Francisco, the last of which In making the decision to close expires Sept. 27. the parish, Archbishop William J. In his homily at Sacred Heart Levada acted upon the recommenChurch Sept 19, Msgr. Harry G. dation of advisors and following Schlitt, Vicar for Administration consultation with the Council of for the Archdiocese of San Priests. Francisco, spoke of the legacy of Archbishop Levada said, “It the historic parish and the admiis never easy for those involved ration it inspires. He also spoke or those affected to contemplate of the necessary stewardship of the closing of a parish, particuthe Archdiocese, the local larly one such as Sacred Heart, Church, which left little choice which has such an important but to close the parish. place in the history of the He urged the parishioners to Archdiocese of San Francisco.” have hope founded on love of Sacred Heart parish, foundGod and one another. “We are the ed in 1885, has been home to a Church, and wherever we go, diverse Catholic population. God will be there,” he said. The renowned church, at the Sacred Heart Church at Fell and Fillmore Sts. Msgr. Schlitt, explained the corner of Fell and Fillmore in the Western Addition, was built in 1897 and survived the reasons behind the closure, mentioning the cost of seismic retrofitting the church, and, at a time of a priest shortage, the 1906 earthquake, even serving as a focal point for relief. The 1989 Loma Preita earthquake left the church in a precar- difficulty in staffing a parish with a very small congregation. Monsignor Schlitt met with members of the Sacred Heart ious position. Netting is in place below the ceiling to prevent objects from falling to the floor of the church. As an unreinforced Parish Council Sept. 8 to explain the situation. In the discusmasonry building, the church structure could pose dangers for sion, parish leaders expressed a desire to find a place where the congregation could celebrate their Gospel Mass together. anyone in the building at the time of a future earthquake. Archbishop Levada voiced support for this goal and several “As the Archdiocese of San Francisco has grown and changed over the past 150 years, sadly, it is to be expected alternative sites are being investigated. Msgr. Schlitt said the that some of our historic parishes may fall victim to changing Sacred Heart congregation would be welcomed at several demographics that weaken the viability of a parish,” said parishes. He also noted that the time before the parish closes at Archbishop Levada. “But the principal factor in the decision, the end of the year provided an opportunity for parish programs, as with several parish closures a decade ago, is the damage such as the senior food program, to transition to a new site. “I’ve heard from several pastors of neighboring parishes resulting from the Loma Prieta earthquake – coupled with San Francisco’s UMB safety Ordinance, which would require who would gladly welcome Sacred Heart parishioners and their joyful Gospel Mass,” said Archbishop Levada. “I’m ready to do an impossible $8 million to retrofit the church building.” As a direct outcome of the 1989 earthquake, San Francisco anything I can to facilitate this transition for parishioners.” The parish school, which combined as Sacred Heart/St. enacted in 1991 an Unreinforned Masonry Building (UMB) Ordinance, which set deadlines for owners of UMB structures Dominic School last year, will remain open. This joint program has received broad support in funding and has seen an to seismically retrofit the buildings or demolish them. While Sacred Heart Church needed expensive seismic increase in enrollment. Archbishop Levada said he hopes retrofitting, the small congregation had little hope of raising that funds which may arise from the church site will be the millions of dollars needed. About 75 to 100 people attend used to help with the cost of operating the school. Father Paulinus Mangesho has been pastor at Sacred the Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart, while about 25 people attend the Saturday Mass. A weekday Mass has five parish- Heart parish since 2000. Before this, Father Kenneth ioners in attendance. The congregation is about one-half Westray, now pastor of St. Sebastian in Marin, led the parish between 1985 and 2000. African-American.
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Sacred Heart Church sees sweep of change Sacred Heart Parish was founded in 1885 when the Western Addition was inhabited mostly by people of Irish ancestry. By the 1920s, however, the area began attracting Italian-Americans and others. A ministry to African-Americans was begun by the Helpers of the Holy Souls, who opened a mission chapel in the Western Addition in 1928. In 1938, St. Benedict the Moor was established as a “national” parish for Black Catholics under the direction of the Society of the Divine Word. According to historian Jeffrey Burns, the AfricanAmerican community in San Francisco was quite small, less than one percent of the population, prior to World War II. Of the African-American population, less than three percent were Catholic. During World War II, the area experienced a large migration of African-Americans from the southern and midwestern states drawn by work in war-related industries such as shipbuilding in the Bay Area. By 1950, the African-American population in San Francisco had risen to more than 43,000, and climbed to 75,000 by 1960. By this time, the civil rights movement was in full swing in the southern United States, and was becoming active in California as well. With the growing awareness of racism in American society, a separate parish for Black Catholics seemed too much like segregation, so St. Benedict’s was closed. An additional reason for the closure, according to historian Clay O’Dell, was that Black Catholics were becoming better integrated into ordinary Catholic schools and parishes. While Father Eugene Boyle was pastor of Sacred Heart, (1968-72) the parish was noted for its social activism. A number of “War on Poverty” programs were operated at the parish. Since peaking at 96,000 during the 1970s, San Francisco’s African American population has steadily declined, falling to 79,000 by 1990. According to the 2000 Census, San Francisco’s African-American population was between 60,500 and 67,000, depending on whether those who listed themselves as more than one race are included. San Francisco lost more than one in seven AfricanAmerican residents in the 1990s – the highest rate of decline among the nation’s 50 most populous cities.
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
Archbishop asks support for San Francisco’s Prop A Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am pleased to write to you with a message of hope regarding the work of faithful citizenship as we begin to think about the decisions we face in the upcoming election. As Catholics, we are called to examine these issues through the lens of our faith. I would like to focus on a local issue that has been the focus of our local advocacy. Proposition A is a $200 million comprehensive supportive and affordable housing bond that will be on the San Francisco ballot this November 2, 2004. The Archdiocese, through the Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns, played a crucial role in developing this Proposition and placing it on the ballot. This measure is a historic effort to help the “least among us” and it will dedicate $90 million to supportive housing to help move people off of the streets and into decent housing with appropriate supportive services.
This is a proven and efficient way to help end homelessness and this would actually put San Francisco on a course to end chronic homelessness. This is not only the moral response to the crisis of homelessness, but it is a responsible course of action that is a wise use of public resources. The additional funds are distributed to help build affordable rental housing for seniors and the working poor and create new homeownership opportunities for families that are being forced from the City of St. Francis. $60 million will go to help develop new affordable rental housing for seniors and working families and $50 million will be dedicated for first-time homebuyers. $25 million will help families with their down payment and the additional $25 million will help to develop new homes that will be affordable to working families.
Throughout our great City we have witnessed working and middle-class families being driven from our midst. The high costs of housing have led far too many families to leave our communities and schools. We need to do something to keep our families and communities together and Proposition A is a crucial first step. I strongly encourage our entire Catholic community to exercise faithful citizenship when they vote on November 2nd. I strongly encourage a “yes” vote on Proposition A. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend William J. Levada Archbishop of San Francisco
Legal proceedings regarding civil lawsuits continue in Alameda court By Maurice Healy A hearing is scheduled next week in Alameda County Superior Court in legal proceedings related to judicial coordination of scores of civil lawsuits brought against northern California Catholic dioceses. The Sept. 28 hearing before Judge Ronald A. Sabraw continues a process begun in mid-July designed to manage overlapping legal and factual issues in a single pre-trial context, thus preventing duplicative discovery, preserving judicial resources, and avoiding inconsistent rulings. At the upcoming hearing, motions for summary judgment in four lawsuits filed against northern California dioceses will be heard. Paul Gaspari, attorney for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said diocesan attorneys would be making the same argument they used in obtaining a summary judg-
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi in East Palo Alto 1425 Bay Road • Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3, 2004 Saturday evening – 6:00PM and 7:30PM Jumbalaya dinner by Verna Winston and the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver, Verna is a renowned Cajun cook (see San Jose Mercury, January 30, 2002). 2 servings: 6:00PM and 7:30PM. Reservations: call (650) 322-2152. • Sunday morning: 10:30AM – 12:30PM Danzas (Typical dances form Mexico) with Mariachi • Sunday afternoon: 12:30 multilingual, multi-cultural Mass, games, food, drink, entertainment.
ment in a lawsuit argued before Judge Sabraw in July and August. In that case, plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that their clients had been molested during the early 1960s by Father Arthur A. Riberio while he was assigned to Queen of All Saints parish in Concord and that the Church should have known of the priest’s propensity to engage in unlawful sexual conduct. However, the court ruled “There is no direct evidence that the Church was on notice concerning Father Riberio,” and granted the summary judgment sought by attorneys representing the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Oakland. Father Riberio was assigned to the San Francisco Archdiocese until the Oakland Diocese was created in 1962. Church officials in Oakland have stated they started getting reports about the priest in the mid-1990s, after Riberio had retired.
Judge Sabraw said he was being very thorough and thoughtful regarding issues in the Riberio case because his ruling established precedents for other cases. Gaspari said the court’s decision affects about onethird of the estimated 150 lawsuits filed against northern California dioceses under a state law which set aside statute of limitations for one year. Lawyers active in filing lawsuits against the Catholic Church helped write the law, and scores of suits were filed in 2003 under the so-called “Burton law.” Also at issue at the hearing will be a motion for protective order. Judge Sabraw earlier this month said that the court would have access to personnel information up to the date of the last alleged abuse. The material is to be presented to the court, which will decide whether it is relevant or not. This protective order will be challenged by some media outlets.
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Life By Tom Burke Nurturing young Catholics is a priority with Kevin Asher. “They are not the Church of tomorrow,” the youth minister at Our Lady of Angels Parish said. “They are the Church of today” Kevin holds forth from Our Lady of Angels’ Youth Room, a relaxed, welcoming and redesigned eighth grade classroom complete with an exhortation or two on the wall and tubs of Red Vines on the table. Almost 350 youngsters and adolescents, from sixth grade through high school, are on the parish’s Youth Ministry rolls. Kevin estimates that all of them take part in at least one planned youth activity a year with most taking part in several. Once on the road to what he hoped would be a career in football, Kevin was forced by injury to look away from the big leagues in 1996. He had just completed several seasons as center and “long snapper” for Junipero Serra High School. Among the quarterbacks he fronted was Super Bowl MVP and Serra alumnus Tom Brady. “Football was my passion,” Kevin said. “I was in training camp at UCLA where I had been accepted and was scheduled to be part of the school’s football program. During one play I felt a powerful blow.” Tests later showed that he had broken his neck. While surgery was not necessary, his football career ended that day. Kevin said it was “the grace of
Catholic San Francisco
7
Convert to Catholicism enjoys work in parish youth ministry God” and an anomalous bone structure in his neck that saved stand, sit, and kneel – and find out what it is about the Mass that him from more serious injury including paralysis. is sacred to them and make it something special for them.” Kevin Brokenhearted at having to give up the sport, the Belmont said work is afoot on a Youth Mass at the parish. “Youth would native turned to the books. Always a high achiever scholastical- become part of the Mass,” Kevin said. “They bring in the banly, he completed some required classes at College of San Mateo ners, dress the altar, sing in the choir, serve in Eucharistic ministry, greeting, serve as lectors, and before attending Menlo College on take up the collection.” Ongoing a partial academic scholarship and youth activities are usually around graduating with an undergraduate “the corporal works of mercy,” degree in psychology in 2002. A Kevin said. The service projects few months later he accepted the can include assisting at dining youth minister position at OLA. rooms and food resources for the During his college years, poor or writing to shut-ins. Kevin had been mentored in the “Youth Ministry is important to idea of youth ministry by Maria kids because it’s all about them and Cornell, then youth minister at nobody else but them,” Kevin said. Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish “It has been a fabulous part of my in Belmont. “I volunteered at IHM journey. I wouldn’t trade it for anyfor almost four years,” Kevin said. thing.” The “aha! moments with It was at IHM in 1998 that the kids,” have been the highlight, Kevin and his mom, Sandy, were he said. “Seeing them get excited Confirmed. “We did it together,” about their faith and seeing them Kevin said. “My mom was bapbe excited about who they are and tized Catholic and I was baptized their gifts. I’m trying to give kids in the Lutheran Church as a Kevin Asher accompanied OLA youth an opportunity to be comfortable child. I was exposed to the with who they are in a safe and Catholic faith on a regular basis on last year’s Confirmation Retreat. positive environment.” The priestat Serra. I was able to take part in Mass. I remember my first religion class when I had no idea hood is still a possibility for Kevin who said he continues “to be who wrote the Gospels and answered Peter, Paul and Mary in a process of discernment” about the vocation. but that got me more interested because I love history.” Kevin admits readily that programs such as his are not a Among Kevin’s first challenges at OLA was letting the “one-person” effort and he is grateful to the many people youth know he and the ministry were there for them. “I put who have had a hand in the OLA ministry including pastor, up flyers, spoke with the Confirmation class, even scanned Capuchin Father Harold Snider. parish roles for families with teenagers,” Kevin said. On a wider scale, Kevin said the Church should be pourRecent discussions with OLA youth have been about the ing itself into youth. “Youth Ministry needs to happen,” he Mass. “We’re trying to walk outside of Catholic Calisthenics – said. “We don’t have enough of it.”
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
Retreat planned for former inactive Catholics returning to the Church Landings Ministry, which works with formerly inactive Catholics who are returning to the Church, is sponsoring a half-day retreat October 2 at Marin Catholic High School in Marin County. Boston Paulist Father Jac Campbell began the Landings Ministry in 1989 after reflecting that, taken as a group, inactive Catholics would make up the second largest religious denomination in the U.S. — after active Catholics. The ministry’s mission of welcoming home inactive Catholics is achieved using a well-honed process of coupling active Catholics with candidates, at a ratio of about two active to one returning Catholic. “Parishes adopt the Landings Ministry to work with returning Catholics who either contact the Church directly or respond to publicity,” said Rick Dullea, director of Landings at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Mill Valley. The Mount Carmel group, which is sponsoring the retreat has had much success attracting inactive Catholics through publicity in the last couple of years, according to Dullea. “Mill Valley has a long standing civic practice of using banners stretched over thoroughfares to publicize everything from soccer sign-ups to clearing up brush around your home,” he said. Taking that cue, the Landings program put up a banner along the centrally located church property in Mill Valley with a Landings logo and the message, “Returning Catholics – Call Home.” It turned out to be “wildly popular,” Dullea said. The banner now changes colors and messages to correspond with the Church calendar, he said. This year, Landings also began plac-
ing print ads in the local newspaper. “Over time, I’ve come to know that many who reach us arrive fractured or in the midst of personal crises,” Dullea said. Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s approach to returning Catholics is based on the individual experience and particular needs of the candidate. Some will enter the parish RCIA program, some Landings, and others individual counseling with Mount Carmel pastor Father John Cloherty, Dullea said. “The goal is immersing the returnees in the midst of the faith community,” he said. The retreat, planned from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Marin Catholic’s Saint Francis Chapel, will be focused on faith sharing and centered by the celebration of Mass. St. Raphael pastor Father Paul Rossi will be celebrant. The theme for the day will be Guardian Angels, said Landings coordinator and retreat organizer Diane Clare. “While it’s clear that Guardian Angels, or the Holy Spirit, work wonders in our lives in so many ways, we don’t often get a chance to share those experiences,” she said. The half-day retreat is for all of Marin. Participating parishes thus far include, St. Hilary of Tiburon, Star of the Sea of Sausalito, St. Sebastian of Greenbrae, St. Raphael, St. Anselm, St. Rita of Fairfax, and Novato’s St. Anthony and Our Lady of Loretto. Clare said anyone interested in the mission of welcoming home returning Catholics is also invited. Coffee and tea are provided. Bring a bag lunch for fellowship afterward. For more information email Landings@olmcmv.org or call Mount Carmel at 415-388-4190. Landings Ministry also is active in San Francisco and San Mateo County.
obituary
Sister Mary Ann Pelkman, NDdN A funeral Mass was celebrated September 3, 2004 for Notre Dame Sister Mary Ann Pelkmann in the chapel of her congregation’s Province Center in Belmont. Father Stephen Howell, pastor, of neighboring Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and chaplain at the Sisters’ Notre Dame High School presided. Sister Mary Ann’ formerly known as Sister Mercedes Julie, died August 30 at Mercy care Center in Oakland. She was 91 years of age and a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 72 years. “Sister Mary Ann endeared all who knew her as a person full of joy, kindness and deep care for everyone she knew,” the Sisters of Notre Dame said in a statement announcing her death. The late religious must have met and helped thousands through 61 years as an educator at schools
including Immaculate Heart of Mary elementary, St. Charles elementary, San Carlos, and her community’s Notre Dame high school and elementary school in Belmont. “She leaves a special legacy of fun and enjoyment of life,’ the Sisters’ statement said. It recalled how she embraced her “two favorite teams” – the Giants and 49ers – and at gatherings never be distracted from the plays of the game she was listening to through an ear-piece under her veil. Interment was at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. Remembrances may be sent to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 1520 Ralston Ave., Belmont 94002.
Golden Gate Boys Choir School Mondays, September 27 and October 4, 2004. Enroll in the Golden Gate Boys Choir School, boys age 7 and older with unchanged voices.
Landings Ministry LANDINGS IS: A safe harbor or landing place for returning Catholics to explore their faith and their future with the Church. A group of six to eight active Catholics joined together to welcome two or three returning Catholics to share and explore faith together. LANDINGS OFFERS RETURNING CATHOLICS: A supportive community within which he/she can ask questions, discuss issues, deal with difficulties. An opportunity to be with ordinary Catholics who are trying to live their faith. A safe environment to come to terms with recent changes within the Church and themselves. LANDINGS OFFERS ACTIVE CATHOLICS: A participation in the Church’s evangelization mission by opening their hearts to those who’ve been away. An opportunity to share their time and faith. A chance to grow and learn from the spiritual journeys of one another. THE PROCESS: After an initial interview with a priest, or trained representative of the Church, the returning Catholic is directed to a LANDINGS group. The group will meet for approximately ten weeks in two-hour sessions. The conclusion of the program will be a weekend retreat, perhaps with other LANDINGS groups from the diocese. WHAT LANDINGS IS NOT: The “saved” welcoming the “sinners.” People pressuring others to return. Full of answers to teach the unenlightened. Blind to the hurt the Church may have caused someone... LANDINGS IS: People in solidarity with the returning, who in their own lives have “returned,” and continue to “return.” Founded on the belief that we do not have to be trained theologians to share what we believe, and to speak honestly about our faith, trusting in the Holy Spirit.
Homebound, ill or incapacitated? Watch the TV Mass each Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. with Msgr. Harry Schlitt. The TV Mass airs on WB-Channel 20 (cable viewers Channel 13) and Channel 26 (cable viewers Channel 8).
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Weekly rehearsals at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Choir Room (downstairs, under the cathedral). 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Call (415) 431-1137 for futher information and a video tape of Choir highlights.
Fridays, September 24, October 1 and 8, 2004. Enroll in the Golden Gate Boys Choir School, boys age 7 and older with unchanged voices. Weekly rehearsals at the Saint Vincent de Paul School Music Room, 2350 Green Street (daylight basement classroom, under the junior high building), 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
September 24, 2004
New Indian museum interweaves spirituality, history, culture
11
(PHOTO BY ROBERT LAUTMAN)
About the National Museum of the American Indian
By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service
(PHOTO BY R.A. WHITESIDE)
West facade of the National Museum of the American Indian.
A piece of jewelry, the work U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colorado. He has won more than 200 awards for his Southwestinspired creations. At left, the interior of the National Museum of the American.
(CNS PHOTOS BY PAUL HARING)
(PHOTO BY ERNEST AM0ROSO)
WASHINGTON — The portrayal of the native peoples of the Western Hemisphere in the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of the American Indian extends practically from pole to pole, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Threaded throughout the exhibits on the culture, history and contemporary lives of Indians is a glimpse of the role of spirituality and religion, from cosmology and respect for the earth to a discussion of the good and bad effects of Christian missionary activities. A 13-minute introductory film at the recommended starting point of a tour sets the tone of the importance to native peoples of being in harmony with the earth and with one another. A prayer said in the video asks the Creator to “bring our minds together” to acknowledge the interconnections of all life. The museum was to open Sept. 21 with a week of events, expected to bring tens of thousands of Indians to Washington from across two continents. Kenneth York was looking forward to being one of 300 members of the Choctaw tribe coming to Washington for the opening ceremonies. York planned to walk with his tribe in the first part of a massive procession at the start of the Sept. 21 opening events, then work his way back to where the members of the Tekakwitha Conference would be positioned to walk the same route a bit later in the morning. With an estimated 20,000 participants in the procession, York figured he’d have plenty of time to represent both the Mississippi Band of Choctaw and the Catholic organization working to promote the sainthood cause of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, a 17th-century Mohawk and Algonquin Indian who was the first Native American to be beatified. He is president of the Tekakwitha Conference board of directors. The opening of the museum “is one of the most important events involving American Indians in my life,” York told Catholic News Service in a phone interview shortly before he left for Washington. “I’m hoping it’ll be authentic,” he said, explaining that “we’ve never had the opportunity to have a place like that.” The museum strives to meet that expectation, presenting all the exhibitions from a native perspective, as opposed to a more typical museum approach that might rely primarily on academics, who might, or more likely, might not, be Indian. Curators collaborated with 24 tribes for the material in the museum’s first three permanent exhibitions. For instance, for the exhibit “Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World,” curator Emil Her Many Horses, an Oglala Sioux, consulted with tribal elders and spiritual leaders from eight tribes. The people of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, the Quechua of Peru, the Yup’ik of Alaska, the Anishinaabe The new National Museum of the of the Great Lakes region and Canada, Lakota from South American Indian in Washington features Dakota, Hupa from California, Mapuche from Chile and the exhibits on many facets of Indian life. Q’eq’chi Maya of Guatemala contributed to the exhibit on The colorfully decorated clothing the relationship between mankind and the natural world. seen here is created using beads. Above, Although the diverse tribes clearly have different traditions and histories, commonalities were found in the role of Lightning Strikes, blown glass, by Tony Jojola the celestial calendar and in similar stories about the harm(Isleta Pueblo), New Mexico ca. 1990. ful effects of disrespecting nature.
Catholic San Francisco
In another section of the museum, the role of Christian missionaries as having both good and bad effects on Native Americans is presented briefly and directly. A vast curving wall displays 200 editions of the Bible, including translations into more than 175 Indian languages. Text accompanying the display refers to churches as “instruments of dispossession and resilience.” It notes that though a majority of Indians are now Christian the relationship between churches and natives has at times been rocky. For instance, it refers to the 1882 Indian Religious Crime Code, which outlawed native spiritual practices. The law remained in effect for 50 years, during which tribes were ordered to surrender objects used in spiritual rituals. The items were then sold to collectors and museums. An adjacent section of the permanent exhibit, “Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories,” features an image of San Xavier del Bac Mission on the Tohono O’odham reservation in Arizona, which continues to serve as a parish after being established by Franciscans nearly 300 years ago. York said the 40 or so members of the Tekakwitha Conference who planned to attend the opening were hoping to accomplish two things in particular — attend the dedication of a plaque at the museum to Blessed Kateri, and spread the word about the woman they hope will become the first Native American saint. The plaque is to be part of a display of tributes to individual Indians who have been important in some way, he explained. At a Sept. 15 preview of the museum for the press, the plaques had not yet been put in place. “The other thing we’re trying to do is to put up a statue of her somewhere close to the museum,” York said. Museum authorities “didn’t say ‘no,’ but they wanted to know more details.” In the meantime, members of the Tekakwitha Conference planned to come to Washington armed with material about Blessed Kateri, who died at the age of 24 after leading a life of prayer and service to children, the sick and the aged. “She has a vision for the world that we all need,” York said. Yet he said an informal survey of Native Americans found many people had never heard of Blessed Kateri, “including a lot of Catholics.” “Just think if we can get 20,000 people to help us” work for her canonization, he said.
A collection of beaded Bibles (far left) is currently being developed in a display at the new National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. "A Safe Return" is the title of this modern sculpture (left) by Allan Houser on exhibit.
The National Museum of the American Indian is the sixteenth museum of the Smithsonian Institution. It is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans. Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice. The collections of the former Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, form the cornerstone of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Assembled at the turn of the twentieth century by wealthy New Yorker George Gustav Heye, the collections are distinguished by thousands of masterworks, including intricate wood and stone carvings and masks from the Northwest Coast of North America; elegantly painted and quilled hides, clothing, and feather bonnets from the North American Plains; pottery and basketry from the southwestern United States; eighteenth-century materials from the Great Lakes region; the C.B. Moore collection from the southeastern United States; and Navajo weavings illustrating a broad range of very early types. Works on paper and canvas include Plains ledger drawings as well as contemporary prints and paintings. The museum’s collections also include a substantial array of materials from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America, including a wide representation of archaeological objects from the Caribbean; ceramics from Costa Rica, central Mexico, and Peru; beautifully carved jade from the Olmec and Maya peoples; textiles and gold from the Andean cultures; and elaborate featherwork from the peoples of Amazonia. The museum’s extensive collections encompass a vast range of cultural material, including more than 800,000 works of extraordinary aesthetic, religious, and historical significance, as well as articles produced for everyday, utilitarian use. The collections span all major culture areas of the Americas, representing virtually all tribes of the United States, most of those of Canada, and a significant number of cultures from Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. Chronologically, the collections include artifacts from Paleo-Indian to contemporary arts and crafts. The museum’s holdings also include film and audiovisual collections, paper archives, and a photography archive of approximately 90,000 images depicting both historic and contemporary Native American life. The National Museum of the American Indian comprises three facilities – Washington, D.C. , New York and Maryland.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Kateri Tekakwitha was born in Ossernenon on the south bank of the Mohawk River near the town of Auriesville, New York, in 1656. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin and her father a non-Christian Mohawk warrior. She was orphaned in 1660 at age four when a smallpox outbreak took the lives of her parents and brother and nearly destroyed her entire village. The smallpox left Kateri with scars on her skin and face, seriously diminished eyesight, and persistent weakness. Kateri was adopted by two aunts and an uncle who was strongly anti-Christian. After the epidemic, the village was burned and the family moved to Caughnawaga. The first time she saw a priest was in 1667 when Fathers Fremin, Bruyas and Pierron visited Caughnawaga. In 1670, St. Peter’s Mission was established in Caughnawaga (Fonda, NY). A chapel was built inside one of the longhouses. In 1674, Fr. James de Lamberville took charge of St. Peter’s Mission. Tekakwitha met Fr. de Lamberville a year later when he visited her home. She told him about her desire to become baptized. She began to take religious instruction, and in 1676, on Easter Sunday, she was baptized and given the name Kateri or Katherine. Kateri refused to marry, wishing to dedicate herself completely to God. She suffered much ridicule for her beliefs. With the help of a brother-in-law and friends, she escaped her village and fled north 200 miles to St. Francis Xavier Mission near Montreal. There on Christmas Day in 1677 she received her First Holy Communion. She lived a life of prayer, devotion to the Eucharist and extraordinary penance. Kateri and her friend, Mary Teresa (Tegaiaguenta) asked permission to begin a religious order, but were denied for being too young. In 1678, she enrolled in a pious society called The Holy Family, and on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1679 she made a vow of perpetual virginity. Her whole life was devoted to teaching prayers to the children and helping the sick and the aged until she was struck with an illness that was to claim her life. On April 17th, 1680, on Wednesday of Holy Week, she died at 3 o’clock in the afternoon at the age of twenty-four. Her last words were: “Jesos Konoronkwa” - “Jesus I Love You.” Fifteen minutes after her death before the eyes of two Jesuits and many Indians, the ugly scars on her face suddenly disappeared. Kateri was declared venerable by Pope Pius XII on January 3, 1943, and beautified by Pope John Paul II on June 30, 1980. Her feast day is July 14 and she is Patroness of the environment and ecology. She has become known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” and devotion to Kateri is responsible for establishing many religious foundations and ministries of Native Americans throughout the United States and Canada.
Web video examines Native American ministries In anticipation of the grand opening of the National Museum of the American Indian on Tuesday, September 21, the newest addition to the Catholic Communication Campaign’s streaming video page is a look at Native Americans in the Catholic Church. Faced with an uncertain future - in which identifying the future leaders in their communities will be critical to maintaining ministry to Native American Catholics - they must strike a balance between their Christian beliefs and their native spirituality, and find a way to be both fully native and fully Catholic. This segment looks at this struggle and how Native Americans are being empowered to minister to their own people. To view the stories and segments on the CCC’s streaming video page, log on to the USCCB website at http://www.usccb.org and click on the “Streaming Video” link. Visitors can view the segments using either RealPlayer or Windows Media technologies.
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
Equivocating issues
Northern California's Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Guest Commentary Embryonic stem cell research By Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap. A few years ago, a friend of mine attended a conference in Washington, D.C., titled “Supercomputing and the Human Endeavor.” Chemists, biologists, physicists, computer experts, educators, business executives, political leaders, social scientists and a few religious scholars took part. The idea behind the meeting was simple. At the national research level, computers have now become so fast and so powerful that they can begin to simulate primitive biological life. Soon, they may almost appear to “think.” And that leads to questions about the meaning of artificial intelligence; the nature of consciousness; and what — if anything -— makes the human person unique. My friend came back pretty shaken up. The theme had been important. The attendees had been brilliant. But while a lot of enthusiasm had surrounded the practical uses of supercomputers, nobody really wanted to dig too deeply into the “human endeavor.” Why? Because nobody could really agree on the essence of what the word “human” means. Nor did anyone want to suggest what the purpose of the human endeavor might be. If that doesn’t unsettle us, it should. Here’s the reason. If the human body is just “wetware,” a sloppy result of evolution that machines will help us someday outgrow, what defines us as creatures? Why is anything about a human being sacred — and what does “sacred” mean, anyway? Since when can religious believers use their personal convictions to interfere with the progress of knowledge? These used to be questions for science fiction. Now they’re at the heart of our science. And they directly relate to the current debate over stem cells. The Church always supports scientific research that genuinely serves the human person. That includes, in a general sense, stem cell research. Stem cells harvested from adults or umbilical cords pose no moral problems and have great value for medical research. The struggle in stem cell research is really a narrower fight over the use of tissue from embryos and aborted unborn children. Some scientists argue that embryonic stem cells have special value for researching cures for various diseases. Other scientists have countered that these claims are exaggerated and even flatly wrong; and that, in any case, adult stem cells can accomplish many of the same goals, so the use of embryonic cells is generally unnecessary. For Christians, human life from the moment of conception should always be treated as having the dignity of a child of God, and must never be treated as an object. The harvesting of cells from aborted unborn children is material cooperation in the evil of abortion itself, which always attacks and destroys a human life. The use of cells obtained by destroying embryos is an equally direct attack on the human person. If we’re serious about our Catholic faith, if we’re really committed to a culture of life and to humanizing American society, then our approach to science should be governed by a simple and very sensible rule: The end never justifies the means. A good end, like researching a cure for Alzheimer’s, can never excuse an evil act done to accomplish it, like destroying and using embryos for experiments, or colluding in the abortion industry by harvesting the remains of killed unborn children. As citizens, Catholics have every right — in fact, the civic obligation -— to carry our convictions about the sacredness of the human person into the public debate over issues like stem cell research. Don’t be bullied by claims that religious believers are “against science” or “uninterested in cures.” This is nonsense. It’s a smokescreen designed to hide the motives of some of the scientific and corporate stakeholders in the stem cell debate — pride, impatience with serious moral concerns, and an eagerness for potential profit. The end never justifies the means. What we can do is not always the same as what we should do. Our ability to see that, and to choose accordingly, is not an evolutionary accident. It’s the gift God gave us that sets us apart. It’s the reason the word “human” means something.
Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, is Archbishop of Denver.
Priests’ Retirement Fund In most parishes of the Archdiocese of San Francisco this weekend a special collection will be taken up for the Priests’ Retirement Fund. This annual offering helps to provide a secure retirement for the many priests who have served the faithful of the Archdiocese. Please remember their years of loving service to God’s people with a generous contribution. MEH
Jerry Filteau did little to mask his ideology in his article “2004 Election” (CSF - September 17). Obviously, he thinks that President Bush did not take a multilateral approach – even though Bush worked with the UN and our “allies – France and Germany” for over a year. While France and Germany showed their true colors, Bush was able to gather close to 40 other nations to join our coalition in fighting terrorism. After the UN failed to adhere to their many agreements, President Bush decided that he did not need permission from France or the UN to protect the citizens of the United States. Filteau further states that Kerry “espouses a more multilateral approach.” Which week did Kerry espouse that? Kerry also espouses a “more sensitive approach” in dealing with terrorism. I find it difficult to comprehend how one would accomplish dealing “sensitively” with those who behead human beings – and proudly video this so that all the world can enjoy their religion. Filteau quotes “nonpartisan” contributors, Powers and Christiansen, as saying that the U.S. decision to invade Iraq marked “a sharp moral divergence between the president and the leadership of the Catholic Church”. He then quotes George Lopez as saying that “Kerry comes closer to Catholic positions across the justice macro-lens” but his positions on other issues “are a bit wanting” from the standpoint of Catholic teaching. One of these “a bit wanting issues” is abortion. A wonderful article in The Wall Street Journal (September 17) by Archbishop Myers of Newark, “A Voter’s Guide”, very succinctly states Catholic teaching on war and abortion: “In line with the teaching of the catechism on ‘just war,’ he (Pope John Paul II) recognized that a final judgment of prudence as to the necessity of military force rests with statesmen, not with ecclesiastical leaders. Catholics may, in good conscience, support the use of force in Iraq or oppose it. “Abortion and embryo-destructive research are different. They are intrinsic and grave evils; no Catholic may legitimately support them . . . They are the gravest human rights abuses of our domestic politics and what slavery was to the time of Lincoln.” Supporting any candidate of our choosing is, of course, a fundamental privilege of a free country. Whether a war is just, moral, or legitimate are debatable issues – even for Catholics. However, there is no debate on the Catholic moral teaching of destroying innocent human life. I think it is important that voting Catholics understand the difference between these very important issues when making the choice for the person who will lead our country. Peggy Bartley San Rafael, CA
age every concerned Catholic to read paragraphs 2401 - 2463 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and to generate formation of consciences. “In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race.” Personally, I am appalled about the horrors that many (in fact, most) of our brothers and sisters throughout the world are confronted with on a daily basis. If after having watched the evening news, we pondered the events throughout the world that were not broadcast, our imaginations would be nowhere near to reality. We need to make the effort to be aware of the hardships and sufferings of our brother and sisters. If we are to be disciples of Christ Jesus, we must love them as we love ourselves and manifest our sincerity with thought, word and deed. Our Catholic Church doesn’t merely inform us of what we are called to believe. She teaches us how we are called to live with the mind of Christ Jesus and in fullness of his call to love. Fred D’Alessio Sausalito
L E T T E R S
Think with Christ Fr. Weare’s Guest Commentary, “A Catholic perspective on free trade”, has sure generated a lot of commentary in CSF letters to the editor. This letter is not intended to take a stand on the perspectives of Fr. Weare or on those who differ with him. It is intended to encour-
Letters welcome Catholic San Francisco welcomes letters from its readers. Please:
➣ Include your name, address and daytime phone number. ➣ Sign your letter. ➣ Limit submissions to 250 words. ➣ Note that the newspaper reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. Send your letters to: Catholic San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Fax: (415) 614-5641 E-mail: mhealy@catholic-sf.org
A global mind
Just as the preparations for welcoming Fr. Weare to St. Rita’s are finalized, we find him in the midst of a controversial presentation of Catholic Social teaching rebutted as “left-wing diatribe” by at least one Catholic San Francisco reader. Well, well, well! What have we here, a global mind? Yes, a universal being - a true Catholic. What is globalization? I’ll offer the following definition. Globalization is a necessary movement of human action from national to world interests. Globalization is necessary because each human being “must” develop a consciousness of responsibility for all peoples of the world before he can claim his place in heaven. We often act as if national borders were real boundaries of our accountability. In today’s multinational economy, our institutions affect humanity worldwide, and we must therefore accept responsibility for the effect of our actions. We must, using ethical urging, but only if our goal is the Catholic, Christian goal. I doubt if Father Weare will take exception to this simple view of globalization. As for Mr. Werdel’s comment (Letters, Sept. 10), doesn’t it sound like the ghost of socio-phobia and laissez-faire capitalism? I believe that the intelligent, human community as a whole has put those fears to rest. In our stage of human development, world policy initiative is often generated by individuals with less than perfect vision. Others, with an equally imperfect perspective, defend dogmatically the highest ideals with little tolerance for the present state of the human soul. Welcome to St. Rita’s Fr. Weare. May your role as administrator be less a title of corporate efficiency and more a role of God’s ministry. Carlos Eduardo Morales Fairfax
Power and glory Thank you for printing John Allen’s excellent article (August 27) on the pope’s recent pilgrimage to Lourdes. Marian shrines typically attract the poor, the disabled, the troubled and outcast, the infirm elderly and the terminally ill. Those who in their work and ministry have had the privilege of serving these “icons” of the crucified Lord will readily understand the extraordinary remark of Fr. Creech quoted in the article: “In Lourdes it’s the sick people who are real. It’s the rest of us who are unreal.” The sick and the dying are “real” because they confront us with our mortality; with the meaning and purpose of life; with what ultimately matters and what does not. The Holy Father is very real in his sufferings and in his message. In the drama of this pontificate the final scene is paramount. For those who see with the eyes of faith, the cross, in its weakness and shame, reveals the power and glory of the Lord. For those with other eyes it is incomprehensible foolishness. Fr. Kevin Kennedy Chaplain, Sequoia and Kaiser Hospitals Redwood City
September 24, 2004
Catholic San Francisco
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Spirituality
Beauty as God’s Language In the movie, The English Patient, there’s a wonderful this young man did for his nurse friend, namely, (in terms of a scene, stunning in its lesson: metaphor) to point to where beauty is hidden in darkness, be A number of people from various countries are thrown that in the darkness of old churches, ancient creeds, abantogether by circumstance in an abandoned villa in post-war doned liturgies, old-fashioned devotions, or two thousand Italy. Among them are a young nurse, attending to an year-old practices of community, charity, justice, and forgiveEnglish pilot who’s been badly burned in an air-crash, and ness; or be that in the hidden riches within nature, physical a young Asian man whose job it is to find and defuse land beauty, health, youth, art, and science. There are treasures of mines. The young man and the nurse become friends and, great beauty hidden all over, including in forgotten places one day, he announces he has a special surprise for her. inside our churches. Our task is to point these out to the world. He takes her to an abandoned church within which he And part of that task, like the young man in the has set up a series of ropes and pulleys that will lift her to English Patient, is to trust that people will understand and the ceiling where, hidden in darkness, there are some beau- to trust as well that they are worth all the effort we must tiful mosaics and other wonderful works of art that cannot make to point out where these treasures are hidden. Beauty be seen from the floor. He gives her a torch as a light and has a power to transform the soul and instil gratitude in pulls her up through a series of ropes so that she swings, away that few things have. Confucius understood this and almost like an angel with wings, high above the floor and suggested that beauty is the greatest of all teachers. People is able to shine her torch on a number of beautiful master- can doubt almost anything, except beauty. pieces hidden in the dark. The experience is that of sheer exhilaration, she has the sensation of flying and of seeing wonderful ‘ . . . our neglect of the importance of beauty all at the same time. When she’s finally lowered back to the floor she’s flushed with excitement beauty is one of the major reasons why and gratitude and covers the young man’s face with kisses, saying over and over again: “Thank you, less people are interested in the church.’ thank you, thank for showing this to me!” And, from her expression, you know she’s saying thank you for two things: “Thank you for showing me Why can’t beauty be doubted? Because beauty, like something, that I could never have come to on my own; oneness, truth, and goodness is a transcendental property of and, thank you for trusting me enough to think that I would being itself. “All being is one, true, good, and beautiful,” understand this, that I would get it!” states classical philosophy. Thus, beauty needs no justificaI’m grateful to Barbara Nicolosi, from Act One, an tion beyond itself. Beauty can be solely for beauty’s sake. Institute for Christian writers in Hollywood, for showing Moreover, as a transcendental property of being, beauty this film-clip and challenging all of us at the Suenens shows us something of God. To experience beauty is to see Institute in Chicago this past summer to learn its lesson. some of God’s colour, to become homesick for heaven. What is that lesson? But, as Barbara Nicolosi also pointed out, beauty isn’t That the church needs to do for the world exactly what always pretty. It can be revealed in the perfection of a
Michelangelo sculpture but it can also be seen in the wrinkles and limp of an old woman or in a cup of water given to an old man on the street. Today, a number of writers, Nicolosi among them, are suggesting Father that our neglect of the Ron Rolheiser importance of beauty is one of the major reasons why less people are interested in the church. Already a generation ago, Hans Urs Von Baltasar had emphasized beauty as a key component both in how God speaks to us and how we are meant to speak about God to the world. More recently, writers such as Robert Barron, Kathleen Norris, and Andrew Greeley, among others, have echoed those sentiments. We must, as Barron puts it, “stop building beige churches”. Nicolosi is clearer still. We must, she says, stop “the uglification” of Catholicism. In the face of brutality, what’s needed is tenderness; in the face of hype and ideology, what’s needed is truth; in the face of bitterness and curses, what’s needed are graciousness and blessing; in the face of hatred and murder, what’s needed are love and forgiveness; and, in the face all the ugliness and vulgarity that so pervades our world and the evening news, what’s needed is beauty. God speaks through beauty and so must we - and we must believe enough in people’s sensitivity and intelligence to trust that they will understand. Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author.
Guest Commentary
A tough boat to Roe Shannen W. Coffin
and physically for years afterward and may be more prone to engage in high risk, self-destructive conduct as a result of having had abortions.” The same evidence took aim at the myth of a close collaborative relationship between abortionist and patient. Testimony of workers at abortion clinics showed that “women are often herded through their procedures with little or no medical or emotional counseling.” Indeed, one former abortion clinic worker described how abortion physicians she worked with would work on commission and perform 10 to 12 abortions per hour.
One need only pick up a newspaper to know that Judge Jones is correct — and that knowledge presents the biggest threat to the abortion movement today. Recent advances in ultrasound technology show in utero babies walking or smiling in the womb much earlier than once thought possible. The National Abortion Federation’s main response to claims that partial-birth abortion caused severe pain to the unborn has been to note that most other abortions do too. But that sort of candor is in short supply among abortion advocates. It’s little wonder that doctors and hospitals that supported the recent challenge to the federal partial-birth-abortion ban fought so hard to keep their medical records from seeing the light of day. The more the truth of their practices is exposed to sunlight, the less public support they can claim. Judge Jones laments that the Supreme Court has effectively taken these facts out of the abortion debate. Because the Supreme Court’s “rulings have rendered basic abortion policy beyond the power of our legislative bodies, the arms of representative government may not meaningfully debate” new medical and scientific evidence relating to abortion. The “perverse result,” of the Roe decision, Judge Jones complains, “is that the facts no longer matter.” Her conclusion was a stinging indictment of the Supreme Court: Hard and social science will of course progress even though the Supreme Court averts its eyes.... One may fervently hope that the Court will someday acknowledge such developments and reevaluate Roe...accordingly. That the Court’s constitutional decisionmaking leaves our nation in a position of willful blindness to evolving knowledge should trouble any dispassionate observer not only about the abortion decisions, but about a number of other areas in which the Court unhesitatingly steps into the realm of social policy under the guise of constitutional adjudication. Norma McCorvey’s new lawsuit never had a chance. But perhaps she’s done her new cause a great service in helping to expose the truth. Maybe, just maybe, Judge Jones’s plaintive cry is one step in a long battle to undo the mess that McCorvey and her friends once made back in the day she was otherwise known as Jane Roe.
It took the woman formerly — and perhaps forever — known as Jane Roe to bring to light the biggest problem facing today’s defenders of abortion. A recent attempt by Norma McCorvey to re-open her original lawsuit which successfully challenged Texas’s criminal prohibition on abortion — the suit that became Roe v. Wade — was rejected this week by a federal appeals court in New Orleans. So while Roe v. Wade and its offspring still jealously guard abortion “without excuse and without apology,” as its most ardent supporters would have it, a separate opinion in McCorvey’s recent case shows that the law is having one hell of a time keeping ‘That the Court’s constitutional ahead of the facts. As Judge Edith Jones poignantly writes in McCorvey v. Hill, major advances in both decisionmaking leaves our nation in a “hard and social science” since the 1973 Roe decision make the case for constitutional protection of abortion position of willful blindness to evolving increasingly difficult to maintain with a straight face. Sometime in the last decade or so, Norma McCorvey realized that she had been an unfortunate knowledge should trouble any pawn in the battle over abortion rights and switched sides in the debate, recently describing herself “one dispassionate observer . . . ‘ hundred percent pro-life.” Convinced that the decision that bore her pseudonym was a travesty of law, she filed a motion last year to re-open the original decision, Judge Jones further cited evidence showing dramatic declaring at the time: “I deeply regret the damage my orig- advances in the sociological status of women — especially inal case caused women. I want the Supreme Court to exam- unwed women — that undermine the necessity of abortion. ine the evidence and have a spirit of justice for women and “No longer does the unwed mother face social ostracism, children.” McCorvey and her lawyers submitted in support and government programs offer medical care, social servof her motion the sworn testimony of more than one thou- ices, and even...the option of leaving a newborn directly in sand women who had had abortions and claimed to have the care of the state until it can be adopted.” suffered long-term emotional damages and damaged interBut perhaps most importantly, Judge Jones cited evidence personal relationships as a result of their “choice.” showing that neonatal and medical science “now graphically McCorvey’s new suit, filed 30 years after the original deci- portrays, as science was unable to do 31 years ago, how a sion, never had much of a chance, since it sought to reestab- baby develops sensitivity to external stimuli and to pain much lish criminal laws that had long since been removed from earlier than was then believed.” The evidence reviewed by Texas’s books. It is not surprising then that the court of Judge Jones on the issue of fetal pain was similar to that proappeals held that the case should be dismissed. duced by the federal government in recent trials on the conWhat was surprising, though, was Judge Edith Jones stitutionality of partial-birth abortion. There, an Oxford-edupowerful five-page separate opinion. While Judge Jones cated specialist in neonatal pain, Dr. Kanwaljeeet Anand, tesagreed that the court had no power to reopen the original Roe tified that unborn children are likely to feel pain in the womb Shannen W. Coffin is a Washington, D.C. lawyer decision, her opinion assures that McCorvey’s arguments did by 20 weeks of gestation — perhaps even earlier — and that not fall entirely on deaf ears. Calling the original decision, an abortion could therefore cause excruciating pain for an and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for “exercise in raw judicial power,” Judge Jones observed that unborn child. Reviewing similar evidence before her, Judge the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. McCorvey’s voluminous new evidence “goes to the balance Jones concluded that “if courts were to delve into the facts He oversaw the defense of the federal partial birth Roe struck between the choice of the mother and the life of underlying Roe’s balancing scheme with present day knowlabortion ban act in three recently completed trials, her unborn child.” Citing both the testimony of post-abortive edge, they might conclude that the woman’s ‘choice’ is far including one in San Francisco. Reprinted with women and scientific studies, Judge Jones reasoned that the more risky and less beneficial, and the child’s sentience far evidence “suggests that women may be affected emotionally more advanced, than the Roe court knew.” permission from National Review Online.
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Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Scripture RAYMOND O’CONNER
Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET AMOS (AM 6:1A, 4-7) Thus says the LORD the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with. RESPONSORIAL PSALM (PS 146:7, 8-9, 9-10) R. Praise the Lord, my soul! or: R. Alleluia. Blessed he who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free. R. Praise the Lord, my soul! The Lord gives sight to the blind. the Lord raises up those who were bowed down; The Lord loves the just. the Lord protects strangers. R. Praise the Lord, my soul! The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia. R. Praise the Lord, my soul! A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO TIMOTHY (1 TM 6:11-16) But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before
Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen. A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE (LK 16:19-31) Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Coworkers for the Kingdom When Amos, a shepherd of Tekoa, speaks, it is roughly 760 BC during the prosperous and long reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jerobaom of Israel. Tekoa, a heavily fortified city-on-a-hill, was strategically located twelve miles southeast of Jerusalem. It very likely served to warn if not defend Jerusalem from attacks. Amos did not prophesy in some deserted place removed from the action of his day. His words were heard by the kings and power brokers of Judah and Israel, and, like most prophets, were ignored. After all, who wants their comfort and complacency disturbed by some shepherd predicting destruction in the midst of prosperity and promise? No one really, especially if that prosperity and promise is construed as God’s blessing, a common assumption of Amos’ time that persists even today. History, however, remembers that by 722 BC such prosperity and promise, at least for the Northern Kingdom of Judah, lay wasted and broken before the fierce Assyrians. The Southern Kingdom of Israel did not fair much better . . . by 586 BC the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carted many of the Israelites into exile for almost fifty years. Perhaps Amos’ bitter prophecy deserved a better hearing than it received. Why is it so easy for so many of us to listen approvingly to the incisive and judgmental words of the prophets after the fact? It seems so effortless to say “those people” had it coming to them! After all, their high living at the expense of “Joseph” (a good use of synecdoche where Joseph really represents the entire Israelite nation) condemns them to God’s wrath. This conclusion may have its merit, but cautious interpretation provides balance. We must be very careful with our reading of Sunday’s passages from Amos and Luke for one simple reason – they could misrepresent God. Both Amos and Luke, if read in textual isolation, easily lead us to the conclusion that God is cruel. Indeed, the complacent ones of Amos’ time as well as the rich man in Luke’s story are not models of compassion or representative of the God whom both Abraham and Moses knew and Jesus preached. But should we really conclude that God caused exile in Amos’ case and sent Luke’s rich man to a fiery netherworld? What kind of God would do such things? This way of believing causes many to reject God who seems so contradictory to what they deeply know to be true: That God – who creates out of love – never punishes out of hatred.
Naturally choices have consequences. If the complacent ones that Amos admonishes had fortified their people instead of their bellies and pockets, maybe the Assyrians would not have demolished them so thoroughly. Perhaps if the rich man occasionally noticed Lazarus begging at his gate, his torment might be quenched and his five brothers spared a similar fate. The point here is that our choices make for our joys or miseries, not God. Since God will not bring about the Kingdom without our help and co-operation, we are undoubtedly more responsible for bringing about God’s Kingdom than we dare to admit. Our covenantal relationship with God requires our participation in a vision of universal unity that far exceeds the squabbles of nations, the rancor of political barbs, and personal cravings that divide, isolate, and slowly smother our hopes. Here, then, is what God does instead of condemning and punishing. God lives in the many people who cry out for economic justice, political integrity, peace without violence, global ecological health, decent working conditions, and equitable treatment of all people. When we choose these behaviors, if only occasionally, we participate in fostering the Kingdom here and now. Jesus’ conviction that the Kingdom is at hand urges us to be agents of change in this world permitting the Spirit to do in us what the Spirit did in Jesus. Amos and Luke indicate that God chooses to be with us and not against us, that God’s dwelling can be among us sharing in all our conflicts and triumphs. Admittedly the dire consequences found in the readings can seem to obscure this message. But the Christian Scriptures, as a whole, present a far different God – one more merciful, patient, and immanent. Keeping this in mind, let no fear trump courage, no complacency frustrate action. In a world so depressed by terrorist acts and retributive wars, it may be good to recall that God’s promise of redemption lives in each of us. We can always individually and collectively embrace that promise and be people of God who, as St. Paul advises Timothy, “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” Raymond O’Connor chairs the Theology Department and directs the Community Service Program at Stuart Hall High School, San Francisco and attends Most Holy Redeemer Parish.
Blessed Frederic Ozanam 1813-1853 feast – September 8 Frederic was studying law when the 1830 revolution broke out in France. He moved to Paris, switched to literature and associated with Catholic thinkers. In 1833, he co-founded, with Emanuel Bailly and others, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the lay Catholic charitable organization that today has 800,000 members in 130 countries. Frederic earned doctorates in law and literature, married and had a daughter, and taught at the Sorbonne. His death left incomplete a planned literary history of the Middle Ages. Lazarus at the Rich Man's House, Gustave Dore, 1865.
Saints for oday Saints forT T oday
© 2004 CNS
September 24, 2004
Catholic San Francisco
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Reflections
Notes on Proposition 71 Prop 71, “The Embryo Cloning and Stem Cell Research Bond Act,” will appear on the November 2nd California ballot. Prop 71 proposes to fund embryonic stem cell research with a $3 billion bond issue that will cost taxpayers $6 billion in principal and interest. The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Secretariat and the California Conference of Catholic Bishops have weighed in strongly against Prop 71. Their main reasons urging a NO vote are: ● Drawing stem cells from an embryo always destroys the human embryo, thus aborting human life. ● From a social justice perspective, cloning embryos for the sole purpose of killing them is unjustified and manipulative and the Prop 71 denies funding for adult and umbilical cord blood stem cell research, while launching the State into a costly bond issue at a time when money is badly needed for health, education, police and fire services. ● Embryonic stem cell research makes exaggerated promises of immediate help to people suffering from a of number debilitating diseases, while in fact adult stem cells mostly from bone marrow transplants have already helped patients with leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury and dozens of other conditions. ● The rhetoric favoring embryonic stem cell research is falsely and cruelly manipulative by suggesting that debilitating diseases will soon be cured by the use of embryonic stem cells. The backers of embryonic stem cell research are impressive and numerous: e.g., the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association California Council, American Nurses Association of California, California Medical Association, Parkinson’s Action Network, American Diabetes Association, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a broad coalition of scientists and physicians, and a clear majority of Americans, more then 70% of voters according to a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. Since 1988. embryonic stem cell research is already legal in the U.S. Dozens of groups are studying them, including a major stem cell center recently established at Stanford University. In August 2001 President Bush allowed federal funding using only existing stem cell lines, but no funding for creating new stem cell lines. As Time magazine’s Charles Krauthammer has pointed out, Bush would not permit the creation of embryos “purposely and wantonly for nothing but use by science.” (Time, August 23, pg 78) A total of roughly $12 million has been raised to support Prop 71 that would allow embryonic stem cell research at California Universities, Medical Schools and research facilities. The debate over embryonic stem cell research is not a dispute between reason (those for Prop 71) versus igno-
rance (those against Prop 71). Rather, the debate concerns a serious deliberation about two values: (1) a thirst for cures for debilitating diseases and (2) the respect for embryonic human life. There is need for a moral compass to guide us through these concerns. 1. Opposition to Prop 71 is not based on Catholic or religious beliefs. Opposition is based on common scientific understanding that when a sperm fertilizes an egg, forming an embryo, a new DNA comes into existence, and human life appears. If this embryo is placed in a woman, nine months’ later there will be a baby. On Larry King Ron Reagan named the fetus “a collection of cells in a petri dish that are never, ever going to be a human being.” This assertion is misguided and scientifically incorrect. Moral point #1: We must be good ancestors by thinking more deeply about what it means to be human as decisions today will affect every aspect of human life in the future. 2. All human life deserves absolute respect no matter its size or sentience. Intentional destruction of human life is always unacceptable. The newly-formed embryo (zygote) possesses an inherent unity and potency. As Stanford’s Dr. William Hurlbut puts it, “In biology, the whole … precedes and produces the parts. It is this implicit whole, with its inherent potency, that endows the embryo with its human character and therefore its inviolable moral status.” Moral point #2: To interfere with an embryo’s development is to transgress upon a human life in process. 3. An ovum is on the threshold of human life, and when fertilized becomes a human embryo. Stem cells from an embryo have the extraordinary capacity to become any one of more than 200 cell types in the human body because the cells themselves are human. The ovum has a haploid nucleus and contains half the genetic material that, together with the other half from sperm, constitutes the complete genome of a human being. Once the egg and sperm are united and the DNA double helixes are raveled and unraveled, a human being is present. Moral point #3: to take stem cells from a fertilized egg is destruction of a new genome, and new DNA, a new human life. 4. In somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the core of genetic material in the center of the cell of an ovum is removed (enucleated) and replaced with a nucleus of any type of advanced tissues (e.g., from skin, liver, brain). When treated properly with electric shock, chemicals and hormones, the original cell divides to the blastocyst stage, the inner cell mass is removed, and a new stem line is established, named by some as a clonate or a recombinant embryo. If these cells are truly embryonic, they are multipurpose (pluripotent) and have the capacity to differentiate into any tissue or organ. The extracted cells contain the original DNA of the donor. Theoretically this cell type can be used to repair damaged or defective tissue in the donor’s
body without rejection or immune reactions. Moral point #4: The blastocyst is formed by cloning from an individual patient and the product of the cloning is a human embryo which sustains the same moral Father Gerald status as a fertilized Coleman, S.S. embryo. Identifying human life only with the fertilization of an embryo is thus narrow and incomplete. 5. Stem cells can come from many sources such as umbilical cords, the placenta, amniotic fluid, adult tissue, and organs such as bone marrow. The stem cell debate should not be reduced to an all-or-nothing ethical issue. It is possible and even laudatory to favor these types of stem cell removal, while not approving of stem cells from embryos, whether the embryos are created by fertilization or by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Moral point #5: It is possible and reasonable to fully support research from embryonic germ cells, umbilical cord stem cells, and adult stem cells and not support embryonic stem cell research. 6. This entire debate is framed in utilitarian terms of “progress,” “cures,” or a “better life.” In the embryonic stem cell controversy, human life is becoming an objective commodity. There is now a new category cordoned off and the subject of rejection: the human embryo. In the process of in vitro fertilization, e.g., thousands of embryos have been frozen and are looked upon as a “piece of property.” These embryos are trapped in liquid nitrogen. If released, however, they show themselves to be human life. Moral point #6: Giving people false hopes is tantamount to emotional manipulation and false advertising. A YES on Prop 71 forecloses a careful and thoughtful dialog which is necessary in this debate, a further conversation that must be carried out in a true spirit of humility, respect for human life, patience, and a capacity to see issues through the eyes of others. 7. Stewardship is a critical social and ethical issue. $12 million has been amassed in support of Prop 71, whereas only $125,000 has been contributed to fight this Proposition. Moral Point #7: How can Californians justify $3-6 billion from the general fund to pay off the bonds for research that may benefit a few, when the State has 7 million Californians with no health insurance coverage, and many more millions needing education and other State and local services to keep them alive and functional? Sulpician Father Gerald D. Coleman is former president and rector of St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park.
Family Life
In the Palm of His Hand By the time you read this, the baby that lives within my womb will be about about six weeks from being born. The sooner the better, says my nine-year old daughter, who would, I’m sure, gladly quit school to be a full-time nanny when the time comes. The sooner the better, I say, for my own reasons, most of which are tied to being in this condition at the advanced age of forty. The sooner the better, the baby seems to be saying, as he (we think) settles his feet into his favorite spot directly under the ribs on my right side for another session of poking, kicking and energetic prodding. Let me out – he seems to be saying through his restless little jabs. Give me more room! Welcome to life, little one. When you take a look at human beings, we all seem to be engaged in that life-long quest that begins in the womb, the search for more room, a bigger space in which to stretch our bodies and souls, in a word, more freedom. Much of the time, as we move through the passages of life, it’s that hope for more freedom that motivates us more than anything. We want to drive, we want to move away from home, we want to start our own businesses so we can reach a point at which we’re not quite so beholden to the demands of others. But, as you well remember, those hopes are struck down just as frequently as they’re raised. My son is a freshman in college. He is, at last, free of his mother’s eagle eye and supersonic ears (most famous for, on one occasion, being able to deduce, simply from lis-
tening to his monosyllabic side of a telephone conversation, that he was semi-planning to skip school the next morning. He still can’t get over that one). He can come and go as he pleases, and best of all, after only six months in college, has figured out the path he wants to take, and is already surprisingly successful at it. But you know what? It all promises freedom of one sort or another, but, as my son is learning, this freedom for which we yearn is never what it seems . For, as we’ve all found out, we may leave dependence behind, but just ahead lies something else – something called responsibility, and that can be hard to manage. And so we ramble on, too, as a society, looking for more freedom, kicking obstacles out of the way as we search: traditional authority, absolute truth, morality, and even common-sense self-restraint. Funny how it works, too. Look around. We’ve been kicking for a long time now, and still we chafe. Only now, it’s not institutions that hold us under their thumbs. It’s advertisers, it’s marketeers, it’s a entire commercial culture binding us in ropes tightened by beautiful, trim men and women with perfect teeth and no credit limits, taunting us and demanding to know why we’re not more like them. This is freedom? It’s an interesting thing. If you want to find convincing words on what it’s like to be really free, you don’t look to the filthy rich or the very successful or the morally indifferent. You look at words spoken by those with a rich, authentic faith in God. Consider St. Paul, Augustine, Theresa of Avila,
Thomas Merton or Dorothy Day. Invariably, what you’ll find, are people who discovered unbounded freedom, not in things and not even in ideas, but in God. More specifically, they found Amy Welborn it in God’s merciful love, out of which, they all discover with shock and gratitude, they were created, sustained, forgiven and accepted, just as they were. We have the most amazing ultrasound image of our child. Taken at about five and a half months’ gestation, the face is clearer than I’ve ever seen in an ultrasound, eyes tightly closed, mouth slightly open. But there’s more: When you turn the picture sideways, you are immediately struck by how the shadows of the womb fold and weave around the baby to make it look exactly – I mean exactly – like he’s being held in the palm of a hand. So he kicks against tight spaces and he struggles for just a bit more room, and all the time, the hand holds him safe. Just like He holds all of us, our whole lives long, giving us, in that paradoxical way He has, the greatest freedom we could imagine, nestled safely in the palm of His hand. Amy Welborn is a popular columnist and author of “The Loyola Kids’ book of Saints”.
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Catholic San Francisco
Food & Fun Sept. 24, 25, 26: St. Robert’s Parish Festival, La Fiesta. Enjoy festive entertainment, a variety of delicious food, games and rides for kids, silent auction, raffle, prizes and Bingo. Takes place on parish grounds at Oak and Crystal Springs in San Bruno. Call (650) 589-2800. Sept. 25, 26: St. Philip Parish Annual Festival. A Noe Valley tradition for almost 70 years. Children’s and teen games, homemade foods, arts and crafts, wheels of chance, live entertainment. Open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. both days. Friday night dinner welcomes new pastor, Father Tony LaTorre. $20 per person. Call (415) 468-3091. Sept. 30: St. Francis of Assisi Awards will be presented by Archbishop William J. Levada to well known San Franciscan Angela Alioto and Conventual Franciscan Brother George Cherrie. Ceremonies are part of annual fundraiser for National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, Vallejo at Columbus in North Beach. Streets surrounding the shrine are roped off each year for this special and formal event. Evening features concert by shrine’s Schola Cantorum. Tickets $95 per person. Call (415) 983-0405. Oct 1: Catholic Marin Breakfast Club gathers for Mass and special presentation from Jesuit Father Steve Barber, chaplain at San Quentin State Prison. The morning begins with Mass at 7 a.m. in St. Sebastian Church, Bon Air Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield. Breakfast and presentation follow in parish hall. Reservations required to Sugaremy@aol.com or (415) 461-0704 daily. Members $7, others $10. Dues $20 per year. Oct. 1, 2, 3: Mater Dolorosa Parish and School Festival featuring Prime Rib Dinner Sat. and games for a quarter. Fri. 3 – 10 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sun. 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. Oct. 2, 3: St. Matthew Parish Carnival, 9th Ave. at El Camino Real, San Mateo. Old Country Fair theme with games entertainment, raffle, silent auction and “good ole fashion” food including chicken and tri-tip dinners. Sat. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Call (650) 344-7622. Oct. 2: Mercy High School, San Francisco, celebrates 150 years of the Mercy Sisters in California with an Auction/Dinner Dance beginning at 6p.m. with cocktails and silent auction and continuing through dinner, a live auction and dancing to Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs. Mercy Sisters who have attended the school are guests of honor. Tickets $125 per person. Call (415) 334-0525, ext. 235. Also marking the Sisters sesquicentennial are alumnae of the now-closed Mission District’s St. Peter high school. Oct. 3 celebration begins with Mass at 11 a.m. followed by lunch at Mercy Center, 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame. Lunch tickets are $30 per person. Call (415) 647-8662. Oct. 2: St. Mary’s Cathedral announces two special events – Blessing of the Animals at 10 a.m. and its Jazz/Gospel Mass at 5:30 p.m. “The festive blessing will be held in front of the Cathedral on the Geary Blvd, Plaza,” said Father John Talesfore, Cathedral administrator. “Bring pets on a leash or pictures of pets and don’t forget your pooper-scooper.” The Jazz Mass is a “prayerful and spirited experience” and all are invited, he added. Call (415) 567-2020. Oct. 2: Harvest Fest, an Arts and Crafts fair benefiting St. Matthias Preschool, Redwood City from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Local vendors – 20 – offer wonderful and creative items. Also a Bake Booth, Food Booth, Silent Auction and Raffle. Children’s area too. Call (650) 367-1320. Oct. 7: St. Mary’s Cathedral Assumpta Award Dinner takes place Oct. 7, 2004 at the Cathedral. Honorees include Christian Brother Chris Brady and SFFD Chief Joanne Hayes White as well as retired Cathedral volunteer, Mary Hehir, and young adult Scott Moyer. For ticket information call Maryanne Murray at (415) 564-3846. Oct. 6: Catholic Networking Night, a support group for job seekers, at St. Dominic’s Church, 2390 Bush St. at Steiner, SF from 7 – 9 p.m. Exchange ideas and brush up on job search skills. Admission is free. Those attending are asked to bring a snack to share.
September 24, 2004 1st Sun, 5 a.m., CBS Channel 5: Mosaic, featuring conversations on current Catholic issues. 3rd Sun, 5:30 a.m., KRON Channel 4: For Heaven’s Sake, featuring conversations about Catholic spirituality.
Datebook
Reunions
Jesuit Father Bob Fabing returns to his San Francisco roots with an appearance October 2nd at Kaufer’s Religious Supplies, 55 Beverly St., from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The St. Ignatius College Preparatory alumnus will be signing copies of his newest book, The Spiritual Life, which Father Fabing says is “for all those who live the spiritual life and whose quest is taking their spiritual life seriously.” Father Fabing, who entered the Jesuits in 1960 and was ordained in 1974, is also a well-known composer of songs including Be Like the Sun. Kaufer’s, founded in Tacoma, Washington in 1904 and established in San Francisco in 1965, is celebrating its 100th year. David Kaufer, his wife Kathy, and their three daughters are the fifth generation of the family to take part in the business. Reservations are requested. Contact Connie at daura@ccwear.com or (415) 664-0164. Future meetings to be held Dec. 1. Oct. 8: A concert by Joey Albert and Company at St. Matthew Church, 9th Ave. at El Camino Real in San Mateo at 7 p.m. Benefits Medical Lending Missions and their work in the Philippines. Call (650) 766-1111. Oct. 15, 16, 17: All Souls Parish Halloween Festival with games, music, food and more. Come join the fun. Fri. 6 – 10 p.m.; Sat. noon – 10 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. 315 Walnut Ave., South San Francisco. Call (650) 871-8944. Oct. 16: St. Thomas More School Fall Festival at 50 Thomas More Way off Brotherhood Way, SF from 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Theme booths, games, inflatables, food, and fun for the entire family. Call (650) 756-9525 or (650) 755-1297. Oct. 16: New York! New York! An annual Women’s Auxiliary fundraiser benefiting St. Vincent’s School for Boys. Takes place at Peacock Gap Country Club, San Rafael. No host bar at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch raffle and fashion show. Tickets $40 per person. Call Carol Brenk at (415) 897-8584. Oct. 16: Late Night Catechism! Nonie Newton-Breen, alum of Chicago’s famed Second City comedy troupe, is Sister! Settle in for this rollicking entertainment at St. Stephen Parish, 601 Eucalyptus next to Stonestown Mall, at 7p.m. Tickets are $35 per person. Enjoy a front row seat and a “meeting with Sister” for $10 more. Group discounts are available. Call (415) 681-2444, ext. 26. Nov. 6: Bal de Paris, annual fundraiser benefiting Notre Dame Des Victoires school. The evening’s theme, Clair de Lune a Paris, will commemorate the school’s 80th anniversary and honor Marist Father Etienne
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Siffert, who shepherded the downtown parish for almost two decades. Tickets include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing and other entertainments. Call (415) 421-0069 or Bal2004@ndvsf.org. Sundays: Concerts at 4 p. m. at National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, Vallejo and Columbus, SF. Call (415) 983-0405 or www.shrinesf.org. Open to the public. Admission free. Sundays: Concerts at St. Mary Cathedral at 3:30 p.m. Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213. Concerts are open to the public. Admission free. Sept. 26: Raymond Garner, organist and music director, St. Sebastian Church, Greenbrae.
Respect Life/ Family Life Oct. 3: 2004 LifeChain, a peaceful pro-life demonstration from 15th to 24th St. along Mission St. in San Francisco from 2 – 3 p.m. “Be a part of this important event and be filled with joy,” said Judith Lagowski, a LifeChain leader and member of St. Bruno Parish in San Bruno. “Be a witness for life – give an hour to save a life,” said well-known pro-life advocate, Beatrice Smalley. Call (415) 864-6954 for details on how you can take part. Supported by the Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns/Respect Life of the Archdiocese.
TV/Radio Mon – Fri., KVTO 1400 AM, 7:30 p.m.: Catholic Radio Hour features rosary, music and commentary with Father Tom Daly. Sunday 6 a.m.,WB Channel 20/Cable 13 and KTSF Channel 26/Cable 8: TV Mass with Msgr. Harry Schlitt presiding.
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Archbishop Riordan High School is in search of alumni moms! Call (415) 586-8200, ext. 217. Oct. 1- 3: USF reunions for classes of ’59, ’64, ’69, ’74, ’79, ’84 at USF, Fulton and Parker St., SF. Call (415) 422-6431 or reunions@usfca.edu. Oct. 6: 58th anniversary reunion Academy of the Presentation, class of ’46 with no-host cocktails at 11: 30 am. and lunch at 12:30 p.m. at Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave., South San Francisco. Call (415) 583-8091. Oct. 16: Reunion for all alumnae of the revered and much missed St. Brigid High School, San Francisco beginning at 11 a.m. at St. Brigid Elementary School at Van Ness and Broadway. Contact Pat Sabatini at (650) 685-5666. Nov. 5, 6, 7: Reunion Weekend Celebration for Notre Dame High School, Belmont honoring graduates from classes of ’54, ’59, ’64,’ 69, ’74, ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94, ‘ 99. Weekend features are Nov. 6 luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and all alumnae are invited to Nov. 5 lunch as well as Mass and Brunch on Nov. 7. Call the Development Office at (650) 595-1913, ext. 351. Nov. 13: Class of ’54, St. Cecilia Elementary School, SF. Reception and dinner at the school. Contact Mary Rudden at (415) 824-7695 or Don Ahlbach at (650) 348-5577 or dahlbach@pacbell.net. Nov. 13: Class of ’74, Lowell High School, SF at Delancey Street Restaurant. $89 per person. Contact Lisa Coughlin Clay at Lisa.Clay@sfport.com or Connie D’Aura at daura@ccwear.com. If without internet access, call (415) 664-0164. June 25: “It’s been a long time but it’s coming,” said St. Agnes Elementary alum, Sam Coffey, about upcoming reunion for all former students of the missed and now closed SF school. Please contact Sam at coffey@eesclaw.com; Leanne Guth Chapman at chapman@stanne.com; Jana Serezlis at janaser@hotmail.com. If without Internet access, contact Leonor Pokorny at St. Agnes rectory at (415) 487-8560.
Prayer Opportunities/Lectures Oct. 1 – 3: Return to Me, a Holy Spirit Conference at St. Mary’s Cathedral Conference Center, Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Opens Oct. 1 with Mass at 7 p.m. with San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang presiding. Continues through Sunday, Oct. 3 with prayer and presentations for all ages. Additional Masses Sat. at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Speakers include Father Joe Landi, Archbishop’s liaison to Charismatic Renewal. Fees are $20 per day or $30 for both days. Call Ernie Von Emster (650) 594-1131. Oct. 2, 9: The Office of Worship announces training days for lectors, Oct. 9, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, Oct. 2, at Our Lady of Mercy Church, One Elmwood Dr., Daly City, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Expert instruction offered in basic liturgical theology, spirituality and practice. $10 registration. Call Pat Vallez-Kelly at (415) 614-5585 or vallezkellyp@sfarchdiocese.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.
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•Monday - Friday Lunch Buffet...$13.95 • Early Bird Dinner Special $13.95 7 days a week, 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm, Except Holidays
“IF YOU LIKE ITALIAN FOOD, EAT WHERE THE ITALIANS EAT” Since 1956
Prime Rib - Chicken Jerusalem - Catch of the Day Parties of 8 or More $2.00 extra per person
Please Call for Reservations
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For Those Special Occasions, Wedding Receptions or Company Meetings, Inquire About our Banquet Facilities in our Catering Office
Valet Parking 2299 Powell St • San Francisco Close To The Powell & Mason St. Cable Car
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September 24, 2004
Music TV
Catholic San Francisco
Books RADIO Film
17
Stage
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow By Frederica Mathewes-Green The most distinctive thing about Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is the thing you need to forget right away. It’s the thing you probably know already: Everything in this movie is a fake. That’s not unusual, of course; there’s a reason “Hollywood” is an adjective. But this movie is faker than most. The action was shot in just 26 days on a sound stage in London, the actors standing before a bluescreen and emoting in a visual vacuum. Everything else, apart from the props actors actually touch, was generated in a computer. The tiny, live elephant inside a glass dome, the airplane dashing along under the sea, the 90-foot robots stomping down Fifth Avenue, all were computer-drawn. Maybe you weren’t in danger of thinking such things were real anyway. But while we’ve gotten used to movies that include monumental CGI effects, and even movies that mix animation with live action (Who Killed Roger Rabbit?), Sky Captain is the first to pour almost entirely out of a hard drive. You might expect that an anxious director would overcompensate and make the images defiantly realistic, since that trick is as easy for a computer as any other. But Kerry Conran, who pioneered this technique on a Mac in his garage, is not just a geek but an artist. The images are muted and dreamy, soft-focused and shadowy. The colors are those of a hand-tinted photograph. The lovely 90-foot robots are gray as thunderclouds and lightly burnished; they look introspective and melancholy while they flatten the parked cars. In every frame you see Conran’s love of old sci-fi and fantasy movies. He told Entertainment Weekly that his goal was “‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ filtered through Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis.’” Viewers will agree that he fulfilled that goal as well as it could be done. The question is: can it be done? The visual accomplishment of the film is so amazing that it takes awhile to get around to the plot. It’s a good plot, a satisfying, comprehensive romp through every sci-fi and fantasy convention a lover of those genres would wish. As you read over a summary, little points of recognition light up in your memory with a happy “ding!” First, scientists are disappearing, and better yet, they’re Germans. Turns out they did “terrible things” at an experimental laboratory “before World War One” (one of the movie’s few anachronisms; in 1939 nobody knew there would be a Two). Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow), a fearless gal reporter with a hat cocked over one eye, is on the case. That’s about when the giant robots take their stroll down the avenue. I couldn’t figure out later what purpose this plays, since the evil scheme that is finally revealed didn’t require destruction of
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Manhattan. But, really, who cares? The movie’s dreamlike mood of all-purpose foreboding accommodates any familiar-looking elements without asking too many questions. Naturally, Polly’s one-time heartthrob Joe Sullivan, a.k.a. Sky Captain (Jude Law), comes buzzing through the canyons of Manhattan strafing robots. Their romance is perfectly calibrated; he is suave and has a warm British accent, she is brash and fumbly and makes the best comic use of a flat, grating voice since Lucille Ball. The music swells or threatens masterfully as needed, the characters move from one astounding setting to another, and the evil genius, Totenkopf (Sir Laurence Olivier appearing in splendidly employed archival footage), is revealed to be less evil than tragically deluded. So what’s missing? For one thing, though the action effects are extraordinary, the muted look and mood made these seem less like real danger and more like a dance. It’s telegraphed and safe, though undeniably gorgeous. The “bad guy,” unseen through most of the film, is not bad enough — not sufficiently threatening in advance, and somewhat complex when he finally arrives. With a clear-cut, un-nuanced hero and heroine, the dramatic balance is off. Also, Conran made good on his desire to include a dose of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it usually pops up in the form of jokes. These are mostly good jokes, but they’re sharp in a way nothing else here is; they break the careful retro mood with sudden intrusions of contemporary-style humor. Both Metropolis and Raiders are fine movies, but perhaps they are destined never to blend but must always appear in sequence. The very last moment of the film gives an example. It consists of a Raiders-style joke, a good one, but the immediate blackout and credit roll is a regrettably abrupt conclusion. We’ve been luxuriating in a leisurely mood for two hours and deserve to be let go gently. That’s such a small complaint, considering that this film is not only thoroughly enjoyable, but has a PG rating; only an occasional “damn,” some stylized fighting, and one humorous-yet-proper bed scene must have kept it from a G. You can take any kid old enough not to be frightened by stomping robots. In fact, this film is so satisfying, so grand and lovely, that I expect you’ll want to see it more than once, and that the eventual DVD will be a family-room favorite. But catch it now, on the big screen, where it can fully surround you. This is what movies are meant to be — even when they come out of a computer. Frederica Mathewes-Green writes regularly for NPR’s Morning Edition, Beliefnet.com, Christianity Today, and other publications. Reprinted with permission from National Review Online.
TRAVEL DIRECTORY
invites you
to join in the following pilgrimages LOURDES and the GREAT SAINTS of EUROPE October 5, 2004 Departs San Francisco 10-Day Pilgrimage
only
$
2,199
Fr. Michael Lacy Spiritual Director St. Bernadette
Visit: Paris, Lisieux, Normandy, Versailles, Nevers, Paray-LeMonial, Ars, Lyon, Toulouse, Lourdes
PILGRIMAGE TO IRELAND October 7, 2004 Departs San Francisco 10-Day Pilgrimage
only
$
2,299
Fr. Gino Donatelli Spiritual Director
Knock
Visit: Dublin,Clonmacnois,Galway, Knock, Croagh Patrick,Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, Cliffs of Moher, Adare, Tralee, Slea Head, Gallarus Oratory, Dingle, Killarney, Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel & More.
ITALY January 11, 2005 Departs San Francisco 11-Day Pilgrimage
only
$
1,999
with Fr. Chris Crotty and Fr. Louis Caporicci Visit: Rome, Orvieto, Assisi, Loreto, Lanciano, Mt. St. Angelo, San Giovanni, Foggia, Pompeii, (Papal audience if Holy Father is home)
St. Paul Outside the Wall
For a FREE brochure on these pilgrimages contact: PACIFIC I’NTL TRAVEL AGENCY FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS SPECIALIZING IN
CHINA • INDIA • PHILIPPINES VIETNAM • INDONESIA • THAILAND KOREA • JAP AN • TAIWAN JAPAN AIWAN • EUROPE EUROPE DISCOUNTED BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL GOING HOME? VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR SPECIALS
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See it at RentMyCondo.com#657
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18
Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School receives honor from magazine
Sister Rupp, spiritual writer, receives U.S. Catholic Award By Catholic News Service
Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School in Daly City was voted Best Private School by San Francisco and Peninsula readers of Bay Area Parent Magazine. "We know we are a good school but it’s nice to be validated and comes as a complete surprise," said Arlene Fife, OLM principal. "The banner’s up on our fence for the whole world to see." Helping proclaim the honor are first graders Amanda Sainez and Daniel Saatman, and eighth grade student council officers Camille Edralin and Matthew Perotti. OLM pastor is Father Bill Brown.
S E R V I C E
CHICAGO — The Catholic Church has an overabundance of masculine energy that needs to be balanced with more feminine approaches, Servite Sister Joyce Rupp told nearly 200 attendees at a reception honoring her with the 2004 U.S. Catholic Award. Since 1978, the award has been presented annually by the editors of U.S. Catholic magazine for furthering the cause of women in the church. Sister Rupp, a spiritual writer and retreat leader, used the Chinese terms “yin” and “yang” to compare and contrast the approaches of men and women. “A yang, or masculine, approach is organized, structural and concrete: ‘Here is the information. I have found the facts,’” she said in her remarks Sept. 8. “A yin, or feminine, approach looks at a theme or topic from many angles, reflects upon it from one’s lived experience and then presents it to the group. It never acts like it has the final answer.” While noting that the church needs both the yin and yang approaches — information and lived experience — Sister Rupp said she sees an imbalance. “There is such a predominance of yang energy in church leadership right now,” she said. “Yin energy has almost been snuffed out, but I see women refusing to let this yin energy go the church’s graveyard.” In her work as a spiritual director, retreat master, author and speaker, Sister
Rupp said she encounters many women “in immense pain” because of how they feel they are treated by the church. But she finds “nuggets of hope” in groups of women gathering around the world to find the sacred in their own experience, she said. “If there are miracles happening in the church today, the central one is that women continue to remain within the church as faith-filled members,” she said. Sister Rupp is the author of many books, including “Praying Our Goodbyes,” “Your Sorrow is My Sorrow,” “The Cosmic Dance” and a recent book of poetry, “Rest Your Dreams on a Little Twig.” Previous winners include Sister Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph; Ursuline Sister Dianna Ortiz; the Catholic Theological Society; and the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pa. In presenting the award to Sister Rupp, U.S. Catholic managing editor Heidi Schlumpf called her “a pioneer in feminine spirituality.” “Before it became a commonly accepted practice to find spirituality in everyday life, she was helping people find the divine in the ordinariness of family, work, relationships and nature,” Schlumpf said. She also praised Sister Rupp for being “a strong and consistent advocate for women to trust their own experience and for women’s inclusion across the board. She is a gentle woman, but she is never afraid to speak the truth.”
D I R E C T O R Y
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Al Zeidler Insurance Agency
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35 Mitchell Blvd. Suite 9-B, San Rafael, CA 94903
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Al Zeidler Broker Lic: 0B96630
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•Individuals, Couples, Family •Addictions; Food, Chemical, Love •Enneagram Personality Work •Spiritual Direction• Sliding Scale
415-337-9474 • 650-888-2873 www.innerchildhealing.com PAULA B. HOLT, LCSW, ACSW Adult, Family, Couple Psychotherapy, LCS 18043 Divorce resolution, Grief resolution, Supportive consultation. Substance abuse counseling, Post trauma resolution, Family Consultation.
Support and help a phone call away! 415-289-6990
4000 Geary Blvd., Suite 201, San Francisco, CA 94118
Barbara Elordi, MFT Licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist. Offers individual, couple + family and group counseling.
The Peninsula Men’s Group, now in it’s 7th year, is a support group which provides affordable counseling in a safe and nurturing setting. Interested candidates may call for a free brochure.
(650) 591-3784 974 Ralston Ave. #6, Belmont, CA 94002
HANDYMAN Carpentry, Cabinetry, Painting,Refinishing Floors and Furniture, Door & Window Instal.,Cement Work. Se habla Español & Tagalog. Serving also the East Bay, Contra Costa,&Marin Counties
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415-239-8491
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not a licensed contractor
Lifetime Warranty on All Doors + Motors
September 24, 2004
Catholic San Francisco
Community CLASSIFIEDS e-mail: jpena@catholic-sf.org
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Chair, Search Committee for Campus Minister, Schools of the Sacred Heart, 2222 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94115. Fax: (415) 563-3005. E-mail: heart@sacredsf.org For a complete description see “careers” at www.sacredsf.org.
• Generous Commissions
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• Work in Your Community
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Special Needs Nursing, Inc. RNs or LVNs We are looking for you. Work FULL or PART time while your children are in school. Nurses are needed to provide specialized nursing care for children in the San Francisco Public School setting. Generous benefit packages for generous nurses.
Catholic/professional husband & wife are seeking people who want to transition into being their own boss by partnering with a sussessful INC 500 wellness co. Low Investment-Tax Deductible-Money Back Guarantee-Unlimited Income. NO MLM. NO Inventory. NO Order Taking. NO delivering. FREE training. Famed Rich Dad author, Robert Kiyosaki, calls us the “perfect business”. This business is lots of fun & is based on teaching people & enhancing lives! Read about us at: www.milestoneopportunity.com or call: 415-614-1908 for more info.
Cost $25
Serve as full-time Campus ministry coordinator in a K-12 Catholic, independent school with 1,100 students. Previous experience needed. Master’s Degree in related fields preferred.
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Work At Home
heaven
19
CAMPUS MINISTER
February 28, 2003
Call (415) 614-5642 or Fax: (415) 614-5641
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Catholic San Francisco
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Special Needs Companion Services We are looking for you.
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Work Full or Part-time in San Francisco – Marin County • Provide non medical elder care in the home • Generous benefit package
Send your resume: Jeannie McCullough Stiles, RN Special Needs Nursing, Inc. 98 Main Street, #427 Tiburon, Ca 94920
Gifts from Perú and around the world
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20
Catholic San Francisco
September 24, 2004
In Remembrance of the Faithful Departed Interred In Our Catholic Cemeteries During the Month of August
HOLY CROSS COLMA
Khurshida Q. Enriquez Delores E. Epidendio Angelina P. Eschenhorst Evelyn Estrada Lorraine H. Fanucci Edward S. Feliciano Angela M. Fernandez Jay Fischer Patricia M. Ford Robert Mario Forni, Sr. Maria de Jesus Franco Lillian M. Franklin Dorothy L. Friel Thomas J. Furner, Jr. Jesus S. Galang Teresa Gallegos Mae B. Galli Felix Gamez John Gauci Jadwiga Glowacka Jose Gonzalez Mary K. Granera Tony D. Green Jack H. Grey Mary Cecilia Grimley Domingo C. Gutierrez Valentin A. Hailes Isabel Haney David Allan Haskin Franklin A. Hayes Alice L. Hermann Lynn Hernandiz Marlina A. Hildenbrand Ruth M. Hoffman Blanche V. Hourihan Florence W. Hyland H. Eleanore Cloture Hyman Jean Pierre Indart Louise A. Intoschi Floyd James Lee E. Johnson James Jordan Stanford I. Kroner Robert A. Lassalle Felipa B Leano Andrew J. Leonard
Wilma C. Aceret Alejandro M. Alegata Berto F. Alladio Inez J. Amoroso Cheryl K. Angeli Marie J. Anido Benjamin A. Apelin George Aragon Mary N. Aragona Isabelle M. Arceo Evelyn Austin Jeanne Marie Bassus Priscilla Lian Bautista Maria Concepcion Biermann Josette M. Bissada Thomas L. Blake Dorothy Gonzales Bonds Nicola A. Bonfigli John W. Brown Col. Robert O. Brugge Constante P. Buenavista Nicholas J. Burik, MD Kevin Charles Burks, Jr. Gaudencio M. Capil Lavon Capitolo Leona M. Caveza Ava Christine Cervarich Eleanor C. Chanteloup Amelia S. Ching Guido Cinti Phyllis C. Colletta Elaine George Collins Rufina B. Cristobal Amelita L. Cruz Elaine A. Cuatto Sam Dana William B. Davenport Rodney Dion Dela Cruz Rita E. DeMartini Gloria K. Dickerson Domenica S. Duran Tomas C. Duran, Jr.
Larry E. Lucero Wilfredo B. Mapua Lorraine F. McCune William J. McLaughlin John H. Milner John G. Mohler, IV Christina R. Moses John C. Mulford Margarita Muniz Giuseppina Murphy Angelo Arthur Nessi Ora Neuball Marie A. Newman Mary A. O'Brien Viola M. O'Connell Manuel Olvera Mary L. Oswald Roberto C. Palana Yvonne M. Panassie Salvador Paredes, Jr. Jatiya C. Perez Melba Rose Pilara Mary A. Pini Merilyn Jean Purcell Enes L. Quinlan Thomas J. Quinlivan, II Jonathan P. Ray Lauriana B. Reboja Grace V. Rizzo Ronald J. Robinson, Sr. Domingo D. Romero Giuliana Martinelli Rosaia Kathleen Lohmeier Ross Geoffrey E. Rudeen Nettie M. Santi Flora C. Santos Raymond C. Santry Rolando Sarria Herman F. Schnitzius Gilbert P. Schoenstein, Jr. Lorraine Schowalter George Joseph Schwartz Gregory L. Schweitzer Robert G. Selhorn Graciela M. Siu
George E. Steiner, PhD. Jesus Tarrayo Alice M. Thompson Susan Andrea Toschi-Meza Munir S. Totah Eduardo Vanegas, Sr. Richard D. Villalon Anton L. Vuletich William R. Walcott William C. Weindorf Adolph E. Wilbrand Debbie Williams
HOLY CROSS MENLO PARK Salvador T. Alvarez Jose A. Espinoza Miguel Garcia Dr. William Kennett Mary Ann Morey Martinez Helen E. McComiskey William L. Vandewater Kathleen Norah Wallis Thomas I. White
MT. OLIVET SAN RAFAEL Pietro Bartolozzi Thomas J. Bosque Joseph J. Carusone R. Tormey Herold Meredith Lee Messer Barbara M. O'Leary Dorothy D. Seltner
HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CEMETERY, COLMA First Saturday Mass – Saturday, October 2nd Celebrant, Rev. John Ryan – Pastor of St. Gabriel Church All Saints Mausoleum Chapel – 11:00 a.m.
Todos Los Santos – All Soul’s Day Celebration Our Lady of Antipolo Section Dedication – Saturday, October 30th Celebrant, Bishop John C. Wester Outdoor Mass and Dedication – 11:00 a.m. Our Lady of Antipolo Section
The Catholic Cemeteries Archdiocese of San Francisco Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 1500 Mission Road, Colma, CA 94014 650-756-2060
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery Intersection of Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-323-6375
Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery 270 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael, CA 94903 415-479-9020
A Tradition of Faith Throughout Our Lives.