Wildfires bring devastation, death, worry
Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
(CNS PHOTO/ROD SEWARD, REUTERS)
By R. W. Dellinger and Paula Doyle Special Report from The Tidings
Flames from a wild fire are seen above La Canada, a dozen miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Wildfires in the foothills of Los Angeles roared out of control this week, destroying homes, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate, and claiming the lives of two firefighters.
Vatican denies rollback of Vatican II VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, has dismissed fears that Pope Benedict XVI plans to roll back major ecclesial changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council. On the contrary, the German pontiff has demonstrated his commitment to the council during his more than four years as pope, Cardinal Bertone told the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. In the wake of recent reports about a planned move to reverse liturgical changes made since Vatican II, Cardinal Bertone said reporters and observers should
stick to the actual actions undertaken by the pope since his election. Cardinal Bertone pointed to several areas in which he said Pope Benedict had promoted the teaching of Vatican II “with intelligence and depth of thought,” including relations with Eastern and Orthodox churches and dialogue with Judaism and Islam. He said the pope has also favored an increasingly direct and fraternal relationship with the world’s bishops, as evidenced during their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican and in the freer discussions during synods of bishops.
For Father Richard Krekelberg, pastor of St. Rita Church in Sierra Madre, 20 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the Station Fire that destroyed more than 50 homes, threatened 12,000 more and led to two firefighters’ death was a painful reminder. A wild conflagration in April 2008 raced across ridges and down canyons to the very last foothill before the cozy town and St. Rita’s on Baldwin Avenue. “Well, this fire has been a real close parallel for me,” he told The Tidings. “Back then we had to cancel Confirmation, although this time we didn’t have to close anything. You want to be responsible, and yet you want to be a place where your parishioners and others in the community might be able to come for safe haven.” Father Krekelberg said the “regulars” have still been showing up for the 8 a.m. daily Mass he celebrates, but a number of elderly parishioners complained about how it was hard to breathe. As of midday Sept. 1, the Station Fire — the largest of the half-dozen major fires in Southern California — had burned more than 122,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest and was only 5 percent contained along a fire line stretching 30 miles manned by nearly 7,000 firefighters from La Crescenta to Acton. It has destroyed 53 homes and structures. Most tragically, the fuel-driven unpredictable fire claimed the lives of two Los Angeles County fire-fighters: Capt. Tedmund “Ted” Hall, 47, and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, 34. They were killed last Sunday while trying to find an escape route for 55 inmates at a corrections camp high in the Angeles National Forest. The devastating fire also caused parishioner evacuations at several local Catholic churches, including the Benedictine monastery at Valyermo, north of Angeles National Forest, and resulted in the closure of some Catholic schools just beginning the new school year. Home evacuations of parishioners were reported by WILDFIRES, page 13
Immaculate Conception Academy becomes a ‘Cristo Rey’ school San Francisco’s Immaculate Conception Academy entered its first semester as part of the innovative Cristo Rey school network with an opening day Mass Aug. 25 celebrated by Jesuit Father John Foley, founder of the Cristo Rey model. Cristo Rey schools include 24 institutions and 6,000 students across the United States where students help pay their tuition and gain job and life experience with school-day jobs in the private and public sector. At full enrollment, the schools recover up to 90 percent of the cost of educating each student “Ladies, this is not about anything mediocre or half-hearted,” Father Foley told the assembly of 300 in his homily. “This journey is our response to Christ’s invitation to walk on water. You are here to develop all the talent God has given you. That’s what will change our world. That’s what will hasten the coming of the Kingdom.” Immaculate Conception Academy held what it called “Camp Rey” for all students in the week before school started. “The program focused on teaching the young women the hard and soft skills vital to their
success in the corporate world,” the school said. “Classes focused on all aspects of the corporate world including shaking hands, looking people in the eye, public speaking, financial literacy, and the importance of confidentiality.” Currently, Immaculate Conception Academy has 50 positions for its students with businesses and non-profits across the Bay Area, the school said. Four students share one full-time position working five days a month. Among the sponsors are Academy of Art University, American Red Cross, the Department of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Borel Private Bank and Trust Co., City of San Francisco – office of Supervisor David Campos, Kaiser Permanente, St. Mary’s Medical Center, and KPIX- CBS 5 where duties include assisting in organizing the news library, dubbing tapes and logging news stories. More than 1,500 entities sponsor jobs across the Cristo Rey network. In school year 2008-09, students contributed more than $27 million to their education cost.
Dominican Sister Mary Virginia Leach, ICA president, Jesuit Father John P. Foley, founder of the Cristo Rey model, Lisa Graham, ICA principal; Rob Birdsell, Cristo Rey Network president.
Immaculate Conception Academy, an all-girls school, has a student enrollment of 248. Mission San Jose Dominican Sister Mary Virginia Leach is president. Lisa Graham is principal. “The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose are excited to be a new sponsor with the Cristo Rey network,” the
congregation said. The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose founded Immaculate Conception in 1883. For more information or to learn about becoming a Cristo Rey job sponsor, contact Jonathan Wang at jwang@icacademy.org or (415) 824-2052, ext. 27.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Notre Dame controversy. . . . 3 Help in pregnancy. . . . . . . . . 6
Remembrance USF’s Burl Toler ~ Page 8 ~ September 4, 2009
Journey of faith ‘Never the obvious’ ~ Page 15 ~
Labor Day Guide. . . . . . 10-14 Editorial and letters . . . . . . 16 Scripture and reflection . . . 18
Opus Dei film begins production ~ Page 20 ~
ONE DOLLAR
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Classified ads . . . . . . . . . . . 23
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 11
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No. 26