January 21, 2000

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Pro-life demonstrators with signs depicting partial-birth abortion picket in front of the White House in 1996. President Clinton that year vetoed a bill passed by Congress banning the procedure.

Several states have since passed laws making the late-term abortion procedure illegal.

I Oj VJ an Francisco Police officers Ki rk B. Brookbush , 49 , and James F. Dougherty, 56, both killed in the crash of a department helicopter Jan. 11, were buried from St. Mary 's Cathedra l in an interfaith funeral rite Tuesday.

Their bodies were led into the church by a pipe j and drum unit. At right are Police Department left: | chaplains , from Ursuline Sister Lillian Repak who read. Scripture;. , Msgr. John Heaney who led prayers; and tire Rev. Mike Ryan , who delivered a funeral sermon. Below ri ght , U.S. Rep Nancy Pclosi offers condolencesto Assistant Police Chief Earl Sanders. Brookbush i is survive d by his wife, Suzanne , and son , Andrew. Dougherty is survived b y his wife, Sun Kang, three children: Brid get Jeffrey, and Christop her , and stepsons Chon and Paul Kang.

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WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Supreme Court 's Jan. 14th decision to review Nebraska 's law prohibiting partial-birth abortions is important no matter how the ruling goes, according to spokeswomen for the U.S. bishops.

Gail Quinn , director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Jan . 17 the court could either uphold or reject Nebraska 's law in a way that affects abortion law nationwide , or it could address onl y procedural issues , "rather than the substance of partial-birth abortion — which is 'ex utero ' killing or infanticide. " Also unknown is whether the court will incorporate pending appeals of lower court rulings affecting states other than Nebraska.

See related editorial , page 10 Whatever the result , over the next few month s, nationwide attention will focus on a type of abortion that 27 states have tried to prohibit , Quinn said.

"So even if we lose, it 's an opportunity take this before the public ," she said.

Helen Alvare , director of policy and p lanning for the secretariat, said the upcoming public debate sure to accompany the court 's review will be a chance "to focus on partial-birth abortion and how the abortion industry twists facts. " Alvare she had not expected the Supreme Court to take on partial-birth abortion this tenn. The court is expected PARTIAL-BIRTH, page 21

Annual appeal seeks to raise $4.6 million

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In this issue . . .

On The

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Where You Live

by Tom Burke

Youth:

• 80 young people attend vocations retreat

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• 'LifeSaver Reatreats ' leach values and restaint

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Healing : Local pastor heads national ministry of healing

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'Ordinary Time 7: Archbishop lauds retreats . . . .5

About the cover: Father Bruce Dreier, pastor, Epiphany Parish, and chair of the Archbishop 's Stewardship Committee, addresses participants at the Jan. 14 kick-off luncheon for the Archbishop 's Annual Appeal. Photo by Tom Burke .

1 CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Official newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Most Reverend William J. Levada, publisher Maurice E. Healy, associate publisher Editorial Staff: Dan Morris-Young, editor; Evelyn Zappia, feature editor; Tom Burke, "On the Street" and Datebook; Sharon Abercrombie , Kamille Maher reporters.

Advertising Department: Joseph Pena, director; Britta Tigan , consultant; Mary Podesta, account representative; Don Feigel, consultant.

Production Department: Enrico Risano, manager; Julie Benbow, graphic consultant; Ernie Grafe , Jody Werner, consultants; Laurie Maglione, intern.

Business Office: Marta Rebagliati , assistant business manager; Gus Pena, advertising and subscriber services; Karessa McCartney, executive assistant.

Advisory Board: Noemi Castillo, Sister Rosina Conrotto , PBVM , Father Thomas Daly, Joan Frawley Desmond , James Kelly, Father John Penebsky, Kevin Starr, Ph.D., Susan Winchell.

Editorial offices are located at 441 Church St., San Francisco, CA 94114 Telephone: (415) 565-3699 News fax: (415) 555-3631 Circulation: 1-800-563-0008. Advertising fax: (415) 565-3681 Catholic Sun Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published weekly except Thanksgiving week and the last Friday in December, and is published bi-weekly during the months of June , July and August by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco , 1595 Mission Rd „ South San Francisco, CA 94080-1218. Annual subscription rates are $10 within the Archdiocese of San Francisco and $22.50 elsewhere in the United Slates. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, California.

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1595 Mission Rd., South San Francisco, CA 94080-1218 Corrections: If [here is ail error in the mailing label affixed to this newspaper, call Cathdk Sun Franmcu at 1-800-563-0008. Il is helpful to refer lo tile current mailing label. Also , plea.se let us know if the household is receiving dup licate copies. Thank you.

Father Michael Harriman , pastor, St. Cecilia Parish , reminded recentl y how "Christ allowed himself to be baptized to From left: Father Joseph Healy; Franciscan Father Charles Talley show his solidarity with all of Deacon John Bettencourt and Father Zachary Shore. ordained Franciscan u.s"....Newl y Father Charles Talley recently presided at a Mass of Thanksg iving at Most Holy Redeemer season of "Friday Nig ht Hoops ". St. Ignatius Parish where he was a longtime member before entering Preparatory and Juni pero Serra Hi gh School tap-off reli g ious life . The new priest will serve in the on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. A helmets off for Tim Kirby, a Archdiocese of Portland , Ore. Parishioner Jimmy Serra linebacker and offensive tackle , who has been Camarillo is back at Mass and prayers are asked for Jim named San Mateo County 's Outstanding Lineman of Quinlin who has not been well....Please watch or tape the Year and will be honored at ceremonies in SF on Feb. Mosaic on Channel 5 this Sunday at 6 a.m. when 17....Mercy High School , San Francisco 's "Tall Shi p Bishop John Wester exp lains the Jubilee Year and how Semester for Girls " is the National Maritime we can benefit from it. The bishop 's word s made the pur- Association 's Sea Education Program of the Year for pose of Jubilee much clearer for me and now I see it as 1999. The program puts 12 young women at sea for two months , bookending the cruise with a month of training something I want to take advantage of....

Hats off to all who supported the recent St. Francis and a month of follow-up. Some who have been on-board of Assist art exhibit at the Palace of Fine Arts. You say it has increased their "confidence , strength and hel ped raise more than $100,000 to repair Assisi's earth- courage. "... The good times are set to roll at Notre quake damaged basilica. ...This flash from Notre Dame Dame des Victoires Elementary School celebrating its Hi gh School , Belmont where Erica Russell, Theresa 75th anniversary this year. First event is an alumni Ellerhorst, Shannon Fischer, Rachel Marcia and Open House and reception on Jan. 29 from 2 - 5 p.m. A Casey Sullivan have been announced as winners of ND' s party hats off to anniversary chair , Gail M. Palazzolo.

For more info see Datebook....

If you 're wondering whose picture is in the dictionary next to "nonstop ", it 's St. Anne of the Sunset's Roberta Levy, who works year-round on dolls and tedd y bears she donates each Advent to Erica Russell Theresa Shannon Fischer the parish Giving Tree.

Ellerhorst Over the last five years, first yearbook p hoto contest. Entrants framed classmates the retired accountant has in the midst of community service or at work....Father lifted the hearts of more David Pettingill , director of the archdiocesan Office of than a hundred boys and Parish Life , and Sul pician Father Gerald Coleman , girls in need. It 's trul y a president/rector of St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park , family affair with have co-authore d a new book , Following in the Roberta 's sister, Susan Roberta Levy Footsteps of J esus. It ' s all about our "ancestors in faith ," Bernard , supp ly ing the priests say in an introduction , as well as their "ener- transportation for the hand-made toys. Roberta 's signagies and struggles " and ultimate "victory in God." ture dolls are 30-inch clowns which take about seven Birettas off to both priests who, by the way, are regular hours to complete . New this year were the 18-inch teddy contributors to Catholic San Francisco....While we 're bears which take about four hours . The seamstress has doffing our chapeaus, let 's not forget the Archdiocesan also created Advent , Lent and Respect Life banners for Priests ' Choir who performed free "everybody 's invit- St. Anne 's. Thanks to Victoria Di Labbio Giambruno ed" Christmas concerts at Immaculate Heart of Mary for lettin ' us know about this doll of a person....At St. Church, Belmont; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Dominic Parish , a new pipe organ is in place while the Mill Valley and St. Cecilia 's. Choir members are parish' s historic 1909 Woodberry instrument is being Fathers James Aylward , Rolando Caverte, Agnel De restored....At St. Finn Barr , the call is out to cheer up Heredia , James Garcia, John Jimenez, Piers Lahey, recentl y moved neighbor, Harry Mazza , who relocated Paul Perry, Harry Schlitt , James Tarantino, Mark to "Home Sweet Home", 205 Collins , Colma Taheny, William Vaughan, Milton Walsh and Msgr. 94014.. ..Serra Club of the Golden Gate offered word s Steven OteIlini....The Italian Catholic Federation has of encouragement b y the late Archbisho p Oscar announced its annual scholarship program and it sounds Romero in a recent newsletter, "It helps now and then to like this generous and wonderful bunch has polenty to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not give away. The group is awarding 200 scholarshi ps in the only beyond our efforts , it is even beyond our vision. " amount of $400 to high school seniors attending college Officers are Art Green, pres.; Paul Crudo, Joe Puig, in the fall. For info about applying, call (888) ICF- Carole Kilgariff , Vivian Mullaney, vice prez; 1924....

Margaret Deidrich , sec; John Gray, treas.; George Bay TV, Cable Channel 35, has announced the 3rd Anderson , Bob Hi ggins, trustees....

Notre Dame des Victoires' Open House committee members , from left: Adrienne Jue , Audrey Miller, Larry Briseno and Jo Mazzucco with son Matthew.

Annual appeal launched

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The kick-off luncheon for this year 's Archbishop 's Annual Appeal was held Jan. Hat St. Mary 's Cathedral. Themed "Behold I Make All Things New," the AAA will raise $4.6 million to support ministries and responsibilities of the Archdiocese including religious education, communications , hospital and AIDS chap lains, seminarian tuition, youth programs and priests ' retirement. Among the more than 250 people attending the luncheon were , left to right from Novato 's St. Anthony Parish: Bill Haley, Roberta Keller, Father Kevin Gaffey, pastor, and Paul Gallagher. At rig ht, bringing up the gifts during the Mass that preceded the luncheon are Joe Wucher and Sherry Agrella , both of St. Mark Parish. Archbishop William J. Levada presided.

Bay Area residents attend global religious 'parliament' religious, racial and national lines - drew Sharon Grant returned from the World some 8,000 peop le to Parliament of Religions detennined to ques- Chicago. The event tion the morality of U.S. laws, especially recalled an historic interfaith meeting those affecting immigrants.

San Rafael Dominican Sister Patricia 100 years before in Bruno gained first-hand insights into the ter- the same city. The rible ramifications of apartheid that still success of the 1993 Sister Pat Bruno event led to a cornoccur.

Grant, director of reli gious education at mitment to hold such international gatherings St. Isabella Parish in San Rafael , and Sister every five years, beginning in 1999.

This Parliament was the first one for the Bruno, an Oakland resident and spiritual director who also works for economic jus- Bay Area delegates.

"And we just couldn 't process the infortice, attended the large interfaith gathering mation fast enough," said Grant, who added Dec. 1-8 in Cape Town, South Africa. More "a surprise waiting around every there was than 6,000 delegates from around the world corner."

— 2200 from the U.S. — chose from among One surprise was discovering new per600 workshops and presentations.

The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan spectives on Catholicism from the viewpoint Buddhists; South African Anglican of other denominations. On the first day she Archbishop Desmond Tutu , and Nelson and her husband, Jim , met a Jewish professor Mandela, anti-apartheid champion and for- from the Midwest. The teacher told them he mer South African president , were just a few thinks Pope John Paul fl is "the most incluof the speakers. A multitude of workshops on sive of all the world's religious leaders."

Grant said her overall impression of the social justice themes abounded, based on the key event document, "A Call to Our Guiding meeting was reassuring. "Most of the people Institutions." there were ordinary people with a wonderful The Call is an invitation to governments, sense of good will and curiosity to learn business, education , communications media, about other traditions."

St. Isabella's DRE also made the discovand scientific leadership, to reassess their roles in seeking "a just , peaceful, and sus- ery that "everyone has a belief in a guiding tainable future." In 1993, the Parliament - force, something larger than we are, whom which is a non-legislative, educational and they honor, respect and serve."

"Sometimes you get so jad ed and despaircelebratory international gathering across

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ing over inhumanity and wars, you think that 's how the world is," she noted. "But it isn't when you meet common ordinary people. They give me hope that peace is possible."

Nelson Mandela 's Sharon Grant talk on apartheid galvanized Grant to question authority. He spoke about how churches went along with their government 's official racist policy toward black people.

"It made me ask myself , 'What does justice mean?'" She found herself thinking back to an incident 10 years ago, when she lived in Pittsburg. "The immigration authorities told us it was against the law to employ immigrants if they didn 't have their green cards.

But I paid some young men for cleaning my yard, anyway."

Grant said that Mandela and his followers ' collective bravery in defying their government , helped her to understand why today many Catholics are willing to get arrested for protesting the death penalty and nuclear weapons.

"I'm a timid , on-the-side-lines type of person , but his talk calls me out of that," Grant added.

Sometimes side trips were ju st as revej ling as the conference itself. Sister Pat Bruno visited an olive grove in Cape Town, which her community is helping to support through

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Shared Interest, a New York based lending company which helps micro-enterprising efforts among poor people. More economic help is needed, she said, because one of the most tragic effects of apartheid's legacy is "the terrible poverty." The Catholic Church of Cape Town is also helping to support the olive grove effort , to help small farmers earn better livings for themselves and their families. The Goedgedacht Rural Center, is under the auspices of the Catholic Archbishop of Cape Town. Besides its agricultural classes, the Center offers pre-school and basic adult education , as well.

That 's the good news. But there's bad as well, said Sister Bruno. Sixty percent of the people who have AIDS live in Africa and 60 percent of that 60 percent are in South Africa and they don 't have adequate medication.

During her visit, Sister Bruno talked to many women in various reli gious communities about their experiences with apartheid.

Many of them are going through their truth and reconciliati on process, to come to terms with their roles in keeping apartheid going.

"They are going through a lot of pain and struggle." One sister told her, "It's humiliating that we came here and accepted this."

Some sisters who partici pated in social activism on behalf of black people suffered at the hands of the South African government.

One woman was jailed for 17 days because she and a group sang Christmas carols outside a prison on behalf of their incarcerated friends.

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Don 't want sweatshop goods

ARLINGTON , Va. (CNS) — Once again, a majority of consumers have told pollsters they want to avoid purchasing goods made in sweatshops.

Three-fourths of those surveyed in a study for Catholicrun Marymount University in Arlington said they would avoid shopping at a retailer th at sold garments made in sweatshops, and 86 percent said they would even pay an extra dollar on a $20 garment if they were guaranteed that it was made in a legitimate shop.

Marymount conducted similar surveys in 1995 and 1996.

Urges off icials defend marriage

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After a decision by Italy 's Latium region , which incorporates Rome, to grant cohabiting couples some of the same rights as married couples, Pope John Paul II asked civil authorities to vigorously defend the institu tion of marriage.

During an annual meeting with regional and city officials Jan. 13, the pope urged them to "dedicate dili gent care to the family," which , he noted, is enshrined in the Italian Constitution as "a natural society founded on matrimony."

"I ask authorities to avoid any initiative which could favor or guarantee legal equality between the family and other forms of living together," he said.

Muslims attach Kosovo's Christians

VATICANCITY (CNS) — Kosovo's Christians are facing increasing violence from militant Muslims in the warscarred southern Yugoslavian province , said Fides, the Vatican '& missionary news agency.

Jesuit Father Mato Jakovic , coordinator of Jesuit Refugee Services in Macedonia and Kosovo, said in a Jan. 12 Fides report that Catholic cemeteries in the cities of Prizren and Pec had been destroyed. The graves of a bishop and priest were profaned.

The Fides report said the relatives of priests are "ever more frequentl y maltreated ," adding that the homes of relatives of two Franciscans were torched in early December.

Calls for more Cuba freedom

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — During a meeting with Cuba 's forei gn minister, Pope John Paul II and top

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Vatican diplomats called for greater religious freedom in the island state.

"The Holy See expressed a desire for an ever greater religious freedom in the wake of what was affirmed by the Holy Father during his historic visit (to Cuba) in January 1998, " said a Vatican statement Jan. 17. In December, the pope asked Cuba to be more "generous " in allowing forei gn church contributions of personnel and aid to the Cuban church.

Dowp lays Dr. King martyr story

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A Vatican official downlayed speculation Pope John Paul II would declare the p Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a Christian "martyr " during the jubilee year, saying current plans call for a no-names prayer service honoring all Christians who died for the faith in the 20th century.

U.S. media reportedlast week that King, a Baptist who led the U.S. civil ri ghts movement until his assassination in 1968, would be declared a martyr by the Catholic Church , one of a long list of martyrs expected to be unveiled by Pope John Paul II at an ecumenical service at Rome 's ancient Colosseum May 7.But Jesuit Father Jozef Maj told Catholic News Service Jan . 14 no specific recognition of martyrdom for King was planned for the service.

Vatican TV newscast on In ternet

NEW YORK (CNS) — Vatican TV's weekl y newscast is now being made available on the Internet b y I aP ForeignTV.com.

The official Vatican TV network , Centra Televisivo fcVi O Vaticano, or CTV, compiles a weekly broadcast of 20-30 6" O & minutes. It is made available to ForeignTV.com each S o- Wednesday, according to spokesman Lewis Goldberg.

People wishing to see the broadcast should go to www.forz eigntv.com and then click on its WorldNewsTV.com icon. y

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Retired Bishop Pavao Zanic of Mostar-Duvno , Bosnia and Herzegovina , died Jan. 11 in Split, Croatia. He was 81. Bishop Zanic was known for statements questioning the reported apparitions of Mary at Medjugorj e, a town which was part of the Diocese of Most ar-Duvno.

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Societies issue booklet

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican and the United Bible Societies released an interconfessional Bible booklet for pilgrims visiting Rome during the jubilee year.

"We hope that this booklet acts as a guide to the path of conversion ," Msgr. Giuseppe Conte, a member of the

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Vatican 's jubilee committee and one of the project 's central figures, said Jan . 7.

Titled "I Will Turn to the Father " and available in English, Italian , Spanish, French , Portuguese and German, the booklet contains the Gospel of Luke, the First Letter of Peter, the Book of Amos and a selection of Psalms, all in an interconfessional common language translation approved

by Catholic , Protestant and Orthodox officials.

Heartened abortion decline

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A spokeswoman for the U.S. Catholic bishops lauded the newly released figure s from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which showed U.S. abortions in 1997 were at their lowest level in two decades.

Helen Alvare , director of planning and information for the bishops ' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities , credited the decline in part to the four-year campai gn against partialbirth abortions , which she said "exposed peop le to the reality of abortion."

Figures released by the CDC in Atlan ta showed that U.S. abortion rates had climbed during the 1970s, remained stable during the 1980s and began a gradual decline in 1991.

Orthodox church heads gather

JERUSALEM (CNS) — The heads of 14 Orthodox churches celebrated Orthodox Christmas in the Hol y Land in an unprecedented gathering. It was the first time all the heads of Orthodox churches met together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

"This is a rare , historic event ," Greek Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece told the Israeli Ha ' aretz newspaper. In addition to the Greek Orthodox patriarch , the gathering included the patriarchs of Moscow, Constantinop le, Alexandria , Antioch , Jerusalem, Moscow, Serbia, Romania , Bul garia, Georg ia, Cypru s, Poland , the Czech Republic and Slovakia , and Albania.

In relate d news , the University of San Francisco announced that its presti gious annual Paul Wattson Lecture speaker will be an internationall y-recognized scholar on Orthodox religions. Jaroslav Pelikan , Ph.D., a Yale University professor of history, will deliver the Jan. 28 lecture at the USF campus.

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The great grace of retreat Every year for the past 25 plus years the bishops common and during a concelebrated daily Eucharist. of Region XI (California , Nevada and Hawaii) have These retreats have been for me times of great gathered to partici pate in a retreat. This year , just after grace. I believe many other bishop s have expressed New Year's Day and the great millennium celebra- similar sentiments about them. One of the special tions, we gathered at the Cardinal Manning House of graces is the fact that we bishops pray together, that is Prayer for Priests in the Los Feliz section of Los side by side, in a way that builds a sense of collegialiAngeles , north of ty through our prayer downtown , for a together which is week of silence and '...we bishop s p ray . ..side by side in a more palpable than prayer. that we experience way that builds a sense of collegiality The late Bishop oftentimes at our Bernard J. Topel of annual meetings, with throug h our p rayer together which is Spokane gathered the our busy agenda and bishops of the Pacific more pa lpable than that we exp erience discussions about a Northwest for the wide variety of matfirst of these annual ofte ntimes at our annual meetings ters great and small. ' bishops ' retreats , and The retreats folthe practice quickl y low the general plan spread south to our region , and now is a staple of the of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius , with a focus bishops ' spiritual diet in every region of our country. on the Gospels. In the Ignatian method , the retreatant While the sty le of retreat may differ in the various is invited to place himself in the Gospel scene throug h regions , in Region XI we have the great blessing of a process of "imag inative contemp lation ", a beautiful having a team of Jesuit directors join us each year so technique of prayer available to all of us Christian s that we might have the grace of a silent , directed whenever we read the accounts of Christ 's life in the retreat. In this format each bishop meets with one of four Gospels of the New Testament. The goal of this the directors for about an hour a day, to review the retreat , as any retreat , is to experience the presence of experience and momentum of prayer in the period just Jesus throug h prayer. And from this experience, to be past and to plan the moments of prayer for the coming led to a more intense love for Jesus, who has revealed day. All is done in silence, including meals. Our only himself as Redeemer, Teacher and Friend , as our Good vocalizations are at morning and evening prayer in Shepherd.

Archbishop William J. Levada

I write about this experience to offer a word of encouragement to all of us in the Archdiocese to consider the great resources we have in our retreat centers, and to consider how useful it can be for all of us take that "retreat " from our often loo busy lives whether it be for a week, a day of recollection , or an hour of quiet contemplation in the sanctuary of a favorite place in the home or neighborhood. Here we create the time and space we need to put the focus on prayer - on encountering Jesus in prayer, on learning again to love our God with all our heart and all our strength and all our mind. For as Jesus told the lawyer, that is what we must do to inherit eternal life.

*¦ btilLzAupl i%^*-J^ Most Revt4Villiam J Levada Archbishop of San Francisco

Appointments Functions of permanent diaconate office are divided A recent restructuring of work concerning the permanent diaconate will have separate individuals directing formation of new candidates , and ministry to the ordained deacon community. The new alignment , announced by Archbishop William J. Levada in September, follows the 1998 Vatican guidelines recommending the ministries not be handled by the same person.

Deacon Leon Kortenkamp, director of the Office of the Diaconate , and now responsible for ordained deacons , welcomes the change. "With 72 deacons now in active ministry, the outreach to the ordained community has become a job in itself ," Kortenkamp, who until now has also directed the formation program , told Catholic San Francisco. "I'm pleased that the responsibilities relating to the formation program are now in the able hands of Father Gregory Ingels. " Ministry to the ordained community includes the coordination of a continuing education program , social events , retreats and arranging ministry assi gnments.

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Deacon Kortenkamp

Father Ingels , appointed by Archbishop Levada as director of formation for the permanent diaconate on Sept.

1, said he has been busy since then reviewing the current formation model and settling-in at St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park , where his work will be based.

"Archbishop Levada has asked me to bring the program up to date with new

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guidelines which have come out from the Holy See and a directory for deacon formation that is being worked on ri ght now by the National Conference of Catholic Bishop s," Father Ingels said. "I am very excited to be part of the formation program ."

Father Ingels, ordained in 1974 and a canon lawyer, is a former parochial yicar at St. Raymond Parish , Menlo Park , and St. Charles, San Carlos, as well as a former faculty member at Marin Catholic Hi gh School. He served in the canon law department of the Archdiocese for more than a decade and teaches at the seminary.

Applications for the next deacon class will begin to be accepted in April 2000.

Men interested in learning about the program may call Father Ingels at (650) 325-5621.

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Olema's Father Richard Bain

'Almost accidental ' healing ministry reaching thousands

By Elizabeth Bourne He is known by many as the "healing priest " — and for understandable reasons.

Last Monday more than 300 peop le packed i Olema 's Sacred Heart Church — where Father | Richard Bain has been pastor for a year and a half ¦ — to attend a Mass for Healing, People th roug hout the United States are say- M ing they have been cured of a variety of illness- Sk es and infirmities after Father Richard Bain has H prayed over them . n His Web site (www.parishmissions.com), ffl which receives about 100 "hits " a month , 11 includes comments from more than 40 people B claiming to have been healed from infertility, 9 heart trouble , Alzheimer 's Disease, arthritis , W phobias , spinal cord injuries and even cancer. are Why does Father Bain think these people healed? "It 's a mystery to me. When God heals , «| it 's his love. When he doesn 't , he may love them ¦ more," he said , explaining the story of a man suf- H fering from severe ringing in his ears. "The man told me he was glad he wasn 't healed because he had been a very hard person and the pain softened him. " Churches throughout the country have invited Father heard he was a great preacher," said Father Bain. Father Bain to bring his ministry to them. When he does, a Mass Kelleher was also a well-known "hands-on-healer ".

An unexpected thing happened. Afte r the visiting for Healing is celebrated each evening of a three-day mission that includes talks on "Eucharist and Healing," . priest 's Mass for Healing, Father Bain 's parishioners said "Penance and Healing" and "Prayer and Healing. " Unlike they felt a similar "energy " from him. Father Bain decidmost Masses, the congregation arrives 30 minutes early to ed to give it a try and said a Mass for Healing for his own begin praying the rosary and litanies together. Then after parish.

Mass, members of the congregation are invited to come up Shortly after that, there was a call from a local TV stato Father Bain for individual blessings. tion asking for a Catholic priest involved in healing.

"I lay my hands on their head and pray, " said Father Father Bain was invited to partici pate even though he Bain. "I have an intent for the person to be healed and for told them he had only presided at one Mass for Healing .

God to work through me. The less 1 put into it, the more Although he and a Lutheran minister were only schedothers get out. " uled to appear for 20 minutes, they were kept on for the Father Bain says he gets warmth in his heart and feels whole show. The parish phone rang for three days after God 's presence and that people say afterward they felt its number appeared on TV, and 4,000 peop le attended a warmth , energy and love.

Mass for Healing held shortl y thereafter at St. Mary 's Before joining the priesthood , Father Bain earned a Cathedral. bachelor ' s degree in psychology from the University of Since then, Father Bain has been invited to churches San Francisco. For the next several years he was assistant throughout the United States to conduct three-day miscorporate secretary of California Pacific Utilities Co. in sions that end with a Mass for Healing.

San Francisco, and production control manager of $360 Dillon Beach resident Mary Ann Serrano was diagmillion worth of construction for Town Realty Co. in nosed last year with cancer of the esophagus. She was told Honolulu. she had two to six months to live. "I went to Father Bain He was ordained a priest in 1980 at the age of 37 after many times during my chemo treatment and to a couple of studying at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park . A mod- healing Masses," she said. "When he lay s his hands on me, est and kind man who does his own laundry, and cooks his own meals, Father Bai n is the first and onl y director of the Healing Ministry for the Archdiocese of San Francisco , which he founded in 1986.

UBlSJEfw | ^a^sfcN ^PlflBB^ Father Bain 's work in healing happened "almost by ^ ^ (( )) S, ^rv^^ " V accident ," he said. He invite d Father Dennis Kelleher ^ from New York to visit Our Lady of Loretto in Novate "I AN FRANCIS CO "

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I the Hol y Spirit moves throug h him very powI erfull y." Serrano was recently diagnosed as I cancer free. , Although she was told the scar tissue ¦ from radiation would never go away and B that she would always have a difficult time B eating, she continued to have Father Bain H pray over her. "Two weeks ago she was at ¦ the movies eating popcorn ," said Father Hi Bain. "Tears of joy were rolling down her |H cheeks. That is the power of prayer!"

M "Some people feel electricity or heat. 1 (f . feel a very, very peaceful energy that can hg almost knock you over," said Serrano. In |U^ fact, at some Masses for Healing, people j«3 actuall y do fall over backwards after receiving a blessing. Although this "phe" used to happen at Father Bain 's nomenon g IF it no longer does.

Masses, | "Peop le thoug ht they fell because they g were being touched by the Hol y Spirit ," said Father Bain. Some people fell before he touched them , when he walked by, or when he was reading the Gospel.

One man actuall y fell while Father Bain was praying over his picture , 35 miles away. People expected to fall and ushers positioned themselves to catch them.

After "much study, prayer and discernment ," Father Bain said he concluded this to be more of a psychological phenomenon than a spiritual one. He decided to try to remove this aspect from the Mass. (Father Bain 's Web site explains this in greater detail.)

Ill for years with a bad heart and diagnosed with cancer, Francis Shurtliff lives near Tomales. A friend suffering from throat cancer asked her to go to a Mass at Sacred Heart celebrating the Feast of St. Blaise, the patron saint for throats. "I was sick and tired of being sick and tired ," said Shurtliff , whose testimony of her experience was given with tears. "Something about [Father Bainj was so different. I felt something I' ve never felt before. " "He touched everyone and blessed their throats. 1immediate ly saw a transformation come over my friend. Her color changed from grey and her eyes were no longer BAIN , page 7

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Father Richard Bain prays over a participant during a recent Mass for Healing at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Mill Valley.

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Bain.. . ¦ Continued from previous page vacant. " Father Bain said the woman is now cancer free.

However, Shurtliff' s health continued to decline. In June she attended the first Mass for Healing at Sacred Heart , barel y able to get out of the car. "I had Father Bain lay his hands on me," she said. "I felt an electric warmth from the bottom of my toes to my hair."

As Father Bain prayed , Shurtliff prayed , not onl y for herself but for each person there. "This is a chain [of prayer] much more than Sacred Heart Church , this is a chain [of prayer] throug hout the world."

When Mass ended , Shurtliff said she was no longer in pain and went out to lunch. Since then , her malignant tumors have been diagnosed as benign. "I can smile now, and I haven 't had cheeks for a long' time," she said.

Thirty-year-old Point Reyes resident Amelia Reynoso has suffered from severe head aches and depression since experiencing emotional and physical trauma as a

child. "Father Bain came to the hospital 10 months ago and prayed over me," she said. "1 felt a lot of peace in my body, and my head relaxed. " Reynoso , the mother of four, now hel ps teach reli g ious education at Sacred Heart.

"All you can do is pray over peop le and leave the rest to God ," Father Bain commented.

Over the next 15 months Father Bain has parish missions scheduled in California , Texas , Georg ia , Arizona , Connecticut , Oklahoma and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of San Francisco he has Masses for Healing scheduled at Immaculate Conception chapel , 3255 Folsom St., San Francisco on Feb. 10 at noon , and at Our Lady of Loretto Church in Novato on Marc h 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Father Bain said parishioners should contact their pastor if they would like to discuss a Mass for Healing or mission scheduled at their church.

Elizabeth Bourne is a freelance writer and Web site editor who lives in Nicasio with her husband and two sons. She is president of the pastoral council for St. Mary, Nicasio , and St. Cecilia , Lagunitas .

Monk hosts TV series on cooking A cooking show hosted by a Benedictine monk makes its Bay Area television debut this "Breaking month .

Bread" with Father Dominic " aired for the first time Jan. 14 on KRCB-TV (Ch.21) in Rohnert Park. The 13week cooking series will be broadcast Fridays at 12:30 p.m. and then repeate d on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Father Dominic Garramone, a monk at St. Bede Abbey in Peru , III., spends much of his free time in the monastery kitchen making bread . In the series, he tells stories, provides personal recipes , and g ives viewers a greater understanding of how bread making can bring families and friends together.

Each ep isode also includes a taped segment about a bakery or ethnic kitchen that makes bread similar to those introduced by Father Dom. Among the places and people captured on tape are the Boudin Bakery in San Francisco which still uses the orig inal "mother" dough from 1849.

The Ian 21 ep isode feature will "Multi grain Breads ," and Jan 28's will be devoted to "Monastery Pizza Ni ght. " To confirm scheduling, contact local cable television outlets.

Institute numbers mount

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Processing incoming registrations for the annual archdiocesan Religious Education Institute are , from left, Grace Cassetta , Delia Herrera and Lynn Zupan of the Office of Religious Education and Youth Ministry. Scheduled Feb. 5 at St. Mary's Cathedral and the adjoining Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School , the event will offer some four dozen workshops in Spanish and English and will conclude with Mass with Archbishop William J. Levada presiding. For information or registration materials, call (415) 565-3650. This year 's theme is "Eucharist: the Heroic Act of Love. "

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'LifeSaver Retreats ' underscore chastity and personal dignity

By Kamille Maher "God wants us to be happy. We want you to be happy.

One way to do that is to behav e in a way that brings peace into your life ." So adult facilitator Carmcl Romansk y suggests to a team of hi g h school and college students lo convey chastity 's importance to their younger counterparts.

A parishioner of San Mateo's St. Gregory Churc h, Romansk y is countering what she sees as the Church' s failure to emphasize "the onl y family planning that 's acceptable. " Romansk y trains and monitors a team of peer ministers who lead LifeSaver Retreats for junior hi gh students in reli g ious education courses and Catholic schools.

As a former marriage preparation teacher fori7 years, Romansk y said she emphasized the positive effects of chastity. She recognized a need to bring the message to younger people so that they might learn to "save themselves for the one person God has in mind for them."

The day-long LifeSaver retreats focus on the sacredness and dignity of human life , teen chastity, and other issues junior high students can expect to face in years to come. Organizers describe the retre ats as "interactive and fun " with a video , games and stories.

Still , discussions are "strai ghtforward and serious , as we consider issues that affect all of us: human dignity, sexuality, chastity, abortion , caring about others, and how our Catholic faith fits into our lives," according to a promotional pamphlet.

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Participants in last September 's training session for LifeSaver Retreats discuss issues at St. Brendan Parish.

ideas about chastity and abortion. They think th at we are going to talk to them all day about what they can 't do.

"Instead, we talk about the dignity of every person and what that means not only in terms of respect life issues, but in their own interpersonal relationships. We present them with a view of what sex and marriage are intended for, how dating can be fun and chaste at the same time."

Added Buckley, "The great thing about presenting this information to these kids is that they can see that this is indeed true. Most of them see the bad effects promiscuity has had on their f riends and older siblings and are grateful we offer a different view of life as well as some practical suggestions for living it."

Team members include adults and hi gh school and university students who "share their experience of the pressures of hi gh school and of living a committed young Catholic life in society today. " A training session last fall prepared several student "peer ministers " to lead upcoming "Life Saver Retreats."

Kathleen Buckley of the Office of Public Policy and Social Concern 's Respect Life Program is scheduling retreats. For more information , contact her at (415) 5653672.

"The Life Saver Retreat offers us a uni que opportunity to talk with junior high kids about some of the serious decisions they are facing, " commented Buckley. "Most of the students come to the retreat with preconceived

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About 80 young people from different parishes in the Archdiocese took part in a retreat Jan. 15 at All Souls Church in South San Francisco to mark National Vocations Week.

The event was sponsored by the Hispanic Vocations Ministry of the Archdiocese under the direction of Father Agustin Escalante (top left) of St. John the Evangelist Parish. "The responsibility for promoting vocations falls on all of us," Father Escalante said . Featured speakers also included St. Patrick Seminary student Francisco Gamez (left), Father Jorge Roman (center above) of St. Timothy Parish in San Mateo , Sister Gisela Enriquez (above right), vocation director for the San Jose Diocese , and Sonia and Cuauhtemoc Alvarado , presidents of the Christian Family Movement. Sister Gisela said the call comes from God and that "we must learn to continue discovering in ourselves just how we are to serve others."

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JCATHOLIC

SAN FRANCISCO Guest editorial

Mr. Smith in Washington When you live in Washington, D.C., it can be hard to remember that political issues, which make up your daily bread and butter, aren 't even on most Americans ' radar. Such is the ease with the "Mexico City Policy." Briefly worded as it is, however, neither this policy nor the Congressman who fought so bravely for it should be overlooked . To do so is to forgo a chance to regain some pride in government in general, and pro-life politicians in particular.

"Brave" is a word that might seem overblown in today 's political environment. After all, the prevailing view of federal politics is that of a game run by profoundly partisan and egotistical players with little else on their minds save scoring political points against the opposing party. But the politician who put his name, his reputation, and, doubtless, some political friendships on the line to achieve the Mexico City Policy, breaks the mold.

Chris Smith of New Jersey is known to dedicated pro-lifers as our own fearless advocate in the House of Representatives. But through his recent battles to prevent the abortion industry from exporting America 's permissive abortion regime abroad , he has become well known in a more general context - as a man who won 't play politics as usual when principles are at stake. And even if the New York Times - a paper with a strong, reflexive and uninformed editorial stance in favor of abortion - is hinting in this direction, the word must be out.

The Mexico City Policy, first announced at a 1984 United Nations' conference in Mexico, prevented U.S. population assistance funds from flowing to foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning. As one of his first acts in office, President Clinton rescinded this policy. Thereafter, overseas groups like the International Planned Parenthood Federation could receive U.S. funding - and the appearance of a general blessing from the U.S. government while performing abortions and lobbying to overturn foreign laws protecting the unborn.

Late in 1997, at Congressman Smith's urging, the House of Representatives began making passage of the Mexico City Policy a condition for authorizing payment of arrears owed by the United States to the United Nations. Our arrears are so great, in fact , that but for payment of part of them last year, the U.S. would have lost its critical vote in the U.N. General Assembly. In 1998, President Clinton vetoed the bill authorizing payment of our arrears, because the Mexico City Policy was attached.

In 1999, therefore, Congressman Smith was under tremendous pressure to de-link payment of back U.N. dues from abortion. The White House threatened to veto any deal involving passage of the Mexico City Policy, and to brand pro-lifers and the House leadership as dangerous to U.S. credibility abroad . Abortion advocates lobbed the most extreme insults in Smith 's direction . The National Abortion Rights Action League, never sparing in its invective, cast Smith as part of a "gang," "extorting " Americans. Other pro-abortion groups variously called Smith 's plan "lousy" and "cowardly."

The Mexico City Policy was dubbed the "Chris Smith gag rule."

Newspapers across the country editorialized against the Congressman by name.

But Smith held firm. And along with a majority of the House, won White House acceptance of the following deal: of the fiscal 2000 population funding of $385 million, $370 million is only available to groups who abide by the Mexico City Policy. As for the additional $15 million, President Clinton may choose to grant it to groups not complying with the Mexico Coty Policy, but if he does, $12.5 million will be diverted from the total polulation budget to child survival programs.

Now Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has declared herself satisfied that U.S. population programs abroad will operate satisfac torily under die Mexico City Policy. There are plenty of grantees overseas who are not involved with abortion who will u^e the money for its intended purpose. So why all the vitriol? Simple.

Chris Smith knows and we know that the Mexico City Policy states loud and clear that abortion is different , abortion is stigmatized, abortion is not what the U.S. wants to stand for overseas. And the pro-abortion movement just hates this. For like their predecessors in the pro-slavery movement of the 19th century, they will not be satisfied until we are all forced to state that something wrong is a right.

Hats off to Congressman Smith.

Author of this commentary, Helen Alvare, is director of planning and information for the Secretariatfor Pro-Life Activities of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Thanks from Vatican

Grounds for wcations

Ed. note : The following letter was In a letter to the editor last month addressed to Archbishop William J. Levada Muriel Calegari wrote about the relationand forwarded to Catholic San Francisco to ship of Catholic school education to the be shared with readers. The Peter 's Pence number of vocations to priesthood . Her collection was held on the last weekend of letter seems to question the value of the September.

"Today's Students , Tomorrow 's Leaders " I am writing to inform you that the school endowment campai gn. Without Holy See has received from the Apostolic jud g ing the merits of the campaign itself , Nunciature the sum of $94,146.04 sent by I would like to offer Ms. Calegari and yourself and your people as the 1999 your readers some hard data.

Peter 's Pence offering.

In 1998, CA.R.A. (Center for the The Holy Father wishes me to thank App lied Research in the Apostolate) conyou for this contribution to his apostolic ducted a survey commissioned by the ministry. He is aware that the collection U.S. Bishops ' Committee on Vocations. involved effort and that your people were Over 1,000 pastors and over 2,000 priests motivated by faith in Jesus Christ and union ordained within the ' last five years with the See of Peter. responded to the survey. One finding of As he expresses his appreciation , His the survey, titled "The Parish Background Holiness assure s you that he is Behind Priestl y Vocations," was remembering in his prayers the this: "Parishes with multi ple vocamembers of the Archdiocese of San tions were 36 percent more likely Francisco. Invoking upon all of you to have a parish elementary school the grace and peace of the Risen than parishes with no vocations."

Lord, he cordially imparts his aposThe survey also noted other tolic blessing. aspects of Catholic life common to T71 parishes with multiple numbers of With fraternal good wishes, I remain sincerely yours in Christ. vocations in recent years, and it Cardinal Angelo Sodano concluded , "Opportunities to parVatican Secretary of State ticipate in Catholic life and tradition tend to foster attitudes and experiences essential to the call of Your Dec. 24 articles on the priesthood. " death penalty and the stand that the While Ms. Calegari offers Strobel family took brought home other possible sources for priestl y to me again the death of this wonvocations , it has been shown derful woman. throug h this recent survey and I grew up in Nashville with the others like it th at parishes which Strobel family. That Christmas we involve youth and have a strong learned its meaning. We gathered by devotional life are fertile ground phone and in person to remember the for young men discerning their love that Mary Catherine was not vocation insofar as they help only to her children but to all of us. shape a sense of mission and a Murder is terrible. It can response to God's call. Successful destroy the heart. This death called vocations efforts depend heavily each of us to a greater gift during on the role of active parish faith this season — the gift of forg iveness. communiti es.

Hatred burns into people's lives and Father Craig Forner this was one thing the Stroble family Director of Vocations did not want for themselves or any Archdiocese of San Francisco of us. I know it was the example of generous giving and love she lived and shared with all of us that made the family decide I am the Catholic Chaplain 's Clerk not to ask for the death penalty. In the sight on Facility "E" here at Salinas Valley of goodness and a saintl y woman you could State Prison in Soledad , and in reading the do no less. issues of Catholic San Francisco which The Strobel s took a step forward to you have sent us, I have been led to write show us what Jesus wanted. I opposed the to let you know that your contributions death penalty but never had anyone close to are appreciated by the Catholic communime been killed. This murder put my ideal ty here, and I feel I am speaking for the on the line. I affirmed my stance — thanks entire community. to their witness.

In the prison environment, we, as In a society which executes, we con- Catholics , are surrounded by a great majortinually need to be reminded that great acts ity of fanatical fundamentalists , who conof love like the Strobel family gave is pos- stantly attack our belief 's and observances. sible by each of us. Let us stand with them A wonderful newspaper like Catholic San and the Holy Father in saying "one murder Francisco does much for our self esteem, is one too many — no more killing." and generally makes us proud to say we are Sister Celeste Arbuckle , SSS Catholic. There are many Catholic inmates San Francisco who have become intimidated by those of other faiths — and they publicly denounce their faith while privatel y practicing their devotions.

Within prison walls , where we would Catholic San Francisco welcomes not be if we had observed our Catholic letters from its readers. Please; teaching, but since we inadvertently >¦ Include your name, address and stepped across the line of self-restraint , and found ourselves incarcerated , there are daytime phone number. many prejudices. There is racial prejudice , >- Sign your letter, religious prejudice , job prejudice , staff >- Limit submissions to 250 words. prejudice , and more often than not, just plain "don 't like" prejudice. It is not a nice »- Note that the newspaper place, and it isn 't intended to be. However, reserves the right to edit for to be enabled to keep in contact with the clarity and length.

Church at large is a privilege not taken Send your letters to: li ghtly by the Catholic inmate population.

Your newspaper brings a ray of hope and Catholic San Francisco joy to our surrounding of despair.

441 Church St. Father Michael-Anthony Bethancourt San Francisco, CA 94114 * Fax: (415) 565-3633 has a tremendous responsibility here with more 1,800 Catholic inmates. He is alone, E-mail: dyoung@catholic-sf.org

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Greeting f rom Soledad

Letters welcome

LETTERS, page 17

The CatholicDiff erence-

Misguided Ex Corde opponent

George Weigel J. ew American Catholic commentators had more invested in the debate over the implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae (Pope John Paul IFs 1990 apostolic constitution on the Catholic identity of Catholic universities) than Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, editor of America and establishment journalism 's favorite provider of Catholic sound bites.

Over the past several years, the talented Father Reese expended a considerable amount of his considerable energy in a campai gn to prevent any serious imp lementation of Ex Corde. In doing so, he purveyed a bushel of red herrings.

If Ex Corde were imp lemented vigorousl y, universities would "have to choose between being Catholic and being academically credible. " Imp lementation of Ex Corde would "force some of them to be nonsectarian , and force others to give up their academic respectability. " Implementation in the form of a mandatum , a certification by the local bishop that someone advertised as teaching Catholic theology was in fact teaching Catholic theology, would "result in a lot of litigation. " In all of this agitation , Father Reese had virtually nothing to say about consumer protection (i.e., attending to

the expectations of parents who are paying upwards of $100,000 for a Catholic college education for their children). Parents , evidentl y, have no standing in such affairs. " But then neither do bishops , in Father 's Reese 's ecclesiology of the Catholic university. That bishops should be involved in helping secure the Catholic identity of Catholic institutions of higher education is a "kind of intrusion into the academic community." The ubiquitous regulatory involvement of federal , state , and local governments in "the academic community " evidentl y does not count as "intrusion "; the interest of a local bishop in the orthodoxy of teaching in his diocese does.

Despite the campaign of intimidation waged by the foes of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Father Reese and his allies lost badl y when the bishops finally voted on an implementation document at their November 1999 meeting. The imp lementation scheme passed by an overwhelming 223-31 vote. But Father Reese is not , it seems, abou t to quit. At least he is not about to quit gracefully.

In a signed editorial in the Dec. 4, 1999 issue of America , Father Reese continued to suggest that any serious implementation process would likely be ham-handed , politicized , even inquisitional (a buzzword that will , doubtless, ingratiate Father Reese further with the New York Times). He once again dredged up the prospect of endless liti gation , fretting that "federal and state funds for Catholic universities may be put at risk by the document 's language , which may lead courts to rule th at the schools are now 'pervasivel y sectarian ' and therefore inelig ible for aid." Some of the country 's finest constitutional lawyers flatl y deny that is the case (citing, among other examples , the case of Bri gham Young University in Utah).

But even if aggressively anti-Catholic secularists waged such legal battles only to lose them, what is the edi-

tor of America doing by providing them rhetorical ammunition for their case? Does Father Reese relish the thought of an ACLU attorney brandishing the Dec. 4, 1999 issue of America in court , citing its Jesuit editor 's palpable concern that Catholic colleges and universities may become "pervasively sectarian"?

Father Reese 's editorial also complained about the proposed theologians ' mandatum , arguing that "the historical record is filled by great theologians who were condemned or silenced by the hierarchy onl y to be rehabilitated years later. " That is true , even if "filled" is an exaggerati on.

But what is also true , althoug h it goes unremarked by Father Reese, is that the relevant 20th-century examples — giants like Dominican Yves Congar, and Reese 's fellow Jesuits Henri de Lubac , Jean Danielou , Karl Rahner, and John Courtney Murray — did not whine about their situation , accepted like men the disci p line to which they had freel y bound themselves , got on with their work, and did not carry out public media campaigns suggesting the pastoral authorities of the Church were little more than untutore d authoritarians.

Congar, Rahner, de Lubac , Danielou and Murray believed that the quest for theolog ical truth was of far greater consequence than ecclesiastical power games.

Holding fast to that conviction , they were eventuall y vindicated by the institution that had , in fact , mistreated them.

That is how true churchmen — who know that losing poorly only makes comp lex, difficult situations worse — conduct themselves.

Does Father Reese relish the thoug ht of an ACL U attorney brandishing the Dec. 4, 1999 issue of America in court... ?

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

Guest Commentary

Proposition 22: Church believes in humanity

By David A. Pollard V-j atholic moral stances appear to become more and more counter-cultural with the passage of time. However, the fountainhead of Catholic moral teaching on adultery, celibacy, chastity, sexual intercourse, homosexual actions or divorce does not spring from fear of people or human sexuality. The basis is, rather, an indomitable faith in the limitless capacity of the human person to "be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect." The Church believes in the children of God. 1999 was the year of initiatives. In April the California Catholic Conference voted moral and financial support for the Defense of Marriage Initiative (now called the Limitation of Marriage Act). In August, the CCC authorized participation in an endeavor to put a measure on the ballot requiring notification of parents prior to performance of an abortion on a minor daug hter. The obvious connection notwithstanding, the decisions to support the initiatives were not based primarily on abortion or on moral or social judgments on homosexuality.

The prudential judgment to enter into the public debate on both measures was the product of our Catholic theology and tradition as well as the lived experience of witnessing the erosion of our vision of maniage, family and human sexuality.

The Catholic vision of marriage The Catholic understanding of family is rooted in Christ 's revelation of marriage as both a natural and supernatural mystery.

For the Catholic, the mystery of marriage and family is rooted in God who reveals life, love, wisdom and goodness through them. God uses the day-to-day tasks of being family to give strength, wisdom and the divine life to the husband and wife as spouses — and to parents and children as family.

The stability of their union and the education of their children lend strength to society and to the Church, both of which are indebted and owe support to marriage and famiiyOur faith holds that the family is "the sanctu ary of life." Its mission is the same as that of Jesus and his Church: to declare the good news that "...the kingdom of God is among you." In the love we have for one another, in the joy we experience in th at love, in the trust and hope that the life of God is visible through us—in the family we first experience the kingdom of God. In other words, the family is the presence of Christ, the Church in living contact with the world. We cherish and preserve anything that intensifies our awareness of this reality. Anything which mutes or threatens that realization must be challenged.

The experience In the course of a single lifetime, an escalation of three patterns of behavior has brought under attack and discounted two millennia of Christian teaching and tradition on marriage and family.

From the combined demographic statistics for divorce, early sexual intercours e and greater lack of sexual restraint , as well as children bom out of wedlock, emerges a disturbing picture of the fractured American family. The ratio of children denied a full and nurturing family life has risen dramatically: from 12 out of every 100 children bom in

1950 to over 58 for every 100 children born in 1992. These statistics , of course, reflect nothing of the 35.2 million surg ical abortions performed since 1972 , more than 80 percent of which involved women and teen-agers who were committed neither to the child they had created nor to a spouse.

These facts stand in stark contrast to the moving words of Christ: "Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two become one bod y? They are no longer two, therefore , but one body. So then what God has united , man must not divide. " Where does awareness of God' s involvement in the union of man and woman enter into contemporary marriage? What has become of the notion of the permanence of marital commitment? The Catholic tradition of the mutually sanctifying power of sexual love in marriage has been swallowed up in experimentation and social theory that the only purpose of sex is pleasure, release of tension and personal fulfillment. Even further removed is the consideration of the couple strengthening and deepening the life of God in each other through the sacrament of marriage , which they have generated and continue to celebrate daily.

Fidelity to Christ s rich and God-centered revelation of maniage and sexuality, has motivated the Church to resist each stage of this erosion. Nonetheless , opposition to no fault divorce , contraception and provision of contraceptives and abortion through schools has been viewed as a neurotic fear of sex or an attack on the freedom of women.

The movement to create so-called "single-sex" marriage is seen as simply one more phase in the continuing breakdown of what has been the bedrock of society Proposition 22, page 14

'Opened our eyes.' say couples

Can Natural Family Planning enhance sexuality, marriage?

Story and p hotos by Kamille Maher - arried 20 years, say using Natural Family Pam and Walt Birdsall, m Planning instead of conventional contraceptionhas increased intimacy and

TP

NFP-only obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Mary Davenport (right) talks with maternitypatient Rishiek Harris.

Physicians find 'peace ' in NFP-only practices

By Kamille Maher

TA wo Bay Area physicians have switched to Natural Family Planning-only practices , a move that mirrors a small , but nationwide trend.

Obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Mary Davenport converted her thriving group practice to a solo NFP-only practice about a year ago .

She made the change , she explained, to honor her conscience.

"I was always interested in the science (of NFP) and I wanted to offer it , " said the Easl Bay physician in a telephone interview."But I didn 't think I could do it exclusively."

Three days into a physicians ' conference at Nebraska's Pope Paul VI Institute , she realized she could.

"Just as many come (to the practice) as leave it," the Eastern Orthodox Christian noted. "For some women, NFP is the only method (of child spacing) they can use. Women love knowing where they're at, ;uid understanding their cycles. It 's really, really empowering knowledge."

"The peace I have felt since becoming an NFP-only medical practitioner has been immeasurable," Dr. Davenport wrote in a book of NFP-only physician testimonials called Physicians Healed. "I now am more sure that I am helping, not compromising, the women under my care. In exposing them to NFP, I can help them appreciate their power to give life, and to love and respect God. " Family physician Dr. George Delgado in Benicia has also transitioned to an NFP-only practice.

Dr. Delgado said he switched several years ago because "your faith has to encompass all of your life."

"God and the Church have taught us that contraception is contrary to die natu ral law and therefore is morally not acceptable," he explained. "I must abide by God's commandment. If I were not an NFP only physician then I would be picking and choosing what I wanted to believe and follow. Indeed that's the way I practiced prior to making the change in my practice several years ago. I was in a sort of a denial and I was also somewhat ignorant of Church teaching.

Fortunatel y I have been given the strength to overcome that" One More Soul is an organization that refers people to NFPonly physicians and provides a national directory: One More Soul . published the hook of physician testimonials, and can be reached at 1-800-307-7685 or www.OMSoul.com.

"Physicians are uncomfortable about the dichotomy between their faith practices and their medicine practices , " explained One More Soul co-founder Steve Koob.

"We hope (NFP-only physicians) will network together and support each other, " he added. "They can offer their services to local bishops and give talks to parishes."

Koob said the directory of NFP-only physicians he and cofounder Mary Ann Walsh produce has grown from 20 to 30 names three years ago to about 500 names now. The organization's goal is to list 2,000 names before long.

JL hey' ve been married for 20 years and have a marriage preparation ministry at Greenbrae 's St. Sebastian Parish. However, married life was not always so harmonious for the Birdsalls.

"When we first were married I used to worry that our marriage wouldn 't last," confided Pain Birdsall. "Now I know that we are both here for the long haul and that this is a sacrament. " The profound change in their marriage came when she and husband Walt began using Natural Family Planning instead of the contraception with which they had begun their union.

"We got married and didn 't have much hi the way of formation about the Church's teaching on birth control ," Pam Birdsall explained. "We struggled a lot in our marriage until we got into our faith. Now there's just a real respect for each other and looking at each other more like people than objects to meet our needs. " "Using NFP opened our eyes to the gift of life and what a blessing our children are," she added. "We just really had this notion that we were supposed to endure our children until they move out. But we really feel blessed now to have six children."

Respect and appreciation of life are joined by enhanced sexuality, she noted. "The level of inti macy really increases with NFP because there are no barriers, so your sexual relationship is the best it can be. You are giving more of yourself. It 's more about giving than receiving, and more an expression of love than the physical aspect."

Natural Family Planning teacher Suzanne Francois agreed that marriages are enhanced with NFP. "Using NFP builds a courtship phase and a honeymoon phase into eveiy cycle. Couples learn new ways of saying 'I love you.' Abstinence does definitely enhance the attraction , " she explained.

"A lot of couples have reported that sexual satiation is a real issue in our society," the registered nurse noted.

"Our culture says, 'More is better, and whenever I want is better than that.' But it gets old, and it loses the spice. Using NFP rebuilds the courtship and honeymoon." Francois added, "Interestingly enough, studies have shown that couples using NFP don't have less intercourse than those using contraception. The timing is just different."

Happier marriages, enhanced sexuality,increased appreciation for life, all from using Natural Family Planning?

Yes, say these and other advocates of modern NFP.To these benefits they add healthier women and more accurate fertility treatments, all with a child spacing method that boasts 98 to 99 percent success rates in worldwide studies.

The methods "Natural Family Planning refers to several methods for spacing, postponing, avoiding or enhancing the possibilities of conception , without any chemical or physiological alterations of the reproductive system (female or male) , " explains the California Association for NFP's Web site (www.CANFP.org).

Contemporary methods are sometimes referred to as "fertility awareness" since they are ultimately based on awareness and observation of naturalsymptoms of fertility. As such they are distinct from older " calendar" methods, so-called "rhythm."

Three commonly named methods are the Billings Ovulation Method , the Creighton Model of Billings, and the sympto-thermal method promoted by the Couple to Couple League.

spiritual awarenessin theirfamily.

Suzanne and Tony Francois teach couples the sympto-thermal system of Natural Family Planning.

Upcoming courses offered by the School of Pastoral Leadership are designed to start couples on the road to NFP. Francois and her husband, Tony, will teach the sympto-thermal system in Marin.

Psychiatrist and family therapist Dr. George Maloof will team teach the Billings' discoveries with medical colleague Dr. Bcenajena. Dr. Maloof will focus on the method's history. A general practitioner and NFP instructor from India who now resides in the Fast Bay, Dr. Jena will teach the method itself and offer follow-up chart interpretation . She learned the Ovulation Method from the Billings during a 1979 visit to Australia. As a physician and NFP expert, she worked with Catholic missionaries in Indian medical clinics for 15 years.

"I have a lot of faith in this method," Dr. told Catholic San Francisco. "It is based on Jena physiological knowledge. Women can know what is going on in their bodies."

Gillogley and Office of Marriage and Family life Director Chris Lyford emphasized SPL students will only be introduced to NFP during the six-week courses. If they decide to use NFP, couples should continue learning how to chart and interpret the signs through follow-up meet- ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ Gloria Gillogley ings after the six-week module ends.

"Otherwise, if they're using NFP just after an intro session," commented Gillogley, who has taught NFP for decades, "they're going to get pregnant and then they are going to say it doesn't work."

Population crisis?

Not convinced of NFP's effectiveness, some people say fears about overpopulation, world hunger, and destruction of the environment keep them from using NFP. The fears are unwarranted, NFP advocates reply.

"Despite the gloomy talk of the anti-population propagandists, all the world's population could fit to the state of Texas with 1,361 square feet per person," writes John F. Kippley in the Art of Natural Family Planning. "Except for Ireland, the Western European countries have been experiencing a below-replacement population rate for years."

"Over-population is a myth," commented Francois. "The population density of China is 409 people per square mile. New Jersey, the Garden State that grows most of New York's food, is almost three times as crowded (1,042) . Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are more crowded still. What population crisis? The real crisis is a crisis of human hearts being willing to distribute what they have."

She added , 'The reason that you may see larger families when the parents are using NFP is that it does change your fundamental attitude in that you really see children as a gift from the Lord. A large family is not a sign of the failure of the method, it is a sign that they realized there was more love to go around. "

Moral distinction Dr. George Maloof, a Natural Family Planning instructor and marriagepreparation ministerat San Francisco's St. Brendan Parish, explains the charting process for a woman 's monthly menstrualcycle.

Another concern is whether practicing NFP differs morally from using contraception.

It is the difference between doing nothing and doing something, Couple to Couple League Director Kippley writes in Sex and the Marriage Covenant. With NFP, couples seeking to

avoid pregnancy do not act (do not have intercourse). With contraception, couples commit an action (intercourse) and then commit another action (contraception) to avoid the consequences of the first action.

"This difference is very hard for people to understand , " explained CCL teacher Francois , "because it seems like preventin g a pregnancy is preventing a pregnancy. What we need to remember, especially as Christians, is that our marriage is not a twosome. It's God who gives the love and power that gives life to our marriage. There is a very real difference between taking apart what God has united - the act of making love and making babies - and recognizing the beauty of the cycle of fertile and infertile times. NFP fundamentally leaves an openness to life. " Another difference concerns the covenant, or promise, of marriage , which is implicitly renewed each time a coup le has intercourse, say NFP proponents. Contraception blocks that union , according to Kippley.

NFP and contraception also differ according to the statistical longevity of marriages.

Widely published estimates put the divorce rate among the general population at 50 percent.

Contracepting Catholic couples have divorce rates similar to those of the general population , Kippley and others have written. "NFP is marriage insurance," Francois declared. "The divorce rate is under 5 percent in couples who practice. " Birdsall is no longer worried about the longevity of her marriage.

"I wish that somebody had told us sooner about NFP so we could have had the benefits sooner," lamented Birdsall. "1 would urge people to be open to the teachings of the Church because it's the truth , and it's for our benefit. It 's ultimately what is going to make us happy."

For more information:

Web S ites: www.CANFP.org,www.popepaulvi.com, www.ccU.org,

www.biffingsmediod.coin, vrtw.familyplaniiing.net.

Books '. Taking Charge of Your Fertility (Amazon.com); Sex and the Marriage Covenant (cch.org) ; The Art of Natural Family Planning(ccli.org) ; Love and Fertility (1-888-4432279 or fetriilyplanning.net) ; and The Billings Method: Controlling Fertility Without Drugs or Devices (bUlingsmethod.com) .

SPL classes: Tuesdays March 7 to April 11 at St. Gregory Church, 2715 Hacienda St., San Mateo; Wednesdays, March 8 to April 12 at Riordan High School, 175 Phelan Ave., San Francisco; and Thursdays, March 9 to April 13 at St. Hilary Church , 761 Hilary Dr., Marin.

All classes go from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Cost is $45 per module, To register, contact the School of Pastoral Leadership at (415) 242-9087 or e-mail: spl@att.net.

LITURGY & SCRIPTURE Father Frank N orris: enj oying the heavenly liturgy Just at the end of the Christmas season , we had a death in the famil y. The Seminary family. Our beloved Father Frank Norris, Sul p ician priest , teacher, spiritual director , mentor, friend , died on the evening of Jan. 7. So many of you had the opportunity to know him through his workshops , classes, talks (especiall y in the School for Pastoral Leadershi p). And many of you know him through the priests he inspired and formed , in whom his spirit lives today.

So many of those priests returned to the Seminary for his Memorial Mass in an extraordinarily powerful tribute to this great and good man. His former students relumed to the Seminary: some as bishops , many as pastors , some as newl y ordained. We were honored to have Archbishop Levada as princi pal celebrant of this Eucharist which saw the Seminary chapel full to overflowing.

As famil y, friends , and students of Father Norris gathered in the Seminary foyer, they encountered a beautifully prepared table with pictures of him at key moments of his life, two books he authored , both of his well-loved canes, and the constant companion of his recent years, the electric wheelchair with his "Red Baron " flag. To honor the memory of Father Frank , Fathers Martin Tran and Michael Pham set before these treasured symbols an exquisite bronze incense pot with Vietnamese incense sticks that would burn during Mass. "While always proud of his Eng lish roots, much of Father Norris ' heart was Vietnamese. He cherished his special bond with Vietnamese seminarians who in turn loved him so deeply.

Sister Sharon McMillan, SND Father Frank loved sharing the stories of a transforming experience in his life. He was called to be present during many of the sessions of the Second Vatican Council. He served as one of the theolog ical advisors and as translator from the Latin that the bishops were speak ing into the Eng lish and French of the representatives of other Christian Churches who had come to observe. For the rest of his life , Father Frank kept alive Jesus ' desire "that all may be one " in the Body of Christ. The vision of Christian unity had a permanent place in his heart and in his work .

From his earl y famil y experiences , Father Norris developed a great affection for and sensitivity to our Jewish sisters and brothers. A hallmark of his teaching was the finn foundation of the Jewish roots of Christian worship and the Jewish genius for understanding the real presence of the divine when believers gather for prayer. He kept alive in the Seminary community awareness of the key Jewish feasts of the year as well as important day s for interceding for Christian unity.

I had the privilege of meeting Father Frank in the fall of 1976 when I was a Novice. He taught a course on the history and development of liturgy that placed the Paschal Mystery, the dying and rising of Jesus Christ , at the heart of what Christians do when we assemble for prayer. His v ital and vibran t way of teaching, his keen wit , and his always engag ing stories had a great impact upon me for which I will always be grate ful. I pray that some of his wisdom shines out in my own teaching, since his vision is at the very heart of what I know and love about Christian worship.

Thank you , dear Frank , for your tremendous gifts which blessed the Churc h for the many years of your life and which will continue to move hearts and minds through all of us who were privileged to know and love you.

Notre Dame Sister Sharon McMillan is assistant professor of sacramental theology and liturgy at St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park .

God's challenge can lead to 'never going back to before ' In the musicalization of E. L. Doctorow 's novel , Ragtime , "Mother " makes a momentous decision she has not been prepared to make. She is a Victorian woman at the turn of the last century; her role and the expect ations of her are clear: she is to run a comfortable home for her husband and son in New Rochelle and follow her husband's instructions. But here is a moment for decision ; her husband is away; she has found an abandoned African-American child in her garden; the police have found the mother of the child and offer to remove both to "institutions " that will deal with them. She must make a decision. She declares that both mother and child will live in her home. From that moment on , she is a new person with new horizons , new relationshi ps, and fresh alienation from the life she had previously accepted as valid. She sums up her experience in an exquisite song, "You can never go back to before. " The Word of God , chosen tor this Sunday 's Liturgy of the Word, alerts us to such calls to Christian decision making that will leave us happily altered and alive.

The delightful fiction, that is the Book of Jonah, conditions our hearing of the rest of the Scripture texts. What a surprise to bigoted, little Jonah who had no desire to speak God 's Word to Gentiles, specifically the peop le of Nineveh, to see them transformed by the power of the very Word he speaks into people who believe God , proclaim a fast, and put on sackcloth ! What further surprise that God "repents " of the punishment he intended for the Ninevites in the presence of their repentance ! It should never cease to amaze us too that God' s empowering call, once answered, can produce amazing results even in the likes of us, our parishioners, our Archdiocese, our universal Church , and our world.

We see such a pattern in Mark. The evangelist sees in Jesus the agent for bringing on God 's reign and so places in his mouth the words, "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel." For Mark , God is

Prop osition 22 ÂŚ Continued from p age 15 marriage and family. However, whereas previous encroachments have involved breach of the codes and attitudes that have surrounded marriage, this effort tampers with the very definition and nature of marriage itself.

However, politica l debate does not encourage subtle distinction and respectful listening. Opponents of the initiative h ave chosen to interpret the Catholic Conference position on Proposition 22 as rejection of or fear of homosexuals. Faithful Catholics, who happen to be homosexual or whose children are homosexual, have been deeply hurt b y this distortion . This

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Jonah M -5 , 10; Psalm 25; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20

Father David M. Pettingill beginning to take over, to assert his saving power, to gather a healed and forgiven people in Jesus Christ. Notice then how God's reign works. Jesus approaches two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew, then James and J ohn, all least likely candidates for his invitation for they were dirt poor, uneducated , and powerless.

Notice, however, the power of the Word Jesus speaks, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of people. " Here is a Word that calls for , empowers, and creates a decision: "Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. " Here they begin a formation process that will have its highs and lows, its clarity and obscurity, its moments of intimacy and abandonment, its experience of death and resurrection. But these people who respond to this call can never be the same, what with then horizons forever changed, their eyes being progressively opened, their ears beginning to hear the Gospel, and their hearts being constantly reconciled after is the most regrettable. Statements of individual bishops reveal a clear understanding for the applicability today of a truth spoken by the fourth Century bishop, St. Augustine.

Augustine, who in his youth had fathered a son out of wedlock, said: "He who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.

You are not as strong as Sampson, nor as wise as Solomon , nor as holy as David. Yet all of these fell."

Even more succinctly Jesus cautioned those who would have condemned the woman caught in adultery, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. " And, though he, then , gently refused to condemn the woman himself , his final word to her was "Go and sin no more. " We can have this same mind if we make our attitude that spoken by Cardinal Roger Mahony to Catholic homosexuals ,

their failures. They can never go back to before.

There are momentous moments in our lives when we are called upon b y Jesus ' empowering Word to move on , to break out, to reimagine our place in this world and in our Church.

When we refuse and di g in, we grow stale, lifeless and bored. We must live others ' lives for them and make certain they walk the straight and narrow. When we respond favorabl y, we find OUT selves uprooted and displaced , yes, but alive , joined with new people we never knew or thought possible to know , curious , empowered, and read y "to catch" people for the kingdom.

It 's not too late to jump in. While Paul's belief in the immediate return of Jesus , prompts his words to the Corinthians , still his sense of urgency persuades: "The world in its present form is passing away." Because God has begun his take-over in Jesus Christ, it is a glorious response that we can give to the frequent invitations we receive to be part of the new world that lasts , "caught " and "catchers of people."

RENEW 2000 ques tions:

1. What have been the changes in you brought abouit by answering important calls in your life?

2 . How can this group be more responsive to the calls our parish , Archdiocese, universal Church , and world are receiving at this time?

Father David Petting ill directs the archdiocesan Off ice of Parish Life.

their parents and the community at large: "We do not really know, with certainty why anyone is homosexual. Is homosexuality a puzzle or a mystery? If a puzzle, there is a best solution that awaits onl y a mind keen enough to find the missing piece. But if homosexuality is a mystery, there are no easy answers to find; rather one seeks a wisdom about how we are to live and believe. Surely, homosexuality is a complex mystery."

From the standpoint of the Catholic bishops , however , the mystery of homosexuality will not to be solved by altering the definition of marri age.

David Pollard is associate director for public poli cy at the California Catholic Conference.

Family Lif e

Blessed are the flexible out the end of the row and walked up the steps to the back of the darkened theater and out into the hallway. Gabe clung to my hand as we made our way back to the entrance.

We went to the end of the ticket line and waited as it snaked its way to the booth. "Could I get a refund, please?"

I asked, laying down our ticket stubs. "My son was crying and I had to take him out of the movie."

"I was not crying, " said Gabe.

The man handed us our money.

The woman in line behind us looked down at Gabe sympathetically.

"Which movie scared him?" she asked me.

"Toy Story 2. ' He 's been wanting to see it for weeks."

She looked surprised.

"I was not scared," said Gabe.

Soon we were back outside in the parking lot. Gabe looked more cheerful already. "Where are we going now?" he asked brightly.

"Well, it's going to be about an hour-and-a-half before Daddy and Lucas come out of the movie," I replied. "We don 't really have time to go home. Maybe we can run an errand."

We walked across the parking lot to a nearby grocery store and bought a light bulb and a box of dishwasher detergent.

Then we drove to a nearby park. The sun was trying

its best to warm the crisp air. We lingered by the enhance , reading the names carved in the pavement stones. We walked along the riverside trail , greeting the ducks and watching for herons and king fishers. Back at the playground , we dug in the sandbox and climbed to the top of the tallest slide. Gabe was relaxed now, laughing and running.

I thought about the effort we 'd made to coordinate everyone 's schedules for the movie.

How excited I'd been about taking him. But , as all parents know, parenting is an exercise in flexibility. Many of my fondest memories aren 't of events we 've planned, but of times of togetherness that catch me by surprise.

It's like that in our spiritual lives, too. We plan our times of prayer and worship, but then God surprises us with experiences of grace we never thought to ask for.

How blessed we are when we learn to go with the flow of the Spirit.

Soon it was time to pick up Steve and Lucas and head home. "You missed a great movie, Mom," said Lucas.

"It 's OK," I said. "We had a great time, too. "

We p lan our times of p rayer and wors hip , hut then God surp rises us with exp eriences of grace we never thoug ht to ask f o r.

Christine Dubois vJabe buried his head in my shoulder and sniffled , "I want to go home!"

"Go home?" I whispered. "The movie 's just started."

"I don 't want to see the movie! I hate it!" And, he began to cry louder.

"Shh. You're bothering the people around us. " "I want to go home!"

I sighed. For weeks, he 'd been begging to see "Toy Story 2". Theater movies are a rare treat in our family. Now here we were on our big family outing—and he 'd onl y lasted through the first 10 minutes.

"OK," I said at last, resigning myself to waiting until the movie came out in video to learn how Woody escapes from the evil toy collector.

I whispered to my husband, then Gabe and I slipped

Christine Dubois is a wide ly published f i-eelance writer who lives with her family near Seattle. Contact her at: chriscolumn@juno.com.

What about nonbiblical traditions about Jesus' life?

This notion was opposed later by St. Jerome, who C^. Some time ago , you responded to a question about the brothers and sisters of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels. firmly believed in Joseph's virginity. According to You said one possibility is that these siblings were children Jerome, the "brothers and sisters" were actually cousins.

The same book identifies the names of Mary 's parents of Joseph from a previous marriage. This explanation "goes hack to some very early nonbiblical traditions about as Joachim and Anna , speaks of her miraculous birth to the aging couple, and describes how she was subjected during Jesus and his life , " : you said. ques by official s susSuch a theory was never mentionedd in my ^"~«!% -»-"•»Sfc her pregnancy to tests and questioning lik picious of her virginity. iplana- g past. That doesn 't mean it is not a good explana>rPerhaps such works were w intended in part to lion , but what is the source of your inforassuage the curiosity of mation ! (Florida) /^^^ many early Christians, who felt the need, as A. Roughly two dozen Gospels ^^ J many of us still do, to concerning Jesus were written in the ^>^ know all possible early centuries of Christianity. Some of them trifling details focused especially on the youthful life of Jesus and about Jesus. The on the supposed time between the death and resurfour canonical vhich the rection of our Lord , two subjects about which Gospels, of course, were not at all interested in satisfying canonical Gospels give almost no information.

Two of them are particularl y significant , the Infancy this type of curiosity.

Overall, much in these writings is rather weird, to say Gospel of Thomas and the so-called Book (or Protoevangelium , "First Gospel" of James. Along with the least. They describe wonderful things happening other early writings, usually attributed to the apostles or through contact with Jesus, his clothing, even his bath their followers , these are traditional sources for much of water.

The apocryphal infancy narratives typically portray what we assume to know about Jesus and his family.

Both orig inated somewhere around the year 140 or the young Jesus disp laying strange powers, sometimes 150, in other words perhaps 50 years after the canonical quite out of character with the Jesus of the four Gospels we kn ow.

Gospel according to John.

Once, for example, while playing with other children , According to tradition, "James, the brother of the Lord," had special information , apparently from Mary, Jesus molded several clay birds . When the authorities concerning the young life of Jesus. It is the Book of James protested to Joseph about this violation of the Sabbath, which relates that the siblings of Jesus descri bed in the Jesus waved his hands , brought the birds to life, and they Gospels were his step-brothers and step-sisters , Joseph's flew away.

Another time , someone in a crowd accidentally childre n from another marriage.

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Father John Dietzen bumped into Jesus, who turned and said, "You will never arrive at where you are going." A moment later, the man dropped dead.

Many if not most of these writings derive from gnostic sources. While they narrate extravagant stories, particularly about Jesus and Mary, and are not part of the canon of sacred Scripture, they still tell us much about the life, interests and traditions of the early Christian churches.

As is hinted at briefl y in what I' ve said above, they have also played a significant role in the development of Christian theology concerning the mother of Jesus.

(Questions for this column may be sent to Father Dietzen at Box 325, Peoria, III. , 61651; or e-mail jjdietzen@aol.com.) © 2000 by Cathol ic News Service

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Current pastor Father Patrick Michaels and founding pastor Msgr. Edwin Kennedy sing final strains of entrance song at Mass commemorat ing the 50th anniversary of St. Raymond Parish, Menlo Park on Jan. 9. A revised Mass schedule making the 10 a.m. Mass the only Mass of the day, allowed a majority of St. Raymond's 800 families to be present at the half-century liturgy. In his homily, Father Michaels said "to grow in faith , development and learning " is a constant struggle in life and "what we celebrate today " as we commemorate 50 years of "our growing, developing and learning as a family and community." In addition to Msgr. Kennedy, concelebrants included Fathers William Worner, Thomas Madden, Kevin Gaffey, Edward Bohnert, Oblate Father Jose Arong and Msgr. Thomas Kennedy.

Affordable housing rally Jan. 31

By Sharon Aberc rombie

SAN RAFAEL - The Dominican College Chorus is recruiting members for its spring performance of Johannes Brahms' "Requiem."

The first rehearsal/tryout is scheduled Jan. 25 from 7:309:30 p.m. in Angelico Hall on campus , 50 Acacia Ave. For information , call (415) 485-3236.

Catholic Charities ' f CAR DONATION PROGRAM Returns 50% of Your Car 's Sale Price to Your Parish! (We do all the paperwork!)

Call I -800-733-8000

The Parish Community of St. John of God Invites You to Visit Our

St. John of God Oasis of Peace Center WSt m

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For a quick trip to the Hol y Land , you need only travel to 5tli Avenue and Irving Street , where you will find St. John of God's Oasis of Peace Center. Located in the Parish rectory, the Center contains i numb i •• '. . '¦!' r 'n with images and artifacts of the Holy Lands including Jerualem , Jordon , Eygpt. This is a place to take refuge for a few minutes or a few hours . The cente r has a place to sit and read or watch a video on the Hol y Land or just wander the pathways walked

by Our Lord 2000 years ago.

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Peninsula Interfaith Action (P1 A) will sponsor ils third annual convention and rall y lor 1390 Fifth Avenue • San Francisco affordable housing on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church in East Palo Alto.

St. Francis , 1425 Bay Rd., is one of 20 Bay Are a congregations involved in PIA's advocacy work. PI A represents 15 ,000 families stretching from Mountain View to Millbrae , according to members.

Rev. James Abner, pastor of Resurrection Baptist Churc h in Oakland , and a member of the Oakland Community Organization (OCO), will give the keynote address at St. Francis on "Housing and Justice. " The rall y will include information about a Candidates ' If (;~i *~^ls[)/t[^ ' Action Nig ht planned for Feb. 28 , at 7:30 p.m. at Gunn '' _ j-J)>,'''*'' i \Vv\ ^\ *^/ : ^*^ , h School in Palo Alto Hi g said United Churc h of Christ P% ©/fi ^i isFd^H' \j^^"^3ffrAY\\ \j ; ^ /A^J u clergyman David Mann , PIA's executive director. ^H According to Stewart Hyland , a member of the St. Francis of Assisi group, PIA has invited six board of supervisor election candidates from San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties to show up at the Feb. 28 meeting * 4.H * " feLfsff* r: A p with promises to support the group 's housing platform.

I s£bv l A^ j H k m » -wm nrtMJi . -4&M&m ^IJtSfJe ^""-'^' Among other items on the agenda, PIA is asking candidate s to pled ge they will build or enlarge regional housing trust funds; begin building a land bank for affordable housHE—BTBffrmnjP^^^^ ^Swi^fe' I ing; use surp lus or military land for housing, and establish ¦PpiiB|H&, *» FMfJO; __3__ incentives for cities to create more affordable housing.

I~ZP^/ ^ * ___BS"^"" " '' '^£V For further information about the two meetings , contact PIA's San Carlos office at (650) 592-9181. iii^yeH J_H iffim^H__ Hi" »lfl^« ^P' i»«*»tJli' ¦ HI,'- ¦-,flj___ Since 1997 PIA has been partially funded by the Catholic __ H ' ' t-PItJill lffil_B____i Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), a domestic anti-poverty foundation started by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 28 years ago. For the years 1997 and 1998 , PIA received a total of $12 ,000 in local CCHD grants from the Diocese of San Jose. In 1997, PIA received a $35,000 grant from the national CCHD office.

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St. Vincent 'family' to celebrate jubilee With a common mission of serving the poor, members of several organizations which honor St. Vincent de Paul' s founding influence will gather Feb. 26 at Our Lady of Angels Church , 1721 Hillside Dr., Burlingame.

The Northern California Vincentian Famil y Day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature presentations by three speakers : Daug hter of Charity Sister Julia Huiskamp,, director of Griffin Homes Community Center in East St. Louis, 111.; Ned Dolejst , executive director of the California Catholic Conference; and Vincentian Father Jeff Harvey, director of vocations for his order 's Western Province.

Each will talk to the day 's theme, "The Jubilee Journey through Stories , Statistics and Service." A 3 p.m. Mass will complete the day.

"As a new millennium dawns , we find that the needs of the poor are still critical , just as they were when St. Vincent began his ministry in the 1600s," said Gene Smith , the national president of the St, Vincent de Paul Society who is a member of St. Raphael Parish , San Rafael .

For more information on Vincentian Famil y Day, call Lorraine Moriarty, executive director for the San Mateo District Council , at (650) 373-0624. Cost is $10 for the day.

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A History of the Archdiocese of San Francisco deludes shipping & handling j Lw ¦%J 5 ^J 1^1L | S

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Please send check or money order payable to Catholic Communications 441 Church Street, San Francisco , CA 94114

Letters . . . ¦ Continued from page 10 and there are five separate chapels within this institution.

Somehow, he manages to celebrate five Masses each week, and then find the time for individual counseling and confessions. We, who know the tremendous responsibility he shoulders, appreciate him and his efforts to reach out to all who will hear. He is to be commended for the wonderful work he is with a limited religious budget, and with religious intolerance accosting him dail y. This area is dominated with many who attack Catholicism at every opportunity. Your newspaper helps us to hold our head high, become knowled geable, and to uncover the darkness that abounds with the light of Christ.

We are enabled to join with the Church at large in celebrating Jubilee Year 2000.

James R. Hayes Salinas Valley State Prison Soledad

On the other hand...

The rather facile dismissal of Karl Rahner at the end of George Weigel 's Jan. 7 column deserves a considered response.

On the one hand Weigel thinks Rahner fashioned his theology for German academics. Rahner mistakenly thought his

Couple dies in crash Siegfried and Therese Richert, owners of the San Francisco-based Peck Judah Travel Service Inc., killed in a plane crash in Costa Rica the weekend of Jan. 15, were organizing the Jubilee 2000 Pilgrimage for the Archdiocese scheduled for September, 2000. A spokesperson for the agency stated, "The Richert's children will take over the arrangements for pilgrimage" that Archbishop William J.

Adrian Dominican dies Funeral Mass was celebrated for Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Una Deasy on Tuesday at Maria Chapel of her order 's motherhouse in Adrian, Mich. Sister Deasy, who had spent 41 years in education including extensive time in the Bay Area, died Jan. 15 in the 58th year of her reli gious profession.

A native of Detroit, Sister Deasy was a teacher/counselor at Oakland's O'Dowd High School from 1969-78; administrative secretary at Hay ward's All Saints from 1978-84; and administrati ve assistant of the order's Oakland-based Pacific West Chapter from 1988-91.

She is survived by a sister, Kathleen B. Deasy of San Francisco, and a cousin who is also an Adrian Dominican, Sister Jean Patricia McGowan. Memorials may be made to the Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Dr., Adrian, Mich., 49221. Burial was at the congregation cemetery.

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fellow intellectuals to be forerunners of a world culture.

Things turned out differently. On the other hand Weigel describes Rahner as the most influential Catholic theologian of the second half of the 20th century. Rahner 's theology is crafted for European intellectuals "formed in the skepticism and relativism that were two by-products of Kant , Hegel, and Heidegger." And Rahner "decisively shaped the Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitutions on the Church and on revelation"?

This set of assertions are a bit odd. How could Rahner 's misguided project have such influence among Catholics?

Why would bishops and pope promulgate documents shaped by a theologian whose work was crafted for those wellknown demons of the modem age, skeptics and relativists?

How can we understand Weigel's confused assessment?

He closes with the observation that, contrary to Rahner 's expectations, we are not all Heideggerians and the world has not followed European intellectual s into apostasy. How was it a theology complicit in skepticism, relativism and apostasy decisively shaped the dogmatic constitutions of an ecumenical council ? How is it a theologian with such a great past has no future? And how does Weigel know the future?

Of course no one knows what form theological discourse will take in the future. Only ideologues are sure about the course of history. Weigel is, after all, of the political and ecclesial right.

That Rahner 's earliest work was shaped by a conversa-

Levada, Bishop John C. Wester, and several archdiocesan priests wiil attend as spiritual directors.

The Bay Area couple were traveling with long-time friend Admiral Stansfield Turner, former CIA director under President Jimmy Carter, and Turner's wife, when the plane crashed in San Jose, Costa Rica also killing Turner 's wife and leaving the Admiral in critical condition. Fifteen passengers were in stable condition in San Jose hospitals.

tion with the German intellectual tradition is undoubted. But Rahner 's primary interests were not those of the academy. At heart his concerns were intensely pastoral. His early theological efforts sought to help modem, Western peop le believe traditional Catholic doctrine. Later his work turned more to the problem s of suffering and evil. Hope emerged as a fundamental theme. Hope is the ability to carry on in trust and love midst seemingly hopeless circumstances. It is a primordial locus of grace which enlightens the core Christian proclamation that God has raised the crucified Jesus. While such hope mi ght not mean much for today 's high-riding capitalists , Jesus came especially for those left behind. Most of the world's population is being left far behind. Perhaps Rahner 's thought has a future. Unlike Weigel, I do not know.

Rahner 's work emerged out of and hel ped shape a unique moment in Catholic history. After centuries of fear and reaction, Vatican II opened possibilities. The Church might have a less defensive relationship with the world. Life within the Church might be less rigid, authoritarian and uniform. Rahner 's later work centers on hope at least in part because the Church seemed to be slipping back into old, familiar patterns. He thought Church leadership was retreating from what Vatican II had made possible. He called our time the Church's "wintry season." This is what is at issue between Rahner and Weigel. Weigel finds this wintry season high and, apparently, endless summer. One strategy to keep things on their present course is to dismiss troublesome voices. Thus, "the future of Catholic theology will not be Rahnerian."

Father Jack Bonsor Santa Clara University

Catholic Pilgrimages for the Jubilee

• May 26 The Holy Land/Rome with Medjugorje extension. Spiritual director, Fr. Fernando of the Cross, OCD • Medjugorje/Rome: June f 9"1 (18lh Anniversary), September 9* (Feast of the Cross), December 4* (Immaculate Conception)

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School of Pastoral Leadership For registration materials and additional information , call Joni Gallagher at (415) 242-9087.

Jan. 25-Feb. 29 (Tuesdays , 7:30-9:30 p.m.): "The Sacraments: Doors to the Sacred" with Sister Sharon McMillan at St. Gregory Church, 2715 Hacienda St., San Mateo. $45. The class will also be oflered Jan. 26-March 1(Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m.) at St. Dominic Church , 2390 Bush St. at Steiner, SF. Jan. 26-March 1(Wednesdays , 7:30-9:30 p.m.): "Catholic Moral Theology and Social Teaching" at Riordan High School, 175 Phelan Ave., SF. $45.

Jan. 27-March 2(Thursdays , 7:30-9:30 p.m.): "The History and Theology of the Mass" with Father James Aylward , includes two-session practicum lor lectors with Susan Sikora and for eucharistic ministers with Father Bob Cipriano at St. Hilary Church , 761 Hilary Dr., Tiburon.

Jan. 29: Mass and SPL student recognition cere monies preceded by a keynote address by Alexie Torres of Youth Ministries lor Peace and Justice, 10 a.m. at St. Mary Calhedral, Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Torres spoke at the recent Jubilee Justice Conlerence in Los Angeles. All are welcome.

Retreats/Days of Recollection —— VALL O MBR O SA CENTER 250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park. For fees , limes and other offerings call (650) 325-5614.

Presentation Sister Rosina Conrotto, Program Director.

Feb. 4-6: Men's retreat with Jorge DaSilva Feb. 19,26, March 4: "Three Saturdays in Spring" where retreatants can experience contemplative prayer with art , music and the labyrinth, facilitated

by Sister Toni Longo. Attend one , two or all three days.

Feb. 12: "Experiencing God in the Seasons of our Life - The Winter Gifts of God", with Carol Fowler who will take retreatants through "the earth's cycle of seasons" using Scripture and photography.

Feb. 13: The monthly series "Living the Beatitudes" continues. This month's facilitator is Jesuit Father William Wood who will explore "the humble heart"; discussions on how to live an "authentic Christian life" in the 21st century.

MERCY CENTER 2300 Adeline Dr., Buriingame. For fees, times and offerings call (650) 340-7474.

Jan. 29 & Feb. 4: "Men's Spirituality: Jesus — Integrator of Sacred Masculine and Feminine," 9 a.m.-3 p.m. both Saturdays; directed by Jim Neafsey, M.Div. $35 in advance; $40 at door.

Feb. 26: "Encountering Mary: Opening to the Healing Power of Mary 's Presence ," 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; $75; directed by Kathleen Denison, M.A.

MARIAN IST CENTER 22622 Marianist Way, Cupertino. For fees , times and offerings call (408)253-6279.

SILVER PENNY FA R M offers retreat facilities near the wine country, 5215 Old Lakeville Rd., Petaluma, 94954. All quarters have bedroom and sitting room with fireplace. Call Father Ray Smith for a brochure at (707) 762-1498.

Taize Prayer Around the Cross 3rd Tues. at 8:30 p.m., St. Dominic Churc h, 2390 Bush St., SF. Call Delia Molloy at (415) 563-4280.

1st Thurs . at 5:30 p.m. at Old St. Mary 's Cathedral, 660 California St. at Grant, SF. Call (415) 28B-3809 .

3rd Thurs. 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Vallombrosa Center, 250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, facilitated by Sister Toni Longo. Call (650) 325-5614.

2nd Fri. at 8 p.m. at Presentation Sisters Molherhouse Chapel, Turk and Masonic, SF. Call Sister Monica Miller, PBVM at (415) 751-0406, ext.

22; and at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke Parish, 1111 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City. Call (650) 345-6660.

1st Fri. at 8 p.m. at Mercy Center, 2300 Adeline Dr., Buriingame. Call Mercy Sister Suzanne Toolan at (650) 340-7452.

Ecumenical & Interreligious Jan. 28: 21st Paul Wattson Lecture, featuring Yale History Professor Jaroslav Pelikan on "Comprehensiveness or Catholicity", 8 p.m., at University of San Francisco's Pacific Rim Room, 1st floor, Lone Mtn. Campus, 2800 Turk St., SF. Call (916) 733-0284.

Consolation Ministry Jan. 26-March 15(Wed. 7-9 p.m.): Make a quilt in memory of a loved one at a "Mourning Quilt Workshop " with therapist and gifted quilter Marilyn Parish Bevington. Pre-registration required. $160 fee. Call (650) 554-1000.

Drop-in Bereavement Sessions at St. Mary Cathedral, Gough and Geary St., SF on 2nd and 4th Wed., 2:30 - 4 p.m. Sponsored by Catholic Charities and Mid-Peninsula Hospice. Call Sister Esther at (415) 567 -2020, ext. 218.

Ongoing Sessions: Our Lady of Mi. Carmel Parish at the Parish Center, Fulton and James St., Redwood City, Thurs., 6-7:30 p.m. Call (650) 3663802. Our Lady of Angels Parish, 1721 Hillside Dr., Buriingame; 1st Mon. 7-9 p.m. Call (650) 3477768. St. Gabriel Parish, 40th Ave. and Ulloa , SF; 1st & 3rd Tues., 7-9 p.m. Call Barbara Elordi at (415) 564-7882. St. Hilary Parish, 761 Hilary Dr., Tiburon; 1st & 3rd Wed., 3-4:30 p.m. Call Sister Colette at (415) 435-7659.

Structured 8-week Session: Our Lady of Loretto, 1806 Novato Blvd., Novato, evenings or afternoons available. Call Sister Jeanette at (415) 897-2171

Datebook* For Parents Who Have Lost a Child: Our Lady of Angels Parish, 1721 Hillside Dr., Buriingame , 2nd Mon. Call Ina Potter at (650) 347-6971 or Barbara Arena at (650) 344-3579.

Children/Teen Groups: Call Barbara Elordi at (415) 564-7882.

"Compassionate Friends," a non-profit organization offering friendship and support to families who have experienced the death of a child, meet on 2nd Wed. at 7:30 p.m. St. Anne of the Sunset Parish, 850 Judah St. at Funston, SF. Call Marianne Lino at (415) 892-7969.

Youth Feb 2: Open House at Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School, 1560 40th Ave., SF, 8:30 a.m. noon. Earlier opportunities to learn about the school are available by calling (415) 731 -4077.

Feb. 5: "Youth Day" at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School, Franklin and Ellis St., SF. For high school students interested in a day of music , games, meetings , new friends, inspirational presentations, storytelling and other activities. $15.50 fee includes lunch. Sponsored by Office of Religious Education/Youth Ministry. Call (415) 565-3650.

Returning Catholics Feb. 8, 15, 22, 29: "Catholics Coming Home", a series of meetings geared toward inactive Catholics, at Homer Crouse Hall of St. Pius Parish, 1100 Woodside Rd., Redwood City, 7:30-9 p.m. Call (650) 368-0429.

At the Cemetery

HHHB

1st Sat. of the month Mass in All Saints Mausoleum Chapel. All liturgies begin at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma. For more information , call (650) 756-2060. .

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March 31-April 2: "Catholic Family Life 2000" at the SSF Conference Center , with and outstanding lineup of speakers on topics including marriage and marriage prep. Call Office ol Marriage and Family Life (415) 565-3688.

Catholic Charities Foster Care and Adoption Program offers free information meetings the 2nd Wed. of every month at 7 p.m. Adults and couples are invited to learn more about adoption and the growing need for permanent families for children.

Meetings are held at Catholic Charities, 814 Mission St., 5th FI.. SF. Call (415) 844-4781.

Knights of Columbus of the Archdiocese meet regularly and invite new membership. For information about Council 615 , call Tony Blaiotta at (415) 661-0726; Dante Council , call Vito Corcia at (415) 564-4449; Mission Council, call Paul Jobe at (415) 333-6197; Golden Gate Council, call Mike Stilman at (415) 752-3641.

Introductory sessions of Seton Medical Center 's Natural Family Planning program will be held through this fall.. The office also offers educational programs for youth on topics including the changes that occur during puberty and the responsibility of relationships. Health educators are also available to speak about NFP, infertility, adolescent sexuality, preparing for pregnancy, perinatal loss and drug abuse in pregnancy. Call (650) 301-8896.

Second Sat.: Handicapables gather for Mass and lunch at St. Mary Cathedral, Gough and Geary St., SF, at noon. Volunteer drivers always needed. Call (415) 584-5823.

Retrouvaille, a program tor troubled marriages, has upcoming weekends. Call Lolette or Anthony Campos at (415) 893-1005.

Vocations Jan. 21-23: Weekend discernment progra m at St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park , for men 20-50 interested in knowing more about priesthood in the Archdiocese of San Francisco; for information: (650) 325-5621.

Feb. 25-27: Are you interested in finding out about Sisters or becoming a Sister? The Sisters of the Presentation invite you to a weekend retreat at Presentation Center in Los Gatos. Visit Sisters at their ministry sites and hear first hand about their work and their passion for it. Open to women 22-45 years old. Register by Feb. 20. Call Presentation Sister Monica Miller at (415) 751-0406 , ext. 22 or mmiller@pbvms.org.

Single, Divorced, Separated

Weekdays: Radio Rosary, 7 p.m., 1400 AM KVTO, Includes prayer, meditation, news, homilies. Call (415) 282-0861.

Feb. 12: New Wings lunch at Baker 's Square in San Bruno followed by afternoon at the movies.

RSVP to Ron Landucci at (650) 583-6016.

Centering Prayer: Mon. 7 p.m.- 8:15 p.m., Most Holy Redeemer Church, 100 Diamond St., SF. Call Sr. Cathy Cahur at (415) 553-8776; Tues. 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Star of the Sea Church, 4420 Geary Blvd., SF. Call Chuck Cannon at (415) 752-8439; Sat. 10 a.m. - 12 noon, St. Cecilia Church, 2555 17th Ave., SF. Call Coralis Salvador at (415) 753-1920.

Thursday: The laity prayer cenacle of Marian Movement of Priests meets at 7 p.m., St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 180 Harrison Ave., Sausalito. Call (415) 331-3306.

Mass in American Sign Language is celebrated each Sun. al 10:30 a.m. at St. Benedict Parish, 1801 Octavia (between Pine and California) in SF. A sign language Mass is celebrated at St. Anthony Parish, 3500 Middlefield Rd„ Menlo Park on the third Sat. of the month at 10:30 a.m. and later that day at 4 p.m. in the chapel of Marin Catholic High School, 675 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. (at Bon Air Rd.), Kentfield. For information, call St. Benedict at (415) 567-9855 (voice) or (415) 567-0438 (TDD).

Blessed Sacrament Exposition Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, 24 hours everyday, (650) 322-3013. St. Sebastian Church, corner of Bon Air Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Greenbrae, M - F 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Adoration Chapel, (415) 461-0704. St. Agnes Church, 1025 Masonic (near Page) SF, Fri., 9 a.m. to 10 a.m„ (415) 487-8560. Our Lady of Angels Church, 1721 Hillside Dr., Buriingame, M- F after 8 a.m. Mass until 7 p.m.; St. Isabella Church, One Trinity Way, San Rafael, Fri., 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Our Lady of Loretto Church , 1806 Novato Blvd., Novato, Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., 1st Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sat. St. Bruno Church, 555 W. San Bruno Ave., San Bruno, 24 hours everyday, Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. St. Francis of Assisi Shrine, 610 Valtejo St. at Columbus, SF, Fri. following 12:15 p.m. Mass until 4:15 p.m. 2nd Sat. at St. Matthew Church, One Notre Dame Way, San Mateo with Nocturnal Adoration Society of San Mateo County. Call Lynn King at (650) 349-0498 or Jim McGill at (650) 574-3918 for times.

Corpus Christl Monastery, 215 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, daily fro m 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (650) 322-1801.St. Bartholomew Church, 300 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, 1st Fri. from after 8 a.m. Mass until just before next day's 8 a.m. Mass.; St. Dominic Church, Bush and Steiner St., 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. each Mon. and Wed. (415) 567-7824. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 3 Oakdale Ave., Mill Valley, Tuesdays, 8:15 a.m. - 5 p.m. St. John of God Church, 1290 5th Ave. at Irving, SF. Mondays after 12:10 p.m. Mass, (415) 566-5610; St. Kevin Church, 704 Cortland Ave., SF, 1st Fri. following 9 a.m. Mass until 5:15 p.m. Benediction. Call (415) 648-5751.

Family Life Jan. 28-30: Marriage Encounter Weekend for Spanish speaking, facilitated by three married couples and a priest. Milpitas location. For detailed information, call Guillermo or Maria Elena Can ura at (415) 585-5428.

Feb. 12: Anniversary Mass for couples celebrating 25, 50 or more years of marriage in the Jubilee Year; St. Mary's Cathedral; sponsored by Office of Marriage and Family life; for information: (415) 565-3688.

Feb. 12: "Monte Carlo Night" at Our lady of Loretto Parish Hall, Novato , 7 - 1 1 p.m., $25 per person includes chips, catered hors d'oeuvres , and a chance at a bay cruise for 2 on a private 75 foot yacht valued at $1200. Benefits the parish school.

Call (415) 892-8621.

March 25: "French Wine and Food Festival" at Notre Dame des Victoires Elementary School, 659 Pine St., SF, 6-10 p.m. A celebration of regional French wine and food with specialties from restaurants throughout the City. $25 per person includes wine, hors d'oeuvres , buffet entrees, dessert and entertainment. Call (415) 421-0069.

Prayer/Devotions

2nd Sun.: Pray lor Priests,3:30 p.m. at Star of the Sea Parish, 4420 Geary Blvd. at 8th Ave., SF. Call (415) 751-0450.

Cunningham at (415) 643-5043.

Catholic Adult Singles Assoc, of Marin meets for support and activities. Call Bob at (415) 897-0639 .

For information about additional ministries available to divorced and separated persons in the Archdiocese , call (415) 273-5521.

New Wings at St. Thomas More Church meets on 3rd Thursdays. Call Claudia Devaux at (415) 334-9088 or e-mail stmchurch@hotmail.com.

Lectures/ Classes/Discussions Feb. 5: Annual Religious Education Institute at St. Mary's Cathedral , Gough and Geary St., SF with theme of "Eucharist : Heroic Act of Love". Topics include sacraments , liturgy and spirituality. $18 per person. Sponsored by Office of Religious Education/Youth Ministry. Call (415) 565-3650.

Feb. 12: City of San Mateo "First Time Homebuyer Seminar " to introduce San Mateo County residents to subsidy programs they may qualify for including dow n payment assistance and mortgage credit certificate programs. San Mateo Community College, 3401 CSM Dr., San Mateo, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Reservations required, call (415) 3924663.

Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m.: Father Jim Aylward presents and discusses Vatican II at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, 3 Oakdale Ave., Mill Valley. All welcome. Coffee and refreshments , too.

Food&FunWK^^ Jan 29: Alumni Open House and School Tours at Notre Dame des Victoires Elementary School, 544 Bush St., 569 Pine St., SF, 2-5 p.m., All are welcome to this opening event of the school's 75th anniversary celebrations continuing through March.

Call Valerie Meehan at (415) 421-0069.

Feb. 4: Catholic Marin Breakfast Club meets for 7 a.m. Mass, breakfast and dialogue at St. Sebastian Church, Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Bon Air Rd., Greenbrae. Speaker TBA; March 3 hear Heidi Kuhn of "Roots of Peace"; April 7 hear Father Miles O'Brien Riley. Members $5/non-members $8. Call (415) 461-0704.

Feb. 5: "Grand Dance Party/Ceili Mor" for benefit of St. John of God Parish, No dance experience or partner necessary. Learn Irish dance from 7:30 8:30 p.m. and dance till 11 p.m. to music of The Bridge Gap Ceili Band. Step Dance exhibition, too. $10 adults/$2 children. Call Pat Beaupre at (415) 206-0926 or Patrick McManus at (415) 242-1646.

Feb 6: 75th anniversary Mass commemorating Notre Dame des Victoires Elementary School , Archbishop William J. Levada presiding, Notre Dame des Victoires Church. 544 Bush St., SF, 12:15 p.m., reception to follow. Call Valerie Meehan at (415) -421-0069.

Feb. 12: "Crab Feast" at St. John the Evangelist school gymnasium , 5:30 p.m. no-host cocktails with dinner at 6:30 p.m., cracked crab, salad, pasta, wine and dessert , $30 per person for benefit of the parish. Call Marie Stanfel at (415) 587-2461 or the parish office at (415) 334-4646.

Feb. 12: "Millennium - Odyssey 2000" the annual black tie gala of Catholic Charities' Little Children's Aid Junior Auxiliary. This year the Juniors honor Charities' Frank Hudson with the annual Alice Phelan Sullivan Award. Benefits programs for children in need. For information , call Maria

Reunions SF's St. Cecilia Elementary School's class of 1950 celebrates its 50th year on April 15 at the Irish Cultural Center. Class members should call Doris Grimley at (415) 664-2247.

"Milestone Class Reunions" for Notre Dame High School, Belmont, classes 1939 through 1994, are being planned now. For information, call Donna Westwood, '64, alumnae relations director, at (650) 595-1913, ext.

351 or e-mail alumnae@ndhs.pvt.k12.ca.us.

Attention Alumni and former students of Good Shepherd Elementary School, Pacifica. The school is developing an alumni newsletter. Please leave your name and address with the development office at (650) 738-4593 or fax to (650) 359-4558.

Our Lady of Angels Elementary School, Buriingame: Attention alumni/former students, parents, grandparents. OLA is developing an alumni newsletter. Please leave your name, address and phone number with the development office at (650) 343-9200 or fax to (650) 343-5620, attn: Susan Baker.

Jan. 30: "Mass of the Millennium" for alumnae, faculty, current ICA students and their families , 10:15 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Academy, 3625 24th St. at Guerrero , SF. Continental breakfast to follow. Call Pat Cavagnero at (415) 824-2052.

About Health

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Free Flu Shots at St. Mary's Medical Center, SF, for elderly and at risk individuals. Call (415) 7505800 for an appointment.

Save a Life! Donate Blood Now! Blood Centers of the Pacific has announced a critical blood shortage in the Bay Area. To schedule an appointment at a location near you, call (888) 393-GIVE (4483).

Feb. 5: Patient education class presented by Lupus Foundation of Northern California, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose. Designed to enable lupus patients and family members to learn basic facts about lupus. $25 per person/two people $40. Call (408) 954-8600.

Performance Jan. 29: "An Evening of Fine Vocal Music " at St. Timothy Church, 1515 Dolan Ave., off 3rd Ave , San Mateo, 8 p.m. Featured are several voices from the SF Opera Chorus including soprano , Virginia Pluth; mezzo, Sally Munro; tenor, Richard Walker and baritone, Frederick Matthews. Adults $10/Chldren $7. Call (650) 342-2468.

Feb. 5: "Jubilee 2000: Singing and Dancing the Seasons of God" at St. Ignatius Church , Fulton and Parker, SF at 8 p.m. Hear the SF Bay Area choir and dancers from "The Catholic Dancer". Call (415) 4225441.

Sundays in January: Concerts at St. Mary Cathedral featuring various artists3:30 p.m. Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213.

Sundays in January : Concerts at St. Francis of Assisi Shrine by various artists at 4 p.m. following sung vespers at 3 p.m., Columbus and Vallejo, SF. Call (415) 983-0405.

Feb. 27: Special 3 p.m. St. Anthony Foundation Interfaith Choral Concert celebrating the organization 's 50th anniversary at St. Mary 's Cathedral, Gough and Geary St., SF. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213.

Volunteer Opportunities Be a guardian at St. Mary's Cathedral, Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Call the cathedral at (415) 567-2020.

Docent opportunities to lead student and adult tours are available at Mission Dolores, SF. Share the rich California mission histo ry with some of Mission Dolores' thousands of visitors . Call Paula Zimmerman at (415) 621-8203.

The Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns offers volunteer opportunities in social j ustice, respect life , advocacy and other areas. Call (415) 565-3673.

Datebook is a free listing for parishes, schools and non-profit groups. Please include event name, time, date , p lace, address and an information p hone 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, 441 Church St., S.F. 94114, or f a xit to (415) 565-3633.

London' makes long-awaited return

By Father Basil De Pinto So, there is a Santa Claus , and he appeared , appropriatel y enough , on Twelfth Ni ght , Jan. 6, in the guise of Alisdair Neale conducting the San Francisco Symphony in the Symphony No. 2 ("London") by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

And not a moment too soon , since the last performances of the work took place in 1940 under the great Pierre Monteux , and the onl y others in San Francisco 12 years before that. How to account for the neglect of this stupendous symphony ? Not by any process of logic or tasteful jud gment, surel y. Mr. Neale deserves the highest praise for returning a great work to the active repertory.

A number of impressions impose themselves. First of all there is a wealth of lyrical invention: a constant flow of melodies, tossed off, it seems, with effortless abandon. A musical imagination of enormous proportions is everywhere apparent.

Then there is the dramatic quality that infuses each successive section. At first the composer denied that there was a "program" (pictorial or narrative aspect) to the symphony, despite such obvious touches as the Westminster chimes that occur in two places in the score. Later he acknowledged that one could easily imagine in the music scenes and places in his beloved London.

There was no need to apolog ize.

Vaughan Williams is indeed painting, but his pictures appeal to a creative imagining in the listener; there are none of the vulgar, if effective, devices one finds in the tone

poems of Richard Strauss , for example.

The genius of the symphony resides in the insertion of the lyrical and topical qual ities of the music into a framework of great technical rigor, so that the emotional outpouring and the compositional craft come together in a deeply satisfying artistic unity.

Mr. Neale led the orchestra with evident dedication to the music. He provided propulsive drive without ever rushing; desp ite the length of the score it fled by and one did not want it to end. There was some gorgeous solo playing especially from the viola , English horn and French horn

Bestsellers list . . .

Here is the Catholic Bestsellers List for January 2000, according to the Catholic Book Publishers Association: Hardcover 1. "She Said Yes." Misly Bernall (Plough Publishing) 2. "Recovering Life." Darryl & Charisse Strawberry. (Plough Publishing) 3. "Witness to Hope." George Weigel (HarperCollins) 4. "Lamb's Supper." Scott Hahn (Doubleday) 5. "Life of the Beloved." Henri J.M. Nouwen (Crossroad) 6. "Here and Now." Henri J.M. Nouwen (Crossroad) 7. "Eyes of the Heart." Frederick Buechner (HarperCollins) 8. "Lives of the Saints" Vol. I. Hugo Hoever (Catholic Book Publishing) 9. "Imitation of Christ." Thomas a Kempis (Catholic Book Publishing) 10. "Spiritual Manifestos." Niles Goldstein (Slights Paths Publishing) Paperback 1. "Workbook for Lectors & Gospel Readers " (RNAB translation — Year 2000). Susan E. Myers (Liturgy Training Publications) 2. "At Home With the Word 2000." Martin F. Connell (Liturgy Training) 3. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church. " (Doubleday) 4. "Return of the Prodigal Son." Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday) 5. "Sourcebook for Sundays & Seasons, Year 2000." Peter J. Scagnelli (Liturgy Training)

6. "Catholic Book of Prayers." M. Fitzgerald (Catholic Book Publishing) 7. "Nothing Bui the Truth." Karl Keating (Catholic Answers) 8. "Together for Life with Nuptial Mass. " Joseph M. Champlin (Ave Maria) 9. "Every Day Is A Gift." (Catholic Book Publishing) 10. "Wounded Healer." Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday) Children and Young People

1. "Picture Book of Saints." Lawrence Lovasik (Catholic Book Publishing) 2. "New Catholic Picture Bible." (Catholic Book Publishing) 3. "My First Missal." Maria Luisa Benigni (Pauline) 4. "Can You Find Jesus?" Gallery & Harlow (St. Anthony Messenger Press) 5. "Child's Book of Celtic Prayers." Joyce Denham (Loyola) 6. "Catholic Children 's Bible. " Mary Theola (Regina Press) 7. "The First Christmas Story." Daughters of St. Paul (Pauline) 8. "Children 's Book of Saints." Louis Savary (Regina Press) 9. "Mass for Children." Lawrence Lovasik (Catholic Book Publishing) 10. "Precious Moments Remembrance of My Baptism." Girl's edition (Regina Press)

CNA's - HHA's & EXPERIENCED CARE GIVERS oa WE NEED YOU!

HELP

W A ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ N T E D ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR Catholic women's high school seeks an experienced and motivated Admissions Dir. Strong public relations, leadershi p, collaborative, oral & written skills; comp . literacy; bachelor 's degree.

FAX resume to Immaculate Conception Academy :

415-821-4677

The Diocese of San Jose is offering a unique opportunity for ministry.

We are searching for a committed Catholic to serve as our Director of Cemeteries. This individual must possess the skills, qualities and ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ experience to lead ¦ a¦ diverse ¦ workforce serving a multi-cultural Church. These competencies would include, but are not limited to, organizational and fiscal management; p lanning and development; and collaborative personnel skills. Full Job Opening Announcements are available by calling (408) 983-0149.

Or mail resume and cover letter to Diocese of San Jose, 900 Lafayette Street, Suite 301, Santa Clara, CA 95050 or FAX to (408) 983-0203.

Deadline J anuary 28, 2000.

POSITION OPENING: Account Clerk/Secretary

St. John the Evangelist Parish has an opening for a part-time account clerk/secretary.

Responsibilities include routine clerical, data entry and bookkeeping functions.

Computer skills (Word processing and data entry) required. Bookkeeping experience a plus, but not required. Training will be provided. 12-15 hours per week.

Position opens in late January.

Submit resume by January 28 to Fr. Jim Myers, St. John the Evangelist Church, 19 St. Mary's Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112.

Chap lain at Highland Hosp ital, Oakland , Father Basil De Pinto is a frequent commentator on the Bay Area fine arts scene.

SF. Family seeking I br. or in-law apt. $600 to $700 for our 74 yr. old , very independent, energetic mother. Inner Richmond , Laurel Village, Pac. rights, Nob Hill.

254-4799 , Lisa.

Housekeeper/Childcare Responsible person to live-in in exchange tor room & board plus negotiable salary.

Duties; housekeeping, light meals, driving girls 12 and 16.

Most weekends off.

Contact Eileen Winter.

(415) 753-2281

Mari n County Home Care Agency. Long shifts , sleep overs CT/ AccentCan anc' 3-4 day live-ins. Provide care for seniors in their homes.

GREAT PAY! LOTS OF WORK! FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES Please call us now (415) 472-1111

DIRECTOR OF CEMETERIES

moments in the slow movement.

To open the concert Mr. Neale gave the first playing here of "Musica Celestis" by Aaron Jay Kernis. The composer arranged the second movement of his String Quartet for string orchestra . It is a decided success in this version (I haven 't hard the quartet).

The soft beginning had a whiff of the opening bars of "Lohengri n " about it but the composer claims that his inspiration came rather from Hildegard of Bingen. The notion of angels praising God finds here an apt expression in the aura of reverence provided by the string sound moving and expanding in ever rising layers.

The idiom is quite tonal and conventionally harmonic, but comes from a clearly original sensibility. It is music one would gladly welcome for a repeat hearing.

Between these two absorbing pieces there was a perfectly adequate and comp letely uninteresting run-through of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. The soloist was Tamaki Kawakubo who played with a rather thin tone and no discernibl e temperamental affinity for the music.

Fortunate ly the conceit ended with the Vaughan Williams and one went out into the night devoutly hop ing that we will not have to wait another sixty years to revel in this glorious music.

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Reflection:

Marri ag e and famil y life : gift s f r om a loving Father

By Chris Lyford As the first weeks of the Jubilee Year unfold 1 can ' t hel p but think of the first few words pronounced by a newl y elected pope in October of 1978: "Be not afraid!"

These words offer comfort to every facet of marriage and family life — at every stage , and in every circumstance. Yet they mean infinitel y more because of who spoke them first. When Peter fixed his gaze onto Jesus who was walking toward him on the water, his whole understanding of reality was in crisis. Either this man walking on the waves was a master y \, _g of illusion and deceit , or he was , in fact , the Messiah. "Be not afraid ," said Jesus. ig JS "It is I." Each of us faces an ocean of challenges «| as this new year unfolds whether these be _s challenges in our marriage, our family life , or ^g our vocational discernment process as young ^jg adults. And whether those challenges come in "Z the form of a day-old stack of dishes, or in the "= form of a family or personal crisis , the Lord — " who is love — comes to each of us and offers an opportunity of great hope , and words which can only be spoken from one who knows us and loves us unconditionall y: "Be not afraid. It is I."

Chris Lyford directs the Office of Marriag e and Family Life for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. To contact the Office , call (415) 565-3680 or visit its Web site: www. catholicfamilylife 2000.com >

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These word s will be good to keep in mind during the next several weeks as the social concept of the marriage covenant is celebrated , debated , redefined by some, and addressed by millions of California voters in light of Proposition 22 , the Limitation of Marriage Act. Regardless, when the March elections ^^^^

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But like Peter, our own and society 's understanding of the reality of God' s gift of marriage could be shaken.

Marriage , the Holy Father says, "undergirds the institution of the family". It is "constituted by the covenant whereby 'a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnershi p of their whole life ,' and which 'of it 's very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbring ing of children '."

He quotes from the Catechism what we as Catholics believe —- and what we live out on the "Mondays and Tuesdays of our lives".

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Archbishop Levada has noted how a shift in the understanding of marriage could , and probably would , affect many areas of thought and princi ple , impacting our most precious gifts , our children.

"If we were to enshrine in our laws a different concept of marriage , one that sub*V ordinates family to personal lifesty le choices, we would be setting a different standard for the education of young people. The law is a powerful educator, " Archbishop Levada wrote in October in Catholic San Francisco.

Lived generously, marriage and family life anticipate and prevent many of the social problems which plague society today. With this in mind, I am looking forward to celebrating the gift of Christian marriage at the Anniversary Mass to be held in the Cathedral on Feb. 12, and the gift of family life at the Catholic Family Life Conference this March 31-April 2, also at St. Mary 's Cathedral . Both events will underscore that answers to life's mysteries and challenges lie in our faith and are clarified through our prayer, dialogue, and community involvement. We take heart in the Word sent from the Father "Be not afraid. It is I."

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Last month Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles put into words the convictions of the Church regarding what we face as Catholics today in the public arena: "The Church has found no legitimate justification to redefine and extend the marriage contract to include same sex unions...an d I am saddened that some peop le have interpreted the Catholic Church's support for Proposition 22 as a lessening of our commitment to serve the gay and lesbian community..[W]e continue to cherish each person as a son or daug hter created in God' s image and likeness , and work together to build up a community of justice, compassion , and care for

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Marriage and family conference announced The Archdiocese 's Marri age and Family Life Office will host a Catholic Family Life 2000 Conference March 31 to April 2 at St. Mary 's Cathedral , 1111 Gough St., San Francisco.

"It 's about where we 've been , and where we 're going," explained Family Life Director Chris Lyford.

"And it 's to show appreciation for the family."

Lyford expects as many as 1,000 attendees.

Clinical psychologist and Catholic radio talk show host Ray Guarendi will give the keynote address.

Juvenile probation officer turned stand up comic Michael Pritchard will serve as master of ceremonies. Financial expert Phil Lenehan and chastity educator and worldwide

Partial-birth... ¦ Continued from page 1 to hear oral arguments in April and issue a ruling before it adjourns in late June or early Jul y.

If the court decides to incorporate appeals from other states , Quinn note d, that might force a delay into the 2000-2001 term. The court 's last scheduled day for oral arguments this term is April 26.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ' opinion , which also overruled laws in Arkansas and Iowa, was followed a month later by a contrary ruling in the 7th Circuit. The latter upheld the partial-birth abortion bans of Wisconsin and Illinois.

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But the current timing will mean increased publ ic discussion of the issue will coincide with this year 's presidential campaigns. Alvare said the candidates ' and main political party positions on the issue are likely to be predictable, but with a nationwide discussion of the partial-birth abortion procedure, "the pro-life argument should win hands down."

A spokesperson for the Respect Life Program of the Archdiocese of San Francisco's Office of Public Policy and Social concerns , Kathleen Buckley, agreed.

"Regardless of the court 's decision ," Buckley said, "the very fact this case is being taken up gives pro-lifers an opportunity to once again educate the public on partialbirth abortion. With partial-birth abortion , the distance from abortion to infanticide is clearly shortened. This is a fact that everyone can see and understand and be horrified at."

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Planning, and teen chastity, among others . A famil y talent show and appreciation event will be the highlight of Saturday evening, Lyford noted. Each family will also receive a candle blessed by Archbishop William J. Levada for use during family prayer times.

Archbishop Levada will be the princi pal celebrant at a Mass April 2.

Cost is $25 per person with children 17 and under free. Childcare will be provided free for all talks.

Lyford stressed families who cannot afford the fee are welcome and should contact his office at (415) 5653680. For information and registration, email: conference@catholicfamilylife2000.com.

In medical terms called dilation and extraction , the procedure involves partiall y removing a live fetus through the birth canal, cutting into the skull and suctioning out the brains to enable easiei removal of the body.

Opponents of the procedure , ranging from the U.S. bishops to the legislatures of dozens of states, liken it to infanticide , because in legal terms, a matter of inches separates a live birth from an abortion. Those who want the procedure kept legal say among abortion procedures , it is safer for the mother late in pregnancy, particularl y when a fetal abnormality is discovered or when there is risk to the mother 's life in carrying the pregnancy to term .

When the 8th Circuit struck down Nebraska 's law, it said the wording might also outlaw a more common type of abortion , called dilation and evacuation "Such a prohibition places an undue burden on the ri ght of women to choose whether to have an abortion ," the appeals court said.

Two attempts to pass a nationwide law prohibiting partial-birth abortion were vetoed by President Clinton in 1996 and 1997.

A statement from the National Ri ght to Life Committee general counsel , James Bopp, Jr. , said the Nebraska case is important "because it will set the outer limit of the so-called right to abortion , but it is not a challenge to Roe vs. Wade," the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. Its anniversary is Jan. 22.

"The Supreme Court would have to expand the socalled right to abortion beyond the womb in order to uphold the 8th Circuit decision ," Bopp said.

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|f i ^^ri^.|^g^3HJ[j^| Couples' comments

Following are comments from couples carried on the Web page ( www.retrouvaille.or g) for Retrouvaille , a program to hel p seriousl y troubled marriages. * "We had drifted apart over the years, almost living like strangers together. Our love was buried under bitterness and anger. We rarely talked and mostl y tolerated one another. Wc found we could beg in again , forget the past mistakes we had both made and go on from here. " ?

"We were separated. I was alone without any support. Counseling resolved many individual problems, but Retrouvaille helped us to face our marriage problems together." ?

"Conflict over management of teen-agers, long working hours and financial worries had us both isolated. Retrouvaille showed us how to reconnect to the benefit of us and our children." ?

"After 27 years interspersed with ph ysical violence and deceit, Retrouvaille gave us the hope and resolve that led to the peace and mutual support we now enjoy. " ?

"We had both been unfaithful , yet Retrouvaille gave us the trust to find each other again. " ?

"Retrouvaille hasn't eliminated our problems . . . but has given us tools to work with. It has given us a better understanding of each other and the maturity to talk things out instead of just fighting." ?

"When we attended we both thought there was no hope of us staying together. We were both loaded with pai n and hurt feelings. We had so many unresolved issues that not a day would go by without some sort of arguing, bickering, fighting. We were even fighting on the drive to the hotel where it was held, and were not very confident that we could even complete the weekend let alone save our marriage.

The only reason we had agreed to this one last chance was because of our two small children who we both love dearly. We can 't begin to tell you how important that weekend turned out to be. It was almost unbelievable how quickl y everything changed for us. "

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'We know you 're in the p its. We know you are

By Kamille Maher "The program is a miracle of grace and the Catholic Church's deepest secret." This is one local priest 's descri ption of Retrouvaille , a program to hel p seriousl y troubled marriages.

Father Kirk Ullery, pastor of San Francisco 's Our Lady of Lourdes Parish , began hel p ing offer Retrouvaille weekends six years ago and offers this message to strugg ling coup les: "We know you ' re in the pits. We know you 're in hell. And we 've been there, too. " The program , with the French name for "rediscovery " and pronounced "re-troo-vye," boasts high success rates in saving marriages. Organizers attribute the effectiveness to the long process, the witness of presenters who had marital trouble themselves, and the focus on hope.

A Retrouvaille weekend is scheduled every month at rotating locations in Menlo Park , San Jose , Oakland , Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere in Northern California.

Between 25 and 40 couples attend the initial weekend, followed by sessions over a 90-day period , and ongoing support groups.

Three presenting coup les and a priest direct the weekend program , offering strugg ling couples a picture of the marriage journey with stages of romance , disillusionment , misery, and rebirth.

After the initial weekend, participating couples explore 12 subjects during several follow-up sessions: "beg inning again, taking a look at me, listening, place for God , discovering values , dealing with conflict , love is a decision , forg iveness , sexuality, trust , growing in intimacy, and marriage as a sacrament ."

Formed in 1977 in Canada by a Marriage Encounter couple and a priest who recognized peer-to-peer ministry could bring remarkable recovery to troubled marriages , Retrouvaille is now available in many U.S. dioceses.

Programs in Spanish have been introduced in the United States, Mexico , Chile, and the Phili ppines.

A national annual convention in St. Louis drew about 600 leaders from around the world , and 6,000 United States couples partici paled in Retrouvaille last year, according to founder of the local program , Ed Gleason.

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"The movement is growing and growing, " he said.

"It works a bit like Alcoholics Anonymous ," explained Gleason , noting that like AA , Retrouvaille uses peer witness and anonymity.

"The three presenting couples and priest aren 't there to preach or give advice ," said Gleason , who served from 1984 to 1993 as the Archdiocese 's director of Marriage and Family Life with his wife , Peg. "They tell how they put their lives back in order. That 's wh y AA is so successfu l, and that 's exactly why Retrouvaille is so successful. (Troubled spouses) need to see the possibilities. " Also like AA , Retrouvaille often deals with alcoholism , Gleason said. Drinking, drug use and infidelity are the most common problems faced by partici pating couples. He said these problems lead to and stem from breakdowns in communication.

"They have gone their separate ways," he said. The Gleasons noticed this phenomenon and brought the program to Northern California in 1987.

"Couples generally separate over a period of time, not one bad night or weekend, usuall y over many years. " "The emphasis on individualism in our society is the main problem hurting marriages ," he continued. "Peop le seeking their own agenda, rather than the famil y 's agenda.

That 's a cultural thing that 's destroy ing a lot of our families. And then when you ask someone, 'Hey, what are you

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in hell. We 've been there , too/ doing to your famil y?' they say, 'That ' s a guilt trip. Don ' t put guilt on me. '" Peg Gleason stressed that problems with substance abuse and infidelity "cross all the lines " of socio-economics, age, and even length of maniage.

"We have fewer couples with more than 40 years of marriage, but we do have some," she noted. "The one-to-five year range is not as heavy but we do have some." Most partici pants have been married from five to 40 years, she said.

"Every culture has its problems ," she added.

Another presenter listed alcoholism and infidelity as the "top two " problems. "Above that is communication ," added Lolette Campos, who with her husband , Tony, took over administration of the local program last year.

"It's stressful because there are so many couples in need," Campos said. "Getting calls from couples reminds us where we used to be and that we never want to go back again."

She said tools of the program "sound so basic ," but they need continual updating and practice.

Gleason also stressed the need for ongoing work.

"The follow-ups are probabl y more important than the weekend ," Gleason asserted. "The weekend gives hope , a

'Coup les generally separate oy er a pe riod of time, not one bad nig ht or weekend , usually over many years. . taste, but the marriage needs time and effort. It didn 't get destroyed in a weekend and it won 't be put back together in a weekend. It's a process."

The presenting couples were once Retrouvaille participants.

Father Ullery concurred communication is the key to rebuilding marri ages. "What they have lost is the desire to communicate how they feel in an honest, open way.

Somewhere along the line, they started putting on each other things they thought were going on," he exp lained.

"You hav e to keep it open because people change.

Otherwise after a while you 'll say to yourself , 'Hello, who is this?'"

All stressed the role of faith in resurrecting marriages.

Campos called her saved marriage a "blessing" and said presenters take part to "give back as a charity for getting their own marriages back on track. " Gleason said, "Couples recognize they probably have a

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About 15 families gathered last October for the first "family weekend" for past Retrouvaille participants and families at St. Clare Retreat House in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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spiritual problem , not a psycholog ical one."

"It would be hard for me to imagine ," said Father Ullery, a successful marriage between two baptized adults unless the union had spiritual depth.

About two-thirds of Retrouvaille partici pants identif y as Roman Catholic , Gleason estimated.

Couples decide to attend the weekend in various married states , Father Ullery said. Some have separated and even divorced , some are experiencing alienation after having raised children , and some have been to marriage counseling and Maniage Encounter. All of them are "looking for a miracle. " The miracle exists , according to current archdiocesan Marriage and Famil y Life Director Chris Lyford .

"You can save your marriage ," he told Catholic San Francisco. "What I see and constantl y hear is that if a coup le goes on that weekend with even a glimmer of hope and intention to be open and work on a marriage that seems hopeless , the weekend seems to be successfu l ."

"In many, many cases, almost every single case, the marriage is saved," he continued . "Due to not just the weekend, but the six weeks that follow. Even after those six weeks, if they are still having troubles , we (the Family Life Office) can connect them with counselors. " The Gleasons published results from a 1992 study they conducted of 677 Northern California couples who had participated in Retrouvaille. They received responses from 180 couples. Of these, 73 percent were still married, 18 percent were divorced , and 9 percent were separated but seeking reconciliation.

In addition , 97 percent of the respondents were positive about the program and would recommend it to others. "The most surprising result was that 98 percent of those who obtained a divorce also felt positive about Retrouvaille," Ed Gleason wrote in a 1992 article in America , which published the study.

Spouses cannot attend alone. As a result , sometimes one partner has to persuade , even beg, the other to attend, according to Retrouvaille 's web site : www.retrouvailie.org .

Presenting coup les include Lolette and Tony Campos from Novato 's St. Anthony Parish; Andy and Nancy Kronander who are E piscopal Baptists; Jerry and Terri Cuellar from St. DunstanParish, Millbrae; Ed and Peg Gleason from St. Teresa Parish , San Francisco; Jeff and Donna Heusler from Oakland. A Spanish Retrouvaille is available in San Jose, Sacramento and Fresno from leaders Luis and Nina Gomez of San Jose. .

For information, call Lolette and Tony Campos at (415) 893-1005.

Contacting retrouvaille leaders

• San Francisco Archdiocese Lolette and Tony Campos, (415) 893-1005 • Fresno Peter and Patricia Mecclone, 1-888-875-8755 • Los Angeles Katherine and Monty Gaden , (909) 982-1034 • Orange County Ellen and Larry Herich , (949) 369-7163 • Sacramento: Dennis and Linda Gardiner, 1-800-283-5952 • San Diego: Roger and Brenda Necochea, (619) 479-2313

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We are The <E>xcCusivef loristf orSaint tMary 's Cathedral (Though We can do Wedding f lowersanywhere!)

Call Christine 9-loogasianto Schedule a f ree Wedding Consultation

(415)885-4321 or 1(800)BAY-AREA www.hoogasian.com